The adenosine A3 receptor, also known as ADORA3, is an adenosine receptor, but also denotes the human gene encoding it.
Adenosine A3 receptors are G protein-coupled receptors that couple to Gi/Gq and are involved in a variety of intracellular signaling pathways and physiological functions. It mediates a sustained cardioprotective function during cardiac ischemia, it is involved in the inhibition of neutrophil degranulation in neutrophil-mediated tissue injury, it has been implicated in both neuroprotective and neurodegenerative effects, and it may also mediate both cell proliferation and cell death[citation needed]. Recent publications demonstrate that adenosine A3 receptor antagonists (SSR161421) could have therapeutic potential in bronchial asthma (17,18).
Multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.[5]
An adenosine A3 receptor agonist (CF-101) is in clinical trials for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.[6] In a mouse model of infarction the A3 selective agonist CP-532,903 protected against myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury.[7]
A number of selective A3 ligands are available.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]