SAR study of celastrol analogs targeting Nur77-mediated inflammatory pathway

Nur77, an orphan member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, plays an important role in the regulation of inflammatory processes. Our previous work found that celastrol, a pentacyclic triterpene, bound to Nur77 to inhibit inflammation in a Nur77-dependent manner. Celastrol binding to Nur77 promotes Nur77 translocation from nucleus to cytoplasm, resulting in clearance of inflamed mitochondria and then alleviation of inflammation. Here, we report the design, synthesis, SAR study and biological evaluation of a series of celastrol analogs. A total of 24 celastrol derivatives were made. Compound 3a with a Kd of 0.87 μM was found to be less toxic than celastrol and could be a hit molecule for further optimization.