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González-Montero MC, Andrés-Rodríguez J, García-Fernández N, Pérez-Pertejo Y, Reguera RM, Balaña-Fouce R, García-Estrada C. Targeting Trypanothione Metabolism in Trypanosomatids. Molecules 2024; 29:2214. [PMID: 38792079 PMCID: PMC11124245 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29102214] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by trypanosomatids, including African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), Chagas disease, and different forms of leishmaniasis, are Neglected Tropical Diseases affecting millions of people worldwide, mainly in vulnerable territories of tropical and subtropical areas. In general, current treatments against these diseases are old-fashioned, showing adverse effects and loss of efficacy due to misuse or overuse, thus leading to the emergence of resistance. For these reasons, searching for new antitrypanosomatid drugs has become an urgent necessity, and different metabolic pathways have been studied as potential drug targets against these parasites. Considering that trypanosomatids possess a unique redox pathway based on the trypanothione molecule absent in the mammalian host, the key enzymes involved in trypanothione metabolism, trypanothione reductase and trypanothione synthetase, have been studied in detail as druggable targets. In this review, we summarize some of the recent findings on the molecules inhibiting these two essential enzymes for Trypanosoma and Leishmania viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- María-Cristina González-Montero
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain; (M.-C.G.-M.); (J.A.-R.); (N.G.-F.); (Y.P.-P.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Julia Andrés-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain; (M.-C.G.-M.); (J.A.-R.); (N.G.-F.); (Y.P.-P.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Nerea García-Fernández
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain; (M.-C.G.-M.); (J.A.-R.); (N.G.-F.); (Y.P.-P.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Yolanda Pérez-Pertejo
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain; (M.-C.G.-M.); (J.A.-R.); (N.G.-F.); (Y.P.-P.); (R.M.R.)
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Rosa M. Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain; (M.-C.G.-M.); (J.A.-R.); (N.G.-F.); (Y.P.-P.); (R.M.R.)
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain; (M.-C.G.-M.); (J.A.-R.); (N.G.-F.); (Y.P.-P.); (R.M.R.)
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Estrada
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain; (M.-C.G.-M.); (J.A.-R.); (N.G.-F.); (Y.P.-P.); (R.M.R.)
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
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Corman HN, McNamara CW, Bakowski MA. Drug Discovery for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: A Review of Developments in the Past 15 Years. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2845. [PMID: 38137989 PMCID: PMC10745741 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11122845] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a group of vector-borne, parasitic diseases caused by over 20 species of the protozoan Leishmania spp. The three major disease classifications, cutaneous, visceral, and mucocutaneous, have a range of clinical manifestations from self-healing skin lesions to hepatosplenomegaly and mucosal membrane damage to fatality. As a neglected tropical disease, leishmaniasis represents a major international health challenge, with nearly 350 million people living at risk of infection a year. The current chemotherapeutics used to treat leishmaniasis have harsh side effects, prolonged and costly treatment regimens, as well as emerging drug resistance, and are predominantly used for the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. There is an undeniable need for the identification and development of novel chemotherapeutics targeting cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), largely ignored by concerted drug development efforts. CL is mostly non-lethal and the most common presentation of this disease, with nearly 1 million new cases reported annually. Recognizing this unaddressed need, substantial yet fragmented progress in early drug discovery efforts for CL has occurred in the past 15 years and was outlined in this review. However, further work needs to be carried out to advance early discovery candidates towards the clinic. Importantly, there is a paucity of investment in the translation and development of therapies for CL, limiting the emergence of viable solutions to deal with this serious and complex international health problem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah N. Corman
- Calibr at Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; (C.W.M.); (M.A.B.)
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Miltefosine and Nifuratel Combination: A Promising Therapy for the Treatment of Leishmania donovani Visceral Leishmaniasis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021635. [PMID: 36675150 PMCID: PMC9865052 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis is a neglected vector-borne tropical disease caused by Leishmania donovani and Leishmania infantum that is endemic not only in East African countries, but also in Asia, regions of South America and the Mediterranean Basin. For the pharmacological control of this disease, there is a limited number of old and, in general, poorly adherent drugs, with a multitude of adverse effects and low oral bioavailability, which favor the emergence of resistant pathogens. Pentavalent antimonials are the first-line drugs, but due to their misuse, resistant Leishmania strains have emerged worldwide. Although these drugs have saved many lives, it is recommended to reduce their use as much as possible and replace them with novel and more friendly drugs. From a commercial collection of anti-infective drugs, we have recently identified nifuratel-a nitrofurantoin used against vaginal infections-as a promising repurposing drug against a mouse model of visceral leishmaniasis. In the present work, we have tested combinations of miltefosine-the only oral drug currently used against leishmaniasis-with nifuratel in different proportions, both in axenic amastigotes from bone marrow and in intracellular amastigotes from infected Balb/c mouse spleen macrophages, finding a potent synergy in both cases. In vivo evaluation of oral miltefosine/nifuratel combinations using a bioimaging platform has revealed the potential of these combinations for the treatment of this disease.
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Karan Kumar B, Faheem, Balana Fouce R, Melcon-Fernandez E, Perez-Pertejo Yolanda Y, Reguera RM, Adinarayana N, Chandra Sekhar KVG, Vanaparthi S, Murugesan S. Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel β-carboline ester analogues as potential anti-leishmanial agents. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022; 40:12592-12607. [PMID: 34488559 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1973564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is one of today's most neglected diseases. The emergence of new anti-leishmanial therapies emphasizes several study groups funded by the World Health Organization. The present investigation will focus on the research to determine a few new potential derivatives of β-carboline ester derivatives against leishmaniasis. The in-silico predicted ADMET properties of most of the titled compounds are in an acceptable range and having drug like properties. Among all the tested analogs, compound ES-3 (EC50 3.36 μM; SI > 29.80) showed comparable and equipotent anti-leishmanial activity as that of standard drug miltefosine (EC50 4.80 μM; SI > 20.80) against amastigote forms of the tested L. infantum strain. Two compounds ES-6 and ES-10 exhibited significant activity with EC50 10.16, 13.56 μM; SI > 4.90, 7.37, respectively. In-silico based molecular docking and dynamics study of the significantly active analog also performed to study the putative binding mode, interaction pattern at the active site of the target leishmanial trypanothione reductase enzyme as well as stability of the target-ligand complex. The changes in the conformation of molecules during MD (frame wise trajectory analysis) provided new insights for the development of novel potent molecules. These findings will further give insight that will help modify the compound ES-3 for better potency and the design of novel inhibitors for leishmaniasis.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Banoth Karan Kumar
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | - Faheem
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
| | | | | | | | - Rosa M Reguera
- Department of Ciencias Biomedicas, University de Leon, Leon, Spain
| | - Nandikolla Adinarayana
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | | | | | - Sankaranarayan Murugesan
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani, Rajasthan, India
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Schadich E, Nylén S, Gurská S, Kotulová J, Andronati S, Pavlovsky V, Soboleva S, Polishchuk P, Hajdúch M, Džubák P. Activity of 1-aryl-4-(naphthalimidoalkyl) piperazine derivatives against Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana. Parasitol Int 2022; 91:102647. [PMID: 35985636 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102647] [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: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
A series of 1-aryl-4-(phthalimidoalkyl) piperazines and 1-aryl-4-(naphthalimidoalkyl) piperazines were retrieved from a proprietary library based on their high structural similarity to haloperidol, an antipsychotic with antiparasitic activity, and assessed as potential antileishmanial scaffolds. Selected compounds were tested for antileishmanial activity against promastigotes of Leishmania major and Leishmania mexicana in dose-response assays. Two of the 1-aryl-4-(naphthalimidoalkyl) piperazines (compounds 10 and 11) were active against promastigotes of both Leishmania species without being toxic to human fibroblasts. Their activity was found to correlate with the length of their alkyl chains. Further analyses showed that compound 11 was also active against intracellular amastigotes of both Leishmania species. In promastigotes of both Leishmania species, compound 11 induced collapse of the mitochondrial electrochemical potential and increased the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. Therefore, it may serve as a promising lead compound for the development of novel antiparasitic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ermin Schadich
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and University Hospital, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Susanne Nylén
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Soňa Gurská
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and University Hospital, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Kotulová
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and University Hospital, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Sergey Andronati
- A.V. Bogatsky Physico-Chemical Institute of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Odessa, Ukraine
| | - Victor Pavlovsky
- A.V. Bogatsky Physico-Chemical Institute of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Odessa, Ukraine
| | | | - Pavel Polishchuk
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and University Hospital, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and University Hospital, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Džubák
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and University Hospital, Palacky University Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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Three Alkaloids from an Apocynaceae Species, Aspidosperma spruceanum as Antileishmaniasis Agents by In Silico Demo-case Studies. PLANTS 2020; 9:plants9080983. [PMID: 32756456 PMCID: PMC7465237 DOI: 10.3390/plants9080983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
This paper is focused on demonstrating with a real case that Ethnobotany added to Bioinformatics is a promising tool for new drugs search. It encourages the in silico investigation of "challua kaspi", a medicinal kichwa Amazonian plant (Aspidosperma spruceanum) against a Neglected Tropical Disease, leishmaniasis. The illness affects over 150 million people especially in subtropical regions, there is no vaccination and conventional treatments are unsatisfactory. In attempts to find potent and safe inhibitors of its etiological agent, Leishmania, we recovered the published traditional knowledge on kichwa antimalarials and selected three A. spruceanum alkaloids, (aspidoalbine, aspidocarpine and tubotaiwine), to evaluate by molecular docking their activity upon five Leishmania targets: DHFR-TS, PTR1, PK, HGPRT and SQS enzymes. Our simulation results suggest that aspidoalbine interacts competitively with the five targets, with a greater affinity for the active site of PTR1 than some physiological ligands. Our virtual data also point to the demonstration of few side effects. The predicted binding free energy has a greater affinity to Leishmania proteins than to their homologous in humans (TS, DHR, PKLR, HGPRT and SQS), and there is no match with binding pockets of physiological importance. Keys for the in silico protocols applied are included in order to offer a standardized method replicable in other cases. Apocynaceae having ethnobotanical use can be virtually tested as molecular antileishmaniasis new drugs.
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Álvarez-Bardón M, Pérez-Pertejo Y, Ordóñez C, Sepúlveda-Crespo D, Carballeira NM, Tekwani BL, Murugesan S, Martinez-Valladares M, García-Estrada C, Reguera RM, Balaña-Fouce R. Screening Marine Natural Products for New Drug Leads against Trypanosomatids and Malaria. Mar Drugs 2020; 18:E187. [PMID: 32244488 PMCID: PMC7230869 DOI: 10.3390/md18040187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) represent a serious threat to humans, especially for those living in poor or developing countries. Almost one-sixth of the world population is at risk of suffering from these diseases and many thousands die because of NTDs, to which we should add the sanitary, labor and social issues that hinder the economic development of these countries. Protozoan-borne diseases are responsible for more than one million deaths every year. Visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas disease or sleeping sickness are among the most lethal NTDs. Despite not being considered an NTD by the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria must be added to this sinister group. Malaria, caused by the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium falciparum, is responsible for thousands of deaths each year. The treatment of this disease has been losing effectiveness year after year. Many of the medicines currently in use are obsolete due to their gradual loss of efficacy, their intrinsic toxicity and the emergence of drug resistance or a lack of adherence to treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent and global need for new drugs. Despite this, the scant interest shown by most of the stakeholders involved in the pharmaceutical industry makes our present therapeutic arsenal scarce, and until recently, the search for new drugs has not been seriously addressed. The sources of new drugs for these and other pathologies include natural products, synthetic molecules or repurposing drugs. The most frequent sources of natural products are microorganisms, e.g., bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae and plants, which are able to synthesize many drugs that are currently in use (e.g. antimicrobials, antitumor, immunosuppressants, etc.). The marine environment is another well-established source of bioactive natural products, with recent applications against parasites, bacteria and other pathogens which affect humans and animals. Drug discovery techniques have rapidly advanced since the beginning of the millennium. The combination of novel techniques that include the genetic modification of pathogens, bioimaging and robotics has given rise to the standardization of High-Performance Screening platforms in the discovery of drugs. These advancements have accelerated the discovery of new chemical entities with antiparasitic effects. This review presents critical updates regarding the use of High-Throughput Screening (HTS) in the discovery of drugs for NTDs transmitted by protozoa, including malaria, and its application in the discovery of new drugs of marine origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Álvarez-Bardón
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Yolanda Pérez-Pertejo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - César Ordóñez
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Daniel Sepúlveda-Crespo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Nestor M. Carballeira
- Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras 00925-2537, San Juan, Puerto Rico;
| | - Babu L. Tekwani
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Drug Discovery, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL 35205, USA;
| | - Sankaranarayanan Murugesan
- Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani Campus, Vidya Vihar, Pilani 333031, India;
| | - Maria Martinez-Valladares
- Department of Animal Health, Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), Grulleros, 24346 León, Spain;
| | - Carlos García-Estrada
- INBIOTEC (Instituto de Biotecnología de León), Avda. Real 1-Parque Científico de León, 24006 León, Spain;
| | - Rosa M. Reguera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Department of Biomedical Sciences; University of León, 24071 León, Spain; (M.Á.-B.); (Y.P.-P.); (C.O.); (D.S.-C.); (R.M.R.)
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Pérez-Pertejo Y, Escudero-Martínez JM, Reguera RM, Balaña-Fouce R, García PA, Jambrina PG, San Feliciano A, Castro MÁ. Antileishmanial activity of terpenylquinones on Leishmania infantum and their effects on Leishmania topoisomerase IB. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2019; 11:70-79. [PMID: 31678841 PMCID: PMC6904838 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2019.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania is the aethiological agent responsible for the visceral leishmaniasis, a serious parasite-borne disease widely spread all over the World. The emergence of resistant strains makes classical treatments less effective; therefore, new and better drugs are necessary. Naphthoquinones are interesting compounds for which many pharmacological properties have been described, including leishmanicidal activity. This work shows the antileishmanial effect of two series of terpenyl-1,4-naphthoquinones (NQ) and 1,4-anthraquinones (AQ) obtained from natural terpenoids, such as myrcene and myrceocommunic acid. They were evaluated both in vitro and ex vivo against the transgenic iRFP-Leishmania infantum strain and also tested on liver HepG2 cells to determine their selectivity indexes. The results indicated that NQ derivatives showed better antileishmanial activity than AQ analogues, and among them, compounds with a diacetylated hydroquinone moiety provided better results than their corresponding quinones. Regarding the terpenic precursor, compounds obtained from the monoterpenoid myrcene displayed good antiparasitic efficiency and low cytotoxicity for mammalian cells, whereas those derived from the diterpenoid showed better antileishmanial activity without selectivity. In order to explore their mechanism of action, all the compounds have been tested as potential inhibitors of Leishmania type IB DNA topoisomerases, but only some compounds that displayed the quinone ring were able to inhibit the recombinant enzyme in vitro. This fact together with the docking studies performed on LTopIB suggested the existence of another mechanism of action, alternative or complementary to LTopIB inhibition. In silico druglikeness and ADME evaluation of the best leishmanicidal compounds has shown good predictable druggability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Pérez-Pertejo
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas. Campus de Vegazana, University of León, León, Spain
| | | | - Rosa M Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas. Campus de Vegazana, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas. Campus de Vegazana, University of León, León, Spain
| | - Pablo A García
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Área de Química Farmacéutica, Facultad de Farmacia, CIETUS, IBSAL, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Pablo G Jambrina
- Departamento de Química Física. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Arturo San Feliciano
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Área de Química Farmacéutica, Facultad de Farmacia, CIETUS, IBSAL, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - María-Ángeles Castro
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Área de Química Farmacéutica, Facultad de Farmacia, CIETUS, IBSAL, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
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Abstract
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a group of zoonotic diseases caused by a trypanosomatid parasite mostly in impoverished populations of low-income countries. In their different forms, leishmaniasis is prevalent in more than 98 countries all over the world and approximately 360-million people are at risk. Since no vaccine is currently available to prevent any form of the disease, the control strategy of leishmaniasis mainly relies on early case detection followed by adequate pharmacological treatment that may improve the prognosis and can reduce transmission. A handful of compounds and formulations are available for the treatment of leishmaniasis in humans, but only few of them are currently in use since most of these agents are associated with toxicity problems such as nephrotoxicity and cardiotoxicity in addition to resistance problems. In recent decades, very few novel drugs, new formulations of standard drugs or combinations of them have been approved against leishmaniasis. This review highlights the current drugs and combinations that are used medical practice and recent advances in new treatments against leishmaniasis that were pointed out in the recent 2nd Conference, Global Challenges in Neglected Tropical Diseases, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico in June 2018, emphasizing the plethora of new families of molecules that are bridging the gap between preclinical and first-in-man trials in next future.
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Staderini M, Piquero M, Abengózar MÁ, Nachér-Vázquez M, Romanelli G, López-Alvarado P, Rivas L, Bolognesi ML, Menéndez JC. Structure-activity relationships and mechanistic studies of novel mitochondria-targeted, leishmanicidal derivatives of the 4-aminostyrylquinoline scaffold. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 171:38-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Antileishmanial Evaluation of the Leaf Latex of Aloe macrocarpa, Aloin A/B, and Its Semisynthetic Derivatives against Two Leishmania Species. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 2019:4736181. [PMID: 30915146 PMCID: PMC6409032 DOI: 10.1155/2019/4736181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The currently available antileishmanial drugs are either toxic or too expensive for routine use in developing countries where the disease is most common. Local people in the Somalia region of Ethiopia use the leaves of Aloe macrocarpa Todaro for the treatment of malaria, jaundice, and skin diseases. In our ongoing search for new, efficient, and safe antileishmanial drugs, we investigated the leaf latex of Aloe macrocarpa and its acid-hydrolyzed product aloin A/B (1), as well as the semisynthesized derivatives of aloin A/B, namely, aloe-emodin (2) and rhein (3) against promastigotes and axenically cultured amastigotes of Leishmania aethiopica and L. donovani clinical isolates. Activity study was carried out based on the fluorescence characteristic of resazurin added to drug-treated cultures. Oxidative hydrolysis of aloin A/B by ferric chloride and concentrated hydrochloric acid afforded aloe-emodin (2), which was further oxidized using sodium nitrite and concentrated sulfuric acid to furnish rhein (3). Cytotoxicity study of test substances was performed against human monocytic cell line THP-1 using Alamar Blue and cell viability was measured fluorometrically. The test compounds showed lower activity (IC50 = 6.7 to 12.1 μM for promastigotes and IC50 = 3.6 to 10.2 μM for axenic amastigotes) than the reference drug amphotericin B (IC50 = 1.3 to 2.7 μM). However, amphotericin B (LC50 = 11.1 μM) was much more toxic than the test compounds (LC50 = 369.2 – 611.6 μM) towards human monocytic cell line (THP-1) despite its efficiency. As demonstrated in the current study, high selectivity indices (SIs) of the test compounds represent a remarkable advantage over the reference drug and highlight their potential use as templates for further development of safe leishmanicidal drugs.
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12
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Álvarez-Velilla R, Gutiérrez-Corbo MDC, Punzón C, Pérez-Pertejo MY, Balaña-Fouce R, Fresno M, Reguera RM. A chronic bioluminescent model of experimental visceral leishmaniasis for accelerating drug discovery. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007133. [PMID: 30763330 PMCID: PMC6392311 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Visceral leishmaniasis is a neglected parasitic disease with no vaccine available and its pharmacological treatment is reduced to a limited number of unsafe drugs. The scarce readiness of new antileishmanial drugs is even more alarming when relapses appear or the occurrence of hard-to-treat resistant strains is detected. In addition, there is a gap between the initial and late stages of drug development, which greatly delays the selection of leads for subsequent studies. Methodology/Principal findings In order to address these issues, we have generated a red-shifted luminescent Leishmania infantum strain that enables long-term monitoring of parasite burden in individual animals with an in vivo limit of detection of 106 intracellular amastigotes 48 h postinfection. For this purpose, we have injected intravenously different infective doses (104—5x108) of metacyclic parasites in susceptible mouse models and the disease was monitored from initial times to 21 weeks postinfection. The emission of light from the target organs demonstrated the sequential parasite colonization of liver, spleen and bone marrow. When miltefosine was used as proof-of-concept, spleen weight parasite burden and bioluminescence values decreased significantly. Conclusions In vivo bioimaging using a red-shifted modified Leishmania infantum strain allows the appraisal of acute and chronic stage of infection, being a powerful tool for accelerating drug development against visceral leishmaniasis during both stages and helping to bridge the gap between early discovery process and subsequent drug development. Visceral leishmaniasis is a neglected disease that poses a significant threat to impoverished human populations of low-income countries. Due to the unavailability of vaccines, pharmacological treatment is the only approach to control the disease that otherwise can be lethal. To date, drug management in endemic regions is based on combinations of a handful of mostly unsafe drugs, where the emergence of resistant strains is an additional problem. To accelerate the discovery of new drug entities, several gaps from the early discovery of a compound to its public use, should be filled. One of these gaps is the need of a rapid go/no-go testing system for compounds based on robust preclinical models. Here, we propose a new long-term model of murine visceral leishmaniasis using in vivo bioluminescent imaging. For this purpose, a red-shifted bioluminescent Leishmania infantum strain was engineered. This strain has allowed the appraisal of the disease in individual animals and the monitoring of parasite colonization in liver, spleen and bone marrow. As proof of concept of this platform, mice were infected with the transgenic L. infantum strain treated with a standard schedule of miltefosine, the only oral drug available against Leishmania parasites. Bioluminescence and parasite load in the target organs were compared showing a good correlation. Our findings provide a robust and reproducible tool for drug discovery in a chronic model of murine visceral leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Álvarez-Velilla
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carmen Punzón
- Diomune S.L Parque Científico de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Manuel Fresno
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Diomune S.L Parque Científico de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa María Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, León, Spain
- * E-mail:
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13
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Chávez-Fumagalli MA, Lage DP, Tavares GSV, Mendonça DVC, Dias DS, Ribeiro PAF, Ludolf F, Costa LE, Coelho VTS, Coelho EAF. In silico Leishmania proteome mining applied to identify drug target potential to be used to treat against visceral and tegumentary leishmaniasis. J Mol Graph Model 2018; 87:89-97. [PMID: 30522092 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2018.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
New therapeutic strategies against leishmaniasis are desirable, since the treatment against disease presents problems, such as the toxicity, high cost and/or parasite resistance. As consequence, new antileishmanial compounds are necessary to be identified, as presenting high activity against Leishmania, but low toxicity in mammalian hosts. In the present study, a Leishmania proteome mining strategy was developed, in order to select new drug targets with low homology to human proteins, but that are considered relevant for the parasite' survival. Results showed a hypothetical protein, which was functionally annotated as a glucosidase-like protein, as presenting such characteristics. This protein was associated with the metabolic network of the N-Glycan biosynthesis pathway in Leishmania, and two specific inhibitors - acarbose and miglitol - were predicted to be potential targets against it. In this context, miglitol [1-(2-Hydroxyethyl)-2-(hydroxymethyl)piperidine-3,4,5-triol] was tested against stationary promastigotes and axenic amastigotes of the Leishmania amazonensis and L. infantum species, and results showed high values of antileishmanial inhibition against both parasite species. Miglitol showed also efficacy in the treatment of Leishmania-infected macrophages; thus denoting its potential use as an antileishmanial candidate. In conclusion, this work presents a new drug target identified by a proteome mining strategy associated with bioinformatics tools, and suggested its use as a possible candidate to be applied in the treatment against disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Chávez-Fumagalli
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela P Lage
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Grasiele S V Tavares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Débora V C Mendonça
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniel S Dias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Patrícia A F Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Ludolf
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lourena E Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vinicio T S Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eduardo A F Coelho
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde: Infectologia e Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Patologia Clínica, COLTEC, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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14
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Ferreira LLG, Andricopulo AD. Chemoinformatics Strategies for Leishmaniasis Drug Discovery. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:1278. [PMID: 30443215 PMCID: PMC6221941 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.01278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a fatal neglected tropical disease (NTD) that is caused by more than 20 species of Leishmania parasites. The disease kills approximately 20,000 people each year and more than 1 billion are susceptible to infection. Although counting on a few compounds, the therapeutic arsenal faces some drawbacks such as drug resistance, toxicity issues, high treatment costs, and accessibility problems, which highlight the need for novel treatment options. Worldwide efforts have been made to that aim and, as well as in other therapeutic areas, chemoinformatics have contributed significantly to leishmaniasis drug discovery. Breakthrough advances in the comprehension of the parasites’ molecular biology have enabled the design of high-affinity ligands for a number of macromolecular targets. In addition, the use of chemoinformatics has allowed highly accurate predictions of biological activity and physicochemical and pharmacokinetics properties of novel antileishmanial compounds. This review puts into perspective the current context of leishmaniasis drug discovery and focuses on the use of chemoinformatics to develop better therapies for this life-threatening condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo L G Ferreira
- Laboratory of Medicinal and Computational Chemistry, Center for Research and Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery, São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Adriano D Andricopulo
- Laboratory of Medicinal and Computational Chemistry, Center for Research and Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery, São Carlos Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Carlos, Brazil
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15
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Alcântara LM, Ferreira TCS, Gadelha FR, Miguel DC. Challenges in drug discovery targeting TriTryp diseases with an emphasis on leishmaniasis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2018; 8:430-439. [PMID: 30293058 PMCID: PMC6195035 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Tritryps diseases are devastating parasitic neglected infections caused by Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei subspecies. Together, these parasites affect more than 30 million people worldwide and cause high mortality and morbidity. Leishmaniasis comprises a complex group of diseases with clinical manifestation ranging from cutaneous lesions to systemic visceral damage. Antimonials, the first-choice drugs used to treat leishmaniasis, lead to high toxicity and carry significant contraindications limiting its use. Drug-resistant parasite strains are also a matter for increasing concern, especially in areas with very limited resources. The current scenario calls for novel and/or improvement of existing therapeutics as key research priorities in the field. Although several studies have shown advances in drug discovery towards leishmaniasis in recent years, key knowledge gaps in drug discovery pipelines still need to be addressed. In this review we discuss not only scientific and non-scientific bottlenecks in drug development, but also the central role of public-private partnerships for a successful campaign for novel treatment options against this devastating disease. Treatment options targeting TriTryp diseases are limited. Scientific and non-scientific bottlenecks need to be unveiled for the development of new treatments. Private and public sector partnership is key to allow advances in bench-to-bedside science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M Alcântara
- Biology Institute, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thalita C S Ferreira
- Biology Institute, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda R Gadelha
- Biology Institute, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danilo C Miguel
- Biology Institute, University of Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
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16
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Weng HB, Chen HX, Wang MW. Innovation in neglected tropical disease drug discovery and development. Infect Dis Poverty 2018; 7:67. [PMID: 29950174 PMCID: PMC6022351 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-018-0444-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are closely related to poverty and affect over a billion people in developing countries. The unmet treatment needs cause high mortality and disability thereby imposing a huge burden with severe social and economic consequences. Although coordinated by the World Health Organization, various philanthropic organizations, national governments and the pharmaceutical industry have been making efforts in improving the situation, the control of NTDs is still inadequate and extremely difficult today. The lack of safe, effective and affordable medicines is a key contributing factor. This paper reviews the recent advances and some of the challenges that we are facing in the fight against NTDs. MAIN BODY In recent years, a number of innovations have demonstrated propensity to promote drug discovery and development for NTDs. Implementation of multilateral collaborations leads to continued efforts and plays a crucial role in drug discovery. Proactive approaches and advanced technologies are urgently needed in drug innovation for NTDs. However, the control and elimination of NTDs remain a formidable task as it requires persistent international cooperation to make sustainable progresses for a long period of time. Some currently employed strategies were proposed and verified to be successful, which involve both mechanisms of 'Push' which aims at cutting the cost of research and development for industry and 'Pull' which aims at increasing market attractiveness. Coupled to this effort should be the exercise of shared responsibility globally to reduce risks, overcome obstacles and maximize benefits. Since NTDs are closely associated with poverty, it is absolutely essential that the stakeholders take concerted and long-term measures to meet multifaceted challenges by alleviating extreme poverty, strengthening social intervention, adapting climate changes, providing effective monitoring and ensuring timely delivery. CONCLUSIONS The ongoing endeavor at the global scale will ultimately benefit the patients, the countries they are living and, hopefully, the manufacturers who provide new preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Bo Weng
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203 China
| | - Hai-Xia Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203 China
| | - Ming-Wei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203 China
- The National Center for Drug Screening and the CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 189 Guoshoujing Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201203 China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, 393 Middle Huaxia Road, Pudong New District, Shanghai, 201210 China
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17
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Tejería A, Pérez-Pertejo Y, Reguera RM, Balaña-Fouce R, Alonso C, González M, Rubiales G, Palacios F. Substituted 1,5-naphthyridine derivatives as novel antileishmanial agents. Synthesis and biological evaluation. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 152:137-147. [PMID: 29704722 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Visceral leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease that affects, among other areas, both sides of the Mediterranean Basin. The drugs classically used in clinical practice are pentavalent antimonials (SbV) and amphotericin B, which are nephrotoxic, require parenteral administration, and increasing drug resistance in visceral leishmaniasis has been observed. These circumstances justify the search of new families of compounds to find effective drugs against the disease. Eukaryotic type I DNA topoisomerase (TopIB) has been found essential for the viability of the parasites, and therefore represents a promising target in the development of an antileishmanial therapy. In this search, heterocyclic compounds, such as 1,5-naphthyridines, have been prepared by cycloaddition reaction between N-(3-pyridyl)aldimines and acetylenes and their antileishmanial activity on promastigotes and amastigote-infected splenocytes of Leishmania infantum has been evaluated. In addition, the cytotoxic effects of newly synthesized compounds were assessed on host murine splenocytes in order to calculate the corresponding selective indexes (SI). Excellent antileishmanial activity of 1,5-naphthyridine 19, 21, 22, 24 and 27 has been observed with similar activity than the standard drug amphotericin B and higher selective index (SI > 100) towards L. infantum amastigotes than amphotericin B (SI > 62.5). Special interest shows the 1,5-naphthyridine 22 with an IC50 value (0.58 ± 0.03 μM) similar to the standard drug amphotericin B (0.32 ± 0.05 μM) and with the highest selective index (SI = 271.5). In addition, this compound shows remarkable inhibition on leishmanial TopIB. However, despite these interesting results, further studies are needed to disclose other potential targets involved in the antileishmanial effect of these novel compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Tejería
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Yolanda Pérez-Pertejo
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Rosa M Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071, León, Spain
| | - Concepción Alonso
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Farmacia and Centro de Investigación Lascaray (Lascaray Research Center), Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - María González
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Farmacia and Centro de Investigación Lascaray (Lascaray Research Center), Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Gloria Rubiales
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Farmacia and Centro de Investigación Lascaray (Lascaray Research Center), Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Francisco Palacios
- Departamento de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Farmacia and Centro de Investigación Lascaray (Lascaray Research Center), Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
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18
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Descoteaux A. The Macrophage–Parasite Interface as a Chemotherapeutic Target in Leishmaniasis. DRUG DISCOVERY FOR LEISHMANIASIS 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/9781788010177-00387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Parasites of the genus Leishmania are intravacuolar pathogens that create compartments within their mammalian hosts where they can live, replicate and manipulate host immune responses. To generate these parasitophorous vacuoles, Leishmania diverts the default phagolysosomal biogenesis process, in part through the action of virulence factors on the host cell membrane fusion machinery. Components of this machinery essential to the biogenesis, maintenance and function of parasitophorous vacuoles may constitute attractive targets for the design of compounds that will disrupt the integrity of the Leishmania intracellular niche and interfere with parasite replication. Targeting components of the fusion machinery thus represents a promising avenue for the discovery of anti-leishmanial compounds that may not be plagued with problems associated with the development of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Descoteaux
- INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier 531 boul. des Prairies Laval, QC H7V 1B7 Canada
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19
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Torrie LS, Brand S, Robinson DA, Ko EJ, Stojanovski L, Simeons FRC, Wyllie S, Thomas J, Ellis L, Osuna-Cabello M, Epemolu O, Nühs A, Riley J, MacLean L, Manthri S, Read KD, Gilbert IH, Fairlamb AH, De Rycker M. Chemical Validation of Methionyl-tRNA Synthetase as a Druggable Target in Leishmania donovani. ACS Infect Dis 2017; 3:718-727. [PMID: 28967262 PMCID: PMC5663395 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.7b00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Methionyl-tRNA synthetase
(MetRS) has been chemically validated as a drug target in the kinetoplastid
parasite Trypanosoma brucei. In the present study,
we investigate the validity of this target in the related trypanosomatid Leishmania donovani. Following development of a robust high-throughput
compatible biochemical assay, a compound screen identified DDD806905
as a highly potent inhibitor of LdMetRS (Ki of 18 nM). Crystallography revealed this compound
binds to the methionine pocket of MetRS with enzymatic studies confirming
DDD806905 displays competitive inhibition with respect to methionine
and mixed inhibition with respect to ATP binding. DDD806905 showed
activity, albeit with different levels of potency, in various Leishmania cell-based viability assays, with on-target activity
observed in both Leishmania promastigote cell assays
and a Leishmania tarentolae in vitro translation
assay. Unfortunately, this compound failed to show efficacy in an
animal model of leishmaniasis. We investigated the potential causes
for the discrepancies in activity observed in different Leishmania cell assays and the lack of efficacy in the animal model and found
that high protein binding as well as sequestration of this dibasic
compound into acidic compartments may play a role. Despite medicinal
chemistry efforts to address the dibasic nature of DDD806905 and analogues,
no progress could be achieved with the current chemical series. Although
DDD806905 is not a developable antileishmanial compound, MetRS remains
an attractive antileishmanial drug target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah S. Torrie
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen Brand
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - David A. Robinson
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Eun Jung Ko
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Laste Stojanovski
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Frederick R. C. Simeons
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Wyllie
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - John Thomas
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Ellis
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Osuna-Cabello
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Ola Epemolu
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Andrea Nühs
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Riley
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Lorna MacLean
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Sujatha Manthri
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin D. Read
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Ian H. Gilbert
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Alan H. Fairlamb
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
| | - Manu De Rycker
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological
Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street, Dundee DD1 5EH, United Kingdom
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20
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Antileishmanial activity and tubulin polymerization inhibition of podophyllotoxin derivatives on Leishmania infantum. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2017; 7:272-285. [PMID: 28719882 PMCID: PMC5512185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2017.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Leishmania microtubules play an important role not only in cell division, but also in keeping the shape of the parasite and motility of its free-living stages. Microtubules result from the self-assembly of alpha and beta tubulins, two phylogenetically conserved and very abundant eukaryotic proteins in kinetoplastids. The colchicine binding domain has inspired the discovery and development of several drugs currently in clinical use against parasites. However, this domain is less conserved in kinetoplastids and may be selectively targeted by new compounds. This report shows the antileishmanial effect of several series of compounds (53), derived from podophyllotoxin (a natural cyclolignan isolated from rhizomes of Podophyllum spp.) and podophyllic aldehyde, on a transgenic, fluorescence-emitting strain of Leishmania infantum. These compounds were tested on both promastigotes and amastigote-infected mouse splenocytes, and in mammalian – mouse non-infected splenocytes and liver HepG2 cells – in order to determine selective indexes of the drugs. Results obtained with podophyllotoxin derivatives showed that the hydroxyl group at position C-7α was a structural requisite to kill the parasites. On regards podophyllic aldehyde, derivatives with C9-aldehyde group integrated into a bicyclic heterostructure displayed more potent antileishmanial effects and were relatively safe for host cells. Docking studies of podophyllotoxin and podophyllic aldehyde derivatives showed that these compounds share a similar pattern of interaction at the colchicine site of Leishmania tubulin, thus pointing to a common mechanism of action. However, the results obtained suggested that despite tubulin is a remarkable target against leishmaniasis, there is a poor correlation between inhibition of tubulin polymerization and antileishmanial effect of many of the compounds tested, fact that points to alternative pathways to kill the parasites.
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Tegazzini D, Cantizani J, Peña I, Martín J, Coterón JM. Unravelling the rate of action of hits in the Leishmania donovani box using standard drugs amphotericin B and miltefosine. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005629. [PMID: 28542202 PMCID: PMC5462473 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the neglected diseases drug discovery community has elected phenotypic screening as the key approach for the identification of novel hit compounds. However, when this approach is applied, important questions related to the mode of action for these compounds remain unanswered. One of such questions is related to the rate of action, a useful piece of information when facing the challenge of prioritising the most promising hit compounds. In the present work, compounds of the "Leishmania donovani box" were evaluated using a rate of action assay adapted from a replicative intracellular high content assay recently developed. The potency of each compound was determined every 24 hours up to 96 hours, and standard drugs amphotericin B and miltefosine were used as references to group these compounds according to their rate of action. Independently of this biological assessment, compounds were also clustered according to their minimal chemical scaffold. Comparison of the results showed a complete correlation between the chemical scaffold and the biological group for the vast majority of compounds, demonstrating how the assay was able to bring information on the rate of action for each chemical series, a property directly linked to the mode of action. Overall, the assay here described permitted us to evaluate the rate of action of the "Leishmania donovani box" using two of the currently available drugs as references and, also, to propose a number of fast-acting chemical scaffolds present in the box as starting points for future drug discovery projects to the wider scientific community. The results here presented validate the use of this assay for the determination of the rate of action early in the discovery process, to assist in the prioritisation of hit compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Tegazzini
- Kinetoplastids DPU, Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Cantizani
- Kinetoplastids DPU, Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Imanol Peña
- Kinetoplastids DPU, Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Martín
- Kinetoplastids DPU, Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose M. Coterón
- Kinetoplastids DPU, Diseases of the Developing World (DDW), GlaxoSmithKline, Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Cannet A, Akhoundi M, Michel G, Marty P, Delaunay P. Experimental infection of Phlebotomus perniciosus by bioluminescent Leishmania infantum using murine model and artificial feeder. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2017; 111:495-500. [PMID: 27439032 PMCID: PMC4981113 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760160100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease that is transmitted by sandflies and caused by obligate intracellular protozoa of the genus Leishmania. In the present study, we carried out a screening on the experimental infection of Phlebotomus pernioucus by bioluminescent Leishmania infantum using murine model and artificial feeder. We developed a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based method to determine individually the number of Leishmania promastigotes fed by infected flies. Among 1840 new emerged female sand flies, 428 were fed on the infected mice. After their death, they were analysed individually by RT-PCR. Our results demonstrated just a single Leishmania positive female at sixth day post meal. A total of 1070 female sand flies were exposed in contact with artificial feeder containing the human blood with two different quantities of Leishmania parasites: 2.106/mL and 1.107/mL. A blood meal including 1.107/mL LUC-promastigotes was proposed to 270 females and 75 (28%) flies were engorged. Among them, 44 (59%) were positive by RT-PCR analysis, with a relative average of 50551 Leishmania parasites. In case of blood feeding of females with 2.106/mL promastigotes, 57 out of 800 (7%) females succeed to feed from artificial feeder which 22 (39%) were positive with a relative average of 6487 parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Cannet
- Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France
| | - Mohammad Akhoundi
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Hôpital de l'Archet, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Nice, France
| | - Gregory Michel
- Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France
| | - Pierre Marty
- Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Hôpital de l'Archet, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Nice, France
| | - Pascal Delaunay
- Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, Nice, France.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice, Hôpital de l'Archet, Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Nice, France
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A Replicative In Vitro Assay for Drug Discovery against Leishmania donovani. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 60:3524-32. [PMID: 27021313 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01781-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani is the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis, a disease potentially fatal if not treated. Current available treatments have major limitations, and new and safer drugs are urgently needed. In recent years, advances in high-throughput screening technologies have enabled the screening of millions of compounds to identify new antileishmanial agents. However, most of the compounds identified in vitro did not translate their activities when tested in in vivo models, highlighting the need to develop more predictive in vitro assays. In the present work, we describe the development of a robust replicative, high-content, in vitro intracellular L. donovani assay. Horse serum was included in the assay media to replace standard fetal bovine serum, to completely eliminate the extracellular parasites derived from the infection process. A novel phenotypic in vitro infection model has been developed, complemented with the identification of the proliferation of intracellular amastigotes measured by EdU incorporation. In vitro and in vivo results for miltefosine, amphotericin B, and the selected compound 1 have been included to validate the assay.
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Skinner-Adams TS, Sumanadasa SD, Fisher GM, Davis RA, Doolan DL, Andrews KT. Defining the targets of antiparasitic compounds. Drug Discov Today 2016; 21:725-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2016.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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25
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Balaña-Fouce R, Reguera RM. Yeast-based systems for tropical disease drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2016; 11:429-32. [DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2016.1160052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, León, Spain
- Instituto de Biotecnología de León (INBIOTEC) Avda, León, Spain
| | - Rosa M. Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, León, Spain
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26
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Ang MLT, Murima P, Pethe K. Next-generation antimicrobials: from chemical biology to first-in-class drugs. Arch Pharm Res 2015; 38:1702-17. [PMID: 26259630 PMCID: PMC4567591 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-015-0645-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The global emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria invokes an urgent and imperative necessity for the identification of novel antimicrobials. The general lack of success in progressing novel chemical entities from target-based drug screens have prompted calls for radical and innovative approaches for drug discovery. Recent developments in chemical biology and target deconvolution strategies have revived interests in the utilization of whole-cell phenotypic screens and resulted in several success stories for the discovery and development novel drug candidates and target pathways. In this review, we present and discuss recent chemical biology approaches focusing on the discovery of novel targets and new lead molecules for the treatment of human bacterial and protozoan infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Lay Teng Ang
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 30 Biopolis Street, #B2-15a, Singapore, 138671, Singapore.
| | - Paul Murima
- Global Health Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kevin Pethe
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 30 Biopolis Street, #B2-15a, Singapore, 138671, Singapore.
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Dagley MJ, Saunders EC, Simpson KJ, McConville MJ. High-content assay for measuring intracellular growth of Leishmania in human macrophages. Assay Drug Dev Technol 2015; 13:389-401. [PMID: 26247370 DOI: 10.1089/adt.2015.652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania species are sandfly-transmitted protozoan parasites that cause a spectrum of diseases, ranging from localized skin lesions to fatal visceral disease, in more than 12 million people worldwide. These parasites primarily target macrophages in their mammalian hosts and proliferate as non-motile amastigotes in the phagolysosomal compartment of these cells. High-throughput screens for measuring Leishmania growth within this intracellular niche are needed to identify host and parasite factors that are required for virulence and to identify new drug candidates. Here we describe the development of a new high-content imaging method for quantifying the intracellular growth of Leishmania mexicana parasites in THP-1 macrophages. Wild-type parasites were pre-stained with the fluorescent dye CellTracker(™) Orange CMRA and used to infect THP-1 macrophages in 384-well plates. Infected and uninfected macrophages were subsequently stained with CellTracker Green CMFDA, allowing accurate quantitation of the number of parasites per macrophage using separate detector channels. We validated this method for use in high-content drug screening by examining the dose dependence of known anti-leishmanial drugs on intracellular growth. Unlike previous protocols, this method does not require the generation of transgenic fluorescent or bioluminescent parasite lines and can be readily adapted for screening different Leishmania species, strains, or mutant lines in a wide range of phagocytic host cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Dagley
- 1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Australia
| | - Eleanor C Saunders
- 1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Australia
| | - Kaylene J Simpson
- 2 Victorian Centre for Functional Genomics, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre , East Melbourne, Australia .,3 Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Australia
| | - Malcolm J McConville
- 1 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne , Parkville, Australia
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28
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Rajasekaran R, Chen YPP. Potential therapeutic targets and the role of technology in developing novel antileishmanial drugs. Drug Discov Today 2015; 20:958-68. [PMID: 25936844 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2014] [Revised: 03/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is the most prevalent pathogenic disease in many countries around the world, but there are few drugs available to treat it. Most antileishmanial drugs available are highly toxic, have resistance issues or require hospitalization for their use; therefore, they are not suitable for use in most of the affected countries. Over the past decade, the completion of the genomes of many human pathogens, including that of Leishmania spp., has opened new doors for target identification and validation. Here, we focus on the potential drug targets that can be used for the treatment of leishmaniasis and bring to light how recent technological advances, such as structure-based drug design, structural genomics, and molecular dynamics (MD), can be used to our advantage to develop potent and affordable antileishmanial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yi-Ping Phoebe Chen
- College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Mendoza-Martínez C, Correa-Basurto J, Nieto-Meneses R, Márquez-Navarro A, Aguilar-Suárez R, Montero-Cortes MD, Nogueda-Torres B, Suárez-Contreras E, Galindo-Sevilla N, Rojas-Rojas Á, Rodriguez-Lezama A, Hernández-Luis F. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of quinazoline derivatives as anti-trypanosomatid and anti-plasmodial agents. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 96:296-307. [PMID: 25899334 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.04.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Revised: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a set of quinazoline-2,4,6-triamine derivatives (1-9) as trypanocidal, antileishmanial and antiplasmodial agents are explained. The compounds were rationalized basing on docking studies of the dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR from Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania major and Plasmodium vivax) and pteridin reductase (PTR from T. cruzi and L. major) structures. All compounds were in vitro screened against both bloodstream trypomastigotes of T. cruzi (NINOA and INC-5 strains) and promatigotes of Leishmania mexicana (MHOM/BZ/61/M379 strain), and also for cytotoxicity using Vero cell line. Against T. cruzi, three compounds (5, 6 and 8) were the most effective showing a better activity profile than nifurtimox and benznidazole (reference drugs). Against L. mexicana, four compounds (5, 6, 8, and 9) exhibited the highest activity, even than glucantime (reference drug). In the cytotoxicity assay, protozoa were more susceptible than Vero cells. In vivo Plasmodium berghei assay (ANKA strain), the compounds 1, 5, 6 and 8 showed a more comparable activity than chloroquine and pyrimethamine (reference drugs) when they were administrated by the oral route. The antiprotozoal activity of these substances, endowed with redox properties, represented a good starting point for a medicinal chemistry program aiming for chemotherapy of Chagas' disease, leishmaniosis and malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Mendoza-Martínez
- Programa de Maestría y Doctorado en Ciencias Químicas, UNAM, México, DF 04510, Mexico; Facultad de Química, Departamento de Farmacia, UNAM, México, DF 04510, Mexico
| | - José Correa-Basurto
- Escuela Superior de Medicina, Laboratorio de Modelado Molecular y Bioinformática de la SEPI, IPN, México, DF 11340, Mexico
| | - Rocío Nieto-Meneses
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitología, IPN, México, DF 11340, Mexico
| | - Adrián Márquez-Navarro
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitología, IPN, México, DF 11340, Mexico
| | - Rocío Aguilar-Suárez
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitología, IPN, México, DF 11340, Mexico
| | | | - Benjamín Nogueda-Torres
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitología, IPN, México, DF 11340, Mexico
| | - Erick Suárez-Contreras
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Parasitología, IPN, México, DF 11340, Mexico
| | - Norma Galindo-Sevilla
- Departamento de Infectología, Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, México, DF 11000, Mexico
| | | | | | - Francisco Hernández-Luis
- Programa de Maestría y Doctorado en Ciencias Químicas, UNAM, México, DF 04510, Mexico; Facultad de Química, Departamento de Farmacia, UNAM, México, DF 04510, Mexico.
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Selective inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum glycogen synthase-3 (PfGSK-3): New antimalarial agents? BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2015; 1854:1644-9. [PMID: 25861860 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2015.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum glycogen synthase kinase-3 (PfGSK-3) is one of the eukaryotic protein kinases that were identified as essential for the parasite causing malaria tropica. Although the physiological functions of PfGSK-3 are still unknown, it had been suggested as a putative target for novel antimalarial drugs. The high structural similarity of PfGSK-3 and its human orthologue HsGSK-3 makes the development of selective PfGSK-3 inhibitors a challenging task. Actually, established GSK-3 inhibitors are either unselective or are more potent for inhibition of the mammalian GSK-3. A high throughput screening campaign identified thieno[2,3-b]pyridines as a new class of PfGSK-3 inhibitors. Systematic variation of the substitution pattern at the parent scaffold led to compounds which selectively inhibited the plasmodial enzyme. These compounds also exhibited activity against erythrocyte stages of the parasites. A hypothetical explanation for the selectivity of the new antimalarial compounds was enunciated based on the results of docking a selective inhibitor into a PfGSK-3 homology model and by comparison of the results with an X-ray structure of HsGSK-3 co-crystallized with a similar but unselective compound. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Inhibitors of Protein Kinases.
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Infrared fluorescent imaging as a potent tool for in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models of visceral leishmaniasis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2015; 9:e0003666. [PMID: 25826250 PMCID: PMC4380447 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is hypoendemic in the Mediterranean region, where it is caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum. An effective vaccine for humans is not yet available and the severe side-effects of the drugs in clinical use, linked to the parenteral administration route of most of them, are significant concerns of the current leishmanicidal medicines. New drugs are desperately needed to treat VL and phenotype-based High Throughput Screenings (HTS) appear to be suitable to achieve this goal in the coming years. Methodology/Principal findings We generated two infrared fluorescent L. infantum strains, which stably overexpress the IFP 1.4 and iRFP reporter genes and performed comparative studies of their biophotonic properties at both promastigote and amastigote stages. To improve the fluorescence emission of the selected reporter in intracellular amastigotes, we engineered distinct constructs by introducing regulatory sequences of differentially-expressed genes (A2, AMASTIN and HSP70 II). The final strain that carries the iRFP gene under the control of the L. infantum HSP70 II downstream region (DSR), was employed to perform a phenotypic screening of a collection of small molecules by using ex vivo splenocytes from infrared-infected BALB/c mice. In order to further investigate the usefulness of this infrared strain, we monitored an in vivo infection by imaging BALB/c mice in a time-course study of 20 weeks. Conclusions/Significance The near-infrared fluorescent L. infantum strain represents an important step forward in bioimaging research of VL, providing a robust model of phenotypic screening suitable for HTS of small molecule collections in the mammalian parasite stage. Additionally, HSP70 II+L. infantum strain permitted for the first time to monitor an in vivo infection of VL. This finding accelerates the possibility of testing new drugs in preclinical in vivo studies, thus supporting the urgent and challenging drug discovery program against this parasitic disease. Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), caused by Leishmania infantum or L. donovani, is still one of the most threatening diseases affecting poor people in developing countries, with a fatality rate as high as 100% in two years in infected and untreated people. With no vaccine available and ineffective and toxic chemotherapy, the search for new potential drugs that accelerate the urgent drug discovery process are highly needed. A novel technology that addresses this important issue has been developed, by performing High Throughput Screening (HTS) assays in 384-well plates format in combination with an infrared L. infantum-expressing strain. The system was further validated to identify active compounds against VL in an ex vivo splenic culture. In addition, in vivo non-invasive imaging of the visceral infection in BALB/c mice was achieved for the first time by using transgenic fluorescent parasites. These findings open up the possibility of testing vast amounts of potential compounds and allow in vivo screening of drug candidates against this severe parasitic disease in an attempt to speed up the vital drug discovery program.
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32
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Antileishmanial activity of quinazoline derivatives: Synthesis, docking screens, molecular dynamic simulations and electrochemical studies. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 92:314-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.12.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Revised: 11/23/2014] [Accepted: 12/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Calvo-Álvarez E, Álvarez-Velilla R, Fernández-Prada C, Balaña-Fouce R, Reguera RM. Trypanosomatids see the light: recent advances in bioimaging research. Drug Discov Today 2014; 20:114-21. [PMID: 25256779 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The use of genetically engineered pathogens that express fluorescent or luminescent proteins represents a huge stride forward in the understanding of trypanosomatid-borne tropical diseases. Nowadays, such modified microorganisms are being used to screen thousands of compounds under a target-free (phenotypic) approach. In addition, experimental infections with transgenic parasites drastically reduce the number of animals required for preclinical studies, because no animal needs to be put down to assess its parasite load. Finally, the use of fluorescent parasites is contributing to unraveling genetic exchange events between trypanosomatid strains. This phenomenon is important for understanding the mechanism by which traits such as virulence, tissue tropism, and drug resistance are transferred, as well as the emergence of novel strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefanía Calvo-Álvarez
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Raquel Álvarez-Velilla
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Christopher Fernández-Prada
- Infectious Diseases Research Center of the CHUL of Québec and Laval University, Québec City, Québec G1V 4G2, Canada
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain.
| | - Rosa M Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
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