Diabetes Drug Discovery: hIAPP_1-37 Polymorphic Amyloid Structures as Novel Therapeutic Targets

Human islet amyloid peptide (hIAPP_1-37) aggregation is an early step in Diabetes Mellitus. We aimed to evaluate a family of pharmaco-chaperones to act as modulators that provide dynamic interventions and the multi-target capacity (native state, cytotoxic oligomers, protofilaments and fibrils of hIAPP_1-37) required to meet the treatment challenges of diabetes. We used a cross-functional approach that combines in silico and in vitro biochemical and biophysical methods to study the hIAPP_1-37 aggregation-oligomerization process as to reveal novel potential anti-diabetic drugs. The family of pharmaco-chaperones are modulators of the oligomerization and fibre formation of hIAPP_1-37. When they interact with the amino acid in the amyloid-like steric zipper zone, they inhibit and/or delay the aggregation-oligomerization pathway by binding and stabilizing several amyloid structures of hIAPP_1-37. Moreover, they can protect cerebellar granule cells (CGC) from the cytotoxicity produced by the hIAPP_1-37 oligomers. The modulation of proteostasis by the family of pharmaco-chaperones A-F is a promising potential approach to limit the onset and progression of diabetes and its comorbidities.