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Di Chio C, Starvaggi J, Totaro N, Previti S, Natale B, Cosconati S, Bogacz M, Schirmeister T, Legac J, Rosenthal PJ, Zappalà M, Ettari R. Development of Novel Peptidyl Nitriles Targeting Rhodesain and Falcipain-2 for the Treatment of Sleeping Sickness and Malaria. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4410. [PMID: 38673995 PMCID: PMC11050014 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, neglected tropical diseases and poverty-related diseases have become a serious health problem worldwide. Among these pathologies, human African trypanosomiasis, and malaria present therapeutic problems due to the onset of resistance, toxicity problems and the limited spectrum of action. In this drug discovery process, rhodesain and falcipain-2, of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and Plasmodium falciparum, are currently considered the most promising targets for the development of novel antitrypanosomal and antiplasmodial agents, respectively. Therefore, in our study we identified a novel lead-like compound, i.e., inhibitor 2b, which we proved to be active against both targets, with a Ki = 5.06 µM towards rhodesain and an IC50 = 40.43 µM against falcipain-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.D.C.); (J.S.); (N.T.); (S.P.); (M.Z.)
| | - Josè Starvaggi
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.D.C.); (J.S.); (N.T.); (S.P.); (M.Z.)
| | - Noemi Totaro
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.D.C.); (J.S.); (N.T.); (S.P.); (M.Z.)
| | - Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.D.C.); (J.S.); (N.T.); (S.P.); (M.Z.)
| | - Benito Natale
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (B.N.); (S.C.)
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (B.N.); (S.C.)
| | - Marta Bogacz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry & Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Humboldtstraße, 10, DE 07743 Jena, Germany;
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, DE 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Jenny Legac
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA; (J.L.); (P.J.R.)
| | - Philip J. Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA; (J.L.); (P.J.R.)
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.D.C.); (J.S.); (N.T.); (S.P.); (M.Z.)
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres, 98166 Messina, Italy; (C.D.C.); (J.S.); (N.T.); (S.P.); (M.Z.)
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Martínez M, Mariani ML, García C, Ceñal JP, Penissi AB. A one-pot and eco-friendly synthesis of novel β-substituted-α-halomethyl acrylates and the bioactivity of these compounds in an in vitro model of mast cell degranulation induced by pro-inflammatory stimuli. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:116009. [PMID: 38134632 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.116009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The goal of the present work was to develop novel β-substituted-α-halomethyl acrylates from a methodology in an aqueous phase and to evaluate their bioactivity as potential inhibitors of mast cell activation. Eleven β-substituted-α-halomethyl acrylates were synthesized through a modified Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction. Compound 48/80 and the calcium ionophore A23187 stimulated the release of β-hexosaminidase from mast cells. The effect induced by compound 48/80 was inhibited by compound 5 (320 µM) and compound 9 (160 and 320 µM) without causing cytotoxic effects. The effect induced by A23187 was inhibited by compound 5 (40, 80, 160, and 320 µM) without affecting cell viability. The inhibitory effects exhibited by compounds 5 and 9 were more potent than those of the reference compound sodium cromoglycate at the same concentrations. The biochemical results were consistent with the morphological findings obtained by light and transmission electron microscopy. This study reports, for the first time, that the new synthetic compounds methyl (Z)- 2-bromo-3-(furan-3-yl)acrylate (compound 5) and methyl (E)- 2-bromo-3-(3-bromophenyl)acrylate (compound 9) strongly inhibit mast cell degranulation, without affecting cell viability. The implications of these results are relevant as a basis for developing new anti-inflammatory and mast cell stabilizing drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricel Martínez
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos" (IHEM, UNCUYO-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química (INTEQUI-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
| | - María Laura Mariani
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos" (IHEM, UNCUYO-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Celina García
- Instituto Universitario de Bio-Organica "Antonio Gonzalez", Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Juan Pedro Ceñal
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Tecnología Química (INTEQUI-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina; Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Alicia Beatriz Penissi
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología "Dr. Mario H. Burgos" (IHEM, UNCUYO-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina.
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Alves ETM, Pernichelle FG, Nascimento LA, Ferreira GM, Ferreira EI. Covalent Inhibitors for Neglected Diseases: An Exploration of Novel Therapeutic Options. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1028. [PMID: 37513939 PMCID: PMC10385647 DOI: 10.3390/ph16071028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Neglected diseases, primarily found in tropical regions of the world, present a significant challenge for impoverished populations. Currently, there are 20 diseases considered neglected, which greatly impact the health of affected populations and result in difficult-to-control social and economic consequences. Unfortunately, for the majority of these diseases, there are few or no drugs available for patient treatment, and the few drugs that do exist often lack adequate safety and efficacy. As a result, there is a pressing need to discover and design new drugs to address these neglected diseases. This requires the identification of different targets and interactions to be studied. In recent years, there has been a growing focus on studying enzyme covalent inhibitors as a potential treatment for neglected diseases. In this review, we will explore examples of how these inhibitors have been used to target Human African Trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, and Malaria, highlighting some of the most promising results so far. Ultimately, this review aims to inspire medicinal chemists to pursue the development of new drug candidates for these neglected diseases, and to encourage greater investment in research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick Tavares Marcelino Alves
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Filipe Gomes Pernichelle
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Lucas Adriano Nascimento
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Glaucio Monteiro Ferreira
- Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analyses, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Elizabeth Igne Ferreira
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 580, Butantã, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
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Di Chio C, Previti S, Totaro N, De Luca F, Allegra A, Schirmeister T, Zappalà M, Ettari R. Dipeptide Nitrile CD34 with Curcumin: A New Improved Combination Strategy to Synergistically Inhibit Rhodesain of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108477. [PMID: 37239824 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108477] [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: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhodesain is the main cysteine protease of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, the parasite causing the acute lethal form of Human African Trypanosomiasis. Starting from the dipeptide nitrile CD24, the further introduction of a fluorine atom in the meta position of the phenyl ring spanning in the P3 site and the switch of the P2 leucine with a phenylalanine led to CD34, a synthetic inhibitor that shows a nanomolar binding affinity towards rhodesain (Ki = 27 nM) and an improved target selectivity with respect to the parent dipeptide nitrile CD24. In the present work, following the Chou and Talalay method, we carried out a combination study of CD34 with curcumin, a nutraceutical obtained from Curcuma longa L. Starting from an affected fraction (fa) of rhodesain inhibition of 0.5 (i.e., the IC50), we observed an initial moderate synergistic action, which became a synergism for fa values ranging from 0.6 to 0.7 (i.e., 60-70% inhibition of the trypanosomal protease). Interestingly, at 80-90% inhibition of rhodesain proteolytic activity, we observed a strong synergism, resulting in 100% enzyme inhibition. Overall, in addition to the improved target selectivity of CD34 with respect to CD24, the combination of CD34 + curcumin resulted in an increased synergistic action with respect to CD24 + curcumin, thus suggesting that it is desirable to use CD34 and curcumin in combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Noemi Totaro
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Fabiola De Luca
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessandro Allegra
- Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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Previti S, Ettari R, Di Chio C, Legac J, Bogacz M, Zimmer C, Schirmeister T, Rosenthal PJ, Zappalà M. Influence of amino acid size at the P3 position of N-Cbz-tripeptide Michael acceptors targeting falcipain-2 and rhodesain for the treatment of malaria and human african trypanosomiasis. Bioorg Chem 2023; 137:106587. [PMID: 37163812 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, several structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies provided potent inhibitors of the cysteine proteases falcipain-2 (FP-2) and rhodesain (RD) from Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, respectively. Whilst the roles of the warhead and residues targeting the P1 and P2 pockets of the proteases were extensively investigated, the roles of the amino acids occupying the S3 pocket were not widely assessed. Herein we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of a set of novel Michael acceptors bearing amino acids of increasing size at the P3 site (1a-g/2a-g, SPR20-SPR33) against FP-2, RD, P. falciparum, and T. brucei. Overall, the Michael acceptors bearing small amino acids at the P3 site exhibited the most potent inhibitory properties towards FP-2. In contrast, analogues with bulky residues at the P3 position were very potent rhodesain inhibitors. In cell based assays, single-digit micromolar EC50 values against the two protozoa were observed. These findings can be a starting point for the development of peptide-based FP-2 and RD inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy.
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Jenny Legac
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Marta Bogacz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry & Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Collin Zimmer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Philip J Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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Structure-based lead optimization of peptide-based vinyl methyl ketones as SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 247:115021. [PMID: 36549112 PMCID: PMC9751013 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.115021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Despite several major achievements in the development of vaccines and antivirals, the fight against SARS-CoV-2 and the health problems accompanying COVID-19 are still ongoing. SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), an essential viral cysteine protease, is a crucial target for the development of antiviral agents. A virtual screening analysis of in-house cysteine protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro allowed us to identify two hits (i.e., 1 and 2) bearing a methyl vinyl ketone warhead. Starting from these compounds, we herein report the development of Michael acceptors targeting SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, which differ from each other for the warhead and for the amino acids at the P2 site. The most promising vinyl methyl ketone-containing analogs showed sub-micromolar activity against the viral protease. SPR38, SPR39, and SPR41 were fully characterized, and additional inhibitory properties towards hCatL, which plays a key role in the virus entry into host cells, were observed. SPR39 and SPR41 exhibited single-digit micromolar EC50 values in a SARS-CoV-2 infection model in cell culture.
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Drug Combination Studies of the Dipeptide Nitrile CD24 with Curcumin: A New Strategy to Synergistically Inhibit Rhodesain of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214470. [PMID: 36430948 PMCID: PMC9698140 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodesain is a cysteine protease that is crucial for the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, a parasite causing the lethal form of Human African Trypanosomiasis. CD24 is a recently developed synthetic inhibitor of rhodesain, characterized by a nanomolar affinity towards the trypanosomal protease (Ki = 16 nM), and acting as a competitive inhibitor. In the present work, we carried out a combination study of CD24 with curcumin, the multitarget nutraceutical obtained from Curcuma longa L., which we demonstrated to inhibit rhodesain in a non-competitive manner. By applying the Chou and Talalay method, we obtained an initial additive effect at IC50 (fa = 0.5, Combination Index = 1), while for the most relevant fa values, ranging from 0.6 to 1, i.e., from 60% to 100% of rhodesain inhibition, we obtained a combination index < 1, thus suggesting that an increasingly synergistic action occurred for the combination of the synthetic inhibitor CD24 and curcumin. Furthermore, the combination of the two inhibitors showed an antitrypanosomal activity better than that of CD24 alone (EC50 = 4.85 µM and 10.1 µM for the combination and CD24, respectively), thus suggesting the use of the two inhibitors in combination is desirable.
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Previti S, Ettari R, Calcaterra E, Di Chio C, Ravichandran R, Zimmer C, Hammerschmidt S, Wagner A, Bogacz M, Cosconati S, Schirmeister T, Zappalà M. Development of Urea-Bond-Containing Michael Acceptors as Antitrypanosomal Agents Targeting Rhodesain. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1083-1090. [PMID: 35859868 PMCID: PMC9290002 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
![]()
Human African Trypanosomiasis
(HAT) is a neglected tropical disease
widespread in sub-Saharan Africa. Rhodesain, a cysteine protease of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, has been identified as a
valid target for the development of anti-HAT agents. Herein, we report
a series of urea-bond-containing Michael acceptors, which were demonstrated
to be potent rhodesain inhibitors with Ki values ranging from 0.15 to 2.51 nM, and five of them showed comparable k2nd values to that of K11777, a potent antitrypanosomal
agent. Moreover, most of the urea derivatives exhibited single-digit
micromolar activity against the protozoa, and the presence of substituents
at the P3 position appears to be essential for the antitrypanosomal
effect. Replacement of Phe with Leu at the P2 site kept unchanged
the inhibitory properties. Compound 7 (SPR7) showed the
best compromise in terms of rhodesain inhibition, selectivity, and
antiparasitic activity, thus representing a new lead compound for
future SAR studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Elsa Calcaterra
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Rahul Ravichandran
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Collin Zimmer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Stefan Hammerschmidt
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Annika Wagner
- Institute of Organic Chemistry & Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Marta Bogacz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry & Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
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Previti S, Ettari R, Di Chio C, Ravichandran R, Bogacz M, Hellmich UA, Schirmeister T, Cosconati S, Zappalà M. Development of Reduced Peptide Bond Pseudopeptide Michael Acceptors for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis. Molecules 2022; 27:3765. [PMID: 35744891 PMCID: PMC9229991 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27123765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is an endemic protozoan disease widespread in the sub-Saharan region that is caused by T. b. gambiense and T. b. rhodesiense. The development of molecules targeting rhodesain, the main cysteine protease of T. b. rhodesiense, has led to a panel of inhibitors endowed with micro/sub-micromolar activity towards the protozoa. However, whilst impressive binding affinity against rhodesain has been observed, the limited selectivity towards the target still remains a hard challenge for the development of antitrypanosomal agents. In this paper, we report the synthesis, biological evaluation, as well as docking studies of a series of reduced peptide bond pseudopeptide Michael acceptors (SPR10-SPR19) as potential anti-HAT agents. The new molecules show Ki values in the low-micro/sub-micromolar range against rhodesain, coupled with k2nd values between 1314 and 6950 M-1 min-1. With a few exceptions, an appreciable selectivity over human cathepsin L was observed. In in vitro assays against T. b. brucei cultures, SPR16 and SPR18 exhibited single-digit micromolar activity against the protozoa, comparable to those reported for very potent rhodesain inhibitors, while no significant cytotoxicity up to 70 µM towards mammalian cells was observed. The discrepancy between rhodesain inhibition and the antitrypanosomal effect could suggest additional mechanisms of action. The biological characterization of peptide inhibitor SPR34 highlights the essential role played by the reduced bond for the antitrypanosomal effect. Overall, this series of molecules could represent the starting point for further investigations of reduced peptide bond-containing analogs as potential anti-HAT agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (R.E.); (C.D.C.)
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (R.E.); (C.D.C.)
| | - Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (R.E.); (C.D.C.)
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Via C. Valeria, 98125 Messina, Italy
| | - Rahul Ravichandran
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (R.R.); (S.C.)
| | - Marta Bogacz
- Institute of Organic Chemistry & Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany; (M.B.); (U.A.H.)
| | - Ute A. Hellmich
- Institute of Organic Chemistry & Macromolecular Chemistry, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany; (M.B.); (U.A.H.)
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe University Frankfurt, Max von Laue Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy; (R.R.); (S.C.)
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy; (R.E.); (C.D.C.)
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Development of novel dipeptide nitriles as inhibitors of rhodesain of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 236:114328. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Amendola G, Ettari R, Previti S, Di Chio C, Messere A, Di Maro S, Hammerschmidt SJ, Zimmer C, Zimmermann RA, Schirmeister T, Zappalà M, Cosconati S. Lead Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors through Covalent Docking-Based Virtual Screening. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:2062-2073. [PMID: 33784094 PMCID: PMC8029447 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
During almost all 2020, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has constituted the major risk for the worldwide health and economy, propelling unprecedented efforts to discover drugs for its prevention and cure. At the end of the year, these efforts have culminated with the approval of vaccines by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) giving new hope for the future. On the other hand, clinical data underscore the urgent need for effective drugs to treat COVID-19 patients. In this work, we embarked on a virtual screening campaign against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Mpro chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease employing our in-house database of peptide and non-peptide ligands characterized by different types of warheads acting as Michael acceptors. To this end, we employed the AutoDock4 docking software customized to predict the formation of a covalent adduct with the target protein. In vitro verification of the inhibition properties of the most promising candidates allowed us to identify two new lead inhibitors that will deserve further optimization. From the computational point of view, this work demonstrates the predictive power of AutoDock4 and suggests its application for the in silico screening of large chemical libraries of potential covalent binders against the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgio Amendola
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi
Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta 81100, Italy
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical,
and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale
Annunziata, Messina 98168, Italy
| | - Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical,
and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale
Annunziata, Messina 98168, Italy
| | - Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical,
and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale
Annunziata, Messina 98168, Italy
| | - Anna Messere
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi
Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta 81100, Italy
| | - Salvatore Di Maro
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi
Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta 81100, Italy
| | - Stefan J. Hammerschmidt
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences,
University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, Mainz 55128,
Germany
| | - Collin Zimmer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences,
University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, Mainz 55128,
Germany
| | - Robert A. Zimmermann
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences,
University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, Mainz 55128,
Germany
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences,
University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, Mainz 55128,
Germany
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical,
and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale
Annunziata, Messina 98168, Italy
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi
Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, Caserta 81100, Italy
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12
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Chen J, Liang E, Shi J, Wu Y, Wen K, Yao X, Tang X. Metal-free synthesis of 1,4-benzodiazepines and quinazolinones from hexafluoroisopropyl 2-aminobenzoates at room temperature. RSC Adv 2021; 11:4966-4970. [PMID: 35424458 PMCID: PMC8694548 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra00324k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein, we describe the novel reactivity of hexafluoroisopropyl 2-aminobenzoates. The metal-free synthesis of 1,4-benzodiazepines and quinazolinones from hexafluoroisopropyl 2-aminobenzoates has been developed at room temperature. These procedures feature good functional group tolerance, mild reaction conditions, and excellent yields. The newly formed products can readily be converted to other useful N-heterocycles. Moreover, the products and their derivatives showed potent anticancer activities in vitro by MTT assay. A metal-free synthesis of 1,4-benzodiazepines and quinazolinones from hexafluoroisopropyl 2-aminobenzoates has been developed at room temperature.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiewen Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- P. R. China
| | - En Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- P. R. China
| | - Jie Shi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- P. R. China
| | - Yinrong Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- P. R. China
| | - Kangmei Wen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- P. R. China
| | - Xingang Yao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- P. R. China
| | - Xiaodong Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou 510515
- P. R. China
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13
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Maiorana S, Ettari R, Previti S, Amendola G, Wagner A, Cosconati S, Hellmich UA, Schirmeister T, Zappalà M. Peptidyl Vinyl Ketone Irreversible Inhibitors of Rhodesain: Modifications of the P2 Fragment. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:1552-1561. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Santina Maiorana
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Messina Viale Annunziata 98168 Messina Italy
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Messina Viale Annunziata 98168 Messina Italy
| | - Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Messina Viale Annunziata 98168 Messina Italy
| | - Giorgio Amendola
- DiSTABiFUniversity of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Annika Wagner
- Department Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ) Max von Laue Str. 9 60438 Frankfurt Germany
- Department of Chemistry Section BiochemistryUniversity of Mainz Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 30 55128 Mainz Germany
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- DiSTABiFUniversity of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Ute A. Hellmich
- Department Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ) Max von Laue Str. 9 60438 Frankfurt Germany
- Department of Chemistry Section BiochemistryUniversity of Mainz Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 30 55128 Mainz Germany
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical SciencesUniversity of Mainz Staudingerweg 5 55128 Mainz Germany
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Messina Viale Annunziata 98168 Messina Italy
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14
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Ettari R, Previti S, Di Chio C, Maiorana S, Allegra A, Schirmeister T, Zappalà M. Drug Synergism: Studies of Combination of RK-52 and Curcumin against Rhodesain of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:806-810. [PMID: 32435388 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodesain is an enzyme essential for the life of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, a parasite causing a rapid-onset form of Human African Trypanosomiasis. RK-52 is a synthetic inhibitor of rhodesain, characterized by an impressive k second value (k second = 67000 × 103 M-1 min-1) and by a picomolar affinity toward the trypanosomal protease (K i = 38 pM). Differently, curcumin, the golden multitarget nutraceutical obtained from Curcuma longa L., was proven to inhibit rhodesain noncompetitively with an IC50 of 7.75 μM. In the present study, we carried out studies of a combination of RK-52 and curcumin toward rhodesain, by applying the Chou and Talalay approach, which led us to obtain a combination index <1 for the most relevant fa values, which means a potent synergistic effect for the reduction of rhodesain activity from 40% to 99%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Santina Maiorana
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessandro Allegra
- Division of Hematology, Department of General Surgery, Pathological Anatomy and Oncology, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 90100 Messina, Italy
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 30, DE 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
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15
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Di Chio C, Previti S, Amendola G, Cosconati S, Schirmeister T, Zappalà M, Ettari R. Development of Novel Benzodiazepine‐Based Peptidomimetics as Inhibitors of Rhodesain from
Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:995-1001. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carla Di Chio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Messina Viale Annunziata 98168 Messina Italy
| | - Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Messina Viale Annunziata 98168 Messina Italy
| | - Giorgio Amendola
- DiSTABiFUniversity of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- DiSTABiFUniversity of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli Via Vivaldi 43 81100 Caserta Italy
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical SciencesUniversity of Mainz Staudingerweg 5 55128 Mainz Germany
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Messina Viale Annunziata 98168 Messina Italy
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental SciencesUniversity of Messina Viale Annunziata 98168 Messina Italy
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16
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Arora N, Dhiman P, Kumar S, Singh G, Monga V. Recent advances in synthesis and medicinal chemistry of benzodiazepines. Bioorg Chem 2020; 97:103668. [PMID: 32106040 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Benzodiazepines (BZDs) represent a diverse class of bicyclic heterocyclic molecules. In the last few years, benzodiazepines have emerged as potential therapeutic agents. As a result, several mild, efficient and high yielding protocols have been developed that offer access to various functionalized benzodiazepines (BZDs). They are known to possess a wide array of biological activities such as anxiolytic, anticancer, anticonvulsant, antipsychotics, muscle relaxant, anti-tuberculosis, and antimicrobial activities. The fascinating spectrum of biological activities exhibited by BZDs in various fields has prompted the medicinal chemist to design and discover novel benzodiazepine-based analogs as potential therapeutic candidates with the desired biological profile. In this review, an attempt has been made by to summarize (1) Recent advances in the synthetic chemistry of benzodiazepines which enable their synthesis with desired substitution pattern; (2) Medicinal chemistry of BZDs as therapeutic candidates with promising biological profile including insight of mechanistic studies; (3) The correlation of biological data with the structure i.e. structure-activity relationship studies were also included to provide an insight into the rational design of more active agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Arora
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Ghal Kalan, Moga 142001, Punjab, India
| | - Prashant Dhiman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Ghal Kalan, Moga 142001, Punjab, India
| | - Shubham Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Ghal Kalan, Moga 142001, Punjab, India
| | - Gurpreet Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Ghal Kalan, Moga 142001, Punjab, India
| | - Vikramdeep Monga
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, ISF College of Pharmacy, G.T. Road, Ghal Kalan, Moga 142001, Punjab, India.
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17
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Ettari R, Previti S, Maiorana S, Allegra A, Schirmeister T, Grasso S, Zappalà M. Drug combination studies of curcumin and genistein against rhodesain of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Nat Prod Res 2019; 33:3577-3581. [PMID: 29897253 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2018.1483927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Curcumin and genistein are two natural products obtained from Curcuma longa L. and soybeans, endowed with many biological properties. Within the last years they were shown to possess also a promising antitrypanosomal activity. In the present paper, we investigated the activity of both curcumin and genistein against rhodesain, the main cysteine protease of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense; drug combination studies, according to Chou and Talalay method, allowed us to demonstrate a potent synergistic effect for the combination curcumin-genistein. As a matter of fact, with our experiments we observed that the combination index of curcumin-genistein is < 1 for the reduction from 10 to 90% of rhodesain activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina , Messina , Italy
| | - Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina , Messina , Italy
| | - Santina Maiorana
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina , Messina , Italy
| | - Alessandro Allegra
- Division of Hematology, Department of General Surgery, Pathological Anatomy and Oncology, University of Messina , Messina , Italy
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz , Mainz , Germany
| | - Silvana Grasso
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina , Messina , Italy
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina , Messina , Italy
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18
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Ettari R, Previti S, Maiorana S, Amendola G, Wagner A, Cosconati S, Schirmeister T, Hellmich UA, Zappalà M. Optimization Strategy of Novel Peptide-Based Michael Acceptors for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis. J Med Chem 2019; 62:10617-10629. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Italy, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Italy, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Santina Maiorana
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Italy, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Giorgio Amendola
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Annika Wagner
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Max von Laue Str. 9, Frankfurt DE 60438, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 30, Mainz DE 55128, Germany
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, Mainz DE 55128, Germany
| | - Ute A. Hellmich
- Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Max von Laue Str. 9, Frankfurt DE 60438, Germany
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 30, Mainz DE 55128, Germany
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Italy, Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
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19
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Royo S, Schirmeister T, Kaiser M, Jung S, Rodríguez S, Bautista JM, González FV. Antiprotozoal and cysteine proteases inhibitory activity of dipeptidyl enoates. Bioorg Med Chem 2018; 26:4624-4634. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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20
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Previti S, Ettari R, Cosconati S, Amendola G, Chouchene K, Wagner A, Hellmich UA, Ulrich K, Krauth-Siegel RL, Wich PR, Schmid I, Schirmeister T, Gut J, Rosenthal PJ, Grasso S, Zappalà M. Development of Novel Peptide-Based Michael Acceptors Targeting Rhodesain and Falcipain-2 for the Treatment of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). J Med Chem 2017; 60:6911-6923. [PMID: 28763614 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes the development of a class of peptide-based inhibitors as novel antitrypanosomal and antimalarial agents. The inhibitors are based on a characteristic peptide sequence for the inhibition of the cysteine proteases rhodesain of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense and falcipain-2 of Plasmodium falciparum. We exploited the reactivity of novel unsaturated electrophilic functions such as vinyl-sulfones, -ketones, -esters, and -nitriles. The Michael acceptors inhibited both rhodesain and falcipain-2, at nanomolar and micromolar levels, respectively. In particular, the vinyl ketone 3b has emerged as a potent rhodesain inhibitor (k2nd = 67 × 106 M-1 min-1), endowed with a picomolar binding affinity (Ki = 38 pM), coupled with a single-digit micromolar activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei (EC50 = 2.97 μM), thus being considered as a novel lead compound for the discovery of novel effective antitrypanosomal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santo Previti
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina , Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Roberta Ettari
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina , Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli , Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Giorgio Amendola
- DiSTABiF, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli , Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy
| | - Khawla Chouchene
- Laboratoire de Chimie des Substances Naturelles UR/11-ES-74, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax , Route de l'aeroport, 3000 Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Annika Wagner
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz , Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 30, DE 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt , Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, DE 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ute A Hellmich
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz , Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 30, DE 55128 Mainz, Germany.,Centre for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt , Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, DE 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Kathrin Ulrich
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 328, DE 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - R Luise Krauth-Siegel
- Biochemistry Center, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 328, DE 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter R Wich
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz , Staudingerweg 5, DE 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ira Schmid
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz , Staudingerweg 5, DE 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institute of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Mainz , Staudingerweg 5, DE 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jiri Gut
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California , 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, California 94110, United States
| | - Philip J Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California , 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, California 94110, United States
| | - Silvana Grasso
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina , Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Maria Zappalà
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina , Viale Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
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