Tetraspanins: useful multifunction proteins for the possible design and development of small-molecule therapeutic tools

•Tetraspanins are small membrane proteins with major role in cell signaling.•Tetraspanins are important actors in proliferative, immunologic and infectious pathological processes.•Targeting tetraspanins and tetraspanins network is relevant for development of therapeutics.•Small molecules interacting with tetraspanins may lead to novel and convenient drugs.•Fields of application are cancer, immunologic and infectious diseases, inflammation.