Role of adrenergic receptors and their blocking in cancer research

Adrenergic signaling in tumors is a very topical issue as catecholamines have been shown to be involved in carcinogenesis, e.g. via chronic stress. The use of adrenergic receptor blockers in monotherapy or in combination therapy for individual tumor types is being investigated by many laboratories. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of adrenergic receptors in carcinogenesis and on the possible use of selective/non-selective blockers in the treatment of individual tumor types. In particular, α- and β-blockers have become of interest for repurposing drugs as cancer therapies because they show promising effects against cellular processes leading to cancer initiation and development, not only under in vitro conditions, but also in preclinical and clinical studies. Preclinical studies and the prospect of possible use of these substances in the treatment of certain types of tumors complete the current state of the issue. • Adrenergic signaling is involved in carcinogenesis, e.g. through stress exposure. • Individual adrenergic receptors affect carcinogenesis differently. • Beta-blockers are effective on some types of cancers. • Clinical trials suffer from methodological limitations that impede robust conclusions.