Our immune system is a complex network of organs, cells and proteins, specialized in fighting different types of diseases. Cytokines and growth factors are the main tool of the immune system to combat any kind of immune challenge like inflammation, infection or cancer. Particularly important are proteins of the Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family, which are targets for activation by many of these signals. Accordingly, STATs facilitate action of interferons, cytokines, interleukins and growth factors and are involved in fundamental cellular processes such as cell growth, proliferation and apoptosis, embryonic development, immune responses and inflammation, and response to viral infections. As a consequence, abnormal activation of STAT proteins is implicated in many human diseases, including viral and bacterial infections, inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, multiple types of cancer which identifies STATs as highly attractive therapeutic targets. The relevance of STATs as therapeutic targets is emphasized by the numerous studies and publications of STAT inhibitors, in different experimental settings and disease models and the inclusion of a number of these inhibitors in clinical trials.
We developed SINBAD (STAT Inhibitor Biology And Drug-ability), a database that provides a comprehensive tool for detailed characterization of compounds disrupting STAT signaling in various conditions allowing better understanding of their nature and mode of action (Figure 1). This includes all experimental information connected to the individual inhibitors, combined with a literature list and current clinical trials information. In addition, our database can be a source of information for other groups and function as primary selection tools for potential known inhibitors for further investigation in SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 research.
SINBAD database accessible at http://sinbad.amu.edu.pl
SINBAD, structural, experimental and clinical characterization of STAT inhibitors and their potential applications, Martyna Plens-Gałąska, Tomasz Woźniak,Joanna Wesoły and Hans AR Bluyssen.Scientific Data. 2022; 9:139. doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01243-3 2021.
