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Visualizing Angiogenesis by Multiphoton Microscopy In Vivo in Genetically Modified 3D-PLGA/nHAp Scaffold for Calvarial Critical Bone Defect Repair
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Engineering growth factor ligands and receptors for therapeutic innovation

Xinran An1, Justin Paoloni1, Yuseong Oh1

  • 1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Trends in Cancer
|October 10, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Protein engineering advances enable redesigning growth factors and receptors into targeted cancer therapeutics. These innovative strategies offer new drug development avenues for various diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Growth factors are crucial signaling molecules regulating cell functions like proliferation, survival, and differentiation.
  • Dysregulation of growth factor pathways is implicated in disease pathogenesis, especially cancer.
  • Cell surface receptors mediate growth factor signaling, influencing cell fate and homeostasis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review protein engineering strategies applied to growth factors and receptors.
  • To highlight advancements in developing targeted therapeutics based on growth factor pathway modulation.
  • To discuss the potential of engineered growth factors in treating cancer and other diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Review of literature on protein engineering techniques applied to growth factors and receptors.
  • Analysis of strategies including affinity modulation, molecular fusion, and decoy receptor design.
  • Examination of dual specificity constructs and vaccine-based approaches.

Main Results:

  • Protein engineering offers innovative methods to redesign growth factor ligands and receptors.
  • Engineered proteins demonstrate potential for targeted therapeutic applications.
  • Various strategies like affinity modulation and molecular fusion are being explored.

Conclusions:

  • Protein engineering is a powerful tool for developing next-generation therapeutics targeting growth factor pathways.
  • Redesigned growth factors and receptors hold promise for treating cancer and other diseases.
  • Continued innovation in protein engineering will drive advancements in drug development for complex conditions.
Keywords:
cancer therapeuticsgrowth factorsligandmolecular designprotein engineeringreceptor

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