Thanks to their 4-year long joint efforts, the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, a part of the Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, and the Pharmacology Research Center under Fudan University have achieved a breakthrough in studying cellular receptors. Researchers discovered that |?-arrestin could make a direct access to the cytoplasm-nucleus, and impose a long term regulating effect on cellular functions, through inducing nuclear translocation that may activate the targeted genes. Scientists believe that this makes a new receptor?痵 signal path for directly transmitting message through |?-arrestin to the cytoplasm-nucleus.
According to the finding that was published in the recent issue of the journal Cell, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) prove a most successful drug target extensively used in new drug development. The drugs that work on GPCRs produce a fine therapeutic effect on pains, perception disorders, hypertension, gastric ulcer, rhinitis, and asthma. Of some 500 drugs in clinical applications, 30% and more are working to regulate the functions of GPCRs.
The finding has applied for patent protection. The proprietary finding is of valuable and broad application perspectives in screening new strategies and targets for developing new drugs to treat diverse complex diseases.
|
