isobutyl 6-formyl pterin

Isobutyl 6-formyl pterin (i6-FP) is a synthetic small molecule that acts as a potent antagonist of the Major Histocompatibility Complex-related protein 1 (MR1). MR1 is a non-polymorphic MHC class I-like molecule that presents microbial vitamin B metabolites to mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells. i6-FP is a derivative of 6-formylpterin (6-FP), a photodegradation product of folic acid. It binds to the antigen-binding cleft of MR1, stabilizing the molecule on the cell surface but failing to activate MAIT cells. By competitively inhibiting the binding of stimulatory microbial ligands, i6-FP suppresses MAIT cell activation and the subsequent production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-gamma and TNF. Research indicates that i6-FP may have therapeutic potential in treating inflammatory conditions where MAIT cells play a pathogenic role, such as Ulcerative Colitis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, without compromising intestinal barrier integrity.

Other names

isobutyl 6-formylpterinisobutyl6-formylpterinisobutyl-6-formylpterin