Aptus Genomics Inc.
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Researchers haven't yet been able to overcome the challenge of isolating and purifying GPCRs from their membrane in a functionally useful form, so it has been difficult to determine their structures, as a starting point for drug discovery. Researchers have, however, developed indirect ways of detecting whether particular compounds activate GPCRs, by measuring the effects of activation. The presence of certain secondary messengers within the cell, for example, calcium or cyclic AMP (cAMP), is a telltale sign that compounds have interacted with GPCRs. Aptus Genomics has applied for a patent for a high-throughput drug screening method for GPCRs that signal through cAMP.