Analysing the pathophysiological role played by VEGFR2 and CXCR4

• Company/University: Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, University of Nottingham, UK and Harry Perkins Institute, Perth, Australia
• Interviewee: Dr Laura Kilpatrick (Research Fellow), Dr Chloe Peach (Assistant Professor) & Dr Carl White
• Products used: PHERAstar FS and CLARIOstar
• Method: kinetic binding assays, BRET, multiplexing

This group focusses on two different receptors: VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) and the GPCR receptor CYCR4. As VEGFR2 is looked at as an attractive anti-cancer therapeutic target, the main goal is to identify new specific therapeutics showing less off-target effects and resistance mechanisms.

The quantitative pharmacology of VEGFR2 is studied by real-time ligand-binding BRET kinetic analysis in living cells. These measurements are performed on the PHERAstar FS, taking advantage of Simultaneous Dual Emission detection.

Through gene editing techniques, the role of CXCR4 and its interaction with other proteins is analysed at low endogenous and physiological levels. The CLARIOstar was used to run multiplex assays to look at how CXCR4 interacts with more than one protein simultaneously.