Therapeutic modulation
of the bile acid-sensing transcription factor
farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is an appealing strategy to counteract
hepatic and metabolic diseases. Despite the availability of several
highly potent FXR agonists structural diversity of FXR modulators
is limited, and new ligand scaffolds are needed. Here we report structure–activity
relationship elucidation of a new FXR modulator chemotype whose activity
can be tuned between agonism and antagonism by two minor structural
modifications. Starting from a weak FXR/PPAR agonist, we have developed
selective FXR activators and antagonists with nanomolar to low-micromolar
potencies and binding affinities. The new FXR ligand chemotype modulates
the FXR activity in the native cellular setting, is endowed with favorable
metabolic stability, and lacks cytotoxicity. It valuably expands the
collection of FXR modulators as a new scaffold for FXR-targeted drug
discovery.