Development of a Novel Backbone Cyclic Peptide Inhibitor of the Innate Immune TLR/IL1R Signaling Protein MyD88

Sci Rep. 2018 Jun 21;8(1):9476. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-27773-8.

Abstract

MyD88 is a cytoplasmic adaptor protein that plays a central role in signaling downstream of the TLRs and the IL1R superfamily. We previously demonstrated that MyD88 plays a critical role in EAE, the murine model of multiple sclerosis, and showed that the MyD88 BB-loop decoy peptide RDVLPGT ameliorates EAE. We now designed and screened a library of backbone cyclized peptides based on the linear BB loop peptide, to identify a metabolically stable inhibitor of MyD88 that retains the binding properties of the linear peptide. We identified a novel cyclic peptide protein mimetic that inhibits inflammatory responses to TLR ligands, and NFκB activation in response to IL-1 activation. The inhibitor, c(MyD 4-4), is metabolically stable in comparison to the linear peptide, blocks MyD88 in a specific manner, and inhibits MyD88 function by preventing MyD88 dimerization. Finally, treatment of mice with c(MyD 4-4) reduced the severity of clinical disease in the murine EAE model of multiple sclerosis. Thus, modulation of MyD88-dependent signaling using c(MyD 4-4) is a potential therapeutic strategy to lower innate immune inflammation in autoimmune CNS disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Binding Sites
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / drug therapy*
  • Female
  • HEK293 Cells
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / chemistry
  • Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 / metabolism
  • NF-kappa B / metabolism
  • Peptides, Cyclic / chemistry
  • Peptides, Cyclic / pharmacology*
  • Peptides, Cyclic / therapeutic use
  • Protein Binding
  • RAW 264.7 Cells
  • Receptors, Interleukin-1 / metabolism
  • Toll-Like Receptors / metabolism

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88
  • NF-kappa B
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • Receptors, Interleukin-1
  • Toll-Like Receptors