GPR18: Proteins and Enzymes

GPR18, the most abundantly overexpressed orphan GPCR in all melanoma metastases, is constitutively active and inhibits apoptosis, indicating an important role for GPR18 in tumor cell survival. GPR18 is expressed significantly in lymphoid cell lines, but not in non-lymphoid hematopoietic cell lines. N-arachidonylglycine (NAGly) induces an increase in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in GPR18-transfected cells. GPR18 may be considered a potential novel anticancer target in metastatic melanoma.