Development and validation of reagent kits for commercial high-throughput screening of PPI s and PPI inhibitors
Project Overview
Membrane proteins are biological molecules of incredible importance, playing diverse roles in many processes critical to life. Improper function of membrane proteins, however, is associated with many different diseases, such as diabetes, neurological disorders and cardiovascular diseases (among others). Membrane proteins are therefore of great therapeutic interest, and in fact are the target of approximately 60% of drugs currently available on the market. Obtaining a better understanding of membrane protein function, in particular how membrane proteins interact with other proteins in the cell under normal conditions, and how disruption of these interactions leads to disease states, is therefore a major goal of modern biomedical research. Unfortunately, membrane proteins are notoriously difficult to study due to their complex biochemical characteristics, and this has served as a serious roadblock to their study. Recently our lab developed a powerful new technology for use in the study of membrane proteins called the Mammalian Membrane Two-Hybrid (MaMTH). This technology represents a significant scientific advance, allowing the large-scale study of membrane protein functional interactions directly in the context of the living cell, and in response to changing environmental conditions and mutation, and thus has high commercialization potential. In this proposal we seek to expand the MaMTH technology, transforming it into a cutting-edge commercial platform for biopharmaceutical research to allow for the study of membrane protein function, and membrane protein association with disease, on a so far unprecedented scale.
Principal Investigator
Igor Stagljar , University of Toronto
Partners and Donors
CQDM