The Prognostic Value and Mechanisms of TMEM16A in Human Cancer

Wenjian Chen; Meng Gu; Chaobing Gao; Bangjie Chen; Junfa Yang; Xiaoli Xie; Xinyi Wang; Jun Sun; Jinian Wang

doi:10.3389/fmolb.2021.542156

The Prognostic Value and Mechanisms of TMEM16A in Human Cancer

Front Mol Biosci. 2021 Feb 18:8:542156. doi: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.542156. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Wenjian Chen^{1

2}, Meng Gu^{2

3}, Chaobing Gao⁴, Bangjie Chen⁵, Junfa Yang^{2

3}, Xiaoli Xie⁶, Xinyi Wang⁵, Jun Sun¹, Jinian Wang⁷

Affiliations

¹ Anhui Province Children's Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
² School of Pharmacy, Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
³ Institute for Liver Diseases of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
⁴ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of AnHui Medical University, Hefei, China.
⁵ First Clinical Medical College of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
⁶ Anhui Medicine Centralized Procurement Service Center, Hefei, China.
⁷ Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.

Abstract

As a calcium ion-dependent chloride channel transmembrane protein 16A (TMEM16A) locates on the cell membrane. Numerous research results have shown that TMEM16A is abnormally expressed in many cancers. Mechanically, TMEM16A participates in cancer proliferation and migration by affecting the MAPK and CAMK signaling pathways. Additionally, it is well documented that TMEM16A exerts a regulative impact on the hyperplasia of cancer cells by interacting with EGFR in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), an epithelial growth factor receptor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma respectively. Meanwhile, as an EGFR activator, TMEM16A is considered as an oncogene or a tumor-promoting factor. More and more experimental data showed that down-regulation of TMEM16A or gene targeted therapy may be an effective treatment for cancer. This review summarized its role in various cancers and research advances related to its clinical application included treatment and diagnosis.

Keywords: TMEM16A; biomarker; cancer; cancer therapy; treatment.

Publication types

Review