Strategies and considerations of G-protein-coupled receptor photopharmacology

G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) pharmacology tends to be complex and at times poorly understood. This has led to the development of GPCR-targeting agents that often demonstrate poor pharmacokinetic properties and poor selectivity for their target receptors. One approach that is emerging as a means of addressing these limitations is the use of molecules whose activity can be controlled by light. Photopharmacology involves the incorporation of a photoswitch into the structure of a given compound, cage or linker and following irradiation with light, undergoes a structural rearrangement, which changes its biological activity. The use of light-regulated ligands offers the opportunity to modulate and understand GPCR signaling in a more spatiotemporal manner than classical pharmacological approaches. In this chapter we will discuss some of the advancements that have been made in photopharmacology, particularly in developing photoswitchable ligands that target class A GPCRs, e.g., muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, class B GPCRs, e.g., glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor, and class C GPCRs, e.g., metabotrobic glutamate receptors. Given the intricacy of GPCR pharmacology, this chapter will also discuss some of the challenges the field faces when designing photopharmacological tools. Furthermore, it will propose that it is with a full appreciation of the spectrum of pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of photoswitchable ligands that research will be better placed to develop ligands with a reduced risk of failure during preclinical progression. This will likely enable photopharmacological approaches to continue to find novel applications and offer new perspectives in understanding (patho)physiology to ultimately inform future GPCR drug discovery efforts.