@article{SpahnDelVecchioLabuzetal.2017, author = {Spahn, Viola and Del Vecchio, Giovanna and Labuz, Dominika and Rodriguez-Gaztelumendi, Antonio and Massaly, N. and Temp, Julia and Durmaz, Vedat and Sabri, P. and Reidelbach, Marco and Machelska, Halina and Weber, Marcus and Stein, Christoph}, title = {A nontoxic pain killer designed by modeling of pathological receptor conformations}, volume = {355}, journal = {Science}, number = {6328}, doi = {10.1126/science.aai8636}, pages = {966 -- 969}, year = {2017}, language = {en} } @article{SpahnDelVecchioRodriguezGaztelumendietal.2018, author = {Spahn, Viola and Del Vecchio, Giovanna and Rodriguez-Gaztelumendi, Antonio and Temp, Julia and Labuz, Dominika and Kloner, Michael and Reidelbach, Marco and Machelska, Halina and Weber, Marcus and Stein, Christoph}, title = {Opioid receptor signaling, analgesic and side effects induced by a computationally designed pH-dependent agonist}, volume = {8}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, pages = {8965}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Novel pain killers without adverse effects are urgently needed.}, language = {en} } @article{DelVecchioLabuzTempetal.2019, author = {Del Vecchio, Giovanna and Labuz, Dominika and Temp, Julia and Seitz, Viola and Kloner, Michael and Negrete, Roger and Rodriguez-Gaztelumendi, Antonio and Weber, Marcus and Machelska, Halina and Stein, Christoph}, title = {pKa of opioid ligands as a discriminating factor for side effects}, volume = {9}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-019-55886-1}, pages = {19344}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The non-selective activation of central and peripheral opioid receptors is a major shortcoming of currently available opioids. Targeting peripheral opioid receptors is a promising strategy to preclude side effects. Recently, we showed that fentanyl-derived μ-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists with reduced acid dissociation constants (pKa) due to introducing single fluorine atoms produced injury-restricted antinociception in rat models of inflammatory, postoperative and neuropathic pain. Here, we report that a new double-fluorinated compound (FF6) and fentanyl show similar pKa, MOR affinity and [35S]-GTPγS binding at low and physiological pH values. In vivo, FF6 produced antinociception in injured and non-injured tissue, and induced sedation and constipation. The comparison of several fentanyl derivatives revealed a correlation between pKa values and pH-dependent MOR activation, antinociception and side effects. An opioid ligand's pKa value may be used as discriminating factor to design safer analgesics.}, language = {en} } @article{ThiesSunkaraRayetal.2023, author = {Thies, Arne and Sunkara, Vikram and Ray, Sourav and Wulkow, Hanna and Celik, M. {\"O}zg{\"u}r and Yerg{\"o}z, Fatih and Sch{\"u}tte, Christof and Stein, Christoph and Weber, Marcus and Winkelmann, Stefanie}, title = {Modelling altered signalling of G-protein coupled receptors in inflamed environment to advance drug design}, volume = {13}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {607}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-023-27699-w}, year = {2023}, abstract = {We previously reported the successful design, synthesis and testing of the prototype opioid painkiller NFEPP that does not elicit adverse side effects. The design process of NFEPP was based on mathematical modelling of extracellular interactions between G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ligands, recognizing that GPCRs function differently under pathological versus healthy conditions. We now present an additional and novel stochastic model of GPCR function that includes intracellular dissociation of G-protein subunits and modulation of plasma membrane calcium channels and their dependence on parameters of inflamed and healthy tissue (pH, radicals). The model is validated against in vitro experimental data for the ligands NFEPP and fentanyl at different pH values and radical concentrations. We observe markedly reduced binding affinity and calcium channel inhibition for NFEPP at normal pH compared to lower pH, in contrast to the effect of fentanyl. For increasing radical concentrations, we find enhanced constitutive G-protein activation but reduced ligand binding affinity. Assessing the different effects, the results suggest that, compared to radicals, low pH is a more important determinant of overall GPCR function in an inflamed environment. Future drug design efforts should take this into account.}, language = {en} } @article{RayFackeldeySteinetal.2023, author = {Ray, Sourav and Fackeldey, Konstantin and Stein, Christoph and Weber, Marcus}, title = {Coarse Grained MD Simulations of Opioid interactions with the µ-opioid receptor and the surrounding lipid membrane}, volume = {3}, journal = {Biophysica}, number = {2}, doi = {10.3390/biophysica3020017}, pages = {263 -- 275}, year = {2023}, abstract = {In our previous studies, a new opioid (NFEPP) was developed to only selectively bind to the 𝜇-opoid receptor (MOR) in inflamed tissue and thus avoid the severe side effects of fentanyl. We know that NFEPP has a reduced binding affinity to MOR in healthy tissue. Inspired by the modelling and simulations performed by Sutcliffe et al., we present our own results of coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations of fentanyl and NFEPP with regards to their interaction with the 𝜇-opioid receptor embedded within the lipid cell membrane. For technical reasons, we have slightly modified Sutcliffe's parametrisation of opioids. The pH-dependent opioid simulations are of interest because while fentanyl is protonated at the physiological pH, NFEPP is deprotonated due to its lower pKa value than that of fentanyl. Here, we analyse for the first time whether pH changes have an effect on the dynamical behaviour of NFEPP when it is inside the cell membrane. Besides these changes, our analysis shows a possible alternative interaction of NFEPP at pH 7.4 outside the binding region of the MOR. The interaction potential of NFEPP with MOR is also depicted by analysing the provided statistical molecular dynamics simulations with the aid of an eigenvector analysis of a transition rate matrix. In our modelling, we see differences in the XY-diffusion profiles of NFEPP compared with fentanyl in the cell membrane.}, language = {en} }