Fragment-Based Discovery of Drug-like LRH-1 Agonists

The phospholipid sensing transcription factor liver receptor homologue 1 (LRH-1) participates in the transcriptional regulation of metabolic balance and inflammation in liver, pancreas, and other tissues. It is an emerging target for metabolic dysfunction, fatty liver disease, and cancer, but LRH-1 modulators are rare and lack drug-like properties. We discovered new LRH-1 ligands with improved physicochemical features in a fragment-based approach and optimized a venlafaxine-related lead for LRH-1 activation. Despite a strict structure-activity relationship, systematic structural variation resulted in a new LRH-1 agonist scaffold with strong activation efficacy, validated direct and cellular target engagement, and anti-inflammatory and ER-stress-resolving properties in functional cellular settings.