Physiol. Res. 67 (Suppl. 1): S37-S54, 2018 https://doi.org/10.33549/physiolres.933872 REVIEW New Drugs and Emerging Therapeutic Targets in the Endothelin Signaling Pathway and Prospects for Personalized Precision Medicine A. P. DAVENPORT1, R. E. KUC1, C. SOUTHAN2, J. J. MAGUIRE1 1Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2Deanery of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Received January 26, 2018 Accepted March 29, 2018 Summary Key words During the last thirty years since the discovery of endothelin-1, Allosteric modulators • Biased signaling • G-protein coupled the therapeutic strategy that has evolved in the clinic, mainly in receptors • Endothelin-1 • Monoclonal antibodies • Pepducins • the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, is to block the Single nucleotide polymorphisms action of the peptide either at the ETA subtype or both receptors using orally active small molecule antagonists. Recently, there Corresponding author has been a rapid expansion in research targeting ET receptors A. P. Davenport, Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapeutics, using chemical entities other than small molecules, particularly University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, monoclonal antibody antagonists and selective peptide agonists CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom. Fax: 01223 762576. E-mail: and antagonists. While usually sacrificing oral bio-availability,
[email protected] these compounds have other therapeutic advantages with the potential to considerably expand drug targets in the endothelin Introduction pathway and extend treatment to other pathophysiological conditions. Where the small molecule approach has been During the last thirty years since the discovery retained, a novel strategy to combine two vasoconstrictor of endothelin-1 (ET-1), the therapeutic strategy that has targets, the angiotensin AT1 receptor as well as the ETA receptor evolved in the clinic, mainly in the treatment of in the dual antagonist sparsentan has been developed.