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Cyclic Peptides: Promising Scaffolds for Biopharmaceuticals. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:genes9110557. [PMID: 30453533 PMCID: PMC6267108 DOI: 10.3390/genes9110557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, small molecules and macromolecules, including antibodies, have been the most pursued substances in drug screening and development efforts. Despite numerous favorable features as a drug, these molecules still have limitations and are not complementary in many regards. Recently, peptide-based chemical structures that lie between these two categories in terms of both structural and functional properties have gained increasing attention as potential alternatives. In particular, peptides in a circular form provide a promising scaffold for the development of a novel drug class owing to their adjustable and expandable ability to bind a wide range of target molecules. In this review, we discuss recent progress in methodologies for peptide cyclization and screening and use of bioactive cyclic peptides in various applications.
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Farraha M, Kumar S, Chong J, Cho HC, Kizana E. Gene Therapy Approaches to Biological Pacemakers. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2018; 5:jcdd5040050. [PMID: 30347716 PMCID: PMC6306875 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd5040050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bradycardia arising from pacemaker dysfunction can be debilitating and life threatening. Electronic pacemakers serve as effective treatment options for pacemaker dysfunction. They however present their own limitations and complications. This has motivated research into discovering more effective and innovative ways to treat pacemaker dysfunction. Gene therapy is being explored for its potential to treat various cardiac conditions including cardiac arrhythmias. Gene transfer vectors with increasing transduction efficiency and biosafety have been developed and trialed for cardiovascular disease treatment. With an improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving pacemaker development, several gene therapy targets have been identified to generate the phenotypic changes required to correct pacemaker dysfunction. This review will discuss the gene therapy vectors in use today along with methods for their delivery. Furthermore, it will evaluate several gene therapy strategies attempting to restore biological pacing, having the potential to emerge as viable therapies for pacemaker dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melad Farraha
- Centre for Heart Research, the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia.
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
| | - Saurabh Kumar
- Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
| | - James Chong
- Centre for Heart Research, the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia.
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
- Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
| | - Hee Cheol Cho
- Departments of Pediatrics and Biomedical Engineering, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
| | - Eddy Kizana
- Centre for Heart Research, the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia.
- Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
- Department of Cardiology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
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Schiavone S, Trabace L. Small Molecules: Therapeutic Application in Neuropsychiatric and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23020411. [PMID: 29438357 PMCID: PMC6017408 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23020411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, an increasing number of studies have been published, focusing on the potential therapeutic use of small catalytic agents with strong biological properties. So far, most of these works have only regarded specific clinical fields, such as oncology, infectivology and general pathology, in particular with respect to the treatment of significant inflammatory processes. However, interesting data on possible therapeutic applications of small molecules for the treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative illnesses are emerging, especially with respect to the possibility to modulate the cellular redox state. Indeed, a crucial role of redox dysregulation in the pathogenesis of these disorders has been widely demonstrated by both pre-clinical and clinical studies, being the reduction of the total amount of free radicals a promising novel therapeutic approach for these diseases. In this review, we focused our interest on studies published during the last ten years reporting therapeutic potential of small molecules for the treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, also based on the biological efficiency of these compounds in detecting intracellular disturbances induced by increased production of reactive oxygen species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Schiavone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli, 20, 71122 Foggia, Italy.
| | - Luigia Trabace
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Via Napoli, 20, 71122 Foggia, Italy.
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Upadhyay A, Joshi V, Amanullah A, Mishra R, Arora N, Prasad A, Mishra A. E3 Ubiquitin Ligases Neurobiological Mechanisms: Development to Degeneration. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:151. [PMID: 28579943 PMCID: PMC5437216 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells regularly synthesize new proteins to replace old or damaged proteins. Deposition of various aberrant proteins in specific brain regions leads to neurodegeneration and aging. The cellular protein quality control system develop various defense mechanisms against the accumulation of misfolded and aggregated proteins. The mechanisms underlying the selective recognition of specific crucial protein or misfolded proteins are majorly governed by quality control E3 ubiquitin ligases mediated through ubiquitin-proteasome system. Few known E3 ubiquitin ligases have shown prominent neurodevelopmental functions, but their interactions with different developmental proteins play critical roles in neurodevelopmental disorders. Several questions are yet to be understood properly. How E3 ubiquitin ligases determine the specificity and regulate degradation of a particular substrate involved in neuronal proliferation and differentiation is certainly the one, which needs detailed investigations. Another important question is how neurodevelopmental E3 ubiquitin ligases specifically differentiate between their versatile range of substrates and timing of their functional modulations during different phases of development. The premise of this article is to understand how few E3 ubiquitin ligases sense major molecular events, which are crucial for human brain development from its early embryonic stages to throughout adolescence period. A better understanding of these few E3 ubiquitin ligases and their interactions with other potential proteins will provide invaluable insight into disease mechanisms to approach toward therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arun Upadhyay
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology JodhpurJodhpur, India
| | - Vibhuti Joshi
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology JodhpurJodhpur, India
| | - Ayeman Amanullah
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology JodhpurJodhpur, India
| | - Ribhav Mishra
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology JodhpurJodhpur, India
| | - Naina Arora
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology MandiMandi, India
| | - Amit Prasad
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology MandiMandi, India
| | - Amit Mishra
- Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology Unit, Indian Institute of Technology JodhpurJodhpur, India
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Differential manipulation of arrestin-3 binding to basal and agonist-activated G protein-coupled receptors. Cell Signal 2017; 36:98-107. [PMID: 28461104 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2017.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Non-visual arrestins interact with hundreds of different G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Here we show that by introducing mutations into elements that directly bind receptors, the specificity of arrestin-3 can be altered. Several mutations in the two parts of the central "crest" of the arrestin molecule, middle-loop and C-loop, enhanced or reduced arrestin-3 interactions with several GPCRs in receptor subtype and functional state-specific manner. For example, the Lys139Ile substitution in the middle-loop dramatically enhanced the binding to inactive M2 muscarinic receptor, so that agonist activation of the M2 did not further increase arrestin-3 binding. Thus, the Lys139Ile mutation made arrestin-3 essentially an activation-independent binding partner of M2, whereas its interactions with other receptors, including the β2-adrenergic receptor and the D1 and D2 dopamine receptors, retained normal activation dependence. In contrast, the Ala248Val mutation enhanced agonist-induced arrestin-3 binding to the β2-adrenergic and D2 dopamine receptors, while reducing its interaction with the D1 dopamine receptor. These mutations represent the first example of altering arrestin specificity via enhancement of the arrestin-receptor interactions rather than selective reduction of the binding to certain subtypes.
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Gurevich EV, Gurevich VV. Beyond traditional pharmacology: new tools and approaches. Br J Pharmacol 2015; 172:3229-41. [PMID: 25572005 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional pharmacology is defined as the science that deals with drugs and their actions. While small molecule drugs have clear advantages, there are many cases where they have proved to be ineffective, prone to unacceptable side effects, or where due to a particular disease aetiology they cannot possibly be effective. A dominant feature of the small molecule drugs is their single mindedness: they provide either continuous inhibition or continuous activation of the target. Because of that, these drugs tend to engage compensatory mechanisms leading to drug tolerance, drug resistance or, in some cases, sensitization and consequent loss of therapeutic efficacy over time and/or unwanted side effects. Here we discuss new and emerging therapeutic tools and approaches that have potential for treating the majority of disorders for which small molecules are either failing or cannot be developed. These new tools include biologics, such as recombinant hormones and antibodies, as well as approaches involving gene transfer (gene therapy and genome editing) and the introduction of specially designed self-replicating cells. It is clear that no single method is going to be a 'silver bullet', but collectively, these novel approaches hold promise for curing practically every disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- E V Gurevich
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - V V Gurevich
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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GPCR structure, function, drug discovery and crystallography: report from Academia-Industry International Conference (UK Royal Society) Chicheley Hall, 1-2 September 2014. Naunyn Schmiedebergs Arch Pharmacol 2015; 388:883-903. [PMID: 25772061 PMCID: PMC4495723 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-015-1111-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the targets of over half of all prescribed drugs today. The UniProt database has records for about 800 proteins classified as GPCRs, but drugs have only been developed against 50 of these. Thus, there is huge potential in terms of the number of targets for new therapies to be designed. Several breakthroughs in GPCRs biased pharmacology, structural biology, modelling and scoring have resulted in a resurgence of interest in GPCRs as drug targets. Therefore, an international conference, sponsored by the Royal Society, with world-renowned researchers from industry and academia was recently held to discuss recent progress and highlight key areas of future research needed to accelerate GPCR drug discovery. Several key points emerged. Firstly, structures for all three major classes of GPCRs have now been solved and there is increasing coverage across the GPCR phylogenetic tree. This is likely to be substantially enhanced with data from x-ray free electron sources as they move beyond proof of concept. Secondly, the concept of biased signalling or functional selectivity is likely to be prevalent in many GPCRs, and this presents exciting new opportunities for selectivity and the control of side effects, especially when combined with increasing data regarding allosteric modulation. Thirdly, there will almost certainly be some GPCRs that will remain difficult targets because they exhibit complex ligand dependencies and have many metastable states rendering them difficult to resolve by crystallographic methods. Subtle effects within the packing of the transmembrane helices are likely to mask and contribute to this aspect, which may play a role in species dependent behaviour. This is particularly important because it has ramifications for how we interpret pre-clinical data. In summary, collaborative efforts between industry and academia have delivered significant progress in terms of structure and understanding of GPCRs and will be essential for resolving problems associated with the more difficult targets in the future.
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Gimenez LE, Babilon S, Wanka L, Beck-Sickinger AG, Gurevich VV. Mutations in arrestin-3 differentially affect binding to neuropeptide Y receptor subtypes. Cell Signal 2014; 26:1523-31. [PMID: 24686081 PMCID: PMC4033671 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2014.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 03/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Based on the identification of residues that determine receptor selectivity in arrestins and the phylogenetic analysis of the arrestin (arr) family, we introduced fifteen mutations of receptor-discriminator residues in arr-3, which were identified previously using mutagenesis, in vitro binding, and BRET-based recruitment assay in intact cells. The effects of these mutations were tested using neuropeptide Y receptors Y1R and Y2R. NPY-elicited arr-3 recruitment to Y1R was not affected by these mutations, or even alanine substitution of all ten residues (arr-3-NCA), which prevented arr-3 binding to other receptors tested so far. However, NCA and two other mutations prevented agonist-independent arr-3 pre-docking to Y1R. In contrast, eight out of 15 mutations significantly reduced agonist-dependent arr-3 recruitment to Y2R. NCA eliminated arr-3 binding to active Y2R, whereas Tyr239Thr reduced it ~7-fold. Thus, manipulation of key residues on the receptor-binding surface generates arr-3 with high preference for Y1R over Y2R. Several mutations differentially affect arr-3 pre-docking and agonist-induced recruitment. Thus, arr-3 recruitment to the receptor involves several mechanistically distinct steps. Targeted mutagenesis can fine-tune arrestins directing them to specific receptors and particular activation states of the same receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Gimenez
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Stefanie Babilon
- Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lizzy Wanka
- Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Annette G Beck-Sickinger
- Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, Leipzig University, Brüderstraße 34, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Vsevolod V Gurevich
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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