Greek and Cypriot scientists have identified two small molecules that could be pursued as potential treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases. Both molecules, known as T23 and T8, inhibit the function of a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF), which is involved in inflammation in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and more. Drugs that inhibit TNF's function are considered the most effective way to combat such diseases. However, not all patients respond to them, and their effectiveness can wear off over time.
Melagraki G, Ntougkos E, Rinotas V, Papaneophytou C, Leonis G, Mavromoustakos T, et al. (2017) Cheminformatics-aided discovery of small-molecule Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) dual inhibitors of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) and Receptor Activator of NF-κB Ligand (RANKL). PLoS Comput Biol 13(4): e1005372