Photoswitchable diazocine derivative for adenosine A3 receptor activation in psoriasis

Incorporating photoisomerizable moieties within drugs offers the possibility of rapid and reversible light-dependent switching between active and inactive configurations. Here, we developed a photoswitchable adenosine A3 receptor (A3R) agonist that confers optical control on this G protein-coupled r...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Tosh, Diliip K., López-Cano, Marc, Scortichini, Mirko, Salmaso, Veronica, Ko, Tongil, Salort, Glòria, Filgaira Enri, Ingrid, Soler Prat, Concepció, Trauner, Dirk, Hernando, Jordi, Jacobson, Kenneth A., Ciruela Alférez, Francisco
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/223049
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/223049
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Adenosina
Inflamació
Psoriasi
Adenosine
Inflammation
Psoriasis
Description
Summary:Incorporating photoisomerizable moieties within drugs offers the possibility of rapid and reversible light-dependent switching between active and inactive configurations. Here, we developed a photoswitchable adenosine A3 receptor (A3R) agonist that confers optical control on this G protein-coupled receptor through noninvasive topical skin irradiation in an animal model of psoriasis. This was achieved by covalently bonding an adenosine-5′-methyluronamide moiety to a diazocine photochrome, whose singular photoswitching properties facilitated repeated interconversion between a thermally stable, biologically inactive Z agonist form and a photoinduced, pharmacologically active E configuration. As a result, our photoswitchable agonist allowed the precise modulation of A3R function both in vitro and in vivo, which led to a clear light-controlled pharmacotherapeutic effect on mouse skin lesions. This breakthrough not only demonstrates the potential of diazocine photoswitches for in vivo photopharmacology but also paves the way for the development of new strategies for skin-related diseases that require localized and temporally controlled drug action.