Molecular glues that facilitate RAS binding to PI3Kα promote glucose uptake without insulin

Science. 2025 Jul 24;389(6758):402-408. doi: 10.1126/science.adr9097. Epub 2025 Jul 24.

Abstract

While exploring strategies to control blood glucose concentrations in diabetes, we identified so-called molecular glues D223 and D927 that promote glucose uptake in the absence of insulin. They act by increasing the binding affinity of phosphoinositide 3-kinase α (PI3Kα) catalytic subunit p110α to canonical small guanosine triphosphatase RAS proteins and to RRAS, RRAS2, and MRAS by three orders of magnitude. The compounds bind to the RAS-binding domain of p110α, stabilizing the secondary structures of the PI3Kα in a RAS-binding conformation and forming direct interactions with RAS residues tyrosine-40 and arginine-41. In vivo, D927 mimicked the effects of insulin: It rapidly lowered blood glucose concentrations, enhanced glucose metabolism in normal and Zucker fatty rats, and improved hyperglycemia in models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, even in insulin-deficient diabetic animals.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Class Ia Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase* / chemistry
  • Class Ia Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase* / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / metabolism
  • Glucose* / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents* / chemistry
  • Hypoglycemic Agents* / pharmacology
  • Hypoglycemic Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Insulin
  • Male
  • Protein Binding
  • Rats
  • Rats, Zucker
  • ras Proteins* / chemistry
  • ras Proteins* / metabolism

Substances

  • Insulin
  • Glucose
  • ras Proteins
  • Blood Glucose
  • Class Ia Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase
  • Hypoglycemic Agents