Targeting druggable ion channels to harness cancer cell mechanobiology for therapy.

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Gajda et al.1 identified the transcriptional partners and downstream targets of myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTFA), a regulator of actin transcription and cancer cell stiffness. BK potassium channels emerged as pharmacological targets that stiffen cancer cells and enhance anti-tumor immune surveillance during metastasis.