Aldosterone Synthase Structure With Cushing Disease Drug LCI699 Highlights Avenues for Selective CYP11B Drug Design

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New agents modulating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system-Will there be a new therapeutic option?

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is more complex than it was originally regarded. According to the current subject knowledge, there are two main axes of the RAAS: (1) angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-angiotensin II-AT₁ receptor axis and (2) ACE2-angiotensin-(1-7)-Mas receptor axis. The activation of the first axis leads to deleterious effects, including vasoconstriction, endothelial dysfunction, thrombosis, inflammation, and fibrosis; therefore, blocking the components of this axis is a highly rational and commonly used therapeutic procedure. The ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-Mas receptor axis has a different role, since it often opposes the effects induced by the classical ACE-Ang II-AT₁ axis. Once the positive effects of the ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-Mas axis were discovered, the alternative ways of pharmacotherapy activating this axis of RAAS appeared. This article briefly describes new molecules affecting the RAAS, namely: recombinant human ACE2, ACE2 activators, angiotensin-(1-7) peptide and non-peptide analogs, aldosterone synthase inhibitors, and the third and fourth generation of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. The results of the experimental and clinical studies are encouraging, which leads us to believe that these new molecules can support the treatment of cardiovascular diseases as well as cardiometabolic disorders.

Development of CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 assays utilizing homogenates of adrenal glands: Utility of monkey as a surrogate for human

Elevated levels of aldosterone are associated with arterial hypertension, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and obesity. Aldosterone is produced predominantly in the zona glomerulosa of the cortex of the adrenal gland by the enzyme aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2). Treatment of the above indications by decreasing production of aldosterone is thought to be of therapeutic benefit by lessening the deleterious effects of aldosterone mediated through both the mineralocorticoid receptor and also through so called non-genomic pathways. However, inhibition of the highly similar enzyme, CYP11B1, which is responsible for the production of cortisol, must be avoided in the development of clinically useful aldosterone synthase inhibitors due to the resulting impairment of the cortisol-induced stress response. In efforts to assess the interactions of compounds with the CYP11B enzymes, a variety of cell-based inhibitor screening assays for both CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 have been reported. Herein we report details of assays employing both cynomolgus monkey adrenal homogenate (CAH) and human adrenal homogenate (HAH) as sources of CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 enzymes. Utilizing both CAH and HAH, we have characterized the kinetics of the CYP11B1-mediated conversion of 11-deoxycortisol to cortisol and the CYP11B2-mediated oxidation of corticosterone to aldosterone. Inhibition assays for both CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 were subsequently developed. Based on a comparison of human and monkey amino acid sequences, kinetics data, and inhibition values derived from the HAH and CAH assays, evidence is provided in support of using cynomolgus monkey tissue-derived cell homogenates as suitable surrogates for the human enzymes.