Side‐Chain Engineering Guides the Design of β‐Sheet Inhibitor to Anchor Protein‐Protein Interaction Interfaces

L Limin Zhang (Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics) M Minxuan Wang (Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro‐photonic Conversion Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Tangshan Research Institute Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 100081 P.R. China) B Bo Wang J Jinge Zhao (Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics) B Beilei Sun (Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics) Y Yao Yu K Kai Han (Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics) X Xin Wang J Jian Zhang M Mingshan Wei (Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro‐photonic Conversion Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Tangshan Research Institute Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 100081 P.R. China) J Jingrui Deng (Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro‐photonic Conversion Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Tangshan Research Institute Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 100081 P.R. China) J Jie Li M Mengzhen Li (College of Chemistry and Materials) Y Yubin Ke (China Spallation Neutron Source) H Hanqiu Jiang (China Spallation Neutron Source Dongguan 523803 P.R. China) H Han Yan X Xiaoyuan Chen X Xubiao Peng (Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics) Y Yu Bai W Weizhi Wang (Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics)

Abstract

Abstract Customizing inhibitors for β‐sheet mediated protein‐protein interactions (PPIs) remains a challenge in medicinal chemistry research. Directly separating β‐sheet elements from the PPI interface as inhibitors represents a feasible strategy. Although useful, peptides derived from PPIs typically lose their natural secondary structure, resulting in low affinity. How to construct stable β‐sheet inhibitors remains elusive, mainly due to the lack of reliable strategies to guide the design of β‐sheet backbones. In this study, we propose an amino acid side‐chain engineering strategy (AASE) to design of β‐sheet inhibitors. Specifically, this strategy was based on the amino acid pairing (AAP) principle observed in the β‐sheets of natural proteins, and further integrates the complementarity of various non‐covalent interactions between β‐strand side chains. When combined with high‐throughput peptide screening technology, above strategy can generate structurally defined β‐sheet inhibitors. We validated the physicochemical properties of the β‐sheet structures obtained under the aforementioned strategy and prioritized the peptide EH. The β‐sheet inhibitor formed by EH exhibits potent biological functions, enabling high‐resolution imaging of tumors in the NIR window and guiding tumor resection. In addition, EH can inhibit tumor growth as a PD‐1/PD‐L1 checkpoint blockade. This strategy provides valuable guidance for the design of PPI inhibitors with β‐sheet structures.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 65, Issue 7
Published February 09, 2026
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (20)

L

Limin Zhang

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics

M

Minxuan Wang

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro‐photonic Conversion Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Tangshan Research Institute Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 100081 P.R. China

B

Bo Wang

J

Jinge Zhao

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics

B

Beilei Sun

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics

Y

Yao Yu

K

Kai Han

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics

X

Xin Wang

J

Jian Zhang

M

Mingshan Wei

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro‐photonic Conversion Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Tangshan Research Institute Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 100081 P.R. China

J

Jingrui Deng

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro‐photonic Conversion Materials School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Tangshan Research Institute Beijing Institute of Technology Beijing 100081 P.R. China

J

Jie Li

M

Mengzhen Li

College of Chemistry and Materials

Y

Yubin Ke

China Spallation Neutron Source

H

Hanqiu Jiang

China Spallation Neutron Source Dongguan 523803 P.R. China

H

Han Yan

X

Xiaoyuan Chen

X

Xubiao Peng

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics

Y

Yu Bai

W

Weizhi Wang

Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Center for Quantum Technology Research and School of Physics