In February 2020, Professor Shimin Zhao’s team published a research article entitled “Inhibiting MARSs reduces hyperhomocysteinemia‐associated neural tube and congenital heart defects” in EMBO Molecular Medicine. The study identified Methionyl‐tRNA synthetases (MARSs) as new risk factors for neural tube and congenital heart defects, and showed that homocysteine signalling is determined by both homocysteine levels and MARS reactivity, indicating that MARSs are previously overlooked genetic determinants and key pathologic factors of hyperhomocysteinemia.

https://www.embopress.org/doi/10.15252/emmm.201809469