Solute carrier family 68 member 1 (SLC68A1) (TMEM180)

Solute carrier family 68 member 1 (SLC68A1), commonly referred to as Transmembrane protein 180 (TMEM180), is a multi-pass membrane protein that belongs to the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) and the glycoside-pentoside-hexuronide (GPH):cation symporter family (UniProt Q14CX5). It is significantly upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC) and is found on the surface of tumor cells and tumor-derived exosomes, particularly in response to hypoxic conditions (Cancer Science, 2019). TMEM180 is believed to function as a cation symporter that facilitates the uptake or metabolism of essential amino acids, such as glutamine and arginine, to support the metabolic demands of proliferating cancer cells (BMC Cancer, 2021). Its high specificity for CRC and minimal expression in normal tissues make it an attractive therapeutic target and a potential prognostic biomarker (Cancer Science, 2019). Therapeutic strategies targeting TMEM180 include the humanized monoclonal antibody RN-1101, which is designed to induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) against TMEM180-positive tumor cells (Fast Track Initiative, 2023). Clinical trials are currently evaluating the safety and efficacy of anti-TMEM180 therapies in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (RIN Institute, 2023). Additionally, genetic studies have linked TMEM180 to other conditions, including schizophrenia and pancreatic cancer (NIH, 2021). The protein's presence on exosomes suggests it may also play a role in intercellular communication within the tumor microenvironment (Cancer Science, 2019).

Other names

Transmembrane protein 180MFSD13AMajor facilitator superfamily domain-containing 13AC10orf77

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) targeting TMEM180-expressing cells.