Development of human cGAS-specific small-molecule inhibitors for repression of dsDNA-triggered interferon expression. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is the primary sensor for aberrant intracellular dsDNA producing the cyclic dinucleotide cGAMP, a second messenger initiating cytokine production in subsets of myeloid lineage cell types. Therefore, inhibition of the enzyme cGAS may act anti-inflammatory. Here we report the discovery of human-cGAS-specific small-molecule inhibitors by high-throughput screening and the targeted medicinal chemistry optimization for two molecular scaffolds. Lead compounds from one scaffold co-crystallize with human cGAS and occupy the ATP- and GTP-binding active site. The specificity and potency of these drug candidates is further documented in human myeloid cells including primary macrophages. These novel cGAS inhibitors with cell-based activity will serve as probes into cGAS-dependent innate immune pathways and warrant future pharmacological studies for treatment of cGAS-dependent inflammatory diseases.

publication date

  • May 21, 2019

Research

keywords

  • Drug Discovery
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Nucleotidyltransferases

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC6529454

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85065998900

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1002/jcc.20084

PubMed ID

  • 31113940

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 10

issue

  • 1