For years, a protein inside our cells has quietly powered billions of dollars’ worth of cancer drugs. Now a team of researchers have discovered that this workhorse protein, called cereblon, in addition to its known functions, can also fine‑tune which proteins live and which are sent to the cellular trash.
The new study, published in Nature, is the first to identify and map an allosteric site — a hidden binding pocket — on cereblon. This research was led by Christina Woo, professor of chemistry and chemical biology, and her research group, in collaboration with a team of scientists at pharmaceutical company GSK and Scripps Research Institute.
Cereblon is part of a protein complex that tags other proteins for destruction. It became infamous because it was targeted by thalidomide, a drug prescribed for…