Skin and mucosal surface proteins

Skin and mucosal surface proteins refer to a diverse and heterogeneous group of proteins located on the apical surfaces of epithelial cells that line the body's exterior and internal cavities. This category includes structural proteins such as keratins and filaggrin, which are essential for the skin's mechanical barrier, and mucins, which form the protective lubricant layer on mucosal surfaces like the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts (StatPearls, 2023). Additionally, it encompasses various cell adhesion molecules (e.g., cadherins), ion channels, and antimicrobial peptides (e.g., defensins) that play critical roles in innate immunity and environmental sensing (NCBI, 2022). Because this term describes a broad anatomical and functional class of proteins rather than a specific molecular entity, it is not considered a canonical therapeutic target in drug discovery. Instead, research and drug development focus on individual proteins within this group, such as Mucin-1 (MUC1) in oncology or specific integrins in inflammatory diseases, to achieve the necessary selectivity and therapeutic efficacy (PubMed, 2021).

Other names

Epithelial surface proteinsMucocutaneous proteinsBarrier proteinsSurface-expressed epithelial proteins

Not applicable as this is a broad category of proteins rather than a single molecular target.