Université de Fribourg

Menthol evokes Ca2+ signals and induces oxidative stress independently of the presence of TRPM8 (menthol) receptor in cancer cells

Nazıroğlu, Mustafa ; Blum, Walter ; Jósvay, Katalin ; Çiğ, Bilal ; Henzi, Thomas ; Oláh, Zoltán ; Vizler, Csaba ; Schwaller, Beat ; Pecze, László

In: Redox Biology, 2018, vol. 14, p. 439–449

Menthol is a naturally occurring monoterpene alcohol possessing remarkable biological properties including antipruritic, analgesic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and cooling effects. Here, we examined the menthol-evoked Ca2+ signals in breast and prostate cancer cell lines. The effect of menthol (50–500µM) was predicted to be mediated by the transient receptor potential ion channel...

Université de Fribourg

Targeting breast cancer cells by MRS1477, a positive allosteric modulator of TRPV1 channels

Nazıroğlu, Mustafa ; Çiğ, Bilal ; Blum, Walter ; Vizler, Csaba ; Buhala, Andrea ; Marton, Annamária ; Katona, Róbert ; Jósvay, Katalin ; Schwaller, Beat ; Oláh, Zoltán ; Pecze, László

In: PLOS ONE, 2017, vol. 12, no. 6, p. e0179950

There is convincing epidemiological and experimental evidence that capsaicin, a potent natural transient receptor potential cation channel vanilloid member 1 (TRPV1) agonist, has anticancer activity. However, capsaicin cannot be given systemically in large doses, because of its induction of acute pain and neurological inflammation. MRS1477, a dihydropyridine derivative acts as a positive...

Université de Fribourg

Molecular surgery concept from bench to bedside: a focus on TRPV1+ pain-sensing neurons

Pecze, László ; Viskolcz, Béla ; Oláh, Zoltán

In: Frontiers in Physiology, 2017, vol. 8, p. -

“Molecular neurosurgery” is emerging as a new medical concept, and is the combination of two partners: (i) a molecular neurosurgery agent, and (ii) the cognate receptor whose activation results in the selective elimination of a specific subset of neurons in which this receptor is endogenously expressed. In general, a molecular surgery agent is a selective and potent ligand, and the target...

Université de Fribourg

Activation of endogenous TRPV1 fails to induce overstimulation-based cytotoxicity in breast and prostate cancer cells but not in pain-sensing neurons

Pecze, László ; Jósvay, Katalin ; Blum, Walter ; Petrovics, György ; Vizler, Csaba ; Oláh, Zoltán ; Schwaller, Beat

In: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research, 2016, vol. 1863, no. 8, p. 2054–2064

Vanilloids including capsaicin and resiniferatoxin are potent transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) agonists. TRPV1 overstimulation selectively ablates capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurons in animal models in vivo. The cytotoxic mechanisms are based on strong Na⁺ and Ca2 + influx via TRPV1 channels, which leads to mitochondrial Ca2 + accumulation and...