Transmembrane protein 71 (TMEM71)

Transmembrane protein 71 is an evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein, predominantly localized to mitochondria, implicated in immune modulation, tumor microenvironment regulation, and prognostication in cancer, especially breast cancer. It is enriched in malignant epithelial cells and tumor-associated macrophages, with expression correlating to immune cell infiltration, both immunoactivating and immunosuppressive checkpoint pathways, and key immune signaling functions, suggesting that TMEM71 acts as a dynamic context-sensitive modulator in the balance of immune activation and suppression. While its precise molecular function remains unclear, current research positions it both as a potential cancer biomarker and as a candidate for future immunotherapeutic targeting.

Other names

TMEM71HGNC:26572Q6P5X7 (UniProt)

Drugs targeting TMEM71 would likely modulate immune response by affecting: Immune cell infiltration (T cells, B cells, macrophages, etc.); Immune checkpoint regulation (PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4, LAG3 correlations suggest relevance for checkpoint inhibitor therapies); Modulation of chemokine and cytokine signaling.