New kid on the GPCR block

The CXCR4 GPCR structure has been solved by Raymond Stevens's group at Scripps. It joins the exclusive august list of previously crystallized GPCRs- the beta-adrenergic, rhodopsin and the adenosine A2A receptor.

This could be quite important for HIV drug discovery since the CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor expressed on the surface of lymphocytes that HIV uses as a co-receptor to gain entry into cells. People struggling with structure-based drug design with CXCR4 should be elated.

Welcome to the club, although many more members have to be still inducted.