In Vitro and In Silico Investigation of Polyacetylenes from Launaea capitata (Spreng.) Dandy as Potential COX-2, 5-LOX, and BchE Inhibitors

Diverse secondary metabolites are biosynthesized by plants via various enzymatic cascades. These have the capacity to interact with various human receptors, particularly enzymes implicated in the etiology of several diseases. The n-hexane fraction of the whole plant extract of the wild edible plant, Launaea capitata (Spreng.) Dandy was purified by column chromatography. Five polyacetylene derivatives were identified, including (3S,8E)-deca-8-en-4,6-diyne-1,3-diol (1A), (3S)-deca-4,6,8-triyne-1,3-diol (1B), (3S)-(6E,12E)-tetradecadiene-8,10-diyne-1,3-diol (2), bidensyneoside (3), and (3S)-(6E,12E)-tetradecadiene-8,10-diyne-1-ol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4). These compounds were investigated for their in vitro inhibitory activity against enzymes involved in neuroinflammatory disorders, including cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX), and butyrylcholinesterase (BchE) enzymes. All isolates recorded weak-moderate activities against COX-2. However, the polyacetylene glycoside (4) showed dual inhibition against BchE (IC₅₀ 14.77 ± 1.55 μM) and 5-LOX (IC₅₀ 34.59 ± 4.26 μM). Molecular docking experiments were conducted to explain these results, which showed that compound 4 exhibited greater binding affinity to 5-LOX (-8.132 kcal/mol) compared to the cocrystallized ligand (-6.218 kcal/mol). Similarly, 4 showed a good binding affinity to BchE (-7.305 kcal/mol), which was comparable to the cocrystallized ligand (-8.049 kcal/mol). Simultaneous docking was used to study the combinatorial affinity of the unresolved mixture 1A/1B to the active sites of the tested enzymes. Generally, the individual molecules showed lower docking scores against all the investigated targets compared to their combination, which was consistent with the in vitro results. This study demonstrated that the presence of a sugar moiety (in 3 and 4) resulted in dual inhibition of 5-LOX and BchE enzymes compared to their free polyacetylenes analogs. Thus, polyacetylene glycosides could be suggested as potential leads for developing new inhibitors against the enzymes involved in neuroinflammation.

Detection of a Novel MSI2-C17orf64 Transcript in a Patient with Aggressive Adenocarcinoma of the Gastroesophageal Junction: A Case Report

Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (EAC) and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ-AC) is associated with poor prognosis, treatment resistance and limited systemic therapeutic options. To deeply understand the genomic landscape of this cancer type, and potentially identify a therapeutic target in a neoadjuvant chemotherapy non-responder 48-year-old man, we adopted a multi-omic approach. We simultaneously evaluated gene rearrangements, mutations, copy number status, microsatellite instability and tumor mutation burden. The patient displayed pathogenic mutations of the TP53 and ATM genes and variants of uncertain significance of three kinases genes (ERBB3, CSNK1A1 and RPS6KB2), along with FGFR2 and KRAS high copy number amplification. Interestingly, transcriptomic analysis revealed the Musashi-2 (MSI2)-C17orf64 fusion that has never been reported before. Rearrangements of the RNA-binding protein MSI2 with a number of partner genes have been described across solid and hematological tumors. MSI2 regulates several biological processes involved in cancer initiation, development and resistance to treatment, and deserves further investigation as a potential therapeutic target. In conclusion, our extensive genomic characterization of a gastroesophageal tumor refractory to all therapeutic approaches led to the discovery of the MSI2-C17orf64 fusion. The results underlie the importance of deep molecular analyses enabling the identification of novel patient-specific markers to be monitored during therapy or even targeted at disease evolution.

Antitumor Profile of Combined Matricaria recutita Flower Extract and 5-Fluorouracil Chemotherapy in Sarcoma 180 In Vivo Model

Medicinal plants have been commonly associated with chemotherapeutic treatments, as an approach to reduce the toxicological risks of classical anticancer drugs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of combining the antineoplastic drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with Matricaria recutita flowers extract (MRFE) to treat mice transplanted with sarcoma 180. Tumor inhibition, body and visceral mass variation, biochemical, hematological, and histopathological parameters were evaluated. The isolated 5-FU, 5-FU+MRFE 100 mg/kg/day, and 5-FU+MRFE 200 mg/kg/day reduced tumor growth; however, 5-FU+MRFE 200 mg/kg/day showed a more significant tumor reduction when compared to 5-FU alone. These results corroborated with the analysis of the tumor histopathological and immunodetection of the Ki67 antigen. In the toxicological analysis of the association 5-FU+MRFE 200 mg/kg/day, an intense loss of body mass was observed, possibly as a result of diarrhea. In addition, spleen atrophy, with a reduction in white pulp, leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, was observed in the 5-FU groups alone and associated with MRFE 200 mg/kg/day; however, there was no statistical difference between these groups. Therefore, the MRFE 200 mg/kg/day did not interfere in myelosuppressive action of 5-FU. In hematological analysis, body and visceral mass variation and biochemical parameters related to renal (urea and creatinine) and cardiac (CK-MB) function, no alteration was observed. In biochemical parameters related to liver function enzymes, there was a reduction in aspartate transaminase (AST) values in the 5-FU groups alone and associated with MRFE 200 mg/kg/day; however, there was no statistical difference between these groups. Therefore, the MRFE 200 mg/kg/day does not appear to influence enzyme reduction. The results of this study suggest that the association between the 5-FU+MRFE 200 can positively interfere with the antitumor activity, promoting the antineoplastic-induced reduction in body mass, while minimizing the toxicity of chemotherapy.

Autochthonous Peruvian Natural Plants as Potential SARS-CoV-2 Mpro Main Protease Inhibitors

Over 750 million cases of COVID-19, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have been reported since the onset of the global outbreak. The need for effective treatments has spurred intensive research for therapeutic agents based on pharmaceutical repositioning or natural products. In light of prior studies asserting the bioactivity of natural compounds of the autochthonous Peruvian flora, the present study focuses on the identification SARS-CoV-2 M^pro main protease dimer inhibitors. To this end, a target-based virtual screening was performed over a representative set of Peruvian flora-derived natural compounds. The best poses obtained from the ensemble molecular docking process were selected. These structures were subjected to extensive molecular dynamics steps for the computation of binding free energies along the trajectory and evaluation of the stability of the complexes. The compounds exhibiting the best free energy behaviors were selected for in vitro testing, confirming the inhibitory activity of Hyperoside against M^pro, with a K_i value lower than 20 µM, presumably through allosteric modulation.

Phytochemicals of Withania somnifera as a Future Promising Drug against SARS-CoV-2: Pharmacological Role, Molecular Mechanism, Molecular Docking Evaluation, and Efficient Delivery

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has killed millions of people since first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Intriguingly, Withania somnifera (WS) has shown promising antiviral effects against numerous viral infections, including SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, which are contributed by its phytochemicals. This review focused on the updated testing of therapeutic efficacy and associated molecular mechanisms of WS extracts and their phytochemicals against SARS-CoV-2 infection in preclinical and clinical studies with the aim to develop a long-term solution against COVID-19. It also deciphered the current use of the in silico molecular docking approach in developing potential inhibitors from WS targeting SARS-CoV-2 and host cell receptors that may aid the development of targeted therapy against SARS-CoV-2 ranging from prior to viral entry until acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This review also discussed nanoformulations or nanocarriers in achieving effective WS delivery to enhance its bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy, consequently preventing the emergence of drug resistance, and eventually therapeutic failure.

Amesia hispanica sp. nov., Producer of the Antifungal Class of Antibiotics Dactylfungins

During a study of the diversity of soilborne fungi from Spain, a strain belonging to the family Chaetomiaceae (Sordariales) was isolated. The multigene phylogenetic inference using five DNA loci showed that this strain represents an undescribed species of the genus Amesia, herein introduced as A. hispanica sp. nov. Investigation of its secondary metabolome led to the isolation of two new derivatives (2 and 3) of the known antifungal antibiotic dactylfungin A (1), together with the known compound cochliodinol (4). The planar structures of 1-4 were determined by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and ion mobility tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-IM-MS/MS) and extensive 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy after isolation by HPLC. All isolated secondary metabolites were tested for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. Dactylfungin A (1) showed selective and strong antifungal activity against some of the tested human pathogens (Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans). The additional hydroxyl group in 2 resulted in the loss of activity against C. neoformans but still retained the inhibition of As. fumigatus in a lower concentration than that of the respective control, without showing any cytotoxic effects. In contrast, 25″-dehydroxy-dactylfungin A (3) exhibited improved activity against yeasts (Schizosaccharomyces pombe and Rhodotorula glutinis) than 1 and 2, but resulted in the appearance of slight cytotoxicity. The present study exemplifies how even in a well-studied taxonomic group such as the Chaetomiaceae, the investigation of novel taxa still brings chemistry novelty, as demonstrated in this first report of this antibiotic class for chaetomiaceous and sordarialean taxa.

COVID-19 therapeutics: Clinical application of repurposed drugs and futuristic strategies for target-based drug discovery

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the complicated disease COVID-19. Clinicians are continuously facing huge problems in the treatment of patients, as COVID-19-specific drugs are not available hence the principle of drug repurposing serves as a one-and-only hope. Globally, the repurposing of many drugs is underway; few of them are already approved by the regulatory bodies for their clinical use and most of them are in different phases of clinical trials. Here in this review, our main aim is to discuss in detail the up-to-date information on the target-based pharmacological classification of repurposed drugs, the potential mechanism of actions, and the current clinical trial status of various drugs which are under repurposing since early 2020. At last, we briefly proposed the probable pharmacological and therapeutic drug targets that may be preferred as a futuristic drug discovery approach in the development of effective medicines.

Urolithin A's Antioxidative, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antiapoptotic Activities Mitigate Doxorubicin-Induced Liver Injury in Wistar Rats

Human colon microbiota produce a metabolite called urolithin A (URO A) from ellagic acid and linked compounds, and this metabolite has been demonstrated to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic activities. The current work examines the various mechanisms through which URO A protects against doxorubicin (DOX)-induced liver injury in Wistar rats. In this experiment, Wistar rats were administered DOX intraperitoneally (20 mg kg^-1) on day 7 while given URO A intraperitoneally (2.5 or 5 mg kg^-1 d^-1) for 14 days. The serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) were measured. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate histopathological characteristics, and then antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated in tissue and serum, respectively. We also looked at how active caspase 3 and cytochrome c oxidase were in the liver. The findings demonstrated that supplementary URO A therapy clearly mitigated DOX-induced liver damage. The antioxidant enzymes SOD and CAT were elevated in the liver, and the levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, NF-kB, and IL-6, in the tissue were significantly attenuated, all of which complemented the beneficial effects of URO A in DOX-induced liver injury. In addition, URO A was able to alter the expression of caspase 3 and cytochrome c oxidase in the livers of rats that were subjected to DOX stress. These results showed that URO A reduced DOX-induced liver injury by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.

Biological insights and novel biomarker discovery through deep learning approaches in breast cancer histopathology

Breast cancer remains a highly prevalent disease with considerable inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity complicating prognostication and treatment decisions. The utilization and depth of genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data for cancer has exploded over recent times and the addition of spatial context to this information, by understanding the correlating morphologic and spatial patterns of cells in tissue samples, has created an exciting frontier of research, histo-genomics. At the same time, deep learning (DL), a class of machine learning algorithms employing artificial neural networks, has rapidly progressed in the last decade with a confluence of technical developments - including the advent of modern graphic processing units (GPU), allowing efficient implementation of increasingly complex architectures at scale; advances in the theoretical and practical design of network architectures; and access to larger datasets for training - all leading to sweeping advances in image classification and object detection. In this review, we examine recent developments in the application of DL in breast cancer histology with particular emphasis of those producing biologic insights or novel biomarkers, spanning the extraction of genomic information to the use of stroma to predict cancer recurrence, with the aim of suggesting avenues for further advancing this exciting field.

A roadmap to establish a comprehensive platform for sustainable manufacturing of natural products in yeast

Secondary natural products (NPs) are a rich source for drug discovery. However, the low abundance of NPs makes their extraction from nature inefficient, while chemical synthesis is challenging and unsustainable. Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris are excellent manufacturing systems for the production of NPs. This Perspective discusses a comprehensive platform for sustainable production of NPs in the two yeasts through system-associated optimization at four levels: genetics, temporal controllers, productivity screening, and scalability. Additionally, it is pointed out critical metabolic building blocks in NP bioengineering can be identified through connecting multilevel data of the optimized system using deep learning.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential of rhizome aqueous extract of sea holly (Eryngium maritimum L.) on Jurkat cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The genus Eryngium is known for producing a wide range of bioactive compounds with proved medicinal properties. In the last years, research has focused on E. maritimum, with previous studies reporting anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Ethnobotanical literature suggests that it has been traditionally used to treat a wide range of illnesses, having antitussive, diuretic and aphrodisiac properties. Being rhizome one of the most bioactive organs, much of the available references from traditional uses suggest that it has been specifically used to treat renal diseases. In this sense, inflammation and oxidative processes play a major role in kidney dysfunctions, which could be associated to the mechanism of action of the plant extracts.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The main aim of the study was to investigate the effects of E. maritimum rhizome extract on the antioxidant and inflammatory response in human immune cells.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Rhizome extracts were obtained from plants growing in Mallorca (Balearic Islands), and its composition was determined using HPLC-DAD, highlighting simple phenolic compounds such as trans-ferulic acid, catechin, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin and rosmarinic acid as the major constituents. Total antioxidant capacity was determined using the FRAP assay. Jurkat cells were cultured to analyse cytotoxicity by cell viability assay. In parallel, cells were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin and treated with different extract concentrations. Gene and protein expression, as well as nitrite and cytokine levels were evaluated as indicators of metabolic responses.

RESULTS

The plant extract showed a high diversity of pharmacologically bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic uses. The extract presented null cytotoxicity and exerted antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on Jurkat cells by inducing an antioxidant response and reducing cytokine and nitric oxide release and the expression of pro-inflammatory genes.

CONCLUSION

The present findings suggest that E. maritimum is a promising phytotherapeutic species because of its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential, which could explain some of its traditional uses.

"Identification of alkaloid compounds as potent inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis NadD using computational strategies"

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is leading cause of death worldwide. NAD participates in a host of redox reactions in energy landscape of organisms. Several studies implicate surrogate energy pathways involving NAD pools as important in survival of active as well as dormant mycobacteria. One of the NAD metabolic pathway enzyme, nicotinate mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NadD) is indispensable in mycobacterial NAD metabolism and is perceived as an attractive drug target in pathogen. In this study, we have employed in silico screening, simulation and MM-PBSA strategies to identify potentially important alkaloid compounds against mycobacterial NadD for structure-based inhibitor development. We have performed an exhaustive structure-based virtual screening of an alkaloid library, ADMET, DFT profiling followed by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation, and Molecular Mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) calculation to identify 10 compounds which exhibit favourable drug like properties and interactions. Interaction energies of these 10 alkaloid molecules range between -190 kJ/mol and -250 kJ/mol. These compounds could be promising starting point in the development of selective inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

"Magic Chloro": Profound Effects of the Chlorine Atom in Drug Discovery

Chlorine is one of the most common atoms present in small-molecule drugs beyond carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. There are currently more than 250 FDA-approved chlorine-containing drugs, yet the beneficial effect of the chloro substituent has not yet been reviewed. The seemingly simple substitution of a hydrogen atom (R = H) with a chlorine atom (R = Cl) can result in remarkable improvements in potency of up to 100,000-fold and can lead to profound effects on pharmacokinetic parameters including clearance, half-life, and drug exposure in vivo. Following the literature terminology of the "magic methyl effect" in drugs, the term "magic chloro effect" has been coined herein. Although reports of 500-fold or 1000-fold potency improvements are often serendipitous discoveries that can be considered "magical" rather than planned, hypotheses made to explain the magic chloro effect can lead to lessons that accelerate the cycle of drug discovery.

Liquid Biopsy and Cancer: An Ongoing Story

The concept that body fluids may reveal the presence of disease dates back to ancient Greek history, when Hippocrates (ca [...].

CHARMM-GUI Membrane Builder: Past, Current, and Future Developments and Applications

Molecular dynamics simulations of membranes and membrane proteins serve as computational microscopes, revealing coordinated events at the membrane interface. As G protein-coupled receptors, ion channels, transporters, and membrane-bound enzymes are important drug targets, understanding their drug binding and action mechanisms in a realistic membrane becomes critical. Advances in materials science and physical chemistry further demand an atomistic understanding of lipid domains and interactions between materials and membranes. Despite a wide range of membrane simulation studies, generating a complex membrane assembly remains challenging. Here, we review the capability of CHARMM-GUI Membrane Builder in the context of emerging research demands, as well as the application examples from the CHARMM-GUI user community, including membrane biophysics, membrane protein drug-binding and dynamics, protein-lipid interactions, and nano-bio interface. We also provide our perspective on future Membrane Builder development.

Role of Stereochemistry on the Biological Activity of Nature-Inspired 3-Br-Acivicin Isomers and Derivatives

Chiral natural compounds are often biosynthesized in an enantiomerically pure fashion, and stereochemistry plays a pivotal role in biological activity. Herein, we investigated the significance of chirality for nature-inspired 3-Br-acivicin (3-BA) and its derivatives. The three unnatural isomers of 3-BA and its ester and amide derivatives were prepared and characterized for their antimalarial activity. Only the (5S, αS) isomers displayed significant antiplasmodial activity, revealing that their uptake might be mediated by the L-amino acid transport system, which is known to mediate the acivicin membrane’s permeability. In addition, we investigated the inhibitory activity towards Plasmodium falciparum glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (PfGAPDH) since it is involved in the multitarget mechanism of action of 3-BA. Molecular modeling has shed light on the structural and stereochemical requirements for an efficient interaction with PfGAPDH, leading to covalent irreversible binding and enzyme inactivation. While stereochemistry affects the target binding only for two subclasses (1a–d and 4a–d), it leads to significant differences in the antimalarial activity for all subclasses, suggesting that a stereoselective uptake might be responsible for the enhanced biological activity of the (5S, αS) isomers.

Convolutional neural network for biomarker discovery for triple negative breast cancer with RNA sequencing data

Triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are tumors with a poor treatment response and prognosis. In this study, we propose a new approach, candidate extraction from convolutional neural network (CNN) elements (CECE), for discovery of biomarkers for TNBCs. We used the GSE96058 and GSE81538 datasets to build a CNN model to classify TNBCs and non-TNBCs and used the model to make TNBC predictions for two additional datasets, the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) breast cancer RNA sequencing data and the data from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC). Using correctly predicted TNBCs from the GSE96058 and TCGA datasets, we calculated saliency maps for these subjects and extracted the genes that the CNN model used to separate TNBCs from non-TNBCs. Among the TNBC signature patterns that the CNN models learned from the training data, we found a set of 21 genes that can classify TNBCs into two major classes, or CECE subtypes, with distinct overall survival rates (P = 0.0074). We replicated this subtype classification in the FUSCC dataset using the same 21 genes, and the two subtypes had similar differential overall survival rates (P = 0.0490). When all TNBCs were combined from the 3 datasets, the CECE II subtype had a hazard ratio of 1.94 (95% CI, 1.25-3.01; P = 0.0032). The results demonstrate that the spatial patterns learned by the CNN models can be utilized to discover interacting biomarkers otherwise unlikely to be identified by traditional approaches.

Homo medicus: The transition to meat eating increased pathogen pressure and the use of pharmacological plants in Homo

The human lineage transitioned to a more carnivorous niche 2.6 mya and evolved a large body size and slower life history, which likely increased zoonotic pathogen pressure. Evidence for this increase includes increased zoonotic infections in modern hunter-gatherers and bushmeat hunters, exceptionally low stomach pH compared to other primates, and divergence in immune-related genes. These all point to change, and probably intensification, in the infectious disease environment of Homo compared to earlier hominins and other apes. At the same time, the brain, an organ in which immune responses are constrained, began to triple in size. We propose that the combination of increased zoonotic pathogen pressure and the challenges of defending a large brain and body from pathogens in a long-lived mammal, selected for intensification of the plant-based self-medication strategies already in place in apes and other primates. In support, there is evidence of medicinal plant use by hominins in the middle Paleolithic, and all cultures today have sophisticated, plant-based medical systems, add spices to food, and regularly consume psychoactive plant substances that are harmful to helminths and other pathogens. We propose that the computational challenges of discovering effective plant-based treatments, the consequent ability to consume more energy-rich animal foods, and the reduced reliance on energetically-costly immune responses helped select for increased cognitive abilities and unique exchange relationships in Homo. In the story of human evolution, which has long emphasized hunting skills, medical skills had an equal role to play.

Licochalcone A protects against LPS-induced inflammation and acute lung injury by directly binding with myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a challenging clinical syndrome that leads to various respiratory sequelae and even high mortality in patients with severe disease. The novel pharmacological strategies and therapeutic drugs are urgently needed. Natural products have played a fundamental role and provided an abundant pool in drug discovery.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

A compound library containing 160 natural products was used to screen potential anti-inflammatory compounds. Mice with LPS-induced ALI was then used to verify the preventive and therapeutic effects of the selected compounds.

KEY RESULTS

Licochalcone A was discovered from the anti-inflammatory screening of natural products in macrophages. A qPCR array validated the inflammation-regulatory effects of licochalcone A and indicated that the potential targets of licochalcone A may be the upstream proteins in LPS pro-inflammatory signalling. Further studies showed that licochalcone A directly binds to myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD2), an assistant protein of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), to block both LPS-induced TRIF- and MYD88-dependent pathways. LEU61 and PHE151 in MD2 protein are the two key residues that contribute to the binding of MD2 to licochalcone A. In vivo, licochalcone A treatment alleviated ALI in LPS-challenged mice through significantly reducing immunocyte infiltration, suppressing activation of TLR4 pathway and inflammatory cytokine induction.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

In summary, our study identified MD2 as a direct target of licochalcone A for its anti-inflammatory activity and suggested that licochalcone A might serve as a novel MD2 inhibitor and a potential drug for developing ALI/ARDS therapy.

Neuroprotective effects of bornyl acetate on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis via anti-inflammatory effects and maintaining blood-brain-barrier integrity

BACKGROUND

Bornyl acetate (BA), a chemical component of essential oil in the Pinus family, has yet to be actively studies in terms of its therapeutic effect on numerous diseases, including autoimmune diseases.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of BA on myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG_35-55)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice in an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a representative autoimmune disease in central nervous system.

METHODS

BA (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg) was orally treated to EAE mice once daily for 30 days after immunization for the behavioral test and for the 16th-18th days for the histopathological and molecular analyses, from the onset stage (8th day) of EAE symptoms.

RESULTS

BA mitigated behavioral dysfunction (motor disability) and demyelination in the spinal cord that were associated with the down-regulation of representative pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha), enzymes (cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase), and chemokines (monocyte chemotactic protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha, and regulated on activation), and decreased infiltration of microglia (CD11b⁺/CD45^+(low)) and macrophages (CD11b⁺/CD45^+(high)). The anti-inflammatory effect of BA was related to the inhibition of mitogen-activated protein kinases and nuclear factor-kappa B pathways. BA also reduced the recruitment/infiltration rates of CD4⁺ T, Th1, and Th17 cells into the spinal cords of EAE mice, which was related to reduced blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) disruption.

CONCLUSION

These findings strongly suggest that BA may alleviate EAE due to its anti-inflammatory and BSCB protective activities. This indicates that BA is a potential therapeutic agent for treating autoimmune demyelinating diseases including MS.

Extracellular vesicles in COVID-19 prognosis, treatment, and vaccination: an update

The lethality of the COVID 19 pandemic became the trigger for one of the most meteoric races on record in the search for strategies of disease control. Those include development of rapid and sensitive diagnostic methods, therapies to treat severe cases, and development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the latter responsible for the current relative control of the disease. However, the commercially available vaccines are still far from conferring protection against acquiring the infection, so the development of more efficient vaccines that can cut the transmission of the variants of concerns that currently predominate and those that will emerge is a prevailing need. On the other hand, considering that COVID 19 is here to stay, the development of new diagnosis and treatment strategies is also desirable. In this sense, there has recently been a great interest in taking advantage of the benefits offered by extracellular vesicles (EVs), membrane structures of nanoscale size that carry information between cells participating in this manner in many physiological homeostatic and pathological processes. The interest has been focused on the fact that EVs are relatively easy to obtain and manipulate, allowing the design of natural nanocarriers that deliver molecules of interest, as well as the information about the pathogens, which can be exploited for the aforementioned purposes. Studies have shown that infection with SARS-CoV-2 induces the release of EVs from different sources, including platelets, and that their increase in blood, as well as some of their markers, could be used as a prognosis of disease severity. Likewise, EVs from different sources are being used as the ideal carriers for delivering active molecules and drugs to treat the disease, as well as vaccine antigens. In this review, we describe the progress that has been made in these three years of pandemic regarding the use of EVs for diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection. KEY POINTS: • Covid-19 still requires more effective and specific treatments and vaccines. • The use of extracellular vesicles is emerging as an option with multiple advantages. • Association of EVs with COVID 19 and engineered EVs for its control are presented.

Affinity-based protein profiling-driven discovery of myricanol as a Nampt activator

Herein, we synthesized an affinity-based probe of myricanol (pMY) with a photo-affinity cross-linker to initiate a bioconjugation reaction, which was applied for target identification in live C2C12 myotubes. Pull-down of biotinylated pMY coupled with mass spectroscopy and Western blotting revealed that pMY can bind with nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt), a rate-limiting enzyme in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide salvage pathway. Cellular thermal shift assay, drug affinity responsive target stability assay and recombinant protein labeling further validated the direct interaction between myricanol and Nampt. Myricanol did not affect the protein expression of Nampt, but enhanced its activity. Knock-down of Nampt totally abolished the promoting effect of myricanol on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in C2C12 myotubes. Taken together, myricanol sensitizes insulin action in myotubes through binding with and activating Nampt.

Multicomponent Reaction-Assisted Drug Discovery: A Time- and Cost-Effective Green Approach Speeding Up Identification and Optimization of Anticancer Drugs

Multicomponent reactions (MCRs) have emerged as a powerful strategy in synthetic organic chemistry due to their widespread applications in drug discovery and development. MCRs are flexible transformations in which three or more substrates react to form structurally complex products with high atomic efficiency. They are being increasingly appreciated as a highly exploratory and evolutionary tool by the medicinal chemistry community, opening the door to more sustainable, cost-effective and rapid synthesis of biologically active molecules. In recent years, MCR-based synthetic strategies have found extensive application in the field of drug discovery, and several anticancer drugs have been synthesized through MCRs. In this review, we present an overview of representative and recent literature examples documenting different approaches and applications of MCRs in the development of new anticancer drugs.

Open data and algorithms for open science in AI-driven molecular informatics

Recent years have seen a sharp increase in the development of deep learning and artificial intelligence-based molecular informatics. There has been a growing interest in applying deep learning to several subfields, including the digital transformation of synthetic chemistry, extraction of chemical information from the scientific literature, and AI in natural product-based drug discovery. The application of AI to molecular informatics is still constrained by the fact that most of the data used for training and testing deep learning models are not available as FAIR and open data. As open science practices continue to grow in popularity, initiatives which support FAIR and open data as well as open-source software have emerged. It is becoming increasingly important for researchers in the field of molecular informatics to embrace open science and to submit data and software in open repositories. With the advent of open-source deep learning frameworks and cloud computing platforms, academic researchers are now able to deploy and test their own deep learning models with ease. With the development of new and faster hardware for deep learning and the increasing number of initiatives towards digital research data management infrastructures, as well as a culture promoting open data, open source, and open science, AI-driven molecular informatics will continue to grow. This review examines the current state of open data and open algorithms in molecular informatics, as well as ways in which they could be improved in future.

Metabolic profiling for the discovery of two rare fusidane-type heterodimers from the fungal endophyte Acremonium pilosum F47

In our process of studying fusidane-type antibiotics, metabolomics-guided chemical investigation on the endophytic Acremonium pilosum F47 led to the isolation of two unique heterodimers, acremonidiols B and C (1 and 2) consisting of a fusidane-type triterpenoid motif and a steroid unit. Four biosynthetically related known natural products including fusidic acid (FA, 3), as well as ergosterol derivatives (4-6) were also obtained. Their structures were determined by the analyses of ESI-HRMS and NMR data. Compounds 1 and 2, as hybrid molecules comprising the fusidane triterpenoid and steroid, are rare in nature. Compared with the clinically used antibiotic FA (3), new compounds 1 and 2 showed no obvious antibiotic activity, indicating the importance of free C-21 carboxyl group for antibacterial activity.

Targeting the multifaceted neurotoxicity of Alzheimer's disease by tailored functionalisation of the curcumin scaffold

Simultaneous modulation of multifaceted toxicity arising from neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction represents a valuable therapeutic strategy to tackle Alzheimer's disease. Among the significant hallmarks of the disorder, Aβ protein and its aggregation products are well-recognised triggers of the neurotoxic cascade. In this study, by tailored modification of the curcumin-based lead compound 1, we aimed at developing a small library of hybrid compounds targeting Aβ protein oligomerisation and the consequent neurotoxic events. Interestingly, from in vitro studies, analogues 3 and 4, bearing a substituted triazole moiety, emerged as multifunctional agents able to counteract Aβ aggregation, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. In vivo proof-of-concept evaluations, performed in a Drosophila oxidative stress model, allowed us to identify compound 4 as a promising lead candidate.

Biofilm Formation and Phospholipase and Proteinase Production in Cryptococcus neoformans Clinical Isolates and Susceptibility towards Some Bioactive Natural Products

Background. Cryptococcosis is one of the most common fungal infections in immunocompromised patients, which is caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. However, relatively little is known about the virulence factors of C. neoformans and the incidence of antifungal drug resistance in C. neoformans is rapidly increasing. This study was undertaken to investigate the virulence factors in C. neoformans, thymol, curcumin, piperine, gallic acid, eugenol, and plumbagin for their potential antimicrobial activity against C. neoformans. Methods. The production of phospholipase and proteinase was detected using standard methods. Biofilm formation was determined using the microtiter plate method. The broth microdilution method was used to determine the antifungal activity. The antibiofilm activity was assessed using the safranin staining method. Results. All isolates of C. neoformans produced biofilms with optical density values ranging from 0.16 to 0.89. A majority of C. neoformans isolates that were tested exhibited strong phospholipase (7/8) and proteinase (5/8) production. Plumbagin (with minimum inhibitory concentration values ranging from 4 to 16 μg/mL) showed the highest antifungal activity followed by thymol (with minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration values ranging from 8 to 64 μg/mL). In addition, plumbagin showed the highest antibiofilm activity with minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration and minimum biofilm eradication concentration values ranging from 4 to 16 μg/mL and 32 to 256 μg/mL, respectively. Conclusion. Plumbagin, compared to other natural products studied, was the most efficient in terms of antifungal and antibiofilm activities. Hence, plumbagin could be used in combination with antifungals for the development of new anticryptococcal drugs.

Evolution of Natural Product Scaffolds as Potential Proteasome Inhibitors in Developing Cancer Therapeutics

Homeostasis between protein synthesis and degradation is a critical biological function involving a lot of precise and intricate regulatory systems. The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) is a large, multi-protease complex that degrades most intracellular proteins and accounts for about 80% of cellular protein degradation. The proteasome, a massive multi-catalytic proteinase complex that plays a substantial role in protein processing, has been shown to have a wide range of catalytic activity and is at the center of this eukaryotic protein breakdown mechanism. As cancer cells overexpress proteins that induce cell proliferation, while blocking cell death pathways, UPP inhibition has been used as an anticancer therapy to change the balance between protein production and degradation towards cell death. Natural products have a long history of being used to prevent and treat various illnesses. Modern research has shown that the pharmacological actions of several natural products are involved in the engagement of UPP. Over the past few years, numerous natural compounds have been found that target the UPP pathway. These molecules could lead to the clinical development of novel and potent anticancer medications to combat the onslaught of adverse effects and resistance mechanisms caused by already approved proteasome inhibitors. In this review, we report the importance of UPP in anticancer therapy and the regulatory effects of diverse natural metabolites, their semi-synthetic analogs, and SAR studies on proteasome components, which may aid in discovering a new proteasome regulator for drug development and clinical applications.

Amaryllidaceae alkaloids in skin cancer management: Photoprotective effect on human keratinocytes and anti-proliferative activity in melanoma cells

Skin cancer has high rates of mortality and therapeutic failure. In this study, to develop a multi-agent strategy for skin cancer management, the selective cytotoxicity of several alkaloid fractions and pure alkaloids isolated from Amaryllidaceae species was evaluated in melanoma cells. In addition, UVB-stimulated keratinocytes (HaCaT) were exposed to seven alkaloid fractions characterized by GC-MS, and the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and IL-6, were measured to evaluate their photoprotection effects. The Eucharis caucana (bulb) alkaloid fraction (20 μg/ml) had a clear effect on the viability of melanoma cells, reducing it by 45.7% without affecting healthy keratinocytes. This alkaloid fraction and tazettine (both at 2.5 μg/ml) suppressed UVB-induced ROS production by 31.6% and 29.4%, respectively. The highest anti-inflammatory potential was shown by the Zephyranthes carinata (bulb) alkaloid fraction (10 μg/ml), which reduced IL-6 production by 90.8%. According to the chemometric analysis, lycoramine and tazettine had a photoprotective effect on the UVB-exposed HaCaT cells, attenuating the production of ROS and IL-6. These results suggest that Amaryllidaceae alkaloids have photoprotective and therapeutic potential in skin cancer management, especially at low concentrations.

Golgi-Targeting Anticancer Natural Products

The Golgi apparatus plays an important role in maintaining cell homeostasis by serving as a biosynthetic center for glycans, lipids and post-translationally modified proteins and as a sorting center for vesicular transport of proteins to specific destinations. Moreover, it provides a signaling hub that facilitates not only membrane trafficking processes but also cellular response pathways to various types of stresses. Altered signaling at the Golgi apparatus has emerged as a key regulator of tumor growth and survival. Among the small molecules that can specifically perturb or modulate Golgi proteins and organization, natural products with anticancer property have been identified as powerful chemical probes in deciphering Golgi-related pathways and, in particular, recently described Golgi stress response pathways. In this review, we highlight a set of Golgi-targeting natural products that enabled the characterization of the Golgi-mediated signaling events leading to cancer cell death and discuss the potential for selectively exploiting these pathways for the development of novel chemotherapeutic agents.

Phenolic Compounds Contribution to Portuguese Propolis Anti-Melanoma Activity

Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, with about 61,000 deaths annually worldwide. Late diagnosis increases mortality rates due to melanoma’s capacity to metastasise rapidly and patients’ resistance to the available conventional therapies. Consequently, the interest in natural products as a strategy for drug discovery has been emerging. Propolis, a natural product produced by bees, has several biological properties, including anticancer effects. Propolis from Gerês is one of the most studied Portuguese propolis. Our group has previously demonstrated that an ethanol extract of Gerês propolis collected in 2018 (G18.EE) and its fractions (n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol) decrease melanoma cell viability. Out of all the fractions, G18.EE-n-BuOH showed the highest potential as a melanoma pharmacological therapy. Thus, in this work, G18.EE-n-BuOH was fractioned into 17 subfractions whose effect was evaluated in A375 BRAF-mutated melanoma cells. The subfractions with the highest cytotoxic activity were analysed by UPLC-DAD-ESI/MSn in an attempt to understand which phenolic compounds could account for the anti-melanoma activity. The compounds identified are typical of the Gerês propolis, and some of them have already been linked with antitumor effectiveness. These results reaffirm that propolis compounds can be a source of new drugs and the isolation of compounds could allow its use in traditional medicine.

Gallate Moiety of Catechin Is Essential for Inhibiting CCL2 Chemokine-Mediated Monocyte Recruitment

Leukocyte recruitment witnesses an orchestrated complex formation between the chemokines and their molecular partners. CCL2 chemokine that regulates monocyte trafficking is a worthwhile system from the pharmaceutical perspective. In the current study, four major catechins (EC/EGC/ECG/EGCG) were assessed for their inhibitory potential against CCL2-regulated monocyte/macrophage recruitment. Interestingly, catechins with the gallate moiety (ECG/EGCG) could only attenuate the CCL2-induced macrophage migration. These molecules specifically bound to CCL2 on a pocket comprising the N-terminal, β₀-sheets, and β₃-sheets, and the binding affinity of ECGC (K_d = 22 ± 4 μM) is ∼4 times higher than that of the ECG complex (K_d = 85 ± 6 μM). MD simulation analysis evidenced that the molecular specificity/stability of CCL2-catechin complexes is regulated by multiple factors, including stereospecificity, number of hydroxyl groups on the annular ring-B, the positioning of the carbonyl group, and the methylation of the galloyl ring. Further, a significant overlap on the binding surface of CCL2 for EGCG/ECG and receptor interactions as evidenced from NMR data provided the rationale for the observed inhibition of macrophage migration in response to EGCG/ECG binding. In summary, these galloylated epicatechins can be considered as potent protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors that regulate CCL2-directed leukocyte recruitment for resolving inflammatory/immunomodulatory disorders.

Comprehensive analysis of biosynthetic gene clusters in bacteria and discovery of Tumebacillus as a potential producer of natural products

Limited microbial genera such as Streptomyces have served as sources of natural products (NPs), whereas most others have been less investigated. The vast accumulation of genomic data available in the NCBI database enables us to bioinformatically estimate the ability of other microbial groups to produce NPs. We analyzed 21,052 complete bacterial genome sequences using antiSMASH and compared the average numbers of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) related to polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides, and/or terpenes biosynthesis at the genus level. Our bioinformatic analyses showed that Tumebacillus has 5-15 BGCs and is a promising NP producer. We searched for NPs from the culture broth of Tumebacillus permanentifrigoris JCM 14557^T and found two novel compounds (tumebacin with anti-Bacillus activity and tumepyrazine) and identified two known compounds. Our results highlight the diversity of sources of NPs awaiting discovery.

Skeletal diversification by C-C cleavage to access bicyclic frameworks from a common tricyclooctane intermediate

Herein, the diversification of tricyclo[3.2.1.03,6]octane scaffolds to afford diverse bicyclic scaffolds is described. The strained tricyclooctanes are prepared in two steps featuring a blue light-mediated [2+2] cycloaddition. Strategies for the cleavage of this scaffold were then explored resulting in the selective syntheses of the bicyclo[3.1.1]heptane, bicyclo[3.2.1]octane, and bicyclo[3.2.0]heptane cores. These findings may guide future studies of C-C cleavage reactions in strained carbon frameworks and their application in complex molecule synthesis.

Enhancement of immune surveillance in breast cancer by targeting hypoxic tumor endothelium: Can it be an immunological switch point?

Breast cancer ranks second among the causes of cancer-related deaths in women. In spite of the recent advances achieved in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, further study is required to overcome the risk of cancer resistance to treatment and thereby improve the prognosis of individuals with advanced-stage breast cancer. The existence of a hypoxic microenvironment is a well-known event in the development of mutagenesis and rapid proliferation of cancer cells. Tumor cells, purposefully cause local hypoxia in order to induce angiogenesis and growth factors that promote tumor growth and metastatic characteristics, while healthy tissue surrounding the tumor suffers damage or mutate. It has been found that these settings with low oxygen levels cause immunosuppression and a lack of immune surveillance by reducing the activation and recruitment of tumor infiltrating leukocytes (TILs). The immune system is further suppressed by hypoxic tumor endothelium through a variety of ways, which creates an immunosuppressive milieu in the tumor microenvironment. Non responsiveness of tumor endothelium to inflammatory signals or endothelial anergy exclude effector T cells from the tumor milieu. Expression of endothelial specific antigens and immunoinhibitory molecules like Programmed death ligand 1,2 (PDL-1, 2) and T cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-3 (TIM-3) by tumor endothelium adds fuel to the fire by inhibiting T lymphocytes while promoting regulatory T cells. The hypoxic microenvironment in turn recruits Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs), Tumor Associated Macrophages (TAMs) and T regulatory cells (Treg). The structure and function of newly generated blood vessels within tumors, on the other hand, are aberrant, lacking the specific organization of normal tissue vasculature. Vascular normalisation may work for a variety of tumour types and show to be an advantageous complement to immunotherapy for improving tumour access. By enhancing immune response in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, via immune-herbal therapeutic and immune-nutraceuticals based approaches that leverage immunological evasion of tumor, will be briefly reviewed in this article. Whether these tactics may be the game changer for emerging immunological switch point to attenuate the breast cancer growth and prevent metastatic cell division, is the key concern of the current study.

The 4-α-Glucanotransferase AcbQ Is Involved in Acarbose Modification in Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110

The pseudo-tetrasaccharide acarbose, produced by Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110, is a α-glucosidase inhibitor used for treatment of type 2 diabetes patients. In industrial production of acarbose, by-products play a relevant role that complicates the purification of the product and reduce yields. Here, we report that the acarbose 4-α-glucanotransferase AcbQ modifies acarbose and the phosphorylated version acarbose 7-phosphate. Elongated acarviosyl metabolites (α-acarviosyl-(1,4)-maltooligosaccharides) with one to four additional glucose molecules were identified performing in vitro assays with acarbose or acarbose 7-phosphate and short α-1,4-glucans (maltose, maltotriose and maltotetraose). High functional similarities to the 4-α-glucanotransferase MalQ, which is essential in the maltodextrin pathway, are revealed. However, maltotriose is a preferred donor and acarbose and acarbose 7-phosphate, respectively, serve as specific acceptors for AcbQ. This study displays the specific intracellular assembly of longer acarviosyl metabolites catalyzed by AcbQ, indicating that AcbQ is directly involved in the formation of acarbose by-products of Actinoplanes sp. SE50/110.

Impact of Synthesized Indoloquinoline Analog to Isolates from Cryptolepis sanguinolenta on Tumor Growth Inhibition and Hepatotoxicity in Ehrlich Solid Tumor-Bearing Female Mice

The study evaluated the antitumor efficacy of APAN, “synthesized indoloquinoline analog derived from the parent neocryptolepine isolated from the roots of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta”, versus the chemotherapeutic drug etoposide (ETO) in Ehrlich solid tumor (EST)-bearing female mice as well as its protective effect against etoposide-triggered hepatic disorders. APAN showed an ameliorative activity against Ehrlich solid tumor and hepatic toxicity, and the greatest improvement was found in the combined treatment of APAN with ETO. The results indicated that EST altered the levels of tumor markers (AFP, CEA, and anti-dsDNA) and liver biomarker function (ALT, AST, ALP, ALB, and T. protein). Furthermore, EST elevated CD68 and anti-survivin proteins immuno-expressions in the solid tumor and liver tissue. Molecular docking studies were demonstrated to investigate their affinity for both TNF-α and topoisomerase II as target proteins, as etoposide is based on the inhibition of topoisomerase II, and TNF-α is quite highly expressed in the solid tumor and liver tissues of EST-bearing animals, which prompted the authors’ interest to explore APAN affinity to its binding site. Treatment of mice bearing EST with APAN and ETO nearly regularized serum levels of the altered parameters and ameliorated the impact of EST on the tissue structure of the liver better than that by treatment with each of them separately.

Differentiated extracts from freshwater and terrestrial mollusks inhibit virulence factor production in Cryptococcus neoformans

The human fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, is responsible for deadly infections among immunocompromised individuals with the evolution of antifungal resistance driving the solution to discover new compounds that inhibit fungal virulence factors rather than kill the pathogen. Recently, exploration into natural sources (e.g., plants, invertebrates, microbes) of antifungal agents has garnered attention by integrating a One Health approach for new compound discovery. Here, we explore extracts from three mollusk species (freshwater and terrestrial) and evaluate effects against the growth and virulence factor production (i.e., thermotolerance, melanin, capsule, and biofilm) in C. neoformans. We demonstrate that clarified extracts of Planorbella pilsbryi have a fungicidal effect on cryptococcal cells comparable to fluconazole. Similarly, all extracts of Cipangopaludina chinensis affect cryptococcal thermotolerance and impair biofilm and capsule production, with clarified extracts of Cepaea nemoralis also conveying the latter effect. Next, inhibitory activity of extracts against peptidases related to specific virulence factors, combined with stress assays and quantitative proteomics, defined distinct proteome signatures and proposed proteins driving the observed anti-virulence properties. Overall, this work highlights the potential of compounds derived from natural sources to inhibit virulence factor production in a clinically important fungal pathogen.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of aqueous extract obtained from Serjania marginata Casar leaves

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Serjania marginata Casar (Sapindaceae Family) Leaves are popularly used against abdominal pain. Antiulcer properties of S. marginata were scientifically described, however rare studies showed the antinociceptive effects of this plant.

AIM OF STUDY

In this study, we investigated the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of aqueous extract obtained from Serjania marginata leaves (AESM) in nociception/inflammation models.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

AESM was analyzed in FIA-ESI-IT-MS and Mass spectrometer LTQ XL. AESM oral administration (p.o.) (30, 100 and 300 mg/kg), dexamethasone subcutaneous injection (1 mg/kg, s.c.) and morphine (5 mg/kg, s.c.) were tested against the acetic acid-induced nociception, carrageenan-induced acute inflammatory paw edema/hyperalgesia, formalin-induced nociception and carrageenan-induced pleurisy in Swiss mice.

RESULTS

Flavonoids rutin was detected in the phytochemical analysis of this extract. Oral treatment of AESM 300 mg/kg significantly reduced the number of acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing. AESM (100 and 300 mg/kg) significantly inhibited formalin-induced nociception, mechanical hyperalgesia and paw edema in carrageenan-model. Furthermore, AESM significantly inhibited leukocyte migration and protein exudation in the carrageenan-induced pleurisy test.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms the antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory activity of AESM, which may explain, in part, the popular use of this plant as a natural antinociceptive agent. This pharmacological action can be caused by flavonoids such as rutin and other compounds present in AESM.

Novel Insights in the Potential of Halogenated Polyketide–Peptide Molecules as Lead Compounds in Cancer Drug Discovery

In this interdisciplinary study, we selected two compounds, namely, smenamide A, a peptide–polyketide, and smenolactone D, a polyketide, as models because they are representative of two different classes of molecules isolated from the marine sponge Smenospongia aurea. The organic extract of Smenospongia aurea was analyzed using a combination of high-resolution LC-MS/MS and molecular networking, a recently developed method for automated LC-MS data analysis. The analyses were targeted to highlight clusters made by chlorinated compounds present in the extracts. Then, the two model compounds were analyzed for their bioactivity. Data reported here show that smenamide A did not exhibit a cytotoxic effect, while smenolactone D was cytotoxic on different tumor cell lines and was able to induce different types of cell death, including ferroptosis and apoptosis.

Association of Hsp90 with p53 and Fizzy related homolog (Fzr) synchronizing Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC/C): An unexplored ally towards oncogenic pathway

The intricate molecular interactions leading to the oncogenic pathway are the consequence of cell cycle modification controlled by a bunch of cell cycle regulatory proteins. The tumor suppressor and cell cycle regulatory proteins work in coordination to maintain a healthy cellular environment. The integrity of this cellular protein pool is perpetuated by heat shock proteins/chaperones, which assist in proper protein folding during normal and cellular stress conditions. Among these versatile groups of chaperone proteins, Hsp90 is one of the significant ATP-dependent chaperones that aid in stabilizing many tumor suppressors and cell cycle regulator protein targets. Recently, studies have revealed that in cancerous cell lines, Hsp90 stabilizes mutant p53, 'the guardian of the genome.' Hsp90 also has a significant impact on Fzr, an essential regulator of the cell cycle having an important role in the developmental process of various organisms, including Drosophila, yeast, Caenorhabditis elegans, and plants. During cell cycle progression, p53 and Fzr coordinately regulate the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC/C) from metaphase to anaphase transition up to cell cycle exit. APC/C mediates proper centrosome function in the dividing cell. The centrosome acts as the microtubule organizing center for the correct segregation of the sister chromatids to ensure perfect cell division. This review examines the structure of Hsp90 and its co-chaperones, which work in synergy to stabilize proteins such as p53 and Fizzy-related homolog (Fzr) to synchronize the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC/C). Dysfunction of this process activates the oncogenic pathway leading to the development of cancer. Additionally, an overview of current drugs targeting Hsp90 at various phases of clinical trials has been included.

Harzianic Acid Activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Its Role in Calcium Regulation

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium, which can be found, as a commensal microorganism, on the skin surface or in the nasal mucosa of the human population. However, S. aureus may become pathogenic and cause severe infections, especially in hospitalized patients. As an opportunistic pathogen, in fact, S. aureus interferes with the host Ca²⁺ signaling, favoring the spread of the infection and tissue destruction. The identification of novel strategies to restore calcium homeostasis and prevent the associated clinical outcomes is an emerging challenge. Here, we investigate whether harzianic acid, a bioactive metabolite derived from fungi of the genus Trichoderma, could control S. aureus-induced Ca²⁺ movements. First, we show the capability of harzianic acid to complex calcium divalent cations, using mass spectrometric, potentiometric, spectrophotometric, and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. Then, we demonstrate that harzianic acid significantly modulates Ca²⁺ increase in HaCaT (human keratinocytes) cells incubated with S. aureus. In conclusion, this study suggests harzianic acid as a promising therapeutical alternative against diseases associated with Ca²⁺ homeostasis alteration.

Beta-Caryophyllene Modifies Intracellular Lipid Composition in a Cell Model of Hepatic Steatosis by Acting through CB2 and PPAR Receptors

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease; however, no specific pharmacological therapy has yet been approved for this condition. Plant-derived extracts can be an important source for the development of new drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of (E)-β-caryophyllene (BCP), a phytocannabinoid recently found to be beneficial against metabolic diseases, on HepG2 steatotic hepatocytes. Using a fluorescence-based lipid quantification assay and GC-MS analysis, we show that BCP is able to decrease lipid accumulation in steatotic conditions and to change the typical steatotic lipid profile by primarily reducing saturated fatty acids. By employing specific antagonists, we demonstrate that BCP action is mediated by multiple receptors: CB2 cannabinoid receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and γ (PPARγ). Interestingly, BCP was able to counteract the increase in CB2 and the reduction in PPARα receptor expression observed in steatotic conditions. Moreover, through immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, we demonstrate that CB2 receptors are mainly intracellularly localized and that BCP is internalized in HepG2 cells with a maximum peak at 2 h, suggesting a direct interaction with intracellular receptors. The results obtained with BCP in normal and steatotic hepatocytes encourage future applications in the treatment of NAFLD.

Recent Advances in the Systemic Treatment of Localized Gastroesophageal Cancer

The overall survival expectancy of localized gastroesophageal cancer patients still remains under 5 years despite advances in neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment strategies in recent years. For almost a decade, immunotherapy has been successfully implemented as a first-line treatment for various oncological diseases in advanced stages. In the case of advanced gastroesophageal cancer, 2021 witnessed several approvals of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies by different authorities. Although it is still a debate whether this treatment should be restricted to a certain subgroup of patients based on biomarker selection, immunotherapy agents are making remarkable steps in resectable settings as well. The Checkmate-577 study demonstrated significant benefits of nivolumab as an adjuvant treatment for resectable esophageal and gastroesophageal junction tumors and thereby obtained approvals both from U.S. American and European authorities. First results of further potential practice-changing clinical trials are expected in 2023, which might change the treatment armamentarium for resectable gastroesophageal cancers significantly. This review aims to demonstrate the advances of immunotherapy and targeted therapies in treatment of localized gastric, gastroesophageal junction and esophageal tumors and gives a short summary on promising ongoing clinical trials.

Identification of a new class of proteasome inhibitors based on a naphthyl-azotricyclic-urea-phenyl scaffold

Proteasomes play an important role in protein degradation and regulation of many cellular pathways by maintaining protein balance. Inhibitors of proteasomes disrupt this balance affecting proteins that are key in malignancies and as such have found applications in the treatment of multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma. However, resistance mechanisms have been reported for these proteasome inhibitors including mutations at the β5 site which necessitates the constant development of new inhibitors. In this work, we report the identification of a new class of proteasome inhibitors, polycyclic molecules bearing a naphthyl-azotricyclic-urea-phenyl scaffold, from screening of the ZINC library of natural products. The most potent of these compounds showed evidence of dose dependency through proteasome assays with IC50 values in the low micromolar range, and kinetic analysis revealed competitive binding at the β5c site with an estimated inhibition constant, K i, of 1.15 μM. Inhibition was also shown for the β5i site of the immunoproteasome at levels similar to those of the constitutive proteasome. Structure-activity relationship studies identified the naphthyl substituent to be crucial for activity and this was attributed to enhanced hydrophobic interactions within β5c. Further to this, halogen substitution within the naphthyl ring enhanced the activity and allowed for π-π interactions with Y169 in β5c and Y130 and F124 in β5i. The combined data highlight the importance of hydrophobic and halogen interactions in β5 binding and assist in the design of next generation inhibitors of proteasomes.

Design and Computational Analysis of an MMP9 Inhibitor in Hypoxia-Induced Glioblastoma Multiforme

The main therapeutic difficulties in treating hypoxia-induced glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are toxicity of current treatments and the resistance brought on by the microenvironment. More effective therapeutic alternatives are urgently needed to reduce tumor lethality. Hence, we screened plant-based natural product panels intending to identify novel drugs without elevating drug resistance. We explored GEO for the hypoxia GBM model and compared hypoxic genes to non-neoplastic brain cells. A total of 2429 differentially expressed genes expressed exclusively in hypoxia were identified. The functional enrichment analysis demonstrated genes associated with GBM, further PPI network was constructed, and biological pathways associated with them were explored. Seven webtools, including GEPIA2.0, TIMER2.0, TCGA-GBM, and GlioVis, were used to validate 32 hub genes discovered using Cytoscape tool in GBM patient samples. Four GBM-specific hypoxic hub genes, LYN, MMP9, PSMB9, and TIMP1, were connected to the tumor microenvironment using TIMER analysis. 11 promising hits demonstrated positive drug-likeness with nontoxic characteristics and successfully crossed blood-brain barrier and ADMET analyses. Top-ranking hits have stable intermolecular interactions with the MMP9 protein according to molecular docking, MD simulation, MM-PBSA, PCA, and DCCM analyses. Herein, we have reported flavonoids, 7,4'-dihydroxyflavan, (3R)-3-(4-hydroxybenzyl)-6-hydroxy-8-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-1-benzopyran, and 4'-hydroxy-7-methoxyflavan, to inhibit MMP9, a novel hypoxia gene signature that could serve as a promising predictor in various clinical applications, including GBM diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapy.

PD-1 blockade plus chemoradiotherapy as preoperative therapy for patients with BRPC/LAPC: A biomolecular exploratory, phase II trial

This is a phase II study of PD-1 blockade plus chemoradiotherapy as preoperative therapy for patients with locally advanced or borderline resectable pancreatic cancer (LAPC or BRPC, respectively). Twenty-nine patients are enrolled in the study. The objective response rate (ORR) is 60%, and the R0 resection rate is 90% (9/10). The 12-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate and 12-month overall survival (OS) rate are 64% and 72%, respectively. Grade 3 or higher adverse events are anemia (8%), thrombocytopenia (8%), and jaundice (8%). Circulating tumor DNA analysis reveals that patients with a >50% decline in maximal somatic variant allelic frequency (maxVAF) between the first clinical evaluation and baseline have a longer survival outcome and a higher response rate and surgical rate than those who are not. PD-1 blockade plus chemoradiotherapy as preoperative therapy displays promising antitumor activity, and multiomics potential predictive biomarkers are identified and warrant further verification.

Semi-Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 25(R)-26-Acetoxy-3β,5α-Dihydroxycholest-6-One

Previously, we identified a series of steroids (1–6) that showed potent anti-virus activities against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), with IC50 values ranging from 3.23 to 0.19 µM. In this work, we first semi-synthesized and characterized the single isomer of 5, 25(R)-26-acetoxy-3β,5α-dihydroxycholest-6-one, named as (25R)-5, in seven steps from a commercially available compound diosgenin (7), with a total yield of 2.8%. Unfortunately, compound (25R)-5 and the intermediates only showed slight inhibitions against RSV replication at the concentration of 10 µM, but they possessed potent cytotoxicity activities against human bladder cancer 5637 (HTB-9) and hepatic cancer HepG2, with IC50 values ranging from 3.0 to 15.5 µM without any impression of normal liver cell proliferation at 20 µM. Among them, the target compound (25R)-5 possessed cytotoxicity activities against 5637 (HTB-9) and HepG2 with IC50 values of 4.8 µM and 15.5 µM, respectively. Further studies indicated that compound (25R)-5 inhibited cancer cell proliferation through inducing early and late-stage apoptosis. Collectively, we have semi-synthesized, characterized and biologically evaluated the 25R-isomer of compound 5; the biological results suggested that compound (25R)-5 could be a good lead for further anti-cancer studies, especially for anti-human liver cancer.