Pepijn Rakers

Mr. Pepijn Rakers

Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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Journal Article
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MGMarina Gorostiola González
Marina Gorostiola González
Pepijn RakersPepijn Rakers
Pepijn Rakers
WJWillem Jespers
Willem Jespers
AIAd Ijzerman
Ad Ijzerman
LHLaura Heitman
Laura Heitman
GWGerard Van Westen
Gerard Van Westen
Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide and calls for novel therapeutic targets. Membrane proteins are key players in various cancer types but present unique challenges compared to soluble proteins. The advent of computational drug discovery tools offers a promising approach to address these challenges, allowing for the prioritization of “wet-lab” experiments. In this review, we explore the applications of computational approaches in membrane protein oncological characterization, particularly focusing on three prominent membrane protein families: receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and solute carrier proteins (SLCs). We chose these families due to their varying levels of understanding and research data availability, which leads to distinct challenges and opportunities for computational analysis. We discuss the utilization of multi-omics data, machine learning, and structure-based methods to investigate aberrant protein functionalities associated with cancer progression within each family. Moreover, we highlight the importance of considering the broader cellular context and, in particular, cross-talk between proteins. Despite existing challenges, computational tools hold promise in dissecting membrane protein dysregulation in cancer. With advancing computational capabilities and data resources, these tools are poised to play a pivotal role in identifying and prioritizing membrane proteins as personalized anticancer targets.