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Brunelli F, Ceresa C, Aprile S, Coppo L, Castiglioni B, Bosetti M, Fracchia L, Tron GC. Isocyanides in med chem: A scaffold hopping approach for the identification of novel 4-isocyanophenylamides as potent antibacterial agents against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 246:114950. [PMID: 36462437 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We describe the rational use of the neglected isocyano moiety as pharmacophoric group for the design of novel 4-isocyanophenylamides as antibacterial agents. This class of novel compounds showed to be highly effective against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. In particular, from an extensive screening, we identified compound 42 as lead compound. It has shown a potent antimicrobial activity, an additive effect with most antibiotics currently in use, the ability not to induce the formation of resistant strains after ten passages, and the ability to block the biofilm formation. A nontoxic profile on mammalian cells and a proper metabolic stability on human liver microsome complete the picture of this new weapon against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Brunelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Largo Donegani 2, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Chiara Ceresa
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Largo Donegani 2, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Silvio Aprile
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Largo Donegani 2, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Lorenza Coppo
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Largo Donegani 2, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Beatrice Castiglioni
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Largo Donegani 2, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Michela Bosetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Largo Donegani 2, 28100, Novara, Italy
| | - Letizia Fracchia
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Largo Donegani 2, 28100, Novara, Italy.
| | - Gian Cesare Tron
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale "A. Avogadro", Largo Donegani 2, 28100, Novara, Italy.
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Naclerio GA, Abutaleb NS, Onyedibe KI, Karanja C, Eldesouky HE, Liang HW, Dieterly A, Aryal UK, Lyle T, Seleem MN, Sintim HO. Mechanistic Studies and In Vivo Efficacy of an Oxadiazole-Containing Antibiotic. J Med Chem 2022; 65:6612-6630. [PMID: 35482444 PMCID: PMC9124606 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c02034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are still difficult to treat, despite the availability of many FDA-approved antibiotics. Thus, new compound scaffolds are still needed to treat MRSA. The oxadiazole-containing compound, HSGN-94, has been shown to reduce lipoteichoic acid (LTA) in S. aureus, but the mechanism that accounts for LTA biosynthesis inhibition remains uncharacterized. Herein, we report the elucidation of the mechanism by which HSGN-94 inhibits LTA biosynthesis via utilization of global proteomics, activity-based protein profiling, and lipid analysis via multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Our data suggest that HSGN-94 inhibits LTA biosynthesis via direct binding to PgcA and downregulation of PgsA. We further show that HSGN-94 reduces the MRSA load in skin infection (mouse) and decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines in MRSA-infected wounds. Collectively, HSGN-94 merits further consideration as a potential drug for staphylococcal infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A Naclerio
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Nader S Abutaleb
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Kenneth I Onyedibe
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Caroline Karanja
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Hassan E Eldesouky
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Hsin-Wen Liang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
| | - Alexandra Dieterly
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Uma K Aryal
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Proteomics Facility, Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Tiffany Lyle
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Center for Comparative Translational Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Mohamed N Seleem
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060, United States
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Center for Emerging, Zoonotic and Arthropod-borne Pathogens, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Herman O Sintim
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Naclerio GA, Onyedibe KI, Karanja CW, Aryal UK, Sintim HO. Comparative Studies to Uncover Mechanisms of Action of N-(1,3,4-Oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamide Containing Antibacterial Agents. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:865-877. [PMID: 35297603 PMCID: PMC9188027 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Drug-resistant bacterial pathogens still cause high levels of mortality annually despite the availability of many antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is especially problematic, and the rise in resistance to front-line treatments like vancomycin and linezolid calls for new chemical modalities to treat chronic and relapsing MRSA infections. Halogenated N-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamides are an interesting class of antimicrobial agents, which have been described by multiple groups to be effective against different bacterial pathogens. The modes of action of a few N-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamides have been elucidated. For example, oxadiazoles KKL-35 and MBX-4132 have been described as inhibitors of trans-translation (a ribosome rescue pathway), while HSGN-94 was shown to inhibit lipoteichoic acid (LTA). However, other similarly halogenated N-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamides neither inhibit trans-translation nor LTA biosynthesis but are potent antimicrobial agents. For example, HSGN-220, -218, and -144 are N-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamides that are modified with OCF3, SCF3, or SF5 and have remarkable minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 1 to 0.06 μg/mL against MRSA clinical isolates and show a low propensity to develop resistance to MRSA over 30 days. The mechanism of action of these highly potent oxadiazoles is however unknown. To provide insights into how these halogenated N-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamides inhibit bacterial growth, we performed global proteomics and RNA expression analysis of some essential genes of S. aureus treated with HSGN-220, -218, and -144. These studies revealed that the oxadiazoles HSGN-220, -218, and -144 are multitargeting antibiotics that regulate menaquinone biosynthesis and other essential proteins like DnaX, Pol IIIC, BirA, LexA, and DnaC. In addition, these halogenated N-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamides were able to depolarize bacterial membranes and regulate siderophore biosynthesis and heme regulation. Iron starvation appears to be part of the mechanism of action that led to bacterial killing. This study demonstrates that N-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)benzamides are indeed privileged scaffolds for the development of antibacterial agents and that subtle modifications lead to changes to the mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- George A. Naclerio
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Kenneth I. Onyedibe
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Caroline W. Karanja
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Uma K. Aryal
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Proteomics Facility, Bindley Bioscience Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Herman O. Sintim
- Chemistry Department, Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
- Purdue Institute for Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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Discovery of polypyridyl iridium(III) complexes as potent agents against resistant Candida albicans. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 233:114250. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Kingston DGI, Cassera MB. Antimalarial Natural Products. PROGRESS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 117:1-106. [PMID: 34977998 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-89873-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Natural products have made a crucial and unique contribution to human health, and this is especially true in the case of malaria, where the natural products quinine and artemisinin and their derivatives and analogues, have saved millions of lives. The need for new drugs to treat malaria is still urgent, since the most dangerous malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, has become resistant to quinine and most of its derivatives and is becoming resistant to artemisinin and its derivatives. This volume begins with a short history of malaria and follows this with a summary of its biology. It then traces the fascinating history of the discovery of quinine for malaria treatment and then describes quinine's biosynthesis, its mechanism of action, and its clinical use, concluding with a discussion of synthetic antimalarial agents based on quinine's structure. The volume then covers the discovery of artemisinin and its development as the source of the most effective current antimalarial drug, including summaries of its synthesis and biosynthesis, its mechanism of action, and its clinical use and resistance. A short discussion of other clinically used antimalarial natural products leads to a detailed treatment of other natural products with significant antiplasmodial activity, classified by compound type. Although the search for new antimalarial natural products from Nature's combinatorial library is challenging, it is very likely to yield new antimalarial drugs. The chapter thus ends by identifying over ten natural products with development potential as clinical antimalarial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G I Kingston
- Department of Chemistry and the Virginia Tech Center for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA.
| | - Maria Belen Cassera
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases (CTEGD), University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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Massarotti A, Brunelli F, Aprile S, Giustiniano M, Tron GC. Medicinal Chemistry of Isocyanides. Chem Rev 2021; 121:10742-10788. [PMID: 34197077 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In eons of evolution, isocyanides carved out a niche in the ecological systems probably thanks to their metal coordinating properties. In 1859 the first isocyanide was synthesized by humans and in 1950 the first natural isocyanide was discovered. Now, at the beginning of XXI century, hundreds of isocyanides have been isolated both in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and thousands have been synthesized in the laboratory. For some of them their ecological role is known, and their potent biological activity as antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial, antifouling, and antitumoral compounds has been described. Notwithstanding, the isocyanides have not gained a good reputation among medicinal chemists who have erroneously considered them either too reactive or metabolically unstable, and this has restricted their main use to technical applications as ligands in coordination chemistry. The aim of this review is therefore to show the richness in biological activity of the isocyanide-containing molecules, to support the idea of using the isocyanide functional group as an unconventional pharmacophore especially useful as a metal coordinating warhead. The unhidden hope is to convince the skeptical medicinal chemists of the isocyanide potential in many areas of drug discovery and considering them in the design of future drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Massarotti
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Francesca Brunelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Silvio Aprile
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Mariateresa Giustiniano
- Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Via D. Montesano 49, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Gian Cesare Tron
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Largo Donegani 2, 28100 Novara, Italy
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Wang B, Yao Y, Wei P, Song C, Wan S, Yang S, Zhu GM, Liu HM. Housefly Phormicin inhibits Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA by disrupting biofilm formation and altering gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Int J Biol Macromol 2020; 167:1424-1434. [PMID: 33202277 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.11.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The increasing drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria is a crisis that threatens public health. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been suggested to be potentially effective alternatives to solve this problem. Here, we tested housefly Phormicin-derived peptides for effects on Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in vitro and in vivo. A decreased bacterial load of MRSA was observed in the mouse scald model after treatment with Phormicin and in the positive control group (vancomycin). A mouse scrape model indicated that Phormicin helps the host fight drug-resistant MRSA infections. The protective effect of Phormicin on MRSA was confirmed in the Hermetia illucens larvae model. Phormicin also disrupted the formation of S. aureus and MRSA biofilms. Furthermore, this effect coincided with the downregulation of biofilm formation-related gene expression (agrC, sigB, RNAIII, altA, rbf, hla, hld, geh and psmɑ). Notably, virulence genes and several regulatory factors were also altered by Phormicin treatment. Based on these findings, housefly Phormicin helps the host inhibit MRSA infection through effects on biofilm formation and related gene networks. Therefore, housefly Phormicin potential represents a candidate agent for clinical MRSA chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China.
| | - Yang Yao
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - PengWei Wei
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - ChaoRong Song
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Shan Wan
- Department of Microbial Immunology, The first affiliated hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - SuWen Yang
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Gui Ming Zhu
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, China Ministry of Education (Guizhou Medical University), Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China
| | - Hong Mei Liu
- Engineering Research Center of Medical Biotechnology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Medical Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China; School of Biology and Engineering, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China.
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Natural product-inspired aryl isonitriles as a new class of antimalarial compounds against drug-resistant parasites. Bioorg Med Chem 2020; 28:115678. [PMID: 32912433 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Malaria is a prevalent and deadly disease. The fast emergence of drug-resistant malaria parasites makes the situation even worse. Thus, developing new chemical entities, preferably with novel mechanisms of action, is urgent and important. Inspired by the complex and scarce isonitrile-containing terpene natural products, we evaluated a collection of easily prepared synthetic mono- and bis-isonitrile compounds, most of which feature a simple, but rigid stilbene backbone. From this collection, potent antimalarial lead compounds with EC50 value ranging from 27 to 88 nM against the Dd2 strain using a blood stage proliferation assay were identified. Preliminary SAR information showed that the isonitrile group is essential for the observed activity against the Dd2 strain and the bis-isonitrile compounds in general perform better than the corresponding mono-isonitrile compounds.
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Galli U, Tron GC, Purghè B, Grosa G, Aprile S. Metabolic Fate of the Isocyanide Moiety: Are Isocyanides Pharmacophore Groups Neglected by Medicinal Chemists? Chem Res Toxicol 2020; 33:955-966. [PMID: 32212628 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.9b00504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Despite the isolation of hundreds of bioactive isocyanides from terrestrial fungi and bacteria as well as marine organisms, the isocyanide functionality has so far received little attention from a medicinal chemistry standpoint. The widespread tenet that isocyanides are chemically and metabolically unstable has restricted bioactivity studies to their antifouling properties and technical applications. In order to confirm or refute this idea, the hepatic metabolism of six model isocyanides was investigated. Aromatic and primary isocyanides turned out to be unstable and metabolically labile, but secondary and tertiary isocyanides resisted metabolization, showing, in some cases, cytochrome P450 inhibitory properties. The potential therefore exists for the secondary and tertiary isocyanides to qualify them as pharmacophore groups, in particular as war-heads for metalloenzyme inhibition because of their potent metal-coordinating properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ubaldina Galli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Gian Cesare Tron
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Beatrice Purghè
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Giorgio Grosa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Silvio Aprile
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, 28100, Italy
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