As a serine/threonine protein kinase, receptor-interacting
protein
1 (RIP1) plays an important role in regulating the pathways in programmed
cell death. Multifaceted human diseases (e.g., autoimmune diseases,
inflammatory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and tumors) are
closely related to RIP1 kinase. Therefore, small-molecule RIP1 inhibitors
with precise targeting and good penetrability have recently been used
in potentially therapeutic methods, attracting extensive researcher
interest. GSK2982772, developed by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), became the
world’s first RIP1 inhibitor approved for clinical research
in 2014. Nine clinical trials assessing GSK2982772 have been performed.
The most recent direction in RIP1 inhibitor development has been focused
on RIP1 small-molecule inhibitors with higher potency, selectivity,
and metabolic stability. In this Perspective, considering the structure,
biological functions, and disease relevance of RIP1, we summarize
the recent research progress in RIP1 small-molecule inhibitor development
based on different binding modalities and discuss prospective strategies
for designing additional RIP1 therapeutic agents.