Discovery of Short-Acting β₂-Adrenergic Receptor Agonists Based on Computational Methods

G protein-coupled receptors constitute a crucial superfamily of membrane proteins that play a pivotal role in cellular signal transduction and serve as primary targets in contemporary drug development. The β₂-adrenergic receptor, a representative member of class A G protein-coupled receptors, is a critical target in the therapeutic management of respiratory diseases. Despite the availability of several β₂-adrenergic receptor agonists in clinical practice, there remains a substantial need for optimization concerning drug safety, efficacy, and receptor selectivity. In this study, a virtual screening approach was utilized to effectively identify β₂-adrenergic receptor agonists from a compound library comprising 19 million molecules. Through comprehensive cellular assays and in vivo pharmacokinetic evaluations, a novel short-acting agonist with an EC₅₀ value of 0.86 nmol/L was discovered, presenting a promising candidate for the development of next-generation treatments for respiratory diseases.