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Digles D, Ingles-Prieto A, Dvorak V, Mocking TAM, Goldmann U, Garofoli A, Homan EJ, Di Silvio A, Azzollini L, Sassone F, Fogazza M, Bärenz F, Pommereau A, Zuschlag Y, Ooms JF, Tranberg-Jensen J, Hansen JS, Stanka J, Sijben HJ, Batoulis H, Bender E, Martini R, IJzerman AP, Sauer DB, Heitman LH, Manolova V, Reinhardt J, Ehrmann A, Leippe P, Ecker GF, Huber KVM, Licher T, Scarabottolo L, Wiedmer T, Superti-Furga G. Advancing drug discovery through assay development: a survey of tool compounds within the human solute carrier superfamily. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1401599. [PMID: 39050757 PMCID: PMC11267547 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1401599] [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: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
With over 450 genes, solute carriers (SLCs) constitute the largest transporter superfamily responsible for the uptake and efflux of nutrients, metabolites, and xenobiotics in human cells. SLCs are associated with a wide variety of human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and metabolic and neurological disorders. They represent an important therapeutic target class that remains only partly exploited as therapeutics that target SLCs are scarce. Additionally, many small molecules reported in the literature to target SLCs are poorly characterized. Both features may be due to the difficulty of developing SLC transport assays that fulfill the quality criteria for high-throughput screening. Here, we report one of the main limitations hampering assay development within the RESOLUTE consortium: the lack of a resource providing high-quality information on SLC tool compounds. To address this, we provide a systematic annotation of tool compounds targeting SLCs. We first provide an overview on RESOLUTE assays. Next, we present a list of SLC-targeting compounds collected from the literature and public databases; we found that most data sources lacked specificity data. Finally, we report on experimental tests of 19 selected compounds against a panel of 13 SLCs from seven different families. Except for a few inhibitors, which were active on unrelated SLCs, the tested inhibitors demonstrated high selectivity for their reported targets. To make this knowledge easily accessible to the scientific community, we created an interactive dashboard displaying the collected data in the RESOLUTE web portal (https://re-solute.eu). We anticipate that our open-access resources on assays and compounds will support the development of future drug discovery campaigns for SLCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Digles
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alvaro Ingles-Prieto
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Vojtech Dvorak
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tamara A. M. Mocking
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, LACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ulrich Goldmann
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Andrea Garofoli
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Evert J. Homan
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | - Felix Bärenz
- Sanofi, Integrated Drug Discovery, Industriepark Hoechst, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany
| | - Antje Pommereau
- Sanofi, Integrated Drug Discovery, Industriepark Hoechst, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany
| | - Yasmin Zuschlag
- Sanofi, Integrated Drug Discovery, Industriepark Hoechst, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany
| | - Jasper F. Ooms
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, LACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Jeppe Tranberg-Jensen
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jesper S. Hansen
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Josefina Stanka
- Lead Identification and Characterization, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Hubert J. Sijben
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, LACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Helena Batoulis
- Lead Identification and Characterization, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Eckhard Bender
- Lead Identification and Characterization, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Riccardo Martini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adriaan P. IJzerman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, LACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - David B. Sauer
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Laura H. Heitman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, LACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Alexander Ehrmann
- Lead Identification and Characterization, Bayer Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Philipp Leippe
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerhard F. Ecker
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kilian V. M. Huber
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Licher
- Sanofi, Integrated Drug Discovery, Industriepark Hoechst, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany
| | | | - Tabea Wiedmer
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Giulio Superti-Furga
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
- Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Mocking TAM, van Oostveen WM, van Veldhoven JPD, Minnee H, Fehres CM, Whitehurst CE, IJzerman AP, Heitman LH. Label-free detection of prostaglandin transporter (SLCO2A1) function and inhibition: insights by wound healing and TRACT assays. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1372109. [PMID: 38783936 PMCID: PMC11111933 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1372109] [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: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The prostaglandin transporter (PGT, SLCO2A1) mediates transport of prostanoids (a.o. prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)) into cells and thereby promotes their degradation. Overexpression of PGT leads to low extracellular PGE2 levels and has been linked to impaired wound healing of diabetic foot ulcers. Inhibition of PGT could thus be beneficial, however, no PGT inhibitors are currently on the market and drug discovery efforts are hampered by lack of high-through screening assays for this transporter. Here we report on a label-free impedance-based assay for PGT that measures transport activity through receptor activation (TRACT) utilizing prostaglandin E2 receptor subtype EP3 and EP4 that are activated by PGE2. We found that induction of PGT expression on HEK293-JumpIn-SLCO2A1 cells that also express EP3 and EP4 leads to an over 10-fold reduction in agonistic potency of PGE2. PGE2 potency could be recovered upon inhibition of PGT-mediated PGE2 uptake with PGT inhibitors olmesartan and T26A, the potency of which could be established as well. Moreover, the TRACT assay enabled the assessment of transport function of PGT natural variants. Lastly, HUVEC cells endogenously expressing prostanoid receptors and PGT were exploited to study wound healing properties of PGE2 and T26A in real-time using a novel impedance-based scratch-induced wound healing assay. These novel impedance-based assays will advance PGT drug discovery efforts and pave the way for the development of PGT-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara A. M. Mocking
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Hugo Minnee
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Cynthia M. Fehres
- Department of Rheumatology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Charles E. Whitehurst
- Immunology and Respiratory Diseases, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Ridgefield, CT, United States
| | - Adriaan P. IJzerman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Laura H. Heitman
- Division of Drug Discovery and Safety, Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Leiden, Netherlands
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Tu G, Fu T, Zheng G, Xu B, Gou R, Luo D, Wang P, Xue W. Computational Chemistry in Structure-Based Solute Carrier Transporter Drug Design: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:1433-1455. [PMID: 38294194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Solute carrier transporters (SLCs) are a class of important transmembrane proteins that are involved in the transportation of diverse solute ions and small molecules into cells. There are approximately 450 SLCs within the human body, and more than a quarter of them are emerging as attractive therapeutic targets for multiple complex diseases, e.g., depression, cancer, and diabetes. However, only 44 unique transporters (∼9.8% of the SLC superfamily) with 3D structures and specific binding sites have been reported. To design innovative and effective drugs targeting diverse SLCs, there are a number of obstacles that need to be overcome. However, computational chemistry, including physics-based molecular modeling and machine learning- and deep learning-based artificial intelligence (AI), provides an alternative and complementary way to the classical drug discovery approach. Here, we present a comprehensive overview on recent advances and existing challenges of the computational techniques in structure-based drug design of SLCs from three main aspects: (i) characterizing multiple conformations of the proteins during the functional process of transportation, (ii) identifying druggability sites especially the cryptic allosteric ones on the transporters for substrates and drugs binding, and (iii) discovering diverse small molecules or synthetic protein binders targeting the binding sites. This work is expected to provide guidelines for a deep understanding of the structure and function of the SLC superfamily to facilitate rational design of novel modulators of the transporters with the aid of state-of-the-art computational chemistry technologies including artificial intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gao Tu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Tingting Fu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | | | - Binbin Xu
- Chengdu Sintanovo Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610200, China
| | - Rongpei Gou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Ding Luo
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Panpan Wang
- College of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Huanghuai University, Zhumadian 463000, China
| | - Weiwei Xue
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Natural Product Synthesis and Drug Research, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
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Kong X, Lin K, Wu G, Tao X, Zhai X, Lv L, Dong D, Zhu Y, Yang S. Machine Learning Techniques Applied to the Study of Drug Transporters. Molecules 2023; 28:5936. [PMID: 37630188 PMCID: PMC10459831 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28165936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
With the advancement of computer technology, machine learning-based artificial intelligence technology has been increasingly integrated and applied in the fields of medicine, biology, and pharmacy, thereby facilitating their development. Transporters have important roles in influencing drug resistance, drug-drug interactions, and tissue-specific drug targeting. The investigation of drug transporter substrates and inhibitors is a crucial aspect of pharmaceutical development. However, long duration and high expenses pose significant challenges in the investigation of drug transporters. In this review, we discuss the present situation and challenges encountered in applying machine learning techniques to investigate drug transporters. The transporters involved include ABC transporters (P-gp, BCRP, MRPs, and BSEP) and SLC transporters (OAT, OATP, OCT, MATE1,2-K, and NET). The aim is to offer a point of reference for and assistance with the progression of drug transporter research, as well as the advancement of more efficient computer technology. Machine learning methods are valuable and attractive for helping with the study of drug transporter substrates and inhibitors, but continuous efforts are still needed to develop more accurate and reliable predictive models and to apply them in the screening process of drug development to improve efficiency and success rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaorui Kong
- Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China; (X.K.); (K.L.); (X.T.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Kexin Lin
- Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China; (X.K.); (K.L.); (X.T.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Gaolei Wu
- Department of Pharmacy, Dalian Women and Children’s Medical Group, Dalian 116024, China;
| | - Xufeng Tao
- Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China; (X.K.); (K.L.); (X.T.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Xiaohan Zhai
- Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China; (X.K.); (K.L.); (X.T.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Linlin Lv
- Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China; (X.K.); (K.L.); (X.T.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Deshi Dong
- Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China; (X.K.); (K.L.); (X.T.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Yanna Zhu
- Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China; (X.K.); (K.L.); (X.T.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (D.D.)
| | - Shilei Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, China; (X.K.); (K.L.); (X.T.); (X.Z.); (L.L.); (D.D.)
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