Membrane potential: A new hallmark of cancer.

Abstract

Cancer remains a complex and multifaceted disease, characterized by a myriad of molecular and cellular alterations that collectively drive tumorigenesis and progression. Hanahan and Weinberg's concept of cancer hallmarks has offered a framework for comprehending the various but related aspects of cancer biology. Initially defined as a set of six hallmarks, further investigation has added more characteristics to this list that also contribute to the malignant phenotype. Changes in cellular energetics, proliferative signaling, and resistance to cell death are three of these hallmarks that have been thoroughly investigated and described. But new discoveries in the field of cancer biology have brought attention to the importance of another aspect of the biology of cancer: the dysregulation of membrane potential.