In respect of clinical development Takeda has

In respect of clinical development Takeda has pioneered the field with the GPR40 agonist TAK-875 or fasiglifam (Figure 2A), which in phase-II studies decreased HbA1c as efficiently as sulfonylurea without signs of hypoglycemia [24]. This was obtained with surprisingly little effect on systemic insulin and no effect on plasma GLP-1 [25], [26]. Recently the TAK-875 program was, however stopped in phase-III due to liver toxicity, which probably is not GPR40-mediated as the receptor is not expressed in the liver. A new series of GPR40 agonists were by the Amgen group shown to be positive ago-allosteric modulators [27], [28], [29], i.e. compounds which both act as agonists and as allosteric modulators increasing the potency and/or the efficacy of other agonists, for example the endogenous agonists [30]. Interestingly, this new class of ago-allosteric modulators improved D-(-)-Salicin mg tolerance not only through direct stimulation of insulin secretion but also through stimulation of GLP-1 [28], [29], [31]. In the present study we compare a series of GPR40 agonists in respect of their signal transduction and binding properties and their ability to stimulate GLP-1 and GIP release ex vivo and increase plasma concentrations of these incretins in vivo. Surprisingly, we find that GPR40 can couple efficiently not only through Gq but also through Gs to increase cAMP concentrations, which however is a property restricted to a sub-set of GPR40 agonists and is associated with the ability to stimulate incretin secretion in a robust manner as compared to the agonists, which like the endogenous lipid ligands only are able to signal through Gq. Unexpectedly both Gq-only and Gq + Gs agonists docked well into the binding site of the Gq-only agonist, TAK-875 in the recently published high resolution X-ray structure of GPR40 [32].
Materials and methods
Results
Discussion In the present study we find that GPR40, which generally is considered to be a Gq coupled receptor surprisingly can signal efficiently through Gs to increase intracellular cAMP; however not in response to the endogenous lipid ligands but in a ligand-dependent biased way, i.e. in response to some but not other synthetic agonists. Importantly, compounds which are capable of activating both the Gq and the Gs signaling pathway are particular efficient incretin secretagogues, i.e. these compound stimulate GLP-1 and GIP secretion robustly both ex vivo and in vivo.
Conclusion
Acknowledgments We are grateful for the expert technical assistance from Susanne Hummelgaard and for statistical support from Frank Eriksson. The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research (http://www.metabol.ku.dk) is supported by an unconditional grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to University of Copenhagen. The project was also supported by the UNIK project for Food, Fitness & Pharma (http://www.foodfitnesspharma.ku.dk) from the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. M.H. and M.A.V. received PhD scholarships from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most prevalent form of diabetes affecting over 300 million people worldwide and therefore constitutes a serious global health issue. T2DM is a polygenic syndrome with not only a hereditary component but also a environmental etiology. T2DM is caused by inadequate sensitivity of cells to the action of insulin and/or insufficient insulin production by pancreatic beta cells. Obesity is also a risk factor for T2DM. In most individuals, the pancreatic beta cells compensate for obesity-associated insulin resistance by expanding their functional mass and increasing the secretion of insulin. The failure of the beta cells to realize this compensation results in the development of T2DM in a subset of ca. 20% of obese individuals., The recent discovery of the G-protein-coupled receptor GPR40 with high expression levels in pancreatic beta cells and its ability to induce glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) upon activation, sparked interest in GPR40 as a potential therapeutic target to enhance insulin secretion in type 2 diabetics. GPR40, also known as free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1), is a member of the rhodopsin family of G-protein coupled receptors that were shown to be endogenously activated by medium- to long-chain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (C) through receptor deorphanization studies., , At least three distinct binding sites have been identified on the GPR40 receptor with two types of synthetic agonists discovered based on their binding sites, ligand specificities and degree of intrinsic activity.