Fruitfly Model of a Neuropathic Disease Demonstrates Novel Role for Proteins in the Family of aTyr Pharma's Pro...( SAN DIEGO July 13 /- Research publish...),Health

SAN DIEGO, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Research published in the June 26, 2009 edition of Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences provides further evidence for novel roles of tRNA synthetases in disease, validating the therapeutic potential for aTyr Pharma's new class of naturally occurring protein agents. The aminoacyl tRNA synthetases are universal and essential components of protein synthesis machinery found in all organisms, but human synthetases have naturally occurring resected variants with potent cell signaling activities that are vital to normal functioning of humans. aTyr Pharma's proprietary product generating engine consists of these resected proteins (resectins) of human aminoacyl tRNA synthetases with cell signaling activities distinct from the protein synthesis activities. In this recently published study, a model of a human neuropathy was created in the fruit fly (Drosophila) by introducing mutations in the tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase which correspond to disease associated mutations in humans. These dominant mutations do not cause a loss in the protein synthesis activity, indicating that the neuropathy arises from distinct activities of this tRNA synthetase. This work provides further proof of noncanonical roles for tRNA synthetases in human disease.

The large team of scientists on the study included Professors Paul Schimmel and Xiang-Lei Yang, scientific co-founders of aTyr Pharma, and Leslie Nangle, Director of Research at aTyr Pharma, and was led by Albena Jordanova of the University of Antwerp. Other scientists contributing to this paper are from the University of Antwerp, Universiteit Leuven, and Florida Atlantic University. Professor Paul Schimmel of The Scripps Research Institute describes the significance of the work. "Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) is one of the most common inherited neurological disorders, with typical symptoms usually emerging in early adulthood,
'/>"/>