Functional characterization of Acid-Sensing Ion Channels in Glioblastoma stem cell lines

Typically, the tumor microenvironment has a slightly acidic pH. In our most recent study, which was published in the journal Pflügers Archiv – European Journal of Physiology, we functionally characterized three acid sensors in two cell lines isolated from medulloblastoma, the most common pediatric brain tumor. We found that these cells express two acid-sensitive ion channels (ASIC1a and PAC or TMEM206) and a proton-sensitive G protein-coupled receptor (OGR1). These receptors, together with a K⁺ channel (BK_Ca), modulated the cell volume and cell death at strongly acidic pH. Collectively, our results suggest that the acid sensors could play an important role in the regulation of the proliferation and evolution of tumor cells.