On March 7, Peking University (PKU) added another landmark achievement to its strategic landscape in medical innovation. The group led by Prof. Kong Wei from the School of Basic Medical Sciences published a paper in Nature , revealing a novel anti-atherosclerosis strategy, while the group led by Prof. Jiao Ning from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences reported in Science a new breakthrough in C="C" double bond deconstruction.

　　Prof. Kong’s research identified for the first time the endogenous receptors CYSLTR2 and P2RY6 for ceramides and uncovered the molecular mechanism where ceramides exacerbate atherosclerosis and atherosclerosis associated with chronic kidney disease through activating receptors and inflammasomes. This discovery provides a brand-new solution to residual lipid risk, suggesting targeting ceramide receptors is likely to become a crux in anti-atherosclerosis treatments. Read the article at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08792-8.

　　Prof. Jiao’s study designed and synthesized a heterogeneous copper catalyst, achieving the transformation of complex alkene molecules to oxonitriles and enabling precise editing of the molecular skeletons of drugs, natural products, and other complex molecules. “This method is like a ‘molecular scalpel’ that selectively cuts C="C" double bonds within molecules and achieve precise molecular skeleton editing," explained Prof. Jiao. He said, “This work represents over a decade of continuous efforts and unremitting exploration by four Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers, filling an important piece in our research on the cleavage and transformation of carbon-carbon single bonds, double bonds, triple bonds, and aromatic ring bonds." Read the article at https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq8918.

　　Written by: Fan Xiaofei

　　Edited by: Liu Xin

　　Source: PKU Scientific Research Office, School of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences