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Lino Gonzalez Scientist: Protein Chemistry |
"My lab focuses on identifying new receptor-ligand or co-receptor interactions. We concentrate on receptors of the immune system, in particular the immunoglobulin receptor family. Surprisingly, a significant number of these receptors still remain orphans. Knowledge of their binding partners would greatly aid in characterizing their biological function and their potential as therapeutic targets. In order to identify candidate partners, we have utilized Genentech's SPDI (Secreted Protein Discovery Initiative) protein library, consisting of over 1,000 purified, secreted proteins. Currently, we are using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and Bio-layer interferometry (BLI) technology to screen hundreds of interactions per day. To date, this work has led to the identification of several novel interactions that are now being evaluated for their therapeutic potential. The first was an interaction between the B and T Lymphocyte Attenuator (BTLA) and the tumor necrosis factor receptor Herpes Virus Entry Mediator (HVEM). In a collaborative effort with other labs at Genentech, we showed that HVEM induces a T and B cell inhibitory signal through BTLA. Work towards validating other novel Ig interactions is ongoing in the lab. We are now aiming to increase our screening capacity to the thousands of interactions per day by adapting the SPDI library into a protein microarray format. In general, our aim is to continually monitor advances in protein interaction technologies and apply them towards identifying novel receptor interactions that may become future therapeutic targets for fighting disease."