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Dersimelagon, a novel oral melanocortin 1 receptor agonist, demonstrates disease-modifying effects in preclinical models of systemic sclerosis

Kondo M, Suzuki T, Kawano Y, Kojima S, Miyashiro M, Matsumoto A, Kania G, Blyszczuk P, Ross RL, Mulipa P, Del Galdo F, Zhang Y, Distler J (2022)

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Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Book Volume: 24

Article Number: 210

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1186/s13075-022-02899-3

Abstract

Background: Activation of melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is known to exert broad anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential of dersimelagon, a novel oral MC1R agonist, as a therapeutic agent for systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods: The effects of dersimelagon phosphoric acid (MT-7117) on skin fibrosis and lung inflammation were evaluated in bleomycin (BLM)-induced SSc murine models that were optimized for prophylactic and therapeutic evaluation. Microarray-based gene expression analysis and serum protein profiling were performed in the BLM-induced SSc models. The effect of MT-7117 on transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced activation of human dermal fibroblasts was evaluated in vitro. Immunohistochemical analyses of MC1R expression in the skin of SSc patients were performed. Results: Prophylactic treatment with MT-7117 (≥ 0.3 mg/kg/day p.o.) significantly inhibited skin fibrosis and lung inflammation, and therapeutic treatment with MT-7117 (≥ 3 mg/kg/day p.o.) significantly suppressed the development of skin fibrosis in the BLM-induced SSc models. Gene array analysis demonstrated that MT-7117 exerts an anti-inflammatory effect via suppression of the activation of inflammatory cells and inflammation-related signals; additionally, vascular dysfunction was extracted as the pathology targeted by MT-7117. Serum protein profiling revealed that multiple SSc-related biomarkers including P-selectin, osteoprotegerin, cystatin C, growth and differentiation factor-15, and S100A9 were suppressed by MT-7117. MT-7117 inhibited the activation of human dermal fibroblasts by suppressing TGF-β-induced ACTA2 (encoding α-smooth muscle actin) mRNA elevation. MC1R was expressed by monocytes/macrophages, neutrophils, blood vessels (endothelial cells), fibroblasts, and epidermis (keratinocytes) in the skin of SSc patients, suggesting that these MC1R-positive cells could be targets for MT-7117. Conclusions: MT-7117 demonstrates disease-modifying effects in preclinical models of SSc. Investigations of its mechanism of action and target expression analyses indicate that MT-7117 exerts its positive effect by affecting inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and fibrosis, which are all key pathologies of SSc. The results of the present study suggest that MT-7117 is a potential therapeutic agent for SSc. A phase 2 clinical trial investigating the efficacy and tolerability of MT-7117 in patients with early, progressive diffuse cutaneous SSc is currently in progress.

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How to cite

APA:

Kondo, M., Suzuki, T., Kawano, Y., Kojima, S., Miyashiro, M., Matsumoto, A.,... Distler, J. (2022). Dersimelagon, a novel oral melanocortin 1 receptor agonist, demonstrates disease-modifying effects in preclinical models of systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13075-022-02899-3

MLA:

Kondo, Masahiro, et al. "Dersimelagon, a novel oral melanocortin 1 receptor agonist, demonstrates disease-modifying effects in preclinical models of systemic sclerosis." Arthritis Research & Therapy 24.1 (2022).

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