Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2827545 | Blood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases | 2011 | 10 Pages |
The β-hemoglobinopathies and thalassemias are serious genetic blood disorders affecting the β-globin chain of hemoglobin A (α2βΑ2). Their clinical severity can be reduced by enhancing expression of fetal hemoglobin (γ-globin), producing HbF (α2γ2,). In studies reported here, γ-globin induction by 23 novel, structurally-unrelated compounds, which had been predicted through molecular modeling and in silico screening of a 13,000 chemical library, was evaluated in vitro in erythroid progenitors cultured from normal subjects and β-thalassemia patients, and in vivo in transgenic mice or anemic baboons. Four predicted candidates were found to have high potency, with 4- to 8-fold induction of HbF. Two of these compounds have pharmacokinetic profiles favorable for clinical application. These studies thus effectively identified high potency γ-globin inducing candidate therapeutics and validated the utility of in silico molecular modeling.