IMSR Seminar Series: Shedding light on receptor dynamics to develop innovative drugs

Location
IBR Seminar Room (N143)
Dates
Friday 24 May 2019 (13:00-14:00)
Contact

Melissa Lowndes - M.A.Lowndes@bham.ac.uk

Davide-Calebiro

Professor Davide Calebiro will give a talk on 'Shedding light on receptor dynamics to develop innovative drugs'.

Davide's group investigates the basic mechanisms of receptor signalling and their alterations in endocrine diseases. They focus on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which mediate the effects of several hormones and are major drug targets. To investigate receptor nanodomains they develop and use advanced optical methods such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and single-molecule microscopy. Using this approach, they can demonstrate that GPCRs are not only active at the plasma membrane but also at intracellular sites.

These findings challenge the classical model of GPCR signalling and could lead to novel drugs with improved efficacy and less side effects for a variety of human diseases. Combining this approach with modern genetic analyses, they recently discovered that mutations in the catalytic alpha subunit of protein kinase A (PKA), which impair its association with the regulatory subunit, are responsible for Cushing´s syndrome due to cortisol-secreting adrenocortical adenomas. The Calebiro group's ultimate goal is to advance their understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of GPCR signalling to devise innovative pharmacological therapies for endocrine and metabolic diseases.

Registration isn't required for this event.