Protein Disulfide Isomerase: A New Class of Drug Target

Abstract

Protein Disulfide Isomerase (PDI) was originally discovered fifty years ago as the first protein folding catalyst and isolated from rat liver [1]. It was demonstrated early on that PDI acts as a dithiol–disulfide oxidoreductase capable of reducing, oxidizing and isomerizing disulfide bonds. Independently of its redox activity, PDI can also act as a vital cellular defense against the intracellular accumulation of misfolded proteins via its chaperone activity [2].