All Structural Biology articles
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NewsFirst multi-responsive foldamer-based gel offers new approach to controlled drug delivery
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have engineered a switchable gel built from synthetic foldamer molecules that responds to light, heat and acid — a platform with potential implications for controlled drug delivery and targeted therapeutic release.
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ArticleWhy intracellular targets remain a major drug discovery challenge – and how they’re becoming druggable
Many biologically important intracellular targets remain difficult to drug. Dr Rab Prinjha examines how screening within living cells could help tackle them.
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NewsInsilico Medicine nominates AI-designed candidate for ocular diseases
Insilico Medicine has nominated ISM9077, an AI-designed small molecule targeting pathological inflammation, as its 32nd preclinical candidate since 2021, with potential applications across dry AMD, uveitis and dry eye disease.
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NewsAI and genetics identify WNK2 inhibitor for osteoarthritis treatment
Researchers at University of Utah Health have used artificial intelligence and human genetic data to identify a promising early-stage drug candidate targeting WNK2, a protein linked to inherited osteoarthritis, with the lead compound reducing inflammatory gene activity and supporting cartilage cell health in laboratory models.
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NewsNew molecular glue platform broadens E3 ligase targeting for cancer drug development
Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have developed a scalable platform for discovering molecular glue degraders, reporting the first metabolically activated example and broadening the scope of targeted protein degradation in cancer.
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NewsDoxycycline found to disrupt bacterial ribosomes via two unknown mechanisms
Researchers have identified two previously unknown mechanisms by which doxycycline inhibits bacterial protein synthesis, findings that could inform the design of next-generation antibiotics against drug-resistant pathogens.
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NewsAmino acid sensor discovery could unlock new targeted cancer therapies
Researchers have uncovered how cells sense amino acids and activate the mTORC1 growth pathway, identifying LARS1 phosphorylation as a critical upstream switch with implications for more precise cancer drug development.
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News3D genome reorganisation identified as Alzheimer’s disease molecular hallmark
An international study combining single-cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics and artificial intelligence has identified large-scale changes in three-dimensional genome organisation in Alzheimer’s-affected brain cells, establishing chromatin architecture as a previously overlooked component of the disease’s molecular pathology and a potential framework for future therapeutic targeting.
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NewsPCSK9 peptide vaccine lowers LDL cholesterol in preclinical studies
A structure-guided peptide vaccine targeting PCSK9 has demonstrated durable antibody responses and reduced LDL cholesterol levels in mouse models of hypercholesterolaemia, offering a potential long-lasting alternative to current lipid-lowering therapies.
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NewsDual antibody cocktail offers complete Nipah virus protection
Researchers at Mount Sinai have developed the first fully human monoclonal antibody cocktail to provide complete protection against Nipah and Hendra viruses in preclinical models, offering a potential blueprint for treating high-consequence zoonotic pathogens with no approved therapies.
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NewsPeptide vaccine targeting PCSK9 proves effective in cardiovascular disease models
A peptide vaccine targeting PCSK9 has demonstrated sustained antibody responses and reductions in LDL cholesterol and atherosclerotic plaque formation in animal models, offering a potential long-term alternative to current lipid-lowering therapies.
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NewsMembrane lipid composition directly regulates EGFR activity in cells
MIT researchers have demonstrated that cell membrane composition directly influences EGFR activity, with elevated negatively charged lipids locking the receptor into a growth-promoting state.
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NewsAI-designed proteins self-assemble into virus-like drug delivery structures
An international collaboration has developed AI-designed protein structures that self-assemble into virus-like nanocages using quasisymmetry principles, offering new possibilities for targeted drug delivery, vaccine development and genetic material transport without relying on modified viral proteins.
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NewsEuropean initiative aims to bring molecular dynamics into mainstream drug discovery
What if the vast amounts of data generated by molecular dynamics simulations could be routinely shared and reused? A new €10 million European initiative aims to do just that, helping researchers gain a deeper understanding of protein behaviour and drug-target interactions.
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NewsAI-designed miniproteins target GPCRs in drug discovery
GPCRs account for a significant proportion of approved drug targets, yet selectively controlling their activity remains a major challenge. Researchers have now used AI-assisted protein design to create miniproteins capable of activating or inhibiting these receptors, providing an alternative strategy for targeting this important class of membrane proteins.
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NewsMolecular switch discovery could lead to new bone disease treatments
A molecular switch that activates an alternative energy-burning pathway in brown fat has been identified by McGill University researchers, offering potential new approaches to treating bone disease and metabolic disorders through the TNAP enzyme’s glycerol pocket.
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NewsOpenBind launches AI model to accelerate drug discovery
Diamond Light Source has launched OpenBind v1, an open-access AI model and dataset designed to address critical data shortages in drug discovery by providing standardised protein-drug binding measurements at atomic resolution.
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NewsNovel enzyme inhibitors exploits key weakness in malaria parasite
Researchers from the Universities of Bath and Leeds have engineered a novel class of aminopeptidase P inhibitors with enhanced binding affinity and antiparasitic activity against Plasmodium falciparum.
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NewsNew imaging reveals how immune cells destroy cancer
Cryo-expansion microscopy has enabled researchers to visualise the three-dimensional organisation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes destroying cancer cells in their near-native state, revealing nanoscale structural details of the immune synapse and cytotoxic granules that could refine immuno-oncology therapeutic strategies.
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ArticleBeyond serendipity: rational design and AI’s expansion of the undruggable target landscape
For decades, drugging the ‘undruggable’ was thought to require luck rather than logic. Today, AI is transforming serendipity into strategy by enabling rational, data-driven approaches to previously inaccessible targets.