IIT Kanpur scientists map C5aR2 receptor, guiding safer medicines

Technology Jun 25, 2026

Scientists at IIT Kanpur have cracked how a key immune receptor, C5aR2, works, opening doors for smarter medicines.
Their research shows C5aR2 acts differently from its lookalike, C5aR1, thanks to unique inner structures and signaling pathways.
This discovery helps explain how our bodies fight infections and could make treatments safer.

IIT Kanpur and partners create R8Y

The team used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to get a close look at C5aR2's structure.
Working with partners in Australia and Japan, they also created a molecule called R8Y that targets only C5aR2.
Next up: testing R8Y in animals to see if it leads to more precise drugs with fewer side effects.