معرفی
Professor Laura Itzhaki serves as Professor of Structural Pharmacology within the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Cambridge, part of the School of the Biological Sciences. Her research program focuses on tandem-repeat proteins and their applications in structural pharmacology and therapeutic development.
Professor Itzhaki's research primarily investigates a class of proteins known as tandem-repeat proteins, particularly ankyrin, HEAT and ARM repeat proteins that play important roles in disease, such as cancer. Her work employs techniques including protein engineering, fluorescence spectroscopy, and in silico protein structure modeling to understand protein-protein interactions and protein degradation mechanisms. She explores how these distinctive architectures function as molecular "nanosprings" with applications in cellular mechanics and therapeutic development.
Her recent publications demonstrate a cohesive research program spanning structural biology, protein engineering, and molecular pharmacology. The work shows progression from fundamental understanding of protein mechanics to development of novel therapeutic approaches targeting cancer and infectious diseases through protein engineering and targeted degradation strategies.
- Molecular Therapeutics: Development of constrained peptides, designed repeat proteins, and nanobodies to target disease-related proteins
- Protein Engineering: Redesigning stability, folding and molecular recognition of repeat proteins
- Targeted Degradation: Developing bioPROTACs and other degraders to remove disease-associated proteins
- Mechanical Sensors: Creating force sensors using repeat proteins as molecular "nanosprings"
Professor Itzhaki leads an active research group that bridges fundamental structural biology with translational applications. Her work on tandem-repeat proteins provides insights into their distinctive properties compared to globular proteins and offers a versatile platform for therapeutic development.
