Abstract: They started out as a useful tool for studying the immune system in the lab and now they’re a family of drugs treating millions of patients, with global revenues of nearly $75 billion in 2013. MRC funding and researchers have been entwined with the monoclonal antibodies story from the very beginning. Forty years ago […]
From tool to therapy: a timeline of monoclonal antibody technology
The MORPHEUS II protein crystallization screen
Fabrice Gorrec from the LMB has published developments related to MORPHEUS II – a protein crystallization screen. He has demonstrated that additives selected from the PDB that are under-represented in traditional screens can be combined to formulate suitable and useful conditions, not only for crystallization but the overall structure determination process. More
Atomic resolution of gamma-secretase – another milestone for structure determination by cryo-EM
The atomic structure of the 170 kDa membrane protein gamma-secretase, a membrane protein complex that has an important role in Alzheimer’s disease, has been solved using single-particle electron cryo-microscopy (cryo-EM) by Sjors Scheres’ group in the LMB’s Structural Studies Division. This demonstrates for the first time that high-resolution reconstruction of such small molecules can be […]
The work of Fred Sanger – an online exhibition
A new online exhibition, sponsored by the MRC, explores the work and legacy of double Nobel Laureate, Fred Sanger. From his early work on sequencing proteins to his pioneering technique for sequencing nucleic acids, Fred’s work led to groundbreaking discoveries and opened up a whole new world for medical research and treatment. The Sanger Online […]
New details of the transmission of stimuli in living organisms unveiled
A team lead by Dmitry Veprintsev from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and ETH Zurich together with Madan Babu Mohan’s group at LMB and the pharmaceutical company Roche provide new details of how the activation of G-protein-coupled receptors takes place and demonstrate that only a few amino acids have a major influence on GPCR function. […]
Monoclonal antibodies: the invisible allies that changed the face of medicine
They are tiny magic bullets that are quietly shaping the lives of millions of patients around the world. Monoclonal antibodies are contained in six out of ten of the world’s bestselling drugs, helping to treat everything from cancer to heart disease to asthma. The technique for producing them was first published 40 years ago by […]