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Kodi T, Sankhe R, Gopinathan A, Nandakumar K, Kishore A. New Insights on NLRP3 Inflammasome: Mechanisms of Activation, Inhibition, and Epigenetic Regulation. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2024; 19:7. [PMID: 38421496 PMCID: PMC10904444 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-024-10101-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Inflammasomes are important modulators of inflammation. Dysregulation of inflammasomes can enhance vulnerability to conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases, autoinflammatory diseases, and metabolic disorders. Among various inflammasomes, Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) is the best-characterized inflammasome related to inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. NLRP3 is an intracellular sensor that recognizes pathogen-associated molecular patterns and damage-associated patterns resulting in the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. The NLRP3 inflammasome includes sensor NLRP3, adaptor apoptosis-associated speck-like protein (ASC), and effector cysteine protease procaspase-1 that plays an imperative role in caspase-1 stimulation which further initiates a secondary inflammatory response. Regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome ameliorates NLRP3-mediated diseases. Much effort has been invested in studying the activation, and exploration of specific inhibitors and epigenetic mechanisms controlling NLRP3 inflammasome. This review gives an overview of the established NLRP3 inflammasome assembly, its brief molecular mechanistic activations as well as a current update on specific and non-specific NLRP3 inhibitors that could be used in NLRP3-mediated diseases. We also focused on the recently discovered epigenetic mechanisms mediated by DNA methylation, histone alterations, and microRNAs in regulating the activation and expression of NLRP3 inflammasome, which has resulted in a novel method of gaining insight into the mechanisms that modulate NLRP3 inflammasome activity and introducing potential therapeutic strategies for CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Triveni Kodi
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Runali Sankhe
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Adarsh Gopinathan
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Krishnadas Nandakumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Anoop Kishore
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India.
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Ma ZY, Jiang C, Xu LL. Protein-protein interactions and related inhibitors involved in the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Cytokine Growth Factor Rev 2023; 74:14-28. [PMID: 37758629 DOI: 10.1016/j.cytogfr.2023.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3) receptor serves as the central node of immune sensing in the innate immune system, and plays an important role in the initiation and progression of chronic diseases. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has provided insights into the conformation of various oligomers within the NLRP3 activation pathway, significantly advancing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Despite the extensive network of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) involved in the assembly and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome, the utilization of protein-protein interactions has been relatively overlooked in the development of NLRP3 inhibitors. This review focuses on summarizing PPIs within the NLRP3 inflammasome activation pathway and small molecule inhibitors capable of interfering with PPIs to counteract the NLRP3 overactivation. Small molecule NLRP3 inhibitors have been gained significant attention owing to their remarkable efficacy, excellent safety profiles, and unique mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Yu Ma
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, Ministry of Education, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Cheng Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, Ministry of Education, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Li-Li Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance, Ministry of Education, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Chen Y, He H, Lin B, Chen Y, Deng X, Jiang W, Zhou R. RRx-001 ameliorates inflammatory diseases by acting as a potent covalent NLRP3 inhibitor. Cell Mol Immunol 2021; 18:1425-1436. [PMID: 33972740 PMCID: PMC8166941 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-021-00683-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The NLRP3 inflammasome plays a crucial role in innate immune-mediated inflammation and contributes to the pathogenesis of multiple autoinflammatory, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, but medications targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome are not available for clinical use. RRx-001 is a well-tolerated anticancer agent currently being investigated in phase III clinical trials, but its effects on inflammatory diseases are not known. Here, we show that RRx-001 is a highly selective and potent NLRP3 inhibitor that has strong beneficial effects on NLRP3-driven inflammatory diseases. RRx-001 inhibits the activation of the canonical, noncanonical, and alternative NLRP3 inflammasomes but not the AIM2, NLRC4 or Pyrin inflammasomes. Mechanistically, RRx-001 covalently binds to cysteine 409 of NLRP3 via its bromoacetyl group and therefore blocks the NLRP3-NEK7 interaction, which is critical for the assembly and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. More importantly, RRx-001 treatment attenuates the symptoms of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced systemic inflammation, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice. Thus, our study identifies RRx-001 as a new potential therapeutic agent for NLRP3-driven diseases.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Azetidines/chemistry
- Azetidines/pharmacology
- Azetidines/therapeutic use
- CARD Signaling Adaptor Proteins/metabolism
- Colitis/chemically induced
- Colitis/immunology
- Colitis/pathology
- Cysteine/metabolism
- Dextran Sulfate
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/chemically induced
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/immunology
- Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/pathology
- Inflammasomes/antagonists & inhibitors
- Inflammasomes/metabolism
- Inflammation/drug therapy
- Inflammation/immunology
- Inflammation/pathology
- Lipopolysaccharides
- Macrophages/metabolism
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- NIMA-Related Kinases/metabolism
- NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/antagonists & inhibitors
- NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/chemistry
- NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism
- Nitro Compounds/chemistry
- Nitro Compounds/pharmacology
- Nitro Compounds/therapeutic use
- Protein Domains
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Chen
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hongbin He
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Geriatrics, Gerontology Institute of Anhui Province, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Bolong Lin
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xianming Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Rongbin Zhou
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, the CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- CAS Centre for Excellence in Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
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Carter CA, Oronsky BT, Roswarski J, Oronsky AL, Oronsky N, Scicinski J, Lybeck H, Kim MM, Lybeck M, Reid TR. No patient left behind: The promise of immune priming with epigenetic agents. Oncoimmunology 2017; 6:e1315486. [PMID: 29123948 PMCID: PMC5665084 DOI: 10.1080/2162402x.2017.1315486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies that inhibit PD-1 or CTLA-4, have revolutionized the treatment of multiple cancers. Despite the enthusiasm for the clinical successes of checkpoint inhibitors, and immunotherapy, in general, only a minority of patients with specific tumor types actually benefit from treatment. Emerging evidence implicates epigenetic alterations as a mechanism of clinical resistance to immunotherapy. This review presents evidence for that association, summarizes the epi-based mechanisms by which tumors evade immunogenic cell death, discusses epigenetic modulation as a component of an integrated strategy to boost anticancer T cell effector function in relation to a tumor immunosuppression cycle and, finally, makes the case that the success of this no-patient-left-behind strategy critically depends on the toxicity profile of the epigenetic agent(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey A Carter
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Murtha Cancer Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Joseph Roswarski
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Murtha Cancer Center, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Harry Lybeck
- University of Helsinki, Department of Physiology, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Michelle M Kim
- University of Michigan, Department of Radiation Oncology, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Tony R Reid
- University of California San Diego, Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Oronsky B, Paulmurugan R, Foygel K, Scicinski J, Knox SJ, Peehl D, Zhao H, Ning S, Cabrales P, Summers TA, Reid TR, Fitch WL, Kim MM, Trepel JB, Lee MJ, Kesari S, Abrouk ND, Day RM, Oronsky A, Ray CM, Carter CA. RRx-001: a systemically non-toxic M2-to-M1 macrophage stimulating and prosensitizing agent in Phase II clinical trials. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2017; 26:109-119. [PMID: 27935336 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2017.1268600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION According to Hanahan and Weinberg, cancer manifests as six essential physiologic hallmarks: (1) self-sufficiency in growth signals, (2) insensitivity to growth-inhibitory signals, (3) evasion of programmed cell death, (4) limitless replicative potential, (5) sustained angiogenesis, and (6) invasion and metastasis. As a facilitator of these traits as well as immunosuppression and chemoresistance, the presence of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) may serve as the seventh hallmark of cancer. Anticancer agents that successfully reprogram TAMs to target rather than support tumor cells may hold the key to better therapeutic outcomes. Areas covered: This article summarizes the characteristics of the macrophage-stimulating agent RRx-001, a molecular iconoclast, sourced from the aerospace industry, with a particular emphasis on the cell-to-cell transfer mechanism of action (RBCs to TAMs) underlying its antitumor activity as well as its chemo and radioprotective properties, consolidated from various preclinical and clinical studies. Expert opinion: RRx-001 is macrophage-stimulating agent with the potential to synergize with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy while simultaneously protecting normal tissues from their cytotoxic effects. Given the promising indications of activity in multiple tumor types and these normal tissue protective properties, RRx-001 may be used to treat a broad spectrum of malignancies, if it is approved in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kira Foygel
- b Department of Radiology , Stanford University , Palo Alto , CA , USA
| | | | - Susan J Knox
- c Department of Radiation Oncology , Stanford University , Palo Alto , CA , USA
| | - Donna Peehl
- d Department of Urology , Stanford University , Palo Alto , CA , USA
| | - Hongjuan Zhao
- d Department of Urology , Stanford University , Palo Alto , CA , USA
| | - Shoucheng Ning
- c Department of Radiation Oncology , Stanford University , Palo Alto , CA , USA
| | - Pedro Cabrales
- f Department of Bioengineering , University of California at San Diego (UCSD ) , La Jolla , CA , USA
| | - Thomas A Summers
- g Murtha Cancer Center , Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ; Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Tony R Reid
- h Moores Cancer Center , University of California at San Diego (UCSD) , CA , USA
| | - William L Fitch
- e Department of Anesthesia , Stanford University , Palo Alto , CA , USA
| | | | - Jane B Trepel
- i National Cancer Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Min-Jung Lee
- i National Cancer Institute , National Institutes of Health , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | - Santosh Kesari
- j John Wayne Cancer Institute, Providence Saint John's Health Center , CA , USA
| | | | - Regina M Day
- l Department of pharmacology , Uniformed Services University , Bethesda , MD , USA
| | | | - Carolyn M Ray
- n Cancer Center, St. Francis Hospital , Hartford , CT , USA
| | - Corey A Carter
- g Murtha Cancer Center , Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ; Bethesda , MD , USA
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Turning on the Radio: Epigenetic Inhibitors as Potential Radiopriming Agents. Biomolecules 2016; 6:biom6030032. [PMID: 27384589 PMCID: PMC5039418 DOI: 10.3390/biom6030032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
First introduced during the late 1800s, radiation therapy is fundamental to the treatment of cancer. In developed countries, approximately 60% of all patients receive radiation therapy (also known as the sixty percenters), which makes radioresistance in cancer an important and, to date, unsolved, clinical problem. Unfortunately, the therapeutic refractoriness of solid tumors is the rule not the exception, and the ubiquity of resistance also extends to standard chemotherapy, molecularly targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Based on extrapolation from recent clinical inroads with epigenetic agents to prime refractory tumors for maximum sensitivity to concurrent or subsequent therapies, the radioresistant phenotype is potentially reversible, since aberrant epigenetic mechanisms are critical contributors to the evolution of resistant subpopulations of malignant cells. Within the framework of a syllogism, this review explores the emerging link between epigenetics and the development of radioresistance and makes the case that a strategy of pre- or co-treatment with epigenetic agents has the potential to, not only derepress inappropriately silenced genes, but also increase reactive oxygen species production, resulting in the restoration of radiosensitivity.
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