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The emerging role of substance P/neurokinin-1 receptor signaling pathways in growth and development of tumor cells

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Abstract

Tachykinins (TKs) include an evolutionarily conserved group of small bio-active peptides which possess a common carboxyl-terminal sequence, Phe-X-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2. TKs also have been shown to have implications in different steps of carcinogenesis, such as angiogenesis, mitogenesis, metastasis, and other growth-related events. The biological actions of substance P (SP), as the most important member of the TK family, are mainly mediated through a G protein-coupled receptor named neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R). More recently, it has become clear that SP/NK1R system is involved in the initiation and activation of signaling pathways involved in cancer development and progression. Therefore, SP may contribute to triggering a variety of effector mechanisms including protein synthesis and a number of transcription factors that modulate the expression of genes involved in these processes. The overwhelming insights into the blockage of NK1R using specific antagonists could suggest a therapeutic approach in cancer therapy. In this review, we focus on evidence supporting an association between the signaling pathways of the SP/NK1R system and cancer cell proliferation and development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Hossein Javid, Fariba Mohammadi, Elnaz Zahiri & Seyed Isaac Hashemy

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Hossein Javid, Fariba Mohammadi & Elnaz Zahiri

  3. Surgical Oncology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Seyed Isaac Hashemy

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  1. Hossein Javid
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All authors contributed to the gathering of data and writing the manuscript; HJ was responsible to coordinate with the authors, and SIH finalized and submitted the paper.

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Correspondence to Seyed Isaac Hashemy.

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Key points

• Tachykinins have implications in different steps of carcinogenesis.

• SP/NK1R system activates signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis.

• The blockage of NK1R could suggest a therapeutic approach in cancer therapy.

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Javid, H., Mohammadi, F., Zahiri, E. et al. The emerging role of substance P/neurokinin-1 receptor signaling pathways in growth and development of tumor cells. J Physiol Biochem 75, 415–421 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-019-00697-1

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