
Membrane lipids can lock EGFR in constant growth mode, MIT study shows
MIT researchers show that the lipid makeup of the cell membrane can directly control the EGFR receptor: high levels of negatively charged lipids push EGFR into a permanently active state, driving continuous pro-growth signaling and cancer-like proliferation; cholesterol can dampen this signaling by making membranes stiffer. The study uses nanodiscs and single-molecule FRET to examine full-length EGFR behavior, suggesting new cancer therapies could target membrane lipids to neutralize EGFR activity.




