The Trp triad within the V-domain of the receptor for advanced glycation end products modulates folding, stability and ligand binding

Methylglyoxal-Derived Nucleoside Adducts Drive Vascular Dysfunction in a RAGE-Dependent Manner

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a leading cause of death in patients with diabetes. An early precursor to DKD is endothelial cell dysfunction (ECD), which often precedes and exacerbates vascular disease progression. We previously discovered that covalent adducts formed on DNA, RNA, and proteins by the reactive metabolic by-product methylglyoxal (MG) predict DKD risk in patients with type 1 diabetes up to 16 years pre-diagnosis. However, the mechanisms by which MG adducts contribute to vascular disease onset and progression remain unclear. Here, we report that the most predominant MG-induced nucleoside adducts, N2-(1-carboxyethyl)-deoxyguanosine (CEdG) and N2-(1-carboxyethyl)-guanosine (CEG), drive endothelial dysfunction. Following CEdG or CEG exposure, primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) undergo endothelial dysfunction, resulting in enhanced monocyte adhesion, increased reactive oxygen species production, endothelial permeability, impaired endothelial homeostasis, and exhibit a dysfunctional transcriptomic signature. These effects were discovered to be mediated through the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), as an inhibitor for intracellular RAGE signaling diminished these dysfunctional phenotypes. Therefore, we found that not only are MG adducts biomarkers for DKD, but that they may also have a role as potential drivers of vascular disease onset and progression and a new therapeutic modality.

Interfering with S100B-effector protein interactions for cancer therapy

S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B) is overexpressed in various malignant tumors, where it regulates cancer cell proliferation and metabolism by physical interactions with other molecules. Interfering with S100B-effector protein interactions is a potential strategy to treat malignant tumors. Although some S100B inhibitors have been discovered by virtual screening (VS), most target the S100B-p53 interaction. Hence, there is scope for the discovery of other S100B-effector protein interaction modulators for malignant tumors. In this review, we provide an overview of S100B-effector protein interaction inhibitor discovery using VS and discuss promising S100B-effector protein interaction targets that permit in silico analysis for drug discovery.