Targeting Cellular Gatekeepers: Unlocking New Insights for Cancer and Neurological Disease Treatments

The Wang Lab studies membrane transporter proteins—gatekeepers of the cell that regulate the import of nutrients and signaling molecules. One focus is the dicarboxylate transporter (NaDC3) that brings various TCA cycle intermediates into the cell. Using a technique called cryo-electron microscopy, Da-Neng Wang and his team study the architecture of NaDC3 and have determined the atomic structure of the transporter in several of its functional states. These insights may inform drug design for cancer and neurological diseases.