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Transmembrane (TMEM) protein family members: Poorly characterized even if essential for the metastatic process

Sébastien Marx1, Thomas Dal Maso1, Jia-Wei Chen2

  • 1Department of Chemistry, NAmur MEdicine & Drug Innovation Center (NAMEDIC-NARILIS), University of Namur, 61 rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium.

Seminars in Cancer Biology
|August 28, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Transmembrane (TMEM) proteins are crucial for cancer cell spread and metastasis. Understanding their poorly characterized structures and functions could lead to new cancer prognostic markers and treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Cancer metastasis, the spread of cancer cells to distant organs, is responsible for most cancer deaths.
  • The metastatic process involves cancer cell dissemination, survival in circulation, and adaptation to new tissues.
  • While many proteins are implicated in metastasis, their structures and mechanisms of action are often unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the involvement of transmembrane (TMEM) proteins in cancer metastasis.
  • To explore the roles of TMEM proteins in cancer cell dissemination, migration, and extracellular matrix remodeling.
  • To present the 3D structures of TMEM proteins and discuss their potential as therapeutic targets and prognostic markers.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on transmembrane proteins in cancer metastasis.
  • Analysis of the known functions and phenotypes associated with TMEM protein expression levels.
  • Presentation of available 3D structural data for TMEM proteins.

Main Results:

  • TMEM proteins play significant roles in cancer cell migration and extracellular matrix remodeling, facilitating metastasis.
  • The precise mechanisms by which most TMEM proteins contribute to cancer cell spreading remain unclear.
  • 3D structures of several TMEM proteins are presented, offering insights into their potential functions.

Conclusions:

  • TMEM proteins are implicated in key steps of cancer metastasis, including cell dissemination and migration.
  • TMEM proteins represent potential prognostic markers for various cancers and promising targets for novel cancer therapies.
  • Further research into this heterogeneous protein family is essential for advancing cancer patient care.

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