Novel Dual-Pharmacophore TrxR Inhibitors Integrating Ferroptosis and Antitumor Immunity: A Closed-Loop Strategy for TIME Remodeling

  • J Med Chem. 2026 May 14;69(9):10811-10827. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6c00026.
Zhongren Xu  1 ,  Zhibin Yang  2 ,  Lin Lv  1 ,  Jiaqi Yang  1 ,  Wukun Liu  1
Affiliations
  • 1. Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China.
  • 2. Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Entomological Biopharmaceutical R&D, Dali University, Dali 671000, P. R. China.
PMID: 42026713 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6c00026
Abstract

Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) overexpression in tumors is a marker of poor prognosis for liver Cancer. Current TrxR inhibitors primarily feature a single pharmacophore. However, dual-pharmacophore TrxR inhibitors have been rarely reported, lacking a clear report on the relationship between their antitumor and potential regulation of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Here, we developed a series of dual-pharmacophore TrxR inhibitors via traditional Chinese medicine-ligand synergistic strategy (TLSS). The superior Fa-Au potently inhibited TrxR, suppressed tumor growth, and remodeled TIME by promoting M1 macrophage polarization, DCs maturation, CD8+ T cell activation, and reducing Tregs. Mechanistically, Fa-Au induced oxidative stress and mitochondria-associated Ferroptosis via TrxR/GPX4 downregulation, triggering immunogenic cell death (ICD). Therefore, we speculated that Fa-Au induced a novel antitumor immune feedback to stimulate CD8+ T cells and induce Ferroptosis through the axis (IFN-γ/STAT1/SLC7A11). This study presents promising applications of dual-pharmacophore TrxR inhibitors as potential chemoimmunotherapeutic agents for Cancer treatment.

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