Skip to main content
Log in

α-Melanozyten-stimulierendes Hormon

Von der Forschung in die Klinik

α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone

From bench to bedside

  • Leitthema
  • Published:
Der Hautarzt Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Zusammenfassung

α-Melanozyten-stimulierendes Hormon (α-MSH) ist ein Tridekapeptid, das in der Haut selbst aus dem Präkursor Proopiomelanokortin gebildet wird. Es vermittelt Ultraviolett-Licht-vermittelte Pigmentierung nach Binding an Melanokortin-1-Rezeptoren (MC-1R), die u. a. auf der Oberfläche von epidermalen Melanozyten exprimiert sind. Die pigmentinduzierende und zytoprotektive Wirkung von α-MSH bildet das Rationale für den ersten klinischen Einsatz eines subkutan applizierbaren synthetischen und superpotenten α-MSH-Analogons, Nle4-D-Phe7-α-MSH (NDP-α-MSH), in Phase-II-Studien bei Patienten mit Photodermatosen, z. B. der erythropoietischen Protoporphyrie. Da α-MSH in einer Reihe von präklinischen Untersuchungen neben seiner melanotropen Wirkung auch vielversprechende antiinflammatorische und antifibrotische Effekte gezeigt hat, wird es von großem Interesse sein, diese Eigenschaften anhand weiterer klinischer Pilotstudien mit NDP-α-MSH zu überprüfen. Neben synthetischen α-MSH-Analoga bieten darüber hinaus Tripeptid-Derivate wie KdPT, die nicht an MC-1R binden, aber erhaltene antiinflammatorische Eigenschaften haben, eine weitere neue therapeutische Strategie in der Dermatologie.

Abstract

α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a tridecapeptide that is produced by the skin itself from the precursor proopiomelanocortin. It crucially mediates ultraviolet light-induced tanning after binding to melanocortin-1 receptors (MC-1R) expressed on the surface of epidermal melanocytes. The potent pigment-inducing and also cytoprotective actions of α-MSH are the rationale for the performance of first phase II clinical trials with Nle4-D-Phe7-α-MSH (NDP-α-MSH), a subcutaneously administered synthetic and superpotent α-MSH analogue, in patients with photodermatoses such as erythropoietic protoporphyria. Since α-MSH has shown promising anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties in numerous preclinical studies, it will be most interesting to evaluate these effects in further clinical pilot studies with NDP-α-MSH. In addition to α-MSH analogues, truncated tripeptides such as KDPT which do not bind to MC-1R but have sustained anti-inflammatory properties are currently emerging as another novel therapeutic strategy in dermatology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Abb. 1
Abb. 2
Abb. 3

Literatur

  1. Abdel-Malek ZA, Ruwe A, Kavanagh-Starner R et al (2009) Alpha-MSH tripeptide analogs activate the melanocortin 1 receptor and reduce UV-induced DNA damage in human melanocytes. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 22:635–644

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Barnetson RS, Ooi TK, Zhuang L et al (2006) [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone significantly increased pigmentation and decreased UV damage in fair-skinned Caucasian volunteers. J Invest Dermatol 126:1869–1878

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Böhm M, Schiller M, Stadler R et al (2001) Diffuse melanosis arising from metastatic melanoma: pathogenetic function of elevated melanocyte peptide growth factors. J Am Acad Dermatol 44:747–754

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Böhm M, Luger TA, Tobin DJ, García-Borrón JC (2006) Melanocortin receptor ligands: new horizons for skin biology and clinical dermatology. J Invest Dermatol 126:1966–1975

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Böhm M, Raghunath M, Sunderkötter C et al (2004) Collagen metabolism is a novel target of the neuropeptide α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. J Biol Chem 279:6959–6966

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Böhm M, Wolff I, Scholzen TE et al (2005) Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone protects from ultraviolet radiation-induced apoptosis and DNA damage. J Biol Chem 280:5795–5802

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Brzoska T, Luger TA, Maaser C et al (2008) α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and related tripeptides. Biochemistry, anti-inflammatory and protective effects in vitro and in vivo and future perspectives for the treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. Endocr Rev 29:581–602

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Clément K, Dubern B, Mencarelli M et al (2008) Unexpected endocrine features and normal pigmentation in a young adult patient carrying a novel homozygous mutation in the POMC gene. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 93:4955–4962

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Cui R, Widlund HR, Feige E et al (2007) Central role of p53 in the suntan response and pathologic hyperpigmentation. Cell 128:853–864

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Ferreira SH, Lorenzetti BB, Bristow AF, Poole S (1988) Interleukin-1 beta as a potent hyperalgesic agent antagonized by a tripeptide analogue. Nature 334:698–700

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Hadley ME, Dorr RT (2006) Melanocortin peptide therapeutics: historical milestones, clinical studies and commercialization. Peptides 27:921–930

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Harms J, Lautenschlager S, Minder CE, Minder EI (2009) An alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogue in erythropoietic protoporphyria. N Engl J Med 360:306–307

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Harms JH, Lautenschlager S, Minder CE, Minder EI (2009) Mitigating photosensitivity of erythropoietic protoporphyria patients by an agonistic analog of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone. Photochem Photobiol 85:1434–1439

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ito T, Ito N, Bettermann A et al (2004) Collapse and restoration of MHC class-I-dependent immune privilege: exploiting the human hair follicle as a model. Am J Pathol 164:623–634

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kadekaro AL, Kavanagh R, Kanto H et al (2005) Alpha-Melanocortin and endothelin-1 activate antiapoptotic pathways and reduce DNA damage in human melanocytes. Cancer Res 65:4292–4299

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Kokot A, Metze D, Mouchet N et al (2009) α-MSH counteracts the suppressive effect of UVB on Nrf2 and Nrf-dependent gene expression in human skin. Endocrinology 150:3197–3206

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kokot A, Sindrilaru A, Schiller M et al (2009) α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone suppresses bleomycin-induced collagen synthesis and reduces tissue fibrosis in a mouse model of scleroderma. Arthritis Rheum 60:592–603

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Krude H, Biebermann, Luck W et al (1998) Severe early-onset obesity, adrenal insufficiency and red hair pigmentation caused by POMC mutations in humans. Nat Genet 19:155–157

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Loser K, Brzoska T, Oji V et al (2010) The neuropeptide alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone is critically involved in the development of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells in mice and humans. PLoS One 5:e8958

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Mountjoy KG, Robbins LS, Mortrud MT, Cone RD (1992) The cloning of a family of genes that encode the melanocortin receptors. Science 257:1248–1251

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Park HY, Kosmadaki M, Yaar M, Gilchrest BA (2009) Cellular mechanisms regulating human melanogenesis. Cell Mol Life Sci 66:1493–1506

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Pérez Oliva AB, Fernéndez LP, Detorre C et al (2009) Identification and functional analysis of novel variants of the human melanocortin 1 receptor found in melanoma patients. Hum Mutat 30:811–822

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Rousseau K, Kauser S, Pritchard LE et al (2007) Proopiomelanocortin (POMC), the ACTH/melanocortin precursor, is secreted by human epidermal keratinocytes and melanocytes and stimulates melanogenesis. FASEB J 21:1844–1856

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Sawyer TK, Sanfilippo PJ, Hruby VJ et al (1980) 4-Norleucine, 7-D-phenylalanine-alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone: a highly potent alpha-melanotropin with ultralong biological activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 77:5754–5758

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Schiller M, Raghunath M, Metze D et al (2001) Human dermal fibroblasts in vitro express the PC1 and PC2 and produce the POMC-derived peptides. J Invest Dermatol 117:227–235

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Schiller M, Brzoska T, Böhm M et al (2004) Solar-simulated UVR-induced upregulation of the melanocortin-1 receptor, pro-opiomelanocortin and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone in human epidermis in vivo. J Invest Dermatol 122:468–476

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Scholzen T, Kalden DH, Brzoska T et al (2000) Expression of proopiomelanocortin peptides in human dermal microvascular endothelial cells: evidence for a regulation by ultraviolet light and interleukin-1. J Invest Dermatol 115:1021–1028

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Scholzen TE, Sunderkotter C, Kalden DH et al (2003) Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone prevents lipopolysaccharide-induced vasculitis by down-regulating endothelial cell adhesion molecule expression. Endocrinology 144:360–370

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Seidah NG, Benjannet S, Hamelin J et al (1999) The subtilisin/kexin family of precursor convertases. Emphasis on PC1, PC2/7B2, POMC and the novel enzyme SKI-1. Ann N Y Acad Sci 885:57–74

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Song X, Mosby N, Yang J et al (2009) alpha-MSH activates immediate defense responses to UV-induced oxidative stress in human melanocytes. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 22:809–818

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Slominski A, Wortsman J, Luger T et al (2000) Corticotropin releasing hormone and proopiomelanocortin involvement in the cutaneous response to stress. Physiol Rev 80:979–1020

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Spencer JD, Gibbons NC, Rokos H et al (2007) Oxidative stress via hydrogen peroxide affects proopiomelanocortin peptides directly in the epidermis of patients with vitiligo. J Invest Dermatol 127:411–420

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Spencer JD, Schallreuter KU (2009) Regulation of pigmentation in human epidermal melanocytes by functional high-affinity beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone/melanocortin-4 receptor signaling. Endocrinology 150:1250–1258

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Sturm RA, Duffy DL, Box NF et al (2003) Genetic association and cellular function of MC1R variant alleles in human pigmentation. Ann N Y Acad Sci 994:348–358

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Zhang L, Li WH, Anthonavage M, Eisinger M (2006) Melanocortin-5 receptor: a marker of human sebocyte differentiation. Peptides 27:413–420

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Mastrofrancesco A, Kokot A, Eberle A et al (in Revision) KdPT, a tripeptide derivative of α-MSH, is a suppressor of proinflammatory cytokine expression and signaling in human sebocytes. J Immunol

  37. Bettenworth D, Böhm M, Mennigen R et al. (eingereicht) The tripeptide KdPT protects from intestinal inflammation by maintaining intestinal barrier function. J Am Pathol

Download references

Interessenkonflikt

Der korrespondierende Autor gibt an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Böhm.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Böhm, M., Luger, T. α-Melanozyten-stimulierendes Hormon. Hautarzt 61, 497–504 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00105-009-1891-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00105-009-1891-1

Schlüsselworte

Keywords

Navigation