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Corona et al. J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2017;3:206-8 Journal of
DOI: 10.20517/2394-4722.2017.50
Cancer Metastasis and Treatment

www.jcmtjournal.com
Commentary Open Access

Adenosine A2B receptor: novel anti-cancer

therapeutic implications

Silvia Paola Corona , Navid Sobhani , Daniele Generali 2
2
1
1 Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, Moorabbin Campus, Bentleigh East VIC 3165, Australia.
2 Department of Medical, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy.

Correspondence to: Dr. Silvia Paola Corona, Department of Radiation Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, Moorabbin Campus, Bentleigh
East VIC 3165, Australia. E-mail: sil.corona@hotmail.it
How to cite this article: Corona SP, Sobhani N, Generali D. Adenosine A2B receptor: novel anti-cancer therapeutic implications.
J Cancer Metastasis Treat 2017;3:206-8.
Article history: Received: 4 Aug 2017 Accepted: 15 Sep 2017 Published: 27 Sep 2017

Extracellular adenosine is a product of the cytokines and chemokines. Also, it is involved in
metabolism of nucleotides such as ATP and ADP the regulation of dendritic cells and macrophages
and mediates a wide range of events under normal differentiation and function, aspects, these, crucial
and pathological conditions [1,2] . Adenosine receptors for tumour immune-surveillance. Lastly, via its A2B
belong to the G-coupled signalling receptors and are receptor, adenosine modulates the inflammatory
broadly expressed in normal tissues in 4 subtypes response to the tumour and promotes tumour cells
(A1, A2A, A2B, A3). migration and therefore metastasis.

While A2B has traditionally been considered of less The effects of protracted inflammation can be
relevance in comparison to A2A due to lower affinity of devastating on normal tissues. Adenosine modulates
the ligand for this adenosine receptor subtype, recent inflammation by enhancing differentiation of
evidence strongly suggests a specific role of this T-regulatory and myeloid derived suppressor cells
receptor in cancer and other pathological conditions [3,4] . which are able to induce T-cells anergy . Also,
[5]
through its A2B receptor, adenosine induces anti-
The authors of this review are experts in the field of
adenosine signalling. In this work they analyse the inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10, further limiting
oncogenic role of the A2B receptor, also proposing the amplification of the inflammatory biochemical
and discussing its targeted blockade as a new anti- cascade. On the other hand, activation of the A2B
cancer therapeutic option. receptor can be associated with pro-inflammatory
effects through activation of mast cells, fibroblasts
[6]
As they explain, the mechanisms thought to be and other epithelial cells, such as intestinal cells .
involved in A2B-mediated tumour progression are The pro- or anti-inflammatory action of adenosine has
multiple. Adenosine is responsible for modulating been subject to extensive study and debate through the
the tumour microenvironment and the phenomenon recent years and it seems to be dependent on specific
of angiogenesis via production of growth factors, cell type and extracellular microenvironment [7,8] .

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