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Kumari D, Jamwal V, Singh A, Singh SK, Mujwar S, Ansari MY, Singh K. Repurposing FDA approved drugs against Sterol C-24 methyltransferase of Leishmania donovani: A dual in silico and in vitro approach. Acta Trop 2024; 258:107338. [PMID: 39084482 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107338] [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: 05/12/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by the parasite Leishmania donovani affecting populations belonging to developing countries. The present study explores drug repurposing as an innovative strategy to identify new uses for approved clinical drugs, reducing the time and cost required for drug discovery. The three-dimensional structure of Leishmania donovani Sterol C-24 methyltransferase (LdSMT) was modeled and 1615 FDA-approved drugs from the ZINC database were computationally screened to identify the potent leads. Fulvestrant, docetaxel, indocyanine green, and iohexol were shortlisted as potential leads with the highest binding affinity and fitness scores for the concerned pathogenic receptor. Molecular dynamic simulation studies showed that the macromolecular complexes of indocyanine green and iohexol with LdSMT remained stable throughout the simulation and can be further evaluated experimentally for developing an effective drug. The proposed leads have further demonstrated promising safety profiles during cytotoxicity analysis on the J774.A1 macrophage cell line. Mechanistic analysis with these two drugs also revealed significant morphological alterations in the parasite, along with reduced intracellular parasitic load. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of drug repurposing in identifying new treatments for leishmaniasis and other diseases affecting developing countries, highlighting the importance of considering approved clinical drugs for new applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diksha Kumari
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Vishwani Jamwal
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Ajeet Singh
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Pharmacology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Shashank K Singh
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Pharmacology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India
| | - Somdutt Mujwar
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Rajpura, 140401, Punjab, India
| | - Md Yousuf Ansari
- M.M. College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, 133207, India
| | - Kuljit Singh
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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Ibañez-Escribano A, Gomez-Muñoz MT, Mateo M, Fonseca-Berzal C, Gomez-Lucia E, Perez RG, Alunda JM, Carrion J. Microbial Matryoshka: Addressing the Relationship between Pathogenic Flagellated Protozoans and Their RNA Viral Endosymbionts (Family Totiviridae). Vet Sci 2024; 11:321. [PMID: 39058005 PMCID: PMC11281412 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11070321] [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: 06/07/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Three genera of viruses of the family Totiviridae establish endosymbiotic associations with flagellated protozoa responsible for parasitic diseases of great impact in the context of One Health. Giardiavirus, Trichomonasvirus, and Leishmaniavirus infect the protozoa Giardia sp., Trichomonas vaginalis, and Leishmania sp., respectively. In the present work, we review the characteristics of the endosymbiotic relationships established, the advantages, and the consequences caused in mammalian hosts. Among the common characteristics of these double-stranded RNA viruses are that they do not integrate into the host genome, do not follow a lytic cycle, and do not cause cytopathic effects. However, in cases of endosymbiosis between Leishmaniavirus and Leishmania species from the Americas, and between Trichomonasvirus and Trichomonas vaginalis, it seems that it can alter their virulence (degree of pathogenicity). In a mammalian host, due to TLR3 activation of immune cells upon the recognition of viral RNA, uncontrolled inflammatory signaling responses are triggered, increasing pathological damage and the risk of failure of conventional standard treatment. Endosymbiosis with Giardiavirus can cause the loss of intestinal adherence of the protozoan, resulting in a benign disease. The current knowledge about viruses infecting flagellated protozoans is still fragmentary, and more research is required to unravel the intricacies of this three-way relationship. We need to develop early and effective diagnostic methods for further development in the field of translational medicine. Taking advantage of promising biotechnological advances, the aim is to develop ad hoc therapeutic strategies that focus not only on the disease-causing protozoan but also on the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Ibañez-Escribano
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.I.-E.); (M.M.); (C.F.-B.)
| | - Maria Teresa Gomez-Muñoz
- ICPVet Research Group, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.T.G.-M.); (R.G.P.); (J.M.A.)
- Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Mateo
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.I.-E.); (M.M.); (C.F.-B.)
- ICPVet Research Group, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.T.G.-M.); (R.G.P.); (J.M.A.)
- Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Fonseca-Berzal
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (A.I.-E.); (M.M.); (C.F.-B.)
| | - Esperanza Gomez-Lucia
- Animal Viruses Research Group, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Raquel Garcia Perez
- ICPVet Research Group, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.T.G.-M.); (R.G.P.); (J.M.A.)
| | - Jose M. Alunda
- ICPVet Research Group, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.T.G.-M.); (R.G.P.); (J.M.A.)
- Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Carrion
- ICPVet Research Group, Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.T.G.-M.); (R.G.P.); (J.M.A.)
- Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
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Mule SN, Alemán EV, Rosa-Fernandes L, Saad JS, de Oliveira GS, Martins D, Angeli CB, Brandt-Almeida D, Cortez M, Larsen MR, Shaw JJ, Teixeira MMG, Palmisano G. Leishmaniinae: Evolutionary inferences based on protein expression profiles (PhyloQuant) congruent with phylogenetic relationships among Leishmania, Endotrypanum, Porcisia, Zelonia, Crithidia, and Leptomonas. Proteomics 2024:e2100313. [PMID: 38850190 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202100313] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Evolutionary relationships among parasites of the subfamily Leishmaniinae, which comprises pathogen agents of leishmaniasis, were inferred based on differential protein expression profiles from mass spectrometry-based quantitative data using the PhyloQuant method. Evolutionary distances following identification and quantification of protein and peptide abundances using Proteome Discoverer and MaxQuant software were estimated for 11 species from six Leishmaniinae genera. Results clustered all dixenous species of the genus Leishmania, subgenera L. (Leishmania), L. (Viannia), and L. (Mundinia), sister to the dixenous species of genera Endotrypanum and Porcisia. Placed basal to the assemblage formed by all these parasites were the species of genera Zelonia, Crithidia, and Leptomonas, so far described as monoxenous of insects although eventually reported from humans. Inferences based on protein expression profiles were congruent with currently established phylogeny using DNA sequences. Our results reinforce PhyloQuant as a valuable approach to infer evolutionary relationships within Leishmaniinae, which is comprised of very tightly related trypanosomatids that are just beginning to be phylogenetically unraveled. In addition to evolutionary history, mapping of species-specific protein expression is paramount to understand differences in infection processes, tissue tropisms, potential to jump from insects to vertebrates including humans, and targets for species-specific diagnostic and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Ngao Mule
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Evaristo Villalba Alemán
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Livia Rosa-Fernandes
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joyce S Saad
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Deivid Martins
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Claudia Blanes Angeli
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Deborah Brandt-Almeida
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mauro Cortez
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Martin Røssel Larsen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DK, Denmark
| | - Jeffrey J Shaw
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marta M G Teixeira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giuseppe Palmisano
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Kumari D, Kour P, Singh CP, Choudhary R, Ali SM, Bhayye S, Bharitkar YP, Singh K. Anhydroparthenin as a dual-target inhibitor against Sterol C-24 methyltransferase and Sterol 14-α demethylase of Leishmania donovani: A comprehensive in vitro and in silico study. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 269:132034. [PMID: 38702006 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132034] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Parthenium hysterophorus plant has a diverse chemical profile and immense bioactive potential. It exhibits excellent pharmacological properties such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, microbicidal, and anti-trypanosomal. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-leishmanial potential and toxicological safety of anhydroparthenin isolated from P. hysterophorus. Anydroparthenin was extracted from the leaves of P. hysterophorus and characterized through detailed analysis of 1H, 13C NMR, and HRMS. Dye-based in vitro and ex vivo assays confirmed that anhydroparthenin significantly inhibited both promastigote and amastigote forms of the Leishmania donovani parasites. Both the cytotoxicity experiment and hemolytic assay revealed its non-toxic nature and safety index in the range of 10 to 15. Further, various mechanistic assays suggested that anhydroparthenin led to the generation of oxidative stress, intracellular ATP depletion, alterations in morphology and mitochondrial membrane potential, formation of intracellular lipid bodies, and acidic vesicles, ultimately leading to parasite death. As a dual targeting approach, computational studies and sterol quantification assays confirmed that anhydroparthenin inhibits the Sterol C-24 methyl transferase and Sterol 14-α demethylase proteins involved in the ergosterol biosynthesis in Leishmania parasites. These results suggest that anhydroparthenin could be a promising anti-leishmanial molecule and can be developed as a novel therapeutic stratagem against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diksha Kumari
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Parampreet Kour
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India
| | - Chetan Paul Singh
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India; Natural Products & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India
| | - Rinku Choudhary
- Department of Bioinformatics, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of I.T. and Biotechnology, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, Maharashtra 411046, India
| | - Syed Mudassir Ali
- Pharmacology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India
| | - Sagar Bhayye
- Department of Bioinformatics, Rajiv Gandhi Institute of I.T. and Biotechnology, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Pune, Maharashtra 411046, India
| | - Yogesh P Bharitkar
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India; Natural Products & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India.
| | - Kuljit Singh
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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Dehghani A, Mamizadeh M, Karimi A, Hosseini SA, Siamian D, Shams M, Ghiabi S, Basati G, Abaszadeh A. Multi-epitope vaccine design against leishmaniasis using IFN-γ inducing epitopes from immunodominant gp46 and gp63 proteins. J Genet Eng Biotechnol 2024; 22:100355. [PMID: 38494264 PMCID: PMC10860880 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgeb.2024.100355] [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: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
There is no currently approved human vaccine against leishmaniasis. Utilization of immunogenic antigens and their epitopes capable of enhancing immune responses against leishmaniasis is a crucial step for rational in silico vaccine design. The objective of this study was to generate and evaluate a potential vaccine candidate against leishmaniasis, designed by immunodominant proteins from gp46 and gp63 of Leishmania major, which can stimulate helper T-lymphocytes (HTL) and cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL). For this aim, the IFN-γ-inducing MHC-I and MHC-II binders were predicted for each examined protein (gp46 and gp63) and connected with appropriate linkers, along with an adjuvant (Mycobacterium tuberculosis L7/L12) and a histidine tag. The vaccine's stability, antigenicity, structure, and interaction with the TLR-4 receptor were evaluated in silico. The resulting chimeric vaccine was composed of 344 amino acids and had a molecular weight of 35.64 kDa. Physico-chemical properties indicated that it was thermotolerant, soluble, highly antigenic, and non-allergenic. Predictions of the secondary and tertiary structures were made, and further analyses confirmed that the vaccine construct could interact with the human TLR-4 receptor. Virtual immune simulation demonstrated strong stimulation of T-cell responses, particularly by an increase in IFN-γ, following vaccination. In summary, the in silico data indicated that the vaccine candidate showed high antigenicity in humans. It was also found to trigger significant levels of clearance mechanisms and other components of the cellular immune profile. Nevertheless, further wet experiments are required to properly assess the efficacy of this multi-epitope vaccine candidate against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Dehghani
- Department of Nursery, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Mina Mamizadeh
- Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Atena Karimi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Malayer University, Malayer, Iran
| | - Seyyed Amir Hosseini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Siamian
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, Islamic Azad University, Tonekabon Branch, Mazandaran, Iran
| | - Morteza Shams
- Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.
| | - Shadan Ghiabi
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholam Basati
- Department of Biochemistry, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - Amir Abaszadeh
- Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran; School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
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Kour P, Saha P, Sharma DK, Singh K. DNA topoisomerases as a drug target in Leishmaniasis: Structural and mechanistic insights. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 256:128401. [PMID: 38007027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128401] [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: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, caused by a protozoan parasite, is among humanity's costliest banes, owing to the high mortality and morbidity ratio in poverty-stricken areas. To date, no vaccine is available for the complete cure of the disease. Current chemotherapy is expensive, has undesirable side effects, and faces drug resistance limitations and toxicity concerns. The substantial differences in homology between leishmanial DNA topoisomerase IB compared with the human counterparts provided a new lead in the study of the structural determinants that can be targeted. Several research groups explored this molecular target, trying to fill the therapeutic gap, and came forward with various anti-leishmanial scaffolds. This article is a comprehensive review of knowledge about topoisomerases as an anti-leishmanial drug target and their inhibitors collected over the years. In addition to information on molecular targets and reported scaffolds, the review details the structure-activity relationship of described compounds with leishmanial Topoisomerase IB. Moreover, the work also includes information about the structure of the inhibitors, showing common interacting residues with leishmanial topoisomerases that drive their mode of action towards them. Finally, in search of topoisomerase inhibitors at the stage of clinical trials, we have listed all the drugs that have been in clinical trials against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parampreet Kour
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India
| | - Pallavi Saha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Deepak K Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Kuljit Singh
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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Kour P, Saha P, Bhattacharya S, Kumari D, Debnath A, Roy A, Sharma DK, Mukherjee D, Singh K. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 3,3'-diindolylmethane N-linked glycoconjugate as a leishmanial topoisomerase IB inhibitor with reduced cytotoxicity. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:2100-2114. [PMID: 37859718 PMCID: PMC10583832 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00214d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, one of the neglected diseases, ranks second to malaria in the cause of parasitic mortality and morbidity. The present chemotherapeutic regimen faces the limitations of drug resistance and toxicity concerns, raising a great need to develop new chemotherapeutic leads that are orally administrable, potent, non-toxic, and cost-effective. Several research groups came forward to fill this therapeutic gap with new classes of active compounds against leishmaniasis, one such being 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) derivatives. We tried to link this concept with another promising approach of glycoconjugation to study how glycosylated groups work differently from non-glycosylated ones. In the present study, a series of 3,3'-DIM derivatives have been synthesized and screened for their anti-leishmanial potency on Leishmania donovani promastigotes. Next, we synthesized the β-N,N' glycoside of potent compound 3d using indole-indoline conversion, Fischer-type glycosylation, 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquionone (DDQ) oxidation, and molecular iodine catalyzed coupling with a suitable aldehyde in reasonable overall yield. The biological evaluation revealed that glycosides had reduced cytotoxic effects on the J774A.1 macrophage cell line. The enzyme inhibition study confirms that the glycoside derivatives have significant inhibitory activity against the leishmanial topoisomerase IB enzyme. Molecular docking further displayed the better binding efficiency of glycoside 13 with the target enzyme, suggesting the involvement of more H-bond interactions in the case of glycosides as compared to free drugs. Therefore, this work helps in proposing the fact that the addition of sugar moieties adds some favorable characteristics to free inhibitors, making it a promising approach for future clinical diagnostic and therapeutic applications, which can prove to be a valuable arsenal in combating such neglected diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parampreet Kour
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Canal Road Jammu 180001 India +91 191 2585006 13 Ext: 333
| | - Pallavi Saha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University Varanasi-221005 India
| | - Srija Bhattacharya
- Natural Products & Medicinal Chemistry Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Jammu 180001 India
| | - Diksha Kumari
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Canal Road Jammu 180001 India +91 191 2585006 13 Ext: 333
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) Ghaziabad-201002 India
| | - Abhipsa Debnath
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune-411007 India
| | - Amit Roy
- Department of Biotechnology, Savitribai Phule Pune University Pune-411007 India
| | - Deepak K Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Banaras Hindu University Varanasi-221005 India
| | - Debaraj Mukherjee
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) Ghaziabad-201002 India
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Unified Academic Campus, Bose Institute Kolkata 700091 India
| | - Kuljit Singh
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR - Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine Canal Road Jammu 180001 India +91 191 2585006 13 Ext: 333
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR) Ghaziabad-201002 India
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Immunoinformatics Approach to Design a Multi-Epitope Nanovaccine against Leishmania Parasite: Elicitation of Cellular Immune Responses. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020304. [PMID: 36851182 PMCID: PMC9960668 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020304] [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: 12/27/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by an intracellular parasite of the genus Leishmania with different clinical manifestations that affect millions of people worldwide, while the visceral form may be fatal if left untreated. Since the available chemotherapeutic agents are not satisfactory, vaccination emerges as the most promising strategy for confronting leishmaniasis. In the present study, a reverse vaccinology approach was adopted to design a pipeline starting from proteome analysis of three different Leishmania species and ending with the selection of a pool of MHCI- and MHCII-binding epitopes. Epitopes from five parasite proteins were retrieved and fused to construct a multi-epitope chimeric protein, named LeishChim. Immunoinformatics analyses indicated that LeishChim was a stable, non-allergenic and immunogenic protein that could bind strongly onto MHCI and MHCII molecules, suggesting it as a potentially safe and effective vaccine candidate. Preclinical evaluation validated the in silico prediction, since the LeishChim protein, encapsulated simultaneously with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) into poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles, elicited specific cellular immune responses when administered to BALB/c mice. These were characterized by the development of memory CD4+ T cells, as well as IFNγ- and TNFα-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, supporting the potential of LeishChim as a vaccine candidate.
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Generation of Aurachin Derivatives by Whole-Cell Biotransformation and Evaluation of Their Antiprotozoal Properties. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031066. [PMID: 36770729 PMCID: PMC9919615 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural product aurachin D is a farnesylated quinolone alkaloid, which is known to possess activity against the causative agent of malaria, Plasmodium spp. In this study, we show that aurachin D inhibits other parasitic protozoa as well. While aurachin D had only a modest effect on Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, two other trypanosomatids, T. cruzi and Leishmania donovani, were killed at low micromolar and nanomolar concentrations, respectively, in an in vitro assay. The determined IC50 values of aurachin D were even lower than those of the reference drugs benznidazole and miltefosine. Due to these promising results, we set out to explore the impact of structural modifications on the bioactivity of this natural product. In order to generate aurachin D derivatives with varying substituents at the C-2, C-6 and C-7 position of the quinolone ring system, we resorted to whole-cell biotransformation using a recombinant Escherichia coli strain capable of aurachin-type prenylations. Quinolone precursor molecules featuring methyl, methoxy and halogen groups were fed to this E. coli strain, which converted the substrates into the desired analogs. None of the generated derivatives exhibited improved antiprotozoal properties in comparison to aurachin D. Obviously, the naturally occurring aurachin D features already a privileged structure, especially for the inhibition of the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis.
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Gopu B, Kour P, Pandian R, Singh K. Insights into the drug screening approaches in leishmaniasis. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 114:109591. [PMID: 36700771 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, a tropically neglected disease, is responsible for the high mortality and morbidity ratio in poverty-stricken areas. Currently, no vaccine is available for the complete cure of the disease. Current chemotherapeutic regimens face the limitations of drug resistance and toxicity concerns indicating a great need to develop better chemotherapeutic leads that are orally administrable, potent, non-toxic, and cost-effective. The anti-leishmanial drug discovery process accelerated the desire for large-scale drug screening assays and high-throughput screening (HTS) technology to identify new chemo-types that can be used as potential drug molecules to control infection. Using the HTS approach, about one million compounds can be screened daily within the shortest possible time for biological activity using automation tools, miniaturized assay formats, and large-scale data analysis. Classical and modern in vitro screening assays have led to the progression of active compounds further to ex vivo and in vivo studies. In the present review, we emphasized on the HTS approaches employed in the leishmanial drug discovery program. Recent in vitro screening assays are widely explored to discover new chemical scaffolds. Developing appropriate experimental animal models and their related techniques is necessary to understand the pathophysiological processes and disease host responses, paving the way for unraveling novel therapies against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boobalan Gopu
- Animal House Facility, Pharmacology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
| | - Parampreet Kour
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India
| | - Ramajayan Pandian
- Animal House Facility, Pharmacology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Kuljit Singh
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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11
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Investigating the Leishmania donovani sacp Gene and Its Role in Macrophage Infection and Survival in Mice. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:tropicalmed7110384. [PMID: 36422936 PMCID: PMC9694005 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7110384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani is a causative agent of the neglected tropical disease known as visceral leishmaniasis, which can be lethal when untreated. Studying Leishmania viru-lence factors is crucial in determining how the parasite causes disease and identifying new targets for treatment. One potential virulence factor is L. donovani’s abundantly secreted protein: secreted acid phosphatase (SAcP). Whole-genome analysis revealed that the sacp gene was present in three copies in wild type L. donovani. Using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing; we generated a sacp gene knockout termed LdΔSAcP, which demonstrated a loss of both the SAcP protein and an associated reduction in secreted acid phosphatase activity. Genome sequencing confirmed the precise dele-tion of the sacp gene in LdΔSAcP and identified several changes in the genome. LdΔSAcP demonstrated no significant changes in promastigote proliferation or its ability to infect and survive in macrophages compared to the wildtype strain. LdΔSAcP also demonstrated no change in murine liver infection; however, survival was impaired in the spleen. Taken together these results show that SAcP is not necessary for the survival of promastigotes in culture but may support long-term survival in the spleen. These observations also show that the use of CRISPR gene editing and WGS together are effective to investigate the function and phenotype of complex potential drug targets such as multicopy genes.
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12
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Singh A, Yadagiri G, Javaid A, Sharma KK, Verma A, Singh OP, Sundar S, Mudavath SL. Hijacking the intrinsic vitamin B 12 pathway for the oral delivery of nanoparticles, resulting in enhanced in vivo anti-leishmanial activity. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:5669-5688. [PMID: 36017751 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm00979j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Surface-functionalized vitamin B12 (VB12) biocompatible nanoparticles exploit the well-characterized uptake pathway of VB12, shielding it from enzymatic degradation and inadequate absorption. In this perspective, subsequent to escalated mucus interaction and diffusion analysis, the nanoparticles were investigated by immunostaining with the anti-CD320 antibody, and their internalization mechanisms were examined by selectively blocking specific uptake processes. It was observed that their internalization occurred via an energy-dependent clathrin-mediated mechanism, simultaneously highlighting their remarkable ability to bypass the P-glycoprotein efflux. In particular, the synthesized nanoparticles were evaluated for their cytocompatibility by analyzing cellular proliferation, membrane viscoelasticity, and fluidity by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching and oxidative-stress detection, making them well-suited for successful translation to a clinical setup. Our previous in vitro antileishmanial results were paramount for their further in vivo and toxicity analysis, demonstrating their targeted therapeutic efficiency. The augmented surface hydrophilicity, which is attributed to VB12, and monomerization of amphotericin B in the lipid core strengthened the oral bioavailability and stability of the nanoparticles, as evidenced by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aakriti Singh
- Infectious Disease Biology Laboratory, Chemical Biology Unit, Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector-81, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India.
| | - Ganesh Yadagiri
- Infectious Disease Biology Laboratory, Chemical Biology Unit, Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector-81, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India.
| | - Aaqib Javaid
- Infectious Disease Biology Laboratory, Chemical Biology Unit, Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector-81, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India.
| | - Krishna Kumar Sharma
- Department of Pharmacy, Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh 244001, India
| | - Anurag Verma
- Department of Pharmacy, Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh 244001, India
| | - Om Prakash Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005, India
| | - Shyam Sundar
- Infectious Disease Research Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221005, India
| | - Shyam Lal Mudavath
- Infectious Disease Biology Laboratory, Chemical Biology Unit, Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector-81, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India.
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