Controversial membrane structure, independently verified after 22 years, is diagnostic and prognostic for cancer risk.
- 1Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD 4215 Australia.
- 2DatChem Pty Ltd, Brisbane, QLD 4000 Australia.
Abstract
The history behind the proof, and acceptance, of neutral lipid domains in the plasma membranes of transformed and cancer cells is noteworthy. Not only for the controversy, but because this membrane structure has become a hallmark for women at risk for breast cancer. The membrane model, proposed in 1988 to contain isotropically tumbling domains, made up of triglycerides, cholesterol, and cholesterol ester, was not verified until 2010 by a team of Danish scientists. In the intervening 22 years, focus in this area was on the fluid lipid bilayer and the presence of intracellular droplets. The proof of neutral lipid domains in the plasma membranes, mobile on the MR timescale, involved chemists, physicists, pathologists, and surgeons from Australia and Canada and finally Denmark. Today, the appearance of these neutral lipid domains is the first of a series of changes that are diagnostic for risk of breast cancer and considered by some as a point of clinical pharmaceutical intervention for those at risk of developing cancer.Supplementary information
The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12551-026-01449-4.
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BibTeX
@article{mountford2026controversial,
title = {{Controversial membrane structure, independently verified after 22 years, is diagnostic and prognostic for cancer risk.}},
author = {Carolyn Mountford and Tyrone Humphries},
journal = {Biophysical reviews},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1007/s12551-026-01449-4},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42926781},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Controversial membrane structure, independently verified after 22 years, is diagnostic and prognostic for cancer risk.
AU - Carolyn Mountford
AU - Tyrone Humphries
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/22
JO - Biophysical reviews
DO - 10.1007/s12551-026-01449-4
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42926781
AB - The history behind the proof, and acceptance, of neutral lipid domains in the plasma membranes of transformed and cancer cells is noteworthy. Not only for the controversy, but because this membrane structure has become a hallmark for women at risk for breast cancer. The membrane model, proposed in 1988 to contain isotropically tumbling domains, made up of triglycerides, cholesterol, and cholesterol ester, was not verified until 2010 by a team of Danish scientists. In the intervening 22 years, focus in this area was on the fluid lipid bilayer and the presence of intracellular droplets. The proof of neutral lipid domains in the plasma membranes, mobile on the MR timescale, involved chemists, physicists, pathologists, and surgeons from Australia and Canada and finally Denmark. Today, the appearance of these neutral lipid domains is the first of a series of changes that are diagnostic for risk of breast cancer and considered by some as a point of clinical pharmaceutical intervention for those at risk of developing cancer.Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s12551-026-01449-4.
SN - 1867-2450
SN - 1867-2469
ER -