The quest for the holy grail: new antitubercular chemical entities, targets and strategies

Development of narrow-spectrum topoisomerase-targeting antibacterials against mycobacteria

New 2-pyrrolamidobenzothiazole-based inhibitors of mycobacterial DNA gyrase were discovered. Among these, compounds 49 and 51, show excellent antibacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium abscessus with a notable preference for mycobacteria. Both compounds can penetrate infected macrophages and reduce intracellular M. tuberculosis load. Compound 51 is a potent inhibitor of DNA gyrase (M. tuberculosis DNA gyrase IC50 = 4.1 nM, Escherichia coli DNA gyrase IC50 of <10 nM), selective for bacterial topoisomerases. It displays low MIC90 values (M. tuberculosis: 0.63 μM; M. abscessus: 2.5 μM), showing specificity for mycobacteria, and no apparent toxicity. Compound 49 not only displays potent antimycobacterial activity (MIC90 values of 2.5 μM for M. tuberculosis and 0.63 μM for M. abscessus) and selectivity for mycobacteria but also exhibits favorable solubility (kinetic solubility = 55 μM) and plasma protein binding (with a fraction unbound of 2.9 % for human and 4.7 % for mouse). These findings underscore the potential of fine-tuning molecular properties to develop DNA gyrase B inhibitors that specifically target the mycobacterial chemical space, mitigating the risk of resistance development in non-target pathogens and minimizing harm to the microbiome.

Drug Repositioning: A Monetary Stratagem to Discover a New Application of Drugs

Drug repurposing, also referred to as drug repositioning or drug reprofiling, is a scientific approach to the detection of any new application for an already approved or investigational drug. It is a useful policy for the invention and development of new pharmacological or therapeutic applications of different drugs. The strategy has been known to offer numerous advantages over developing a completely novel drug for certain problems. Drug repurposing has numerous methodologies that can be categorized as target-oriented, drug-oriented, and problem-oriented. The choice of the methodology of drug repurposing relies on the accessible information about the drug molecule and like pharmacokinetic, pharmacological, physicochemical, and toxicological profile of the drug. In addition, molecular docking studies and other computer-aided methods have been known to show application in drug repurposing. The variation in dosage for original target diseases and novel diseases presents a challenge for researchers of drug repurposing in present times. The present review critically discusses the drugs repurposed for cancer, covid-19, Alzheimer's, and other diseases, strategies, and challenges of drug repurposing. Moreover, regulatory perspectives related to different countries like the United States (US), Europe, and India have been delineated in the present review.

Revolutionizing Tuberculosis Treatment: Uncovering New Drugs and Breakthrough Inhibitors to Combat Drug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health threat that causes significant mortality. This review explores chemotherapeutics that target essential processes in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, such as DNA replication, protein synthesis, cell wall formation, energy metabolism, and proteolysis. We emphasize the need for new drugs to treat drug-resistant strains and shorten the treatment duration. Emerging targets and promising inhibitors were identified by examining the intricate biology of TB. This review provides an overview of recent developments in the search for anti-TB drugs with a focus on newly validated targets and inhibitors. We aimed to contribute to efforts to combat TB and improve therapeutic outcomes.

Pathogenicity and virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of tuberculosis, an infectious disease with one of the highest morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Leveraging its highly evolved repertoire of non-protein and protein virulence factors, Mtb invades through the airway, subverts host immunity, establishes its survival niche, and ultimately escapes in the setting of active disease to initiate another round of infection in a naive host. In this review, we will provide a concise synopsis of the infectious life cycle of Mtb and its clinical and epidemiologic significance. We will also take stock of its virulence factors and pathogenic mechanisms that modulate host immunity and facilitate its spread. Developing a greater understanding of the interface between Mtb virulence factors and host defences will enable progress toward improved vaccines and therapeutics to prevent and treat tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis diagnostic and treatment delays among patients in Uganda

Background

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterium that relies on its human host to achieve airborne transmission and existence, is the primary cause of tuberculosis (TB), a disease that is vital to public health.

Aim

To update the society on tuberculosis diagnostic and treatment delays among patients in Uganda.

Materials and Methods

The review paper utilized different search engines, such as Pubmed Central, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and so forth, to conduct this review paper.

Results

Delays in diagnosis could cause diseases to spread throughout the community, progress more quickly, and increase mortality. With many populations experiencing TB diagnostic delay and less than a third of the population experiencing TB treatment delay, the rates of tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment delays are high.

Conclusion

The delay in diagnosing and treating tuberculosis in men is positively correlated with knowledge of the disease's symptoms and the regular use of a handkerchief or both hands to cover the mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Pathogenesis and therapeutic targets

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health concern in the 21st century, especially due to drug resistance, coinfection with diseases like immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and coronavirus disease 2019, and the lengthy and costly treatment protocols. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis of TB infection, therapeutic targets, and corresponding modulators, including first-line medications, current clinical trial drugs and molecules in preclinical assessment. Understanding the mechanisms of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection and important biological targets can lead to innovative treatments. While most antitubercular agents target pathogen-related processes, host-directed therapy (HDT) modalities addressing immune defense, survival mechanisms, and immunopathology also hold promise. Mtb's adaptation to the human host involves manipulating host cellular mechanisms, and HDT aims to disrupt this manipulation to enhance treatment effectiveness. Our review provides valuable insights for future anti-TB drug development efforts.

Synthesis and antitubercular activity of novel 4-arylalkyl substituted thio-, oxy- and sulfoxy-quinoline analogues targeting the cytochrome bc1 complex

A library of 4-substituted quinolines was synthesised based on the structural features of the privileged 4-(benzylthio)-6-methoxy-2-methylquinoline scaffold. Quinoline-based chemical probes have proven to be effective anti-tuberculosis agents with the ability of inhibiting components of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) respiratory chain including the b subunit of the cytochrome bc1 complex. Novel 4-(arylalkyl)-thio, -oxy and sulfoxy-quinoline analogues were tested for their ability to inhibit the growth of MTB H37Rv and QcrB mutant strains, and the compounds mode of action was investigated. Members of the 4-subtituted thio- and sulfoxyquinoline series exhibited significant growth inhibitory activity in the high nanomolar range against wild-type MTB and induced depletion of intracellular ATP. These probes also showed reduced potency in the QcrB T313I mutant strain, thus indicating the cytochrome bc1 oxidase complex as the molecular target. Interestingly, new 4-(quinolin-2-yl)oxy-quinoline 4i was more selective for the QcrB T313I strain compared to the wild-type strain.

Natural products and their analogues acting against Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A recent update

Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb). It is responsible for significant causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. M.tb possesses robust defense mechanisms against most antibiotic drugs and host responses due to their complex cell membranes with unique lipid molecules. Thus, the efficacy of existing front-line drugs is diminishing, and new and recurring cases of TB arising from multidrug-resistant M.tb are increasing. TB begs the scientific community to explore novel therapeutic avenues. A precise knowledge of the compounds with their mode of action could aid in developing new anti-TB agents that can kill latent and actively multiplying M.tb. This can help in the shortening of the anti-TB regimen and can improve the outcome of treatment strategies. Natural products have contributed several antibiotics for TB treatment. The sources of anti-TB drugs/inhibitors discussed in this work are target-based identification/cell-based and phenotypic screening from natural products. Some of the recently identified natural products derived leads have reached clinical stages of TB drug development, which include rifapentine, CPZEN-45, spectinamide-1599 and 1810. We believe these anti-TB agents could emerge as superior therapeutic compounds to treat TB over known Food and Drug Administration drugs.

Target Identification in Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Discovery

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), a disease that, although preventable and curable, remains a global epidemic due to the emergence of resistance and a latent form responsible for a long period of treatment. Drug discovery in TB is a challenging task due to the heterogeneity of the disease, the emergence of resistance, and uncomplete knowledge of the pathophysiology of the disease. The limited permeability of the cell wall and the presence of multiple efflux pumps remain a major barrier to achieve effective intracellular drug accumulation. While the complete genome sequence of Mtb has been determined and several potential protein targets have been validated, the lack of adequate models for in vitro and in vivo studies is a limiting factor in TB drug discovery programs. In current therapeutic regimens, less than 0.5% of bacterial proteins are targeted during the biosynthesis of the cell wall and the energetic metabolism of two of the most important processes exploited for TB chemotherapeutics. This review provides an overview on the current challenges in TB drug discovery and emerging Mtb druggable proteins, and explains how chemical probes for protein profiling enabled the identification of new targets and biomarkers, paving the way to disruptive therapeutic regimens and diagnostic tools.

Recent developments of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine analogues as antituberculosis agents

Over the past 2000 years, tuberculosis (TB) has killed more people than any other infectious disease. In 2021, TB claimed 1.6 million lives worldwide, making it the second leading cause of death from an infectious disease after COVID-19. Unfortunately, TB drug discovery research was neglected in the last few decades of the twentieth century. Recently, the World Health Organization has taken the initiative to develop new TB drugs. Imidazopyridine, an important fused bicyclic 5,6 heterocycle has been recognized as a "drug prejudice" scaffold for its wide range of applications in medicinal chemistry. A few examples of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine exhibit significant activity against multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB). Here, we critically review anti-TB compounds of the imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine class by discussing their development based on the structure-activity relationship, mode-of-action, and various scaffold hopping strategies over the last decade, which is identified as a renaissance era of TB drug discovery research.

Nitrobenzoates and Nitrothiobenzoates with Activity against M. tuberculosis

Esters of weak acids have shown improved antimycobacterial activity over the corresponding free acids and nitro benzoates in particular have previously shown to have a very intriguing activity. To expand the potential of nitro-derivatives of benzoic acid as antimycobacterial drugs and explore the effects of various structural features on the activity of these compounds, we have obtained a library of 64 derivatives containing esters and thioesters of benzoates and studied their activity against M. tuberculosis, the stability of the compounds, their activation by mycobacterial enzymes and the potential cytotoxicity against human monocytic THP-1 cell line. Our results showed that the most active compounds are those with an aromatic nitro substitution, with the 3,5-dinitro esters series being the most active. Also, the greater antitubercular activity for the nitro derivatives was shown to be unrelated to their pKa values or hydrolysis rates. Given the conventional relationship between nitro-containing substances and toxicity, one might anticipate that the great antimicrobial activity of nitro compounds would be associated with high toxicity; yet, we have not found such a relationship. The nitrobenzoate scaffold, particularly the 3,5-dinitrobenzoate scaffold, merits further investigation, because it has the potential to generate future antimycobacterial agents with improved activity.

The implication of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-mediated metabolism of targeted xenobiotics

Drug metabolism is generally associated with liver enzymes. However, in the case of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), Mtb-mediated drug metabolism plays a significant role in treatment outcomes. Mtb is equipped with enzymes that catalyse biotransformation reactions on xenobiotics with consequences either in its favour or as a hindrance by deactivating or activating chemical entities, respectively. Considering the range of chemical reactions involved in the biosynthetic pathways of Mtb, information related to the biotransformation of antitubercular compounds would provide opportunities for the development of new chemical tools to study successful TB infections while also highlighting potential areas for drug discovery, host-directed therapy, dose optimization and elucidation of mechanisms of action. In this Review, we discuss Mtb-mediated biotransformations and propose a holistic approach to address drug metabolism in TB drug discovery and related areas.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis-mediated metabolism of xenobiotics poses an important research question for antitubercular drug discovery. Identification of the metabolic fate of compounds can inform requisite structure–activity relationship strategies early on in a drug discovery programme towards improving the properties of the compound.

Tuberculosis: Pathogenesis, Current Treatment Regimens and New Drug Targets

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), the causative agent of TB, is a recalcitrant pathogen that is rife around the world, latently infecting approximately a quarter of the worldwide population. The asymptomatic status of the dormant bacteria escalates to the transmissible, active form when the host's immune system becomes debilitated. The current front-line treatment regimen for drug-sensitive (DS) M. tb strains is a 6-month protocol involving four different drugs that requires stringent adherence to avoid relapse and resistance. Poverty, difficulty to access proper treatment, and lack of patient compliance contributed to the emergence of more sinister drug-resistant (DR) strains, which demand a longer duration of treatment with more toxic and more expensive drugs compared to the first-line regimen. Only three new drugs, bedaquiline (BDQ) and the two nitroimidazole derivatives delamanid (DLM) and pretomanid (PMD) were approved in the last decade for treatment of TB-the first anti-TB drugs with novel mode of actions to be introduced to the market in more than 50 years-reflecting the attrition rates in the development and approval of new anti-TB drugs. Herein, we will discuss the M. tb pathogenesis, current treatment protocols and challenges to the TB control efforts. This review also aims to highlight several small molecules that have recently been identified as promising preclinical and clinical anti-TB drug candidates that inhibit new protein targets in M. tb.

Synthesis and characterization of different complexes derived from Schiff base and evaluation as a potential anticancer, antimicrobial, and insecticide agent

The condensation of (1H-benzimidazole-2-yl) methanamine, with 2-hydroxy naphthaldehyde lead to Schiff base ligand (H2L) (1). This was later reacted with metal salts (ZnCl₂, CrCl₃·6H₂O, and MnCl₂·4H₂O) to afford the corresponding metal complexes. Biological activity findings indicate that the metal complexes have promising activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis and modest activity against Aspergillus niger. The in vitro anticancer activities of Zn (II), Cr (III), and Mn (II) complexes were investigated and the best results were observed with Mn (II) complex as the most potent cytotoxic agent toward human cell lines colorectal adenocarcinoma HCT 116, hepatocellular carcinoma HepG₂ and breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 with 0.7, 1.1 and 6.7 μg of inhibitory concentration IC₅₀ values respectively. Consequently, the Mn (II) complex and ligand were docked inside the energetic site of ERK2 and exhibited favorable energy for binding. The investigation of biological tests towards mosquito larvae indicates that Cr (III) and Mn (II) complexes manifest strong toxicity against Aedes aegypti larvae with 3.458 and 4.764 ppm values of lethal concentration LC₅₀, respectively.

Pyrimidine derivatives with antitubercular activity

Small molecules with antitubercular activity containing the pyrimidine motif in their structure have gained more attention after three drugs, namely GSK 2556286 (GSK-286), TBA-7371 and SPR720, have entered clinical trials. This review provides an overview of recent advances in the hit-to-lead drug discovery studies of antitubercular pyrimidine-containing compounds with the aim to highlight their structural diversity. In the first part, the review discusses the pyrimidine compounds according to their targets, pinpointing the structure-activity relationships of each pyrimidine family. The second part of this review is concentrated on antitubercular pyrimidine derivatives with a yet unexplored or speculative target, dividing the compounds according to their structural types.

Machine Learning Prediction of Mycobacterial Cell Wall Permeability of Drugs and Drug-like Compounds

The cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related organisms has a very complex and unusual organization that makes it much less permeable to nutrients and antibiotics, leading to the low activity of many potential antimycobacterial drugs against whole-cell mycobacteria compared to their isolated molecular biotargets. The ability to predict and optimize the cell wall permeability could greatly enhance the development of novel antitubercular agents. Using an extensive structure-permeability dataset for organic compounds derived from published experimental big data (5371 compounds including 2671 penetrating and 2700 non-penetrating compounds), we have created a predictive classification model based on fragmental descriptors and an artificial neural network of a novel architecture that provides better accuracy (cross-validated balanced accuracy 0.768, sensitivity 0.768, specificity 0.769, area under ROC curve 0.911) and applicability domain compared with the previously published results.

Recent Advances of DprE1 Inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis: Computational Analysis of Physicochemical and ADMET Properties

Decaprenylphosphoryl-β-d-ribose 2'-epimerase (DprE1) is a critical flavoenzyme in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, catalyzing a vital step in the production of lipoarabinomannan and arabinogalactan, both of which are essential for cell wall biosynthesis. Due to its periplasmic localization, DprE1 is a susceptible target, and several compounds with diverse scaffolds have been discovered that inhibit this enzyme, covalently or noncovalently. We evaluated a total of ∼1519 DprE1 inhibitors disclosed in the literature from 2009 to April 2022 by performing an in-depth analysis of physicochemical descriptors and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET), to gain new insights into these properties in DprE1 inhibitors. Several molecular properties that should facilitate the design and optimization of future DprE1 inhibitors are described, allowing for the development of improved analogues targeting M. tuberculosis.

1,3-Diarylpyrazolyl-acylsulfonamides Target HadAB/BC Complex in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Alternative mode-of-inhibition of clinically validated targets is an effective strategy for circumventing existing clinical drug resistance. Herein, we report 1,3-diarylpyrazolyl-acylsulfonamides as potent inhibitors of HadAB/BC, a 3-hydroxyl-ACP dehydratase complex required to iteratively elongate the meromycolate chain of mycolic acids in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Mutations in compound 1-resistant Mtb mutants mapped to HadC (Rv0637; K157R), while chemoproteomics confirmed the compound's binding to HadA (Rv0635), HadB (Rv0636), and HadC. The compounds effectively inhibited the HadAB and HadBC enzyme activities and affected mycolic acid biosynthesis in Mtb, in a concentration-dependent manner. Unlike known 3-hydroxyl-ACP dehydratase complex inhibitors of clinical significance, isoxyl and thioacetazone, 1,3-diarylpyrazolyl-acylsulfonamides did not require activation by EthA and thus are not liable to EthA-mediated resistance. Further, the crystal structure of a key compound in a complex with Mtb HadAB revealed unique binding interactions within the active site of HadAB, providing a useful tool for further structure-based optimization of the series.

Identification of hydantoin based Decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-Ribose Oxidase (DprE1) inhibitors as antimycobacterial agents using computational tools

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the emerging infectious diseases in the world. DprE1 (Decaprenylphosphoryl-β-D-ribose 2'-epimerase), an enzyme accountable for mycobacterial cell wall synthesis was the first drug gable target based on discoveries of inhibitors via HTS (high throughput screening). Since then, many literature reports have been published so far enlightening varieties of chemical scaffolds acting as inhibitors of DprE1. Herein, in our present study, we have developed statistically robust GA-MLR (genetic algorithm multiple linear regression), atom-based as well as field based-3D-QSAR models. Both atom-based as well as field based-3D-QSAR models (internally as well as externally validated) were obtained with robust Training set, R² > 0.69 and Test set, Q² > 0.50. We have also developed top ranked 5 point hypothesis AAAHR_1 among 14 CPHs (common pharmacophore hypotheses). We found that our dataset molecule had more docking score (XP mode = - 9.068 kcal/mol) than the standards isoniazid and ethambutol; when docked into binding pockets of enzyme 4P8C with Glide module. We further queried our best docked dataset molecule 151 for ligand based virtual screening using "SwissSimilarity" platform. Among 9 identified hits, we found ZINC12196803 had best binding energies and docking score (docking score = - 9.437 kcal/mol, MMGBSA dgBind = - 70.508 kcal/mol). Finally, our molecular dynamics studies for 1.2-100 ns depicts that these complexes are stable. We have also carried out in-silico ADMET predictions, Cardiac toxicity, 'SwissTargetPredictions' and Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MM/GBSA) binding energy calculations for further explorations of dataset as well as hit molecules. Our current studies showed that the hit molecule ZINC12196803 may enlighten the path for future developments of DprE1 inhibitors.

Bioevaluation of quinoline-4-carbonyl derivatives of piperazinyl-benzothiazinones as promising antimycobacterial agents

The quinoline moiety remains a privileged antitubercular (anti-TB) pharmacophore, whereas 8-nitrobenzothiazinones are emerging potent antimycobacterial agents with two investigational candidates in the clinical pipeline. Herein, we report the synthesis and bioevaluation of 30 piperazinyl-benzothiazinone-based quinoline hybrids as prospective anti-TB agents. Preliminary evaluation revealed 24/30 compounds exhibiting substantial activity (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] = 0.06-1 µg/ml) against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) H37Rv. Cytotoxicity analysis against Vero cells found these to be devoid of any significant toxicity, with the majority displaying a selectivity index of >80. Furthermore, potent nontoxic compounds, when screened against clinical isolates of drug-resistant Mtb strains, demonstrated equipotent inhibition with MIC values of 0.03-0.25 µg/ml. A time-kill study identified a lead compound exhibiting concentration-dependent bactericidal activity, with 10× MIC completely eliminating Mtb bacilli within 7 days. Along with acceptable aqueous solubility and microsomal stability, the optimum active compounds of the series manifested all desirable traits of a promising antimycobacterial candidate.

Designing quinoline-isoniazid hybrids as potent anti-tubercular agents inhibiting mycolic acid biosynthesis

Isoniazid is a cornerstone of modern tuberculosis (TB) therapy and targets the enoyl ACP reductase InhA, a key enzyme in mycolic acid biosynthesis. InhA is still a promising target for the development of new anti-TB drugs. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, and anti-tubercular activity of new isoniazid hybrids. Among these, 1H-1,2,3 triazole-tethered quinoline-isoniazid conjugates 16a to 16g exhibited high activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis with minimal inhibitory concentrations in the 0.25-0.50 μg/mL range and were bactericidal in vitro. Importantly, these compounds were well tolerated at high doses on mammalian cells, leading to high selectivity indices. The hybrids were dependent on functional KatG production to inhibit mycolic acid biosynthesis. Moreover, overexpression of InhA in M. tuberculosis resulted in high resistance levels to 16a-16g and reduced mycolic acid biosynthesis inhibition, similar to isoniazid. Overall, these findings suggest that the synthesized quinoline-isoniazid hybrids are promising anti-tubercular molecules, which require further pre-clinical evaluation.

Tuberculosis Drug Discovery: Challenges and New Horizons

Over the past 2000 years, tuberculosis (TB) has claimed more lives than any other infectious disease. In 2020 alone, TB was responsible for 1.5 million deaths worldwide, comparable to the 1.8 million deaths caused by COVID-19. The World Health Organization has stated that new TB drugs must be developed to end this pandemic. After decades of neglect in this field, a renaissance era of TB drug discovery has arrived, in which many novel candidates have entered clinical trials. However, while hundreds of molecules are reported annually as promising anti-TB agents, very few successfully progress to clinical development. In this Perspective, we critically review those anti-TB compounds published in the last 6 years that demonstrate good in vivo efficacy against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Additionally, we highlight the main challenges and strategies for developing new TB drugs and the current global pipeline of drug candidates in clinical studies to foment fresh research perspectives.

A Mini Review on Isatin, an Anticancer Scaffold with Potential Activities against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

Isatin, chemically an indole-1H-2,3-dione, is recognised as one of the most attractive therapeutic fragments in drug design and development. The template has turned out to be exceptionally useful for developing new anticancer scaffolds, as evidenced by the increasing number of isatin-based molecules which are either in clinical use or in trials. Apart from its promising antiproliferative properties, isatin has shown potential in treating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) not only as a parent core, but also by attenuating the activities of various pharmacophores. The objective of this mini-review is to keep readers up to date on the latest developments in the biological potential of isatin-based scaffolds, targeting cancer and NTDs such as tuberculosis, malaria, and microbial infections.

Implications of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Metabolic Adaptability on Drug Discovery and Development

Tuberculosis remains a global health threat that is being exacerbated by the increase in infections attributed to drug resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. To combat this, there has been a surge in drug discovery programs to develop new, potent compounds and identify promising drug targets in the pathogen. Two areas of M. tuberculosis biology that have emerged as rich sources of potential novel drug targets are cell wall biosynthesis and energy metabolism. Both processes are important for survival of M. tuberculosis under replicating and nonreplicating conditions. However, both processes are also inherently adaptable under different conditions. Furthermore, cell wall biosynthesis is energy intensive and, thus, reliant on an efficiently functioning energy production system. This Perspective focuses on the interplay between cell wall biosynthesis and energy metabolism in M. tuberculosis, how adaptations in one pathway may affect the other, and what consequences this could have for drug discovery and development and the identification of novel drug targets.

Structural Rigidification of N-Aryl-pyrroles into Indoles Active against Intracellular and Drug-Resistant Mycobacteria

A series of indolyl-3-methyleneamines incorporating lipophilic side chains were designed through a structural rigidification approach and synthesized for investigation as new chemical entities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The screening led to the identification of a 6-chloroindole analogue 7j bearing an N-octyl chain and a cycloheptyl moiety, which displayed potent in vitro activity against laboratory and clinical Mtb strains, including a pre-extensively drug-resistant (pre-XDR) isolate. 7j also demonstrated a marked ability to restrict the intracellular growth of Mtb in murine macrophages. Further assays geared toward mechanism of action elucidation have thus far ruled out the involvement of various known promiscuous targets, thereby suggesting that the new indole 7j may inhibit Mtb via a unique mechanism.

Advances in the application of 1,2,4-triazole-containing hybrids as anti-tuberculosis agents

Tuberculosis is a deadly communicable disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), and pulmonary tuberculosis accounts for over 80% of the total cases. The 1,2,4-triazole is a privileged structure in the discovery of new drugs, and its derivatives act on various targets in MTB. In particular, 1,2,4-triazole hybrids can not only exert dual or multiple antitubercular mechanisms of action but also have the potential to enhance efficacy and reduce side effects. The present work aims to summarize the current status of 1,2,4-triazole hybrids as potential antitubercular agents, covering articles published between 2010 and 2020, to aid the further rational design of novel potential drug candidates endowed with higher efficacy, better compliance and fewer side effects.

Phosphopantetheinyl transferase binding and inhibition by amidino-urea and hydroxypyrimidinethione compounds

Owing to their role in activating enzymes essential for bacterial viability and pathogenicity, phosphopantetheinyl transferases represent novel and attractive drug targets. In this work, we examined the inhibitory effect of the aminido-urea 8918 compound against the phosphopantetheinyl transferases PptAb from Mycobacterium abscessus and PcpS from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two pathogenic bacteria associated with cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis, respectively. Compound 8918 exhibits inhibitory activity against PptAb but displays no activity against PcpS in vitro, while no antimicrobial activity against Mycobacterium abscessus or Pseudomonas aeruginosa could be detected. X-ray crystallographic analysis of 8918 bound to PptAb-CoA alone and in complex with an acyl carrier protein domain in addition to the crystal structure of PcpS in complex with CoA revealed the structural basis for the inhibition mechanism of PptAb by 8918 and its ineffectiveness against PcpS. Finally, in crystallo screening of potent inhibitors from the National Cancer Institute library identified a hydroxypyrimidinethione derivative that binds PptAb. Both compounds could serve as scaffolds for the future development of phosphopantetheinyl transferases inhibitors.

Rv0684/fusA1, an Essential Gene, Is the Target of Fusidic Acid and Its Derivatives in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a major global health concern given the increase in multiple forms of drug-resistant TB. This underscores the importance of a continuous pipeline of new anti-TB agents. Drug repurposing has shown promise in expanding the therapeutic options for TB chemotherapy. Fusidic acid (FA), a natural product-derived antibiotic, is one such candidate for repurposing. The present study aimed to understand the mechanism of action of FA and its selected analogs in M. tuberculosis. By using chemical biology and genetics, we identified elongation factor G as the target of FA in M. tuberculosis. We showed essentiality of its encoding gene fusA1 in M. tuberculosis by demonstrating that the transcriptional silencing of fusA1 is bactericidal in vitro and in macrophages. Thus, this work validated a novel drug target FusA1 in M. tuberculosis.

Biological and Biochemical Evaluation of Isatin-Isoniazid Hybrids as Bactericidal Candidates against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Tuberculosis remains a leading cause of mortality among infectious diseases worldwide, prompting the need to discover new drugs to fight this disease. We report here the design, synthesis, and antimycobacterial activity of isatin-mono/bis-isoniazid hybrids. Most of the compounds exhibited very high activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, with MICs in the range of 0.195 to 0.39 μg/ml, and exerted a more potent bactericidal effect than the standard antitubercular drug isoniazid (INH). Importantly, these compounds were found to be well tolerated at high doses (>200 μg/ml) on Vero kidney cells, leading to high selectivity indices. Two of the most promising hybrids were evaluated for activity in THP-1 macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis, among which compound 11e was found to be slightly more effective than INH. Overexpression of InhA along with cross-resistance determination of the most potent compounds, selection of resistant mutants, and biochemical analysis, allowed us to decipher their mode of action. These compounds effectively inhibited mycolic acid biosynthesis and required KatG to exert their biological effects. Collectively, this suggests that the synthesized isatin-INH hybrids are promising antitubercular molecules for further evaluation in preclinical settings.

Strategies to Combat Multi-Drug Resistance in Tuberculosis

"Drug resistance is an unavoidable consequence of the use of drugs; however, the emergence of multi-drug resistance can be managed by accurate diagnosis and tailor-made regimens."Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), is one of the most paramount health perils that has emerged in the 21st century. The global increase in drug-resistant strains of various bacterial pathogens prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop a priority list of AMR pathogens. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), an acid-fast bacillus that causes tuberculosis (TB), merits being one of the highest priority pathogens on this list since drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) accounts for ∼29% of deaths attributable to AMR. In recent years, funded collaborative efforts of researchers from academia, not-for-profit virtual R&D organizations and industry have resulted in the continuous growth of the TB drug discovery and development pipeline. This has so far led to the accelerated regulatory approval of bedaquiline and delamanid for the treatment of DR-TB. However, despite the availability of drug regimes, the current cure rate for multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) treatment regimens is 50% and 30%, respectively. It is to be noted that these regimens are administered over a long duration and have a serious side effect profile. Coupled with poor patient adherence, this has led to further acquisition of drug resistance and treatment failure. There is therefore an urgent need to develop new TB drugs with novel mechanism of actions (MoAs) and associated regimens.This Account recapitulates drug resistance in TB, existing challenges in addressing DR-TB, new drugs and regimens in development, and potential ways to treat DR-TB. We highlight our research aimed at identifying novel small molecule leads and associated targets against TB toward contributing to the global TB drug discovery and development pipeline. Our work mainly involves screening of various small molecule chemical libraries in phenotypic whole-cell based assays to identify hits for medicinal chemistry optimization, with attendant deconvolution of the MoA. We discuss the identification of small molecule chemotypes active against Mtb and subsequent structure-activity relationships (SAR) and MoA deconvolution studies. This is followed by a discussion on a chemical series identified by whole-cell cross-screening against Mtb, for which MoA deconvolution studies revealed a pathway that explained the lack of in vivo efficacy in a mouse model of TB and reiterated the importance of selecting an appropriate growth medium during phenotypic screening. We also discuss our efforts on drug repositioning toward addressing DR-TB. In the concluding section, we preview some promising future directions and the challenges inherent in advancing the drug pipeline to address DR-TB.

One Size Fits All? Not in In Vivo Modeling of Tuberculosis Chemotherapeutics

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health problem despite almost universal efforts to provide patients with highly effective chemotherapy, in part, because many infected individuals are not diagnosed and treated, others do not complete treatment, and a small proportion harbor Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) strains that have become resistant to drugs in the standard regimen. Development and approval of new drugs for TB have accelerated in the last 10 years, but more drugs are needed due to both Mtb's development of resistance and the desire to shorten therapy to 4 months or less. The drug development process needs predictive animal models that recapitulate the complex pathology and bacterial burden distribution of human disease. The human host response to pulmonary infection with Mtb is granulomatous inflammation usually resulting in contained lesions and limited bacterial replication. In those who develop progressive or active disease, regions of necrosis and cavitation can develop leading to lasting lung damage and possible death. This review describes the major vertebrate animal models used in evaluating compound activity against Mtb and the disease presentation that develops. Each of the models, including the zebrafish, various mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and non-human primates provides data on number of Mtb bacteria and pathology resolution. The models where individual lesions can be dissected from the tissue or sampled can also provide data on lesion-specific bacterial loads and lesion-specific drug concentrations. With the inclusion of medical imaging, a compound's effect on resolution of pathology within individual lesions and animals can also be determined over time. Incorporation of measurement of drug exposure and drug distribution within animals and their tissues is important for choosing the best compounds to push toward the clinic and to the development of better regimens. We review the practical aspects of each model and the advantages and limitations of each in order to promote choosing a rational combination of them for a compound's development.

Mycobacterial Epoxide Hydrolase EphD Is Inhibited by Urea and Thiourea Derivatives

The genome of the human intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis encodes an unusually large number of epoxide hydrolases, which are thought to be involved in lipid metabolism and detoxification reactions needed to endure the hostile environment of host macrophages. These enzymes therefore represent suitable targets for compounds such as urea derivatives, which are known inhibitors of soluble epoxide hydrolases. In this work, we studied in vitro the effect of the thiourea drug isoxyl on six epoxide hydrolases of M. tuberculosis using a fatty acid substrate. We show that one of the proteins inhibited by isoxyl is EphD, an enzyme involved in the metabolism of mycolic acids, key components of the mycobacterial cell wall. By analyzing mycolic acid profiles, we demonstrate the inhibition of EphD epoxide hydrolase activity by isoxyl and two other urea-based inhibitors, thiacetazone and AU1235, inside the mycobacterial cell.

Triazole-containing hybrids with anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis potential - Part I: 1,2,3-Triazole

Tuberculosis regimens currently applied in clinical practice require months of multidrug therapy, which imposes a major challenge of patient compliance and drug resistance development. Moreover, because of the increasing emergence of hard-to-treat tuberculosis, this disease continues to be a significant threat to the human population. 1,2,3-triazole as a privileged structure has been widely used as an effective template for drug discovery, and 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids that can simultaneously act on dual or multiple targets in Mycobacterium tuberculosis have the potential to circumvent drug resistance, enhance efficacy, reduce side effects and improve pharmacokinetic as well as pharmacodynamic profiles. Thus, 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids are useful scaffolds for the development of antitubercular agents. This review aims to highlight recent advances of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids with potential activity against various forms of M. tuberculosis, covering articles published between 2015 and 2020. The structure-activity relationship and the mechanism of action are also discussed to facilitate further rational design of more effective drug candidates.