Drugging the undruggable

Abstract

Although genome sequencing has helped scientists reveal proteins wreaking havoc in our bodies, that doesn’t guarantee scientists can design drugs to fix them. Depending on whom you talk to, up to 85% of the human proteome is currently “undruggable.” These proteins—such as KRas, shown here in gray—lack easy-to-find pockets where therapeutics, such as small molecules, can bind. But a wave of biotech companies, each one armed with new technology, has arrived to tackle the problem. In this month’s Stereo Chemistry podcast episode, industry and academic scientists explain why they think the business and scientific environment is ripe for finally overcoming the most elusive drug targets. Listen to the full episode at cenm.ag/undruggable.