Discovery of an Orally Active Small-Molecule Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitor

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is an important therapeutic target for rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and septic hepatitis. In this study, structure-based virtual ligand screening combined with in vitro and in vivo assays were applied. A lead compound, benpyrine, could directly bind to TNF-alpha and block TNF-alpha-trigged signaling activation. Furthermore, the endotoxemic murine model showed that benpyrine could attenuate TNF-alpha-induced inflammation, thereby reducing liver and lung injury. Meanwhile, administration of benpyrine by gavage significantly relieved the symptoms of collagen-induced arthritis and imiquimod-induced psoriasiform inflammation in mice. Thus, our study discovered a novel, highly specific, and orally active small-molecule TNF-alpha inhibitor that is potentially useful for treating TNF-alpha-mediated inflammatory and autoimmune disease.