Trapping a single protein in a molecular cage: A new path to drug discovery for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Proteins often function in pairs or groups, concealing their internal connection points and making it difficult for scientists to study their individual units without altering their natural structure. In a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers successfully isolated single units of the protein SOD1, which is linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), by chemically tagging the protein and encapsulating it within tiny, self-assembled artificial cages.