Sysbio:Research: Difference between revisions
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==Research== | ==Research== | ||
===Regulation of ligand-receptor systems=== | |||
Cells translate extracellular information into internal responses using surface-receptors embedded in the plasma membrane. A cell surface-receptor is a highly specialized integral membrane protein that binds to a specific family of ligands, including cytokines, neurotransmitters, peptide hormones or growth factors. The interaction of ligand and receptor initiates a chain of intracellular events and biochemical reactions referred as signal transduction, leading to physiological changes and regulating essential cell processes, such as differentiation, development, proliferation or apoptosis. The understanding of the regulation of cell-surface receptors and the interaction with their corresponding ligands constitutes an extremely active area of research, mainly due to their pharmacological importance as selective targets for chemotherapeutic agents. At present, receptors-based drugs represent more than 60% of medicines in the market, designed to treat several diseases like autoimmune illnesses, infectious diseases or even cancer. We use a mathematical approach to unveil the consequences of the complex binding process and its relevance in the regulation of the signaling. | |||
Revision as of 05:25, 8 December 2011
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ResearchRegulation of ligand-receptor systemsCells translate extracellular information into internal responses using surface-receptors embedded in the plasma membrane. A cell surface-receptor is a highly specialized integral membrane protein that binds to a specific family of ligands, including cytokines, neurotransmitters, peptide hormones or growth factors. The interaction of ligand and receptor initiates a chain of intracellular events and biochemical reactions referred as signal transduction, leading to physiological changes and regulating essential cell processes, such as differentiation, development, proliferation or apoptosis. The understanding of the regulation of cell-surface receptors and the interaction with their corresponding ligands constitutes an extremely active area of research, mainly due to their pharmacological importance as selective targets for chemotherapeutic agents. At present, receptors-based drugs represent more than 60% of medicines in the market, designed to treat several diseases like autoimmune illnesses, infectious diseases or even cancer. We use a mathematical approach to unveil the consequences of the complex binding process and its relevance in the regulation of the signaling.
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