Thesis abstract:

«p»The solute carrier 6 (SLC6) family of transporters are essential small amino acid and amino acid-like substrate transporters implicated in diseases and conditions involving the central nervous system (CNS), cancers, and the gastrointestinal system. Recent studies have identified a new allosteric site, the lipid allosteric site (LAS), on a member of the SLC6 family, glycine transporter-2 (GlyT2) that can be exploited by pharmaceutical agents, but to date, this allosteric site has not been defined in any other SLC6 members. The aims of this PhD thesis are to identify and characterise the LAS among the SLC6 transporter family and demonstrate how the scaffold from a hit compound series in GlyT2 can be manipulated and optimised to generate drug candidates that can target specific SLC6 members and their associated diseases. «/p»