Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2026

An ELISA Based Binding and Competition Method to Rapidly Determine Ligand-receptor Interactions
Published on: March 14, 2016
Cytokine-receptor pairing: accelerating discovery of cytokine function
Don Foster1, Julia Parrish-Novak, Brian Fox
1Cytokine Biology Program, ZymoGenetics, Inc. 1201 Eastlake Avenue, East Seattle, Washington 98102, USA. fosterd@zgi.com
Systematic pairing of cytokines and receptors accelerates understanding of biological function. This approach aids in identifying drug candidates, with several now progressing to human clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
- Drug Discovery
Background:
- Advances in gene discovery and ligand-receptor pairing techniques are key.
- Identifying functions of 'orphan' cytokines and receptors remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate how pairing cytokines with their receptors accelerates functional elucidation.
- To highlight the utility of this method in identifying novel drug candidates.
Main Methods:
- Systematic pairing of database-derived cytokines/receptors with cognate partners.
- Utilizing restricted tissue distribution and specific bioactivity for functional studies.
Main Results:
- Accelerated understanding of biological functions through cytokine-receptor pairing.
- Identification of several candidate drug discoveries derived from these pairings.
Conclusions:
- Cytokine-receptor pairing is a powerful strategy for rapid functional analysis.
- This approach is successfully generating drug candidates for clinical evaluation.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive EGFR activation may...
Assembly of Signaling Complexes
Interaction domains in cell signaling
Interaction domains recognize exposed features of their binding partners containing post-translationally modified sequences,...
Receptor Tyrosine Kinases
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
G Protein-coupled Receptors
GPCRs are also called heptahelical, 7TM, or serpentine receptors, and consist of seven (H1-H7) transmembrane alpha-helices that span the bilayer to form a cylindrical core. The transmembrane helices are connected by three extracellular loops and three...
Diversity of Antigen Receptors
Before encountering any antigen, lymphocytes express these receptors. On B cells, the antigen receptor is a membrane-bound antibody molecule called BCR; on T cells, it is a T cell receptor or TCR. B and T cell receptors are composed of two...

