Structure and function of β-arrestins, their emerging role in breast cancer, and potential opportunities for therapeutic manipulation

beta-Arrestins (beta arrs) are multifunctional intracellular proteins with an ability to directly interact with a large number of cellular partners including the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). beta arrs contribute to multiple aspects of GPCR signaling, trafficking and downregulation. Considering the central involvement of GPCR signaling in the onset and progression of diverse types of cancers, beta arrs have also emerged as key players in the context of investigating cancer phenotypes, and as potential therapeutic targets. In this chapter, we first provide a brief account of structure and function of beta arrs and then highlight recent discoveries unfolding novel functional attributes of beta arrs in breast cancer. We also underscore the recent paradigms of modulating beta arr functions in cellular context and potential therapeutic opportunities going forward.