Diseased cells

The term 'Diseased cells' refers to a broad biological state or a population of cells undergoing pathological changes, rather than a specific molecular target like a receptor, enzyme, or transporter. In the context of pharmacology and drug discovery, a therapeutic target is defined as a specific molecule—typically a protein—whose activity can be modulated by a medicinal agent to achieve a desired therapeutic outcome [8]. While diseased cells are the intended site of action for many therapies, the actual drug interaction occurs at the molecular level with components such as cell-surface antigens or intracellular signaling proteins [3, 10]. Modern precision medicine focuses on identifying molecular signatures that distinguish diseased cells from healthy ones, such as overexpressed receptors or unique genetic mutations [2, 9]. Because 'Diseased cells' encompasses an extremely diverse range of cell types and pathologies, it lacks the specificity required for categorization as a single drug target. Instead, therapeutic strategies utilize targeted drug delivery systems to home in on these cells by recognizing specific molecular markers [5, 9]. Determining which molecular defects are actually responsible for the disease state is the primary step in identifying valid therapeutic targets [6, 8].

Other names

Pathological cellsAbnormal cellsMalfunctioning cellsSomatic diseased cells

Not applicable; 'Diseased cells' refers to a biological state or population of cells rather than a specific molecular target (e.g., a protein or receptor) that can be modulated by a drug.