Receptors are proteins capable of transducing extracellular signals into intracellular responses and, by doing so, to master a myriad of physiological and pathological processes. For this reason, receptors and related molecules represent a rich source of therapeutically exploitable targets.
1. General features of signal transduction
2. Receptor classes: ion channels, seven transmembrane domain receptors, tyrosine kinase receptors, immune receptors, intracellular receptors
3. Interaction with ligands: specificity, affinity, agonists, antagonists, functional antagonists, partial agonists
4. Intracellular signal transduction pathways: MAPK, NF-κB, JAK-STAT, PLCγ
5. Signal transduction as a therapeutic target