Nobel Laureate explains role of G-protein coupled receptors to treat disease in Feinstein Institutes’ Match Lecture

MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research hosted a Match Lecture by 2012 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, Robert Lefkowitz, MD, who discussed the function and regulation of G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) in regards to how cells communicate and control physiological processes in humans.

A pioneer in molecular pharmacology, Dr. Lefkowitz has dedicated more than five decades of research to discovering and understanding the function of GPCRs, particularly how to turn off – known as desensitization -- the receptors. These receptors are responsible for the senses of sweet and bitter taste and smell, among many other essential functions. Dr. Lefkowitz’s discoveries have had a significant clinical impact on the development of prescription drugs. More than a third of all prescription drug sales are of those that target the receptors, Dr. Lefkowitz and his team discovered.

In a virtual presentation to Feinstein Institutes’ researchers and staff, Dr. Lefkowitz discussed GPCRs, the future of his research and how new findings may help cure some of the world’s most serious diseases.

“If we can understand how cells communicate, we can control the body’s functions and often disrupt harmful processes, like uncontrolled inflammation in autoimmune diseases as an example,” said Dr. Lefkowitz, James B. Duke distinguished professor of medicine and professor of biochemistry at Duke University Medical Center. “We have made great scientific strides and I hope that by passing on the knowledge today one day, it will lead to new treatments for people who need them.”

The Match Lecture on October 5 was made possible by an endowment from the late Robert K. Match and his family and is held regularly by the Feinstein Institutes. The Match Lecture invites Nobel Laureate scientists from around the world to speak to its faculty and staff.

About the Feinstein Institutes

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the research arm of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Home to 50 research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its five institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, and molecular medicine. We make breakthroughs in genetics, oncology, brain research, mental health, autoimmunity, and are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – a new field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.