Researchers from Peking University Health Science Center identified a new secreted protein, FAM19A5, which turned out to be a novel adipokine. This finding was published on Circulation online on February 16.

　　The researchers, Prof. Kong Wei and Prof. Wang Ying of physiology and pathophysiology, found that adipose-derived FAM19A5 markedly inhibited neointima formation in the carotid arteries of balloon-injured rats. They revealed that sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2), a G protein–coupled receptor, was the functional receptor for FAM19A5, and that FAM19A5 could activate S1PR2’s downstream G12/13-RhoA signaling and inhibit proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells and subsequent neointima formation after arterial injury. This finding may provide new therapeutic target for obesity-related cardiovascular diseases.

　　See full article at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29453251.

　　Written by: Fan Xiaofei

　　Edited by: Liu Xin

　　Source: School of Basic Medical Sciences