Maintenance of plasma membrane integrity is essential for normal cell viability and function. Thus, robust membrane repair mechanisms have evolved to counteract the eminent threat of a torn plasma membrane. Different repair mechanisms and the bio-physical parameters required for efficient repair are now emerging from different research groups. However, less is known about when these mechanisms come into play. This review focuses on the existence of membrane disruptions and repair mechanisms in both physiological and pathological conditions, and across multiple cell types, albeit to different degrees. Fundamentally, irrespective of the source of membrane disruption, aberrant calcium influx is the common stimulus that activates the membrane repair response. Inadequate repair responses can tip the balance between physiology and pathology, highlighting the significance of plasma membrane integrity. For example, an over-activated repair response can promote cancer invasion, while the inability to efficiently repair membrane can drive neurodegeneration and muscular dystrophies. The interdisciplinary view explored here emphasises the widespread potential of targeting plasma membrane repair mechanisms for therapeutic purposes.

维持质膜完整性对于正常细胞生存力和功能至关重要。因此，已经发展出强大的膜修复机制以抵消质膜撕裂的严重威胁。现在，不同的研究小组正在涌现出不同的修复机制和有效修复所需的生物物理参数。但是，人们对这些机制何时起作用还知之甚少。这篇综述着重于生理和病理条件下以及跨多种细胞类型的膜破坏和修复机制的存在，尽管程度不同。从根本上讲，不管膜破裂的原因如何，异常的钙流入都是激活膜修复反应的常见刺激。修复反应不足会导致生理与病理之间的平衡，突出了质膜完整性的重要性。例如，过度激活的修复反应可促进癌症侵袭，而无法有效修复膜则可驱动神经变性和肌肉营养不良。这里探讨的跨学科观点强调了靶向质膜修复机制用于治疗目的的广泛潜力。