Dr. Bruno Constantin (CNRS Researcher, 4CS Laboratory, University of Poitiers) will give a lecture titled « Ion channels and cancer toward the concept of oncochannels ? » Friday, May 29, at 2:00 p.m., in the BBS lecture hall.

English presentation.

Abstract

Growing evidence indicates that ion channels, particularly calcium channels, play central roles in cancer biology. They contribute to key hallmarks of cancer, including proliferation, survival, invasion, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Cancer stem cells, in particular, rely on ion channel–dependent signaling to sustain self-renewal and adaptability. These effects often arise from aberrant channel expression or activity, enabling cancer cells to hijack physiological signaling pathways. This has led to the emergence of the concept of “oncochannels,” referring to ion channels that actively drive tumor initiation and progression. Beyond improving our understanding of cancer pathophysiology, this concept identifies ion channels as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Biosketch

With a Master’s degree in Physiology and Cellular Biology (electrophysiology, University of Poitiers), my research focuses on calcium signaling in physiology and disease. My early work addressed calcium dynamics during myogenesis and actin cytoskeleton remodeling (Ghent University).

At CNRS, I demonstrated the role of dystrophin in calcium homeostasis and ion channel regulation in skeletal muscle, leading to studies on TRPC/α-syntrophin complex and their involvement in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, as well as the therapeutic potential of mini-dystrophin.

Since 2014, I directed STIM and 4CS lab. My research has expanded to cancer and stem cell biology and has focused on calcium channels in neural and cancer stem cells, particularly store-operated calcium entry (SOCE), and their roles in glioma cell self-renewal and invasion. I have also contributed to projects on TRP channels in invasive cancer cell migration across various cancer models.