Dharwad: A team led by IIT Dharwad professor Badri Dubey has uncovered the hidden structure of a protein linked to several heart and blood vessel diseases, a discovery that could help researchers develop better medicines for conditions such as high blood pressure and pulmonary hypertension.
The international team included scientists from Germany and other research institutions. The findings have been published in Communications Chemistry, a Nature Portfolio journal.
Using advanced imaging techniques, the researchers uncovered how this missing part is organised. They found that two long strands of the protein twist around each other, forming an elongated rod. Their findings also suggest that the protein has flexible sections and can form different structures.
Scientists had studied parts of this protein earlier, but its core structure remained poorly understood. More research is needed before the finding can translate into new treatments, but it is an important step towards understanding a protein associated with several cardiovascular diseases.
Understanding how ROCK is built and organised will help scientists better understand how it works inside the body, according to Dubey. The discovery could also support future efforts to develop more targeted medicines that regulate ROCK activity while reducing unwanted effects.