Dimethyl fumarate targets GAPDH and aerobic glycolysis to modulate immunity

MD Kornberg, P Bhargava, PM Kim, V Putluri… - Science, 2018 - science.org
MD Kornberg, P Bhargava, PM Kim, V Putluri, AM Snowman, N Putluri, PA Calabresi
Science, 2018science.org
Activated immune cells undergo a metabolic switch to aerobic glycolysis akin to the Warburg
effect, thereby presenting a potential therapeutic target in autoimmune disease. Dimethyl
fumarate (DMF), a derivative of the Krebs cycle intermediate fumarate, is an
immunomodulatory drug used to treat multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. Although its
therapeutic mechanism remains uncertain, DMF covalently modifies cysteine residues in a
process termed succination. We found that DMF succinates and inactivates the catalytic …
Activated immune cells undergo a metabolic switch to aerobic glycolysis akin to the Warburg effect, thereby presenting a potential therapeutic target in autoimmune disease. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a derivative of the Krebs cycle intermediate fumarate, is an immunomodulatory drug used to treat multiple sclerosis and psoriasis. Although its therapeutic mechanism remains uncertain, DMF covalently modifies cysteine residues in a process termed succination. We found that DMF succinates and inactivates the catalytic cysteine of the glycolytic enzyme glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in mice and humans, both in vitro and in vivo. It thereby down-regulates aerobic glycolysis in activated myeloid and lymphoid cells, which mediates its anti-inflammatory effects. Our results provide mechanistic insight into immune modulation by DMF and represent a proof of concept that aerobic glycolysis is a therapeutic target in autoimmunity.
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