Advances and Challenges in Rational Drug Design for SLCs

Publication date: Available online 10 September 2019Source: Trends in Pharmacological SciencesAuthor(s): Rachel-Ann A. Garibsingh, Avner SchlessingerThere are over 420 human solute carrier (SLC) transporters from 65 families that are expressed ubiquitously in the body. The SLCs mediate the movement of ions, drugs, and metabolites across membranes and their dysfunction has been associated with a variety of diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Thus, SLCs are emerging as important targets for therapeutic intervention. Recent technological advances in experimental and computational biology allow better characterization of SLC pharmacology. Here we describe recent approaches to modulate SLC transporter function, with an emphasis on the use of computational approaches and computer-aided drug design (CADD) to study nutrient transporters. Finally, we discuss future perspectives in the rational design of SLC drugs.
Source: Trends in Pharmacological Sciences - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research