Table 1 Summary of the most recent progress in our understanding of connexin subtypes in growth and metastasis of various cancers

Cx43

Breast

Different effects on MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 in 2-D and 3-D cell cultures

[65]

Cx43

Breast

Peptide ACT1 increase GJ and impairs cell proliferation/survival

[116]

Cx43

Breast

CM from breast cancer cells decreases Cx43 gap junctions

[96]

Cx43

Gastric cancer cells

Increase in diapedesis and transmigration through intercellular space between mesothelial cells

[90]

Cx43

Mammalian cancer stem-like cells

miRNA-206 represses pro-apoptotic PDCD4 and Cx43

[76]

Cx43

Prostate

With Snail-1 to repress E-cadherin and promotes EMT, mobility and invasiveness

[88]

Cx43

Prostate

Cx43 knockdown, not gap junctions inhibits migration/invasion of four prostate cancer cell lines

[98]

Cx43

Osteosarcoma

miRNA-23a suppresses Cx43

[77]

Cx43

Neuroblastoma & glioma, leukemia

A direct link of Cx43 and CCN in anti-proliferative function

[67]

Cx43

C6 glioma

Cx43 antibody in rats increases survival and even more with radiotherapy

[122]

Cx43

Glioma

Cx43 increases resistance to TMZ via mitochondrial apoptosis pathway

[136]

Cx43

Astrocytomas & glioblastomas

Increased Cx43 expression in human tumors

[125]

Cx43

Brain metastasis

GJ with endothelial cells to promote metastatic lesion

[86]

Cx43

Lung adenocarcinoma

Increased incidence by DMBA in Cx43 heterozygous knockout mice

[62]

Cx43

Non-small Lung cancer

Cx43 reduction as a marker for cisplatin-chemotherapy

[132]

Cx43

Non-small Lung cancer

Cx43 overexpression reverses EMT and cisplatin resistance and deletion has opposing effects

[134]

Cx43

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM)

HCMV reduces Cx43 and gap junctions

[64]

Cx43

GBM

Cx43 increased in TMZ-resistant cells by EGFR signaling

[135]

Cx43

Mesothelioma

Increases sensitivity to sunitinib via interaction with Bax

[109]

Cx43

Oral carcinoma

Cx43 correlates as a prognostic biomarker

[130]

Cx43

HBV hepatocellular carcinoma

Cx43 expression correlates with early tumor recurrence and survival

[133]

Cx43

Ras-transformed NIH-3 T3 cell

Cx43 5′ UTP active in transformed cell and 3′ UTP active in normal cell

[72]

Cx32

Prostate

Increased by Vit.D3 and sensitizes cells to growth inhibition by Vit.D3

[63]

Cx32

Pancreatic and prostate cancer

Cx32 C-terminus required for growth and stability of gap junctions

[68]

Cx37

Gastric tumors

Cx37 siRNA negatively correlated with cancer development and promotes apoptosis

[124]

Cx26

Cervical cancer-HeLa

Redistribute cAMP and blocks cell cycle progression

[69]

Cx46 & Cx43

Glioblastoma cancer stem cell

Cx46, not Cx43 is detected; During differentiation, Cx46 reduced and Cx43 increased

[126]

Cx30 & Cx43

Breast

Cx30 deletion and mutation in human tumors; Cx30/Cx43 as potential prognostic markers

[128]