INDIGO Blog
View our most recent posts to learn more about various types of receptors, cell-based assays, and their use in drug discovery and environmental testing applications.
The Roles of the Glucocorticoid Receptor in Disease and Drug Discovery
The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is a critical transcription factor that regulates immune responses, stress responses, and metabolism. Its interactions with glucocorticoid hormones and synthetic glucocorticoids have significant therapeutic implications, especially in the management of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. The ongoing interest in GR as a drug discovery target seeks to develop improved therapies with enhanced…
The Roles of the Androgen Receptor in Disease and Drug Discovery
The Androgen Receptor (AR) is a member of the nuclear receptor family of transcription factors that play a critical role in the development and function of male reproductive tissues. AR is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the prostate gland, testes, and skeletal muscle. Upon binding to androgens, such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT),…
The α, β, γ’s of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors
PPAR beta/delta is expressed in multiple tissues, including skeletal muscle and adipose tissue, and is involved in fatty acid metabolism and energy expenditure. PPAR gamma is primarily expressed in adipose tissue and plays a key role in adipocyte differentiation and glucose uptake. PPARs are activated by endogenous ligands such as fatty acids and eicosanoids, as well as exogenous ligands such as thiazolidinediones (TZDs), a class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes. Activation of PPARs leads to the upregulation of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism, glucose uptake, and inflammation.
The Roles of Estrogen Receptors in Disease and Drug Discovery
The estrogen receptor (ER) is a nuclear receptor that binds to steroid hormone estrogen (or estradiol) and regulates gene transcription. ER can be found throughout the body but is most associated with expression in the cells of female reproductive tissue and some cancer cells. ER is a cytosolic protein, that when activated translocates into the…
Examination of Drug-Induced Liver Injury in upcyte® Hepatocytes
Liver toxicity is a major cause of drug failure in clinical trials and often leads to the complete market withdrawal of many approved drugs today. Due to inherent differences in drug metabolism between species, it’s also difficult to extrapolate results obtained from preclinical animal models for human use. But new research on upcyte® hepatocytes suggests…