BioMarck Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
BioMarck Pharmaceuticals is studying the role of the MARCKS protein (myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diseases like asthma and cystic fibrosis. In each of these diseases, excessive amounts of mucus are secreted, which leads to obstruction of the lung airways. Experiments in mice showed that inhibiting the protein led to decreased mucus secretion, reduced inflammation in the lungs, and improvements in lung air flow.