Bat protein offers potential for new human anti-inflammatory treatments
Scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School have identified a bat protein, ASC2, that can inhibit inflammasomes, offering a potential new avenue for treating human inflammatory diseases.
Singapore, May 12, 2023 – By studying bats' ability to host viruses without significant illness, scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School have discovered a protein that may unlock new strategies for fighting human inflammatory diseases.
The research focused on inflammasomes, multi-protein complexes responsible for overactive inflammation that causes severe symptoms in many diseases. The team found that a bat protein called ASC2 possesses a potent ability to inhibit these inflammasomes, thereby limiting inflammation.
The study demonstrated the bat protein's potential for human application by expressing it in genetically modified mice. The presence of the bat protein reduced inflammation and disease severity in mice triggered by various factors, including viruses.
Detailed analysis of the ASC2 protein pinpointed four key amino acids that make the bat version more effective at dampening inflammation than its human counterpart. This offers valuable insight for developing drugs that can mimic the bat protein's anti-inflammatory effects.
Researchers have filed patents based on this work and are exploring commercial partnerships for drug discovery, aiming to develop a new class of anti-inflammatory drugs for inflammasome-driven human diseases.