Val-boroPro (talabostat, PT-100), a nonselective inhibitor of post-proline cleaving serine proteases, stimulates mammalian immune systems through an unknown mechanism of action. Despite this lack of mechanistic understanding, Val-boroPro has attracted significant interest as a potential anticancer agent, reaching Phase III trials in humans. Here we show that Val-boroPro stimulates the immune system by triggering a proinflammatory form of cell death in monocytes and macrophages known as pyroptosis. We demonstrate that the inhibition of two serine proteases, DPP8 and DPP9, activates the proprotein form of caspase-1 independent of the inflammasome adaptor ASC. Activated pro-caspase-1 does not efficiently process itself or IL-1β, but does cleave and activate gasdermin D to induce pyroptosis. Mice lacking caspase-1 do not show immune stimulation after treatment with Val-boroPro. Our data identifies the first small molecule that induces pyroptosis and reveals a new checkpoint that controls the activation of the innate immune system.

Val-boroPro (PT-100, Talabostat) induces powerful anti-tumor immune responses in syngeneic cancer models, but its mechanism of action has not yet been established. Val-boroPro is a non-selective inhibitor of post-proline-cleaving serine proteases, and the inhibition of the highly related cytosolic serine proteases Dpp8 and Dpp9 (Dpp8/9) by Val-boroPro was recently demonstrated to trigger an immunostimulatory form of programmed cell death known as pyroptosis selectively in monocytes and macrophages. Here we show that Dpp8/9 inhibition activates the inflammasome sensor protein Nlrp1b, which in turn activates pro-caspase-1 to mediate pyroptosis. This work reveals a previously unrecognized mechanism for activating an innate immune pattern recognition receptor and suggests that Dpp8/9 serve as an intracellular checkpoint to restrain Nlrp1b and the innate immune system.

FcεRI cross-linkage in mast cells results in release of granule-associated mediators, such as histamine and proteases, as well as the production of numerous cytokines, including IL-6. Mast cells have been increasingly implicated in inflammatory processes where explosive degranulation is not commonly observed. Here, we show that IL-1 stimulates secretion of IL-6 without release of the granule-associated protease tryptase in normal human umbilical cord blood-derived mast cells (hCBMCs). IL-6 secretion stimulated by IL-1 in hCBMCs is potentiated by priming with IL-4 and reflects the higher levels of IL-6 secreted from human leukemic mast cell line (HMC-1). Stimulating HMC-1 cells by both IL-1 and TNF-α results in synergistic secretion of IL-6. IL-6 is de novo synthesized, as its secretion is blocked by inhibitors of transcription or protein synthesis. IL-1 does not increase intracellular calcium ion levels in either hCBMCs or HMC-1 cells, and IL-6 stimulation proceeds in the absence of extracellular calcium ions. Ultrastructural Immunogold localization shows that IL-6 is excluded from the secretory granules and is compartmentalized in 40- to 80-nm vesicular structures. Selective secretion of IL-6 from mast cells appears distinct from degranulation and may contribute to the development of inflammation, where the importance of IL-6 has been recognized.

The protease fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a specific marker of activated mesenchymal cells in tumour stroma and fibrotic liver. A specific, reliable FAP enzyme assay has been lacking. FAP's unique and restricted cleavage of the post proline bond was exploited to generate a new specific substrate to quantify FAP enzyme activity. This sensitive assay detected no FAP activity in any tissue or fluid of FAP gene knockout mice, thus confirming assay specificity. Circulating FAP activity was ∼20- and 1.3-fold less in baboon than in mouse and human plasma, respectively. Serum and plasma contained comparable FAP activity. In mice, the highest levels of FAP activity were in uterus, pancreas, submaxillary gland and skin, whereas the lowest levels were in brain, prostate, leukocytes and testis. Baboon organs high in FAP activity included skin, epididymis, bladder, colon, adipose tissue, nerve and tongue. FAP activity was greatly elevated in tumours and associated lymph nodes and in fungal-infected skin of unhealthy baboons. FAP activity was 14- to 18-fold greater in cirrhotic than in non-diseased human liver, and circulating FAP activity was almost doubled in alcoholic cirrhosis. Parallel DPP4 measurements concorded with the literature, except for the novel finding of high DPP4 activity in bile. The new FAP enzyme assay is the first to be thoroughly characterised and shows that FAP activity is measurable in most organs and at high levels in some. This new assay is a robust tool for specific quantitation of FAP enzyme activity in both preclinical and clinical samples, particularly liver fibrosis.

The selectivity of an enzyme inhibitor is a key determinant of its usefulness as a tool compound or its safety as a drug. Yet selectivity is never assessed comprehensively in the early stages of the drug discovery process, and only rarely even in the later stages, because technical limitations prohibit doing otherwise. Here, we report EnPlex, an efficient, high-throughput method for simultaneously assessing inhibitor potency and specificity, and pilot its application to 96 serine hydrolases. EnPlex analysis of widely used serine hydrolase inhibitors revealed numerous previously unrecognized off-target interactions, some of which may help to explain previously confounding adverse effects. In addition, EnPlex screening of a hydrolase-directed library of boronic acid- and nitrile-containing compounds provided dual potency/selectivity structure-activity relationships from which lead candidates could be more effectively prioritized. Follow-up of a series of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors showed that EnPlex indeed predicted efficacy and safety in animal models. These results demonstrate the feasibility and value of high-throughput, superfamily-wide selectivity profiling, and suggest such profiling can be incorporated into the earliest stages of drug discovery.