Proteins transduce information and signals within the human body by changes in their structures. For example, hormones binding to their target proteins cause a structural change which in turn opens new binding sites for other proteins elsewhere on the surface of the protein. Researchers refer to this coupling of different, distant binding sites as allostery. An interruption of this coupling leads to signals not being passed on. This can be achieved by molecules specifically designed for this purpose, which thereby obtain pharmacological effects as analgesics or chemotherapeutic agents. To selectively design such molecules, scientists need to learn more about the possible mechanisms of allostery.
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Source: Phys.org