Human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is an enzyme that decomposes angiotensin II, a hormone that raises human blood pressure, and lowers blood pressure.On the other hand, it is known to be a receptor for SARS and new coronavirus infections, and the enzyme activity of ACE2 not only improves the symptoms of heart failure and hypertension, but also prevents the aggravation of SARS and causes respiratory failure in severe pneumonia. It has been reported to improve.
Research groups such as Akita University, International Research Center for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Akita Prefectural Food Research Center, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, National Cardiovascular Research Center, British Columbia University, Peptide Institute are similar to this ACE2. We discovered the microbial enzyme B38-CAP, which has a protein structure. B38-CAP is one of the enzymes produced by microorganisms isolated from the soil of the Shirakami Mountains, and it was found that the B38-CAP protein is very similar in properties to ACE2.Therefore, the researchers, who thought that the B38-CAP protein might improve heart failure and severe pneumonia in the same way as ACE2, conducted various animal experiments.As a result, B38-CAP showed the same pharmacological activity as ACE2 in the living body of mice, and improvement of symptoms of heart failure and hypertension was observed.
In contrast to ACE2, which is difficult to obtain in large quantities, B38-CAP can be obtained in large quantities in a short period of time in a microbial protein production system. B38-CAP may have the effect of preventing the aggravation of pneumonia in people with heart failure and other chronic diseases even in the case of new coronavirus infection. It is expected to be a therapeutic drug for.
Paper information:[Nature Communications] B38-CAP is a bacteria-derived ACE2-like enzyme that suppresses hypertension and cardiac dysfunction
