Lipid Rafts in Cancer

The Role of
Lipid Rafts in Cancer

An image showing a Healthy cell membrane and a Tumor cell membrane

Healthy cell membrane

Tumor cell membrane

Lipid rafts - specialized microdomains within the plasma membrane - play a significant role in cancers by facilitating processes like scavenging lipids from the microenvironment for the metabolic needs of the tumor cell, cell signaling, proliferation, survival, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Lipid rafts are enriched in the tumor cells versus normal tissue and are stabilized. These domains are highly organized and composed of cholesterol, sphingolipids, and signaling proteins enhancing the ability of tumor cells to thrive in challenging environments.

Enhanced Oncogenic Signaling

Lipid rafts concentrate and stabilize growth factor receptors, like tyrosine kinases, and other signaling molecules, facilitating more efficient and sustained signaling pathways that promote tumor growth and survival.

View Citation

Lingwood D, Simons K. Lipid rafts as a membrane-organizing principle. Science. 2010;327(5961):46-50. Pike LJ. Lipid rafts: heterogeneity on the high seas. Biochem J. 2009;419(3):629-643.

Invasion and Metastasis

Lipid rafts enhance cancer metastasis by acting as platforms for signaling proteins and activation of processes that stimulate cell adhesion, migration and invasion.

View Citation

Toxins (Basel). 2010;2(1):128-162. Patel V, Lahiji A, Patel P, et al. Lipid rafts and caveolae are related to invasive potential of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells. Oral Oncol. 2004;40(6):635-642.

Tumor Cell Survival and Resistance to Apoptosis

Most tumors are in an anerobic environment (restricted oxygen levels) requiring the use of the beta oxidative pathway, instead of glycolysis, and catabolism of lipids to generate the energy necessary for the tumor cell to survive. Lipid rafts bind lipids and transport them directly to the cytoplasm for catabolism within the mitochondria. Additionally, lipid rafts help cancer cells evade programmed cell death (apoptosis), allowing them to survive under conditions that would normally kill healthy tissues.

View Citation

Mollinedo F, Gajate C. Lipid rafts as signaling hubs in cancer cell survival/death and invasion: implications in cancer therapy. J Lipid Res. 2020;61(5):623-634.

Drug Resistance

Lipid rafts contribute to drug resistance in tumors by supporting mechanisms that reduce the efficacy of chemotherapy and targeted therapies.

View Citation

Peetla C, Bhave R, Vijayaraghavalu S, et al. Drug resistance in cancer cells: lipid rafts and MDR. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2010;400(2):213-218. Federico A, Morgillo F, Tuccillo C, et al. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in human carcinogenesis. Int J Cancer. 2007;121(11):2381-2386.