Development of small molecules to target the IgE:FcεRI protein-protein interaction in allergies

Network Pharmacology Revealed the Mechanisms of Action of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb on Atopic Dermatitis

Aim

The application of network analysis algorithms promoted the development of network pharmacology. This study aimed to combine network pharmacology and signed random walk with restart (SRWR) to reveal the mechanism by which Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb (LES) exerts effects on atopic dermatitis (AD).

Methods

The compounds and targets of LES were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and important compounds and targets were identified by intersection analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network.

Results

We found that active LES-derived compounds such as caffeic acid, Isovaleric acid, Arnebinol, and Alannan may inhibit PTGS2, HSP90AA1 and MAPK14, which are key mediators involved in PI3K-Akt pathway, vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway, Fc epsilon RI signaling pathway, and calcium signaling pathway.

Conclusion

The application of SRWR could identify potential targets of LES with a low false-positive rate and help elucidate the mechanism of action of traditional Chinese medicine.

Heck macrocyclization in natural product total synthesis

Covering: 1981-2020 Heck macrocyclization is a logical extension of the award-winning Mizoroki-Heck reaction. Through covalent linking of two otherwise discrete coupling partners, the resultant chimeric substrate is transformed into a large ring with enhanced rigidity and unique functional group disposition. Pioneered in the early 1980s, this methodology has evolved into a competent option for creating diverse macrocycles. Despite its growing influence, hitherto no systematic survey has ever appeared in the literature. The present review delineates the state-of-the-art of Heck macrocyclization in the context of natural product synthesis. Sixteen selected cases, each examined from a different perspective, coalesce into the view that the title reaction is a viable tool for synthesis-enabled macrocycle research.

Species Specificity on Interaction between IgE and FcεRI

Allergic diseases are one of the most prevalent diseases at present, it is imperative to understanding the pathophysiology and treatment strategies for allergic diseases. In this process, the binding of IgE and FcεRI on effector cells plays a critical role in triggering allergic reactions. However, the species specificity of the interaction between IgE and FcεRI has not been clearly explained. This review described the characteristics and the interaction mechanism in the allergic reaction of IgE and FcεRI and summarized the species specificity between IgE and FcεRI.

The future of biologics: applications for food allergy

Allergic diseases affect millions worldwide, with growing evidence of an increase in allergy occurrence over the past few decades. Current treatments for allergy include corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and allergen immunotherapy; however, some subjects experience treatment-resistant inflammation or adverse reactions to these treatments, and there are currently no approved therapeutics for the treatment of food allergy. There is a dire need for new therapeutic approaches for patients with poorly controlled atopic diseases and a need to improve the safety and effectiveness of allergen immunotherapy. Improved understanding of allergy through animal models and clinical trials has unveiled potential targets for new therapies, leading to the development of several biologics to treat allergic diseases. This review focuses on the mechanisms that contribute to allergy, with an emphasis on future targets for biologics for the treatment of food allergy. These biologics include immunotherapy with novel anti-IgE antibodies and analogs, small-molecule inhibitors of cell signaling, anti-type 2 cytokine mAbs, and TH1-promoting adjuvants.

Future biologic therapies in asthma

Despite the administration of appropriate treatment, a high number of patients with asthma remain uncontrolled. This suggests the need for alternative treatments that are effective, safe and selective for the established asthma phenotypes, especially in patients with uncontrolled severe asthma. The most promising options among the new asthma treatments in development are biological therapies, particularly those monoclonal antibodies directed at selective targets. It should be noted that the different drugs, and especially the new biologics, act on very specific pathogenic pathways. Therefore, determination of the individual profile of predominant pathophysiological alterations of each patient will be increasingly important for prescribing the most appropriate treatment in each case. The treatment of severe allergic asthma with anti-IgE monoclonal antibody (omalizumab) has been shown to be effective in a large number of patients, and new anti-IgE antibodies with improved pharmacodynamic properties are being investigated. Among developing therapies, biologics designed to block certain pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-5 (mepolizumab) and IL-13 (lebrikizumab), have a greater chance of being used in the clinic. Perhaps blocking more than one cytokine pathway (such as IL-4 and IL-13 with dulipumab) might confer increased efficacy of treatment, along with acceptable safety. Stratification of asthma based on the predominant pathogenic mechanisms of each patient (phenoendotypes) is slowly, but probably irreversibly, emerging as a tailored medical approach to asthma, and is becoming a key factor in the development of drugs for this complex respiratory syndrome.