Tiny shear forces have big effect on protein reactions

By Tim Wogan2021-10-15T08:35:00

A microscopy photo showing a translucent blood vessel stretching across the image. It is filled with bright red blood cells that squeeze through the narrow tube in a single file

Source: © Getty Images

Proteins react faster under the forces they experience when they squeeze through blood vessels

The tiny shear forces proteins experience inside blood vessels can dramatically increase their reaction rates, researchers have shown. The effect, which arises from changes in the proteins’ macromolecular shape, could even affect the action of therapeutic antibodies.