Novel Small Molecules for Inhibition of MALT1
MALT1 is an intracellular signaling protein capable of activating both innate immune cells, including natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells, and mast cells, as well as adaptive immune cells such as T and B cells. MALT1 is best known for its function in mediating T cell activation and proliferation. Deregulation of MALT1 is implicated in a number of T and B cell malignancies, including leukemias and lymphomas, as well as specific autoimmune inflammatory diseases and select carcinomas and solid tumors, making it a prominent target for treating a wide variety of diseases.
Description
Pharmacological inhibition of MALT1 is an attractive strategy for treating neoplastic and inflammatory diseases because of its pivotal role in T and B-cell activation and proliferation. Two novel compounds designed to inhibit the MALT1 signaling pathway have recently been developed. These compounds abrogate all MALT1 activity and are predicted to be significantly more efficacious and wide-ranging in terms of therapeutic applications for MALT1-driven malignancies and inflammatory diseases.Applications
· Treating T and B cell malignancies (lymphomas)· Treating carcinomas such as breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, melanoma, glioblastoma
· Treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus
· Treating allergies
Advantages
· Block both the protease and scaffolding functions of MALT1, making it more effective than previous or proposed MALT1 inhibitors· Increased range of applications
· Avoids potential adverse immunomodulatory actions that result from inhibiting one type of MALT1 action