Table 2 Summary of the current literature on the role of pannexin channels in different cancer types

Panx1

Breast

Gain of function mutation in PANX1 increases metastasis

[162]

Panx1

Melanoma

Upregulated expression. Knockdown induces re-differentiation

[33], [154]

Panx1

Glioma

Tumour suppressor when overexpressed in Panx1-deficient rat C6 glioma cells, but endogenously expressed in human glioma cell lines.

Accelerates glioma tumor aggregate formation

[153], [181]

Panx1

Glioma

Panx1 siRNA reduces proliferation of U87-MG human glioma cells

[155]

Panx1

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Upregulation linked to cancer spread in aggressive Hca-F cell lines

[157]

Panx1

Multiple myeloma

Gene amplification and upregulation in myeloma cell lines

[158]

Panx1

Colon

Interaction with Liver X receptor β for pyroptotic cell death

[178]

Panx1

Leukemia

Osteosarcoma

Upregulated in leukemic cells compare to T-cells.

Activated by chemotherapy drugs and immunogenic therapy to release ATP

[156], [186]

Panx1

Prostate

Bystander cell killing effect of TMPK/AZT

[185]

Panx1

Gall bladder adenocarcinoma

Downregulated expression in tumours

[3]

Panx2

Glioma

Tumour suppressor overexpressed in C6 glioma cells. Downregulated in human tumours and positive correlation with patient survival

[179], [183]

Panx2

Hepatocellular carcinoma

Potential tumour suppressor. Methylated in cancer samples

[184]

Panx2

Neuroblastoma

Knockdown in Neuro2a cells increases differentiation

[21]

Panx1, Panx3

Basal and squamous skin cell carcinoma

Downregulated in BCC and SCC tumours compared to normal skin

[152]