The use of conformationally thermostabilised GPCRs in drug discovery: application to fragment, structure and biophysical techniques

Recent developments in receptor stabilisation have facilitated major advances in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) research, notably structural biology, over the past eight years. Here we review the application of fragment, structure and biophysical techniques using stabilised GPCRs (StaR proteins), and their impact in the drug discovery process. These techniques have, most recently, been utilised in the discovery of the non-alkyne mGlu5 negative allosteric modulator HTL14242, in addition to the dual orexin receptor antagonist HTL6641, with differentiated residence time kinetics.