Invention:
This invention consists of an artificial lipid membrane that incorporates G-protein coupled receptors into its structure. It allows direct, label-free measurement of ligand binding and activation of G-protein coupled receptors.
Background:
G-protein coupled receptors are a superfamily of proteins that are very popular drug targets. In 2017, 34% of all drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration act upon GPCRs, and about 20% of potential drugs in clinical trials target GPCRs. Furthermore, GPCRs are still considered largely untapped targets. In order to screen for potential binding agents and thereby find new drug targets to address conditions involving GPCR pathways, simple and broadly applicable high-throughput screening technologies are needed. This invention could lead to a new, simple and cost-effective way for high-throughput screening of GPCR ligands.
Applications:
- High-throughput screening of drug candidates targeting GPCRs
- Diagnostic products using high-throughput screening arrays
Advantages:
- Direct, label-free measurement
- Compatible with high throughput screening