Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitors for diabetes

Theodore O Johnson1, Jacques Ermolieff, Michael R Jirousek

  • 1Pfizer Global Research and Development, La Jolla Laboratories, 10770 Science Center Drive, San Diego, California 92121, USA.

Insights

New treatments are needed for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a potential target for drugs aimed at improving insulin and leptin resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Metabolic Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Rising rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity highlight the need for novel therapeutic agents.
  • Insulin and leptin resistance are key features of both type 2 diabetes and obesity.
  • Agents that can overcome this resistance may offer effective treatments for these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) as a potential therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes.
  • To discuss the challenges associated with developing small-molecule inhibitors for PTP1B.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of PTP1B's role in insulin and leptin signaling.
  • Analysis of current research on small-molecule PTP1B inhibitors.

Main Results:

  • PTP1B acts as a negative regulator in insulin and leptin signal transduction pathways.
  • Developing effective and selective small-molecule inhibitors for PTP1B presents significant challenges.

Conclusions:

  • PTP1B is a promising novel target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and potentially obesity.
  • Further research is needed to overcome the hurdles in developing PTP1B-targeted therapies.

Related Concept Videos

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors01:27

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors01:23

Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 Inhibitors

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) is a serine protease widely distributed in the body. It's involved in the inactivation of GLP-1 and GIP hormones, which are crucial for insulin regulation. DPP-4 inhibitors, such as sitagliptin (Januvia), saxagliptin (Onglyza), linagliptin (Tradjenta), alogliptin (Nesina), and vildagliptin (Galvus), help increase the proportion of active GLP-1, enhancing insulin secretion. These inhibitors work by competitively binding to DPP-4. This binding causes a significant...
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones01:26

Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones

Biguanides, particularly metformin (Glucophage), are insulin sensitizers that enhance glucose uptake, thereby reducing insulin resistance. Unlike sulfonylureas, metformin doesn't prompt insulin secretion, which helps to curb hypoglycemia risk. Metformin is beneficial in treating conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome due to its insulin-resistance reduction capability. The drug's primary action involves curtailing hepatic gluconeogenesis, a significant contributor to high blood glucose levels...
Glucagon-like Receptor Agonists01:24

Glucagon-like Receptor Agonists

Incretins include glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), which stimulate insulin secretion post-meals. In type 2 diabetes, GIP's efficacy is reduced, making GLP-1 a viable drug target. GIP originates from preproGIP.
GLP-1, when administered in high doses intravenously, triggers insulin secretion, inhibits glucagon release, slows gastric emptying, reduces food intake, and restores normal insulin secretion. However, its rapid inactivation by the...
Type I Diabetes I: Introduction01:12

Type I Diabetes I: Introduction

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by an absolute deficiency of insulin resulting from the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells. Although it can occur at any age, it is most commonly diagnosed in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. The loss of insulin production impairs cellular glucose uptake, resulting in persistent hyperglycemia and necessitating lifelong insulin therapy.Autoimmune Destruction of β-CellsThe hallmark of type 1 diabetes is an...
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: α-Glucosidase Inhibitors01:19

Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: α-Glucosidase Inhibitors

α-glucosidase inhibitors, including acarbose (Precose), miglitol (Glyset), and voglibose (Voglib) (primarily available in Asia), are drugs that control blood sugar levels by delaying the digestion of starch and disaccharides. They achieve this by inhibiting α-glucosidase enzymes in the intestine, which slow the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestine, which in turn leads to a prolonged release of the glucoregulatory hormone GLP-1 from intestinal L-cells.
Acarbose and miglitol are typically...