Cancer cell plasma membrane lipid rafts (LR)

Cancer cell plasma membrane lipid rafts are specialized, highly ordered microdomains enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids that serve as organizing centers for signal transduction (Mollinedo & Gajate, 2015, PMID: 25863306). In cancer cells, these rafts are often more abundant and facilitate the assembly of oncogenic signaling complexes, including the PI3K/Akt pathway and growth factor receptors, which promote cell survival and metastasis (Greenlee et al., 2021, PMID: 33466449). These microdomains also play a critical role in regulating apoptosis by sequestering or recruiting death receptors like Fas/CD95 (Gajate & Mollinedo, 2014, PMID: 24513735). Therapeutic strategies targeting lipid rafts, such as the use of synthetic alkylphospholipids like edelfosine, aim to disrupt these domains or alter their composition to induce apoptosis specifically in malignant cells (Li et al., 2022, PMID: 35161014). Because cancer cells often exhibit a higher dependency on raft-mediated signaling compared to normal cells, these structures represent a promising target for overcoming drug resistance and inhibiting tumor progression (Patra, 2008, PMID: 18447117).

Other names

Membrane microdomainsDetergent-resistant membranesDRMsCholesterol-rich microdomainsLipid microdomains

Disruption of membrane microdomain integrity through cholesterol depletion or sphingolipid modulation, leading to the reorganization of signaling complexes and induction of apoptosis (Mollinedo & Gajate, 2020, PMID: 32193311).