Guest Editors
Prof. Dr. Yoshinori Marunaka
Email: marunaka@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Affiliation: Medical Research Institute, Kyoto Industrial Health Association, Kyoto, 604-8472, Japan; Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
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Research Interests: cancer biology, ion channel, ion transporter, pH, cell migration
Prof. Dr. Atsushi Shiozaki
Email: shiozaki@koto.kpu-m.ac.jp
Affiliation: Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachihirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, 602-8566, Japan
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Research Interests: ion transporters, digestive cancer, cancer stem cells
Summary
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. While significant advances have been made in the development of anticancer therapies, the role of the ionic microenvironment and ion-transporting proteins in cancer progression and treatment has received comparatively less attention. Ion channels and transporters, particularly those involved in proton, calcium, and chloride flux, are frequently overexpressed or dysregulated in cancer cells and play critical roles in processes such as tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis.
For example, the acidic tumor microenvironment, driven by the overproduction and export of protons via specific proton transporters, contributes to immune evasion and local tissue damage. Targeting these mechanisms offers a novel pharmacological strategy for disrupting cancer cell survival and metastatic potential.
This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in understanding the functional relevance of ion channels and transporters in cancer biology, with an emphasis on their potential as therapeutic targets. We welcome original research and review articles that investigate the molecular mechanisms of ion transporter function in cancer, their role in the tumor microenvironment, and pharmacological approaches to modulate their activity for therapeutic benefit.
Researchers working in the fields of cancer pharmacology, molecular oncology, and drug development are encouraged to contribute.
Keywords
cancer, ion-transporting proteins ion channels, ion transporters, tumor microenvironment, targeted therapy, cell growth, cell migration, metastasis, interstitial fluid, monocarboxylate transporter
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