Identification of cytisine derivatives as agonists of the human delta opioid receptor by supercomputer-based virtual drug screening and transcriptomics

Delta opioid receptors (DORs) are rising as therapeutic targets, not only for the treatment of pain but also other neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease). The advantage of DOR agonists compared to μ-opioid receptor agonists is that they have fewer side effects and a lower potential to in...

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Main Authors: Damiescu, Roxana (Author) , Dawood, Mona (Author) , Elbadawi, Mohamed (Author) , Klauck, Sabine (Author) , Bringmann, Gerhard (Author) , Efferth, Thomas (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 20 September 2024
In: ACS chemical biology
Year: 2024, Volume: 19, Issue: 9, Pages: 1963-1981
ISSN:1554-8937
DOI:10.1021/acschembio.4c00231
Online Access:Verlag, lizenzpflichtig, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1021/acschembio.4c00231
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Author Notes:Roxana Damiescu, Mona Dawood, Mohamed Elbadawi, Sabine M. Klauck, Gerhard Bringmann, and Thomas Efferth
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Summary:Delta opioid receptors (DORs) are rising as therapeutic targets, not only for the treatment of pain but also other neurological disorders (e.g., Parkinson’s disease). The advantage of DOR agonists compared to μ-opioid receptor agonists is that they have fewer side effects and a lower potential to induce tolerance. However, although multiple candidates have been tested in the past few decades, none have been approved for clinical use. The current study focused on searching for new DOR agonists by screening a chemical library containing 40,000 natural and natural-derived products. The functional activity of the top molecules was evaluated in vitro through the cyclic adenosine monophosphate accumulation assay. Compound 3 showed promising results, and its activity was further investigated through transcriptomic methods. Compound 3 inhibited the expression of TNF-α, prevented NF-κB translocation to the nucleus, and activated the G-protein-mediated ERK1/2 pathway. Additionally, compound 3 is structurally different from known DOR agonists, making it a valuable candidate for further investigation for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential.
Item Description:Online veröffentlicht: 21. August 2024
Gesehen am 09.10.2024
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1554-8937
DOI:10.1021/acschembio.4c00231