Methyl Fumarate-Derived Iron Carbonyl Complexes (FumET-CORMs) as Powerful Anti-inflammatory Agents

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by dendritic cell (DC)-driven activation of pro-inflammatory T cell responses. Therapeutic options for these severe diseases comprise small molecules such as dimethyl fumarate, or "gasotransmitters" such as CO. Herein we describe the synthesis of bifunctional enzyme-triggered CO-releasing molecules (ET-CORMs) that allow the simultaneous intracellular release of both CO and methyl fumarate. Using bone-marrow-derived DCs the impressive therapeutic potential of these methyl fumarate-derived compounds (FumET-CORMs) is demonstrated by strong inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory signaling pathways and blockade of downstream interleukin-12 or -23 production. The data also show that FumET-CORMs are able to transform DCs into an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Thus, these novel compounds have great clinical potential, for example, for the treatment of psoriasis or other inflammatory conditions of the skin.