Membrane proteins are the gatekeepers of cells and play an important role in a variety of cellular functions such as material transport, signal transduction, and cell-to-cell recognition (figure 1).
Figure 1: Membrane proteins are crucial for various cellular processes.
Abnormal functions of membrane proteins are often linked to diseases and account for over 60% of all the current FDA-approved drug targets and 90% of antibody drug targets.
Despite the importance, preparing functional membrane proteins for drug discovery is challenging, particularly for multi-pass transmembrane proteins. Membrane proteins tend to lose the functions when removed from the membrane and their expression level is usually low in the host cells. Cellular expression of recombinant membrane protein often results in protein aggregation and misfolding due to the hydrophobic nature of transmembrane segments.
To date, various antigens have been used for the preparation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against membrane proteins. Extracellular domains (ECDs) are easy to be purified at high expression level but often lack the native conformation of target proteins, which can cause the loss of protein activity and some conformational epitopes. Whole cell immunization has been widely used for the mAb generation against transmembrane proteins. It maintains the native conformation and modifications of target proteins, has high immunogenicity and doesn’t require complex purification steps. However, whole cell immunization often generates a lot of non-specific antibodies against other proteins, especially the abundant cytoplasmic proteins.
To address these challenges, DIMA Biotech has developed advanced platforms for producing full-length membrane proteins. These include Nanodiscs, Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), Membrane Nanoparticles (MNPs), and Exosomes (EXOs) (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: DIMA Biotech’s solutions for full-length multi-pass transmembrane proteins.
All platforms are based on mammalian expression systems and prepare full-length membrane proteins in soluble protein products with native conformation and activity. They can be used for the development of highly specific therapies targeting previously intractable targets such as ion channels and transporter.
Struggling to find full-length drug target proteins with bioactivity? Look no further! As the distributor for DIMA Biotech, Sanbio offers access to their expertise in producing full-length multi-pass transmembrane proteins, including membrane nanoparticles (MNPs), Virus-Like Particles (VLPs), and synthetic Nanodiscs. Don’t miss the chance to obtain high-quality proteins characterized by their full length and bioactivity.
Contact our support team to learn more about how DIMA Biotech’s innovative solutions can support your research and drug development needs.