RESEARCH: CANCER
FOLDING PROJECT #16944 PROFILE

This project relates to understanding how tiny proteins fold. We're looking at how things like chemical bonds and slight changes in the protein's code affect how it folds. This could help us design better medicines, like those that target cancer cells.

These simulations are designed to test our understanding the folding mechanism of alpha-helical hairpins.

We are trying to study how disulfide cross-linkers and sequence variants affect the folding thermodynamics and kinetics of these proteins, to learn how we might better use molecular simulation methods to design effective protein binder scaffolds, for use as "affibody" cancer therapeutics, for example.

alpha-helical hairpins

A type of protein structure characterized by a helical shape.

Alpha-helical hairpins are short sections of proteins that form a helix shape. They play a crucial role in how proteins fold and interact with other molecules.

disulfide cross-linkers

Covalent bonds between cysteine amino acids in proteins.

Disulfide cross-linkers are strong chemical bonds that can form between certain amino acids in proteins. They help stabilize protein structures and can influence how proteins fold.

sequence variants

Changes in the DNA sequence that code for proteins.

Sequence variants are alterations in the genetic code that can result in changes to the amino acid sequence of proteins. These variations can affect protein function and properties.

protein binder scaffolds

Structural frameworks used to design proteins that bind to specific targets.

Protein binder scaffolds are the basic building blocks for designing therapeutic proteins. They provide a framework for attaching binding domains that target specific molecules.

affibody

An engineered protein with high affinity for a target molecule.

Affibody is a type of therapeutic protein that has been genetically engineered to bind tightly to specific targets. They are used in research and medicine for various applications.

cancer therapeutics

Drugs used to treat cancer.

Cancer therapeutics are medications designed to treat and manage various types of cancer. They work by targeting different aspects of cancer cell growth and survival.