title: Screening and identification of molecular targets for cancer therapy.
abstract: In recent decades, targeted therapeutics have significantly improved therapy results in patients with malignant tumors of different origins. However, malignant diseases characterized by aggressiveness and increased capacity for metastatic spread still require basic researchers and clinicians to direct enormous efforts toward the development of novel therapeutic targets. Potential targets should be selected with the clinical endpoint in view; targeted therapeutics can be developed: for use in combination with currently existing therapeutic approaches in order to improve their efficacy; to overcome the treatment resistance of tumor cells and thus protect the patient from recurrence; to repress molecular mechanisms related to immune escape of cancer cells; and to combat the metastatic dissemination of carcinoma cells. Taking into account the specific clinical aim that should be achieved, different strategies and techniques can be proposed to identify the most promising candidate molecules for further development as therapeutic targets. Since cellular membranes contain a large number of druggable molecules, evaluation of the membrane protein profiles of carcinoma cells having different properties can provide a basis for further development of therapeutic targets. This review considers how cellular membranes obtained from different pre-clinical and clinical samples can be used in screening and to identify targets for cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental and Translational Research on Radiation Oncology (EXTRO-Lab), Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria; Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Alshaimaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdelmoez
authors.affiliation: Experimental Orthopaedics, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Débora C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Coraça-Huber
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Gudrun C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Thurner
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Debbage
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental and Translational Research on Radiation Oncology (EXTRO-Lab), Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lukas
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental and Translational Research on Radiation Oncology (EXTRO-Lab), Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Sergej
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skvortsov
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Experimental and Translational Research on Radiation Oncology (EXTRO-Lab), Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: ira.skvortsova@i-med.ac.at.
authors.forename: Ira-Ida
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Skvortsova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins
keywords: Cancer; Cancer stem cells; Cellular membranes; Proteomics; Signaling pathways; Target