Role of adenosine receptors in the pathogenesis of cancer and as novel therapeutic targets in cancer

Adenosine is a purine nucleoside increasingly recognized for its ability to modulate inflammatory processes and the immune response. The need to control inflammation is obvious because prolonged or inappropriate inflammatory responses contribute to the pathogenesis of many major diseases associated with inflammation, namely oncologic diseases. This may be particularly important in hypoxic solid tumors, since hypoxia leads to increased adenosine levels. Adenosine regulates cellular processes via interaction with four subtypes of GPCR named A1, A2A, A2B and A3. Owing to their widespread occurrence, the adenosine receptors are currently viewed as important players in pathophysiological situations associated with increased adenosine release and, therefore, are potential targets for drug treatment. New insights on the role of adenosine/adenosine receptors in different cancers will hopefully lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies for cancers with poor prognosis, such as melanoma.

Research Area Coordinator: Paula Fresco | Email: pfresco@ff.up.pt

Relevant publications:


• Combination of Cl-IB-MECA with paclitaxel is a highly effective cytotoxic therapy causing mTOR-dependent autophagy and mitotic catastrophe on human melanoma cells.
  Soares AS, Costa VM, Diniz C, Fresco P
  J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2014 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print]; PMID: 24659394
  
  
• Potentiation of cytotoxicity of paclitaxel in combination with Cl-IB-MECA in human C32 metastatic melanoma cells: A new possible therapeutic strategy for melanoma.
  Soares AS, Costa VM, Diniz C, Fresco P.
  Biomed Pharmacother 67(8):777-89, 2013