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Lv N, Huang C, Huang H, Dong Z, Chen X, Lu C, Zhang Y. Overexpression of Glutathione S-Transferases in Human Diseases: Drug Targets and Therapeutic Implications. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1970. [PMID: 38001822 PMCID: PMC10668987 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12111970] [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: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are a major class of phase II metabolic enzymes. Besides their essential role in detoxification, GSTs also exert diverse biological activities in the occurrence and development of various diseases. In the past few decades, much research interest has been paid to exploring the mechanisms of GST overexpression in tumor drug resistance. Correspondingly, many GST inhibitors have been developed and applied, solely or in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs, for the treatment of multi-drug resistant tumors. Moreover, novel roles of GSTs in other diseases, such as pulmonary fibrosis and neurodegenerative diseases, have been recognized in recent years, although the exact regulatory mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This review, firstly summarizes the roles of GSTs and their overexpression in the above-mentioned diseases with emphasis on the modulation of cell signaling pathways and protein functions. Secondly, specific GST inhibitors currently in pre-clinical development and in clinical stages are inventoried. Lastly, applications of GST inhibitors in targeting cell signaling pathways and intracellular biological processes are discussed, and the potential for disease treatment is prospected. Taken together, this review is expected to provide new insights into the interconnection between GST overexpression and human diseases, which may assist future drug discovery targeting GSTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Lv
- Clinical Pharmacology Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (N.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Chunyan Huang
- Clinical Pharmacology Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (N.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Haoyan Huang
- Clinical Pharmacology Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (N.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Zhiqiang Dong
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211100, China;
| | - Xijing Chen
- Clinical Pharmacology Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (N.L.); (H.H.)
| | - Chengcan Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211100, China;
- Jiangning Clinical Medical College, Jiangsu University, Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Yongjie Zhang
- Clinical Pharmacology Research Center, School of Basic Medicine and Clinical Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China; (N.L.); (H.H.)
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Lei Z, Tian Q, Teng Q, Wurpel JND, Zeng L, Pan Y, Chen Z. Understanding and targeting resistance mechanisms in cancer. MedComm (Beijing) 2023; 4:e265. [PMID: 37229486 PMCID: PMC10203373 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Resistance to cancer therapies has been a commonly observed phenomenon in clinical practice, which is one of the major causes of treatment failure and poor patient survival. The reduced responsiveness of cancer cells is a multifaceted phenomenon that can arise from genetic, epigenetic, and microenvironmental factors. Various mechanisms have been discovered and extensively studied, including drug inactivation, reduced intracellular drug accumulation by reduced uptake or increased efflux, drug target alteration, activation of compensatory pathways for cell survival, regulation of DNA repair and cell death, tumor plasticity, and the regulation from tumor microenvironments (TMEs). To overcome cancer resistance, a variety of strategies have been proposed, which are designed to enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatment or reduce drug resistance. These include identifying biomarkers that can predict drug response and resistance, identifying new targets, developing new targeted drugs, combination therapies targeting multiple signaling pathways, and modulating the TME. The present article focuses on the different mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer and the corresponding tackling approaches with recent updates. Perspectives on polytherapy targeting multiple resistance mechanisms, novel nanoparticle delivery systems, and advanced drug design tools for overcoming resistance are also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi‐Ning Lei
- PrecisionMedicine CenterScientific Research CenterThe Seventh Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐Sen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy and Health SciencesSt. John's UniversityQueensNew YorkUSA
| | - Qin Tian
- PrecisionMedicine CenterScientific Research CenterThe Seventh Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐Sen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Qiu‐Xu Teng
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy and Health SciencesSt. John's UniversityQueensNew YorkUSA
| | - John N. D. Wurpel
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy and Health SciencesSt. John's UniversityQueensNew YorkUSA
| | - Leli Zeng
- PrecisionMedicine CenterScientific Research CenterThe Seventh Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐Sen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Yihang Pan
- PrecisionMedicine CenterScientific Research CenterThe Seventh Affiliated HospitalSun Yat‐Sen UniversityShenzhenP. R. China
| | - Zhe‐Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of Pharmacy and Health SciencesSt. John's UniversityQueensNew YorkUSA
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Siciliano G, Di Paolo V, Rotili D, Migale R, Pedini F, Casella M, Camerini S, Dalzoppo D, Henderson R, Huijs T, Dechering KJ, Mai A, Caccuri AM, Lalle M, Quintieri L, Alano P. The Nitrobenzoxadiazole Derivative NBDHEX Behaves as Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte Selective Inhibitor with Malaria Parasite Transmission Blocking Activity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15020168. [PMID: 35215282 PMCID: PMC8875241 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This work describes the activity of 6-((7-nitrobenzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazol-4-yl)thio)hexan-1-ol (NBDHEX) and of its newly identified carboxylic acid metabolite on the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. NBDHEX has been previously identified as a potent cytotoxic agent against murine and human cancer cells as well as towards the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis. We show here that NBDHEX is active in vitro against all blood stages of P. falciparum, with the rare feature of killing the parasite stages transmissible to mosquitoes, the gametocytes, with a 4-fold higher potency than that on the pathogenic asexual stages. This activity importantly translates into blocking parasite transmission through the Anopheles vector in mosquito experimental infections. A mass spectrometry analysis identified covalent NBDHEX modifications in specific cysteine residues of five gametocyte proteins, possibly associated with its antiparasitic effect. The carboxylic acid metabolite of NBDHEX retains the gametocyte preferential inhibitory activity of the parent compound, making this novel P. falciparum transmission-blocking chemotype at least as a new tool to uncover biological processes targetable by gametocyte selective drugs. Both NBDHEX and its carboxylic acid metabolite show very limited in vitro cytotoxicity on VERO cells. This result and previous evidence that NBDHEX shows an excellent in vivo safety profile in mice and is orally active against human cancer xenografts make these molecules potential starting points to develop new P. falciparum transmission-blocking agents, enriching the repertoire of drugs needed to eliminate malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Siciliano
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Veronica Di Paolo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (V.D.P.); (D.D.)
| | - Dante Rotili
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Rossella Migale
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Francesca Pedini
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Marialuisa Casella
- Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Serena Camerini
- Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Daniele Dalzoppo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (V.D.P.); (D.D.)
| | - Rob Henderson
- TropIQ Health Sciences, 6534 AT Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.H.); (T.H.); (K.J.D.)
| | - Tonnie Huijs
- TropIQ Health Sciences, 6534 AT Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.H.); (T.H.); (K.J.D.)
| | - Koen J. Dechering
- TropIQ Health Sciences, 6534 AT Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.H.); (T.H.); (K.J.D.)
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Anna Maria Caccuri
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Marco Lalle
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (L.Q.); (P.A.)
| | - Luigi Quintieri
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (V.D.P.); (D.D.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (L.Q.); (P.A.)
| | - Pietro Alano
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (L.Q.); (P.A.)
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Türkeş C, Kesebir AÖ, Demir Y, Küfrevioğlu Öİ, Beydemir Ş. Calcium Channel Blockers: The Effect of Glutathione S‐Transferase Enzyme Activity and Molecular Docking Studies. ChemistrySelect 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202103100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Cüneyt Türkeş
- Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Pharmacy Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Erzincan 24002 Turkey
| | - Arzu Öztürk Kesebir
- Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science Atatürk University Erzurum 25240 Turkey
| | - Yeliz Demir
- Department of Pharmacy Services Nihat Delibalta Göle Vocational High School Ardahan University Ardahan 75700 Turkey
| | | | - Şükrü Beydemir
- Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Pharmacy Anadolu University Eskişehir 26470 Turkey
- The Rectorate of Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Bilecik 11230 Turkey
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Fiorentino F, De Angelis M, Menna M, Rovere A, Caccuri AM, D'Acunzo F, Palamara AT, Nencioni L, Rotili D, Mai A. Anti-influenza A virus activity and structure-activity relationship of a series of nitrobenzoxadiazole derivatives. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2021; 36:2128-2138. [PMID: 34583607 PMCID: PMC8480593 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2021.1982932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza viruses represent a major threat to human health and are responsible for seasonal epidemics, along with pandemics. Currently, few therapeutic options are available, with most drugs being at risk of the insurgence of resistant strains. Hence, novel approaches targeting less explored pathways are urgently needed. In this work, we assayed a library of nitrobenzoxadiazole derivatives against the influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/8/34 H1N1 (PR8) strain. We identified three promising 4-thioether substituted nitrobenzoxadiazoles (12, 17, and 25) that were able to inhibit viral replication at low micromolar concentrations in two different infected cell lines using a haemagglutination assay. We further assessed these molecules using an In-Cell Western assay, which confirmed their potency in the low micromolar range. Among the three molecules, 12 and 25 displayed the most favourable profile of activity and selectivity and were selected as hit compounds for future optimisation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Fiorentino
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta De Angelis
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Menna
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Annarita Rovere
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Caccuri
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca D'Acunzo
- CNR, Istituto di Metodologie Chimiche, Sezione Meccanismi di Reazione, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Teresa Palamara
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Nencioni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Dante Rotili
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Abstract
Incorporation of heterocycles into drug molecules can enhance physical properties and biological activity. A variety of heterocyclic groups is available to medicinal chemists, many of which have been reviewed in detail elsewhere. Oxadiazoles are a class of heterocycle containing one oxygen and two nitrogen atoms, available in three isomeric forms. While the 1,2,4- and 1,3,4-oxadiazoles have seen widespread application in medicinal chemistry, 1,2,5-oxadiazoles (furazans) are less common. This Review provides a summary of the application of furazan-containing molecules in medicinal chemistry and drug development programs from analysis of both patent and academic literature. Emphasis is placed on programs that reached clinical or preclinical stages of development. The examples provided herein describe the pharmacology and biological activity of furazan derivatives with comparative data provided where possible for other heterocyclic groups and pharmacophores commonly used in medicinal chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Donald F Weaver
- Department of Fundamental Neurobiology, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada.,Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.,Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H2, Canada
| | - Mark A Reed
- Treventis Corporation, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada.,Department of Fundamental Neurobiology, Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario M5T 0S8, Canada
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