Prospect of acromegaly therapy: molecular mechanism of clinical drugs octreotide and paltusotine

Somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) is highly expressed in neuroendocrine tumors and represents as a therapeutic target. Several peptide analogs mimicking the endogenous ligand somatostatin are available for clinical use, but poor therapeutic effects occur in a subset of patients, which may be correlated with subtype selectivity or cell surface expression. Here, we clarify the signal bias profiles of the first-generation peptide drug octreotide and a new-generation small molecule paltusotine by evaluating their pharmacological characteristics. We then perform cryo-electron microscopy analysis of SSTR2-Gi complexes to determine how the drugs activate SSTR2 in a selective manner. In this work, we decipher the mechanism of ligand recognition, subtype selectivity and signal bias property of SSTR2 sensing octreotide and paltusotine, which may aid in designing therapeutic drugs with specific pharmacological profiles against neuroendocrine tumors. Somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) represents a therapeutic target of neuroendocrine tumors. Here, authors report two structures of SSTR2 bound to peptide octreotide and small molecule paltusotine, revealing the basis subtype selectivity and signal bias properties.

Automated summary

The study investigates the activation mechanism of somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) by two drugs, octreotide and paltusotine, and reveals their subtype selectivity and signal bias properties. The findings may guide the development of therapeutic drugs against neuroendocrine tumors with specific pharmacological profiles.