A team of university and industry researchers may have uncovered a drug developer’s treasure trove by finding that well-known enzymes may have potential for treating diseases in other, unknown capacities.

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A discovery about an enzyme that we thought was only involved in breaking down collagen may lead to new treatments for asthma and other respiratory diseases.

They show, for example, that MMP8 – an enzyme known for its role in breaking down collagen – could also have a use in the treatment of asthma and other respiratory diseases.

The work – a collaboration between the University of Cambridge in the UK, and MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca – is published in the journal Chemistry & Biology.

Enzymes are biological catalysts – they ensure the chemical reactions of life run smoothly.

Many enzymes – such as proteases that help break down proteins – are well defined, and their primary roles are generally well understood.

For instance, it is well known that the protease MMP8 can be found in the connective tissue of humans and most other mammals, where it helps to break down collagen by cleaving its chemical bonds.

However, the high costs and technical challenges of making new enzymes for treating diseases are driving scientists to look for new uses from already “understood” enzymes.

For their study, the team made a list of 27 known human enzymes or proteases and, with the help of technology developed at MedImmune, tested each of them against 24 potential protein drug targets.

They identified 23 measurable, specific, previously unknown enzyme activities, including one particularly interesting one that they investigated further, involving MMP8.

Using cell cultures and engineered mice, the researchers found that MMP8 was able to block a molecule called IL-13, which plays a key role in asthma, dermatitis and other inflammatory diseases.

They suggest the discovery reveals a previously unknown mechanism through which IL-13 is kept under control, thus preventing these diseases in most people. If that is confirmed in humans, it could open the door to new treatments for these inflammatory conditions.

Dr. Florian Hollfelder, who led the Cambridge side of the team, explains why the discovery about MMP8 is so surprising:

Because the enzyme already had a ‘name’ and a function, nobody thought to see if it had a promiscuous side.”

The researchers believe they have found other enzymes whose promiscuous side – outside of their understood role – holds disease treatment potential. And, if the approach they used is expanded, there may be other discoveries waiting to be made that could lead to new drugs.

In December 2014, Medical News Today learned of a world first, where scientists showed how they synthesized enzymes from artificial genetic material. Their astonishing achievement raises the possibility that living systems can arise from molecules different to those that led to life as we know it.