Discovery of betamethasone 17alpha-carbamates as dissociated glucocorticoid receptor modulators in the rat

Design, Synthesis, and In Vitro and In Vivo Biological Evaluation of Limonin Derivatives for Anti-Inflammation Therapy

In this study, limonin derivatives were used to design new anti-inflammatory compounds with high pharmacological activity and low toxicity. A total of 23 new limonin derivatives were discovered, synthesized, and screened for their anti-inflammatory activity against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW 264.7 cells. Of them, compound f4 was found to be the most active, with a higher efficiency compared with limonin and celecoxib. Subsequently, we studied the mechanism underlying the activity of f4 and found that it inhibited proinflammatory cytokines by blocking the NF-κB/MAPK signaling pathway in LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells as well as mice. In conclusion, f4 may be a promising anti-inflammatory lead compound.

Experimental Glucocorticoid Receptor Agonists for the Treatment of Asthma: A Systematic Review

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) are considered the cornerstone of asthma treatment. Despite the solid evidence documenting the efficacy and safety of ICSs at the level of the airways, their use can be affected by pulmonary and systemic adverse events (AEs) when administered chronically and/or at high doses. Thus, there is a pharmacological and medical need for new glucocorticoid (GC) receptor (GR) ligands with a more favorable therapeutic index, in order to overcome the shortcomings of currently available ICSs. The therapeutic profile of GCs can be improved by enhancing genomic mechanisms mediated by transrepression, which is assumed to be responsible for several anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory actions, rather than transactivation, which causes most of the GC-associated AEs. It was assumed that an independent modulation of the molecular mechanisms underlying transactivation and transrepression could translate into the dissociation of beneficial effects from AEs. Therefore, current research is looking for GCs that are able to elicit prevalently transrepression with negligible transactivating activity. These compounds are known as selective glucocorticoid receptor agonists (SEGRAs). In this review, experimental GR agonists currently in pre-clinical and clinical development for the treatment of asthma have been systematically assessed. Several compounds are currently under pre-clinical development, but only three novel experimental GR agonists (GW870086X, AZD5423, AZD7594) seem to have some potential therapeutic relevance and have entered clinical trials for the treatment of asthma. Since data from pre-clinical studies have not always been confirmed in clinical investigations, well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed in asthmatic patients to confirm the potentially positive benefit/risk ratio of each specific SEGRA and to optimize the development strategy of these agents in respiratory medicine.

Design of small molecules targeting transcriptional activation by NF-κB: overview of recent advances

BACKGROUND

The transcription factor NF-κB plays a central role in immune signaling and the inflammatory response. It also activates transcription of antiapoptotic factors in tumor cells, leading to enhanced cell survival. Because of the importance of NF-κB in inflammation and cancer, there is considerable interest in development of drugs that inhibit NF-κB activation or NF-κB-directed transcription. Recent elucidation of the intracellular pathways that activate NF-κB and mechanisms for transcriptional regulation by NF-κB has identified molecular targets for rational design of such drugs.

OBJECTIVE

This review provides an update on NF-κB signaling and an overview of three classes of NF-κB inhibitors: i) inhibitors of IκB kinase-β (also called IKK2), an essential link in the inflammatory response; ii) agents that react with NF-κB and prevent its binding to DNA; and iii) ligands for nuclear receptors such as the glucocorticoid receptor, PPARs and liver X receptor, which interfere with NF-κB-mediated transcription through a mechanism termed ligand-dependent transrepression. Recent progress in development of glucocorticoid receptor, PPAR and liver X receptor ligands with dissociated activity, which retain transrepression but have reduced transactivation potency, is also described.

CONCLUSIONS

NF-κB inhibitors have yielded promising results in rodent models of inflammatory disease and cancer. Some of these are currently advancing into clinical trials.