Multifaceted Actions of Neurosteroids

Neurosteroids modulate neuronal function and are promising therapeutic agents for neuropsychiatric disorders. Neurosteroid analogues are approved for treating postpartum depression and are of interest in other disorders. GABA-A receptors are well characterized targets of natural neurosteroids, but other biological pathways are likely relevant to therapeutic mechanisms and/or to off-target effects. We performed hypothesis-generating in silico analyses and broad in vitro biological screens to assess the range of actions of neurosteroids analogues of varying structural attributes.

We employed in silico molecular similarity analysis and network pharmacology to elucidate likely targets. This analysis confirmed likely targets beyond GABA-A receptors. We then functionally screened 19 distinct neurosteroid structures across 78 targets representing interconnected signaling pathways, complemented with a limited screen of kinase activation. Results revealed unanticipated modulation of targets by neurosteroids with some structural selectivity. Many compounds-initiated androgen receptor translocation with little or no enantioselectivity. Modulation of multiple G-protein receptors was also unexpected.

Neurosteroids are ascendant treatments in neuropsychiatry, but their full spectrum of actions remains unclear. This virtual and biological screening discovery approach opens new vistas for exploring mechanism of neurosteroids analogues. The multifaceted approach provides an unbiased, holistic exploration of the potential effects of neurosteroids across various molecular targets and provides a platform for future validation studies to aid drug discovery.