Phenotype-Led Identification of IL-10 Upregulators in Human CD4 + T-cells and Elucidation of Their Pharmacology as Highly Selective CDK8/CDK19 Inhibitors.
Nicolle, S., Barker, M., Barrett, J., Campbell, M., Wojno-Picon, J., Atkinson, S.J., Aylott, H., Kessedjian, H., He, Y., Messenger, C., Roberts, E., Spitzfaden, C., Le, J., Zinn, N., Werner, T., Dumpelfeld, B., Bantscheff, M., Somers, D.O., Reid, H., Thang, K., Gobbetti, T., Lewis, H.D.(2025) J Med Chem 68: 1883-1900
- PubMed: 39780505
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c02630
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:
9H8C, 9H8S - PubMed Abstract:
Therapeutics promoting the endogenous production of IL-10 have the potential to restore homeostasis in inflammatory disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here we describe the identification of a series of IL-10 upregulators based on a pyrimidyl-piperidine scaffold through a high throughput phenotypic CD4 + T-cell multiplex assay. In vitro optimization of the initial hit yielded a lead with good potency and an in vitro clearance profile, compound 3-7, which additionally demonstrated efficacy in a murine endotoxin challenge PK-PD mechanistic model. Target deconvolution efforts identified compound 3-7 as a highly selective CDK8/19 inhibitor, and crystallographic studies unveiled its binding mode to the CDK8/Cyclin-C complex, characterized by an unusual water-mediated hydrogen bond to the kinase hinge region.
Organizational Affiliation:
Medicine Design, Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 2NY, U.K.