Purine molecules act as chemical messengers across the body's tissues
In short: A review of research on purines and their derivatives, including adenosine and ATP, describes how these molecules act beyond fueling cells: as chemical messengers that bind receptors on cell membranes to coordinate communication between cells across many tissues and species, a process called purinergic signalling.
This signalling network interacts with other transmitter systems to help regulate cell growth, differentiation, migration and death, and the review links its disruption to diseases including cancer, inflammation, neurodegeneration and gout. It also describes purine receptors as potential drug targets.
As a literature review rather than new experiments, it summarizes existing findings and proposed mechanisms rather than testing them directly, so the therapeutic potential it describes remains to be confirmed in further research.
Why it matters: Purine signalling is a fundamental cell communication system whose disruption is tied to several diseases, making it a target for future therapies.
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