Tumor cell lysosomal and cellular membranes

Tumor cell lysosomal and cellular membranes are physical structures that define the boundaries and internal compartments of malignant cells. In many cancers, these membranes undergo significant biochemical changes, such as altered lipid composition and increased fragility of the lysosomal compartment, which can be exploited for therapeutic purposes (Aits & Jäättelä, 2013). Drugs targeting these membranes often aim to induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP), causing the leakage of digestive enzymes like cathepsins into the cytoplasm to trigger programmed cell death (Boya & Kroemer, 2008). Additionally, some agents directly target the plasma membrane to disrupt its integrity, bypassing traditional receptor-mediated signaling pathways (Gaspar et al., 2013). While these structures are not specific proteins, they represent a viable target for overcoming multi-drug resistance in cancer therapy (Piao & Amaravadi, 2016). However, the primary challenge lies in achieving sufficient selectivity to avoid damaging the membranes of healthy cells, which can lead to significant systemic toxicity (Kirkegaard & Jäättelä, 2009).

Other names

Cancer cell membranesLysosomal membranesTumor cell plasma membranesLysosomal compartment

Induction of lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) leading to the release of hydrolytic enzymes (e.g., cathepsins) into the cytosol, and direct disruption of the plasma membrane integrity to induce cell death.