Development of a novel therapy for systolic heart failure.

Corey Pollock; Xilun Wang; Hussam Alsaraji; Joseph Menassa; George Mbogo; Dimuthu Angage; Benjamin Richards; Jason Glab; Keshava K Datta; Liana Theodoridis; Steve Petrovski; Daniel Donner; Yuvixza Lizarme-Salas; Xiao-Jun Du; Michael Foley; Brian J Smith; Belinda Abbott; Hamsa Puthalakath
Abstract
Heart failure presents a critical health challenge with a 5-year mortality rate of up to 50%. Conventional treatments often lead to bradycardia or hypotension due to their impact on patient hemodynamics. To address this issue, we utilized high-throughput drug screening combined with structure-activity relationship-based medicinal chemistry to develop a novel drug-like compound that effectively blocks the β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) mediated apoptosis pathway. This compound demonstrated both safety and efficacy in pre-clinical mouse models without adversely affecting cardiac output. Through thermal proteome profiling mass spectrometry, we identified the compound's target as Wdr3, a regulator of the Hippo signaling pathway. This target identification was further validated using CRISPR-based knockout experiments. Our findings provide a valuable framework for the development of hemodynamically neutral therapies aimed at treating systolic heart failure.
Journal EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
ISSN 1757-4684
Published 04 Aug 2025
Volume
Issue
Pages
DOI 10.1038/s44321-025-00284-6
Type Journal Article
Sponsorship