Gentisic acid, a compound associated with plant defense and a metabolite of aspirin, heads a new class of in vivo fibroblast growth factor inhibitors.
Fibroblast growth factors are key proteins in many intercellular signaling networks. They normally remain attached to the extracellular matrix, which confers on them a considerable stability. The unrestrained accumulation of fibroblast growth factors in the extracellular milieu, either due to uncontrolled synthesis or enzymatic release, contributes to the pathology of many diseases. Consequently, the neutralization of improperly mobilized fibroblast growth factors is of clear therapeutic interest. In pursuing described rules to identify potential inhibitors of these proteins, gentisic acid, a plant pest-controlling compound, an aspirin and vegetarian diet common catabolite, and a component of many traditional liquors and herbal remedies, was singled out as a powerful inhibitor of fibroblast growth factors. Gentisic acid was used as a lead to identify additional compounds with better inhibitory characteristics generating a new chemical class of fibroblast growth factor inhibitors that includes the agent responsible for alkaptonuria. Through low and high resolution approaches, using representative members of the fibroblast growth factor family and their cell receptors, it was shown that this class of inhibitors may employ two different mechanisms to interfere with the assembly of the signaling complexes that trigger fibroblast growth factor-driven mitogenesis. In addition, we obtained evidence from in vivo disease models that this group of inhibitors may be of interest to treat cancer and angiogenesis-dependent diseases.
Departamento de Biología Físico-Química, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid 28040, Spain.
Israel S
IS
Fernández
Pedro
P
Cuevas
Javier
J
Angulo
Pilar
P
López-Navajas
Angeles
A
Canales-Mayordomo
Rocío
R
González-Corrochano
Rosa M
RM
Lozano
Serafín
S
Valverde
Jesús
J
Jiménez-Barbero
Antonio
A
Romero
Guillermo
G
Giménez-Gallego
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000378:metabolism; D001241:Aspirin / Q000378:metabolism*; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002465:Cell Movement; D015195:Drug Design; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005841:Gentisates / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008934:Mitogens / Q000737:chemistry; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D005841:Gentisates; D008934:Mitogens; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D006493:Heparin; D001241:Aspirin; C010925:2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid