Question

Membrane proteins are among the most important proteins biologically because they allow cells to communicate with their environments. In humans, they determine whether the immune system recognizes the cell as foreign or not and they are the targets of most __________. A) drugs B) gases C) sugars D) water

Answer 1

A) Drugs (They are the target of some antiodies)

Answer 2

Answer:

The correct answer would be A) drugs.

Membrane proteins are majorly involved in the formation of cell receptors. Theses receptors the major targets of hormones and other extracellular stimuli.

Most of the drugs also use these receptors to produce their effects. Some of the drugs act on a specific hormone to produce the desired effects.

For example, insulin binds to the cell membrane receptors to produce its effect (lowering blood sugar level), Herceptin helps in treating breast cancer by binding to the HER2 receptor of breast cancer cells.

Some of the drug targets most commonly used are:

• G protein-coupled receptors
• Ion channels (ligand-gated and voltage-gated)
• Membrane transport protein
• Structural proteins, for example, tubulin
• Nuclear hormone receptors.