aTyr Pharma announces LTBP1 as target of DARS tRNA synthetase fragment

aTyr Pharma announced new findings from its tRNA synthetase platform. The target for a naturally occurring fragment of Aspartyl-tRNA Synthetase, DARS, was identified as latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 1, LTBP1. "We continue to generate exciting discoveries and build upon our platform with yet another target identified from our library of extracellular tRNA synthetase protein fragments," said Sanjay Shukla, M.D., M.S., President and CEO of aTyr. "This work, which was conducted in collaboration with Dualsystems Biotech AG, a highly specialized company that uses cutting-edge technology to provide custom proteomic services, has helped us to accelerate our drug discovery efforts. The identification of LTBP1, a key target implicated in fibrosis and immune regulation, and its interaction with this fragment of DARS may provide an opportunity to generate a potential new therapeutic candidate."