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Neurotransmitters: emerging targets in cancer

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Abstract

Neurotransmitters are conventionally viewed as nerve-secreted substances that mediate the stimulatory or inhibitory neuronal functions through binding to their respective receptors. In the past decades, many novel discoveries come to light elucidating the regulatory roles of neurotransmitters in the physiological and pathological functions of tissues and organs. Notably, emerging data suggest that cancer cells take advantage of the neurotransmitters-initiated signaling pathway to activate uncontrolled proliferation and dissemination. In addition, neurotransmitters can affect immune cells and endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment to promote tumor progression. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying neurotransmitter function in tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, and inflammation is expected to enable the development of the next generation of antitumor therapies. Here, we summarize the recent important studies on the different neurotransmitters, their respective receptors, target cells, as well as pro/antitumor activity of specific neurotransmitter/receptor axis in cancers and provide perspectives and insights regarding the rationales and strategies of targeting neurotransmitter system to cancer treatment.

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Funding

This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81701945, 81672358, 81871923, 81802890, and 81872242), the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai (18ZR1436900), Shanghai Sailing Program (19YF1445700), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2018M640403), Shanghai Municipal Education Commission-Gaofeng Clinical Medicine Grant Support (20181708), Program of Shanghai Academic/Technology Research Leader (19XD1403400), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (18410721000), and Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau (2018BR32).

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Shu-Heng Jiang, Li-Peng Hu

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, PR China

    Shu-Heng Jiang, Li-Peng Hu, Xu Wang, Jun Li & Zhi-Gang Zhang

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  1. Shu-Heng Jiang
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Jiang, SH., Hu, LP., Wang, X. et al. Neurotransmitters: emerging targets in cancer. Oncogene 39, 503–515 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-019-1006-0

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