cell surface proteins

Chemokines, or chemotactic cytokines, are small cytokines or signaling proteins secreted by cells. They are a component of intercellular communication, controlling the directional movement of immune cells especially leukocytes, as well as other cell types, for instance, endothelial and epithelial cells, which are essential to maintain human health and the function of the immune system.

The biological effects of chemokines are achieved by binding to chemokine receptors, which are G protein-coupled receptors found on the surface of leukocytes. Some chemokine receptors are involved in directing tumor metastasis and over-expression by certain tumors. So inhibiting the interaction between chemokine and chemokine receptors on the surface of tumor cells may be a new possible therapeutic approach. Some chemokine receptors are coreceptors for HIV entry, and related inhibitors have been approved by the FDA to treat patients with HIV. Obviously, chemokines and chemokine receptors have become new targets for studying cancer, HIV, inflammation, and other diseases.

MCE supplies a unique collection of 208 chemokine or chemokine receptor inhibitors and activators, all of which have the identified inhibitory or activated effect on chemokine or chemokine receptors. MCE Chemokine Library is a useful tool for drug research related to cancer, AIDS, and wound therapy.

Membrane receptors, also known cell surface receptors or transmembrane receptors, are transmembrane proteins embedded into the plasma membrane which play an essential role in maintaining communication between the internal processes within the cell and various types of extracellular signals. They act in cell signaling by receiving (binding to) extracellular molecules, which are also called ligands. These extracellular molecules include hormones, cytokines, growth factors, neurotransmitters, lipophilic signaling molecules such as prostaglandins, and cell recognition molecules.

There are three kinds of membrane receptors: ion channel-linked receptors, enzyme-linked receptors and G-protein-linked receptors. They play important roles in keeping human normal physiologic processes. GPCRs and ion channels are important drug targets in drug discovery.

MCE provides a unique collection of 6,107 compounds targeting a variety of membrane receptors. MCE Membrane reeptor-targeted Compound Library can be used for membrane receptor-focused screening and drug discovery.

Viruses are much simpler organisms than bacteria, and they are made from protein substances and nucleic acid. Despite the fact that the exact mechanism of infection is extremely specific to each type of virus, the general scheme of infection can be represented in the following manner: A virus is absorbed at the surface of a host cell and then permeates through the membrane, where it releases nucleic acid from its protein protection. Then the viral nucleic acid begins to replicate, and transcription of the viral genome takes place either in the cytoplasm, or in the nucleus of the host cell. As a result of these events, a large amount of viral nucleic acid and protein are made to make new generations of virions. Therefore, one mechanism of action of antiviral drugs is to interfere with the ability of a virus to get into a target cell. A second mechanism of action is to target the processes that synthesize virus components after a virus invades a cell, such as nucleotide or nucleoside analogs.

MCE designs a unique collection of 1,448 anti-virus compounds that target several viruses, including SARS-CoV, HBV, HCV, HIV, HSV and Influenza Virus. It’s an effective tool for anti-virus drug discovery.

GPCRs are a large family of cell surface receptors that respond to a variety of external signals. Binding of a signaling molecule to a GPCR results in G protein activation, which in turn triggers the production of any number of second messengers. GPCRs play an important role in the human body, and increased understanding of these receptors has greatly affected modern medicine. In fact, researchers estimate that between one-third to one-half of all approved drugs act by binding to GPCRs. GPCRs are a large group of drug targets in drug discovery.

MCE provides a unique collection of 3,033 small molecules targeting GPCRs that can be used in the screening for various GPCRs-related research and drug development projects.

Liposomes are spherical or multilayered spherical vesicles formed by the self-assembly of diacyl chain phospholipids (lipid bilayers) in aqueous solutions, which can be made from natural or synthetic phospholipids and exhibit good biocompatibility and low toxicity. They can serve as delivery carriers for various bioactive substances (such as drugs, proteins, nucleic acids, etc.) and are widely used in biomedical and chemical research. The main advantages of liposomes include 1) Protective effect: Their bilayer structure can protect encapsulated molecules from enzymatic degradation, oxidation, and other influences, extending stability and activity; 2) Active targeting: Surface modifications enable active targeting, enhancing the concentration of drugs or molecules in specific tissues or cells; 3) Customizability: The composition and structure of liposomes can be adjusted according to needs, such as altering phospholipid types or adding targeting ligands. These properties make liposomes highly valuable in developing novel drug delivery systems, serving as nucleic acid carriers for gene transfection, studying cellular uptake mechanisms and drug release kinetics, as well as developing functional food additives to improve the bioavailability of nutritional components.

MCE contains 141 liposome compounds, which is a good tool for lipidomic-related studies.