Newly Identified Targets of Aspirin and Its Primary Metabolite, Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid (SA) is a plant hormone, which influences several physiological processes, and is a critical modulator of multiple levels of immunity in plants. Several high-throughput screens, which were developed to identify SA-binding proteins through which SA mediates its many physiological effects in plants, uncovered several novel targets of aspirin and its primary metabolite, SA, in humans. These include glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), two proteins associated with some of the most prevalent and devastating human diseases. In addition, natural and synthetic SA derivatives were discovered, which are much more potent than SA at inhibiting the disease-associated activities of these targets.