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Updated: Jul 25, 2025

Author Spotlight: Expression and Purification of Human Solute Carrier Transporters Using Codon-Optimized Genes
Published on: September 29, 2023
Targeting SLC transporters: small molecules as modulators and therapeutic opportunities
Avner Schlessinger1, Nicole Zatorski1, Keino Hutchinson1
1Department of Pharmacological Sciences Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Abstract:
Solute carrier (SLCs) transporters mediate the transport of a broad range of solutes across biological membranes. Dysregulation of SLCs has been associated with various pathologies, including metabolic and neurological disorders, as well as cancer and rare diseases. SLCs are therefore emerging as key targets for therapeutic intervention with several recently approved drugs targeting these proteins. Unlocking this large and complex group of proteins is essential to identifying unknown SLC targets and developing next-generation SLC therapeutics. Recent progress in experimental and computational techniques has significantly advanced SLC research, including drug discovery. Here, we review emerging topics in therapeutic discovery of SLCs, focusing on state-of-the-art approaches in structural, chemical, and computational biology, and discuss current challenges in transporter drug discovery.
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