The role of G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways and mutations
in cancer development and immune response
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a crucial role in cellular
signaling, regulating various physiological processes. Abnormal
expression and mutations of GPCRs have been implicated in several types
of cancer, influencing tumor initiation, progression, and immune
response. In this review, we present an overview of recent research on
GPCR involvement in cancer, and discuss the evidence supporting whether
mutations in GPCRs act as cancer driver or passenger. Accumulation of
GPCR mutations in some highly conserved structural motifs and the
mutually exclusiveness observed between Gi-coupled GPCRs and
GNAS-activating mutations indicate their potential driving role in
cancer. However, the functional redundancy of GPCR signaling networks,
together with the widespread but low frequency distribution of GPCR
mutations indicate that they may rather act as passengers. The future of
GPCR drug discovery hinges on overcoming challenges related to data
availability and the integration of GPCR research with broader cancer
studies using multi-omics approaches.