Singapore finds molecule for dual protection against vascular inflammation
Singapore finds molecule for dual protection against vascular inflammation
23 April 2021 | News
Image credit- shutterstock.com
A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore has discovered a new mitochondrial peptide called MOCCI that plays an important role in regulating inflammation of blood vessel and immunity.
The study, published in the journal
Nature Communications, revealed how one gene encoded two molecules that provide two-pronged protection following viral infection.
“In this study, we aimed to identify new targets to combat inflammation in the lining of blood vessels. Specifically, we wanted to target small naturally-produced peptides that have not been studied before,” explained Assistant Professor Lena Ho, from the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme at Duke-NUS, who led the team that included Associate Professor Ashley St John, Assistant Professor Owen Rackham and Senior Research Fellow Dr Cheryl Lee.