[Topical immunochemical consideration of the structure of the tumour cell membrane (author's transl)].

Fundamental experiments and results in the elucidation of cell membrane structure are reviewed in detail. Special consideration is given to the topochemical organisation and immunochemistry of the glycolipids and glycoproteins that are integrated into the cell membrane, and which form a major component of the surface receptor mosaic. This, in turn, underlies a transmembrane, cytoskeletal control, a mechanism that can only be explained by the modern concept of a fluid membrane. The investigations discussed here provide an interpretation of the behaviour and properties of the membranes of the tumour cell, as observed in the effect of cell transformation on the topography of the plasma membrane, and during the cell cycle and cell growth. In this connection, the so-called tumour associated antigens are discussed fully and their biochemistry and immunology treated in detail. Concepts of tumour immunity and escape mechanisms are then elucidated and defined with the aid of model systems. Using examples, it is shown why the results of this fundamental research form a sound basis for the immunodiagnosis and therapy of tumours.