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Krummenacher D, He W, Kuhn B, Schnider C, Beurier A, Brom V, Sivasothy T, Marty C, Tosstorff A, Hewings DS, Mesch S, Pinard E, Brändlin M, Hochstrasser R, Westwood P, Rothe J, Kronenberger A, Morandi F, Gutbier S, Schuler A, Heer D, Gloria LE, Joedicke L, Rudolph MG, Müller L, Grüninger F, Baumann K, Kaniyappan S, Manevski N, Bartels B. Discovery of Orally Available and Brain Penetrant AEP Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2023; 66:17026-17043. [PMID: 38090813 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01804] [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: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most widespread form of dementia, with one of the pathological hallmarks being the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). These tangles consist of phosphorylated Tau fragments. Asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) is a key Tau cleaving enzyme that generates aggregation-prone Tau fragments. Inhibition of AEP to reduce the level of toxic Tau fragment formation could represent a promising therapeutic strategy. Here, we report the first orthosteric, selective, orally bioavailable, and brain penetrant inhibitors with an irreversible binding mode. We outline the development of the series starting from reversible molecules and demonstrate the link between inhibition of AEP and reduction of Tau N368 fragment both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Krummenacher
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Weiping He
- WuXi AppTec (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Wuhan East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, 666 GaoXin Road, Wuhan, Hubei 430075, China
| | - Bernd Kuhn
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Christian Schnider
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Angélica Beurier
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Brom
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Thulase Sivasothy
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Christine Marty
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Tosstorff
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - David S Hewings
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Mesch
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Emmanuel Pinard
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Mathis Brändlin
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Remo Hochstrasser
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Paul Westwood
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Judith Rothe
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Alexandra Kronenberger
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Federica Morandi
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Simon Gutbier
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Angelika Schuler
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Dominik Heer
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Ludivine Esteves Gloria
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Lisa Joedicke
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Markus G Rudolph
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Lutz Müller
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Fiona Grüninger
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Karlheinz Baumann
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Senthilvelrajan Kaniyappan
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Nenad Manevski
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
| | - Björn Bartels
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel CH-4070, Switzerland
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Smyth P, Sasiwachirangkul J, Williams R, Scott CJ. Cathepsin S (CTSS) activity in health and disease - A treasure trove of untapped clinical potential. Mol Aspects Med 2022; 88:101106. [PMID: 35868042 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2022.101106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Amongst the lysosomal cysteine cathepsin family of proteases, cathepsin S (CTSS) holds particular interest due to distinctive properties including a normal restricted expression profile, inducible upregulation and activity at a broad pH range. Consequently, while CTSS is well-established as a member of the proteolytic cocktail within the lysosome, degrading unwanted and damaged proteins, it has increasingly been shown to mediate a number of distinct, more selective roles including antigen processing and antigen presentation, and cleavage of substrates both intra and extracellularly. Increasingly, aberrant CTSS expression has been demonstrated in a variety of conditions and disease states, marking it out as both a biomarker and potential therapeutic target. This review seeks to contextualise CTSS within the cysteine cathepsin family before providing an overview of the broad range of pathologies in which roles for CTSS have been identified. Additionally, current clinical progress towards specific inhibitors is detailed, updating the position of the field in exploiting this most unique of proteases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Smyth
- The Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AE, UK
| | - Jutharat Sasiwachirangkul
- The Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AE, UK
| | - Rich Williams
- The Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AE, UK
| | - Christopher J Scott
- The Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7AE, UK.
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Kim HR, Tagirasa R, Yoo E. Covalent Small Molecule Immunomodulators Targeting the Protease Active Site. J Med Chem 2021; 64:5291-5322. [PMID: 33904753 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cells of the immune system utilize multiple proteases to regulate cell functions and orchestrate innate and adaptive immune responses. Dysregulated protease activities are implicated in many immune-related disorders; thus, protease inhibitors have been actively investigated for pharmaceutical development. Although historically considered challenging with concerns about toxicity, compounds that covalently modify the protease active site represent an important class of agents, emerging not only as chemical probes but also as approved drugs. Here, we provide an overview of technologies useful for the study of proteases with the focus on recent advances in chemoproteomic methods and screening platforms. By highlighting covalent inhibitors that have been designed to target immunomodulatory proteases, we identify opportunities for the development of small molecule immunomodulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Rae Kim
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Ravichandra Tagirasa
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Euna Yoo
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
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Zhao T, Liu Y, Hao Y, Zhang W, Tao L, Wang D, Li Y, Liu Z, McKenzie EA, Zhao Q, Diao A. Esomeprazole inhibits the lysosomal cysteine protease legumain to prevent cancer metastasis. Invest New Drugs 2020; 39:337-347. [PMID: 32978718 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-020-01011-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Legumain is a newly discovered lysosomal cysteine protease that can cleave asparagine bonds and plays crucial roles in regulating immunity and cancer metastasis. Legumain has been shown to be highly expressed in various solid tumors, within the tumor microenvironment and its levels are directly related to tumor metastasis and poor prognosis. Therefore, legumain presents as a potential cancer therapeutic drug target. In this study, we have identified esomeprazole and omeprazole as novel legumain small molecule inhibitors by screening an FDA approved-drug library. These compounds inhibited enzyme activity of both recombinant and endogenous legumain proteins with esomeprazole displaying the highest inhibitory effect. Further molecular docking analysis also indicated that esomeprazole, the S- form of omeprazole had the most stable binding to legumain protein compared to R-omeprazole. Transwell assay data showed that esomeprazole and omeprazole reduced MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell invasion without effecting cell viability. Moreover, an in vivo orthotopic transplantation nude mouse model study showed that esomeprazole reduced lung metastasis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. These results indicated that esomeprazole has the exciting potential to be used in anti-cancer therapy by preventing cancer metastasis via the inhibition of legumain enzyme activity. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Yujie Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Yanfei Hao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Li Tao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Yuyin Li
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Zhenxing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Edward A McKenzie
- Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), Manchester University, Manchester, M1 7DN, UK
| | - Qing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China.
| | - Aipo Diao
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology of the Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Tianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin University of Science and Technology, No. 29, 13th Avenue, Tianjin, 300457, China.
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