July 2022 Cancer Research UK and Sosei Heptares sign agreement to advance cancer immunotherapy candidate into clinical trials "HTL0039732 is a novel EP4 antagonist with potential to treat a wide range of cancers biopharmaceutical company and world-leader in GPCR1-focused structure-based drug design (SBDD) and development, and Cancer Research UK, the world’s largest private funder of cancer research, today announce the signing of an agreement to bring Sosei Heptares’ cancer immunotherapy drug candidate into a first-in-human trial."

August 2022 "August 10, 2022 Cancer Research UK is working with global biopharma Sosei Heptares on a treatment they hope will bring immunotherapy benefits to new cancer types. Cancer Research UK, a charity dedicated to funding lifesaving oncology research, spent £388 million on cancer research last fiscal year. Much of that funding is distributed to support third party research, but the group also does its own

September 2022 "T cells are master regulators of the immune response tuning, among others, B cells, macrophages and NK cells. To exert their functions requiring high sensibility and specificity, T cells need to integrate different stimuli from the surrounding microenvironment. A finely tuned signalling compartmentalization orchestrated in dynamic platforms is an essential requirement for the proper and efficient response of these cells to distinct triggers. During years, several studies have depicted the pivotal role of the cytoskeleton and lipid microdomains in controlling signalling compartmentalization during T cell activation and functions. Here, we discuss mechanisms responsible for signalling amplification and compartmentalization in T cell activation, focusing on the role of CD28, chemokine receptors and the actin cytoskeleton. We also take into account the detrimental effect of mutations carried by distinct signalling proteins giving rise to syndromes characterized by defects in T cell functionality." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

August 2022 "We are proud to announce that SYnAbs is now officially accredited as a Research Tax Credit by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research for 2022-2023-2024. #technology #lifescience #immunology #antibodies #medicine #cancer #innovation #gpcr #synabs #monoclonalantibodies #drugdiscovery #biotechnology #research #ionchannels #biologics #biotech #pharma #pharmaindustry #pharmaceuticals

November 2021 "So proud and grateful to receive honorary doctorate yesterday from Karolinska Institute

August 2022 "The atypical chemokine receptor 1 (ACKR1) was discovered on erythrocytes as the Duffy blood group antigen ( Cutbush et al., 1950 ), also called Duffy-antigen/receptor for chemokines, or DARC ( Novitzky-Basso and Rot, 2012 ). Erythrocytes are terminally differentiated anuclear cells with no transcription and limited translation. Accordingly, within the erythroid lineage ACKR1 expression occurs first and is the highest in erythroblasts ( Duchene et al., 2017 ). Additionally, ACKR1 expression characterizes venular endothelial cells (ECs) ( Pruenster et al., 2009 ; Thiriot et al., 2017 ), including those lining bone marrow (BM) sinusoids ( Duchene et al., 2017 ). This well-established, distinctive pattern of cell expression has been directly challenged by a publication purporting ACKR1 expression in mouse BM by macrophages, but not erythroblasts and ECs, suggesting that macrophage ACKR1 engages its non-cognate ligand CD82 on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to maintain their quiescence ( Hur et al., 2016 ). In light of the extensive literature, these findings have been particularly provocative, as this was the first description of ACKR1 expression by any leukocyte type and, if correct, would change current concepts of ACKR1 involvement in pathophysiology. The reported ACKR1 expression by macrophages in Hur et al. relied on using commercial anti-ACKR1 antibody FAB6695, which has neither been validated by the manufacturer nor by the authors. This prompted us to investigate the specificity of FAB6695 and scrutinize the apparent ACKR1 expression in BM macrophages" Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

August 2022 "GPR21 is an orphan and constitutively active receptor belonging to the superfamily of G-Protein

multiple roles in the pathological mechanisms of a wide range of diseases including heart failure, cancer

Some Nbs that have been use for GPCR research are: Nb80: This nanobody stabilized an active-state conformation Nb7: This nanobody improves the diffraction quality of the constitutively active GPCR US28·CX3CL1 complex5

August 2022 "Bone remodeling is precisely regulated mainly by osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Although some G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) were reported to play roles in osteoblast function, little is known about the roles in osteoclasts. In this study, we found, for the first time, that the expression of GPR110 increased during osteoclastogenesis. GPR110 belongs to adhesion GPCR and was the functional receptor of N-docosahexaenoyl ethanolamine (also called synaptamide). Synaptamide suppressed osteoclastogenesis induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand. Considering that synaptamide is the endogenous metabolite of DHA, we hypothesized that DHA may inhibit osteoclastogenesis by affecting synaptamide/GPR110 signaling. But GPR110 knockout and subsequent rescue experiments revealed a pivotal role of GPR110 in the attenuation of osteoclastogenesis by synaptamide but not by DHA. These results suggest that synaptamide/GPR110 signaling negatively regulates osteoclastogenesis. Our study suggested that ligands of GPR110, such as synaptamide, might be a useful drug for osteoporotic patients." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

August 2022 "Background and purpose: Vascular tone is regulated by the relative contractile state of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Several integrins directly modulate VSMC contraction by regulating calcium influx through L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs). Genetic variants in ITGA9, which encodes the α9 subunit of integrin α9β1, and SVEP1, a ligand for integrin α9β1, associate with elevated blood pressure; however, neither SVEP1 nor integrin α9β1 has reported roles in vasoregulation. We determined whether SVEP1 and integrin α9β1 can regulate VSMC contraction." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

August 2022 "Aims: The pathophysiological mechanism(s) underlying non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have yet to be fully delineated and only a single drug, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α/γ agonist saroglitazar, has been approved. Here, we sought to investigate the role of Regulator of G Protein Signaling 7 (RGS7) in hyperlipidemia-dependent hepatic dysfunction. " Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

Despite their immense potential, utilizing FRET and BRET sensors in GPCR research comes with challenges In conclusion, FRET and BRET-based sensors have transformed the landscape of GPCR research, offering

January 2022 Exscientia and Sanofi Establish Strategic Research Collaboration to Develop AI-driven Pipeline capabilities and personalised medicine platform from target identification through patient selection Research will be focused on up to 15 novel small molecule candidates across oncology and immunology Exscientia royalties PARIS & OXFORD, England & BOSTON--Sanofi and Exscientia announced today a groundbreaking research novel bispecific small molecule candidate capable of targeting two distinct targets in inflammation and immunology

August 2022 TAS2R supports odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells in the inflammatory microenvironment "Background: Inflammatory microenvironment promotes odontoblastic differentiation in human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs), but the regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the role of TAS2R in odontoblastic differentiation of hDPSCs in the inflammatory microenvironment. Methods: Microarray analysis was performed to explore the differential mRNA profiles in inflammatory and healthy pulp tissues from the patients. hDPSCs isolated from the healthy pulp tissues were stimulated by LPS, TNFα and IL-6, respectively, to verify the effect of TAS2R. The expression markers related to odontoblastic differentiation of hDPSCs were observed by qPCR and chemical staining methods. TAS2R10 was overexpressed or silenced to observe the effect on odontoblastic differentiation of hDPSCs under LPS stimulation. The G protein and intracellular Ca2+ were detected, respectively, by qPCR and Fluo-4AM Ca2+ fluorescent probe." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

June 2022 "CRN04894 Selected for Oral Presentation SAN DIEGO, June 8, 2022 — Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRNX), announced that results from the company’s Phase 1 study of CRN04894, the company’s investigational candidate for the treatment of Cushing’s disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and other conditions driven by excess adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), were selected for an oral presentation at ENDO 2022, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting. Crinetics recently reported that administration of CRN04894 reduced both serum cortisol levels and 24-hour urine free cortisol excretion in the presence of sustained, disease-like ACTH concentrations in multiple-ascending dose cohorts of a Phase 1 study." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

August 2022 Addex and Indivior Extend GABAB Positive Allosteric Modulator Research Collaboration for US $900,000) of additional research funding.

March 2022 ERNEST has established an Emergency Fund for Ukrainian researchers. "General Eligibility Researchers affiliated to any legal entity in Ukraine (for example, schools and universities, research centers, governmental institutions, or private companies) Deadlines Start of the who have been recently displaced by the war, or those who can travel to institutions participating in Our scientific perspective is broad, and we are happy to consider any research proposals from those in

., Tectonic’s SVP, Head of Research.

Until recently, itch pathophysiology was poorly understood and treatments were poorly effective in relieving itch. Current progress in our knowledge of the itch processing, the numerous mediators and receptors involved has led to a large variety of possible therapeutic pathways. Currently, inhibitors of IL-31, IL-4/13, NK1 receptors, opioids and cannabinoids, JAK, PDE4 or TRP are the main compounds involved in clinical trials. However, many new targets, such as Mas-related GPCRs and unexpected new pathways need to be also explored. Read full article

October 2022 Cholesterol-Dependent Dynamics of the Serotonin1A Receptor Utilizing Single Particle Tracking: Analysis of Diffusion Modes "G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are signaling hubs in cell membranes that regulate a wide range of physiological processes and are popular drug targets. Serotonin1A receptors are important members of the GPCR family and are implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders. Cholesterol is a key constituent of higher eukaryotic membranes and is believed to contribute to the segregated distribution of membrane constituents into domains. To explore the role of cholesterol in lateral dynamics of GPCRs, we utilized single particle tracking (SPT) to monitor diffusion of serotonin1A receptors under acute and chronic cholesterol-depleted conditions. Our results show that the short-term diffusion coefficient of the receptor decreases upon cholesterol depletion, irrespective of the method of cholesterol depletion. Analysis of SPT trajectories revealed that relative populations of receptors undergoing various modes of diffusion change upon cholesterol depletion. Notably, in cholesterol-depleted cells, we observed an increase in the confined population of the receptor accompanied by a reduction in diffusion coefficient for chronic cholesterol depletion. These results are supported by our recent work and present observations that show polymerization of G-actin in response to chronic cholesterol depletion. Taken together, our results bring out the interdependence of cholesterol and actin cytoskeleton in regulating diffusion of GPCRs in membranes." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

October 2022 β-arrestin1 and 2 exhibit distinct phosphorylation-dependent conformations when coupling to the same GPCR in living cells "β-arrestins mediate regulatory processes for over 800 different G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) by adopting specific conformations that result from the geometry of the GPCR-β-arrestin complex. However, whether β-arrestin1 and 2 respond differently for binding to the same GPCR is still unknown. Employing GRK knockout cells and β-arrestins lacking the finger-loop-region, we show that the two isoforms prefer to associate with the active parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) in different complex configurations ("hanging" and "core"). Furthermore, the utilisation of advanced NanoLuc/FlAsH-based biosensors reveals distinct conformational signatures of β-arrestin1 and 2 when bound to active PTH1R (P-R*). Moreover, we assess β-arrestin conformational changes that are induced specifically by proximal and distal C-terminal phosphorylation and in the absence of GPCR kinases (GRKs) (R*). Here, we show differences between conformational changes that are induced by P-R* or R* receptor states and further disclose the impact of site-specific GPCR phosphorylation on arrestin-coupling and function." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews Subscribe to the Dr. GPCR Newsletter

October 2022 Bell-Evans model and steered molecular dynamics in uncovering the dissociation kinetics of ligands targeting G-protein-coupled receptors "Recently, academic and industrial scientific communities involved in kinetics-based drug development have become immensely interested in predicting the drug target residence time. Screening drug candidates in terms of their computationally predicted residence times, which is a measure of drug efficacy in vivo, and simultaneously assessing computational binding affinities are becoming inevitable. Non-equilibrium molecular simulation approaches are proven to be useful in this purpose. Here, we have implemented an optimized approach of combining the data derived from steered molecular dynamics simulations and the Bell-Evans model to predict the absolute residence times of the antagonist ZMA241385 and agonist NECA that target the A2A adenosine receptor of the G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) protein family. We have predicted the absolute ligand residence times on the timescale of seconds. However, our predictions were many folds shorter than those determined experimentally. Additionally, we calculated the thermodynamics of ligand binding in terms of ligand binding energies and the per-residue contribution of the receptor. Subsequently, binding pocket hotspot residues that would be important for further computational mutagenesis studies were identified. In the experiment, similar sets of residues were found to be in significant contact with both ligands under study. Our results build a strong foundation for further improvement of our approach by rationalizing the kinetics of ligand unbinding with the thermodynamics of ligand binding." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

July 2022 Confo Therapeutics receives €1.7 million VLAIO grant for further research on GPCR modulators The grant should help expand Confo Therapeutic’s research on G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drug candidates

August 2022 Production of human A 2A AR in lipid nanodiscs for 19 F-NMR and single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy "We describe production of the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR), a class A G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) for 19F-NMR and single-molecule fluorescence (SMF) spectroscopy. We explain in detail steps shared between the two sample preparation strategies, including expression and isolation of A2AAR and assembly of A2AAR in lipid nanodiscs and procedures for incorporation of either 19F-NMR or fluorescence probes. Protocols for SMF experiments include sample setup, data acquisition, data processing, and error analysis. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Wei et al. (2022) and Sušac et al. (2018)." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

September 2022 "Background: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and requires more prognostic The clinical significance of GPR39 in colon cancer has never been reported. Materials: In our study, we compared GPR39 expression between colon cancers and tumor-adjacent tissues by retrieving TCGA data and detected the expression of GPR39 in colon cancers with qPCR and immunohistochemistry

September 2022 Divergent roles for the gut intraepithelial lymphocyte GLP-1R in control of metabolism, microbiota, and T cell-induced inflammation "Gut intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) are thought to calibrate glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) bioavailability, thereby regulating systemic glucose and lipid metabolism. Here, we show that the gut IEL GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is not required for enteroendocrine L cell GLP-1 secretion and glucose homeostasis nor for the metabolic benefits of GLP-1R agonists (GLP-1RAs). Instead, the gut IEL GLP-1R is essential for the full effects of GLP-1RAs on gut microbiota. Moreover, independent of glucose control or weight loss, the anti-inflammatory actions of GLP-1RAs require the gut IEL GLP-1R to selectively restrain local and systemic T cell-induced, but not lipopolysaccharide-induced, inflammation. Such effects are mediated by the suppression of gut IEL effector functions linked to the dampening of proximal T cell receptor signaling in a protein-kinase-A-dependent manner. These data reposition key roles of the L cell-gut IEL GLP-1R axis, revealing mechanisms linking GLP-1R activation in gut IELs to modulation of microbiota composition and control of intestinal and systemic inflammation." Read more at the source #DrGPCR #GPCR #IndustryNews

September 2022 "Research on cancer therapies focuses on processes such as angiogenesis, cell signaling last decade, increasing evidence of its antitumoral properties in more than a dozen different types of cancer