TMEM158 ( Transmembrane Protein 158) : Redefining Ovarian Cancer Care

TMEM158 is more than a gene, it is a potential game changer in the fight against ovarian cancer.

Highlights:

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause cancer related deaths among women
TMEM158 can be used as a potential biomarker for early detection of ovarian cancer
TMEM158 is found in various tissues but it is overexpressed in ovarian cancer cells

Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of cancer related deaths among women worldwide. Early diagnosis and the development of targeted treatments are essential for improving patient survival. To fight against ovarian cancer it is important to discover potential biomarkers for early intervention ().

TMEM158 may serve as a promising biomarker to personalize treatment for ovarian cancer.

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‘Did You Know?
Early detection is key! TMEM158 could be the non-invasive biomarker we need for ovarian cancer diagnosis. #ovariancancerawareness #TMEM158 #cellfreeRNA #medindia’

Role of TMEM158 in Ovarian Cancer

TMEM158 ( transmembrane protein 158) encodes a transmembrane protein that plays a role in maintaining cell membrane integrity and regulates molecular movements across cell membrane.

It is expressed in various tissues and is overexpressed in ovarian cancers. TMEM158 can be used as a biomarker for diagnosing ovarian cancer that can be detected early through blood based tests using plasma cell-free RNA(cfRNA). It can act as non-invasive diagnostic biomarker for ovarian cancers.

TMEM158 overexpression in ovarian cancer is linked to increased cell viability and proliferation, key feature of tumor growth. This shows that TMEM158 contributes to oncogenesis that promotes survival and growth of cancer cells.

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It can be used as a target for therapeutic intervention in ovarian cancer.

Doxorubicin Resistance in Ovarian Cancer

Doxorubicin is used as a chemotherapeutic drug in ovarian cancer treatment but its effectiveness is limited due to the development of drug resistance.

Drug resistance to doxorubicin is mediated through the ABCG2 protein by the TMEM158 gene.ABCG2 protein ( ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member.
Is an efflux pump protein that actively transports the chemotherapy drugs out of cancer cells reducing the intracellular drug concentration and its therapeutic action.

TMEM158 regulates ABCG2 protein, which promotes drug efflux and leads cancer cells to resist the cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin. When TMEM158 is overexpressed, it increases discharge of drug doxorubicin which results in reduced drug accumulation in ovarian cancer cells. Then the cells become less sensitive to doxorubicin.

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The role of TMEM158 in promoting cancer cell proliferation and drug resistance can be a promising target for the development of new cancer therapies. Treatment to block TMEM158 expression or inhibit its interaction with ABCG2 potentially:

Can improve the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy
Can improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic regimen
Act as a biomarker for early detection of ovarian cancer through cell-free RNA assays from blood samples

Identification of TMEM158 as both a biomarker and therapeutic target offers new strategies for early diagnosis and to overcome drug resistance in ovarian cancer which can provide more effective and personalized treatment options for patients.

Reference:

TMEM158, as plasma cfRNA marker, promotes proliferation and doxorubicin resistance in ovarian cancer - (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41397-024-00357-8)

Source-Medindia

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