Cholesterol transporter structure decoded
Friday, March 21, 2014 - 13:01
in Health & Medicine
For the first time, scientists have solved the high-resolution structure of the molecular transporter TSPO, which introduces cholesterol into mitochondria. This protein also serves as a docking site for diagnostic markers and different drugs, such as Valium. The detailed knowledge of its 3-D shape and function opens up new diagnostic and therapeutic perspectives.