Mg 2+ Transporters in Digestive Cancers.

Despite magnesium (Mg) representing the second most abundant cation in the cell, its role in cellular physiology and pathology is far from being elucidated. Mg homeostasis is regulated by Mg transporters including Mitochondrial RNA Splicing Protein 2 (MRS2), Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel Subfamily M, Member 6/7 (TRPM6/7), Magnesium Transporter 1 (MAGT1), Solute Carrier Family 41 Member 1 (SCL41A1), and Cyclin and CBS Domain Divalent Metal Cation Transport Mediator (CNNM) proteins. Recent data show that Mg transporters may regulate several cancer cell hallmarks. In this review, we describe the expression of Mg transporters in digestive cancers, the most common and deadliest malignancies worldwide. Moreover, Mg transporters' expression, correlation and impact on patient overall and disease-free survival is analyzed using Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets. Finally, we discuss the role of these Mg transporters in the regulation of cancer cell fates and oncogenic signaling pathways.