NUS researchers discover pathway by which blood cells release a potent signalling factor

(National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine) The pathway by which blood cells release the important signalling lipid, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), has now been discovered by NUS Medicine researchers. They showed that the membrane protein Mfsd2b is responsible for exporting S1P out of blood cells into the circulation, where it is needed for trafficking of immune cells. However, immune cells can also cause autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Identification of this mechanism could thus lead to the development of novel treatments for these diseases.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news