Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

The Glitsch Group's paper "Coincidence Detection of Membrane Stretch and Extracellular pH by the Proton-Sensing Receptor OGR1 (GPR68)" reveals how the activity of the OGR1 protein may be a crucial factor in the progression of certain diseases

Cells, tissues and organs not only respond to chemicals in their environment, but the physical environment itself, such as how stiff it is or its temperature, also provides vital cues and signals. 

The Glitsch group have identified a protein called OGR1 that measures both extracellular pH and tissue stiffness and becomes more active the more acidic and the stiffer the environment.

Extracellular acidosis and stiffening of tissues accompany many diseases, including cancer, so the OGR1 protein is optimally placed to detect and report these pathological changes, making it an attractive therapeutic target for a number of diseases.

Read the full Current Biology paper here