A DNA-encoded small-molecule library was prepared using yoctoReactor technology followed by binder trap enrichment to identify selective inhibitors with nanomolar potencies against p38α MAP kinase.

p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases are key mediators of environmental stress response and are promising targets for treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer. Numerous efforts have led to the discovery of several potent inhibitors; however, so far no highly selective type-II inhibitors have been reported. We previously identified VPC-00628 as a potent and selective type-II inhibitor of p38α/β with few off-targets. Here we analyzed the chemical building blocks of VPC-00628 that played a key role in achieving potency and selectivity through targeting an inactive state of the kinases induced by a unique folded P-loop conformation. Using a rapid, systematic combinatorial synthetic approach, we identified compound 93 (SR-318) with excellent potency and selectivity for p38α/β, which potently inhibited the TNF-α release in whole blood. SR-318 therefore presents a potent and selective type-II inhibitor of p38α/β that can be used as a chemical probe for targeting this particular inactive state of these two p38 isoforms.

The p38 MAPK cascade is a key signaling pathway linked to a multitude of physiological functions and of central importance in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Although studied extensively, little is known about how conformation-specific inhibitors alter signaling outcomes. Here, we have explored the highly dynamic back pocket of p38 MAPK with allosteric urea fragments. However, screening against known off-targets showed that these fragments maintained the selectivity issues of their parent compound BIRB-796, while combination with the hinge binding motif of VPC-00628 greatly enhanced inhibitor selectivity. Further efforts focused therefore on the exploration of the αC-out pocket of p38 MAPK, yielding compound 137 as a highly selective type-II inhibitor. Even though 137 is structurally related to a recent p38 type-II chemical probe, SR-318, the data presented here provide valuable insights into backpocket interactions that are not addressed in SR-318, and it provides an alternative chemical tool with good cellular activity targeting also the p38 back pocket.

A fundamental mechanism of the innate immune system is the recognition, via extra- and intracellular pattern-recognition receptors, of pathogen-associated molecular patterns. A prominent example is represented by foreign nucleic acids, triggering the activation of several signaling pathways. Among these, the endosomal toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is known to be activated by single-stranded RNA (ssRNA), which can be specifically influenced through elements of sequence structure and posttranscriptional modifications. Furthermore, small molecules TLR7 agonists (smTLRa) are applied as boosting adjuvants in vaccination processes. In this context, covalent conjugations between adjuvant and vaccines have been reported to exhibit synergistic effects. Here, we describe a concept to chemically combine three therapeutic functions in one RNA bioconjugate. This consists in the simultaneous TLR7 stimulation by ssRNA and smTLRa as well as the therapeutic function of the RNA itself, e.g., as a vaccinating or knockdown agent. We have hence synthesized bioconjugates of mRNA and siRNA containing covalently attached smTLRa and tested their function in TLR7 stimulation. Strikingly, the bioconjugates displayed decreased rather than synergistically increased stimulation. The decrease was distinct from the antagonistic action of an siRNA bearing a Gm motive, as observed by direct comparison of the effects in the presence of otherwise stimulatory RNA. In summary, these investigations showed that TRL7 activation can be impeded by bioconjugation of small molecules to RNA.