Citations 2

Optimized Synthetic Flavonols Support Senescence Clearance and Lung Fibrosis Resolution

ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science | September 4, 2025 | Volume: 8 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 3033-3046

10.1021/acsptsci.5c00231 | PMID 40969882

Survey of Dopamine Receptor D2 Antagonists as Retinal Antifibrotics

Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics | August 29, 2024 | Volume: 40 | Issue: 8 | Pages: 536-542

10.1089/jop.2024.0006 | PMID 39206555

Purpose: To evaluate the potency and efficacy of a library of dopamine receptor D2 (D2R) antagonists in the mitigation of fibrotic activation in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. Methods: ARPE-19 cells were cultured and treated with methotrexate or 27 district D2R antagonists using a fibronectin deposition assay. The most potent compounds were then further assessed in assays measuring cellular proliferation, cellular migration, and profibrotic gene expression. Results: The previously established antifibrotic D2R antagonist loxapine exerted a robust and dose-dependent inhibition of fibronectin deposition, whereas methotrexate exerted minimal inhibition. The most potent D2R antagonist identified, fluphenazine, effectively blocked in vitro models of fibrosis at 300–1,000 nM concentrations. Conclusions: Here we found multiple FDA-approved D2R antagonists that potently block RPE cell fibrogenesis. These findings further support the potential of D2R antagonism as a potential therapeutic for retinal fibrotic disease.