1
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Zhang R, Zheng Y, Xiang F, Zhou J. Inducing or enhancing protein-protein interaction to develop drugs: Molecular glues with various biological activity. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 277:116756. [PMID: 39191033 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, molecular glues (MGs) have gradually attracted the attention of the pharmaceutical community with the advent of MG degraders such as IMiDs and indisulam. Such molecules degrade the target protein by promoting the interaction between the target protein and E3 ligase. In addition, as a chemical inducer, MGs promote the dimerization of homologous proteins and heterologous proteins to form ternary complexes, which have great prospects in regulating biological activities. This review focuses on the application of MGs in the field of drug development including protein-protein interaction (PPI) stability and protein degradation. We thoroughly analyze the structure of various MGs and the interactions between MGs and various biologically active molecules, thus providing new perspectives for the development of PPI stabilizers and new degraders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, PR China
| | - Yirong Zheng
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, PR China
| | - Fengjiao Xiang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, PR China
| | - Jinming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua, 321004, PR China.
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2
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Ruengsatra T, Soponpong J, Nalinratana N, Jirapongwattana N, Dunkoksung W, Rattanangkool E, Deesiri S, Srisa J, Songthammanuphap S, Udomnilobol U, Prueksaritanont T. Design, synthesis, and optimization of novel PD-L1 inhibitors and the identification of a highly potent and orally bioavailable PD-L1 inhibitor. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 277:116730. [PMID: 39111015 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
In this paper we report the discovery of structurally novel and highly potent programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors targeting surface and intracellular PD-L1. A ring fusion design utilizing dimethoxyphenyl indazole derivatives was used, followed by structural extension, which further improved potency by inducing the formation of additional symmetrical interactions within the PD-L1 binding site, leading to the discovery of novel and highly active tetra-aryl-scaffold inhibitors. Key optimizations involved polar tail chain modifications that improve potency and minimize cell cytotoxicity. In addition, druggability issues that exist outside the rule-of-five chemical space were addressed. CB31, a representative compound, was found to exhibit outstanding activity in blocking programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 interactions (IC50 = 0.2 nM) and enhancing T-cell functions, with minimal cell cytotoxicity. CB31 also displayed favorable oral pharmacokinetic properties, consistent with its high passive permeability and insusceptibility to efflux transporters, as well as its high metabolic stability. Additionally, CB31 demonstrated mechanistically differentiated features from monoclonal antibodies by inducing PD-L1 internalization, intracellular retention of PD-L1 with altered glycosylation pattern, and PD-L1 degradation. It also demonstrated greater effects on tumor size reduction and tumor cell killing, with enhanced T-cell infiltration, in a 3D tumor spheroid model. Overall, results show that CB31 is a promising small-molecule PD-L1 inhibitor that can inhibit PD-1/PD-L1 interactions and promote PD-L1 degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanachote Ruengsatra
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jakapun Soponpong
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nonthaneth Nalinratana
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
| | - Niphat Jirapongwattana
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Wilasinee Dunkoksung
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Eakkaphon Rattanangkool
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sirikan Deesiri
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jakkrit Srisa
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Songkiat Songthammanuphap
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Udomsak Udomnilobol
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Thomayant Prueksaritanont
- Chulalongkorn University Drug Discovery and Drug Development Research Center (Chula4DR), Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
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3
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Guo Y, Tong J, Liang J, Shi K, Song X, Guo Z, Liu B, Xu J. Molecular insight into binding affinities and blockade effects of selected flavonoid compounds on the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. RSC Adv 2024; 14:25908-25917. [PMID: 39157581 PMCID: PMC11328830 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra03877k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the binding mechanisms of the flavonoids apigenin (Api), kaempferol (Kmp), and quercetin (Que) to the PD-L1 dimer using a combination of molecular modeling and experimental techniques. The binding free energy results demonstrated that the flavonoids could tightly bind to the PD-L1 dimer, with the binding abilities following the trend Que > Kmp > Api. Key residues Ile54, Tyr56, Met115, Ala121, and Tyr123 were identified as important for binding. The flavonoids primarily bind to the C-, F-, and G-sheet domains. The spontaneous formation of the complex systems was mainly driven by hydrophobic forces. Dynamic cross-correlation matrix and secondary structure analyses further indicated that the studied flavonoids could stably interact with the binding sites. ELISA results showed that the flavonoids could effectively block PD-1/PD-L1 interactions, although the inhibitory activity of Api was weaker. Therefore, flavonols might be more effective inhibitors compared to flavones. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of novel flavonoids targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Guo
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University Taiyuan 030031 China
| | - Jinchang Tong
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University Taiyuan 030031 China
| | - Jianhuai Liang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-based Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University Guangzhou 510630 China
| | - Kaixin Shi
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University Taiyuan 030031 China
| | - Xinyue Song
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University Taiyuan 030031 China
| | - Zichao Guo
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University Taiyuan 030031 China
| | - Boping Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-based Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University Guangzhou 510630 China
| | - Jianguo Xu
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University Taiyuan 030031 China
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4
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Kumar V, Bahuguna A, Kim M. Molecular insights into binding of bioactive compounds from essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi with human programmed cell death protein 1. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:6871-6881. [PMID: 37477253 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2236709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
The human programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is expressed on the surface of T cells and contributes significantly to tumor immunity. Herein, six major compounds (carvacrol, thymol, β-phellandrene, α-terpinene, myrcene D, and α-pinene) from Trachyspermum ammi were studied for their intermolecular interactions and stability against PD-1. All tested compounds displayed docking energy (-4.2 to -3.7 kcal/mol) with PD-1. The highest docking scores of -4.2 and -4.1 kcal/mol were recorded for carvacrol and thymol, respectively. Also, a 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation predicted the stability of carvacrol- and thymol-docked PD-1 complex. Maximum of < 30 Å and < 12 Å root-mean-square deviation were observed for carvacrol and thymol at the end of the 100 ns simulation with respect to protein (Cα atoms), indicating retention and displacement of carvacrol and thymol from the initial binding pocket, respectively. Moreover, the endpoint binding free energies support the higher binding affinity of carvacrol (-22.87 ± 5.52 kcal/mol) than thymol (-16.83 ± 1.30 kcal/mol). The equicrural states of the respective ligands were supported by the respective root mean square fluctuation, where no significant deviations in the atoms of the ligands were observed. These findings suggest that carvacrol and thymol inhibit the PD-1/PD-L1 axis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Kumar
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Ashutosh Bahuguna
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Myunghee Kim
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Cell Culture, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan-si, Republic of Korea
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5
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Ciesiołkiewicz A, Lizandra Perez J, Skalniak L, Noceń P, Berlicki Ł. Miniprotein engineering for inhibition of PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. Protein Sci 2024; 33:e5106. [PMID: 39012010 PMCID: PMC11250529 DOI: 10.1002/pro.5106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Miniproteins constitute an excellent basis for the development of structurally demanding functional molecules. The engrailed homeodomain, a three-helix-containing miniprotein, was applied as a scaffold for constructing programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) interaction inhibitors. PD-L1 binders were initially designed using the computer-aided approach and subsequently optimized iteratively. The conformational stability was assessed for each obtained miniprotein using circular dichroism spectroscopy, indicating that numerous mutations could be introduced. The formation of a sizable hydrophobic surface at the inhibitor that fits the molecular target imposed the necessity for the incorporation of additional charged amino acid residues to retain its appropriate solubility. Finally, the miniprotein effectively binding to PD-L1 (KD = 51.4 nM) that inhibits PD-1/PD-L1 interaction in cell-based studies with EC50 = 3.9 μM, was discovered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Lizandra Perez
- Department of Bioorganic ChemistryWrocław University of Science and TechnologyWrocławPoland
| | | | - Paweł Noceń
- Department of Bioorganic ChemistryWrocław University of Science and TechnologyWrocławPoland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic ChemistryWrocław University of Science and TechnologyWrocławPoland
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6
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Chen Z, Li W, Meng B, Xu C, Huang Y, Li G, Wen Z, Liu J, Mao Z. Neuronal-enriched small extracellular vesicles trigger a PD-L1-mediated broad suppression of T cells in Parkinson's disease. iScience 2024; 27:110243. [PMID: 39006478 PMCID: PMC11246066 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Many clinical studies indicate a significant decrease of peripheral T cells in Parkinson's disease (PD). There is currently no mechanistic explanation for this important observation. Here, we found that small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived from in vitro and in vivo PD models suppressed IL-4 and INF-γ production from both purified CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and inhibited their activation and proliferation. Furthermore, neuronal-enriched sEVs (NEEVs) isolated from plasma of A53T-syn mice and culture media of human dopaminergic neurons carrying A53T-syn mutation also suppressed Th1 and Th2 differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells. Mechanistically, the suppressed phenotype induced by NEEVs was associated with altered programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) level in T cells. Blocking PD-L1 with an anti-PD-L1 antibody or a small molecule inhibitor BMS-1166 reversed T cell suppression. Our study provides the basis for exploring peripheral T cells in PD pathogenesis and as biomarkers or therapeutic targets for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichun Chen
- Departments of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou 570311, China
| | - Wenming Li
- Departments of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Bo Meng
- Departments of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Chongchong Xu
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Yiqi Huang
- The Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Guanglu Li
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zhexing Wen
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zixu Mao
- Departments of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology and Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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7
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Jabeen Y, Yousaf N, Sarjadi MS, Gansau JA, Goh LPW. Bioactive compounds derived from marine source: a potential immunotherapy treatment. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:5657-5668. [PMID: 37387587 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2227717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors blocks the checkpoint proteins (programmed cell death receptor-1; PD-1) from binding with their corresponding ligands (programmed cell death receptor ligand-1; PD-L1) to regulate cell signaling pathways. The marine environment holds a huge source of small molecules that are understudied which can be developed as an inhibitor. Hence, this study investigated the inhibitory effect of 19 algae-derived small molecules against PD-L1 by using molecular docking, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination (ADME) properties and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS). The molecular docking revealed that the binding energy of the six best compounds ranges from -11.1 to -9.1 kcal/mol. Fucoxanthinol, in particular, has the strongest binding energy at -11.1 kcal/mol with three hydrogen bonds (ASN:63A, GLN:66A, and ASP:122A). Meanwhile, the MDS demonstrated that the ligands were strongly bound to the protein, indicating the stability of the complexes. In summary, the identified compounds are potential PD-L1 inhibitors in immunotherapy.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaruq Jabeen
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Numan Yousaf
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Mohd Sani Sarjadi
- Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Jualang Azlan Gansau
- Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Lucky Poh Wah Goh
- Faculty of Science and Natural Resources, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
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8
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Kirthiga Devi SS, Singh S, Joga R, Patil SY, Meghana Devi V, Chetan Dushantrao S, Dwivedi F, Kumar G, Kumar Jindal D, Singh C, Dhamija I, Grover P, Kumar S. Enhancing cancer immunotherapy: Exploring strategies to target the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and analyzing the associated patent, regulatory, and clinical trial landscape. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 200:114323. [PMID: 38754524 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Cancer treatment modalities and their progression is guided by the specifics of cancer, including its type and site of localization. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are the most often used conventional treatments. Conversely, emerging treatment techniques include immunotherapy, hormone therapy, anti-angiogenic therapy, dendritic cell-based immunotherapy, and stem cell therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors' anticancer properties have drawn considerable attention in recent studies in the cancer research domain. Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) checkpoint pathway are key regulators of the interactions between activated T-cells and cancer cells, protecting the latter from immune destruction. When the ligand PD-L1 attaches to the receptor PD-1, T-cells are prevented from destroying cells that contain PD-L1, including cancer cells. The PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors block them, boosting the immune response and strengthening the body's defenses against tumors. Recent years have seen incredible progress and tremendous advancement in developing anticancer therapies using PD-1/PD-L1 targeting antibodies. While immune-related adverse effects and low response rates significantly limit these therapies, there is a need for research on methods that raise their efficacy and lower their toxicity. This review discusses various recent innovative nanomedicine strategies such as PLGA nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and drug loaded liposomes to treat cancer targeting PD-1/PD-L1 axis. The biological implications of PD-1/PD-L1 in cancer treatment and the fundamentals of nanotechnology, focusing on the novel strategies used in nanomedicine, are widely discussed along with the corresponding guidelines, clinical trial status, and the patent landscape of such formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S S Kirthiga Devi
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Sidhartha Singh
- Department of Natural Products, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Ramesh Joga
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Sharvari Y Patil
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Vakalapudi Meghana Devi
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Sabnis Chetan Dushantrao
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Falguni Dwivedi
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, D Y Patil International University, Akurdi, Pune 411044, India
| | - Gautam Kumar
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, D Y Patil International University, Akurdi, Pune 411044, India; Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani campus, Rajasthan 333031, India
| | - Deepak Kumar Jindal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, 125001, India
| | - Charan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Sciences, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (A Central University), Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand 246174, India
| | - Isha Dhamija
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Parul Grover
- KIET School of Pharmacy, KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, Ghaziabad 201206, India; Department of Pharmaceutics, NIMS Institute of Pharmacy, NIMS University Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan 303121, India
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India; Department of Pharmaceutics, NIMS Institute of Pharmacy, NIMS University Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan 303121, India.
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9
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Konstantinidou M, Arkin MR. Molecular glues for protein-protein interactions: Progressing toward a new dream. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1064-1088. [PMID: 38701786 PMCID: PMC11193649 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
The modulation of protein-protein interactions with small molecules is one of the most rapidly developing areas in drug discovery. In this review, we discuss advances over the past decade (2014-2023) focusing on molecular glues (MGs)-monovalent small molecules that induce proximity, either by stabilizing native interactions or by inducing neomorphic interactions. We include both serendipitous and rational discoveries and describe the different approaches that were used to identify them. We classify the compounds in three main categories: degradative MGs, non-degradative MGs or PPI stabilizers, and MGs that induce self-association. Diverse, illustrative examples with structural data are described in detail, emphasizing the elements of molecular recognition and cooperative binding at the interface that are fundamental for a MG mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markella Konstantinidou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Michelle R Arkin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
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10
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Hec-Gałązka A, Tyrcha U, Barczyński J, Bielski P, Mikitiuk M, Gudz GP, Kitel R, Musielak B, Plewka J, Sitar T, Holak TA. Nonsymmetrically Substituted 1,1'-Biphenyl-Based Small Molecule Inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 Interaction. ACS Med Chem Lett 2024; 15:828-836. [PMID: 38894909 PMCID: PMC11181486 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.4c00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic antibodies directed against either programmed cell death-1 protein (PD-1) or its ligand PD-L1 have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of various cancers. In contrast with antibodies, small molecules have the potential for increased tissue penetration; better pharmacology; and therefore, improved antitumor activity. A series of nonsymmetric C2 inhibitors were synthesized and evaluated for PD-1/PD-L1 interaction inhibition. These compounds induced PD-L1 dimerization and effectively blocked PD-L1/PD-1 interaction in a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay with most inhibitors exhibiting IC50 values in the single-digit nM range and below. Their high inhibitory potency was also demonstrated in a cell-based coculture PD-1 signaling assay where 2 exhibited an EC50 inhibitory activity of 21.8 nM, which approached that of the PD-L1 antibody durvalumab (EC50 = 0.3-1.8 nM). Structural insight into how these inhibitors interact with PD-L1 was gained by using NMR and X-ray cocrystal structure studies. These data support further preclinical evaluation of these compounds as antibody alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Hec-Gałązka
- Jagiellonian
University, Doctoral School
of Exact and Natural Sciences, prof. S. Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
- Recepton
Sp. z o.o., ul. Trzy
Lipy 3, 80-172 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Urszula Tyrcha
- Recepton
Sp. z o.o., ul. Trzy
Lipy 3, 80-172 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Jan Barczyński
- Recepton
Sp. z o.o., ul. Trzy
Lipy 3, 80-172 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Przemyslaw Bielski
- Jagiellonian
University, Doctoral School
of Exact and Natural Sciences, prof. S. Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
- Recepton
Sp. z o.o., ul. Trzy
Lipy 3, 80-172 Gdansk, Poland
| | | | - Ganna P. Gudz
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Radosław Kitel
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Bogdan Musielak
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Jacek Plewka
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Tomasz Sitar
- Recepton
Sp. z o.o., ul. Trzy
Lipy 3, 80-172 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Tad A. Holak
- Recepton
Sp. z o.o., ul. Trzy
Lipy 3, 80-172 Gdansk, Poland
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11
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Zamani MR, Hadzima M, Blažková K, Šubr V, Ormsby T, Celis-Gutierrez J, Malissen B, Kostka L, Etrych T, Šácha P, Konvalinka J. Polymer-based antibody mimetics (iBodies) target human PD-L1 and function as a potent immune checkpoint blocker. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107325. [PMID: 38685532 PMCID: PMC11154707 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) using monoclonal antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is the treatment of choice for cancer immunotherapy. However, low tissue permeability, immunogenicity, immune-related adverse effects, and high cost could be possibly improved using alternative approaches. On the other hand, synthetic low-molecular-weight (LMW) PD-1/PD-L1 blockers have failed to progress beyond in vitro studies, mostly due to low binding affinity or poor pharmacological characteristics resulting from their limited solubility and/or stability. Here, we report the development of polymer-based anti-human PD-L1 antibody mimetics (α-hPD-L1 iBodies) by attaching the macrocyclic peptide WL12 to a N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymer. We characterized the binding properties of iBodies using surface plasmon resonance, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, and a cellular ICB model. We found that the α-hPD-L1 iBodies specifically target human PD-L1 (hPD-L1) and block the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction in vitro, comparable to the atezolizumab, durvalumab, and avelumab licensed monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-L1. Our findings suggest that iBodies can be used as experimental tools to target hPD-L1 and could serve as a platform to potentiate the therapeutic effect of hPD-L1-targeting small molecules by improving their affinity and pharmacokinetic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Reza Zamani
- Faculty of Science, Department of Cell Biology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Hadzima
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Department of Organic Chemistry, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Blažková
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Šubr
- Department of Biomedical polymers, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Ormsby
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Javier Celis-Gutierrez
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Bernard Malissen
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Aix-Marseille Université, INSERM, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Libor Kostka
- Department of Biomedical polymers, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Etrych
- Department of Biomedical polymers, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Šácha
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Konvalinka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
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12
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Yu S, He YQ, Liu Y, Ji S, Wang Y, Sun B. Construction and Activity Evaluation of Novel Bifunctional Inhibitors and a COF Carrier Based on a Fungal Infection Microenvironment. J Med Chem 2024; 67:8420-8444. [PMID: 38718180 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Faced with increasingly serious fungal infections and drug resistance issues, three different series of novel dual-target (programmed death ligand 1/14 α-demethylase) compounds were constructed through the fragment combination pathway in the study. Their chemical structures were synthesized, characterized, and evaluated. Among them, preferred compounds 10c-1, 17b-1, and 18b-2 could efficiently exert their antifungal and antidrug-resistant fungal ability through blocking ergosterol biosynthesis, inducing the upregulation of reactive oxygen species level, and triggering apoptosis. Especially, compound 18b-2 exhibited the synergistic function of fungal inhibition and immune activation. Moreover, the covalent organic framework carrier was also generated based on the acidic microenvironment of fungal infection to improve the bioavailability and targeting of preferred compounds; this finally accelerated the body's recovery rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Yu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Yan-Qin He
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Yating Liu
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Shilei Ji
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Yajing Wang
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
| | - Bin Sun
- Institute of BioPharmaceutical Research, Liaocheng University, 1 Hunan Road, Liaocheng 252000, PR China
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13
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Lin X, Kang K, Chen P, Zeng Z, Li G, Xiong W, Yi M, Xiang B. Regulatory mechanisms of PD-1/PD-L1 in cancers. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:108. [PMID: 38762484 PMCID: PMC11102195 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02023-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune evasion contributes to cancer growth and progression. Cancer cells have the ability to activate different immune checkpoint pathways that harbor immunosuppressive functions. The programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligands (PD-Ls) are considered to be the major immune checkpoint molecules. The interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1 negatively regulates adaptive immune response mainly by inhibiting the activity of effector T cells while enhancing the function of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Tregs), largely contributing to the maintenance of immune homeostasis that prevents dysregulated immunity and harmful immune responses. However, cancer cells exploit the PD-1/PD-L1 axis to cause immune escape in cancer development and progression. Blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 by neutralizing antibodies restores T cells activity and enhances anti-tumor immunity, achieving remarkable success in cancer therapy. Therefore, the regulatory mechanisms of PD-1/PD-L1 in cancers have attracted an increasing attention. This article aims to provide a comprehensive review of the roles of the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling in human autoimmune diseases and cancers. We summarize all aspects of regulatory mechanisms underlying the expression and activity of PD-1 and PD-L1 in cancers, including genetic, epigenetic, post-transcriptional and post-translational regulatory mechanisms. In addition, we further summarize the progress in clinical research on the antitumor effects of targeting PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies alone and in combination with other therapeutic approaches, providing new strategies for finding new tumor markers and developing combined therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Lin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Kuan Kang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Pan Chen
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Zhaoyang Zeng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Guiyuan Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
- FuRong Laboratory, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Mei Yi
- Department of Dermotology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
| | - Bo Xiang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Hunan Key Laboratory of Cancer Metabolism, Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.
- FuRong Laboratory, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
- Cancer Research Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
- The Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.
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14
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You J, Wang S, Zhu Y, Zhang Z, Wang J, Lou Y, Yao Y, Hao Y, Liu P. Natural Killer Cells Reprogram Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells to Induce TNF-α Release via NKG2D-Ligand Interaction after Cryo-Thermal Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5151. [PMID: 38791188 PMCID: PMC11121051 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In our previous studies, a novel cryothermal therapy (CTT) was developed to induce systemic long-term anti-tumor immunity. Natural killer (NK) cells were found to play an important role in CTT-induced long-term immune-mediated tumor control at the late stage after CTT, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immature myeloid cells that have potent immunosuppressive effects on T cells and weaken the long-term benefits of immunotherapy. Consequently, overcoming MDSC immunosuppression is essential for maintaining the long-term efficacy of immunotherapy. In this study, we revealed that NK cells considerably diminish MDSC accumulation at the late stage after CTT, boost T cell production, increase T cell activation, and promote MDSC maturation, culminating in Th1-dominant CD4+ T cell differentiation and enhancing NK and CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity. Additionally, NK cells activate ERK signaling in MDSCs through NKG2D-ligand interaction to increase the activity of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α converting enzyme (TACE)-cleaved membrane TNF-α. Furthermore, Increased TACE activity releases more soluble TNF-α from MDSCs to promote MDSC maturation. In our studies, we propose a novel mechanism by which NK cells can overcome MDSC-induced immunosuppression and maintain CTT-induced persistent anti-tumor immunity, providing a prospective therapeutic option to improve the performance of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ping Liu
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Med-X Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China; (J.Y.); (S.W.); (Y.Z.); (Z.Z.); (J.W.); (Y.L.); (Y.Y.); (Y.H.)
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15
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Zhang Y, Yin F, Luo Z, Li S, Li X, Wan S, Chen Y, Kong L, Wang X. Improving tumor sensitivity by the introduction of an ester chain to triaryl derivatives targeting PD-1/PD-L1. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 271:116433. [PMID: 38678826 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
PD-1/PD-L1 pathway blockade is a promising immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer. In this manuscript, a series of triaryl compounds containing ester chains were designed and synthesized based on the pharmacophore studies of the lead BMS-1. After several SAR iterations, 22 showed the best biochemical activity binding to hPD-L1 with an IC50 of 1.21 nM in HTRF assay, and a KD value of 5.068 nM in SPR analysis. Cell-based experiments showed that 22 effectively promoted A549 cell death by restoring T-cell immune function. 22 showed significant in vivo antitumor activity in a 4T1 mouse model without obvious toxicity, with a TGI rate of 67.8 % (20 mg/kg, ip). Immunohistochemistry data indicated that 22 activates the immune activity in tumors. These results suggest that 22 is a promising compound for further development of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonglei Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Fucheng Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Zhongwen Luo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Shang Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xinxin Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Siyuan Wan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yifan Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Lingyi Kong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Xiaobing Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Bioactive Natural Product Research and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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16
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Xu J, Kong Y, Zhu P, Du M, Liang X, Tong Y, Li X, Dong C. Progress in small-molecule inhibitors targeting PD-L1. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:1161-1175. [PMID: 38665838 PMCID: PMC11042164 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00655g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
PD-L1 is a transmembrane protein overexpressed by tumor cells. It binds to PD-1 on the surface of T-cells, suppresses T-cell activity and hinders the immune response against cancer. Clinically, several monoclonal antibodies targeting PD-1/PD-L1 have achieved significant success in cancer immunotherapy. Nevertheless, their disadvantages, such as unchecked immune responses, high cost and long half-life, stimulated pharmacologists to develop small-molecule inhibitors targeting PD-1/PD-L1. After a batch of excellent inhibitors with a biphenyl core structure were firstly reported by BMS, more and more researchers focused on small-molecule inhibitors targeting PD-L1 rather than PD-1. Numerous small-molecule inhibitors were extensively designed and synthesized in the past few years. In this paper, the structural characteristics of PD-L1 and complexes of PD-L1 with its inhibitors are elaborated and small molecule inhibitors developed in the last decade are summarized as well. This paper aims to provide insights into further designing and synthesis of small molecule inhibitors targeting PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jindan Xu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Polysaccharide Research Center Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine for Polysaccharides and Drugs Research Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
| | - Yuanfang Kong
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
| | - Pengbo Zhu
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Polysaccharide Research Center Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine for Polysaccharides and Drugs Research Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
| | - Mingyan Du
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Polysaccharide Research Center Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine for Polysaccharides and Drugs Research Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
| | - Xuan Liang
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
| | - Yan Tong
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
| | - Xiaofei Li
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Polysaccharide Research Center Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine for Polysaccharides and Drugs Research Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
| | - Chunhong Dong
- Henan University of Chinese Medicine Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Polysaccharide Research Center Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine for Polysaccharides and Drugs Research Zhengzhou 450046 Henan China
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17
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Zhang J, Joshua AM, Li Y, O'Meara CH, Morris MJ, Khachigian LM. Targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and small molecules and peptidomimetics as emerging immunoregulatory agents for melanoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 586:216633. [PMID: 38281663 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Primary cutaneous melanoma is the most lethal of all skin neoplasms and its incidence is increasing. Clinical management of advanced melanoma in the last decade has been revolutionised by the availability of immunotherapies and targeted therapies, used alone and in combination. This article summarizes advances in the treatment of late-stage melanoma including use of protein kinase inhibitors, antibody-based immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive immunotherapy, vaccines and more recently, small molecules and peptidomimetics as emerging immunoregulatory agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Zhang
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, Department of Pathology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Anthony M Joshua
- Kinghorn Cancer Centre, St Vincent's Hospital, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Yue Li
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, Department of Pathology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Connor H O'Meara
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, ANU Medical School and Canberra Health Services, Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Margaret J Morris
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Levon M Khachigian
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, Department of Pathology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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18
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Xu X, Luo S, Zhao X, Tang B, Zhang E, Liu J, Duan L. Computational analysis of PD-L1 dimerization mechanism induced by small molecules and potential dynamical properties. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 265:130921. [PMID: 38492688 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.130921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
The design of small molecule inhibitors that target the programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is a forefront issue in immune checkpoint blocking therapy. Small-molecule inhibitors have been shown to exert therapeutic effects by inducing dimerization of the PD-L1 protein, however, the specific mechanisms underlying this dimerization process remain largely unexplored. Furthermore, there is a notable lack of comparative studies examining the binding modes of structurally diverse inhibitors. In view of the research gaps, this work employed molecular dynamics simulations to meticulously examine the interactions between two distinct types of inhibitors and PD-L1 in both monomeric and dimeric forms, and predicted the dimerization mechanism. The results revealed that inhibitors initially bind to a PD-L1 monomer, subsequently attracting another monomer to form a dimer. Notably, symmetric inhibitors observed superior binding efficiency compared to other inhibitors. Key residues, including Ile54, Tyr56, Met115 and Tyr123 played a leading role in binding. Structurally, symmetric inhibitors were capable of thoroughly engaging the binding pocket, promoting a more symmetrical formation of PD-L1 dimers. Furthermore, symmetric inhibitors formed more extensive hydrophobic interactions with protein residues. The insights garnered from this research are expected to significantly contribute to the rational design and optimization of small molecule inhibitors targeting PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaole Xu
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Song Luo
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhao
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Bolin Tang
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Enhao Zhang
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jinxin Liu
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Lili Duan
- School of Physics and Electronics, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China.
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19
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Zhang F, Jiang R, Sun S, Wu C, Yu Q, Awadasseid A, Wang J, Zhang W. Recent advances and mechanisms of action of PD-L1 degraders as potential therapeutic agents. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116267. [PMID: 38422701 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
PD-L1 is an important immune checkpoint protein that can bind to T cells' PD-1 receptor, thereby promoting immune escape from tumors. In recent years, many researchers have developed strategies to degrade PD-L1 to improve the effect of immunotherapy. The study of degrading PD-L1 provides new opportunities for immunotherapy. Here, we mainly summarize and review the current active molecules and mechanisms that mediate the degradation of immature and mature PD-L1 during the post-translational modification stages, involving PD-L1 phosphorylation, glycosylation, palmitoylation, ubiquitination, and the autophagy-lysosomal process. This review expects that by degrading PD-L1 protein, we will not only gain a better understanding of oncogenic mechanisms involving tumor PD-L1 protein but also provide a new way to improve immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Ruiya Jiang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Shishi Sun
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Caiyun Wu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Qimeng Yu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Annoor Awadasseid
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Moganshan Institute, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing, China
| | - Jianwei Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
| | - Wen Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
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20
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Bamminger K, Pichler V, Vraka C, Limberger T, Moneva B, Pallitsch K, Lieder B, Zacher AS, Ponti S, Benčurová K, Yang J, Högler S, Kodajova P, Kenner L, Hacker M, Wadsak W. Development and In Vivo Evaluation of Small-Molecule Ligands for Positron Emission Tomography of Immune Checkpoint Modulation Targeting Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 1. J Med Chem 2024; 67:4036-4062. [PMID: 38442487 PMCID: PMC10945501 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
A substantial portion of patients do not benefit from programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) checkpoint inhibition therapies, necessitating a deeper understanding of predictive biomarkers. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) has played a pivotal role in assessing PD-L1 expression, but small-molecule positron emission tomography (PET) tracers could offer a promising avenue to address IHC-associated limitations, i.e., invasiveness and PD-L1 expression heterogeneity. PET tracers would allow for improved quantification of PD-L1 through noninvasive whole-body imaging, thereby enhancing patient stratification. Here, a large series of PD-L1 targeting small molecules were synthesized, leveraging advantageous substructures to achieve exceptionally low nanomolar affinities. Compound 5c emerged as a promising candidate (IC50 = 10.2 nM) and underwent successful carbon-11 radiolabeling. However, a lack of in vivo tracer uptake in xenografts and notable accumulation in excretory organs was observed, underscoring the challenges encountered in small-molecule PD-L1 PET tracer development. The findings, including structure-activity relationships and in vivo biodistribution data, stand to illuminate the path forward for refining small-molecule PD-L1 PET tracers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karsten Bamminger
- CBmed
GmbH - Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department
of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear
Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Verena Pichler
- CBmed
GmbH - Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Chrysoula Vraka
- Department
of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear
Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tanja Limberger
- CBmed
GmbH - Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Institute
of Clinical Pathology, Medical University
of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Boryana Moneva
- Department
of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear
Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Barbara Lieder
- Institute
of Physiological Chemistry, University of
Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Institute
of Clinical Nutrition, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Anna Sophia Zacher
- Department
of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear
Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefanie Ponti
- Department
of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear
Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katarína Benčurová
- Department
of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear
Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jiaye Yang
- Institute
of Clinical Pathology, Medical University
of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sandra Högler
- Unit
of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University
of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Petra Kodajova
- Unit
of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University
of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Lukas Kenner
- CBmed
GmbH - Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Institute
of Clinical Pathology, Medical University
of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Unit
of Laboratory Animal Pathology, University
of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marcus Hacker
- Department
of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear
Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wadsak
- CBmed
GmbH - Center for Biomarker Research in Medicine, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Department
of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Nuclear
Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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21
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Liu L, Zhang H, Hou J, Zhang Y, Wang L, Wang S, Yao Z, Xie T, Wen X, Xu Q, Dai L, Feng Z, Zhang P, Wu Y, Sun H, Liu J, Yuan H. Discovery of Novel PD-L1 Small-Molecular Inhibitors with Potent In Vivo Anti-tumor Immune Activity. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 38465588 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has surfaced as a promising therapeutic target for various cancers due to its pivotal role in facilitating tumor immune evasion. Herein, we report a series of novel small-molecule PD-L1 inhibitors exhibiting remarkable inhibitory activity against the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction (X18: IC50 = 1.3 nM) and reinstating the suppressive effect of PD-L1 on T cells (X18: EC50 = 152.8 nM). Crystallographic studies revealed the binding mode of X18 and PD-L1. Through a rational prodrug design approach, we have successfully optimized the oral pharmacokinetic properties of X22, effectively addressing the poor oral pharmacokinetic profile of PD-L1 small-molecule inhibitors. Notably, X22 demonstrated significant antitumor efficacy in murine models of MC38 and CT26 colon cancer through the upregulation of tumor infiltration and cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells partially. These findings offer promising prospects for the advancement of PD-L1 inhibitors as innovative agents in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing 401135, China
| | - Honghan Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jie Hou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yuying Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- New Drug Screening Center, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Luosen Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Shijun Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhiying Yao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Tao Xie
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiaoan Wen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing 401135, China
| | - Qinglong Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing 401135, China
| | - Liang Dai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing 401135, China
| | - Zhiqi Feng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing 401135, China
| | - Pu Zhang
- Jiangsu Flag Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Nanjing 211500, China
| | - Yaojun Wu
- Jiangsu Flag Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Nanjing 211500, China
| | - Hongbin Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing 401135, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- New Drug Screening Center, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Haoliang Yuan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing 401135, China
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22
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Awadasseid A, Wang R, Sun S, Zhang F, Wu Y, Zhang W. Small molecule and PROTAC molecule experiments in vitro and in vivo, focusing on mouse PD-L1 and human PD-L1 differences as targets. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 172:116257. [PMID: 38350367 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, several monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting PD-L1 have been licensed by the FDA for use in the treatment of cancer, demonstrating the effectiveness of blocking immune checkpoints, particularly the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Although mAb-based therapies have made great strides, they still have their limitations, and new small-molecule or PROTAC-molecule inhibitors that can block the PD-1/PD-L1 axis are desperately needed. Therefore, it is crucial to translate initial in vitro discoveries into appropriate in vivo animal models when creating PD-L1-blocking therapies. Due to their widespread availability and low experimental expenses, classical immunocompetent mice are appealing for research purposes. However, it is yet unclear whether the mouse (m) PD-L1 interaction with human (h) PD-1 in vivo would produce a functional immunological checkpoint. In this review, we summarize the in vitro and in vivo experimental studies of small molecules and PROTAC molecules, particularly the distinctions between mPD-L1 as a target and hPD-L1 as a target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annoor Awadasseid
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Moganshan Institute ZJUT, Deqing 313202, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Department of Biochemistry & Food Sciences, University of Kordofan, El-Obeid 51111, Sudan
| | - Rui Wang
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Shishi Sun
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Feng Zhang
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Yanling Wu
- Lab of Molecular Immunology, Virus Inspection Department, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou 310051, China.
| | - Wen Zhang
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China.
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23
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Lee EJ, Kim YS, Kim JH, Woo KW, Park YH, Ha JH, Li W, Kim TI, An BK, Cho HW, Han JH, Choi JG, Chung HS. Uncovering the colorectal cancer immunotherapeutic potential: Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) root extract and its active compound oenothein B targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 125:155370. [PMID: 38266440 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors, a novel class of immunotherapy drugs, represents a major breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy, substantially improving patient survival post-treatment. Blocking programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) has demonstrated promising clinical results in various human cancer types. The US FDA has recently permitted only monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based PD-L1 or PD-1 blockers. Although these antibodies exhibit high antitumor efficacy, their size- and affinity-induced side effects limit their applicability. PURPOSE As small-molecule-based PD-1/PD-L1 blockers capable of reducing the side effects of antibody therapies are needed, this study focuses on exploring natural ingredient-based small molecules that can target hPD-L1/PD-1 using herbal medicines and their components. METHODS The antitumor potential of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) root extract (EPRE), a globally utilized traditional herbal medicine, folk remedy, and functional food, was explored. A coculture system was established using human PD-L1-expressed murine MC38 cells (hPD-L1-MC38s) and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (CD8+ TILs) expressing humanized PD-1. The in vivo experiments utilized a colorectal cancer (CRC) C57BL/6 J mouse model bearing MC38 cells expressing humanized PD-L1 and PD-1 proteins. RESULTS EPRE and its active compound oenothein B effectively hindered the molecular interaction between hPD-L1 and hPD-1. EPRE stimulated tumor-specific T lymphocytes of a hPD-L1/PD-1 CRC mice. This action resulted in the elevated infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+T lymphocytes and subsequent tumor growth reduction. Moreover, the combined therapy of oenothein B, a PD-1/PD-L1 blocker, and FOLFOX (5-fluorouracil plus oxaliplatin) cooperatively suppressed hPD-L1-MC38s growth in the ex vivo model through activated CD8+ TIL antitumor immune response. Oenothein B exhibited a high binding affinity for hPD-L1 and hPD-1. We believe that this study is the first to uncover the inhibitory effects of EPRE and its component, oenothein B, on PD-1/PD-L1 interactions. CONCLUSION This study identified a promising small-molecule candidate from natural products that blocks the hPD-L1/PD-1 signaling pathway. These findings emphasize the potential of EPRE and oenothein B as effective anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Ji Lee
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Soo Kim
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hye Kim
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Wan Woo
- National Development Institute of Korea Medicine, 27, Wondogwandeok-gil, Jangheung-eup, Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do 59319, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Hoon Park
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), 80, Cheombok-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hye Ha
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), 80, Cheombok-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Wei Li
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae In Kim
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong Kwan An
- National Development Institute of Korea Medicine, 94, Hwarang-ro, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do 38540, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Woo Cho
- National Development Institute of Korea Medicine, 27, Wondogwandeok-gil, Jangheung-eup, Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do 59319, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Ho Han
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Jang-Gi Choi
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hwan-Suck Chung
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Korean Convergence Medical Science Major, KIOM Campus, University of Science and Technology (UST), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea.
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24
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Pla-López A, Carda M, Falomir E. Tetrazole derivatives as potent immunomodulatory agents in tumor microenvironment. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 169:115668. [PMID: 37976894 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Twenty-seven compounds bearing a tetrazole ring as a central unit have been designed, synthetized and biologically evaluated. Studies have been performed in order to compare the effect of tetrazole derivatives bearing amine electron-donor or nitro electron-acceptor groups. The antiproliferative activity has been determined in monoculture studies on tumor cell lines HT-29, A-549, MCF-7 and on non-tumor cell line HEK-293 as well as in co-culture studies (HT-29/THP-1). All the compounds have been studied as PD-L1 (Programmed Death Ligand 1), VEGFR-2 (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor 2), CD-47 (Cluster of Differentiation 47) and c-Myc inhibitors. The effect on TNF-α secretion has also been determined. Bromoderivatives 23, 24 and chloroderivatives 26, 27 have demonstrated an apoptotic effect on HT-29 cancer cells. Compounds bearing an amine group have shown very promising effects as TME immunomodulatory agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Pla-López
- Inorganic and Organic Chemistry Department, University Jaume I, E-12071 Castellón, Spain
| | - Miguel Carda
- Inorganic and Organic Chemistry Department, University Jaume I, E-12071 Castellón, Spain
| | - Eva Falomir
- Inorganic and Organic Chemistry Department, University Jaume I, E-12071 Castellón, Spain.
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25
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Guo Y, Guo Y, Guo Z, Liu B, Xu J. Effect of Fragment 1 on the Binding of Epigallocatechin Gallate to the PD-L1 Dimer Explored by Molecular Dynamics. Molecules 2023; 28:7881. [PMID: 38067610 PMCID: PMC10708077 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Blocking the interaction between programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) by directly targeting the PD-L1 dimer has emerged as a hot topic in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a natural product, has been demonstrated binding to the PD-L1 dimer in our previous study, but has a weaker binding capacity, moreover, EGCG is located at the end of the binding pocket of the PD-L1 dimer. The inhibitor fragment 1 (FRA) lies at the other end. So, we proposed that the introduction of FRA might be able to improve the binding ability. To illuminate this issue, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed in the present study. Binding free energy calculations show that the binding affinity is significantly increased by 17 kcal/mol upon the introduction of FRA. It may be due to the energy contributions of emerging key residues ATyr56, AMet115, BTyr123, AIle54 and the enhanced contributions of initial key residues ATyr123 and BVal68. Binding mode and non-bonded interaction results indicate that FRA_EGCG (EGCG in combination with FRA) binds to the C-, F- and G-sheet of the PD-L1 dimer. Importantly, the introduction of FRA mainly strengthened the nonpolar interactions. The free energy landscape and secondary structure results further show that FRA_EGCG can interact with the PD-L1 dimer more stably. These data demonstrated here provide the theoretical basis for screening two or more natural products with additive inhibitory effect on this pathway and therefore exerting more effective anticancer immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Guo
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China; (Y.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.G.)
| | - Yilin Guo
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China; (Y.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.G.)
| | - Zichao Guo
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China; (Y.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.G.)
| | - Boping Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-Based Materials and Energy of Ministry of Education, College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jianguo Xu
- College of Food Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China; (Y.G.); (Y.G.); (Z.G.)
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26
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Bicer F, Kure C, Ozluk AA, El-Rayes BF, Akce M. Advances in Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Curr Oncol 2023; 30:9789-9812. [PMID: 37999131 PMCID: PMC10670350 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol30110711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. More than half of patients with HCC present with advanced stage, and highly active systemic therapies are crucial for improving outcomes. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-based therapies have emerged as novel therapy options for advanced HCC. Only one third of patients achieve an objective response with ICI-based therapies due to primary resistance or acquired resistance. The liver tumor microenvironment is naturally immunosuppressive, and specific mutations in cell signaling pathways allow the tumor to evade the immune response. Next, gene sequencing of the tumor tissue or circulating tumor DNA may delineate resistance mechanisms to ICI-based therapy and provide a rationale for novel combination therapies. In this review, we discuss the results of key clinical trials that have led to approval of ICI-based therapy options in advanced HCC and summarize the ongoing clinical trials. We review resistance mechanisms to ICIs and discuss how immunotherapies may be optimized based on the emerging research of tumor biomarkers and genomic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuat Bicer
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA;
| | - Catrina Kure
- Department of Medicine, Northside Hospital-Gwinnett, Lawrenceville, GA 30046, USA;
| | - Anil A. Ozluk
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; (A.A.O.); (B.F.E.-R.)
| | - Bassel F. El-Rayes
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; (A.A.O.); (B.F.E.-R.)
| | - Mehmet Akce
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Medicine, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; (A.A.O.); (B.F.E.-R.)
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27
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Yang Z, Liu Z, Xu C, Xu J, Liu T, He H, Li L, Ren Y, Chen J. Discovery of novel resorcinol biphenyl ether-based macrocyclic small molecules as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with favorable pharmacokinetics for cancer immunotherapy. Bioorg Chem 2023; 139:106740. [PMID: 37478546 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Programmed death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death protein ligand 1 (PD-L1) is one of the most promising immune checkpoints (ICs) in tumor immunology and has been actively pursued as a target for anticancer drug discovery. Based on our previous research in small molecule PD-1/PD-L1 modulators, we designed and synthesized a series of resorcinol biphenyl ether-bearing macrocyclic compounds and evaluated their anti-PD-1/PD-L1 activities. Among them, compound 8d exhibited the highest inhibitory activity against PD-1/PD-L1 interaction with IC50 of 259.7 nM in the homogenous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay. In addition, 8d displayed in vitro immunomodulatory effects by promoting HepG2 cell death in a HepG2/Jurkat cell co-culture model. Furthermore, 8d effectively inhibited tumor growth (TGI = 74.6% at 40 mg/kg) in a melanoma tumor model in mice without causing obvious toxicity. Moreover, 8d exhibited favorable pharmacokinetics [e.g. high stability, reasonable half-life, and good oral bioavailability (F = 21.5%)]. Finally, molecular modeling studies showed that 8d bound to PD-L1 with high affinity. These results suggest that 8d may serve as a starting point for further development of macrocyclic small molecule-based PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichao Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ziqing Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Chenglong Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jianwei Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ting Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Haiqi He
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ling Li
- The Eighth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat sen University, Shenzhen 518033, China
| | - Yichang Ren
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China.
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Krishnamoorthy HR, Karuppasamy R. A multitier virtual screening of antagonists targeting PD-1/PD-L1 interface for the management of triple-negative breast cancer. Med Oncol 2023; 40:312. [PMID: 37777635 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02183-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapies are promising therapeutic options for the management of triple-negative breast cancer because of its high mutation rate and genomic instability. Of note, the blockade of the immune checkpoint protein PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 has been proven to be an efficient and potent strategy to combat triple-negative breast cancer. To date, various anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 antibodies have been approved. However, the intrinsic constraints of these therapeutic antibodies significantly limit their application, making small molecules a potentially significant option for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition. In light of this, the current study aims to use a high-throughput virtual screening technique to identify potential repurposed candidates as PD-L1 inhibitors. Thus, the present study explored binding efficiency of 2509 FDA-approved compounds retrieved from the drug bank database against PD-L1 protein. The binding affinity of the compounds was determined using the glide XP docking programme. Furthermore, prime-MM/GBSA, DFT calculations, and RF score were used to precisely re-score the binding free energy of the docked complexes. In addition, the ADME and toxicity profiles for the lead compounds were also examined to address PK/PD characteristics. Altogether, the screening process identified three molecules, namely DB01238, DB06016 and DB01167 as potential therapeutics for the PD-L1 protein. To conclude, a molecular dynamic simulation of 100 ns was run to characterise the stability and inhibitory action of the three lead compounds. The results from the simulation study confirm the robust structural and thermodynamic stability of DB01238 than other investigated molecules. Thus, our findings hypothesize that DB01238 could serve as potential PD-L1 inhibitor in the near future for triple-negative breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramanathan Karuppasamy
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.
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29
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Kamal M, Badary HA, Omran D, Shousha HI, Abdelaziz AO, El Tayebi HM, Mandour YM. Virtual Screening and Biological Evaluation of Potential PD-1/PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors as Anti-Hepatocellular Carcinoma Agents. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:33242-33254. [PMID: 37744828 PMCID: PMC10515376 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Blockade of the programmed cell death-1/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-1/PD-L1) immune checkpoint pathway is an efficient immunotherapeutic modality that provided significant advances in cancer treatment especially in solid tumors highly resistant to traditional therapy. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and small-molecule inhibitors are the two main strategies used to block this axis with mAbs suffering from many limitations. Accordingly, the current alternative is the development of small-molecule PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Here, we present a sequential virtual screening (VS) protocol involving pharmacophore screening followed by molecular docking for the discovery of novel PD-L1 inhibitors. The VS protocol resulted in the discovery of eight novel compounds. A 100 ns MD simulation showed two compounds, H4 and H6, exhibiting a stable binding mode at the PD-L1 dimer interface. Upon evaluation of their immunological activities, the two compounds induced higher cytokines levels (IL-2, IL-6, and INF-γ) relative to BMS-202, 72 h post treatment of PBMCs of HCC patients. Thus, the discovered hits represent potential leads for the development of novel classes targeting the PD-L1 receptor as anti-hepatocellular carcinoma agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica
A. Kamal
- Molecular
Pharmacology Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology,
Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German
University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hedy A. Badary
- Endemic
Medicine and Hepato-gastroenterology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, 11562 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Dalia Omran
- Endemic
Medicine and Hepato-gastroenterology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, 11562 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hend I. Shousha
- Endemic
Medicine and Hepato-gastroenterology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, 11562 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ashraf O. Abdelaziz
- Endemic
Medicine and Hepato-gastroenterology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, 11562 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hend M. El Tayebi
- Molecular
Pharmacology Research Group, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology,
Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German
University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Yasmine M. Mandour
- School
of Life and Medical Sciences, University
of Hertfordshire Hosted by Global Academic Foundation, New Administrative Capital, 11578 Cairo, Egypt
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
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30
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Rodriguez I, Kocik-Krol J, Skalniak L, Musielak B, Wisniewska A, Ciesiołkiewicz A, Berlicki Ł, Plewka J, Grudnik P, Stec M, Siedlar M, Holak TA, Magiera-Mularz K. Structural and biological characterization of pAC65, a macrocyclic peptide that blocks PD-L1 with equivalent potency to the FDA-approved antibodies. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:150. [PMID: 37679783 PMCID: PMC10483858 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01853-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in immuno-oncology have opened up new and impressive treatment options for cancer. Notwithstanding, overcoming the limitations of the current FDA-approved therapies with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that block the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway continues to lead to the testing of multiple approaches and optimizations. Recently, a series of macrocyclic peptides have been developed that exhibit binding strengths to PD-L1 ranging from sub-micromolar to micromolar. In this study, we present the most potent non-antibody-based PD-1/PD-L1 interaction inhibitor reported to date. The structural and biological characterization of this macrocyclic PD-L1 targeting peptide provides the rationale for inhibition of both PD-1/PD-L1 and CD80/PD-L1 complexes. The IC50 and EC50 values obtained in PD-L1 binding assays indicate that the pAC65 peptide has potency equivalent to the current FDA-approved mAbs and may have similar activity to the BMS986189 peptide, which entered the clinical trial and has favorable safety and pharmacokinetic data. The data presented here delineate the generation of similar peptides with improved biological activities and applications not only in the field of cancer immunotherapy but also in other disorders related to the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismael Rodriguez
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Justyna Kocik-Krol
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Lukasz Skalniak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Bogdan Musielak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Aneta Wisniewska
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Ciesiołkiewicz
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, Wrocław, 50-370, Poland
| | - Łukasz Berlicki
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, Wrocław, 50-370, Poland
| | - Jacek Plewka
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Przemyslaw Grudnik
- Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7a, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Stec
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Pediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Wielicka 265, Krakow, 30-663, Poland
| | - Maciej Siedlar
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Institute of Pediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Wielicka 265, Krakow, 30-663, Poland
| | - Tad A Holak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Krakow, 30-387, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Magiera-Mularz
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, Krakow, 30-387, Poland.
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31
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Chopra C, Yodun T, Singh H, Singh B, Singh SK, Goutam U. Raloxifene, a SERM targets PD-L1: an in-silico study. Am J Transl Res 2023; 15:5206-5215. [PMID: 37692949 PMCID: PMC10492081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Immunotherapeutic interventions in cancer have been considerably successful and widely accepted for cancer treatment, but are costly and cannot be afforded by all patients. Because of the high cost, the pharmaceutical research groups across the world are sufficiently motivated to discover or design small molecule inhibitors to treat cancer through inhibition of the immune checkpoint proteins previously targeted with monoclonal antibodies. The presented study was designed with an aim to establish raloxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) as a potential ligand of the immune checkpoint protein Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1). METHODS In the presented study, the in-silico approach was used for identifying a lead molecule against PD-L1. The hits were screened using the similarity-search method, and drug-likeliness analysis, and the leads were identified through ligand-docking using Autodock. In-vitro cytotoxicity analysis was carried out using the standard sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assay and the wound healing analysis to show the inhibition of cellular migration was performed using the standard scratch assay. RESULTS The in-silico study revealed that raloxifene showed a high drug likelihood and higher binding affinity with PD-L1 as compared to the positive control (BMS-1166; BMS is Bristol Myers Squibb). The binding of raloxifene was shown to occur in the same region as the FDA-approved monoclonal antibodies atezolizumab and durvalumab, indicating the potential of raloxifene for PD1/PD-L1 blockade. In the in-vitro studies, raloxifene showed a time-dependent reduction in IC50 values for the cell line HCT116 (colon cancer). The scratch assay also revealed that raloxifene significantly reduced the migratory potential of HCT-116 cells in-vitro. CONCLUSIONS PD-L1 is a potential target of the SERM raloxifene in-silico. Overall, this study is one step further towards immune checkpoint blockade using small-molecule inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chirag Chopra
- School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional UniversityPhagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Tenzen Yodun
- Cancer Pharmacology Division, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR)Jammu, J&K, India
| | - Harpreet Singh
- Department of Bioinformatics, Hans Raj Mahila Maha VidyalayaJalandhar, Punjab, India
| | - Bhupender Singh
- School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional UniversityPhagwara, Punjab, India
| | - Shashank K Singh
- Cancer Pharmacology Division, Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR)Jammu, J&K, India
| | - Umesh Goutam
- School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional UniversityPhagwara, Punjab, India
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32
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Zhang H, Zhou S, Plewka J, Wu C, Zhu M, Yu Q, Musielak B, Wang X, Awadasseid A, Magiera-Mularz K, Wu Y, Zhang W. Design, Synthesis, and Antitumor Activity Evaluation of 2-Arylmethoxy-4-(2,2'-dihalogen-substituted biphenyl-3-ylmethoxy) Benzylamine Derivatives as Potent PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2023; 66:10579-10603. [PMID: 37496104 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Novel 2-arylmethoxy-4-(2,2'-dihalogen-substituted biphenyl-3-ylmethoxy) benzylamine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated in vitro and in vivo against cancers as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Through the computer-aided structural optimization and the homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay, compound A56 was found to most strongly block the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction with an IC50 value of 2.4 ± 0.8 nM and showed the most potent activity. 1H NMR titration results indicated that A56 can tightly bind to the PD-L1 protein with KD < 1 μM. The X-ray diffraction data for the cocrystal structure of the A56/PD-L1 complex (3.5 Å) deciphered a novel binding mode in detail, which can account for its most potent inhibitory activity. Cell-based assays further demonstrated the strong ability of A56 as an hPD-1/hPD-L1 blocker. Especially in an hPD-L1 MC38 humanized mouse model, A56 significantly inhibited tumor growth without obvious toxicity, with a TGI rate of 55.20% (50 mg/kg, i.g.). In conclusion, A56 is a promising clinical candidate worthy of further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Zhang
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Shijia Zhou
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Jacek Plewka
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Caiyun Wu
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Mengyu Zhu
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Qimeng Yu
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Bogdan Musielak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Xiao Wang
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Annoor Awadasseid
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Katarzyna Magiera-Mularz
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Yanling Wu
- Lab of Molecular Immunology, Virus Inspection Department, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou 310051, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Lab of Chemical Biology and Molecular Drug Design, College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
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33
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Ding Z, Wang S, Shi Y, Fei X, Cheng B, Lu Y, Chen J. Discovery of Novel d-(+)-Biotin-Conjugated Resorcinol Dibenzyl Ether-Based PD-L1 Inhibitors for Targeted Cancer Immunotherapy. J Med Chem 2023; 66:10364-10380. [PMID: 37480153 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we rationally designed, synthesized, and evaluated a series of novel d-(+)-biotin-conjugated PD-L1 inhibitors for targeted cancer therapy. Among them, SWS1 exhibited the highest anti-PD-1/PD-L1 activity with an IC50 of 1.8 nM. In addition, SWS1 dose-dependently promoted tumor cell death in a HepG2/Jurkat cell co-culture model. Importantly, SWS1 displayed high antitumor efficacy in a B16-F10 mouse model with tumor growth inhibition of 66.1%, which was better than that of P18 (44.3%). Furthermore, SWS1 exerted antitumor effects by increasing the number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and reducing the expression of PD-L1 in tumor tissues. Moreover, tissue distribution studies revealed a substantial accumulation of SWS1 in tumors (404.1 ng/mL). Lastly, the safety profiles of SWS1 were better (e.g., less immune-mediated colitis) than those of P18, indicating the advantages of biotin-enabled tumor targeting capability. Taken together, our results suggest that these novel tumor-targeted PD-L1 inhibitors are worthy of further investigation as potential anticancer agents for targeted cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongbao Ding
- Department of Bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai 519041, P. R. China
| | - Shuanghu Wang
- The Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, The People's Hospital of Lishui, Lishui, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Yaru Shi
- The Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacy, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, The People's Hospital of Lishui, Lishui, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Xiaoting Fei
- School of Medicine, Hubei Polytechnic University, Hubei Key Laboratory for Kidney Disease Pathogenesis and Intervention, Huangshi 435003, China
| | - Binbin Cheng
- School of Medicine, Hubei Polytechnic University, Hubei Key Laboratory for Kidney Disease Pathogenesis and Intervention, Huangshi 435003, China
| | - Yiyu Lu
- Oncology Department, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Foshan 528200, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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34
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Li X, Zeng Q, Xu F, Jiang Y, Jiang Z. Progress in programmed cell death-1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 pathway inhibitors and binding mode analysis. Mol Divers 2023; 27:1935-1955. [PMID: 35948846 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10509-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death protein ligand 1 (PD-L1) plays an important role in negative regulating immunity. The search for effective PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors has been at the cutting-edge of academic and industrial medicinal chemistry, leading to the emergence of 16 clinical candidate drugs and the launch of six monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) drugs. However, due to the unclear mechanism of the interaction between drugs and substances in vivo, the screening of preclinical drugs often takes a long time. In order to shorten the time of drug development as much as possible, the binding mode analysis that can simulate the interaction between drugs and substances in vivo at the molecular level can significantly shorten the drug development process. This paper reviews the mechanism of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway at the molecular level, as well as the research progress and obstacles of inhibitors. Besides, we analyzed the binding mode of recently reported PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors with PD-1 or PD-L1 protein in detail in order to provide ideas for the development of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyun Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Chun'an County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, 311700, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qin Zeng
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Fengjiao Xu
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuying Jiang
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhongmei Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Chun'an County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, 311700, Zhejiang, China.
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35
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Ważyńska MA, Butera R, Requesens M, Plat A, Zarganes-Tzitzikas T, Neochoritis CG, Plewka J, Skalniak L, Kocik-Krol J, Musielak B, Magiera-Mularz K, Rodriguez I, Blok SN, de Bruyn M, Nijman HW, Elsinga PH, Holak TA, Dömling A. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 2-Hydroxy-4-phenylthiophene-3-carbonitrile as PD-L1 Antagonist and Its Comparison to Available Small Molecular PD-L1 Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37450644 PMCID: PMC10388299 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
In search of a potent small molecular PD-L1 inhibitor, we designed and synthesized a compound based on a 2-hydroxy-4-phenylthiophene-3-carbonitrile moiety. Ligand's performance was tested in vitro and compared side-by-side with a known PD-L1 antagonist with a proven bioactivity BMS1166. Subsequently, we modified both compounds to allow 18F labeling that could be used for PET imaging. Radiolabeling, which is used in drug development and diagnosis, was applied to investigate the properties of those ligands and test them against tissue sections with diverse expression levels of PD-L1. We confirmed biological activity toward hPD-L1 for this inhibitor, comparable with BMS1166, while holding enhanced pharmacological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta A Ważyńska
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Roberto Butera
- Department of Drug Design, University of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marta Requesens
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Annechien Plat
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tryfon Zarganes-Tzitzikas
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Alzheimer's Research UK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute, NDM Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, OX3 7FZ Oxford, U.K
| | | | - Jacek Plewka
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Lukasz Skalniak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Justyna Kocik-Krol
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Prof. St. Łojasiewicz St 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland
| | - Bogdan Musielak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Magiera-Mularz
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Ismael Rodriguez
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
- Doctoral School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Prof. St. Łojasiewicz St 11, 30-348 Krakow, Poland
| | - Simon N Blok
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and MolecularImaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marco de Bruyn
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans W Nijman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Philip H Elsinga
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and MolecularImaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tad A Holak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Krakow, Poland
| | - Alexander Dömling
- Department of Drug Design, University of Groningen, A. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacky University in Olomouc, Olomouc 77900, Czech Republic
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36
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Khazan N, Quarato ER, Singh NA, Snyder CWA, Moore T, Miller JP, Yasui M, Teramoto Y, Goto T, Reshi S, Hong J, Zhang N, Pandey D, Srivastava P, Morell A, Kawano H, Kawano Y, Conley T, Sahasrabudhe DM, Yano N, Miyamoto H, Aljitawi O, Liesveld J, Becker MW, Calvi LM, Zhovmer AS, Tabdanov ED, Dokholyan NV, Linehan DC, Hansen JN, Gerber SA, Sharon A, Khera MK, Jurutka PW, Rochel N, Kim KK, Rowswell-Turner RB, Singh RK, Moore RG. Vitamin D Receptor Antagonist MeTC7 Inhibits PD-L1. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3432. [PMID: 37444542 PMCID: PMC10340436 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15133432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Small-molecule inhibitors of PD-L1 are postulated to control immune evasion in tumors similar to antibodies that target the PD-L1/PD-1 immune checkpoint axis. However, the identity of targetable PD-L1 inducers is required to develop small-molecule PD-L1 inhibitors. In this study, using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and siRNA, we demonstrate that vitamin D/VDR regulates PD-L1 expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) cells. We have examined whether a VDR antagonist, MeTC7, can inhibit PD-L1. To ensure that MeTC7 inhibits VDR/PD-L1 without off-target effects, we examined competitive inhibition of VDR by MeTC7, utilizing ligand-dependent dimerization of VDR-RXR, RXR-RXR, and VDR-coactivators in a mammalian 2-hybrid (M2H) assay. MeTC7 inhibits VDR selectively, suppresses PD-L1 expression sparing PD-L2, and inhibits the cell viability, clonogenicity, and xenograft growth of AML cells. MeTC7 blocks AML/mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) adhesion and increases the efferocytotic efficiency of THP-1 AML cells. Additionally, utilizing a syngeneic colorectal cancer model in which VDR/PD-L1 co-upregulation occurs in vivo under radiation therapy (RT), MeTC7 inhibits PD-L1 and enhances intra-tumoral CD8+T cells expressing lymphoid activation antigen-CD69. Taken together, MeTC7 is a promising small-molecule inhibitor of PD-L1 with clinical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negar Khazan
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Emily R. Quarato
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Niloy A. Singh
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Cameron W. A. Snyder
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Taylor Moore
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - John P. Miller
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Masato Yasui
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (M.Y.)
| | - Yuki Teramoto
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (M.Y.)
| | - Takuro Goto
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (M.Y.)
| | - Sabeeha Reshi
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Jennifer Hong
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| | - Naixin Zhang
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Diya Pandey
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Priyanka Srivastava
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Alexandra Morell
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Hiroki Kawano
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (T.C.)
| | - Yuko Kawano
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (T.C.)
| | - Thomas Conley
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (T.C.)
| | - Deepak M. Sahasrabudhe
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (T.C.)
| | - Naohiro Yano
- Division of Surgical Research, Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA;
| | - Hiroshi Miyamoto
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (M.Y.)
| | - Omar Aljitawi
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (T.C.)
| | - Jane Liesveld
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (T.C.)
| | - Michael W. Becker
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (T.C.)
| | - Laura M. Calvi
- Department of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (T.C.)
| | - Alexander S. Zhovmer
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Erdem D. Tabdanov
- CytoMechanobiology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA
| | - Nikolay V. Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Center for Translational Systems Research, Penn State College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA;
| | - David C. Linehan
- Division of Surgery, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jeanne N. Hansen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY 13346, USA
| | - Scott A. Gerber
- Division of Surgery and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | | | | | - Peter W. Jurutka
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Health Futures Center, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA
| | - Natacha Rochel
- Institute of Genetics and of Molecular and Cellular Biology, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| | - Kyu Kwang Kim
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Rachael B. Rowswell-Turner
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Rakesh K. Singh
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
| | - Richard G. Moore
- Wilmot Cancer Institute and Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA (A.M.); (K.K.K.); (R.G.M.)
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Donati G, D’Amore VM, Russomanno P, Cerofolini L, Amato J, Marzano S, Salobehaj M, Rizzo D, Assoni G, Carotenuto A, La Pietra V, Arosio D, Seneci P, Fragai M, Brancaccio D, Di Leva FS, Marinelli L. Theoretical and experimental studies on the interaction of biphenyl ligands with human and murine PD-L1: Up-to-date clues for drug design. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:3355-3368. [PMID: 37384351 PMCID: PMC10293680 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Today it is widely recognized that the PD-1/PD-L1 axis plays a fundamental role in escaping the immune system in cancers, so that anti-PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies have been evaluated for their antitumor properties in more than 1000 clinical trials. As a result, some of them have entered the market revolutionizing the treatment landscape of specific cancer types. Nonetheless, a new era based on the development of small molecules as anti PD-L1 drugs has begun. There are, however, some limitations to advancing these compounds into clinical stages including the possible difficulty in counteracting the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction in vivo, the discrepancy between the in vitro IC50 (HTFR assay) and cellular EC50 (immune checkpoint blockade co-culture assay), and the differences in ligands' affinity between human and murine PD-L1, which can affect their preclinical evaluation. Here, an extensive theoretical study, assisted by MicroScale Thermophoresis binding assays and NMR experiments, was performed to provide an atomistic picture of the binding event of three representative biphenyl-based compounds in both human and murine PD-L1. Structural determinants of the species' specificity were unraveled, providing unprecedented details useful for the design of next generation anti-PD-L1 molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Donati
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Maria D’Amore
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Pasquale Russomanno
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Linda Cerofolini
- Magnetic Resonance Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence and Interuniversity Consortium for Magnetic Resonance of Metalloproteins (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Jussara Amato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Marzano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Salobehaj
- Magnetic Resonance Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence and Interuniversity Consortium for Magnetic Resonance of Metalloproteins (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Domenico Rizzo
- Magnetic Resonance Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence and Interuniversity Consortium for Magnetic Resonance of Metalloproteins (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Giulia Assoni
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, Povo I-38123, Trento, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via C. Golgi 19, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Alfonso Carotenuto
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria La Pietra
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Daniela Arosio
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via C. Golgi 19, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Pierfausto Seneci
- Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via C. Golgi 19, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Fragai
- Magnetic Resonance Center and Department of Chemistry, University of Florence and Interuniversity Consortium for Magnetic Resonance of Metalloproteins (CIRMMP), Via L. Sacconi 6, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Diego Brancaccio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Luciana Marinelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
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Shi YY, Wang AJ, Liu XL, Dai MY, Cai HB. Stapled peptide PROTAC induced significantly greater anti-PD-L1 effects than inhibitor in human cervical cancer cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1193222. [PMID: 37325638 PMCID: PMC10262918 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1193222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are monoclonal antibodies that target immune checkpoints that suppress immune cell activity. Low efficiency and high resistance are currently the main barriers to their clinical application. As a representative technology of targeted protein degradation, proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are considered to have potential for addressing these limitations. Methods We synthesized a stapled peptide-based PROTAC (SP-PROTAC) that specifically targeted palmitoyltransferase ZDHHC3 and resulted in the decrease of PD-L1 in human cervical cancer cell lines. Flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, protein immunoblotting, Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA), and MTT assay analyses were conducted to evaluate the effects of the designed peptide and verify its safety in human cells. Results In cervical cancer celllines C33A and HeLa, the stapled peptide strongly downregulated PD-L1 to < 50% of baseline level at 0.1 μM. DHHC3 expression decreased in both dosedependentand time-dependent manners. MG132, the proteasome inhibitor, can alleviate the SP-PROTAC mediated degradation of PD-L1 in human cancer cells. In a co-culture model of C33A and T cells, treatment with the peptide induced IFN-γ and TNF-α release in a dose-dependent manner by degrading PD-L1. These effects were more significant than that of the PD-L1 inhibitor, BMS-8. Conclusions Cells treated with 0.1 μM of SP-PROTAC or BMS-8 for 4 h revealed that the stapled peptide decreased PD-L1 more effectively than BMS-8. DHHC3-targeting SP-PROTAC decreased PD-L1 in human cervical cancer more effectively than the inhibitor BMS-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ying Shi
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - An-Jin Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xue-Lian Liu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Meng-Yuan Dai
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hong-Bing Cai
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Boisgerault N, Bertrand P. Inside PD-1/PD-L1,2 with their inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 256:115465. [PMID: 37196547 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes current knowledge in the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors, including antibodies and small molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Boisgerault
- Nantes Université, Inserm UMR 1307, CNRS UMR 6075, Université D'Angers, CRCI2NA, LabEx IGO, F-44000, Nantes, France
| | - Philippe Bertrand
- University of Poitiers, IC2MP UMR 7285 CNRS, 4 Rue Michel Brunet B27, TSA 51106, 86073 Poitiers Cedex 9, France.
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Thakkar R, Upreti D, Ishiguro S, Tamura M, Comer J. Computational design of a cyclic peptide that inhibits the CTLA4 immune checkpoint. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:658-670. [PMID: 37122540 PMCID: PMC10131585 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00409g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteins involved in immune checkpoint pathways, such as CTLA4, PD1, and PD-L1, have become important targets for cancer immunotherapy; however, development of small molecule drugs targeting these pathways has proven difficult due to the nature of their protein-protein interfaces. Here, using a hierarchy of computational techniques, we design a cyclic peptide that binds CTLA4 and follow this with experimental verification of binding and biological activity, using bio-layer interferometry, cell culture, and a mouse tumor model. Beginning from a template excised from the X-ray structure of the CTLA4:B7-2 complex, we generate several peptide sequences using flexible docking and modeling steps. These peptides are cyclized head-to-tail to improve structural and proteolytic stability and screened using molecular dynamics simulation and MM-GBSA calculation. The standard binding free energies for shortlisted peptides are then calculated in explicit-solvent simulation using a rigorous multistep technique. The most promising peptide, cyc(EIDTVLTPTGWVAKRYS), yields the standard free energy -6.6 ± 3.5 kcal mol-1, which corresponds to a dissociation constant of ∼15 μmol L-1. The binding affinity of this peptide for CTLA4 is measured experimentally (31 ± 4 μmol L-1) using bio-layer interferometry. Treatment with this peptide inhibited tumor growth in a co-culture of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells and antigen primed T cells, as well as in mice with an orthotropic Lewis lung carcinoma allograft model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravindra Thakkar
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University 1620 Denison Avenue Manhattan Kansas USA +1 785 532 6311
| | - Deepa Upreti
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University 1620 Denison Avenue Manhattan Kansas USA +1 785 532 6311
| | - Susumu Ishiguro
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University 1620 Denison Avenue Manhattan Kansas USA +1 785 532 6311
| | - Masaaki Tamura
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University 1620 Denison Avenue Manhattan Kansas USA +1 785 532 6311
| | - Jeffrey Comer
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University 1620 Denison Avenue Manhattan Kansas USA +1 785 532 6311
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Regnault R, Klupsch F, El-Bouazzati H, Magnez R, Le Biannic R, Leleu-Chavain N, Ahouari H, Vezin H, Millet R, Goossens JF, Thuru X, Bailly C. Novel PD-L1-Targeted Phenyl-Pyrazolone Derivatives with Antioxidant Properties. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28083491. [PMID: 37110727 PMCID: PMC10144346 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28083491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Orally-active anticancer small molecules targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint are actively searched. Phenyl-pyrazolone derivatives with a high affinity for PD-L1 have been designed and characterized. In addition, the phenyl-pyrazolone unit acts as a scavenger of oxygen free radicals, providing antioxidant effects. The mechanism is known for the drug edaravone (1) which is also an aldehyde-reactive molecule. The present study reports the synthesis and functional characterization of new molecules (2-5) with an improved anti-PD-L1 activity. The leading fluorinated molecule 5 emerges as a potent checkpoint inhibitor, avidly binding to PD-L1, inducing its dimerization, blocking PD-1/PD-L1 signaling mediated by phosphatase SHP-2 and reactivating the proliferation of CTLL-2 cells in the presence of PD-L1. In parallel, the compound maintains a significant antioxidant activity, characterized using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-based free radical scavenging assays with the probes DPPH and DMPO. The aldehyde reactivity of the molecules was investigated using 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), which is a major lipid peroxidation product. The formation of drug-HNE adducts, monitored by high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), was clearly identified and compared for each compound. The study leads to the selection of compound 5 and the dichlorophenyl-pyrazolone unit as a scaffold for the design of small molecule PD-L1 inhibitors endowed with antioxidant properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Regnault
- ULR 7365-GRITA-Groupe de Recherche sur les formes Injectables et les Technologies Associées, CHU Lille, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Frédérique Klupsch
- U1286-INFINITE-Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, ICPAL, Inserm, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Hassiba El-Bouazzati
- UMR9020-UMR1277-Canther-Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, Inserm, CNRS, CHU Lille, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Romain Magnez
- UMR9020-UMR1277-Canther-Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, Inserm, CNRS, CHU Lille, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Raphaël Le Biannic
- U1286-INFINITE-Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, ICPAL, Inserm, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Natascha Leleu-Chavain
- U1286-INFINITE-Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, ICPAL, Inserm, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Hania Ahouari
- LASIRE Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Intéractions la Réactivité et l'Environnement, F-59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
- FR 2638-IMEC-Institut Michel-Eugène Chevreul, University Lille, F-59655 Lille, France
| | - Hervé Vezin
- LASIRE Laboratoire Avancé de Spectroscopie pour les Intéractions la Réactivité et l'Environnement, F-59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Régis Millet
- U1286-INFINITE-Institute for Translational Research in Inflammation, ICPAL, Inserm, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Jean-François Goossens
- ULR 7365-GRITA-Groupe de Recherche sur les formes Injectables et les Technologies Associées, CHU Lille, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Xavier Thuru
- UMR9020-UMR1277-Canther-Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, Inserm, CNRS, CHU Lille, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Christian Bailly
- UMR9020-UMR1277-Canther-Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, Inserm, CNRS, CHU Lille, University Lille, F-59000 Lille, France
- Oncowitan, Scientific Consulting Office, Wasquehal, F-59290 Lille, France
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Yin Y, Yan Y, Fan B, Huang W, Zhang J, Hu HY, Li X, Xiong D, Chou SL, Xiao Y, Wang H. Novel Combination Therapy for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer based on an Intelligent Hollow Carbon Sphere. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2023; 6:0098. [PMID: 37223478 PMCID: PMC10202191 DOI: 10.34133/research.0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with high mortality, and the efficacy of monotherapy for TNBC is still disappointing. Here, we developed a novel combination therapy for TNBC based on a multifunctional nanohollow carbon sphere. This intelligent material contains a superadsorbed silicon dioxide sphere, sufficient loading space, a nanoscale hole on its surface, a robust shell, and an outer bilayer, and it could load both programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) small-molecule immune checkpoints and small-molecule photosensitizers with excellent loading contents, protect these small molecules during the systemic circulation, and achieve accumulation of them in tumor sites after systemic administration followed by the application of laser irradiation, thereby realizing dual attack of photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy on tumors. Importantly, we integrated the fasting-mimicking diet condition that can further enhance the cellular uptake efficiency of nanoparticles in tumor cells and amplify the immune responses, further enhancing the therapeutic effect. Thus, a novel combination therapy "PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint blockade + photodynamic therapy + fasting-mimicking diet"was developed with the aid of our materials, which eventually achieved a marked therapeutic effect in 4T1-tumor-bearing mice. The concept can also be applied to the clinical treatment of human TNBC with guiding significance in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yin
- School of Medical Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yaping Yan
- College of Materials Engineering, Henan University of Engineering, Xinzheng 451191, China
| | - Biao Fan
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Wenping Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hai-Yan Hu
- Institute for Carbon Neutralization, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Xiaoqiong Li
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Dongbin Xiong
- Institute of Advanced Materials, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi 415000, China
| | - Shu-Lei Chou
- Institute for Carbon Neutralization, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Yao Xiao
- Institute for Carbon Neutralization, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
- State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment, School of Electrical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hai Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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43
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Awad RM, Breckpot K. Novel technologies for applying immune checkpoint blockers. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 382:1-101. [PMID: 38225100 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells develop several ways to subdue the immune system among others via upregulation of inhibitory immune checkpoint (ICP) proteins. These ICPs paralyze immune effector cells and thereby enable unfettered tumor growth. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that block ICPs can prevent immune exhaustion. Due to their outstanding effects, mAbs revolutionized the field of cancer immunotherapy. However, current ICP therapy regimens suffer from issues related to systemic administration of mAbs, including the onset of immune related adverse events, poor pharmacokinetics, limited tumor accessibility and immunogenicity. These drawbacks and new insights on spatiality prompted the exploration of novel administration routes for mAbs for instance peritumoral delivery. Moreover, novel ICP drug classes that are adept to novel delivery technologies were developed to circumvent the drawbacks of mAbs. We therefore review the state-of-the-art and novel delivery strategies of ICP drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Maximilian Awad
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Karine Breckpot
- Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
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Gurung P, Lim J, Shrestha R, Kim YW. Chlorin e6-associated photodynamic therapy enhances abscopal antitumor effects via inhibition of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4647. [PMID: 36944686 PMCID: PMC10030802 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30256-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
We hypothesized that photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Chlorin e6 (Ce6) enhances antitumor abscopal effects via inhibition of the programmed cell death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) immune checkpoint. By using syngeneic melanoma and pancreatic tumor mouse models, we studied the Ce6-PDT-induced immune responses in local and distant tumor microenvironments. In addition, the Ce6-PDT's target in the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction was analyzed in MC38-hPD-L1 colon cancer and PD-1 expressing Jurkat T cell coculture. The tumors in the irradiated and non-irradiated sites in the abscopal effective (Abseff) group of both mouse models were regressed, proving the abscopal effect. The immunogenic effect in the Abseff group was associated with an expansion of T cell and other immune cells infiltration without changes in the CD39+ population in either the right or left tumors compared to control group. Furthermore, the abscopal ineffective (Absineff) group demonstrated lesser increase of T cells, decreased immune cell infiltration, and increased CD39-expressing Treg cells without suppression of tumor growth. In the coculture with PD-1-expressing Jurkat T cell, Ce6-PDT efficiently suppressed the PD-1/PD-L1 interactions by increasing the proliferation and cytotoxic activity of CD8+ T cells while decreasing CD39-expressing Treg cells in a dose-dependent manner. Likewise, the inhibition of PD-1/PD-L1 interactions was also correlated with the increased production of IL-2 and Granzyme B. Our findings imply that Ce6-PDT is a promising immunotherapy with the potential to improve the abscopal effect.
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Grants
- (NTIS Number: 1711174319, RS-2020-KD000106), (S3034405) The Korea Medical Device Development Fund grant funded by the Korea government (the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health & Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) (NTIS Number: 1711174319, RS-2020-KD000106), and the Technology development Program (S3034405) funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups(MSS, Korea).
- (NTIS Number: 1711174319, RS-2020-KD000106), (S3034405) The Korea Medical Device Development Fund grant funded by the Korea government (the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health & Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) (NTIS Number: 1711174319, RS-2020-KD000106), and the Technology development Program (S3034405) funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups(MSS, Korea).
- (NTIS Number: 1711174319, RS-2020-KD000106), (S3034405) The Korea Medical Device Development Fund grant funded by the Korea government (the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health & Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) (NTIS Number: 1711174319, RS-2020-KD000106), and the Technology development Program (S3034405) funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups(MSS, Korea).
- (NTIS Number: 1711174319, RS-2020-KD000106), (S3034405) The Korea Medical Device Development Fund grant funded by the Korea government (the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health & Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) (NTIS Number: 1711174319, RS-2020-KD000106), and the Technology development Program (S3034405) funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups(MSS, Korea).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pallavi Gurung
- Dongsung Cancer Center, Dongsung Biopharmaceutical, Daegu, 41061, South Korea
| | - Junmo Lim
- Dongsung Cancer Center, Dongsung Biopharmaceutical, Daegu, 41061, South Korea
| | - Rajeev Shrestha
- Dongsung Cancer Center, Dongsung Biopharmaceutical, Daegu, 41061, South Korea
| | - Yong-Wan Kim
- Dongsung Cancer Center, Dongsung Biopharmaceutical, Daegu, 41061, South Korea.
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Bianconi E, Riccio A, Ruta L, Bigiotti C, Carotti A, Moretti S, Cerra B, Gioiello A, Ferlin S, Puxeddu E, Macchiarulo A. Turning a Tumor Microenvironment Pitfall into Opportunity: Discovery of Benzamidoxime as PD-L1 Ligand with pH-Dependent Potency. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065535. [PMID: 36982608 PMCID: PMC10054428 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
PD-1/PD-L1 protein complex is attracting a great deal of interest as a drug target for the design of immune therapies able to block its assembly. Although some biologic drugs have entered clinical use, their poor response rate in patients are demanding further efforts to design small molecule inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1 complex with higher efficacy and optimal physicochemical properties. Dysregulation of pH in the tumor microenvironment is indeed one of the key mechanisms promoting drug resistance and lack of response in cancer therapy. Integrating computational and biophysical approaches, herein we report a screening campaign that has led to identifying VIS310 as a novel ligand of PD-L1, with physicochemical properties enabling a pH-dependent binding potency. Additional optimization efforts by analogue-based screening have been instrumental to disclosing VIS1201, which exhibits improved binding potency against PD-L1 and is able to inhibit PD-1/PD-L1 complex formation in a ligand binding displacement assay. While providing preliminary structure–activity relationships (SARs) of a novel class of PD-L1 ligands, our results lay the foundation for the discovery of immunoregulatory small molecules resilient to tumor microenvironmental conditions for escaping drug-resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Bianconi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del liceo n.1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Riccio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del liceo n.1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Luana Ruta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del liceo n.1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Carlo Bigiotti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del liceo n.1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Carotti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del liceo n.1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Sonia Moretti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, P.le L. Severi, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Bruno Cerra
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del liceo n.1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Antimo Gioiello
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del liceo n.1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Simone Ferlin
- Sterling S.p.A., Via della Carboneria n.30, 06073 Corciano, Italy
| | - Efisio Puxeddu
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, P.le L. Severi, 06132 Perugia, Italy
| | - Antonio Macchiarulo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del liceo n.1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-075-5855131
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Dai X, Li X, Du Y, Han M, Wang Z, Wang Y, Yan F, Liu Y. Gold Nanorod–mesoporous silica core shell nanocomposites for NIR-II photothermal ablation and dual PD-L1/VEGF blockade therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL 2023; 459:141426. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.141426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
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Wang F, Ye W, He Y, Zhong H, Zhu Y, Han J, Gong X, Tian Y, Wang Y, Wang S, Ji S, Liu H, Yao X. Identification of CBPA as a New Inhibitor of PD-1/PD-L1 Interaction. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043971. [PMID: 36835382 PMCID: PMC9964281 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting of the PD-1/PD-L1 immunologic checkpoint is believed to have provided a real breakthrough in the field of cancer therapy in recent years. Due to the intrinsic limitations of antibodies, the discovery of small-molecule inhibitors blocking PD-1/PD-L1 interaction has gradually opened valuable new avenues in the past decades. In an effort to discover new PD-L1 small molecular inhibitors, we carried out a structure-based virtual screening strategy to rapidly identify the candidate compounds. Ultimately, CBPA was identified as a PD-L1 inhibitor with a KD value at the micromolar level. It exhibited effective PD-1/PD-L1 blocking activity and T-cell-reinvigoration potency in cell-based assays. CBPA could dose-dependently elevate secretion levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α in primary CD4+ T cells in vitro. Notably, CBPA exhibited significant in vivo antitumor efficacy in two different mouse tumor models (a MC38 colon adenocarcinoma model and a melanoma B16F10 tumor model) without the induction of observable liver or renal toxicity. Moreover, analyses of the CBPA-treated mice further showed remarkably increased levels of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and cytokine secretion in the tumor microenvironment. A molecular docking study suggested that CBPA embedded relatively well into the hydrophobic cleft formed by dimeric PD-L1, occluding the PD-1 interaction surface of PD-L1. This study suggests that CBPA could work as a hit compound for the further design of potent inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengling Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Wenling Ye
- Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Yongxing He
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Cell Activities and Stress Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Haiyang Zhong
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yongchang Zhu
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jianting Han
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xiaoqing Gong
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yanan Tian
- Faculty of Applied Science, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao 999078, China
| | - Yuwei Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang 712046, China
| | - Shuang Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shaoping Ji
- Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Huanxiang Liu
- Faculty of Applied Science, Macao Polytechnic University, Macao 999078, China
- Correspondence: (H.L.); (X.Y.); Tel.: +853-8599-6874 (H.L.); +86-0931-891-2578 (X.Y.)
| | - Xiaojun Yao
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
- Correspondence: (H.L.); (X.Y.); Tel.: +853-8599-6874 (H.L.); +86-0931-891-2578 (X.Y.)
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PD-1/PD-L1 and DNA Damage Response in Cancer. Cells 2023; 12:cells12040530. [PMID: 36831197 PMCID: PMC9954559 DOI: 10.3390/cells12040530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The application of immunotherapy for cancer treatment is rapidly becoming more widespread. Immunotherapeutic agents are frequently combined with various types of treatments to obtain a more durable antitumor clinical response in patients who have developed resistance to monotherapy. Chemotherapeutic drugs that induce DNA damage and trigger DNA damage response (DDR) frequently induce an increase in the expression of the programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) that can be employed by cancer cells to avoid immune surveillance. PD-L1 exposed on cancer cells can in turn be targeted to re-establish the immune-reactive tumor microenvironment, which ultimately increases the tumor's susceptibility to combined therapies. Here we review the recent advances in how the DDR regulates PD-L1 expression and point out the effect of etoposide, irinotecan, and platinum compounds on the anti-tumor immune response.
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Hirosaki H, Maeda Y, Takeyoshi M. Establishment of Cell-Based Assay System for Evaluating Cytotoxic Activity Modulated by the Blockade of PD-1 and PD-L1 Interactions with a Therapeutic Antibody. Immunol Invest 2023; 52:332-342. [PMID: 36731129 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2023.2174442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapeutic antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint are widely used in cancer therapy and are under active further development. Historically, the antitumor activity of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors has been evaluated using in vivo and ex vivo test methods; however, a simple in vitro assay method to evaluate antitumor activity accurately is needed for the efficient development of new therapeutic agents. In the present study, we attempted to establish a simple cell-based assay system to evaluate the modulating effect of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors on cytotoxic activity. METHODS We established a new natural killer (NK) cell line stably transfected with the PD-1 and IL-2 genes and a new NK-sensitive target cell line stably transfected with the PD-L1 gene. Then, the assay system was established by co-cultivation of the established cell lines and measurement of the cytotoxic activities using the europium release assay. To confirm the performance of the established assay system, model therapeutic antibodies to block the PD-1/PD-L1 signal, nivolumab and atezolizumab were added to the co-culture system and the modulating effect on the cytotoxic activities were evaluated. RESULTS Nivolumab and atezolizumab clearly showed a modulating effect on cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner in our assay system, whereas a human IgG isotype control antibody did not show any modulating effect on the assay system. CONCLUSION The newly established cell-based assay system can quantitatively evaluate the modulating effect of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors by measuring cytotoxic activity, playing an important role in antitumor effects as innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Hirosaki
- Chemicals Assessment and Research Center, Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute, Japan
| | - Yosuke Maeda
- Chemicals Assessment and Research Center, Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute, Japan
| | - Masahiro Takeyoshi
- Chemicals Assessment and Research Center, Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute, Japan
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Zwergel C, Fioravanti R, Mai A. PD-L1 small-molecule modulators: A new hope in epigenetic-based multidrug cancer therapy? Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103435. [PMID: 36370994 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an immune checkpoint protein the overexpression of which results in an inhibitory signal that induces T cell exhaustion responsible for immune escape in tumors. Immunotherapy strategies targeting the PD-L1 pathway have achieved remarkable success in treating various types of cancer. More recently, numerous advances in understanding the complex PD-L1 biology have been made, and the first small-molecule inhibitors have been described in the literature. In this review, we highlight the most promising recent advances in understanding the complex regulation mechanisms focusing on small-molecule modulators, which could be used in rational therapy combinations with other epigenetic chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Zwergel
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
| | - Rossella Fioravanti
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy; Pasteur Institute, Cenci-Bolognetti Foundation, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy.
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