CHICAGO, Oct. 12 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have determined the 3-D structure of insulin-degrading enzyme, a promising drug target for diabetics and Alzheimer's disease victims.
Wei-Jen Tang of the University of Chicago and colleagues from the Argonne National Laboratory say the insulin-degrading enzyme not only breaks down insulin, but also amyloid-beta protein, which has been linked to the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers describe the IDE structures in complex with four of the proteins it digests: insulin, amyloid-beta, amylin and glucagon. The structures, say the researchers, are exciting because they suggest ways to develop drugs that could either speed up or slow down this ubiquitous enzyme's activity.
"The structure of insulin-degrading enzyme tells us a lot about how it works, which is somewhat unorthodox," said Tang. "Understanding how it works gives us clues about how to design drugs either to inhibit or activate it."
The research appears online in the journal Nature.
