Work

Drugging Membrane Protein Interactions

Year: 2016

Type: review

Abstract: The majority of therapeutics target membrane proteins, accessible on the surface of cells, to alter cellular signaling. Cells use membrane proteins to transduce signals into cells, transport ions and molecules, bind cells to a surface or substrate, and catalyze reactions. Newly devised technologies allow us to drug conventionally "undruggable" regions of membrane proteins, enabling modulation of protein-protein, protein-lipid, and protein-nucleic acid interactions. In this review, we survey the state of the art of high-throughput screening and rational design in drug discovery, and we evaluate the advances in biological understanding and technological capacity that will drive pharmacotherapy forward against unorthodox membrane protein targets.

Source: Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering

DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-092115-025322

Authors: Hang Yin, Aaron D. Flynn

Institutions: Tsinghua University, University of Colorado Boulder

Language: English

Topic: Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences