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Abdel-Rahman SA, Brogi S, Gabr MT. Lithocholic acid derivatives as potent modulators of the nuclear receptor RORγt. RSC Adv 2024; 14:2918-2928. [PMID: 38239446 PMCID: PMC10794885 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra08086b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) is a nuclear receptor found in various tissues that plays a crucial role in the differentiation and proliferation of T helper 17 (Th17) cells, as well as in their generation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17A. RORγt represents a promising therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders, and multiple tumors. Despite extensive research efforts focused on the development of small molecule RORγt modulators, no drug candidates have advanced to phase 3 clinical trials owing to a lack of efficacy or safety margin. This outcome highlights the unmet need to optimize small molecule drug candidates targeting RORγt to develop effective therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we synthesized and evaluated 3-oxo-lithocholic acid amidates as a new class of RORγt modulators. Our evaluation entailed biophysical screening, cellular screening in different platforms, molecular docking, and in vitro pharmacokinetic profiling. The top compound from our study (3-oxo-lithocholic acid amidate, A2) binds to RORγt at an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of 16.5 ± 1.34 nM based on microscale thermophoresis (MST). Assessment of the efficacy of A2 in the cellular RORγt reporter luciferase assay revealed a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 225 ± 10.4 nM. Unlike 3-oxo-lithocholic acid, A2 demonstrated the ability to reduce the IL-17A mRNA expression levels in EL4 cells with RORγt expression using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). Validation of the desirable physicochemical properties and stability of A2 sets the stage for the preclinical evaluation of this new class of RORγt modulators in animal models of autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somaya A Abdel-Rahman
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine New York NY 10065 USA
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University Mansoura 35516 Egypt
| | - Simone Brogi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa via Bonanno 6 56126 Pisa Italy
| | - Moustafa T Gabr
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine New York NY 10065 USA
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2
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Zhang J, Chen B, Zhang C, Sun N, Huang X, Wang W, Fu W. Modes of action insights from the crystallographic structures of retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt). Eur J Med Chem 2023; 247:115039. [PMID: 36566711 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.115039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RORγt plays an important role in mediating IL-17 production and some tumor cells. It has four functional domains, of which the ligand-binding domain (LBD) is responsible for binding agonists to recruit co-activators or inverse agonists to prevent co-activator recruiting the agonists. Thus, potent ligands targeting the LBD of this protein could provide novel treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases. In this perspective, we summarized and discussed various modes of action (MOA) of RORγt-ligand binding structures. The ligands can bind with RORγt at either orthosteric site or the allosteric site, and the binding modes at these two sites are different for agonists and inverse agonist. At the orthosteric site, the binding of agonist is to stabilize the H479-Y502-F506 triplet interaction network of RORγt. The binding of inverse agonist features as these four apparent ways: (1) blocking the entrance of the agonist pocket in RORγt; (2) directly breaking the H479-Y502 pair interactions; (3) destabilizing the triplet H479-Y502-F506 interaction network through perturbing the conformation of the side chain in M358 at the bottom of the binding pocket; (4) and destabilizing the triplet H479-Y502-F506 through changing the conformation of the side chain of residue W317 side chain. At the allosteric site of RORγt, the binding of inverse agonist was found recently to inhibit the activation of protein by interacting directly with H12, which results in unfolding of helix 11' and orientation of H12 to directly block cofactor peptide binding. This overview of recent advances in the RORγt structures is expected to provide a guidance of designing more potent drugs to treat RORγt-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zhang
- School of Pharmacy & Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201301, PR China
| | - Baiyu Chen
- School of Pharmacy & Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201301, PR China
| | - Chao Zhang
- School of Pharmacy & Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201301, PR China
| | - Nannan Sun
- School of Pharmacy & Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201301, PR China
| | - Xiaoqin Huang
- Center for Research Computing, Office of Information Technology, Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Wuqing Wang
- School of Pharmacy & Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201301, PR China
| | - Wei Fu
- School of Pharmacy & Minhang Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201301, PR China.
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3
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Suri C, Awasthi A, Asthana S. Crystallographic landscape provides molecular insights into the modes of action of diverse ROR-γt modulators. Drug Discov Today 2021; 27:652-663. [PMID: 34838728 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
ROR-γt, the master regulator of Th-17 cells, is activated by the binding of small molecules at its orthosteric site, followed by the recruitment of co-activators or co-repressors in the ligand binding domain (LBD). Th-17 cells provide immune-dependent protection against cancers and pathogens. Their dysregulation causes inflammation and is therefore implicated in various autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. Consequently, there is enormous interest in the development of ROR-γt modulators, both agonist and inverse-agonists. Here, we review advances in the development of ROR-γt modulators that have been made over the past decade, focusing on the rich crystallography landscape for ROR-γt co-crystals that has delineated the relationship between the binding patterns of modulators and the resulting biological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charu Suri
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Haryana 121001, India.
| | - Amit Awasthi
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Haryana 121001, India.
| | - Shailendra Asthana
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Haryana 121001, India.
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4
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Li Z, Liu T, He X, Bai C. The evolution paths of some reprehensive scaffolds of RORγt modulators, a perspective from medicinal chemistry. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 228:113962. [PMID: 34776280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The ligand binding domain (LBD) of retinoid-related orphan nuclear receptor γt (RORγt) has been exploited as a promising target for the new small molecule therapeutics to cure autoimmune diseases via modulating the IL-17 and IL-22 production by Th17 cells. Diverse chemical scaffolds of these small molecules have been discovered by multiple groups with methods such as high throughput screening (HTS) and virtual screening. These different scaffolds are further developed by medicinal chemists to afford lead compounds the best of which enter clinical trials. In this review, we summarize these chemical scaffolds and their evolution paths according to the groups in which they have been discovered or studied. We combine the data of the chemistry, biological assays and structural biology of each chemical scaffold, in order to afford insight to develop new RORγt modulators with higher potency, less toxicity and elucidated working mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuohao Li
- Institute of Human Virology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Tao Liu
- Institute of Human Virology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Xixin He
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chuan Bai
- Institute of Human Virology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China.
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5
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Gege C. Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) inverse agonists/antagonists for the treatment of inflammatory diseases - where are we presently? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 16:1517-1535. [PMID: 34192992 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2021.1948833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: The transcription factor retinoic acid-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) has been identified as the master regulator of TH17 cell differentiation and IL-17/22 production and is therefore an attractive target for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Several orally or topically administered small molecule RORγt inverse agonists (RIAs) have progressed up to the end of clinical Phase 2.Areas covered: Based on publications and patent evaluations this review summarizes the evolution of the chemical matter for all 16 pharmaceutical companies, who develop(ed) a clinical-stage RIAs (until March 2021). Structure proposals for some clinical stage RIAs are presented and the outcome of the clinical trials is discussed.Expert opinion: So far, the clinical trials have been plagued with a high attrition rate. Main reasons were lack of efficacy (topical) or safety signals (oral) as well as, amongst other things, thymic lymphomas as seen with BMS-986251 in a preclinical study and liver enzyme elevations in humans with VTP-43742. Possibilities to mitigate these risks could be the use of RIAs with different chemical structures not interfering with thymocytes maturation and no livertox-inducing properties. With new frontrunners (e.g., ABBV-157 (cedirogant), BI 730357 or IMU-935) this is still an exciting time for this treatment approach.
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Xiang K, Xu Z, Hu YQ, He YS, Wu GC, Li TY, Wang XR, Ding LH, Zhang Q, Tao SS, Ye DQ, Pan HF, Wang DG. Circadian clock genes as promising therapeutic targets for autoimmune diseases. Autoimmun Rev 2021; 20:102866. [PMID: 34118460 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2021.102866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythm is a natural, endogenous process whose physiological functions are controlled by a set of clock genes. Disturbance of the clock genes have detrimental effects on both innate and adaptive immunity, which significantly enhance pro-inflammatory responses and susceptibility to autoimmune diseases via strictly controlling the individual cellular components of the immune system that initiate and perpetuate the inflammation pathways. Autoimmune diseases, especially rheumatoid arthritis (RA), often exhibit substantial circadian oscillations, and circadian rhythm is involved in the onset and progression of autoimmune diseases. Mounting evidence indicate that the synthetic ligands of circadian clock genes have the property of reducing the susceptibility and clinical severity of subjects. This review supplies an overview of the roles of circadian clock genes in the pathology of autoimmune diseases, including BMAL1, CLOCK, PER, CRY, REV-ERBα, and ROR. Furthermore, summarized some circadian clock genes as candidate genes for autoimmune diseases and current advancement on therapy of autoimmune diseases with synthetic ligands of circadian clock genes. The existing body of knowledge demonstrates that circadian clock genes are inextricably linked to autoimmune diseases. Future research should pay attention to improve the quality of life of patients with autoimmune diseases and reduce the effects of drug preparation on the normal circadian rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Xiang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhiwei Xu
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, 288 Herston Road, Herston, QLD, 4006, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Yu-Qian Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yi-Sheng He
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Guo-Cui Wu
- School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Tian-Yu Li
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xue-Rong Wang
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Li-Hong Ding
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Qin Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Sha-Sha Tao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Dong-Qing Ye
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Hai-Feng Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China; Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China.
| | - De-Guang Wang
- Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
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7
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Xue X, De Leon-Tabaldo A, Luna-Roman R, Castro G, Albers M, Schoetens F, DePrimo S, Devineni D, Wilde T, Goldberg S, Hoffmann T, Fourie AM, Thurmond RL. Preclinical and clinical characterization of the RORγt inhibitor JNJ-61803534. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11066. [PMID: 34040108 PMCID: PMC8155022 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90497-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The nuclear receptor retinoid-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) plays a critical role in driving Th17 cell differentiation and expansion, as well as IL-17 production in innate and adaptive immune cells. The IL-23/IL-17 axis is implicated in several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and biologics targeting IL-23 and IL-17 have shown significant clinical efficacy in treating psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. JNJ-61803534 is a potent RORγt inverse agonist, selectively inhibiting RORγt-driven transcription versus closely-related family members, RORα and RORβ. JNJ-61803534 inhibited IL-17A production in human CD4+ T cells under Th17 differentiation conditions, but did not inhibit IFNγ production under Th1 differentiation conditions, and had no impact on in vitro differentiation of regulatory T cells (Treg), nor on the suppressive activity of natural Tregs. In the mouse collagen-induced arthritis model, JNJ-61803534 dose-dependently attenuated inflammation, achieving ~ 90% maximum inhibition of clinical score. JNJ-61803534 significantly inhibited disease score in the imiquimod-induced mouse skin inflammation model, and dose-dependently inhibited the expression of RORγt-regulated genes, including IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22 and IL-23R. Preclinical 1-month toxicity studies in rats and dogs identified doses that were well tolerated supporting progression into first-in-human studies. An oral formulation of JNJ-61803534 was studied in a phase 1 randomized double-blind study in healthy human volunteers to assess safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. The compound was well tolerated in single ascending doses (SAD) up to 200 mg, and exhibited dose-dependent increases in exposure upon oral dosing, with a plasma half-life of 164 to 170 h. In addition, dose-dependent inhibition of ex vivo stimulated IL-17A production in whole blood was observed, demonstrating in vivo target engagement. In conclusion, JNJ-61803534 is a potent and selective RORγt inhibitor that exhibited acceptable preclinical safety and efficacy, as well as an acceptable safety profile in a healthy volunteer SAD study, with clear evidence of a pharmacodynamic effect in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Xue
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | | | | | - Glenda Castro
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Michael Albers
- Department of Research, Phenex Pharmaceuticals AG, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Thomas Wilde
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, PA, USA
| | | | - Thomas Hoffmann
- Department of Research, Phenex Pharmaceuticals AG, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anne M Fourie
- Janssen Research & Development, LLC, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Chheda PR, Kummer DA, Nishimura RT, McClure KJ, Venkatesan H. One-Pot Reductive Alkylation of 2,4-Dihydroxy Quinolines and Pyridines. J Org Chem 2021; 86:7148-7162. [PMID: 33913727 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c00496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A one-pot, Hantzsch ester-mediated Knoevenagel condensation-reduction reaction has been developed for alkylation of a wide range of substituted 2,4-quinoline diols and 2,4-pyridine diols with aldehydes. The process is operationally simple to perform, scalable, and provides highly useful C-3 alkylated quinoline and pyridine diols in yields of 58-92%. The alkylation products can be converted to 2,4-dihaloquinoline and pyridine substrates for further functionalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratik R Chheda
- Discovery Chemistry, Janssen Research and Development, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - David A Kummer
- Lundbeck La Jolla Research Center, Inc., 10835 Road to the Cure, Suite 250, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Rachel T Nishimura
- Discovery Chemistry, Janssen Research and Development, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Kelly J McClure
- Discovery Chemistry, Janssen Research and Development, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, California 92121, United States
| | - Hariharan Venkatesan
- Discovery Chemistry, Janssen Research and Development, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, California 92121, United States
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9
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Nakajima R, Oono H, Kumazawa K, Ida T, Hirata J, White RD, Min X, Guzman-Perez A, Wang Z, Symons A, Singh SK, Mothe SR, Belyakov S, Chakrabarti A, Shuto S. Discovery of 6-Oxo-4-phenyl-hexanoic acid derivatives as RORγt inverse agonists showing favorable ADME profile. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 36:127786. [PMID: 33493627 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.127786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The retinoic acid receptor-related orphan nuclear receptor gamma t (RORγt), which is a promising therapeutic target for immune diseases, is a major transcription factor of genes related to psoriasis pathogenesis, such as interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-22, and IL-23R. Inspired by the co-crystal structure of RORγt, a 6-oxo-4-phenyl-hexanoic acid derivative 6a was designed, synthesized, and identified as a ligand of RORγt. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies in 6a, which focus on the improvement of its membrane permeability profile by introducing chlorine atoms, led to finding 12a, which has a potent RORγt inhibitory activity and a favorable pharmacokinetic profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Nakajima
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Oono
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Keiko Kumazawa
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Tomohide Ida
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Jun Hirata
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Ryan D White
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States
| | - Xiaoshan Min
- Departments of Molecular Engineering, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States
| | - Angel Guzman-Perez
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States
| | - Zhulun Wang
- Departments of Molecular Engineering, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States
| | - Antony Symons
- Departments of Inflammation & Oncology Research Amgen Inc., 1120 Veterans Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, United States
| | - Sanjay K Singh
- AMRI Singapore Research Centre, Pte. Ltd., 61 Science Park Road, #05-01 The Galen, Science Park III, Singapore 117525, Singapore
| | - Srinivasa Reddy Mothe
- AMRI Singapore Research Centre, Pte. Ltd., 61 Science Park Road, #05-01 The Galen, Science Park III, Singapore 117525, Singapore
| | - Sergei Belyakov
- AMRI Singapore Research Centre, Pte. Ltd., 61 Science Park Road, #05-01 The Galen, Science Park III, Singapore 117525, Singapore
| | - Anjan Chakrabarti
- AMRI Singapore Research Centre, Pte. Ltd., 61 Science Park Road, #05-01 The Galen, Science Park III, Singapore 117525, Singapore
| | - Satoshi Shuto
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Hokkaido University, Kita-12, Nishi-6, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
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Pallavi B, Sharma P, Baig N, Kumar Madduluri V, Sah AK, Saumya U, Dubey US, Shukla P. Quinoline Glycoconjugates as Potentially Anticancer and Anti‐Inflammatory Agents: An Investigation Involving Synthesis, Biological Screening, and Docking. ChemistrySelect 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202002345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Badvel Pallavi
- Department of ChemistryBirla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus Rajasthan 333031 India
| | - Prachi Sharma
- Department of ChemistryBirla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus Rajasthan 333031 India
| | - Noorullah Baig
- Department of ChemistryBirla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus Rajasthan 333031 India
| | - Vimal Kumar Madduluri
- Department of ChemistryBirla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus Rajasthan 333031 India
| | - Ajay K. Sah
- Department of ChemistryBirla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus Rajasthan 333031 India
| | - Udit Saumya
- Department of Biological SciencesBirla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus Rajasthan 333031 India
| | - Uma S. Dubey
- Department of Biological SciencesBirla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus Rajasthan 333031 India
| | - Paritosh Shukla
- Department of ChemistryBirla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus Rajasthan 333031 India
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11
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Nakajima R, Oono H, Sugiyama S, Matsueda Y, Ida T, Kakuda S, Hirata J, Baba A, Makino A, Matsuyama R, White RD, Wurz RΡ, Shin Y, Min X, Guzman-Perez A, Wang Z, Symons A, Singh SK, Mothe SR, Belyakov S, Chakrabarti A, Shuto S. Discovery of [1,2,4]Triazolo[1,5- a]pyridine Derivatives as Potent and Orally Bioavailable RORγt Inverse Agonists. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:528-534. [PMID: 32292560 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The retinoic acid receptor-related orphan nuclear receptor γt (RORγt), a promising therapeutic target, is a major transcription factor of genes related to psoriasis pathogenesis such as interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-22, and IL-23R. On the basis of the X-ray cocrystal structure of RORγt with 1a, an analogue of the known piperazine RORγt inverse agonist 1, triazolopyridine derivatives of 1 were designed and synthesized, and analogue 3a was found to be a potent RORγt inverse agonist. Structure-activity relationship studies on 3a, focusing on the treatment of its metabolically unstable cyclopentyl ring and the central piperazine core, led to a novel analogue, namely, 6-methyl-N-(7-methyl-8-(((2S,4S)-2-methyl-1-(4,4,4-trifluoro-3-(trifluoromethyl)butanoyl)piperidin-4-yl)oxy)[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-6-yl)nicotinamide (5a), which exhibited strong RORγt inhibitory activity and a favorable pharmacokinetic profile. Moreover, the in vitro and in vivo evaluation of 5a in a human whole-blood assay and a mouse IL-18/23-induced cytokine expression model revealed its robust and dose-dependent inhibitory effect on IL-17A production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Nakajima
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Oono
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Sakae Sugiyama
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Yohei Matsueda
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Tomohide Ida
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Shinji Kakuda
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Jun Hirata
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Atsushi Baba
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Akito Makino
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Ryo Matsuyama
- Teijin Institute for Bio-medical Research, Teijin Pharma Limited, 4-3-2 Asahigaoka, Hino, Tokyo 191-8512, Japan
| | - Ryan D. White
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Ryan Ρ. Wurz
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320-1799, United States
| | - Youngsook Shin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 91320-1799, United States
| | | | - Angel Guzman-Perez
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Amgen Discovery Research, Amgen Inc., 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | | | | | - Sanjay K. Singh
- AMRI Singapore Research Centre, Pte. Ltd., 61 Science Park Road, #05-01 The Galen, Science
Park III, Singapore 117525
| | - Srinivasa Reddy Mothe
- AMRI Singapore Research Centre, Pte. Ltd., 61 Science Park Road, #05-01 The Galen, Science
Park III, Singapore 117525
| | - Sergei Belyakov
- AMRI Singapore Research Centre, Pte. Ltd., 61 Science Park Road, #05-01 The Galen, Science
Park III, Singapore 117525
| | - Anjan Chakrabarti
- AMRI Singapore Research Centre, Pte. Ltd., 61 Science Park Road, #05-01 The Galen, Science
Park III, Singapore 117525
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12
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Capone A, Volpe E. Transcriptional Regulators of T Helper 17 Cell Differentiation in Health and Autoimmune Diseases. Front Immunol 2020; 11:348. [PMID: 32226427 PMCID: PMC7080699 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
T helper (Th) 17 cells are a subtype of CD4 T lymphocytes characterized by the expression of retinoic acid-receptor (RAR)-related orphan receptor (ROR)γt transcription factor, encoded by gene Rorc. These cells are implicated in the pathology of autoimmune inflammatory disorders as well as in the clearance of extracellular infections. The main function of Th17 cells is the production of cytokine called interleukin (IL)-17A. This review highlights recent advances in mechanisms regulating transcription of IL-17A. In particular, we described the lineage defining transcription factor RORγt and other factors that regulate transcription of Il17a or Rorc by interacting with RORγt or by binding their specific DNA regions, which may positively or negatively influence their expression. Moreover, we reported the eventual involvement of those factors in Th17-related diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn's disease, characterized by an exaggerated Th17 response. Finally, we discussed the potential new therapeutic approaches for Th17-related diseases targeting these transcription factors. The wide knowledge of transcriptional regulators of Th17 cells is crucial for the better understanding of the pathogenic role of these cells and for development of therapeutic strategies aimed at fighting Th17-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Capone
- Neuroimmunology Unit, IRCSS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology and Biotechnology Charles Darwin, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
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13
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Jetten AM, Cook DN. (Inverse) Agonists of Retinoic Acid-Related Orphan Receptor γ: Regulation of Immune Responses, Inflammation, and Autoimmune Disease. Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2019; 60:371-390. [PMID: 31386594 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010919-023711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) functions as a ligand-dependent transcription factor that regulates multiple proinflammatory genes and plays a critical role in several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Various endogenous and synthetic RORγ (inverse) agonists have been identified that regulate RORγ transcriptional activity, including many cholesterol intermediates and oxysterols. Changes in cholesterol biosynthesis and metabolism can therefore have a significant impact on the generation of oxysterol RORγ ligands and, consequently, can control RORγt activity and inflammation. These observations contribute to a growing literature that connects cholesterol metabolism to the regulation of immune responses and autoimmune disease. Loss of RORγ function in knockout mice and in mice treated with RORγ inverse agonists results in reduced production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-17A/F, and increased resistance to autoimmune disease in several experimental rodent models. Thus, RORγt inverse agonists might provide an attractive therapeutic approach to treat a variety of autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton M Jetten
- Cell Biology Section, Immunity, Inflammation, and Disease Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA;
| | - Donald N Cook
- Immunogenetics Section, Immunity, Inflammation, and Disease Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, USA
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14
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3-Substituted Quinolines as RORγt Inverse Agonists. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2019; 29:1463-1470. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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15
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Damm-Ganamet KL, Arora N, Becart S, Edwards JP, Lebsack AD, McAllister HM, Nelen MI, Rao NL, Westover L, Wiener JJM, Mirzadegan T. Accelerating Lead Identification by High Throughput Virtual Screening: Prospective Case Studies from the Pharmaceutical Industry. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:2046-2062. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.8b00941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Marina I. Nelen
- Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research and Development, Welsh and McKean Roads, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | | | - Lori Westover
- Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research and Development, Welsh and McKean Roads, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
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16
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Narjes F, Xue Y, von Berg S, Malmberg J, Llinas A, Olsson RI, Jirholt J, Grindebacke H, Leffler A, Hossain N, Lepistö M, Thunberg L, Leek H, Aagaard A, McPheat J, Hansson EL, Bäck E, Tångefjord S, Chen R, Xiong Y, Hongbin G, Hansson TG. Potent and Orally Bioavailable Inverse Agonists of RORγt Resulting from Structure-Based Design. J Med Chem 2018; 61:7796-7813. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Linda Thunberg
- Early Product Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SE-43183 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Hanna Leek
- Early Product Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, SE-43183 Mölndal, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Rongfeng Chen
- Pharmaron Beijing Company, Ltd., Taihe Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, PR China
| | - Yao Xiong
- Pharmaron Beijing Company, Ltd., Taihe Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, PR China
| | - Ge Hongbin
- Pharmaron Beijing Company, Ltd., Taihe Road, BDA, Beijing 100176, PR China
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17
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Pandya VB, Kumar S, Sachchidanand, Sharma R, Desai RC. Combating Autoimmune Diseases With Retinoic Acid Receptor-Related Orphan Receptor-γ (RORγ or RORc) Inhibitors: Hits and Misses. J Med Chem 2018; 61:10976-10995. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vrajesh B. Pandya
- Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited, Sarkhej Bavla NH8A, Moraiya, Ahmedabad 382210, India
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited, Sarkhej Bavla NH8A, Moraiya, Ahmedabad 382210, India
| | - Sachchidanand
- Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited, Sarkhej Bavla NH8A, Moraiya, Ahmedabad 382210, India
| | - Rajiv Sharma
- Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited, Sarkhej Bavla NH8A, Moraiya, Ahmedabad 382210, India
| | - Ranjit C. Desai
- Zydus Research Centre, Cadila Healthcare Limited, Sarkhej Bavla NH8A, Moraiya, Ahmedabad 382210, India
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18
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Tang L, Yang X, Liang Y, Xie H, Dai Z, Zheng G. Transcription Factor Retinoid-Related Orphan Receptor γt: A Promising Target for the Treatment of Psoriasis. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1210. [PMID: 29899748 PMCID: PMC5988853 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psoriasis, which is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease, endangers human health and brings about a major economic burden worldwide. To date, treatments for psoriasis remain unsatisfied because of their clinical limitations and various side effects. Thus, developing a safer and more effective therapy for psoriasis is compelling. Previous studies have explicitly shown that psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that is predominantly mediated by T helper 17 (Th17) cells, which express high levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) in response to interleukin-23 (IL-23). The discovery of the IL-23–Th17–IL-17 axis in the development of psoriasis has led to the paradigm shift of understanding pathogenesis of psoriasis. Although anti-IL-17 antibodies show marked clinical efficacy in treating psoriasis, compared with antibodies targeting IL-17A or IL-17R alone, targeting Th17 cells themselves may have a maximal benefit by affecting multiple proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, which likely act synergistically to drive skin inflammation in psoriasis. In this review, we mainly focus on the critical role of Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Especially, we explore the small molecules that target retinoid-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt), a vital transcription factor for Th17 cells. Given that RORγt is the lineage-defining transcription factor for Th17 cell differentiation, targeting RORγt via small molecular inverse agonists may be a promising strategy for the treatment of Th17-mediated psoriasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lipeng Tang
- Department of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaozhi Yang
- School of Bioscience and Bio-Pharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yongxin Liang
- School of Bioscience and Bio-Pharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hesong Xie
- School of Bioscience and Bio-Pharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenhua Dai
- Section of Immunology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Guangjuan Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Department of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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19
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Gege C, Cummings MD, Albers M, Kinzel O, Kleymann G, Schlüter T, Steeneck C, Nelen MI, Milligan C, Spurlino J, Xue X, Leonard K, Edwards JP, Fourie A, Goldberg SD, Hoffmann T. Identification and biological evaluation of thiazole-based inverse agonists of RORγt. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:1446-1455. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.03.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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