All cells face the vital challenge of sensing their environments and responding in appropriate ways. Thisprocess is accomplished by transmembrane signal transduction, which is present in every species andgoverns every aspect of how an organism functions. In regard to human health, there is a huge drive tounderstand how transmembrane signal transduction networks function on the molecular, cellular andphysiological level so that drugs can be designed to modulate different aspects of the signal transductioncascade in highly specific ways. Despite significant progress in understanding the individual components,signal transduction as a whole is not fully understood. Fundamental questions remain regarding howdifferent signalling pathways are activated and modulated in precise and reproducible ways. Filling this gapin knowledge is absolutely necessary to advance the next generation of drugs that will achieve therapeuticefficacy while minimizing side effects. A prime example of this research challenge is the large family of Gprotein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are the target of more than a third of all marketed drugs. TheCOST Action ERNEST (European Research Network on Signal Transduction) will tackle this challenge byuniting scientists from different disciplines spanning the molecular, cellular, physiological, and clinicalperspectives. This network of diverse investigators will be uniquely able to synergistically develop anunprecedented comprehensive understanding of signal transduction that will advance drug design efforts inEurope, for the benefit of societies and human health worldwide.
(Descriptions are provided by the Actions directly via e-COST.)
Period: 2019-2023
Management Committee member: Dr. Ana Đorđević
Management Committee substitute: Dr. Nataša Veličković, Dr. Danijela Vojnović Milutinović, Dr. Jelena Brkljačić
