期刊名称:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN:0027-8424
电子版ISSN:1091-6490
出版年度:2004
卷号:101
期号:17
页码:6599-6604
DOI:10.1073/pnas.0401597101
语种:English
出版社:The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要:Fas ligand- (FasL) mediated apoptosis is an important element of tissue-specific organ damage. We have developed biologically active small exocyclic peptide mimetics that disable apoptotic functions of Fas. The most effective mimetic binds to both its receptor and FasL with comparable affinity. In vitro, the most effective antagonist blocked FasL-induced cytotoxicity completely and specifically. In vivo, the antagonistic mimetic also prevented Concanavilin A (Con A) induced hepatitis, a CD4+ T cell-mediated animal model of liver injury. Although current approaches prevent Fas receptor signaling by excluding FasL binding to Fas, the small molecule mimetics reported here disable Fas by promoting a defective Fas-FasL receptor complex. This event desensitizes FasL-mediated apoptosis by inhibiting extracellular signal regulated kinase activity and up-regulating NF-{kappa}B.