AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

Th2 Cells in Health and Disease

Helper T (Th) cell subsets direct immune responses by producing signature cytokines. Th2 cells produce IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, which are important in humoral immunity and protection from helminth infection and are central to the pathogenesis of many allergic inflammatory diseases. Molecular analysis of Th2 cell differentiation and maintenance of function has led to recent discoveries that have refined our understanding of Th2 cell biology. Epigenetic regulation of Gata3 expression by chromatin remodeling complexes such as Polycomb and Trithorax is crucial for maintaining Th2 cell identity. In the context of allergic diseases, memory-type pathogenic Th2 cells have been identified in both mice and humans. To better understand these disease-driving cell populations, we have developed a model called the pathogenic Th population disease induction model. The concept of defined subsets of pathogenic Th cells may spur new, effective strategies for treating intractable chronic inflammatory disorders

Th2 Cells in Health and Disease

Helper T (Th) cell subsets direct immune responses by producing signature cytokines. Th2 cells produce IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, which are important in humoral immunity and protection from helminth infection and are central to the pathogenesis of many allergic inflammatory diseases. Molecular analysis of Th2 cell differentiation and maintenance of function has led to recent discoveries that have refined our understanding of Th2 cell biology. Epigenetic regulation of Gata3 expression by chromatin remodeling complexes such as Polycomb and Trithorax is crucial for maintaining Th2 cell identity. In the context of allergic diseases, memory-type pathogenic Th2 cells have been identified in both mice and humans. To better understand these disease-driving cell populations, we have developed a model called the pathogenic Th population disease induction model. The concept of defined subsets of pathogenic Th cells may spur new, effective strategies for treating intractable chronic inflammatory disorders

Obesity Drives Th17 Cell Differentiation by Inducing the Lipid Metabolic Kinase, ACC1

Chronic inflammation due to obesity contributes to the development of metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Reciprocal interactions between metabolic systems and immune cells have pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated diseases, although the mechanisms regulating obesity-associated inflammatory diseases are still unclear. In the present study, we performed transcriptional profiling of memory phenotype CD4 T cells in high-fat-fed mice and identified acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1, the gene product of Acaca) as an essential regulator of Th17 cell differentiation in vitro and of the pathogenicity of Th17 cells in vivo. ACC1 modulates the DNA binding of RORγt to target genes in differentiating Th17 cells. In addition, we found a strong correlation between IL-17A-producing CD45RO+CD4 T cells and the expression of ACACA in obese subjects. Thus, ACC1 confers the appropriate function of RORγt through fatty acid synthesis and regulates the obesity-related pathology of Th17 cells

Expression of survivin in lung eosinophils is associated with pathology in a mouse model of allergic asthma

© The Japanese Society for Immunology 2009.Humans vary markedly in their propensity to develop asthma, despite often being exposed to similar environmental stimuli. Similarly, mouse strains vary in susceptibility to airways pathology in experimental asthma. Sensitization and aerosol challenge with ovalbumin (OVA) induces eosinophil accumulation, mucus production and airways obstruction in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, CBA/Ca mice show relatively little pathology. Allergen-induced production of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IFN- was detected in all three strains, with BALB/c mice generating the highest levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10. Microarray analysis was used to identify genes differentially regulated in lung tissue after OVA challenge. Differentially regulated genes in the lungs of the asthma-susceptible C57BL/6 and BALB/c strains numbered 242 and 145, respectively, whereas only 42 genes were differentially expressed in the resistant CBA/Ca strain. In C57BL/6 mice, transcripts were enriched for adhesion molecules and this was associated with high levels of eosinophil recruitment. Differentially regulated genes in the lungs of only the asthma-susceptible strains numbered 64 and several of these have not previously been associated with asthma. Many of the genes differentially regulated in the susceptible strains were enzymes involved in inflammation. Using network analysis, mRNA for the anti-apoptotic protein survivin was found to be up-regulated in the lungs following allergen challenge. Survivin mRNA and protein were also expressed at high levels in eosinophils recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage from BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. We propose that rapid apoptosis of lung eosinophils due to low expression of survivin contributes to the limitation of pathology in CBA/Ca mice.Damon J. Tumes, Ashley Connolly and Lindsay A. Den