Eag1 Voltage-Dependent Potassium Channels: Structure, Electrophysiological Characteristics, and Function in Cancer

Eag1 (ether-à-go-go-1), a member of the voltage-dependent potassium channel family, is expressed mainly in the brain, and at low levels in placenta, testis, and adrenal gland, and only transiently in myoblasts. Recently, several studies have suggested that Eag1 is selectively expressed in various tumor tissues. Eag1 plays important roles in tumor proliferation, malignant transformation, invasion, metastasis, recurrence, and prognosis. Therefore, it has become a new molecular target for tumor diagnosis, prognosis evaluation, and tumor-targeted therapy. This review provides information about the current progress in understanding Eag1 structure, electrophysiological characteristics, and role in cancer.