Statins Against Cancers: Role of Inhibition of Voltage-gated Potassium Channels Kv1.3

Abstract

Statins are organic compounds, which are applied in medicine, basically to reduce blood cholesterol level. Studies performed during past years provided evidence that statins may also be applied in the therapy of some types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer, or leukemia. Anticancer activity of statins may be due to the inhibition of voltage-gated potassium channels Kv1.3. Inhibition of these channels may exert antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects on Kv1,3 channel-expressing cancer cells. This may lead to a selective apoptosis of the cancer cells while sparing the normal ones. This chapter focuses on the inhibitory effects of statins on Kv1.3 channels and on the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of these compounds on Kv1.3 channel-expressing cancer cells. It is shown that the statins lovastatin, mevastatin, pravastatin, and simvastatin are effective inhibitors of the channels expressed in cancer cell line Jurkat T. The channel inhibition may be related to the anticancer activities of these compounds. Moreover, pro-apoptotic activity of the compounds is significantly augmented upon co-application of the statins with flavonoids and xanthohumol. This may be related to an additive or synergistic inhibition of Kv1.3 channels in these cells by the compounds applied in combination.