pH Deregulation as the Eleventh Hallmark of Cancer

Tomas Koltai is Board Certified Specialist in Medical Oncology (1985), PhD in Chemistry (1997) and Master’s in Sciences in Molecular Oncology, University of Buenos Aires (2011). He has vast experience on cancer treatment at several positions: staff oncologist, Sanatorio Mater Dei, Argentina (1985-1990); Head of Oncology, Central Hospital of the Centro Gallego de Buenos Aires (1990-2000) and Medical Director, at the same institution (2000-2002); Head of the Department of Chemotherapy, National Social Services for Retirees, Argentina (2002-2014); Head of the Department of Oncology, Social Services of the National Food Workers Union, Argentina (2010-2014) and Medical Director at the same institution (2014-2016). He has authored several seminal publications on cancer and created the new “triple-edged cancer treatment”. Research in Dr. Fliegel’s laboratory investigates membrane proteins’ function, how intracellular pH is regulated and the role of Na+/H+ exchanger in human disease, especially heart disease and breast cancer. The work is funded by CIHR and other sources. Dr. Fliegel has published over 150 publications in numerous journals including J. Biological Chemistry, J. Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Hypertension, Cancer Research, Basic Research in Cardiology and others. He has authored two books and served on several editorial boards of Journals and grant panels such as CIHR. His awards include a Killam Annual Professor Award (2009-10), a Tier one Basic Science Mentoring Award (2013), McCalla Research Professorship Award (2007) and Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research Scientist Award (2006-2013). Stephan Reshkin, PhD, is molecular biologist and Associate Professor at the University of Bari (Italy). Dr. Reshkin has published 108 scientific papers, several book chapters and co-authored An Innovative Approach to Understanding and Treating Cancer: Targeting pH (Elsevier, 2020). His main research interests are cancer cell and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Fátima Baltazar holds a degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences by the University of Coimbra (Portugal, 1991), a PhD by the University of Hull (UK, 1998) and has postdoctoral experience at the University of Minho (Portugal, 1998-2003). She is currently Associate Professor at the Medical School of University of Minho (Portugal). Fatima joined ICVS (Life and Health Sciences Research Institute) team in 2004 and she is currently Principal Investigator and Coordinator of the Surgical Sciences Research Domain (SSRD). She started her research on the Cancer field in 2005 and, in the last years, Fatima’s main research interest has been on cancer metabolism, focusing on the discovery of new prognostic metabolic biomarkers and cancer therapeutic targets, using human samples and suitable in vitro and in vivo cancer models. Fátima has published 104 international peer-reviewed research articles, 8 book chapters and she is also (co-)inventor on two national patent applications. Rosa Angela Cardone is currently Assistant Professor at the Department of Bioscience, Biotechnologies and Biopharmaceutics, Section of Physiology, University of Bari, Italy. She has a long-standing expertise in the pH deregulation and has extensively investigated its role in tumor transformation and malignancy. Khalid O. Alfarouk is currently Assistant Professor at Al-Ghad International Health Sciences Colleges, Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, Saudi Arabia. His research focus is on cancer metabolism and pH in cancer. Julieta Afonso is currently Assistant Professor at Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho. Her research focus is monocarboxylate transporters.

1. Introductory words2. pH regulation and metabolism: Basic concepts3. pH deregulation4. Components of the pH deregulation: the pHtome5. Results of the coordinated action of the pHtome components6. How pH deregulation favors the hallmarks of cancer7. Clinical and therapeutic implications8. Discussion9. Conclusions10. Future perspectives