Transporters are proteins that span the plasma membrane and regulate the traffic of small molecules in and out of the cell. They play a particularly important role in chemical signalling between neurons in the CNS, where they act to control the concentration of neurotransmitters in the synapse. Another key role for transporters is in excluding undesirable xenobiotics from the cell, whilst allowing key molecules required for the cell life cycle to enter. The majority of transporters are targets for drug discovery.

Caspase 2 (CASP2, CASP-2, ICH1, NEDD-2, NEDD2, PPP1R57) is an initiator caspase for cellular apoptosis. It is also involved in several other vital processes including oxidative stress responses, regulation of cell cycle checkpoints, autophagy and senescence. Disorders of CASP2 activity are observed at obesity, metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cancer [1, 2]. Therefore, small molecule compounds modulating CASP2 activity may have significant therapeutic potential.