OncoSignal
Live from Open Targets Platform, fetched 2026-11-12 04:35 UTC. Every row links to its source record.

AHR aryl hydrocarbon receptor

ENSG00000106546 · protein coding · Open Targets profile

Ligand-activated transcription factor that enables cells to adapt to changing conditions by sensing compounds from the environment, diet, microbiome and cellular metabolism, and which plays important roles in development, immunity and cancer (PubMed:23275542, PubMed:30373764, PubMed:32818467, PubMed:7961644). Upon ligand binding, translocates into the nucleus, where it heterodimerizes with ARNT and induces transcription by binding to xenobiotic response elements (XRE) (PubMed:23275542, PubMed:30373764, PubMed:7961644). Regulates a variety of biological processes, including angiogenesis, hematopoiesis, drug and lipid metabolism, cell motility and immune modulation (PubMed:12213388). Xenobiotics can act as ligands: upon xenobiotic- binding, activates the expression of multiple phase I and II xenobiotic chemical metabolizing enzyme genes (such as the CYP1A1 gene) (PubMed:7961644, PubMed:33193710). Mediates biochemical and toxic effects of halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PubMed:34521881, PubMed:7961644). Next to xenobiotics, natural ligands derived from plants, microbiota, and endogenous metabolism are potent AHR agonists (PubMed:18076143). Tryptophan (Trp) derivatives constitute an important class of endogenous AHR ligands (PubMed:32818467, PubMed:32866000). Acts as a negative regulator of anti-tumor immunity: indoles and kynurenic acid generated by Trp catabolism act as ligand and activate AHR, thereby promoting AHR-driven cancer cell motility and suppressing adaptive immunity (PubMed:32818467). Regulates the circadian clock by inhibiting the basal and circadian expression of the core circadian component PER1 (PubMed:28602820). Inhibits PER1 by repressing the CLOCK-BMAL1 heterodimer mediated transcriptional activation of PER1 (PubMed:28602820). The heterodimer ARNT:AHR binds to the dioxin response element (DRE) of target gene promoters and activates their transcription (PubMed:28602820). {ECO:0000269|PubMed:23275542, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28602820, ECO:0000269|PubMed:30373764, ECO:0000269|PubMed:32818467, ECO:0000269|PubMed:32866000, ECO:0000269|PubMed:33193710, ECO:0000269|PubMed:34521881, ECO:0000269|PubMed:7961644, ECO:0000303|PubMed:12213388, ECO:0000303|PubMed:18076143}.

In 12 of 15 cancers, the evidence for AHR comes mainly from inherited variants

Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.

Inherited (germline) variantsMutations in tumours (somatic)
00.250.50.751leukemialeukemiabasal cell carcinomabasal cell carcinomabasal cell carcinoma: germline 0.55benign neoplasmbenign neoplasmbenign neoplasm: germline 0.46keratinocyte carcinomakeratinocyte carcinomakeratinocyte carcinoma: germline 0.42cervical carcinomacervical carcinomacervical carcinoma: germline 0.38skin neoplasmskin neoplasmskin neoplasm: germline 0.31skin cancerskin cancerskin cancer: germline 0.31squamous cell carcinomasquamous cell carcinomasquamous cell carcinoma: germline 0.30cutaneous melanomacutaneous melanomacutaneous melanoma: germline 0.32melanomamelanomamelanoma: germline 0.03acute myeloid leukemiaacute myeloid leukemiacutaneous squamous cell carcinomacutaneous squamous cell carcinomacutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: germline 0.27actinic keratosisactinic keratosisactinic keratosis: germline 0.27neuroendocrine neoplasmneuroendocrine neoplasmneuroendocrine neoplasm: germline 0.24breast carcinomabreast carcinoma

Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.

Tractability

Small molecule
Approved Drug, Structure with Ligand, High-Quality Ligand, Druggable Family
PROTAC
Literature, Database Ubiquitination, Half-life Data, Small Molecule Binder

gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.46057000756263733 (upper bound 0.5995500087738037). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.

Who runs trials of these drugs

Principal investigators and study chairs on 20 registry trials, updated in the last three years, of the most advanced drugs against AHR (tapinarof), ranked by Phase 2+ trials. Live from ClinicalTrials.gov.

9 of 19 trials of drugs against AHR have sites only in United States

Registry trials of tapinarof updated in the last three years, counted by the country group of their listed sites. A trial with sites in several groups counts in each; 10 of 19 have all sites in one country.

Sites only in this groupSites here and elsewhere
United StatesUnited States: 9 trials with sites only hereUnited States: 9 trials with sites here and elsewhere18OtherOther: 1 trials with sites only hereOther: 9 trials with sites here and elsewhere10

Site counts are not patients per country, and trials registered only outside ClinicalTrials.gov are not covered. Where sites are is a fact about the record, not a judgement of its quality. Europe is the EU and EEA, the UK and Switzerland. 1 trials list no sites and are left out. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, fetched live.

2 trials of drugs against AHR were stopped early

Terminated, withdrawn and suspended interventional trials of tapinarof, newest update first, live from ClinicalTrials.gov. Each reason is quoted exactly as the registry gives it; we do not sort reasons into safety, efficacy or business. Dates are the last registry update. Showing the 2 most recent of 2.

  • withdrawn · 2017-12-07 · GlaxoSmithKline · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “The decision not to progress the planned Phase 3 studies is a business decision based on the need to prioritise and focus resources within GSK.”
  • withdrawn · 2017-11-29 · GlaxoSmithKline · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “The whole project was discontinued within GSK, hence this study was cancelled before enrolment.”
Paediatric incentives and obligations for AHR's drugs

For tapinarof: what EMA and FDA publish about paediatric plans, orphan status and pediatric approvals, and how many registered studies take children. Each line is a yes, no or not published fact from the record linked under it; none of it is a forecast.

Rare pediatric disease voucher. FDA, content current as of 29 Apr 2026: “As of February 3, 2026, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the rare pediatric disease PRV program will sunset after September 30, 2029. FDA may not award any PRVs under this program after September 30, 2029.” Voucher sale prices are not shown here; they appear only as company-reported news. FDA: Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Priority Review Voucher Programs

All 1 drugs and clinical candidates as a table

Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.

DrugTypeHighest stageIndicationsSource records
TAPINAROFSmall moleculephase 4psoriasis vulgaris, psoriasis, atopic eczema, Palmoplantar keratoderma, cutaneous lupus erythematosusOpen Targets · ChEMBL