TTP399: an investigational liver-selective glucokinase (GK) activator as a potential treatment for type 2 diabetes

In silico design of dehydrophenylalanine containing peptide activators of glucokinase using pharmacophore modelling, molecular dynamics and machine learning: implications in type 2 diabetes

Diabetes represents a significant global health challenge associated with substantial healthcare costs and therapeutic complexities. Current diabetes therapies often entail adverse effects, necessitating the exploration of novel agents. Glucokinase (GK), a key enzyme in glucose homeostasis, primarily regulates blood glucose levels in hepatocytes and pancreatic cells. Unlike other hexokinases, GK exhibits unique kinetic properties, such as a high Km and lack of feedback inhibition, allowing it to function as a glucose sensor Glucokinase activators (GKAs) have emerged as promising candidates for managing type-2 diabetes by allosterically enhancing GK activity. Despite initial promise, existing GKAs face significant safety concerns, driving the need for compounds with improved safety profiles. This study introduces a novel chemical scaffold within the GKA landscape: peptide-based GKAs incorporating non-standard amino acid residues such as α,β-dehydrophenylalanine (ΔPhe/ΔF). A virtual library containing 3,368,000 peptides was constructed and screened using a hybrid pharmacophore, namely DHRR (D: donor; H: hydrogen; R: aromatic ring). Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations assisted in identifying three peptides, Pep-11, Pep-15, and Pep-16, which depicted stable binding at the allosteric site of Glucokinase. These peptides were synthesized using a combination of solid and solution phase synthesis methods. In vitro enzymatic activity of glucokinase was increased by at least 1.5 times in the presence of these peptides. Several machine learning algorithms were explored as alternatives to conventional in-silico methods for predicting GK activity. Regression and tree-based algorithms outperformed other methods, with the logistic regression and random forest classifiers both achieving an ROC-AUC of 0.98.

Drugs stimulating insulin secretion in early clinical development for the treatment of type 1 diabetes: what's new?

INTRODUCTION

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by the selective destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The etiology of T1D is multifactorial, with a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers believed to underlie beta-cell destruction. Preserving and prolonging beta-cell function in T1D is a pivotal therapeutic objective that can mitigate disease progression and improve glycemic control.

AREAS COVERED

Insulin secretagogues have long been used in the management of type 2 diabetes, but do not have a significant beneficial effect in individuals with long-standing type 1 diabetes. Enhancement of beta-cell function early in the course of type 1 diabetes may offer important benefits in glycemic control and reduced hypoglycemia risk. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, glucokinase activators, free fatty acid receptor agonists, and glimins are drug classes which may offer benefit in enhancing insulin secretion in individuals with type 1 diabetes.

EXPERT OPINION

Drugs which enhance insulin secretion in individuals may offer clinical benefits to individuals with type 1 diabetes. However, the lack of beta-cell capacity introduces a challenge without regeneration of insulin-producing cells. Stem cell therapies combined with regulation of islet autoimmunity may offer the best prospect of increased insulin secretion in individuals with T1D.

Glucokinase activators and imeglimin: new weaponry in the armamentarium against type 2 diabetes

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing relentlessly all over the world, in parallel with a similar increase in obesity, and is striking ever younger patients. Only a minority of patients with T2D attain glycemic targets, indicating a clear need for novel antidiabetic drugs that not only control glycemia but also halt or slow the progressive loss of β-cells. Two entirely novel classes of antidiabetic agents-glucokinase activators and imeglimin-have recently been approved and will be the subject of this review.Allosteric activators of glucokinase, an enzyme stimulating insulin secretion in β-cells and suppressing hepatic glucose production, are oral low-molecular-weight drugs. One of these, dorzagliatin, is approved in China for use in adult patients with T2D, either as monotherapy or as an add-on to metformin. It remains to be seen whether the drug will produce sustained antidiabetic effects over many years and whether the side effects that led to the discontinuation of early drug candidates will limit the usefulness of dorzagliatin.Imeglimin-which shares structural similarities with metformin-targets mitochondrial dysfunction and was approved in Japan against T2D. In preclinical studies, the drug has also shown promising β-cell protective and preservative effects that may translate into disease-modifying effects.Hopefully, these two newcomers will contribute to filling the great medical need for new treatment modalities, preferably with disease-modifying potential. It remains to be seen where they will fit in contemporary treatment algorithms, which combinations of drugs are effective and which should be avoided. Time will tell to what extent these new antidiabetic agents will add value to the current treatment options against T2D in terms of sustained antidiabetic effect, acceptable safety, utility in combination therapy, and impact on hard end-points such as cardiovascular disease.

Clinical investigation of glucokinase activators for the restoration of glucose homeostasis in diabetes

As a sensor, glucokinase (GK) controls glucose homeostasis, which progressively declines in patients with diabetes. GK maintains the equilibrium of glucose levels and regulates the homeostatic system set points. Endocrine and hepatic cells can both respond to glucose cooperatively when GK is activated. GK has been under study as a therapeutic target for decades due to the possibility that cellular GK expression and function can be recovered, hence restoring glucose homeostasis in patients with type 2 diabetes. Five therapeutic compounds targeting GK are being investigated globally at the moment. They all have distinctive molecular structures and have been clinically shown to have strong antihyperglycemia effects. The mechanics, classification, and clinical development of GK activators are illustrated in this review. With the recent approval and marketing of the first GK activator (GKA), dorzagliatin, GKA's critical role in treating glucose homeostasis disorder and its long-term benefits in diabetes will eventually become clear.

Tetrahydropalmatine from medicinal plants activates human glucokinase to regulate glucose homeostasis

Many synthetic glucokinase activators (GKAs), modulating glucokinase (GK), an important therapeutic target in diabetes have failed to clear clinical trials. In this study, an in silico structural similarity search with differing scaffolds of reference GKAs have been used to identify derivatives from natural product databases. Ten molecules with good binding score and similar interactions to that in the co-crystallized GK as well good activation against recombinant human GK experimentally were identified. Tetrahydropalmatine, an alkaloid present in formulations and drugs from medicinal plants, has not been explored as an antidiabetic agent and no information regarding its mechanism of action or GK activation exists. Tetrahydropalmatine activates GK with EC50 value of 71.7 ± 17.9 μM while lowering the S0.5 (7.1 mM) and increasing Vmax (9.22 μM/min) as compared to control without activator (S0.5 = 10.37 mM; Vmax = 4.8 μM/min). Kinetic data (α and β values) suggests it to act as mixed, nonessential type activator. Using microscale thermophoresis, Kd values of 3.8 μM suggests a good affinity for GK. In HepG2 cell line, the compound potentiated the uptake of glucose and maintained glucose homeostasis by increasing the expression of GK, glycogen synthase, and insulin receptor genes and lowering the expression of glucokinase regulatory protein (GKRP) and glucagon. Tetrahydropalmatine at low concentrations could elicit a good response by reducing expression of GKRP, increasing expression of GK while also activating it. Thus, it could be used alone or in combination as therapeutic drug as it could effectively modulate GK and alter glucose homeostasis.

New-Generation Glucokinase Activators: Potential Game-Changers in Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

Achieving glycemic control and sustaining functional pancreatic β-cell activity remains an unmet medical need in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Glucokinase activators (GKAs) constitute a class of anti-diabetic drugs designed to regulate blood sugar levels and enhance β-cell function in patients with diabetes. A significant progression in GKA development is underway to address the limitations of earlier generations. Dorzagliatin, a dual-acting GKA, targets both the liver and pancreas and has successfully completed two phase III trials, demonstrating favorable results in diabetes treatment. The hepato-selective GKA, TTP399, emerges as a strong contender, displaying clinically noteworthy outcomes with minimal adverse effects. This paper seeks to review the current literature, delve into the mechanisms of action of these new-generation GKAs, and assess their efficacy and safety in treating T2DM based on published preclinical studies and recent clinical trials.

Alleviating the unwanted effects of oxidative stress on Aβ clearance: a review of related concepts and strategies for the development of computational modelling

Treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) can be more effective in the early stages. Although we do not completely understand the aetiology of the early stages of AD, potential pathological factors (amyloid beta [Aβ] and tau) and other co-factors have been identified as causes of AD, which may indicate some of the mechanism at work in the early stages of AD. Today, one of the primary techniques used to help delay or prevent AD in the early stages involves alleviating the unwanted effects of oxidative stress on Aβ clearance. 4-Hydroxynonenal (HNE), a product of lipid peroxidation caused by oxidative stress, plays a key role in the adduction of the degrading proteases. This HNE employs a mechanism which decreases catalytic activity. This process ultimately impairs Aβ clearance. The degradation of HNE-modified proteins helps to alleviate the unwanted effects of oxidative stress. Having a clear understanding of the mechanisms associated with the degradation of the HNE-modified proteins is essential for the development of strategies and for alleviating the unwanted effects of oxidative stress. The strategies which could be employed to decrease the effects of oxidative stress include enhancing antioxidant activity, as well as the use of nanozymes and/or specific inhibitors. One area which shows promise in reducing oxidative stress is protein design. However, more research is needed to improve the effectiveness and accuracy of this technique. This paper discusses the interplay of potential pathological factors and AD. In particular, it focuses on the effect of oxidative stress on the expression of the Aβ-degrading proteases through adduction of the degrading proteases caused by HNE. The paper also elucidates other strategies that can be used to alleviate the unwanted effects of oxidative stress on Aβ clearance. To improve the effectiveness and accuracy of protein design, we explain the application of quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical approach.

Chronotherapy with a glucokinase activator profoundly improves metabolism in obese Zucker rats

Circadian rhythms play a critical role in regulating metabolism, including daily cycles of feeding/fasting. Glucokinase (GCK) is central for whole-body glucose homeostasis and oscillates according to a circadian clock. GCK activators (GKAs) effectively reduce hyperglycemia, but their use is also associated with hypoglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hepatic steatosis. Given the circadian rhythmicity and natural postprandial activation of GCK, we hypothesized that GKA treatment would benefit from being timed specifically during feeding periods. Acute treatment of obese Zucker rats with the GKA AZD1656 robustly increased flux into all major metabolic pathways of glucose disposal, enhancing glucose elimination. Four weeks of continuous AZD1656 treatment of obese Zucker rats improved glycemic control; however, hepatic steatosis and inflammation manifested. In contrast, timing AZD1656 to feeding periods robustly reduced hepatic steatosis and inflammation in addition to improving glycemia, whereas treatment timed to fasting periods caused overall detrimental metabolic effects. Mechanistically, timing AZD1656 to feeding periods diverted newly synthesized lipid toward direct VLDL secretion rather than intrahepatic storage. In line with increased hepatic insulin signaling, timing AZD1656 to feeding resulted in robust activation of AKT, mTOR, and SREBP-1C after glucose loading, pathways known to regulate VLDL secretion and hepatic de novo lipogenesis. In conclusion, intermittent AZD1656 treatment timed to feeding periods promotes glucose disposal when needed the most, restores metabolic flexibility and hepatic insulin sensitivity, and thereby avoids hepatic steatosis. Thus, chronotherapeutic approaches may benefit the development of GKAs and other drugs acting on metabolic targets.

Targeting human Glucokinase for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: an overview of allosteric Glucokinase activators

Diabetes mellitus is a worldwide impacting disorder and the ratio through which the number of diabetic patients had increased worldwide, puts medical professionals to serious stress for its effective management. Due to its polygenic origin and involvement of multiple genes to its pathophysiology, leads to understanding of this ailment more complex. It seems that current interventions, such as dietary changes, life style changes and drug therapy such as oral hypoglycaemics and insulin, are unable to halt the trend. There are various novel and emerging targets on which the researchers are paying attention to combat with this ailment successfully. Human glucokinase (GK) enzyme is one of these novel and emerging targets for management of diabetes. Its availability in the pancreas and liver cells makes this target more lucrative. GK's presence in the pancreatic and hepatic cells plays a very important function for the management of glucose homoeostasis. Small molecules that activate GK allosterically provide an alternative strategy for restoring/improving glycaemic regulation, especially in type 2 diabetic patients. Although after enduring many setbacks in the development of the GK activators, interest has been renewed especially due to introduction of novel dual acting GK activator dorzagliatin, and a novel hepato-selective GK activator, TTP399. This review article has been formulated to discuss importance of GK in glucose homeostasis, recent updates on small molecules of GK activators, clinical status of GK activators and challenges in development of GK activators.

Disruptions in hepatic glucose metabolism are involved in the diminished efficacy after chronic treatment with glucokinase activator

Glucokinase activators are regarded as potent candidates for diabetes treatment, however, in clinical studies on patients with type 2 diabetes, a diminishing efficacy was observed after chronic treatment with them. The mechanism of this reduction has not been elucidated, and whether it is a class effect of glucokinase activators remains inconclusive. Here, we firstly identified a diabetic animal model that shows the diminished efficacy after long-term treatment with MK-0941, a glucokinase activator that exhibited diminished efficacy in a clinical study, and we analyzed the mechanism underlying its diminished efficacy. In addition, we evaluated the long-term efficacy of another glucokinase activator, TMG-123. Goto-Kakizaki rats were treated with MK-0941 and TMG-123 for 24 weeks. The results showed that glycated hemoglobin A1C levels and plasma glucose levels decreased transiently but increased over time with the continuation of treatment in the MK-0941-treated group, while decreased continuously in the TMG-123-treated group. Only in the TMG-123-treated group, higher plasma insulin levels were shown at the later stage of the treatment period. For the mechanism analysis, we conducted a hepatic enzyme assay and liver perfusion study in Goto-Kakizaki rats after chronic treatment with MK-0941 and TMG-123, and revealed that, only in the MK-0941-treated group, the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase was increased, and hepatic glucose utilization was decreased compared to the non-treated group. These data indicate that disruptions in hepatic glucose metabolism are involved in the diminished efficacy of glucokinase activators.

Glucokinase as an emerging anti-diabetes target and recent progress in the development of its agonists

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder with complicated pathogenesis, and mono-target therapy often fails to effectively manage the levels of blood glucose. In recent years, the anti-diabetes target glucokinase (GK) has attracted the attention of researchers. It acts as a glucose sensor, triggering counter regulatory responses following a change in glucose levels to aid restoration of normoglycemia. Activation of GK induces glucose metabolism and reduces glucose levels for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. GK agonists (GKA) are a new class of antidiabetic drugs. Among these agents, dorzagliatin is currently being investigated in phase III clinical trials, while PB-201 and AZD-1656 have reached phase II clinical trials. This article describes the mechanism of action of GK in diabetes and of action of GKA at the protein level, and provides a review of the research, trends, and prospects regarding the use of GKA in this setting.

Therapeutics for type-2 diabetes mellitus: a glance at the recent inclusions and novel agents under development for use in clinical practice

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic, progressive, and multifaceted illness resulting in significant physical and psychological detriment to patients. As of 2019, 463 million people are estimated to be living with DM worldwide, out of which 90% have type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Over the years, significant progress has been made in identifying the risk factors for developing T2DM, understanding its pathophysiology and uncovering various metabolic pathways implicated in the disease process. This has culminated in the implementation of robust prevention programmes and the development of effective pharmacological agents, which have had a favourable impact on the management of T2DM in recent times. Despite these advances, the incidence and prevalence of T2DM continue to rise. Continuing research in improving efficacy, potency, delivery and reducing the adverse effect profile of currently available formulations is required to keep pace with this growing health challenge. Moreover, new metabolic pathways need to be targeted to produce novel pharmacotherapy to restore glucose homeostasis and address metabolic sequelae in patients with T2DM. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases for recently included agents and novel medication under development for treatment of T2DM. We discuss the pathophysiology of T2DM and review how the emerging anti-diabetic agents target the metabolic pathways involved. We also look at some of the limiting factors to developing new medication and the introduction of unique methods, including facilitating drug delivery to bypass some of these obstacles. However, despite the advances in the therapeutic options for the treatment of T2DM in recent years, the industry still lacks a curative agent.

Recent Developments in Medicinal Chemistry of Allosteric Activators of Human Glucokinase for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Therapeutics

BACKGROUND

Glucokinase (GK), a cytoplasmic enzyme catalyzes the metabolism of glucose to glucose- 6-phosphate with the help of ATP and aids in the controlling of blood glucose levels within the normal range in humans. In pancreatic β-cells, it plays a chief role by controlling the glucose-stimulated secretion of insulin and in liver hepatocyte cells, it controls the metabolism of carbohydrates. GK acts as a promising drug target for the pharmacological treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as it plays an important role in the control of carbohydrate metabolism.

METHODS

Data used for this review was based on the search from several science databases as well as various patent databases. The main data search terms used were allosteric GK activators, diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes, glucokinase, glucokinase activators and human glucokinase.

RESULTS

This article discusses an overview of T2DM, the biology of GK, the role of GK in T2DM, recent updates in the development of small molecule GK activators reported in recent literature, mechanism of action of GK activators and their clinical status.

CONCLUSION

GK activators are the novel class of pharmacological agents that enhance the catalytic activity of GK enzyme and display their antihyperglycemic effects. Broad diversity of chemical entities including benzamide analogues, carboxamides, acrylamides, benzimidazoles, quinazolines, thiazoles, pyrimidines, pyridines, orotic acid amides, amino acid derivatives, amino phosphates and urea derivatives have been synthesized in past two decades as potent allosteric activators of GK. Presently, the pharmaceutical companies and researchers are focusing on the design and development of liver-selective GK activators for preventing the possible adverse effects associated with GK activators for the long-term treatment of T2DM.

Pharmacogenomic Studies of Current Antidiabetic Agents and Potential New Drug Targets for Precision Medicine of Diabetes

Diabetes is a major threat to people's health and has become a burden worldwide. Current drugs for diabetes have limitations, such as different drug responses among individuals, failure to achieve glycemic control, and adverse effects. Exploring more effective therapeutic strategies for patients with diabetes is crucial. Currently pharmacogenomics has provided potential for individualized drug therapy based on genetic and genomic information of patients, and has made precision medicine possible. Responses and adverse effects to antidiabetic drugs are significantly associated with gene polymorphisms in patients. Many new targets for diabetes also have been discovered and developed, and even entered clinical trial phases. This review summarizes pharmacogenomic evidence of some current antidiabetic agents applied in clinical settings, and highlights potential drugs with new targets for diabetes, which represent a more effective treatment in the future.

Potential Impact of the Multi-Target Drug Approach in the Treatment of Some Complex Diseases

It is essential to acknowledge the efforts made thus far to manage or eliminate various disease burden faced by humankind. However, the rising global trends of the so-called incurable diseases continue to put pressure on Pharma industries and other drug discovery platforms. In the past, drugs with more than one target were deemed as undesirable options with interest being on the one-drug-single target. Despite the successes of the single-target drugs, it is currently beyond doubt that these drugs have limited efficacy against complex diseases in which the pathogenesis is dependent on a set of biochemical events and several bioreceptors operating concomitantly. Different approaches have thus been proposed to come up with effective drugs to combat even the complex diseases. In the past, the focus was on producing drugs from screening plant compounds; today, we talk about combination therapy and multi-targeting drugs. The multi-target drugs have recently attracted much attention as promising tools to fight against most challenging diseases, and thus a new research focus area. This review will discuss the potential impact of multi-target drug approach on various complex diseases with focus on malaria, tuberculosis (TB), diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases as the main representatives of multifactorial diseases. We will also discuss alternative ideas to solve the current problems bearing in mind the fourth industrial revolution on drug discovery.