Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Mimicking the Function of Signaling Proteins: Toward Artificial Signal Transduction Therapy
12:24

Mimicking the Function of Signaling Proteins: Toward Artificial Signal Transduction Therapy

Published on: September 29, 2016

[Abnormal signal transduction and cancer]

D Birnbaum1

  • 1Laboratoire d'oncologie moléculaire, U.119 INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille.

La Revue Du Praticien
|October 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Cell signaling molecules, like growth factors, regulate cell growth and differentiation. Aberrations in these pathways can lead to cancer development.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cellular Signaling
  • Signal Transduction

Context:

  • Cell communication and signal transduction pathways are crucial for regulating cell growth and differentiation.
  • Growth factors, which are regulatory peptides, initiate signaling cascades through membrane receptors, many possessing tyrosine kinase activity.
  • These signaling pathways involve cytoplasmic substrates that transmit signals to the nucleus.

Purpose:

  • To elucidate the role of molecular communication and signal transduction in cell growth and differentiation.
  • To describe the mechanism of growth factor signaling via tyrosine kinase receptors.
  • To explain how alterations in these signaling cascades contribute to tumorigenesis.

Summary:

  • Cellular communication relies on signaling molecules that control growth and differentiation.
  • Growth factors bind to tyrosine kinase receptors, initiating downstream signaling to the nucleus.
  • Mutations or deregulation of these signaling pathways are implicated in cancer formation.

Impact:

  • Understanding these pathways is vital for comprehending normal cell function.
  • Identifies key molecular players in cell growth regulation.
  • Provides insights into the molecular basis of tumorigenesis and potential therapeutic targets.

More Related Videos

Characterization of Cell Membrane Extensions and Studying Their Roles in Cancer Cell Adhesion Dynamics08:11

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

Published on: March 26, 2018

Screening Ion Channels in Cancer Cells06:19

Screening Ion Channels in Cancer Cells

Published on: June 16, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes01:33

Cancer-Critical Genes I: Proto-oncogenes

Genes usually encode proteins necessary for the proper functioning of a healthy cell. Mutations can often cause changes to the gene expression pattern, thereby altering the phenotype.
When the function of certain critical genes, especially those involved in cell cycle regulation and cell growth signaling cascades, gets disrupted, it upsets the cell cycle progression. Such cells with unchecked cell cycles start proliferating uncontrollably and eventually develop into tumors.
Such genes that act...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways01:19

Interactions Between Signaling Pathways

Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Abnormal Proliferation02:23

Abnormal Proliferation

Under normal conditions, most adult cells remain in a non-proliferative state unless stimulated by internal or external factors to replace lost cells. Abnormal cell proliferation is a condition in which the cell's growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with normal cells. In such situations, cell division persists in the same excessive manner even after cessation of the stimuli, leading to persistent tumors. The tumor arises from the damaged cells that replicate to pass the damage to the daughter...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...