Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Characterization of Cell Membrane Extensions and Studying Their Roles in Cancer Cell Adhesion Dynamics
08:11

Characterization of Cell Membrane Extensions and Studying Their Roles in Cancer Cell Adhesion Dynamics

Published on: March 26, 2018

Membrane proteins: the key players of a cancer cell

Kim R Kampen1

  • 1Division of Pediatric Oncology/Hematology, Department of Pediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands. k.r.kampen@bkk.umcg.nl

The Journal of Membrane Biology
|July 7, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Membrane proteins are crucial in cancer prognosis and therapy. Targeting overexpressed membrane receptors offers new avenues for antibody therapy, drug delivery, and tumor imaging, improving cancer treatment strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Membrane proteins play a critical role in cancer cell identification and progression.
  • Overexpressed membrane receptors are key targets for novel cancer therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the significance of membrane proteins in cancer prognosis.
  • To explore current and future therapeutic strategies targeting membrane proteins.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current therapeutic approaches including antibody therapy, nanocarrier drug delivery, and fluorescent tumor imaging.
  • Analysis of gene profiling for identifying cancer-specific membrane protein signatures.

Main Results:

  • Overexpressed membrane receptors are increasingly important for cancer cell-specific therapies.
  • Gene profiling can reveal cancer signatures linked to progression.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting membrane proteins offers promising strategies for cancer treatment.
  • Future research in gene profiling may lead to improved, personalized cancer therapy approaches.

More Related Videos

Multiomics Analysis of TMEM200A as a Pan-Cancer Biomarker07:47

Multiomics Analysis of TMEM200A as a Pan-Cancer Biomarker

Published on: September 15, 2023

Screening Ion Channels in Cancer Cells06:19

Screening Ion Channels in Cancer Cells

Published on: June 16, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia01:35

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However, invadopodia can...
Introduction to Membrane Proteins01:16

Introduction to Membrane Proteins

The cell membrane, or plasma membrane, is an ever-changing landscape. It is described as a fluid mosaic where various macromolecules are embedded in the phospholipid bilayer. Among the macromolecules are proteins. The protein content varies across cell types. For example, mitochondrial inner membranes contain ~76% protein content, while myelin contains ~18% protein content. Individual cells contain many types of membrane proteins—red blood cells contain over 50—and different cell types have...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Metastasis02:30

Metastasis

Metastasis is the spread of cancer cells from the original site to distant locations in the body. Cancer cells can spread via blood vessels (hematogenous) as well as lymph vessels in the body.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
What are Membranes?01:24

What are Membranes?

A cell's plasma membrane demarcates the cell's borders and determines the nature of its interaction with the environment. Cells exclude certain substances, take in others, and excrete some others in controlled quantities. The plasma membrane must be flexible to allow certain cells, such as red and white blood cells, to change their shape while passing through narrow capillaries. These are the more obvious plasma membrane functions. In addition, the plasma membrane's surface carries markers that...