Photoswitchable inhibitors: temporally regulated inhibition of the IDO1 enzyme using photoactive merocyanine derivatives

Developing photoactive molecules represents an emerging strategy for temporally regulated inhibition of the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) enzyme. Interestingly, only the photoactive merocyanine isomer of a potent compound effectively binds to both the apo-IDO1 protein and heme cofactor, enabling photoisomer-specific enzyme inhibition. These phototunable molecules hold significant promise for advancing targeted immunotheranostics.