Deciphering the potential molecular mechanism of resmetirom in idiosyncratic drug- induced autoimmune hepatitis using network toxicology and molecular docking

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved resmetirom, a thyroid hormone receptor- β agonist in 2024 as the first drug for NASH with F2-F3 fibrosis. Nonetheless, rare adverse events such as idiosyncratic drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis (DI-AIH) have been reported, with unclear mechanisms. This study investigates the potential toxicological mechanisms of resmetirom in idiosyncratic DI-AIH using network toxicology combined with molecular docking. 26 core targets were identified, with the foremost five being SRC, PIK3CA, PIK3CD, HSP90AA1, and AKT1. These targets are involved in three immune-related signalling pathways, including T-cell receptor (TCR) signalling, C-type lectin receptor (CLR) signalling, and PI3K/Akt signalling. The predicted interaction of resmetirom with SRC may disrupt CLR signalling in dendritic cells, driving excessive IL-12 and IL-6 production and promoting Th1 and Th17 differentiation. Both TCR and CLR pathways critically converge downstream via PI3K/Akt, which serves as a shared hub. Dysregulation of PI3K/Akt may drive excessive IL-12 production in dendritic cells and may enhance inflammatory responses in T cells. Besides, disruption of HSP90 may further destabilize Akt, hence compromising PI3K/Akt pathway function. These dysregulated pathways may contribute to hepatocellular injury characteristic of DI-AIH. Molecular docking showed strong binding affinities between resmetirom and all identified core targets. Despite these computational predictions offer mechanistic insights into resmetirom-induced DI-AIH, experimental validation is crucial to confirm these findings. After validation, this work may help identify patients at risk and support precision medicine approaches in NASH treatment.