The phrase "and is thought to play a" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a belief or assumption about someone's role or function in a particular context.
Example: "The new policy is expected to improve employee morale and is thought to play a crucial role in enhancing productivity."
Alternatives: "and is believed to contribute to" or "and is considered to have a".
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) is a pleiotropic cytokine exerting both inflammatory and cell death activity and is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.
γ-Glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) is a key enzyme in glutathione (GSH) synthesis, and is thought to play a significant role in intracellular detoxification, especially of anticancer drugs.
The lumbar facet joint capsule is innervated with nociceptors and mechanoreceptors, and is thought to play a role in low back pain as well as to function proprioceptively.
The integrin αvβ3 is expressed in a number of cell types and is thought to play a major role in several pathological conditions.
The gene is involved in facilitating the movement of cholesterol in and out of cells and is thought to play a role in the development of heart disease, too.
Because it allows to increase protein diversity at a minimal cost for the organism, AS has undergone rapid evolution across vertebrates3,4,5 and is thought to play a key role in primate adaptation, including humans6,7.
The nucleus accumbens (NAc), which is the principal component of the ventral striatum, is central to the limbic system and is thought to play a role in the translation of limbic information into goal-directed behavior.
Derangement of the PI3K signaling pathway is one of the most common events in the pathogenesis of cancer 24,25 and is thought to play a role in the development of ~50% of HCC15.
A recent analysis of a gene that regulates fat metabolism and is thought to play a role in heart disease turned up an unexpectedly complex pattern of snips among the three populations surveyed.
mPFC has widespread anatomical and functional connections with thalamus [42], and is thought to play a critical role in emotional-cognitive processing [43].
Citrate is an Fe(III) chelator and is thought to play a dominant role in xylem Fe transport in non-graminaceous plants (Rellán-Álvarez et al. [2010]).
