Increased TRPV2 transcripts have been found both in benign hepatoma and in hepatocarcinomas, where TRPV2 expression is associated with portal vein invasion and reduction of cancer stem cell expression.
These new discoveries suggest that TRPV2 regulates key intracellular processes implicated in cell invasion in arthritis and other processes such as cancer, and has the potential to become a useful target for drug development.
For example in prostate cancer cells, the TRPV2 activation following lysophospholipid or adrenomedullin stimulation enhances the invasiveness of cancer cells; furthermore, the increased malignancy of castration-resistant prostate cancer cells was associated with enhanced TRPV2 expression, mainly in metastatic prostate cancer cells.
Consistent with the likelihood that TRPV2 may affect cancer cell aggressiveness by influencing basal intracellular calcium levels, small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of TRPV2 reduced the growth and invasive properties of PC3 prostate tumors established in nude mice xenografts, and diminished expression of invasive enzymes MMP2, MMP9, and cathepsin B.