A new study has identified hundreds of new proteins that could play a role in cystic fibrosis, and which may provide new insights on why some patients respond better than others to current therapies.
Many of these proteins — part of a group of druggable molecules called membrane proteins — interact with the CFTR protein, which when missing or faulty leads to the build-up of mucous in the lungs and other organs that is often fatal in cystic fibrosis.
“We identified more than 400 proteins associated with either healthy or mutant CFTR, and have shown that some of them could predict the variability seen in patient symptoms and treatment responses,” said Igor Stagljar, principal investigator on the study and a professor in the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research at U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
“With a more comprehensive view of the CFTR protein interaction network, we can identify novel drug targets that should enable more patient-specific therapies,” Stagljar said.
The journal Molecular Systems Biology published the findings today, and featured them on the cover of its February issue.
Get the full story at sciencedaily.com.
Proteins Influence Cystic Fibrosis
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