Structure-based design and synthesis of a thyroid hormone receptor (TR) antagonist

Antagonists have been developed for several nuclear receptors but not for others, including TRs. TR antagonists may have significant clinical utility for treating hormone excess states and other conditions. A structure derived "extension hypothesis" was applied to synthesize a TR antagonist. The principal design feature was to attach an extension group to a TR agonist whose structure would perturb formation of the TR coactivator-binding surface. The compound, 3,5-dibromo-4-(3′,5′-diisopropyl-4′-hydroxyphenoxy)benzoic acid, has no (TRα) or very weak partial (TRβ) TR agonist activity and blocks TR binding of T₃, formation of the coactivator-binding surface, and both a positive T₃ response on a thyroid hormone response element and a negative T₃ response on the TSHβ promoter in cultured cells. The results suggest that 3,5-dibromo-4-(3′,5′-diisopropyl-4′-hydroxyphenoxy)benzoic acid is a TR antagonist for thyroid hormone response element-mediated responses, this approach can be used more generally to generate nuclear receptor antagonists, and this compound or analogues may have medical and research utility.