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Peripheral glutamate receptors as target for drug therapy of human melanoma
- Abstract
- Glutamate is a widely distributed peiotropic molecule with many functions in mammals (metabolic intermediary, taste stimulus, the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, neurotoxin if released in excess): Besides the broad distribution in the central nervous system (CNS), inotropic (ligand-gated ion channels) as well as metabotropic (G-protein coupled) glutamate receptors have also been found in a number of peripheral non-excitable cells (e.g. taste buds, intestine, heart, lung, spleen, thymus, pancreas, adrenal gland, skin, bone, hepatocytes, megakaryocytes, platelets and lymphocytes).
So it became apparent that glutamate, in addition to eliciting excitatory currents, can regulate other biological responses as well. Of particular interest is the discovery that excessive glutamate release promotes tumor growth.
In the present project we want to systemically analyze the therapeutic potential of glutamate receptor ligands specific for mGluR1 and 5 to establish novel therapeutic concepts of melanocytic neoplasia. Tumor cell lines will be exposed to metabotropic receptor agonists/antagonists, and tumor cell growth, morphology, differentiation and apoptosis will be evaluated. In addition, by combining metabotropic glutamate receptor reagents with established chemotherapeutic drugs, we want to define optimal combinations to achieve superior cytostatic effects as compared to either treatment alone.
- Project Leader:
- Schauenstein Konrad
- Duration:
- 01.01.2005-31.12.2006
- Type of Research
- applied research
- Staff
- Schauenstein, Konrad, Project Leader
- MUG Research Units
- Division of Immunology