How cell surface receptors send signals across the membrane
Structures and mechanisms of transmembrane receptors
This research will learn how cell surface receptors change shape to send signals, which could help people with cancers or neurological conditions caused by receptor problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11231663 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Scientists will use high-resolution imaging tools like cryo-EM and X-ray crystallography to capture detailed structures of membrane receptors and their larger assemblies. They will combine these images with biochemical and biophysical lab tests to see how receptors bind partners and change conformation. Cell-based functional assays will test how those structural changes affect cell behavior. The team focuses especially on single-pass receptors and large complexes such as plexins that are important for nerve and blood vessel development.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not recruit patients and is lab-based, but its findings may be relevant to people with cancers or neurological conditions linked to receptor dysfunction.
Not a fit: Because this is basic laboratory research rather than a clinical trial, people seeking immediate treatment or symptom relief are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug targets or strategies to block faulty signaling in cancers and neurological disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Structural biology has successfully explained mechanisms for many receptors and guided drug design, though applying these methods to large plexin assemblies is relatively novel and more challenging.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Xuewu — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Xuewu
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.