Chemical activation of mitochondrial ClpP to modulate energy metabolism of CD4+ T cell for inflammatory bowel diseases treatment
Jiangnan Zhang, Yunhan Jiang, Dongmei Fan, Zhiqiang Qiu, Xinlian He, Song Liu, Linjie Li, Zhengyi Dai, Lidan Zhang, Ziyi Shu, Lili Li, Hu Zhang, Tao Yang, Youfu Luo
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disorder, and despite the availability of multiple Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapies, current clinical needs remain unmet. In this study, we find that caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) expression is markedly upregulated in colonic tissues from IBD patients and preclinical colitis models, particularly in CD4 + T cells. Subsequently, a small molecule, namely NCA029, is identified, and its therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of action are investigated both in vitro and in vivo . Oral administration of NCA029 significantly alleviates symptoms associated with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute and interleukin (IL)-10-deficient chronic colitis. The effects of NCA029 are largely dependent on its selective binding to ClpP in CD4 + T cells, thereby mitigating inflammation and restoring intestinal barrier function. Furthermore, NCA029 activates ClpP to promote oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) inhibition and concomitantly modulate the Th17/Treg balance. In conclusion, our study develops a therapeutic strategy for treating IBD through the chemical activation of ClpP. • ClpP expression is increased in colonic tissues of IBD patients and colitis models • Chemical activation of mitochondrial ClpP alleviates IBD symptoms • ClpP activator inhibits OXPHOS and regulates the Th17/Treg balance Zhang et al. discover that chemical activation of mitochondrial ClpP disrupts the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, affecting OXPHOS in CD4 + T cells. This disruption is crucial for regulating the Th17/Treg cells balance, ultimately alleviating symptoms of experimental inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).