Artificial Intelligence-powered Drug Discovery against CTLA-4 in Cancer
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ABSTRACT: Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) plays a pivotal role in preventing autoimmunity and fostering anticancer immunity by interacting with B7 proteins CD80 and CD86. CTLA-4 is the first immune checkpoint targeted with a monoclonal antibody inhibitor. Checkpoint inhibitors have generated durable responses in many cancer patients, representing a revolutionary milestone in cancer immunotherapy. However, therapeutic efficacy is limited to a small portion of patients, and immune-related adverse events are noteworthy, especially for monoclonal antibodies directed against CTLA-4. Previously, small molecules have been developed to impair the CTLA-4: CD80 interaction; however, they directly targeted CD80 and not CTLA-4. In this study, we performed artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual screening of approximately ten million compounds to target CTLA-4. We validated primary hits with biochemical, biophysical, immunological, and experimental animal assays. We then optimized lead compounds and obtained inhibitors with an inhibitory concentration of 1 micromole in disrupting the interaction between CTLA-4 and CD80. Unlike ipilimumab, these small molecules did not degrade CTLA-4. Several compounds inhibited tumor development prophylactically and therapeutically in syngeneic and CTLA-4-humanized mice. This project supports an AI-based framework in designing small molecules targeting immune checkpoints for cancer therapy.
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE228560 | GEO | 2024/02/15
REPOSITORIES: GEO
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