Dupilumab is a new treatment option for patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. It blocks IL-4/IL13-signaling and thereby inhibits receptor signaling downstream the JAK-STAT-pathway. Three of the main disease mechanisms of atopic dermatitis are affected by blocking this pathway; the decrease of skin barrier function, the class switch to IgE and the TH2-differentiation. Areas Covered: Dupilumab showed promising results in clinical trials of phase I-III. Clinical outcome parameters such as SCORAD, EASI, IGA and BSA improved with dupilumab. A positive effect on patient-reported outcomes like DLQI or pruritus-rating-scales was also demonstrated. The safety profile of dupilumab is superior to conventional immunosuppressive drugs, such as cyclosporine or methotrexate. Injection-site reactions and conjunctivitis were the most relevant side-effects. Skin infections were less frequently observed compared to placebo. Data on the use of dupilumab during pregnancy or in children are not published to date. Expert Commentary: Dupilumab was approved by the FDA in April 2017 for the treatment of adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies or when those therapies are not advisable.

Schistosomiasis, caused by S. mansoni, is a tropical disease that affects over 200 million people worldwide. A novel approach for targeting eukaryotic parasites is to tackle their dynamic epigenetic machinery that is necessary for the extensive phenotypic changes during their life cycle. We recently identified S. mansoni histone deacetylase 8 (smHDAC8) as a potential target for antiparasitic therapy. Here we present results from a virtual screening campaign on smHDAC8. Besides hydroxamates, several sulfonamide-thiazole derivatives were identified by a target-based virtual screening using a homology model of smHDAC8. In vitro testing of 75 compounds identified 8 hydroxamates as potent and lead-like inhibitors of the parasitic HDAC8. Solving of the crystal structure of smHDAC8 with two of the virtual screening hits confirmed the predicted binding mode.

Schistosomiasis, caused by the parasitic flatworm Schistosoma mansoni and related species, is a tropical disease that affects over 200 million people worldwide. A new approach for targeting eukaryotic parasites is to tackle their dynamic epigenetic machinery that is necessary for the extensive phenotypic changes during the life cycle of the parasite. Recently, we identified S. mansoni histone deacetylase 8 (smHDAC8) as a potential target for antiparasitic therapy. Here, we present results on the investigations of a focused set of HDAC (histone deacetylase) inhibitors on smHDAC8. Besides several active hydroxamates, we identified a thiol-based inhibitor that inhibited smHDAC8 activity in the micromolar range with unexpected selectivity over the human isotype, which has not been observed so far. The crystal structure of smHDAC8 complexed with the thiol derivative revealed that the inhibitor is accommodated in the catalytic pocket, where it interacts with both the catalytic zinc ion and the essential catalytic tyrosine (Y341) residue via its mercaptoacetamide warhead. To our knowledge, this is the first complex crystal structure of any HDAC inhibited by a mercaptoacetamide inhibitor, and therefore, this finding offers a rationale for further improvement. Finally, an ester prodrug of the thiol HDAC inhibitor exhibited antiparasitic activity on cultured schistosomes in a dose-dependent manner.