Major Family of Gene-Regulating Proteins Has Drug-Sized Pocket

An entire class of proteins called transcription factors has largely been ignored by the pharmaceutical industry because it's difficult to design and screen drugs against them. But a new study from scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute suggests that a key group of transcription factors are in fact 'druggable,' including several that could be targeted to treat cancer, metabolic disease, or autoimmune conditions. The paper, published in eLIFE, shows that at least seven bHLH-PAS proteins have pockets where drugs would fit and remain tightly bound.

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