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Zhao J, Li X, Ma T, Chang B, Zhang B, Fang J. Glutathione-triggered prodrugs: Design strategies, potential applications, and perspectives. Med Res Rev 2024; 44:1013-1054. [PMID: 38140851 DOI: 10.1002/med.22007] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The burgeoning prodrug strategy offers a promising avenue toward improving the efficacy and specificity of cytotoxic drugs. Elevated intracellular levels of glutathione (GSH) have been regarded as a hallmark of tumor cells and characteristic feature of the tumor microenvironment. Considering the pivotal involvement of elevated GSH in the tumorigenic process, a diverse repertoire of GSH-triggered prodrugs has been developed for cancer therapy, facilitating the attenuation of deleterious side effects associated with conventional chemotherapeutic agents and/or the attainment of more efficacious therapeutic outcomes. These prodrug formulations encompass a spectrum of architectures, spanning from small molecules to polymer-based and organic-inorganic nanomaterial constructs. Although the GSH-triggered prodrugs have been gaining increasing interests, a comprehensive review of the advancements made in the field is still lacking. To fill the existing lacuna, this review undertakes a retrospective analysis of noteworthy research endeavors, based on a categorization of these molecules by their diverse recognition units (i.e., disulfides, diselenides, Michael acceptors, and sulfonamides/sulfonates). This review also focuses on explaining the distinct benefits of employing various chemical architecture strategies in the design of these prodrug agents. Furthermore, we highlight the potential for synergistic functionality by incorporating multiple-targeting conjugates, theranostic entities, and combinational treatment modalities, all of which rely on the GSH-triggering. Overall, an extensive overview of the emerging field is presented in this review, highlighting the obstacles and opportunities that lie ahead. Our overarching goal is to furnish methodological guidance for the development of more efficacious GSH-triggered prodrugs in the future. By assessing the pros and cons of current GSH-triggered prodrugs, we expect that this review will be a handful reference for prodrug design, and would provide a guidance for improving the properties of prodrugs and discovering novel trigger scaffolds for constructing GSH-triggered prodrugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jintao Zhao
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Xinming Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Bingbing Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Baoxin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Jianguo Fang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
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2
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Morese PA, Anthony N, Bodnarchuk M, Jennings C, Martin MP, Noble RA, Phillips N, Thomas HD, Wang LZ, Lister A, Noble MEM, Ward RA, Wedge SR, Stewart HL, Waring MJ. Targeting Cytotoxic Agents through EGFR-Mediated Covalent Binding and Release. J Med Chem 2023; 66:12324-12341. [PMID: 37647129 PMCID: PMC10510387 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00845] [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: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
A major drawback of cytotoxic chemotherapy is the lack of selectivity toward noncancerous cells. The targeted delivery of cytotoxic drugs to tumor cells is a longstanding goal in cancer research. We proposed that covalent inhibitors could be adapted to deliver cytotoxic agents, conjugated to the β-position of the Michael acceptor, via an addition-elimination mechanism promoted by covalent binding. Studies on model systems showed that conjugated 5-fluorouracil (5FU) could be released upon thiol addition in relevant time scales. A series of covalent epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors were synthesized as their 5FU derivatives. Achieving the desired release of 5FU was demonstrated to depend on the electronics and geometry of the compounds. Mass spectrometry and NMR studies demonstrated an anilinoquinazoline acrylate ester conjugate bound to EGFR with the release of 5FU. This work establishes that acrylates can be used to release conjugated molecules upon covalent binding to proteins and could be used to develop targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale A Morese
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Chemistry, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Bedson Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Nahoum Anthony
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | | | - Claire Jennings
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Mathew P Martin
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Richard A Noble
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Nicole Phillips
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Huw D Thomas
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | | | - Andrew Lister
- Oncology iMed, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, U.K
| | - Martin E M Noble
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | | | - Stephen R Wedge
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Paul O'Gorman Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
| | - Hannah L Stewart
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Chemistry, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Bedson Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
| | - Michael J Waring
- Cancer Research Horizons Therapeutic Innovation, Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Chemistry, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Bedson Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
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Jiang S, Huang H. Mechanism-Guided Design of Chain-Growth Click Polymerization Based on a Thiol-Michael Reaction. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202217895. [PMID: 36734515 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202217895] [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: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The development of chain-growth click polymerization is challenging yet desirable in modern polymer chemistry. In this work, we reported a novel chain-growth click polymerization based on the thiol-Michael reaction. This polymerization could be performed efficiently under ambient conditions and spatiotemporally regulated by ultraviolet light, allowing the synthesis of sulfur-containing polymers in excellent yields and high molecular weights. Density functional theory calculations indicated that the thiolate addition to the Michael acceptor is the rate-determining step, and introducing the phenyl group could facilitate the chain-growth process. This polymerization is a new type of chain-growth click polymerization, which will provide a unique approach to creating functional polymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suqiu Jiang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Hanchu Huang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
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Chang B, Xu Q, Guo H, Zhong M, Shen R, Zhao L, Zhao J, Ma T, Chu Y, Zhang J, Fang J. Puromycin Prodrug Activation by Thioredoxin Reductase Overcomes Its Promiscuous Cytotoxicity. J Med Chem 2023; 66:3250-3261. [PMID: 36855911 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Overexpression of the selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) has been documented in malignant tissues and is of pathological significance for many types of tumors. The antibiotic puromycin (Puro) is a protein synthesis inhibitor causing premature polypeptide chain termination during translation. The well-defined action mechanism of Puro makes it a useful tool in biomedical studies. However, the nonselective cytotoxicity of Puro limits its therapeutic applications. We report herein the construction and evaluation of two Puro prodrugs, that is, S1-Puro with a five-membered cyclic disulfide trigger and S2-Puro with a linear disulfide trigger. S1-Puro is selectively activated by TrxR and shows the TrxR-dependent cytotoxicity to cancer cells, while S2-Puro is readily activated by thiols. Furthermore, S1-Puro displays higher stability in plasma than S2-Puro. We expect that this prodrug strategy may promote the further development of Puro as a therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingbing Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Qianhe Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Hairui Guo
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College, Weihui, Henan 453100, China
| | - Miao Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Ruipeng Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Lanning Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Jintao Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Tao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yajun Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Junmin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Jianguo Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.,School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China
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He YL, Zhong M, Song ZL, Shen YK, Zhao L, Fang J. Synthesis and discovery of Baylis-Hillman adducts as potent and selective thioredoxin reductase inhibitors for cancer treatment. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 79:117169. [PMID: 36657375 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117169] [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: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is of paramount importance in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis, and aberrant upregulation of TrxR is frequently observed in various cancers due to their elevated oxidative stress in cells. Thus, it seems promising and feasible to target the ablation of intracellular TrxR for the treatment of cancers. We report herein the design and synthesis of a series of Baylis-Hillman adducts, and identified a typical adduct that possesses the superior cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells over other types of cancer cells. The biological investigation shows the selected typical adduct selectively targets TrxR in HepG2 cells, which thereafter results in the collapse of intracellular redox homeostasis. Further mechanistic studies reveal that the selected typical adduct arrests the cell cycle in G1/G0 phase. Importantly, the malignant metastasis of HepG2 cells is significantly restrained by the selected typical adduct. With well-defined molecular target and mechanism of action, the selected typical adduct, even other Baylis-Hillman skeleton-bearing compounds, merits further development as candidate or ancillary agent for the treatment of various cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Lin He
- Natural Medicine Research & Development Center, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China; State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Miao Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Zi-Long Song
- Natural Medicine Research & Development Center, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730070, China; State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yu-Kai Shen
- Lizhi College, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No. 28, Xianning West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710049, China
| | - Lanning Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310024, China.
| | - Jianguo Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
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Zhao J, Ma T, Chang B, Fang J. Recent Progress on NIR Fluorescent Probes for Enzymes. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27185922. [PMID: 36144654 PMCID: PMC9503431 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27185922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of diseases’ biomarkers are enzymes, and the regulation of enzymes is fundamental but crucial. Biological system disorders and diseases can result from abnormal enzymatic activity. Given the biological significance of enzymes, researchers have devised a plethora of tools to map the activity of particular enzymes in order to gain insight regarding their function and distribution. Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging studies on enzymes may help to better understand their roles in living systems due to their natural imaging advantages. We review the NIR fluorescent probe design strategies that have been attempted by researchers to develop NIR fluorescent sensors of enzymes, and these works have provided deep and intuitive insights into the study of enzymes in biological systems. The recent enzyme-activated NIR fluorescent probes and their applications in imaging are summarized, and the prospects and challenges of developing enzyme-activated NIR fluorescent probes are discussed.
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