cells Review Metabolite Sensing GPCRs: Promising Therapeutic Targets for Cancer Treatment? Jesús Cosín-Roger 1,*, Dolores Ortiz-Masia 2 , Maria Dolores Barrachina 3 and Sara Calatayud 3 1 Hospital Dr. Peset, Fundación para la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana, FISABIO, 46017 Valencia, Spain 2 Departament of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
[email protected] 3 Departament of Pharmacology and CIBER, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain;
[email protected] (M.D.B.);
[email protected] (S.C.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +34-963851234 Received: 30 September 2020; Accepted: 21 October 2020; Published: 23 October 2020 Abstract: G-protein-coupled receptors constitute the most diverse and largest receptor family in the human genome, with approximately 800 different members identified. Given the well-known metabolic alterations in cancer development, we will focus specifically in the 19 G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which can be selectively activated by metabolites. These metabolite sensing GPCRs control crucial processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and survival after their activation. In the present review, we will describe the main functions of these metabolite sensing GPCRs and shed light on the benefits of their potential use as possible pharmacological targets for cancer treatment. Keywords: G-protein-coupled receptor; metabolite sensing GPCR; cancer 1. Introduction G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are characterized by a seven-transmembrane configuration, constitute the largest and most ubiquitous family of plasma membrane receptors, and regulate virtually all known physiological processes in humans [1,2]. This family includes almost one thousand genes that were initially classified on the basis of sequence homology into six classes (A–F), where classes D and E were not found in vertebrates [3].