S1P(1) receptor agonists: Assessment of selectivity and current clinical activity.

Interest in sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)(1) receptor agonists has increased steadily since the discovery that the mechanism of action of fingolimod (FTY-720)-induced lymphopenia is linked to the S1P GPCR family. Fingolimod is an agonist at four out of the five S1P family receptors. Adoptive cell transfer experiments and selective S1P(1) receptor agonists provided evidence that the S1P(1) receptor is the main target responsible for trapping lymphocytes in secondary lymphoid tissue. This readily accessible, translatable biomarker has been correlated with efficacy in rodent models of immune disease. Novartis AG filed for regulatory approval for fingolimod in the US and EU for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in December 2009. In addition, more selective compounds targeting S1P receptors from several companies have entered clinical trials. These compounds can be categorized into two classes of S1P(1) receptor agonists: amino alcohol prodrugs and second-generation direct agonists. This review focuses on the development of these compounds and the role of S1P receptor family selectivity.