1
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Němec V, Remeš M, Beňovský P, Böck MC, Šranková E, Wong JF, Cros J, Williams E, Tse LH, Smil D, Ensan D, Isaac MB, Al-Awar R, Gomolková R, Ursachi VC, Fafílek B, Kahounová Z, Víchová R, Vacek O, Berger BT, Wells CI, Corona CR, Vasta JD, Robers MB, Krejci P, Souček K, Bullock AN, Knapp S, Paruch K. Discovery of Two Highly Selective Structurally Orthogonal Chemical Probes for Activin Receptor-like Kinases 1 and 2. J Med Chem 2024. [PMID: 39023313 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Activin receptor-like kinases 1-7 (ALK1-7) regulate a complex network of SMAD-independent as well as SMAD-dependent signaling pathways. One of the widely used inhibitors for functional investigations of these processes, in particular for bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, is LDN-193189. However, LDN-193189 has insufficient kinome-wide selectivity complicating its use in cellular target validation assays. Herein, we report the identification and comprehensive characterization of two chemically distinct highly selective inhibitors of ALK1 and ALK2, M4K2234 and MU1700, along with their negative controls. We show that both MU1700 and M4K2234 efficiently block the BMP pathway via selective in cellulo inhibition of ALK1/2 kinases and exhibit favorable in vivo profiles in mice. MU1700 is highly brain penetrant and shows remarkably high accumulation in the brain. These high-quality orthogonal chemical probes offer the selectivity required to become widely used tools for in vitro and in vivo investigation of BMP signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Václav Němec
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Structural Genomics Consortium, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
- Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Remeš
- Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Beňovský
- Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Michael C Böck
- Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Eliška Šranková
- Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jong Fu Wong
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
| | - Julien Cros
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
| | - Eleanor Williams
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
| | - Lap Hang Tse
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
| | - David Smil
- Drug Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Deeba Ensan
- Drug Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Methvin B Isaac
- Drug Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Rima Al-Awar
- Drug Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Regina Gomolková
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vlad-Constantin Ursachi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Bohumil Fafílek
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Kahounová
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 00 Brno Czech Republic
| | - Ráchel Víchová
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 00 Brno Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Vacek
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 00 Brno Czech Republic
| | - Benedict-Tilman Berger
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Structural Genomics Consortium, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Carrow I Wells
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Cesear R Corona
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53716, United States
| | - James D Vasta
- Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin 53716, United States
| | | | - Pavel Krejci
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Souček
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Královopolská 135, 612 00 Brno Czech Republic
| | - Alex N Bullock
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Structural Genomics Consortium, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, Frankfurt am Main, 60438, Germany
| | - Kamil Paruch
- Department of Chemistry, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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2
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González-Álvarez H, Ensan D, Xin T, Wong JF, Zepeda-Velázquez CA, Cros J, Sweeney MN, Hoffer L, Kiyota T, Wilson BJ, Aman A, Roberts O, Isaac MB, Bullock AN, Smil D, Al-awar R. Discovery of Conformationally Constrained ALK2 Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2024; 67:4707-4725. [PMID: 38498998 PMCID: PMC10983009 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Despite decades of research on new diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) treatments, little or no progress has been made on improving patient outcomes. In this work, we explored novel scaffold modifications of M4K2009, a 3,5-diphenylpyridine ALK2 inhibitor previously reported by our group. Here we disclose the design, synthesis, and evaluation of a first-in-class set of 5- to 7-membered ether-linked and 7-membered amine-linked constrained inhibitors of ALK2. This rigidification strategy led us to the discovery of the ether-linked inhibitors M4K2308 and M4K2281 and the amine-linked inhibitors M4K2304 and M4K2306, each with superior potency against ALK2. Notably, M4K2304 and M4K2306 exhibit exceptional selectivity for ALK2 over ALK5, surpassing the reference compound. Preliminary studies on their in vivo pharmacokinetics, including blood-brain barrier penetration, revealed that these constrained scaffolds have favorable exposure and do open a novel chemical space for further optimization and future evaluation in orthotopic models of DIPG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Héctor González-Álvarez
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
- Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University
of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, Room 4207, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Deeba Ensan
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
- Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University
of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, Room 4207, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Tao Xin
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Jong Fu Wong
- Structural
Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, U.K.
| | - Carlos A. Zepeda-Velázquez
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Julien Cros
- Centre
for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K.
| | - Melissa N. Sweeney
- Centre
for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K.
| | - Laurent Hoffer
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Taira Kiyota
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Brian J. Wilson
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Ahmed Aman
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
- Leslie
Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada
| | - Owen Roberts
- M4K Pharma, 101 College Street, MaRS Centre,
South Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Methvin B. Isaac
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Alex N. Bullock
- Centre
for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K.
| | - David Smil
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
| | - Rima Al-awar
- Drug
Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for
Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, MaRS Centre, West Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A3, Canada
- Department
of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University
of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, Room 4207, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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3
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Dichiara M, Cosentino G, Giordano G, Pasquinucci L, Marrazzo A, Costanzo G, Amata E. Designing drugs optimized for both blood-brain barrier permeation and intra-cerebral partition. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:317-329. [PMID: 38145409 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2294118] [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: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION With the increasing incidence and prevalence of neurological disorders globally, there is a paramount need for new pharmacotherapies. BBB effectively protects the brain but raises a profound challenge to drug permeation, with less than 2% of most drugs reaching the CNS. AREAS COVERED This article reviews aspects of the most recent design strategies, providing insights into ideas and concepts in CNS drug discovery. An overview of the products available on the market is given and why clinical trials are continuously failing is discussed. EXPERT OPINION Among the available CNS drugs, small molecules account for most successful CNS therapeutics due to their ability to penetrate the BBB through passive or carrier-mediated mechanisms. The development of new CNS drugs is very difficult. To date, there is a lack of effective drugs for alleviating or even reversing the progression of brain diseases. Particularly, the use of artificial intelligence strategies, together with more appropriate animal models, may enable the design of molecules with appropriate permeation, to elicit a biological response from the neurotherapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dichiara
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cosentino
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giorgia Giordano
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Lorella Pasquinucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Agostino Marrazzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuliana Costanzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Emanuele Amata
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco e della Salute, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy
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4
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Brown EJ, Balaguer-Lluna L, Cribbs AP, Philpott M, Campo L, Browne M, Wong JF, Oppermann U, Carcaboso ÁM, Bullock AN, Farnie G. PRMT5 inhibition shows in vitro efficacy against H3K27M-altered diffuse midline glioma, but does not extend survival in vivo. Sci Rep 2024; 14:328. [PMID: 38172189 PMCID: PMC10764357 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48652-x] [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] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
H3K27-altered Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG) is a universally fatal paediatric brainstem tumour. The prevalent driver mutation H3K27M creates a unique epigenetic landscape that may also establish therapeutic vulnerabilities to epigenetic inhibitors. However, while HDAC, EZH2 and BET inhibitors have proven somewhat effective in pre-clinical models, none have translated into clinical benefit due to either poor blood-brain barrier penetration, lack of efficacy or toxicity. Thus, there remains an urgent need for new DMG treatments. Here, we performed wider screening of an epigenetic inhibitor library and identified inhibitors of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) among the top hits reducing DMG cell viability. Two of the most effective inhibitors, LLY-283 and GSK591, were targeted against PRMT5 using distinct binding mechanisms and reduced the viability of a subset of DMG cells expressing wild-type TP53 and mutant ACVR1. RNA-sequencing and phenotypic analyses revealed that LLY-283 could reduce the viability, clonogenicity and invasion of DMG cells in vitro, representing three clinically important phenotypes, but failed to prolong survival in an orthotopic xenograft model. Together, these data show the challenges of DMG treatment and highlight PRMT5 inhibitors for consideration in future studies of combination treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Brown
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Leire Balaguer-Lluna
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adam P Cribbs
- Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, National Institute of Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Translational Myeloma Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Martin Philpott
- Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, National Institute of Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Translational Myeloma Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Leticia Campo
- Department of Oncology, Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Molly Browne
- Department of Oncology, Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jong Fu Wong
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Udo Oppermann
- Nuffield Department of Orthopedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, National Institute of Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Unit (BRU), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Translational Myeloma Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ángel M Carcaboso
- SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Deu, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alex N Bullock
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Gillian Farnie
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Oxford Centre for Translational Myeloma Research, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Cancer Research Horizons, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
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5
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Riege D, Herschel S, Fenkl T, Schade D. Small-Molecule Probes as Pharmacological Tools for the Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling Pathway. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:1574-1599. [PMID: 37974621 PMCID: PMC10644459 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathway is highly conserved and plays central roles in health and disease. The quality and quantity of its signaling outputs are regulated at multiple levels, offering pharmacological options for targeted modulation. Both target-centric and phenotypic drug discovery (PDD) approaches were applied to identify small-molecule BMP inhibitors and stimulators. In this Review, we accumulated and systematically classified the different reported chemotypes based on their targets as well as modes-of-action, and herein we illustrate the discovery history of selected candidates. A comprehensive summary of available biochemical, cellular, and in vivo activities is provided for the most relevant BMP modulators, along with recommendations on their preferred use as chemical probes to study BMP-related (patho)physiological processes. There are a number of high-quality probes used as BMP inhibitors that potently and selectively interrogate the kinase activities of distinct type I (16 chemotypes available) and type II receptors (3 chemotypes available). In contrast, only a few high-quality BMP stimulator modalities have been introduced to the field due to a lack of profound target knowledge. FK506-derived macrolides such as calcineurin-sparing FKBP12 inhibitors currently represent the best-characterized chemical tools for direct activation of BMP-SMAD signaling at the receptor level. However, several PDD campaigns succeeded in expanding the druggable space of BMP stimulators. Albeit the majority of them do not entirely fulfill the strict chemical probe criteria, many chemotypes exhibit unique and unrecognized mechanisms as pathway potentiators or synergizers, serving as valuable pharmacological tools for BMP perturbation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Riege
- Department
of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Gutenbergstrasse 76, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Sven Herschel
- Department
of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Gutenbergstrasse 76, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Teresa Fenkl
- Department
of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Gutenbergstrasse 76, 24118 Kiel, Germany
| | - Dennis Schade
- Department
of Pharmaceutical & Medicinal Chemistry, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Gutenbergstrasse 76, 24118 Kiel, Germany
- Partner
Site Kiel, DZHK, German Center for Cardiovascular
Research, 24105 Kiel, Germany
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6
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Wu X, Guo H, Zhao J, Wei Y, Li YX, Pang HB. Identification of an ALK-2 inhibitor as an agonist for intercellular exchange and tumor delivery of nanomaterial. ADVANCED THERAPEUTICS 2023; 6:2200173. [PMID: 36818419 PMCID: PMC9937035 DOI: 10.1002/adtp.202200173] [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: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Inefficient extravasation and penetration in solid tissues hinder the clinical outcome of nanoparticles (NPs). Recent studies have shown that the extravasation and penetration of NPs in solid tumor was mostly achieved via an active transcellular route. For this transport process, numerous efforts have been devoted to elucidate the endocytosis and subcellular trafficking of NPs. However, how they exit from one cell and re-enter into neighboring ones (termed intercellular exchange) remains poorly understood. We previously developed cellular assays that exclusively quantify the intercellular exchange of NPs in vitro. Our study showed that a significant portion of NPs are transferred inside extracellular vesicles (EVs). Pharmacological inhibition of EV biogenesis significantly reduced the tumor accumulation and vascular penetration of both inorganic and organic NPs in vivo. Intrigued by this result, we performed here a manual chemical screen with our assay, which identified that LDN-214117 (an inhibitor for activin receptor-like kinase-2, ALK-2) is an agonist of NP intercellular exchange. We further showed that LDN-214117 regulates the intercellular exchange by increasing the EV biogenesis. Mechanistic investigation showed that LDN-214117 functions via BMP (bone morphogenetic protein)-MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) signaling pathway to increase EV biogenesis. We further demonstrated that LDN-214117 treatment in vivo enhanced the tumor accumulation and vascular penetration of a variety of NPs in multiple tumor models, which improves their antitumor efficacy. Overall, we showcase here the identification of a novel chemical compound with our intercellular exchange assays to modulate EV biogenesis and EV-mediated transport, thus boosting up the delivery and therapeutic efficacy of nanomaterial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Hong Guo
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jiaqi Zhao
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Yushuang Wei
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Yue-Xuan Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Hong-Bo Pang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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7
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Nagar G, Mittal P, Gupta SRR, Pahuja M, Sanger M, Mishra R, Singh A, Singh IK. Multi-omics therapeutic perspective on ACVR1 gene: from genetic alterations to potential targeting. Brief Funct Genomics 2022; 22:123-142. [PMID: 36003055 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elac026] [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: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin A receptor type I (ACVR1), a transmembrane serine/threonine kinase, belongs to the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, which signals via phosphorylating the downstream effectors and SMAD transcription factors. Its central role in several biological processes and intracellular signaling is well known. Genetic variation in ACVR1 has been associated with a rare disease, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive, and its somatic alteration is reported in rare cancer diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. Furthermore, altered expression or variation of ACVR1 is associated with multiple pathologies such as polycystic ovary syndrome, congenital heart defects, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, posterior fossa ependymoma and other malignancies. Recent advancements have witnessed ACVR1 as a potential pharmacological target, and divergent promising approaches for its therapeutic targeting have been explored. This review highlights the structural and functional characteristics of receptor ACVR1, associated signaling pathways, genetic variants in several diseases and cancers, protein-protein interaction, gene expression, regulatory miRNA prediction and potential therapeutic targeting approaches. The comprehensive knowledge will offer new horizons and insights into future strategies harnessing its therapeutic potential.
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8
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Li J, Hu X, Luo T, Lu Y, Feng Y, Zhang H, Liu D, Fan X, Wang Y, Jiang L, Wang Y, Hao X, Shi T, Wang Z. N-2-(phenylamino) benzamide derivatives as novel anti-glioblastoma agents: Synthesis and biological evaluation. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 226:113817. [PMID: 34537445 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma is one of the most lethal brain tumors. The crucial chemotherapy is mainly alkylating agents with modest clinical success. Given this desperate need and inspired by the encouraging results of a phase II trial via concomitant Topo I inhibitor plus COX-2 inhibitor, we designed a series of N-2-(phenylamino) benzamide derivatives as novel anti-glioblastoma agents based on structure modification on 1,5-naphthyridine derivatives (Topo I inhibitors). Notably, the target compounds I-1 (33.61 ± 1.15 μM) and I-8 (45.01 ± 2.37 μM) were confirmed to inhibit COX-2, while a previous reported compound (1,5-naphthyridine derivative) resulted nearly inactive towards COX-2 (IC50 > 150 μM). Besides, I-1 and I-8 exhibited higher anti-proliferation, anti-migration, anti-invasion effects than the parent compound 1,5-naphthyridine derivative, suggesting the success of modification based on the parent. Moreover, I-1 obviously repressed tumor growth in the C6 glioma orthotopic model (TGI = 66.7%) and U87MG xenograft model (TGI = 69.4%). Besides, I-1 downregulated PGE2, VEGF, MMP-9, and STAT3 activation, upregulated E-cadherin in the orthotopic model. More importantly, I-1 showed higher safety than temozolomide and different mechanism from temozolomide in the C6 glioma orthotopic model. All the evidence demonstrated that N-2-(phenylamino) benzamide derivatives as novel anti-glioblastoma agents could be promising for the glioma management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiaoling Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Tian Luo
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yingmei Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yiyue Feng
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Honghua Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Dan Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiaohong Fan
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Liming Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Yuying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiangyong Hao
- Department of General Surgery, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Tao Shi
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Zhen Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China; State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China; School of Pharmaceutical Science, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China.
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Hayden E, Holliday H, Lehmann R, Khan A, Tsoli M, Rayner BS, Ziegler DS. Therapeutic Targets in Diffuse Midline Gliomas-An Emerging Landscape. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13246251. [PMID: 34944870 PMCID: PMC8699135 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13246251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) remain one of the most devastating childhood brain tumour types, for which there is currently no known cure. In this review we provide a summary of the existing knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of this disease, highlighting current analyses and novel treatment propositions. Together, the accumulation of these data will aid in the understanding and development of more effective therapeutic options for the treatment of DMGs. Abstract Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are invariably fatal pediatric brain tumours that are inherently resistant to conventional therapy. In recent years our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of DMG tumorigenicity has resulted in the identification of novel targets and the development of a range of potential therapies, with multiple agents now being progressed to clinical translation to test their therapeutic efficacy. Here, we provide an overview of the current therapies aimed at epigenetic and mutational drivers, cellular pathway aberrations and tumor microenvironment mechanisms in DMGs in order to aid therapy development and facilitate a holistic approach to patient treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisha Hayden
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington 2052, Australia; (E.H.); (H.H.); (R.L.); (A.K.); (M.T.); (B.S.R.)
| | - Holly Holliday
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington 2052, Australia; (E.H.); (H.H.); (R.L.); (A.K.); (M.T.); (B.S.R.)
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2052, Australia
| | - Rebecca Lehmann
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington 2052, Australia; (E.H.); (H.H.); (R.L.); (A.K.); (M.T.); (B.S.R.)
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2052, Australia
| | - Aaminah Khan
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington 2052, Australia; (E.H.); (H.H.); (R.L.); (A.K.); (M.T.); (B.S.R.)
| | - Maria Tsoli
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington 2052, Australia; (E.H.); (H.H.); (R.L.); (A.K.); (M.T.); (B.S.R.)
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2052, Australia
| | - Benjamin S. Rayner
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington 2052, Australia; (E.H.); (H.H.); (R.L.); (A.K.); (M.T.); (B.S.R.)
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2052, Australia
| | - David S. Ziegler
- Children’s Cancer Institute, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, Kensington 2052, Australia; (E.H.); (H.H.); (R.L.); (A.K.); (M.T.); (B.S.R.)
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2052, Australia
- Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick 2031, Australia
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-2-9382-1730; Fax: +61-2-9382-1789
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Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of carbamate derivatives of N-salicyloyl tryptamine as multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 229:114044. [PMID: 34923430 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.114044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated a series of carbamate derivatives of N-salicyloyl tryptamine as multifunctional therapeutic agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). After screening the acetylcholinesterase (AChE)/butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activities, target compound 1g stood out as a mixed type reversible dual inhibitor of AChE and BChE. In addition, molecular docking studies were conducted to explore the actions on AChE and BChE. The results showed that 1g could decrease the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines NO, iNOS, IL-6, TNF-α, and ROS, increase the level of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4, and inhibit the aggregation of Aβ1-42. Moreover, the administration of 1g suppressed the activity of AChE in the brain. In a word, the compound 1g is effective for improving learning and memory behavior, blood-brain barrier permeation, pharmacokinetics, ChE inhibition, and anti-neuroinflammation. It may be considered as a promising multi-functional therapeutic agent for further investigation for the treatment of AD.
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Muratov EN, Amaro R, Andrade CH, Brown N, Ekins S, Fourches D, Isayev O, Kozakov D, Medina-Franco JL, Merz KM, Oprea TI, Poroikov V, Schneider G, Todd MH, Varnek A, Winkler DA, Zakharov AV, Cherkasov A, Tropsha A. A critical overview of computational approaches employed for COVID-19 drug discovery. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:9121-9151. [PMID: 34212944 PMCID: PMC8371861 DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01065k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has resulted in huge numbers of infections and deaths worldwide and brought the most severe disruptions to societies and economies since the Great Depression. Massive experimental and computational research effort to understand and characterize the disease and rapidly develop diagnostics, vaccines, and drugs has emerged in response to this devastating pandemic and more than 130 000 COVID-19-related research papers have been published in peer-reviewed journals or deposited in preprint servers. Much of the research effort has focused on the discovery of novel drug candidates or repurposing of existing drugs against COVID-19, and many such projects have been either exclusively computational or computer-aided experimental studies. Herein, we provide an expert overview of the key computational methods and their applications for the discovery of COVID-19 small-molecule therapeutics that have been reported in the research literature. We further outline that, after the first year the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that drug repurposing has not produced rapid and global solutions. However, several known drugs have been used in the clinic to cure COVID-19 patients, and a few repurposed drugs continue to be considered in clinical trials, along with several novel clinical candidates. We posit that truly impactful computational tools must deliver actionable, experimentally testable hypotheses enabling the discovery of novel drugs and drug combinations, and that open science and rapid sharing of research results are critical to accelerate the development of novel, much needed therapeutics for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene N. Muratov
- UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North CarolinaChapel HillNCUSA
| | - Rommie Amaro
- University of California in San DiegoSan DiegoCAUSA
| | | | | | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations PharmaceuticalsRaleighNCUSA
| | - Denis Fourches
- Department of Chemistry, North Carolina State UniversityRaleighNCUSA
| | - Olexandr Isayev
- Department of Chemistry, Carnegie Melon UniversityPittsburghPAUSA
| | - Dima Kozakov
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook UniversityStony BrookNYUSA
| | | | - Kenneth M. Merz
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingMIUSA
| | - Tudor I. Oprea
- Department of Internal Medicine and UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of New Mexico, AlbuquerqueNMUSA
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Gothenburg UniversitySweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research, University of CopenhagenDenmark
| | | | - Gisbert Schneider
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of TechnologyZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Alexandre Varnek
- Department of Chemistry, University of StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
- Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido UniversitySapporoJapan
| | - David A. Winkler
- Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash UniversityMelbourneVICAustralia
- School of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe UniversityBundooraAustralia
- School of Pharmacy, University of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | | | - Artem Cherkasov
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, University of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Alexander Tropsha
- UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North CarolinaChapel HillNCUSA
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Rooney L, Jones C. Recent Advances in ALK2 Inhibitors. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:20729-20734. [PMID: 34423181 PMCID: PMC8374899 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c02983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Activin receptor-like kinase-2 (ALK2) is a type I bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor which has a role in biological processes that control the development of bone, heart, brain, and other tissue. Gain of function mutations in ALK2 have been identified in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) and the childhood brain tumor, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), which has given focus to the development of ALK2 inhibitors as targeted treatments. This review covers the structural features of ALK2 inhibitors which contribute to their ALK2 potency and selectivity, and the pharmacokinetic or in vivo efficacy data available to demonstrate their suitability for treating a peripheral or CNS disease.
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13
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Murrell E, Tong J, Smil D, Kiyota T, Aman AM, Isaac MB, Watson IDG, Vasdev N. Leveraging Open Science Drug Development for PET: Preliminary Neuroimaging of 11C-Labeled ALK2 Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:846-850. [PMID: 34055235 PMCID: PMC8155239 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
![]()
Mutations
in the gene encoding activin receptor-like kinase 2 (ALK2)
are implicated in the pathophysiology of a pediatric brainstem cancer,
diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). Inhibitors of ALK2 that cross
the blood–brain barrier have been proposed as a method of treatment
for DIPG. As part of an open science approach to radiopharmaceutical
and drug discovery, we developed 11C-labeled radiotracers
from potent and selective lead ALK2 inhibitors to investigate their
brain permeability through positron emission tomography (PET) neuroimaging.
Four radiotracers were synthesized by 11C-methylation and
assessed by dynamic PET imaging in healthy Sprague–Dawley rats.
One of the compounds, [11C]M4K2127, showed high initial brain uptake (SUV ∼
2), including in the region of interest (pons). This data supports
the use of this chemotype as a brain penetrant ALK2 inhibitor that
permeates evenly into the pons with potential application for the
treatment of DIPG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Murrell
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 250 College St., M5T 1R8, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Junchao Tong
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 250 College St., M5T 1R8, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - David Smil
- Drug Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, M5G 0A3, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Taira Kiyota
- Drug Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, M5G 0A3, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Ahmed M. Aman
- Drug Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, M5G 0A3, Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College St., M5S 3M2, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Methvin B. Isaac
- Drug Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, M5G 0A3, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Iain D. G. Watson
- Drug Discovery Program, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, 661 University Avenue, M5G 0A3, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Neil Vasdev
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 250 College St., M5T 1R8, Toronto, Ontario Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College St., M5T 1R8, Toronto, Ontario Canada
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