Amelioration of obesity-induced diabetes by a novel autophagy enhancer

Autophagy insufficiency due to aging, high-fat injury or genetic predisposition could be a factor in the progression of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. On the other hand, autophagy enhancement may have beneficial metabolic impact on in vivo metabolism of obese subjects. To identify novel, autophagy enhancer small molecules, we screened a chemical library using a Renilla-LC3-based luciferase assay [Lim et al. Nat Commun 9:1438]. Of the >7000 tested substances, one chemical compound, termed MSL (4-(4-fluorophenyl)sulfonyl-5-methylthio-2-phenyloxazole), (i) enhanced autophagic activity through Tfeb activation, (ii) expedited lipid clearance, probably through lipophagy, and (iii) reduced inflammasome activation through amelioration of mitochondrial dysfunction both in vitro and in vivo, leading to improved metabolic profile of mice with genetic or diet-induced obesity.