Discovery of (E)-3-(3-((2-Cyano-4'-dimethylaminobiphenyl-4-ylmethyl)cyclohexanecarbonylamino)-5-fluorophenyl)acrylic Acid Methyl Ester, an Intestine-Specific, FXR Partial Agonist for the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis

A Collection of Novel Antitumor Agents That Regulate Lipid Metabolism in the Tumor Microenvironment

Lipid metabolism disorder is the cause of one of the most significant metabolic changes in tumors. In the process of tumor occurrence and development, tumor cells choose a continuous metabolic adaptation to accommodate the changing environment to the maximum extent possible. In a variety of tumors, the uptake, production, and storage of lipids are generally upregulated. Tumor cells take advantage of lipid metabolism to access basic energy, biofilm components, and signal molecules of the tumor microenvironment required for proliferation, survival, invasion, and metastasis. This Perspective briefly uncovers the main metabolic processes and key factors involved in lipid metabolism reprogramming, mainly related to lipid uptake, de novo synthesis and storage of fatty acids, oxidation of fatty acids, cholesterol synthesis, and related regulatory factors. From a medicinal chemistry perspective, agents against related key targets are reviewed, expecting to pave the way for promising antitumor drugs with prospects for application through lipid metabolism reprogramming.

Design, synthesis and FXR partial agonistic activity of anthranilic acid derivatives bearing aryloxy moiety as therapeutic agents for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is considered a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). Increasing evidence suggests that targeting FXR with full agonists may lead to side effects. FXR partial agonists, which moderately activate FXR signaling, are emerging as a feasible approach to mitigate side effects and address MASH. Herein, a series of novel anthranilic acid derivatives bearing aryloxy moiety were designed and synthesized using a hybrid strategy from the previously identified FXR partial agonists DM175 and AIV-25. Particularly, compound 26 exhibited potent FXR partial agonistic activity in a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay with an EC50 value of 0.09 ± 0.02 µM (75.13 % maximum efficacy relative to OCA). In the MASH mice model, compound 26 significantly ameliorated the pathological features of the liver, including steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. In addition, compound 26 displayed high selectivity, good oral bioavailability, high liver distribution, as well as an acceptable safety profile. Molecular simulation studies showed that compound 26 fitted well with the binding site of FXR. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that compound 26 might serve as a promising candidate targeting FXR for MASH treatment.

MolBiC: the cell-based landscape illustrating molecular bioactivities

The measurement of cell-based molecular bioactivity (CMB) is critical for almost every step of drug development. With the booming application of AI in biomedicine, it is essential to have the CMB data to promote the learning of cell-based patterns for guiding modern drug discovery, but no database providing such information has been constructed yet. In this study, we introduce MolBiC, a knowledge base designed to describe valuable data on molecular bioactivity measured within a cellular context. MolBiC features 550 093 experimentally validated CMBs, encompassing 321 086 molecules and 2666 targets across 988 cell lines. Our MolBiC database is unique in describing the valuable data of CMB, which meets the critical demands for CMB-based big data promoting the learning of cell-based molecular/pharmaceutical pattern in drug discovery and development. MolBiC is now freely accessible without any login requirement at: https://idrblab.org/MolBiC/.

Farnesoid X receptor: From Structure to Function and Its Pharmacology in Liver Fibrosis

The farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a ligand-activated transcription factor, plays a crucial role in regulating bile acid metabolism within the enterohepatic circulation. Beyond its involvement in metabolic disorders and immune imbalances affecting various tissues, FXR is implicated in microbiota modulation, gut-to-brain communication, and liver disease. The liver, as a pivotal metabolic and detoxification organ, is susceptible to damage from factors such as alcohol, viruses, drugs, and high-fat diets. Chronic or recurrent liver injury can culminate in liver fibrosis, which, if left untreated, may progress to cirrhosis and even liver cancer, posing significant health risks. However, therapeutic options for liver fibrosis remain limited in terms of FDA-approved drugs. Recent insights into the structure of FXR, coupled with animal and clinical investigations, have shed light on its potential pharmacological role in hepatic fibrosis. Progress has been achieved in both fundamental research and clinical applications. This review critically examines recent advancements in FXR research, highlighting challenges and potential mechanisms underlying its role in liver fibrosis treatment.

Tailoring FXR Modulators for Intestinal Specificity: Recent Progress and Insights

While FXR has shown promise in regulating bile acid synthesis and maintaining glucose and lipid homeostasis, undesired side effects have been observed in clinical trials. To address this issue, the development of intestinally restricted FXR modulators has gained attention as a new avenue for drug design with the potential for safer systematic effects. Our review examines all currently known intestinally restricted FXR ligands and provides insights into the steps taken to enhance intestinal selectivity.

Bile salt signaling and bile salt-based therapies in cardiometabolic disease

Bile salts have an established role in the emulsification and intestinal absorption of dietary lipids, and their homeostasis is tightly controlled by various transporters and regulators in the enterohepatic circulation. Notably, emerging evidence points toward bile salts as major modulators of cardiometabolic disease (CMD), an umbrella disease of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels that is caused by systemic metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the latter encompassing also metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The underlying mechanisms of protective effects of bile salts are their hormonal properties, enabling them to exert versatile metabolic effects by activating various bile salt-responsive signaling receptors with the nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and the Takeda G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) as most extensively investigated. Activation of FXR and TGR5 is involved in the regulation of glucose, lipid and energy metabolism, and inflammation. Bile salt-based therapies directly targeting FXR and TGR5 signaling have been evaluated for their therapeutic potential in CMD. More recently, therapeutics targeting bile salt transporters thereby modulating bile salt localization, dynamics, and signaling, have been developed and evaluated in CMD. Here, we discuss the current knowledge on the contribution of bile salt signaling in the pathogenesis of CMD and the potential of bile salt-based therapies for the treatment of CMD.

International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology CXIII: Nuclear Receptor Superfamily-Update 2023

The NR superfamily comprises 48 transcription factors in humans that control a plethora of gene network programs involved in a wide range of physiologic processes. This review will summarize and discuss recent progress in NR biology and drug development derived from integrating various approaches, including biophysical techniques, structural studies, and translational investigation. We also highlight how defective NR signaling results in various diseases and disorders and how NRs can be targeted for therapeutic intervention via modulation via binding to synthetic lipophilic ligands. Furthermore, we also review recent studies that improved our understanding of NR structure and signaling. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Nuclear receptors (NRs) are ligand-regulated transcription factors that are critical regulators of myriad physiological processes. NRs serve as receptors for an array of drugs, and in this review, we provide an update on recent research into the roles of these drug targets.

Trust Your Gut: Strategies and Tactics for Intestinally Restricted Drugs

Non-absorbable small-molecule drugs targeted to the gut represent an alternative approach to safe, non-systemic therapeutics. Such drugs remain confined to the gastrointestinal tract upon oral dosing by virtue of their limited passive permeability, increasing the local concentration at the site of action while minimizing exposure elsewhere in the body. Herein we review the latest advances in the field of gut-restricted therapeutics, highlighting the different strategies and tactics that medicinal chemists have employed in pursuit of drugs with minimal intestinal absorption.