Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Quantitative Mass Spectrometric Profiling of Cancer-cell Proteomes Derived From Liquid and Solid Tumors
08:08

Quantitative Mass Spectrometric Profiling of Cancer-cell Proteomes Derived From Liquid and Solid Tumors

Published on: February 27, 2015

Dynamic proteomics of individual cancer cells in response to a drug

A A Cohen1, N Geva-Zatorsky, E Eden

  • 1Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel. ariel.cohen@weizmann.ac.il

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 22, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Individual cancer cells exhibit distinct protein dynamics when treated with chemotherapy. These protein variations correlate with cell survival or death, offering insights into drug response variability.

Area of Science:

  • Cell biology
  • Proteomics
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cancer cells can exhibit variable responses to chemotherapy drugs.
  • Understanding the molecular basis of this variability is crucial for effective cancer treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamic protein responses in individual human cancer cells treated with camptothecin.
  • To identify protein dynamics that correlate with differential cell fates (survival vs. death).

Main Methods:

  • Developed a dynamic-proteomics approach to track nearly 1000 endogenously tagged proteins in single living cells.
  • Utilized high temporal resolution to capture protein level and localization changes.
  • Analyzed protein dynamics in response to camptothecin chemotherapy.

Main Results:

  • Observed rapid translocation of drug-specific proteins, including the target topoisomerase-1.
  • Detected slower, widespread waves of protein degradation and accumulation across cells.
  • Identified a subset of proteins with highly variable dynamics between individual cells.
  • Correlated specific protein dynamic patterns with outcomes of cell death or survival.

Conclusions:

  • Cellular responses to chemotherapy are characterized by dynamic and variable protein behavior.
  • Individual protein dynamics can predict cell fate following drug exposure.
  • This study provides a framework for understanding single-cell drug responses and identifying potential therapeutic targets.

More Related Videos

Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics06:00

Through the Looking Glass: Time-lapse Microscopy and Longitudinal Tracking of Single Cells to Study Anti-cancer Therapeutics

Published on: May 14, 2016

An Organotypic High Throughput System for Characterization of Drug Sensitivity of Primary Multiple Myeloma Cells09:41

An Organotypic High Throughput System for Characterization of Drug Sensitivity of Primary Multiple Myeloma Cells

Published on: July 15, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...