Glyceraldehyde derivatives inspired by empagliflozin potential anti-heart failure agents independent of glucose-lowering effects: Study

Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by high mortality and frequent hospitalizations. HF significantly affected the quality of life, especially in individuals > 60 years of age . According to epidemiologic statistics, HF patients number 80 million worldwide, with China reporting an HF prevalence of 13.7 million among adults in 2015 . The prevalence of HF poses a growing health and economic burden on individuals and society [3]. Despite notable progress in drug treatments for HF, especially in heart failure patients with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), challenges in treatment persist .

Announcing a new publication for Acta Materia Medica journal. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors are a class of glucose-lowering drugs known for robust cardiovascular protective properties. However, the side effects induced by Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition limit application in cardiovascular medicine.

Prior research showed that thoughtful structural modifications can dissociate the anti-heart failure activity from glucose-lowering effects. Moreover, it was shown that the glyceraldehyde derivative, JX22, developed by scaffold hopping from empagliflozin, exhibits a superior cardiomyocyte protective effect, albeit with increased cytotoxicity compared to empagliflozin.