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Ferreira B, Heredia A, Serpa J. An integrative view on glucagon function and putative role in the progression of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNETs) and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023; 578:112063. [PMID: 37678603 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Cancer metabolism research area evolved greatly, however, is still unknown the impact of systemic metabolism control and diet on cancer. It makes sense that systemic regulators of metabolism can act directly on cancer cells and activate signalling, prompting metabolic remodelling needed to sustain cancer cell survival, tumour growth and disease progression. In the present review, we describe the main glucagon functions in the control of glycaemia and of metabolic pathways overall. Furthermore, an integrative view on how glucagon and related signalling pathways can contribute for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (pNETs) and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) progression, since pancreas and liver are the major organs exposed to higher levels of glucagon, pancreas as a producer and liver as a scavenger. The main objective is to bring to discussion some glucagon-dependent mechanisms by presenting an integrative view on microenvironmental and systemic aspects in pNETs and HCC biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara Ferreira
- iNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NMS, FCM, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campo Dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056, Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Rua Prof Lima Basto, 1099-023, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Adrián Heredia
- iNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NMS, FCM, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campo Dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056, Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Rua Prof Lima Basto, 1099-023, Lisboa, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz MB, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jacinta Serpa
- iNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NMS, FCM, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Campo Dos Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056, Lisboa, Portugal; Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil (IPOLFG), Rua Prof Lima Basto, 1099-023, Lisboa, Portugal.
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Wewer Albrechtsen NJ, Holst JJ, Cherrington AD, Finan B, Gluud LL, Dean ED, Campbell JE, Bloom SR, Tan TMM, Knop FK, Müller TD. 100 years of glucagon and 100 more. Diabetologia 2023; 66:1378-1394. [PMID: 37367959 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-023-05947-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The peptide hormone glucagon, discovered in late 1922, is secreted from pancreatic alpha cells and is an essential regulator of metabolic homeostasis. This review summarises experiences since the discovery of glucagon regarding basic and clinical aspects of this hormone and speculations on the future directions for glucagon biology and glucagon-based therapies. The review was based on the international glucagon conference, entitled 'A hundred years with glucagon and a hundred more', held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in November 2022. The scientific and therapeutic focus of glucagon biology has mainly been related to its role in diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the glucose-raising properties of glucagon have been leveraged to therapeutically restore hypoglycaemia. The hyperglucagonaemia evident in type 2 diabetes has been proposed to contribute to hyperglycaemia, raising questions regarding underlying mechanism and the importance of this in the pathogenesis of diabetes. Mimicry experiments of glucagon signalling have fuelled the development of several pharmacological compounds including glucagon receptor (GCGR) antagonists, GCGR agonists and, more recently, dual and triple receptor agonists combining glucagon and incretin hormone receptor agonism. From these studies and from earlier observations in extreme cases of either glucagon deficiency or excess secretion, the physiological role of glucagon has expanded to also involve hepatic protein and lipid metabolism. The interplay between the pancreas and the liver, known as the liver-alpha cell axis, reflects the importance of glucagon for glucose, amino acid and lipid metabolism. In individuals with diabetes and fatty liver diseases, glucagon's hepatic actions may be partly impaired resulting in elevated levels of glucagonotropic amino acids, dyslipidaemia and hyperglucagonaemia, reflecting a new, so far largely unexplored pathophysiological phenomenon termed 'glucagon resistance'. Importantly, the hyperglucagonaemia as part of glucagon resistance may result in increased hepatic glucose production and hyperglycaemia. Emerging glucagon-based therapies show a beneficial impact on weight loss and fatty liver diseases and this has sparked a renewed interest in glucagon biology to enable further pharmacological pursuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolai J Wewer Albrechtsen
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Jens J Holst
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alan D Cherrington
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Brian Finan
- Novo Nordisk Research Center Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Lise Lotte Gluud
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Gastro Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - E Danielle Dean
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jonathan E Campbell
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Endocrinology Division, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Stephen R Bloom
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tricia M-M Tan
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Filip K Knop
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Clinical Metabolic Research, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hellerup, Denmark
- Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Timo D Müller
- Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München Neuherberg, Germany
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Song N, Xu H, Liu J, Zhao Q, Chen H, Yan Z, Yang R, Luo Z, Liu Q, Ouyang J, Wu S, Luo S, Ye S, Lin R, Sun X, Xie J, Lan T, Wu Z, Wang R, Jiang X. Design of a highly potent GLP-1R and GCGR dual-agonist for recovering hepatic fibrosis. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:2443-61. [PMID: 35646543 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is still no effective curative treatment for the development of late-stage liver fibrosis. Here, we have illustrated that TB001, a dual glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor/glucagon receptor (GLP-1R/GCGR) agonist with higher affinity towards GCGR, could retard the progression of liver fibrosis in various rodent models, with remarkable potency, selectivity, extended half-life and low toxicity. Four types of liver fibrosis animal models which were induced by CCl4, α-naphthyl-isothiocyanate (ANIT), bile duct ligation (BDL) and Schistosoma japonicum were used in our study. We found that TB001 treatment dose-dependently significantly attenuated liver injury and collagen accumulation in these animal models. In addition to decreased levels of extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation during hepatic injury, activation of hepatic stellate cells was also inhibited via suppression of TGF-β expression as well as downstream Smad signaling pathways particularly in CCl4-and S. japonicum-induced liver fibrosis. Moreover, TB001 attenuated liver fibrosis through blocking downstream activation of pro-inflammatory nuclear factor kappa B/NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha (NFκB/IKBα) pathways as well as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent induction of hepatocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, GLP-1R and/or GCGR knock-down results represented GCGR played an important role in ameliorating CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, TB001 can be used as a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of multiple causes of hepatic fibrosis demonstrated by our extensive pre-clinical evaluation of TB001.
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van der Velden WJC, Lindquist P, Madsen JS, Stassen RHMJ, Wewer Albrechtsen NJ, Holst JJ, Hauser AS, Rosenkilde MM. Molecular and in vivo phenotyping of missense variants of the human glucagon receptor. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101413. [PMID: 34801547 PMCID: PMC8829087 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Naturally occurring missense variants of G protein–coupled receptors with loss of function have been linked to metabolic disease in case studies and in animal experiments. The glucagon receptor, one such G protein–coupled receptor, is involved in maintaining blood glucose and amino acid homeostasis; however, loss-of-function mutations of this receptor have not been systematically characterized. Here, we observed fewer glucagon receptor missense variants than expected, as well as lower allele diversity and fewer variants with trait associations as compared with other class B1 receptors. We performed molecular pharmacological phenotyping of 38 missense variants located in the receptor extracellular domain, at the glucagon interface, or with previously suggested clinical implications. These variants were characterized in terms of cAMP accumulation to assess glucagon-induced Gαs coupling, and of recruitment of β-arrestin-1/2. Fifteen variants were impaired in at least one of these downstream functions, with six variants affected in both cAMP accumulation and β-arrestin-1/2 recruitment. For the eight variants with decreased Gαs signaling (D63ECDN, P86ECDS, V96ECDE, G125ECDC, R2253.30H, R3085.40W, V3686.59M, and R3787.35C) binding experiments revealed preserved glucagon affinity, although with significantly reduced binding capacity. Finally, using the UK Biobank, we found that variants with wildtype-like Gαs signaling did not associate with metabolic phenotypes, whereas carriers of cAMP accumulation-impairing variants displayed a tendency toward increased risk of obesity and increased body mass and blood pressure. These observations are in line with the essential role of the glucagon system in metabolism and support that Gαs is the main signaling pathway effecting the physiological roles of the glucagon receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wijnand J C van der Velden
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Peter Lindquist
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jakob S Madsen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Roderick H M J Stassen
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nicolai J Wewer Albrechtsen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens J Holst
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexander S Hauser
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Mette M Rosenkilde
- Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Zhang Y, Han C, Zhu W, Yang G, Peng X, Mehta S, Zhang J, Chen L, Liu Y. Glucagon Potentiates Insulin Secretion Via β-Cell GCGR at Physiological Concentrations of Glucose. Cells 2021; 10:cells10092495. [PMID: 34572144 PMCID: PMC8471175 DOI: 10.3390/cells10092495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Incretin-potentiated glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) is critical to maintaining euglycemia, of which GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) on β-cells plays an indispensable role. Recently, α-cell-derived glucagon but not intestine-derived GLP-1 has been proposed as the critical hormone that potentiates GSIS via GLP-1R. However, the function of glucagon receptors (GCGR) on β-cells remains elusive. Here, using GCGR or GLP-1R antagonists, in combination with glucagon, to treat single β-cells, α-β cell clusters and isolated islets, we found that glucagon potentiates insulin secretion via β-cell GCGR at physiological but not high concentrations of glucose. Furthermore, we transfected primary mouse β-cells with RAB-ICUE (a genetically encoded cAMP fluorescence indicator) to monitor cAMP level after glucose stimulation and GCGR activation. Using specific inhibitors of different adenylyl cyclase (AC) family members, we revealed that high glucose concentration or GCGR activation independently evoked cAMP elevation via AC5 in β-cells, thus high glucose stimulation bypassed GCGR in promoting insulin secretion. Additionally, we generated β-cell-specific GCGR knockout mice which glucose intolerance was more severe when fed a high-fat diet (HFD). We further found that β-cell GCGR activation promoted GSIS more than GLP-1R in HFD, indicating the critical role of GCGR in maintaining glucose homeostasis during nutrient overload.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (Y.Z.); (C.H.); (W.Z.); (G.Y.); (X.P.)
| | - Chengsheng Han
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (Y.Z.); (C.H.); (W.Z.); (G.Y.); (X.P.)
| | - Wenzhen Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (Y.Z.); (C.H.); (W.Z.); (G.Y.); (X.P.)
| | - Guoyi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (Y.Z.); (C.H.); (W.Z.); (G.Y.); (X.P.)
| | - Xiaohong Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (Y.Z.); (C.H.); (W.Z.); (G.Y.); (X.P.)
| | - Sohum Mehta
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0702, USA; (S.M.); (J.Z.)
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0702, USA; (S.M.); (J.Z.)
| | - Liangyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; (Y.Z.); (C.H.); (W.Z.); (G.Y.); (X.P.)
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
- Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing 100871, China
- Correspondence: (L.C.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yanmei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Correspondence: (L.C.); (Y.L.)
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Bai Q, Tan S, Xu T, Liu H, Huang J, Yao X. MolAICal: a soft tool for 3D drug design of protein targets by artificial intelligence and classical algorithm. Brief Bioinform 2021; 22:5890512. [PMID: 32778891 PMCID: PMC7454275 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaa161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep learning is an important branch of artificial intelligence that has been successfully applied into medicine and two-dimensional ligand design. The three-dimensional (3D) ligand generation in the 3D pocket of protein target is an interesting and challenging issue for drug design by deep learning. Here, the MolAICal software is introduced to supply a way for generating 3D drugs in the 3D pocket of protein targets by combining with merits of deep learning model and classical algorithm. The MolAICal software mainly contains two modules for 3D drug design. In the first module of MolAICal, it employs the genetic algorithm, deep learning model trained by FDA-approved drug fragments and Vinardo score fitting on the basis of PDBbind database for drug design. In the second module, it uses deep learning generative model trained by drug-like molecules of ZINC database and molecular docking invoked by Autodock Vina automatically. Besides, the Lipinski's rule of five, Pan-assay interference compounds (PAINS), synthetic accessibility (SA) and other user-defined rules are introduced for filtering out unwanted ligands in MolAICal. To show the drug design modules of MolAICal, the membrane protein glucagon receptor and non-membrane protein SARS-CoV-2 main protease are chosen as the investigative drug targets. The results show MolAICal can generate the various and novel ligands with good binding scores and appropriate XLOGP values. We believe that MolAICal can use the advantages of deep learning model and classical programming for designing 3D drugs in protein pocket. MolAICal is freely for any nonprofit purpose and accessible at https://molaical.github.io.
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Ji L, Wang Q, Liu M, Zhu C, Xiao Y, Han J, Fang Y, Ye J, Yin J, Wei L. The 14-3-3 protein YWHAB inhibits glucagon-induced hepatic gluconeogenesis through interacting with the glucagon receptor and FOXO1. FEBS Lett 2021; 595:1275-1288. [PMID: 33641163 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Glucagon antagonism has been reported as a new therapeutic approach to hyperglycaemia. As the 14-3-3 protein YWHAB has been identified as a regulator of the glucagon receptor (GCGR) by affinity purification and mass spectrometry, we examined the role of YWHAB in vivo. Ywhab knockout mice display impaired blood glucose homeostasis only under pyruvate stimulation. Deletion of Ywhab in mouse primary hepatocytes (MPHs) increases hepatocyte glucose production by magnifying the effect of glucagon. Mechanistic analysis indicates that YWHAB forms a phosphorylation-dependent complex with GCGR and directly interacts with forkhead box O1 (FOXO1). Together, these results reveal the inhibitory role of YWHAB in glucagon-mediated hepatic glucose production, which may be a potential target for the control of gluconeogenesis and associated metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Ji
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianqian Wang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
- Department of Endocrinology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Tongren Hospital, affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengdan Liu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Chaoyu Zhu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuanyuan Xiao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Junfeng Han
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunyun Fang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianping Ye
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Yin
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Wei
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Key Clinical Center for Metabolic Disease, Shanghai, China
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Mizera M, Latek D. Ligand-Receptor Interactions and Machine Learning in GCGR and GLP-1R Drug Discovery. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22084060. [PMID: 33920024 PMCID: PMC8071054 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The large amount of data that has been collected so far for G protein-coupled receptors requires machine learning (ML) approaches to fully exploit its potential. Our previous ML model based on gradient boosting used for prediction of drug affinity and selectivity for a receptor subtype was compared with explicit information on ligand-receptor interactions from induced-fit docking. Both methods have proved their usefulness in drug response predictions. Yet, their successful combination still requires allosteric/orthosteric assignment of ligands from datasets. Our ligand datasets included activities of two members of the secretin receptor family: GCGR and GLP-1R. Simultaneous activation of two or three receptors of this family by dual or triple agonists is not a typical kind of information included in compound databases. A precise allosteric/orthosteric ligand assignment requires a continuous update based on new structural and biological data. This data incompleteness remains the main obstacle for current ML methods applied to class B GPCR drug discovery. Even so, for these two class B receptors, our ligand-based ML model demonstrated high accuracy (5-fold cross-validation Q2 > 0.63 and Q2 > 0.67 for GLP-1R and GCGR, respectively). In addition, we performed a ligand annotation using recent cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and X-ray crystallographic data on small-molecule complexes of GCGR and GLP-1R. As a result, we assigned GLP-1R and GCGR actives deposited in ChEMBL to four small-molecule binding sites occupied by positive and negative allosteric modulators and a full agonist. Annotated compounds were added to our recently released repository of GPCR data.
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Smith DK, Kates L, Durinck S, Patel N, Stawiski EW, Kljavin N, Foreman O, Sipos B, Solloway MJ, Allan BB, Peterson AS. Elevated Serum Amino Acids Induce a Subpopulation of Alpha Cells to Initiate Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor Formation. Cell Rep Med 2020; 1:100058. [PMID: 33205067 PMCID: PMC7659536 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The cellular origin of sporadic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) is obscure. Hormone expression suggests that these tumors arise from glucagon-producing alpha cells or insulin-producing β cells, but instability in hormone expression prevents linage determination. We utilize loss of hepatic glucagon receptor (GCGR) signaling to drive alpha cell hyperproliferation and tumor formation to identify a cell of origin and dissect mechanisms that drive progression. Using a combination of genetically engineered Gcgr knockout mice and GCGR-inhibiting antibodies, we show that elevated plasma amino acids drive the appearance of a proliferative population of SLC38A5+ embryonic progenitor-like alpha cells in mice. Further, we characterize tumors from patients with rare bi-allelic germline GCGR loss-of-function variants and find prominent tumor-cell-associated expression of the SLC38A5 paralog SLC7A8 as well as markers of active mTOR signaling. Thus, progenitor cells arise from adult alpha cells in response to metabolic signals and, when inductive signals are chronically present, drive tumor initiation. GCGR inhibition induces an SLC38A5+ alpha cell population in aged mice An SLC38A5+ alpha cell subpopulation initiates pancreatic tumors in aged Gcgr−/− mice Tumors exhibit low mutational burden and response to mTOR inhibition by rapamycin Tumors in GCGR loss-of-function models lack immune cell infiltration
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek K Smith
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Lance Kates
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Steffen Durinck
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Nisha Patel
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Eric W Stawiski
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Noelyn Kljavin
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Oded Foreman
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Bence Sipos
- University Hospital Tübingen, Internal Medicine VIII, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Mark J Solloway
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Bernard B Allan
- Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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Jiang HC, Chen XR, Sun HF, Nie YW. Tumor promoting effects of glucagon receptor: a promising biomarker of papillary thyroid carcinoma via regulating EMT and P38/ERK pathways. Hum Cell 2019; 33:175-184. [PMID: 31782107 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-019-00284-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Glucagon is a crucial hormone involved in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis. Large efforts to define the role of glucagon receptor (GCGR) have been continuously made in recent years, but it is still incomplete about its function and mechanism. We performed this study to verify its potential impacts on papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) progression. Correlation between GCGR expression and PTC was elaborated using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the connection between GCGR expression and prognosis of PTC patients. GCGR expression was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis; simultaneously, cell viability was elucidated using cell proliferation and colony formation assays following siRNAs strategy. Transwell analyses were conducted to measure the invasion and migration of PTC cells. Flow cytometry analysis was conducted to examine apoptotic ability. The cAMP ELISA kit was employed to measure the cAMP level in PTC cells. Our data determined that the expression level of GCGR was increased in PTC tissues and cells in contrast to normal tissues and Nthy-ori 3-1, respectively. Up-regulated GCGR expression was linked with the lower survival rate in patients with PTC. Functional analysis in vitro suggested that GCGR knockdown attenuated PTC cell proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and migration whilst intensified apoptosis. Down-regulated GCGR was able to increase cAMP level. Furthermore, reduction of GCGR could result in the inactivation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and P38/ERK pathways. In conclusion, the findings of this study disclosed that GCGR promoted PTC cell behaviors by mediating the EMT and P38/ERK pathways, serving as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker as well as therapeutic target for PTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Chun Jiang
- Eye 3 Division of Red Flag Hospital of Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157000, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang-Ru Chen
- Color Doppler Ultrasound Room, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157000, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Hai-Feng Sun
- Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157000, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan-Wen Nie
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, 157000, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
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11
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O'Brien A, Andrews SP, Baig AH, Bortolato A, Brown AJH, Brown GA, Brown SH, Christopher JA, Congreve M, Cooke RM, De Graaf C, Errey JC, Fieldhouse C, Jazayeri A, Marshall FH, Mason JS, Mobarec JC, Okrasa K, Steele KN, Southall SM, Teobald I, Watson SP, Weir M. Identification of a novel allosteric GLP-1R antagonist HTL26119 using structure- based drug design. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2019; 29:126611. [PMID: 31447084 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
A series of novel allosteric antagonists of the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R), exemplified by HTL26119, are described. SBDD approaches were employed to identify HTL26119, exploiting structural understanding of the allosteric binding site of the closely related Glucagon receptor (GCGR) (Jazayeri et al., 2016) and the homology relationships between GCGR and GLP-1R. The region around residue C3476.36b of the GLP-1R receptor represents a key difference from GCGR and was targeted for selectivity for GLP-1R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alistair O'Brien
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom.
| | - Stephen P Andrews
- Alzheimer's Research UK, Alborada Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0AH, United Kingdom
| | - Asma H Baig
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Bortolato
- Schrodinger, 120 West 45th Street, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10036-4041, United States
| | - Alastair J H Brown
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Giles A Brown
- OMass Therapeutics Ltd., Schrodinger Building, Heatley Road, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, United Kingdom
| | - Sue H Brown
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - John A Christopher
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Miles Congreve
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Robert M Cooke
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Chris De Graaf
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - James C Errey
- Evotec (UK), 114 Innovation Drive, Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 4RZ, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte Fieldhouse
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Ali Jazayeri
- OMass Therapeutics Ltd., Schrodinger Building, Heatley Road, Oxford Science Park, Oxford OX4 4GE, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona H Marshall
- Merck Sharp and Dohme, 2, St. Pancras Square, London N1C 4AG, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan S Mason
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Juan Carlos Mobarec
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Krzysztof Okrasa
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Kelly N Steele
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Stacey M Southall
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Iryna Teobald
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Steve P Watson
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
| | - Malcolm Weir
- Sosei Heptares, Steinmetz Building, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge CB21 6DG, United Kingdom
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12
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Abstract
A panel of three lipid-modified, functionalized biphenyl cross-linkers (fBph) were synthesized and subsequently employed in the preparation of the stapled oxyntomodulin (OXM) analogs. In a luciferase-based reporter assay, these stapled OXM analogs showed varying degree of potency in activating GLP-1R and GCGR, presumably due to the disparate effect of the lipid chains on the local environment close to the ligand-receptor binding interface. In particular, the fBph-1 cross-linked peptide with the lipid chain attached to position-3 of the biphenyl cross-linker exhibited the highest dual agonist activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulin Tian
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States.,Transira Therapeutics, 1576 Sweet Home Road, Baird Research Park, Amherst, New York 14228, United States
| | - Huafei Zou
- California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), 11119 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Peng An
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States.,Transira Therapeutics, 1576 Sweet Home Road, Baird Research Park, Amherst, New York 14228, United States
| | - Zhihong Zhou
- California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), 11119 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Weijun Shen
- California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), 11119 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Qing Lin
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States.,Transira Therapeutics, 1576 Sweet Home Road, Baird Research Park, Amherst, New York 14228, United States
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13
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Rivero-Gutierrez B, Haller A, Holland J, Yates E, Khrisna R, Habegger K, Dimarchi R, D'Alessio D, Perez-Tilve D. Deletion of the glucagon receptor gene before and after experimental diabetes reveals differential protection from hyperglycemia. Mol Metab 2018; 17:28-38. [PMID: 30170980 PMCID: PMC6197675 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2018.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Mice with congenital loss of the glucagon receptor gene (Gcgr-/- mice) remain normoglycemic in insulinopenic conditions, suggesting that unopposed glucagon action is the driving force for hyperglycemia in Type-1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). However, chronic loss of GCGR results in a neomorphic phenotype that includes hormonal signals with hypoglycemic activity. We combined temporally-controlled GCGR deletion with pharmacological treatments to dissect the direct contribution of GCGR signaling to glucose control in a common mouse model of T1DM. METHODS We induced experimental T1DM by injecting the beta-cell cytotoxin streptozotocin (STZ) in mice with congenital or temporally-controlled Gcgr loss-of-function using tamoxifen (TMX). RESULTS Disruption of Gcgr expression, using either an inducible approach in adult mice or animals with congenital knockout, abolished the response to a long-acting Gcgr agonist. Mice with either developmental Gcgr disruption or inducible deletion several weeks before STZ treatment maintained normoglycemia. However, mice with inducible knockout of the Gcgr one week after the onset of STZ diabetes had only partial correction of hyperglycemia, an effect that was reversed by GLP-1 receptor blockade. Mice with Gcgr deletion for either 2 or 6 weeks had similar patterns of gene expression, although the changes were generally larger with longer GCGR knockout. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that the effects of glucagon to mitigate diabetic hyperglycemia are not through acute signaling but require compensations that take weeks to develop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belen Rivero-Gutierrez
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2180 E. Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - April Haller
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2180 E. Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jenna Holland
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2180 E. Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Emily Yates
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2180 E. Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Radha Khrisna
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, NC, USA
| | - Kirk Habegger
- Comprehensive Diabetes Center and Department of Medicine - Endocrinology, Diabetes & and Metabolism, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Richard Dimarchi
- Novo Nordisk Research Center Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - David D'Alessio
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, NC, USA
| | - Diego Perez-Tilve
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 2180 E. Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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14
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Kostic A, King TA, Yang F, Chan K, Yancopoulos GD, Gromada J, Harp JB. A first-in-human pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic study of a fully human anti-glucagon receptor monoclonal antibody in normal healthy volunteers. Diabetes Obes Metab 2018; 20:283-291. [PMID: 28755409 PMCID: PMC5813272 DOI: 10.1111/dom.13075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 07/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/22/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Glucagon receptor (GCGR) blockers are being investigated as potential therapeutics for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Here we report the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of REGN1193, a fully human glucagon receptor blocking monoclonal antibody from a first-in-human healthy volunteer randomized double-blinded trial. METHODS Healthy men and women received single ascending doses of REGN1193 ranging from 0.05 to 0.6 mg/kg (n = 42) or placebo (n = 14) intravenously. Safety, tolerability and PK were assessed over 106 days. The glucose-lowering effect of REGN1193 was assessed after induction of hyperglycaemia by serial glucagon challenges. RESULTS REGN1193 was generally well tolerated. There were small (<3× the upper limit of normal) and transient dose-dependent increases in hepatic aminotransferases. No increase in LDL-C was observed. Hypoglycaemia, assessed as laboratory blood glucose ≤70 mg/dL, occurred in 6/14 (43%) subjects on placebo and 27/42 (57%) on REGN1193 across all dose groups. All episodes of hypoglycaemia were asymptomatic, >50 mg/dL, and did not require treatment or medical assistance. Concentration-time profiles suggest a 2-compartment disposition and marked nonlinearity, consistent with target-mediated clearance. REGN1193 inhibited the glucagon-stimulated glucose increase in a dose-dependent manner. The 0.6 mg/kg dose inhibited the glucagon-induced glucose area under the curve for 0 to 90 minutes (AUC0-90 minutes ) by 80% to 90% on days 3 and 15, while blunting the increase in C-peptide. REGN1193 dose-dependently increased total GLP-1, GLP-2 and glucagon, with plasma levels returning to baseline by day 29 in all dose groups. CONCLUSION REGN1193, a GCGR-blocking monoclonal antibody, produced a safety, tolerability and PK/PD profile suitable for further clinical development. The occurrence of transient elevations in serum hepatic aminotransferases observed here and reported with several small molecule glucagon receptor antagonists suggests an on-target effect of glucagon receptor blockade. The underlying mechanism is unknown.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Antibodies, Blocking/administration & dosage
- Antibodies, Blocking/adverse effects
- Antibodies, Blocking/blood
- Antibodies, Blocking/pharmacology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/administration & dosage
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/adverse effects
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/pharmacokinetics
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/pharmacology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
- Biomarkers/blood
- Blood Glucose/analysis
- Cohort Studies
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Double-Blind Method
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Half-Life
- Humans
- Hypoglycemic Agents/administration & dosage
- Hypoglycemic Agents/adverse effects
- Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacokinetics
- Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology
- Infusions, Intravenous
- Lost to Follow-Up
- Male
- Metabolic Clearance Rate
- Middle Aged
- Patient Dropouts
- Receptors, Glucagon/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Glucagon/metabolism
- Young Adult
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Kostic
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.TarrytownNew York
| | | | - Feng Yang
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.TarrytownNew York
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15
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Abstract
Oligonucleotide-based therapeutics are an emerging class of drugs that hold the promise for silencing "un-druggable" targets,thus creating unique opportunities for innovative medicines. As opposed to gene therapy, oligonucleotides are considered to be more akin to small molecule therapeutics because they are small,completely synthetic in origin, do not integrate into the host genome,and have a defined duration of therapeutic activity after which effects recover to baseline. They offer a high degree of specificity at the genetic level, thereby reducing off-target effects.At the same time, they provide a strategy for targeting any gene in the genome, including transcripts that produce mutated proteins.Oligonucleotide-based therapeutics include short interfering RNA (siRNA), that degrade target mRNA through RISC mediated RNAi; anti-miRs, that target miRNAs; miRNA mimics, that regulate target mRNA; antisense oligonucleotides, that may be working through RNAseH mediated mRNA decay; mRNA upregulation,by targeting long non-coding RNAs; and oligonucleotides induced alternative splicing [1]. All these approaches require some minimal degree of homology at the nucleic acid sequence level for them to be functional. The different mechanisms of action and their relevant activity are outlined in Fig. 1. Besides homology,RNA secondary structure has also been exploited in the case of ribozymes and aptamers, which act by binding to nucleic acids or proteins, respectively. While there have been many reports of gene knockdown and gene modulation in cell lines and mice with all these methods, very few have advanced to clinical stages.The main obstacle to date has been the safe and effective intracellular delivery of these compounds in higher species, including humans. Indeed, their action requires direct interaction with DNA/RNA within the target cell so even when one solves the issues of tissue and cellular access, intracellular/intranuclear location represents yet another barrier to overcome. To date,hepatic delivery of oligonucleotides has been the area with greatest progress, and thus we have focused on liver-targeted therapeutics that have shown promise at the preclinical and/or clinical level.The liver is the largest internal organ in the body, playing a central role in metabolism, detoxification, synthesis, and secretion of major plasma proteins (carrier proteins, coagulation factors,complement components, hormones, and apolipoproteins),and iron homeostasis. It is therefore not surprising that a large number of disease targets reside in the liver where they are susceptible to modulation by oligonucleotide therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfica Sehgal
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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16
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Underwood CR, Knudsen LB, Garibay PW, Peters GH, Reedtz-Runge S. Development of a cysteine-deprived and C-terminally truncated GLP-1 receptor. Peptides 2013; 49:100-8. [PMID: 24045233 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Revised: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) belongs to family B of the G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), and has become a promising target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Here we describe the development and characterization of a fully functional cysteine-deprived and C-terminally truncated GLP-1R. Single cysteines were initially substituted with alanine, and functionally redundant cysteines were subsequently changed simultaneously. Our results indicate that Cys(174), Cys(226), Cys(296) and Cys(403) are important for the GLP-1-mediated response, whereas Cys(236), Cys(329), Cys(341), Cys(347), Cys(438), Cys(458) and Cys(462) are not. Extensive deletions were made in the C-terminal tail of GLP-1R in order to determine the limit for truncation. As for other family B GPCRs, we observed a direct correlation between the length of the C-terminal tail and specific binding of (125)I-GLP-1, indicating that the membrane proximal part of the C-terminal is involved in receptor expression at the cell surface. The results show that seven cysteines and more than half of the C-terminal tail can be removed from GLP-1R without compromising GLP-1 binding or function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Rye Underwood
- Department of Incretin Biology, Novo Nordisk, DK-2820 Gentofte, Denmark; Department of Chemistry, MEMPHYS - Center for Biomembrane Physics, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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