Jeon, Y.-J. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2026

AI-Driven Design of Nanobinders Targeting the TSLPR Heterodimer Interface to Suppress Type 2 Inflammatory Signaling

Aberrant thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) signaling is a central driver of type 2 inflammatory diseases, yet the only approved TSLP-targeted therapy is a 150 kDa monoclonal antibody whose bulky format limits tissue penetration and precludes inhaled delivery. Here, we report an AI-driven framework for designing ultra-compact de novo nanobinders that suppress TSLP signaling by sterically disrupting assembly of the TSLPR-IL-7R heterodimer. We compare two structure-guided strategies, namely purely de novo helical bundle generation and interface-mimetic grafting of native binding motifs onto designed scaffolds. Although both yield nanomolar binders, only orthosteric mimicry of the native cytokine geometry blocks receptor heterodimerization, showing that functional antagonism is governed by precise epitope geometry rather than affinity alone. After library-based maturation, the lead nanobinder TRB5.1 is a hyper-stable monomer (Tm [~]97.4 {degrees}C) with single-digit nanomolar affinity (KD = 9.7 nM) and strict selectivity over related -chain interleukin receptors. TRB5.1 suppresses TSLP-induced JAK1 and STAT5 phosphorylation across multiple cellular models and drives a transcriptome-wide reversal of the pathogenic type 2 program. This work delivers a developable, potentially inhalable non-antibody lead and a scalable blueprint for antagonizing heterodimeric cytokine receptors.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2022

The lateral habenula mediates the association of a conditioned stimulus with the absence of an appetitive unconditioned stimulus

The lateral habenula (LHb) has been implicated in conditioned inhibition. Here, the modulating effects of LHb activity on the association of a conditioned stimulus (CS) with the nonoccurrence of an unconditioned stimulus (US) were assessed in vivo using chemogenetic methods. Animals initially received explicitly unpaired CS light and US food presentations. Animals subjected to a retardation-of-acquisition task subsequently underwent light and food pairings, whereas those subjected to a summation task underwent compound light-tone and food pairings. The inhibitory light strength was assessed based on retardation of the acquisition of food-cup conditioned responses (CRs) in light-food pairings and comparisons of food-cup CRs to each stimulus in a CS-alone test following compound training. Neurotoxic LHb lesions and chemogenetic LHb inhibition throughout unpaired training attenuated the inhibitory light strength. Furthermore, chemogenetic LHb activation accelerated the decline in CR induced by repeated light-alone presentations following light-food pairings. Therefore, the LHb critically contributes to conditioned inhibition.

neuroscience↗