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Sabat M, Carney DW, Hernandez-Torres G, Gibson TS, Balakrishna D, Zou H, Xu R, Chen CH, de Jong R, Dougan DR, Qin L, Bigi-Botterill SV, Chambers A, Miura J, Johnson LK, Ermolieff J, Johns D, Selimkhanov J, Kwok L, DeMent K, Proffitt C, Vu P, Lindsey EA, Ivetac T, Jennings A, Wang H, Manam P, Santos C, Fullenwider C, Manohar R, Flick AC. Design and Discovery of a Potent and Selective Inhibitor of Integrin αvβ1. J Med Chem 2024; 67:10306-10320. [PMID: 38872300 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00743] [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: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Selective inhibition of the RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) integrin αvβ1 has been recently identified as an attractive therapeutic approach for the treatment of liver fibrosis given its function, target expression, and safety profile. Our identification of a non-RGD small molecule lead followed by focused, systematic changes to the core structure utilizing a crystal structure, in silico modeling, and a tractable synthetic approach resulted in the identification of a potent small molecule exhibiting a remarkable affinity for αvβ1 relative to several other integrin isoforms measured. Azabenzimidazolone 25 demonstrated antifibrotic efficacy in an in vivo rat liver fibrosis model and represents a tool compound capable of further exploring the biological consequences of selective αvβ1 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Sabat
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Daniel W Carney
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Gloria Hernandez-Torres
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Tony S Gibson
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Deepika Balakrishna
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Hua Zou
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Rui Xu
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Chien-Hung Chen
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Ron de Jong
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Douglas R Dougan
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Ling Qin
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Simone V Bigi-Botterill
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Alison Chambers
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Joanne Miura
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Lucas K Johnson
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Jacques Ermolieff
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Deidre Johns
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Jangir Selimkhanov
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Lily Kwok
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Kevin DeMent
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Chris Proffitt
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Phong Vu
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Erick A Lindsey
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Tony Ivetac
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Andy Jennings
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Haixia Wang
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Padma Manam
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Cipriano Santos
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Cody Fullenwider
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Rohan Manohar
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
| | - Andrew C Flick
- Gastroenterology Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., 9625 Towne Centre Dr., San Diego, California 92121 United States
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3
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He T, Giacomini D, Tolomelli A, Baiula M, Gentilucci L. Conjecturing about Small-Molecule Agonists and Antagonists of α4β1 Integrin: From Mechanistic Insight to Potential Therapeutic Applications. Biomedicines 2024; 12:316. [PMID: 38397918 PMCID: PMC10887150 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12020316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Integrins are heterodimeric cell-surface receptors that regulate cell-cell adhesion and cellular functions through bidirectional signaling. On the other hand, anomalous trafficking of integrins is also implicated in severe pathologies as cancer, thrombosis, inflammation, allergies, and multiple sclerosis. For this reason, they are attractive candidates as drug targets. However, despite promising preclinical data, several anti-integrin drugs failed in late-stage clinical trials for chronic indications, with paradoxical side effects. One possible reason is that, at low concentration, ligands proposed as antagonists may also act as partial agonists. Hence, the comprehension of the specific structural features for ligands' agonism or antagonism is currently of the utmost interest. For α4β1 integrin, the situation is particularly obscure because neither the crystallographic nor the cryo-EM structures are known. In addition, very few potent and selective agonists are available for investigating the mechanism at the basis of the receptor activation. In this account, we discuss the physiological role of α4β1 integrin and the related pathologies, and review the few agonists. Finally, we speculate on plausible models to explain agonism vs. antagonism by comparison with RGD-binding integrins and by analysis of computational simulations performed with homology or hybrid receptor structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting He
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Via Gobetti 83, Ue4, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (T.H.); (D.G.); (A.T.)
| | - Daria Giacomini
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Via Gobetti 83, Ue4, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (T.H.); (D.G.); (A.T.)
| | - Alessandra Tolomelli
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Via Gobetti 83, Ue4, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (T.H.); (D.G.); (A.T.)
| | - Monica Baiula
- Department of Pharmacology and Biotechnology (FABIT), University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 48, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Luca Gentilucci
- Department of Chemistry “G. Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Via Gobetti 83, Ue4, 40129 Bologna, Italy; (T.H.); (D.G.); (A.T.)
- Health Sciences & Technologies (HST) CIRI, University of Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 41/E, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Italy
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4
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Yokosaki Y, Nishimichi N. New Therapeutic Targets for Hepatic Fibrosis in the Integrin Family, α8β1 and α11β1, Induced Specifically on Activated Stellate Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222312794. [PMID: 34884600 PMCID: PMC8657911 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222312794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A huge effort has been devoted to developing drugs targeting integrins over 30 years, because of the primary roles of integrins in the cell-matrix milieu. Five αv-containing integrins, in the 24 family members, have been a central target of fibrosis. Currently, a small molecule against αvβ1 is undergoing a clinical trial for NASH-associated fibrosis as a rare agent aiming at fibrogenesis. Latent TGFβ activation, a distinct talent of αv-integrins, has been intriguing as a therapeutic target. None of the αv-integrin inhibitors, however, has been in the clinical market. αv-integrins commonly recognize an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence, and thus the pharmacophore of inhibitors for the 5-integrins is based on the same RGD structure. The RGD preference of the integrins, at the same time, dilutes ligand specificity, as the 5-integrins share ligands containing RGD sequence such as fibronectin. With the inherent little specificity in both drugs and targets, "disease specificity" has become less important for the inhibitors than blocking as many αv-integrins. In fact, an almighty inhibitor for αv-integrins, pan-αv, was in a clinical trial. On the contrary, approved integrin inhibitors are all specific to target integrins, which are expressed in a cell-type specific manner: αIIbβ3 on platelets, α4β1, α4β7 and αLβ2 on leukocytes. Herein, "disease specific" integrins would serve as attractive targets. α8β1 and α11β1 are selectively expressed in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and distinctively induced upon culture activation. The exceptional specificity to activated HSCs reflects a rather "pathology specific" nature of these new integrins. The monoclonal antibodies against α8β1 and α11β1 in preclinical examinations may illuminate the road to the first medical agents.
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5
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Slack RJ, Macdonald SJF, Roper JA, Jenkins RG, Hatley RJD. Emerging therapeutic opportunities for integrin inhibitors. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2021; 21:60-78. [PMID: 34535788 PMCID: PMC8446727 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00284-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Integrins are cell adhesion and signalling proteins crucial to a wide range of biological functions. Effective marketed treatments have successfully targeted integrins αIIbβ3, α4β7/α4β1 and αLβ2 for cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory bowel disease/multiple sclerosis and dry eye disease, respectively. Yet, clinical development of others, notably within the RGD-binding subfamily of αv integrins, including αvβ3, have faced significant challenges in the fields of cancer, ophthalmology and osteoporosis. New inhibitors of the related integrins αvβ6 and αvβ1 have recently come to the fore and are being investigated clinically for the treatment of fibrotic diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. The design of integrin drugs may now be at a turning point, with opportunities to learn from previous clinical trials, to explore new modalities and to incorporate new findings in pharmacological and structural biology. This Review intertwines research from biological, clinical and medicinal chemistry disciplines to discuss historical and current RGD-binding integrin drug discovery, with an emphasis on small-molecule inhibitors of the αv integrins. Integrins are key signalling molecules that are present on the surface of subsets of cells and are therefore good potential therapeutic targets. In this Review, Hatley and colleagues discuss the development of integrin inhibitors, particularly the challenges in developing inhibitors for integrins that contain an αv-subunit, and suggest how these challenges could be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - R G Jenkins
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
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7
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Song C, Tang C, Xu W, Ran J, Wei Z, Wang Y, Zou H, Cheng W, Cai Y, Han W. Hypoxia-Targeting Multifunctional Nanoparticles for Sensitized Chemotherapy and Phototherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Int J Nanomedicine 2020; 15:347-361. [PMID: 32021184 PMCID: PMC6980849 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s233294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Chemotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has many systemic side effects, as well as hypoxia-induced chemoresistance. To reduce side effects and enhance chemosensitivity are urgently needed. Methods We synthesized a drug delivery system (named CECMa NPs) based on cisplatin (CDDP) and metformin (chemotherapeutic sensitizer), of which chlorin e6 (Ce6) and polyethylene glycol diamine (PEG) were synthesized as the shell, an anti-LDLR antibody (which can target to hypoxic tumor cells) was modified on the surface to achieve tumor targeting. Results The NPs possessed a great synergistic effect of chemotherapy and phototherapy. After laser stimulation, both CDDP and metformin can be released in situ to achieve anti-tumor effects. Meanwhile, PDT and PTT triggered by a laser have anticancer effects. Furthermore, compared with free cisplatin, CECMa exhibits less systemic toxicity with laser irradiation in the xenograft mouse tumor model. Conclusion CECMa effectively destroyed the tumors via hypoxia targeting multimodal therapy both in vitro and in vivo, thereby providing a novel strategy for targeting head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanhui Song
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanchao Tang
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenguang Xu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianchuan Ran
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Wei
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,Pediatric Dentistry, Nanjing Stomatology Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Yufeng Wang
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Huihui Zou
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Department of Oral Implantology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Cai
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Han
- Central Laboratory of Stomatology, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China.,Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
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