The Week in Bio #32
Research highlights from the week
Functional dynamics of G protein-coupled receptors reveal new routes for drug discovery (link). Review focusing on GPCR allosteric modulators, biased ligands and bivalent and bitopic compounds.
Small Molecule Modulators of Beta-arrestins (link). Discovery of the first small molecules that bind and inhibit β-arrestins.
Conditional fusogenic lipid nanocarriers for cytosolic delivery of macromolecular therapeutics (link). Preprint describing the development of conditional fusogenic liposomes (C-FLIPs). C-FLIPs consist of liposomes conjugated to a fusion mask. The fusion mask prevents liposome fusion with the cell membrane unless the fusion mask is removed by a protease.
Monoallelic expression can govern penetrance of inborn errors of immunity (link). Paper showing that autosomal random monoallelic expression can impact the penetrance and expressivity of inborn errors of immunity.
The pharmacological basis for nonpeptide agonism of the GLP-1 receptor by orforglipron (link). Study exploring the pharmacology of nonpeptide agonists of the GLP-1R.
Delivery of Prime editing in human stem cells using pseudoviral NanoScribes particles (link). Paper describing the engineering of virus-like particles to deliver the prime editing RNP complex.
Orthogonal RNA replication enables directed evolution and Darwinian adaptation in mammalian cells (link). Paper describing REPLACE a system where RNAs are orthogonally replicated, continuously evolved and stably propagated in mammalian cells.