Publications

The labs of David Liu and Alan Saghatelian discovered non-active site inhibitors that selectively reprogram enzyme selectivity. In this research, they were working with Insulin Degrading Enzyme (IDE) which degrades both insulin and glucagon. IDE has been long sought after as a potential approach to treating type-2 diabetes but inhibition of the active site blocks the degradation of both insulin and glucagon. The Liu and Saghatelian labs found that blocking IDE’s insulin exosite (where the insulin substrate specifically binds to IDE to be degraded) blocks insulin degradation but leaves the active site and glucagon degradation undisturbed. This simple but powerful demonstration of exosite technology led to the foundation of Exo Therapeutics.

Learn more about their IDE research in this Nature publication.