However, this structure, called a receptor, is extremely similar to another one that serves as the entry point for insulin. Although normal cells can survive without IGF, they still need insulin. The difficulty is making a drug that gums up the IGF receptor but not the lookalike insulin receptor. On Monday, researchers from Amgen Inc. announced they have deciphered the 3-D crystal structure of the IGF receptor. This means they know exactly what it looks like down to the last atom.
Scientists already know the structure of the insulin receptor.
So now they can compare the two and look for parts that are unique to the IGF receptor. Dr. Xiaotian Zhu described the discovery at a meeting in New Orleans of the American Association for Cancer Research. The goal is to craft molecules that will cover up part of this receptor, destroying its ability to take in chemical signals, without also disabling the insulin receptor. This could not have been predicted otherwise. We think this will greatly accelerate the drug discovery process.