Abstract

Cell-to-cell transmission of the unfolded protein response (UPR) is one of the most exciting observations recently made in cell biology. One of the most efficient tools to induce UPR response in cell culture is treatment with specific compounds leading to accumulation of misfolded proteins in endoplasmic reticulum. In this article we discussed opposite opinions regarding application of this approach and possible sources of experimental artefacts.

Keywords: Endoplasmic reticulum, unfolded protein response, conditioned media, UPR, unfolded protein, cell-tocell transmission, response.