Open Access Gold | |
Phenotypic drug screening in a human fibrosis model identified a novel class of antifibrotic therapeutics.
Fibrogenic processes instigate fatal chronic diseases leading to organ failure and death. Underlying biological processes involve induced massive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) by aberrant fibroblasts. We subjected diseased primary human lung fibroblasts to an advanced three-dimensional phenotypic high-content assay and screened a repurposing drug library of small molecules for inhibiting ECM deposition. Fibrotic Pattern Detection by Artificial Intelligence identified tranilast as an effective inhibitor. Structure-activity relationship studies confirmed N-(2-butoxyphenyl)-3-(phenyl)acrylamides (N23Ps) as a novel and highly potent compound class. N23Ps suppressed myofibroblast transdifferentiation, ECM deposition, cellular contractility, and altered cell shapes, thus advocating a unique mode of action. Mechanistically, transcriptomics identified SMURF2 as a potential therapeutic target network. Antifibrotic activity of N23Ps was verified by proteomics in a human ex vivo tissue fibrosis disease model, suppressing profibrotic markers SERPINE1 and CXCL8. Conclusively, N23Ps are a novel class of highly potent compounds inhibiting organ fibrosis in patients.
Institute of Molecular Toxicology and Pharmacology (TOXI)
Institute of Medicinal Chemistry (IMC)
CF Metabolomics & Proteomics (CF-MPC)
Institute of Experimental Genetics (IEG)
Research Unit Lung Repair and Regeneration (LRR)
Institute of Lung Biology (LHI)
MEYS CR
MH CR
CSC graduate fellowship
Helmholtz Alliance "Aging and Metabolic Programming, AMPro"
LMU Munich by Lehre@LMU Forderung
Helmholtz Association
German Center of Lung Research (DZL)