• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Sunday, August 3, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Health

Researchers image atomic structure of important immune regulator

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
December 10, 2018
in Health
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Understanding structure of human TIM-3 provides new insights for cancer and autoimmune drug development

IMAGE

Credit: Richard Blumberg, Brigham and Women’s Hospital


A new study by investigators from Brigham and Women’s Hospital provides a biophysical and structural assessment of a critical immune regulating protein called human T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing protein-3 (hTIM-3). Understanding the atomic structure of hTIM-3 provides new insights for targeting this protein for numerous cancer and autoimmune therapeutics currently under clinical development. The findings of this study were published online in Scientific Reports on Nov. 30.

“The hTIM-3 protein is an important immune regulator, yet it has been difficult to target for drug development as high-resolution structure conformational details have been elusive,” said senior author Richard Blumberg, MD, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy in the Department of Medicine at the Brigham. “We resolved the structure of hTIM-3 and established a novel biochemical assay to define its functionality, which will be useful for understanding the role of hTIM-3 in the immune system.”

The team captured a high-resolution X-ray crystal structure and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) image of the hTIM-3 IgV domain that is involved in functional interactions with CEACAM1, which is a crucial immune escape mechanism for many cancers. Importantly, the team determined the precise location of a calcium atom, an essential co-factor, bound to the hTIM-3 IgV domain.

“This is the first NMR analysis of any immune-related TIM molecule and the first high resolution structural report of the hTIM-3 IgV domain with association of critical co-factors such as calcium,” said author Amit Gandhi, PhD, a researcher in Blumberg’s laboratory in the Department of Medicine. “No one has been able to do this before. Hopefully this will help with the targeting of human hTIM-3 and the development of useful therapeutics.”

“This structure shown here represents a high resolution, physiologically relevant hTIM-3 molecule,” said author Walter Kim, MD, PhD, a researcher in Blumberg’s laboratory and associate physician in the Department of Medicine. “Now we can understand what specific regions of the protein are accessible for therapeutic drugs to bind.”

###

The NMR structural studies were led by Zhen-Yu Jim Sun, PhD, a researcher at Harvard Medical School. Funding for this work was supported by the NIH Grants 5R01DK051362-21 and the High Pointe Foundation to R.S.B. and 5P01AI073748-09 to V.K.K., and GM047467 and AI037581 to G.W.

Paper cited: Gandhi, A et al. “High resolution X-ray and NMR structural study of human T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain containing protein-3” Scientific Reports DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35754-0

Media Contact
Haley Bridger
[email protected]
617-525-6383

Related Journal Article

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35754-0

News source: https://scienmag.com/

Tags: Medicine/Health
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

blank

Trans-Synaptic Spread of Tau in PSP Uncovered

August 3, 2025
Motor Interventions Improve Children’s Coordination: New Study

Motor Interventions Improve Children’s Coordination: New Study

August 3, 2025

Tau PET Positivity Varies by Age, Genetics, and Sex

August 3, 2025

Voltage Imaging Uncovers Hippocampal Memory Inhibition Dynamics

August 3, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Blind to the Burn

    Overlooked Dangers: Debunking Common Myths About Skin Cancer Risk in the U.S.

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
  • Neuropsychiatric Risks Linked to COVID-19 Revealed

    51 shares
    Share 20 Tweet 13
  • Dr. Miriam Merad Honored with French Knighthood for Groundbreaking Contributions to Science and Medicine

    46 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 12
  • Study Reveals Beta-HPV Directly Causes Skin Cancer in Immunocompromised Individuals

    38 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 10

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Nano- and Micro-Polystyrene Impact Gut Cells, Neurons

Adolescents Face Cancer’s Impact on Identity, Sexuality

Critical 70% CO2 Threshold for Viable Geological Storage

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.