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Harris LD, Aponte RAL, Jiao W, Cameron SA, Weymouth-Wilson A, Furneaux RH, Compton BJ, Luxenburger A. An efficient regioconvergent synthesis of 3-aza-obeticholic acid. Steroids 2024; 212:109517. [PMID: 39322098 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2024.109517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2024] [Revised: 09/18/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Bile acids (BAs) are steroidal molecules that play important roles in nutrient absorption, distribution, and excretion. They also act on specific receptors implicated in various metabolic and inflammatory diseases demonstrating their importance as potential drug candidates. Accordingly, there has been a concerted effort to develop new BA derivatives to probe structure-activity relationships with the goal of discovering BA analogues with enhanced pharmacological properties. Among the many steroidal derivatisations reported, the formation of endocyclic azasteroids appeals due to their potential to deliver altered biological responses with minimal change to the steroidal superstructure. Here, we report the synthesis of 3-aza-obeticholic acid (6) via a regioconvergent route. Ammoniolysis of lactones, formed from an m-CPBA-mediated Baeyer-Villiger reaction on a 3-keto-OCA derivative, furnished protected intermediate amido-alcohols which were separately elaborated to amino-alcohols via Hofmann degradation with BAIB. Upon individual N-Boc-protection, these underwent annulation to the 3-aza-A-ring when subjected to either mesylation or a Dess-Martin oxidation/hydrogenation sequence. Global deprotection of the 3-aza-intermediate delivered 3-aza-OCA in ten steps and an overall yield of up to 19%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence D Harris
- Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, 69 Gracefield Rd, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| | - Roselis A Landaeta Aponte
- Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, 69 Gracefield Rd, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| | - Wanting Jiao
- Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, 69 Gracefield Rd, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| | - Scott A Cameron
- Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, 69 Gracefield Rd, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| | | | - Richard H Furneaux
- Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, 69 Gracefield Rd, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| | - Benjamin J Compton
- Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, 69 Gracefield Rd, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| | - Andreas Luxenburger
- Ferrier Research Institute, Victoria University of Wellington, 69 Gracefield Rd, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand.
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Stylianaki EA, Mouchlis VD, Magkrioti C, Papavasileiou KD, Afantitis A, Matralis AN, Aidinis V. Identification of two novel chemical classes of Autotaxin (ATX) inhibitors using Enalos Asclepios KNIME nodes. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 103:129690. [PMID: 38447786 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129690] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Autotaxin is a secreted lysophospholipase D which is a member of the ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase family converting extracellular lysophosphatidylcholine and other non-choline lysophospholipids, such as lysophosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidylserine, to the lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid. Autotaxin is implicated in various fibroproliferative diseases including interstitial lung diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and hepatic fibrosis, as well as in cancer. In this study, we present an effort of identifying ATX inhibitors that bind to allosteric ATX binding sites using the Enalos Asclepios KNIME Node. All the available PDB crystal structures of ATX were collected, prepared, and aligned. Visual examination of these structures led to the identification of four crystal structures of human ATX co-crystallized with four known inhibitors. These inhibitors bind to five binding sites with five different binding modes. These five binding sites were thereafter used to virtually screen a compound library of 14,000 compounds to identify molecules that bind to allosteric sites. Based on the binding mode and interactions, the docking score, and the frequency that a compound comes up as a top-ranked among the five binding sites, 24 compounds were selected for in vitro testing. Finally, two compounds emerged with inhibitory activity against ATX in the low micromolar range, while their mode of inhibition and binding pattern were also studied. The two derivatives identified herein can serve as "hits" towards developing novel classes of ATX allosteric inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Varnavas D Mouchlis
- Department of ChemoInformatics, Novamechanics Ltd., Nicosia 1070, Cyprus; Department of Chemoinformatics, Novamechanics MIKE, Piraeus 18545, Greece; Division of Data Driven Innovation, Entelos Institute, Larnaca 6059, Cyprus
| | | | | | - Antreas Afantitis
- Department of ChemoInformatics, Novamechanics Ltd., Nicosia 1070, Cyprus; Department of Chemoinformatics, Novamechanics MIKE, Piraeus 18545, Greece; Division of Data Driven Innovation, Entelos Institute, Larnaca 6059, Cyprus.
| | - Alexios N Matralis
- Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672 Vari, Greece.
| | - Vassilis Aidinis
- Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming", 16672 Vari, Greece.
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Simonetti J, Ficili M, Sgalla G, Richeldi L. Experimental autotaxin inhibitors for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2024; 33:133-143. [PMID: 38299617 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2024.2305126] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, irreversible, and fatal lung disease with unmet medical needs. Autotaxin (ATX) is an extracellular enzyme involved in the generation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). Preclinical and clinical data have suggested the ATX-LPAR signaling axis plays an important role in the pathogenesis and the progression of IPF. AREAS COVERED The aim of this review is to provide an update on the available evidence on autotaxin inhibitors in IPF and further details on the ongoing clinical studies involving these molecules. EXPERT OPINION The development of autotaxin inhibitors as a potential therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has gained attention due to evidence of their involvement in the disease. Preclinical and early-phase clinical studies have explored these inhibitors' efficacy and safety, offering a novel approach in treating this disease. Combining autotaxin inhibitors with existing anti-fibrotic agents is considered for enhanced therapeutic effects. Large phase III trials assessed Ziritaxestat but yielded disappointing results, highlighting the importance of long-term observation and clinical outcomes in clinical research. Patient stratification and personalized medicine are crucial, as pulmonary fibrosis is a heterogeneous disease. Ongoing research and collaboration are essential for this advancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Simonetti
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Ficili
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Sgalla
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Richeldi
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Unita Operativa Complessa di Pneumologia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Organi di Senso e Torace, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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Benesch MG, Tang X, Brindley DN, Takabe K. Autotaxin and Lysophosphatidate Signaling: Prime Targets for Mitigating Therapy Resistance in Breast Cancer. World J Oncol 2024; 15:1-13. [PMID: 38274724 PMCID: PMC10807915 DOI: 10.14740/wjon1762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Overcoming and preventing cancer therapy resistance is the most pressing challenge in modern breast cancer management. Consequently, most modern breast cancer research is aimed at understanding and blocking these therapy resistance mechanisms. One increasingly promising therapeutic target is the autotaxin (ATX)-lysophosphatidate (LPA)-lipid phosphate phosphatase (LPP) axis. Extracellular LPA, produced from albumin-bound lysophosphatidylcholine by ATX and degraded by the ecto-activity of the LPPs, is a potent cell-signaling mediator of tumor growth, invasion, angiogenesis, immune evasion, and resistance to cancer treatment modalities. LPA signaling in the post-natal organism has central roles in physiological wound healing, but these mechanisms are subverted to fuel pathogenesis in diseases that arise from chronic inflammatory processes, including cancer. Over the last 10 years, our understanding of the role of LPA signaling in the breast tumor microenvironment has begun to mature. Tumor-promoting inflammation in breast cancer leads to increased ATX production within the tumor microenvironment. This results in increased local concentrations of LPA that are maintained in part by decreased overall cancer cell LPP expression that would otherwise more rapidly break it down. LPA signaling through six G-protein-coupled LPA receptors expressed by cancer cells can then activate virtually every known tumorigenic pathway. Consequently, to target therapy resistance and tumor growth mediated by LPA signaling, multiple inhibitors against the LPA signaling axis are entering clinical trials. In this review, we summarize recent developments in LPA breast cancer biology, and illustrate how these novel therapeutics against the LPA signaling pathway may be excellent adjuncts to extend the efficacy of evolving breast cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G.K. Benesch
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
| | - Xiaoyun Tang
- Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta, Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - David N. Brindley
- Cancer Research Institute of Northern Alberta, Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Kazuaki Takabe
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
- Department of Breast Surgery and Oncology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan
- Division of Digestive and General Surgery, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8520, Japan
- Department of Breast Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
- Department of Surgery, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA
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Akhilesh, Menon A, Agrawal S, Chouhan D, Gadepalli A, Das B, Kumar R, Singh N, Tiwari V. Virtual screening and molecular dynamics investigations using natural compounds against autotaxin for the treatment of chronic pain. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-21. [PMID: 38285669 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2308761] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Chronic pain is a common and debilitating condition with a huge social and economic burden worldwide. Currently, available drugs in clinics are not adequately effective and possess a variety of severe side effects leading to treatment withdrawal and poor quality of life. Recent findings highlight the potential role of autotaxin (ATX) as a promising novel target for chronic pain management, extending beyond its previously established involvement in arthritis and other neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we used a virtual screening strategy by targeting ATX against commercially available natural compounds (enamine- phenotypic screening library) to identify the potential inhibitors for the treatment of chronic pain. After initial identification using molecular docking based virtual screening, molecular mechanics (MM/GBSA), ADMET profiling and molecular dynamics simulation were performed to verify top hits. The computational screening resulted in the identification of fifteen top scoring structurally diverse hits that have free energy of binding (ΔG) values in the range of -25.792 (for compound Enamine_1850) to -74.722 Kcal/mol (for compound Enamine_1687). Moreover, the top-scoring hits have favourable ADME properties as calculated using in-silico algorithms. Additionally, the molecular dynamics simulation revealed the stable nature of protein-ligand interaction and provided information about amino acid residues involved in binding. This study led to the identification of potential autotaxin inhibitors with favourable pharmacokinetic properties. Identified hits may further be investigated for their safety and efficacy potential using in-vitro and in-vivo models of chronic pain.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akhilesh
- Neuroscience & Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Arjun Menon
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advance Research, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Somesh Agrawal
- Neuroscience & Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Deepak Chouhan
- Neuroscience & Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Anagha Gadepalli
- Neuroscience & Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Bhanuranjan Das
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Rajnish Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Neeru Singh
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Institute of Advance Research, Gandhinagar, India
| | - Vinod Tiwari
- Neuroscience & Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
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Eymery MC, Nguyen KA, Basu S, Hausmann J, Tran-Nguyen VK, Seidel HP, Gutierrez L, Boumendjel A, McCarthy AA. Discovery of potent chromone-based autotaxin inhibitors inspired by cannabinoids. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 263:115944. [PMID: 37976710 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115944] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Autotaxin (ATX) is an enzyme primarily known for the production of lysophosphatidic acid. Being involved in the development of major human diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, the enzyme has been featured in multiple studies as a pharmacological target. We previously found that the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) could bind and act as an excellent inhibitor of ATX. This study aims to use the cannabinoid scaffold as a starting point to find cannabinoid-unrelated ATX inhibitors, following a funnel down approach in which large chemical libraries sharing chemical similarities with THC were screened to identify lead scaffold types for optimization. This approach allowed us to identify compounds bearing chromone and indole scaffolds as promising ATX inhibitors. Further optimization led to MEY-003, which is characterized by the direct linkage of an N-pentyl indole to the 5,7-dihydroxychromone moiety. This molecule has potent inhibitory activity towards ATX-β and ATX-ɣ as evidenced by enzymatic studies and its mode of action was rationalized by structural biology studies using macromolecular X-ray crystallography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Christophe Eymery
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Grenoble, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000, Grenoble, France; Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1039, LRB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Kim-Anh Nguyen
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1039, LRB, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Shibom Basu
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Grenoble, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Jens Hausmann
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Grenoble, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Viet-Khoa Tran-Nguyen
- Unité de Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative (BFA), Université Paris Cité, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Hans Peter Seidel
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Grenoble, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Lola Gutierrez
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Grenoble, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Andrew Aloysius McCarthy
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Grenoble, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000, Grenoble, France
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Zhang C, Liu Y, Zhou Q, Fan H, Liu X, Hu J. Recent research advances in ATX inhibitors: An overview of primary literature. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 90:117374. [PMID: 37354726 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
The autoglobulin gene is the main enzyme for circulating LPA production and has lysophosphatidylcholine D activity, which catalyzes the production of lysophosphatidic acid and choline with lysophosphatidylcholine as substrate. A growing body of experimental evidence suggests that autoglobulin is involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. This review summarizes the different structural ATX inhibitors classified according to their binding mode to the ATX triple orientation site, and summarizes the conformational relationships and molecular docking of each type with ATX structure, hoping to contribute to the development of novel ATX inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhang
- Weifang Medical University, No. 7166 Baotong Road, Weifang 261053, PR China
| | - Yue Liu
- Weifang Medical University, No. 7166 Baotong Road, Weifang 261053, PR China
| | - Qinjiang Zhou
- Weifang Medical University, No. 7166 Baotong Road, Weifang 261053, PR China
| | - Hongze Fan
- Weifang Medical University, No. 7166 Baotong Road, Weifang 261053, PR China
| | - Xiaoxiao Liu
- Weifang Medical University, No. 7166 Baotong Road, Weifang 261053, PR China.
| | - Jinxing Hu
- Weifang Medical University, No. 7166 Baotong Road, Weifang 261053, PR China.
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Banerjee S, Lee S, Norman DD, Tigyi GJ. Designing Dual Inhibitors of Autotaxin-LPAR GPCR Axis. Molecules 2022; 27:5487. [PMID: 36080255 PMCID: PMC9458164 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27175487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ATX-LPA-LPAR1 signaling pathway plays a universal role in stimulating diverse cellular responses, including cell proliferation, migration, survival, and invasion in almost every cell type. The ATX-LPAR1 axis is linked to several metabolic and inflammatory diseases including cancer, fibrosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Numerous selective ATX or LPAR1 inhibitors have been developed and so far, their clinical efficacy has only been evaluated in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. None of the ATX and LPAR1 inhibitors have advanced to clinical trials for cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Nonetheless, several research groups, including ours, have shown considerable benefit of simultaneous ATX and LPAR1 inhibition through combination therapy. Recent research suggests that dual-targeting therapies are superior to combination therapies that use two selective inhibitors. However, limited reports are available on ATX-LPAR1 dual inhibitors, potentially due to co-expression of multiple different LPARs with close structural similarities at the same target. In this review, we discuss rational design and future directions of dual ATX-LPAR1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souvik Banerjee
- Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 E. Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA
- Molecular Biosciences Program, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 E. Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA
| | - Suechin Lee
- Department of Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, 3 N. Dunlap Street, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Derek D. Norman
- Department of Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, 3 N. Dunlap Street, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Gabor J. Tigyi
- Department of Physiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Memphis, 3 N. Dunlap Street, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
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