1
|
Hu S, Wang D, Liu W, Wang Y, Chen J, Cai X. Apelin receptor dimer: Classification, future prospects, and pathophysiological perspectives. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167257. [PMID: 38795836 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167257] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Apelin receptor (APJ), a member of the class A family of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), plays a crucial role in regulating cardiovascular and central nervous systems function. APJ influences the onset and progression of various diseases such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, and cerebral stroke, making it an important target for drug development. Our preliminary findings indicate that APJ can form homodimers, heterodimers, or even higher-order oligomers, which participate in different signaling pathways and have distinct functions compared with monomers. APJ homodimers can serve as neuroprotectors against, and provide new pharmaceutical targets for vascular dementia (VD). This review article aims to summarize the structural characteristics of APJ dimers and their roles in physiology and pathology, as well as explore their potential pharmacological applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shujuan Hu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261042, PR China
| | - Dexiu Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261042, PR China
| | - Wenkai Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261042, PR China
| | - Yixiang Wang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261042, PR China
| | - Jing Chen
- Neurobiology Institute, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong 272067, PR China; Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK.
| | - Xin Cai
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, Shandong 261042, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wallace BI, Cooney L, Fox DA. New molecular targets in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2024; 36:235-240. [PMID: 38165286 DOI: 10.1097/bor.0000000000001000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review will discuss selected emerging molecular targets and associated potential therapeutic agents for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-directed treatment. RECENT FINDINGS Agents in active development for RA treatment include those targeted to CD40 and CD40 ligand, programmed death protein 1 (PD-1), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Several other molecules with a strong theoretical role in RA pathogenesis and/or demonstrated efficacy in other autoimmune diseases are also being evaluated as potential drug targets in preclinical or translational studies in RA. These targets include interleukin 1 receptor associated kinases 1 and 4 (IRAK1, IRAK4), tyrosine kinase 2 (Tyk2), bradykinin receptor 1 (B1R), OX40 and OX40 ligand. SUMMARY Identification of molecular targets for RA treatment remains an active area of investigation, with multiple therapeutic agents in clinical and preclinical development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beth I Wallace
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan
- Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
- Rheumatology Section, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Laura Cooney
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan
| | - David A Fox
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Neumann E, Heck C, Müller-Ladner U. Recent developments in the synovial fibroblast pathobiology field in rheumatoid arthritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2024; 36:69-75. [PMID: 37720975 DOI: 10.1097/bor.0000000000000978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Synovial fibroblasts are the central cells of connective tissue homeostasis. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) tissue, synovial fibroblasts are activated because of the proinflammatory environment very early in the disease. Epigenetic alterations in RASF result in a permanently activated stage, and activated RASF are involved in many processes of RA pathophysiology. Therefore, several recent findings of the last 18 months with focus on RASF activation and function are summarized. RECENT FINDINGS RASF activation because of a profoundly altered epigenome leads to an invasive phenotype with increased migration, adhesion and invasion into cartilage, which was further characterized in several studies. RASF subtypes and subtype dynamics were evaluated using high-resolution techniques to better understand RASF pathophysiology. Many studies addressing interactions with immune or stromal cell types have been published showing that RASF interact with many different cell types contributing not only to their own activation and pro-inflammatory response but also to the activation of the other cells. SUMMARY Highly interesting findings revealing mechanisms of RASF activation and altered functions have been published, RASF subsets further characterized, and interactions with cell types elucidated, which all contribute to a better understanding of the role of RASF in RA development and progression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Neumann
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Campus Kerckhoff, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang J, Sun S, Liu J, Zhang L, Guo D, Zhang N, Zhao J, Kong D, Xu T, Wang X, Xu W, Li X, Jiang Y. Discovery of a Novel Ubenimex Derivative as a First-in-Class Dual CD13/Proteasome Inhibitor for the Treatment of Cancer. Molecules 2023; 28:6343. [PMID: 37687169 PMCID: PMC10489073 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28176343] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The CD13 inhibitor ubenimex is used as an adjuvant drug with chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer due to its function as an immunoenhancer, but it has limitations in its cytotoxic efficacy. The proteasome inhibitor ixazomib is a landmark drug in the treatment of multiple myeloma with a high anti-cancer activity. Herein, we conjugated the pharmacophore of ubenimex and the boric acid of ixazomib to obtain a dual CD13 and proteasome inhibitor 7 (BC-05). BC-05 exhibited potent inhibitory activity on both human CD13 (IC50 = 0.13 μM) and the 20S proteasome (IC50 = 1.39 μM). Although BC-05 displayed lower anti-proliferative activity than that of ixazomib in vitro, an advantage was established in the in vivo anti-cancer efficacy and prolongation of survival time, which may be due to its anti-metastatic and immune-stimulating activity. A pharmacokinetic study revealed that BC-05 is a potentially orally active agent with an F% value of 24.9%. Moreover, BC-05 showed more favorable safety profiles than those of ixazomib in preliminary toxicity studies. Overall, the results indicate that BC-05 is a promising drug candidate for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China; (J.Z.)
| | - Simin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China (X.L.)
| | - Jinyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China (X.L.)
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China (X.L.)
| | - Di Guo
- College of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China; (J.Z.)
| | - Naixin Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Dexin Kong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Tongqiang Xu
- Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xuejian Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China; (J.Z.)
| | - Wenfang Xu
- Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xiaoyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China (X.L.)
- Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao, Qingdao 266071, China
- Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yuqi Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs, Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China (X.L.)
- Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Qingdao, Qingdao 266071, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Soluble ANPEP Released From Human Astrocytes as a Positive Regulator of Microglial Activation and Neuroinflammation: Brain Renin-Angiotensin System in Astrocyte-Microglia Crosstalk. Mol Cell Proteomics 2022; 21:100424. [PMID: 36220603 PMCID: PMC9650055 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcpro.2022.100424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are major supportive glia and immune modulators in the brain; they are highly secretory in nature and interact with other cell types via their secreted proteomes. To understand how astrocytes communicate during neuroinflammation, we profiled the secretome of human astrocytes following stimulation with proinflammatory factors. A total of 149 proteins were significantly upregulated in stimulated astrocytes, and a bioinformatics analysis of the astrocyte secretome revealed that the brain renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is an important mechanism of astrocyte communication. We observed that the levels of soluble form of aminopeptidase N (sANPEP), an RAS component that converts angiotensin (Ang) III to Ang IV in a neuroinflammatory milieu, significantly increased in the astrocyte secretome. To elucidate the role of sANPEP and Ang IV in neuroinflammation, we first evaluated the expression of Ang IV receptors in human glial cells because Ang IV mediates biological effects through its receptors. The expression of angiotensin type 1 receptor was considerably upregulated in activated human microglial cells but not in human astrocytes. Moreover, interleukin-1β release from human microglial cells was synergistically increased by cotreatment with sANPEP and its substrate, Ang III, suggesting the proinflammatory action of Ang IV generated by sANPEP. In a mouse neuroinflammation model, brain microglial activation and proinflammatory cytokine expression levels were increased by intracerebroventricular injection of sANPEP and attenuated by an enzymatic inhibitor and neutralizing antibody against sANPEP. Collectively, our results indicate that astrocytic sANPEP-induced increase in Ang IV exacerbates neuroinflammation by interacting with microglial proinflammatory receptor angiotensin type 1 receptor, highlighting an important role of indirect crosstalk between astrocytes and microglia through the brain RAS in neuroinflammation.
Collapse
|
6
|
Onuora S. sCD13 role in arthritis mediated via bradykinin receptor. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2022; 18:306. [PMID: 35545682 DOI: 10.1038/s41584-022-00792-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
|