Adenosine modulates the proliferation, survival and apoptosis of many different cell types, ranging from epithelial, endothelial and smooth muscle cells, to cells of the immune and neural lineages.

There is probably a role for adenosine in both development-associated apoptosis, and in diseases characterized by either pathologically increased cell death (e.g., ischemia, trauma and aging-associated neurodegeneration) or abnormally reduced spontaneous apoptosis (e.g., cancer).

 In some instances, adenosine-induced cell death has been demonstrated to require entry of the nucleoside inside cells; however, in many other cases, activation of specific adenosine extracellular receptors has been demonstrated.

 Of the four G protein-coupled adenosine receptors so far identified, the A2A and the A3 receptors have been specifically implicated in modulation of cell death.

See also

 extracellular adenosine receptors
 molecular targets
 apoptosis
 adenosine-deaminase-immunodeficiency syndrome (ADA deficiency) (accumulation of adenosine to toxic levels)