Potent and Selective EphA4 Agonists for the Treatment of ALS.

Bainan Wu, Surya K De, Anna Kulinich, Ahmed F Salem, Jordan Koeppen, Rengang Wang, Elisa Barile, Si Wang, Dongxiang Zhang, Iryna Ethell, Maurizio Pellecchia

Cell chemical biology 2017 Mar 16

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive degenerative disease that affects motor neurons. Recent studies identified the receptor tyrosine kinase EphA4 as a disease-modifying gene that is critical for the progression of motor neuron degeneration. We report on the design and characterization of a family of EphA4 targeting agents that bind to its ligand binding domain with nanomolar affinity. The molecules exhibit excellent selectivity and display efficacy in a SOD1 mutant mouse model of ALS. Interestingly, the molecules appear to act as agonists for the receptor in certain surrogate cellular assays. While the exact mechanisms responsible for the therapeutic effect of the new agonists remain to be elucidated, we believe that the described agent represents both an invaluable pharmacological tool to further decipher the role of the EphA4 in ALS and potentially other human diseases, and a significant stepping stone for the development of novel treatments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

Bainan Wu, Surya K De, Anna Kulinich, Ahmed F Salem, Jordan Koeppen, Rengang Wang, Elisa Barile, Si Wang, Dongxiang Zhang, Iryna Ethell, Maurizio Pellecchia. Potent and Selective EphA4 Agonists for the Treatment of ALS. Cell chemical biology. 2017 Mar 16;24(3):293-305