aTyr Pharma publishes efzofitimod data in Science Translational Medicine

aTyr Pharma (ATYR) announced a publication demonstrating the mechanism of action for its lead therapeutic candidate, efzofitimod, in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The publication is available on the journal’s website. The publication presents the foundational science, detailed preclinical studies and discovery work behind efzofitimod, an immunomodulator derived from a splice variant of histidyl-tRNA synthetase, which is enriched in human lung and is upregulated by inflammatory cytokines in lung and immune cells. The article also describes the specific and selective binding for efzofitimod to neuropilin-2, a cellular receptor highly expressed by myeloid cells in active sites of inflammation. Through this binding, efzofitimod inhibits the expression of pro-inflammatory receptor and cytokines, thereby downregulating inflammatory pathways in macrophages. This mechanism can subsequently disrupt the cycle of chronic inflammation and fibrosis.