ReviewFrontiers in immunology2025
SLC30 (ZnT) and SLC39 (ZIP) zinc transporter families: from gatekeepers of zinc homeostasis to promoters of tumorigenesis and targets for clinical therapy.
Review in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Association of zinc transporter expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with breast cancer.Medical molecular morphology · 2026Article
- Article
- Article
- Metal ions in aging and ocular diseases: biology, pathophysiology, and therapeutic strategies.npj aging · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Zinc is a trace element that plays important functions in gene expression, enzymatic activity and cellular signaling. Cellular zinc homeostasis is tightly regulated by two solute carrier families: SLC30 (ZnT, zinc transporter) and SLC39 (ZIP, zrt- and irt-like protein), which are responsible for the efflux and influx of zinc respectively. Increasing evidence demonstrates that disturbed zinc homeostasis is involved in a variety of diseases, as the altered expression of zinc transporters usually remodels the tumor microenvironment and promotes malignant development. Here, we review the structural properties, tissue localization, and physiological functions of ZnT and ZIP transporters, with emphasis on digestive systems, immune systems, neurobiological systems, endocrine systems, and other systems. We focus on their pro-tumorigenic mechanisms in different cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, glioma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, as well as other cancers. Overall, the ZIP family is commonly upregulated in malignancies and promotes tumor development, through the activation of signaling pathways by zinc influx. The ZnT family exhibits more complex and context-dependent functions, performing tumor suppressive and tumor promoting effects simultaneously. Zinc transporters show great potential as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets, with many members displaying prognostic relevance. Translational development is progressing, with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) against ZIP6 and small molecule inhibitors targeting ZIP7 and ZIP8 entering preclinical and clinical trials. Future studies should focus on full-length structure analysis of zinc transporters (particularly ZIP members), their spatiotemporal dynamics and zinc signaling in the tumor microenvironment, and their roles in therapy resistance, all of which are important for developing precise targeting of zinc homeostasis in cancer treatment.
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Registered trials
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