The development of selective modulators of transport proteins that represent potential drug targets is of primary importance to the NCCR-TransCure network.

We will apply ligand-based computer-aided drug design starting from known, generally non-selective transporter modulators to screen compound databases in silico for related ligands with a similar or better activity than the initial compounds. An in-house developed and validated high-throughput virtual screening method will be used to select promising test compounds, which will be acquired and subjected to functional assays. We will use this approach to the transporters TRPV6, TRPC1, and TRPM4 of the transient receptor potential superfamily, the divalent metal ion transporter DMT1, the vitamin C transporters SVCT1-3 as well as the proton/myo-inositol cotransporter HMIT.

In addition, will plan to test an existing collection of glutamate transporter modulators in order to identify ligands of the vesicular glutamate transporter VGLUT.