1
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Llowarch P, Usselmann L, Ivanov D, Holdgate GA. Thermal unfolding methods in drug discovery. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:021305. [PMID: 38510342 PMCID: PMC10903397 DOI: 10.1063/5.0144141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Thermal unfolding methods, applied in both isolated protein and cell-based settings, are increasingly used to identify and characterize hits during early drug discovery. Technical developments over recent years have facilitated their application in high-throughput approaches, and they now are used more frequently for primary screening. Widespread access to instrumentation and automation, the ability to miniaturize, as well as the capability and capacity to generate the appropriate scale and quality of protein and cell reagents have all played a part in these advances. As the nature of drug targets and approaches to their modulation have evolved, these methods have broadened our ability to provide useful chemical start points. Target proteins without catalytic function, or those that may be difficult to express and purify, are amenable to these methods. Here, we provide a review of the applications of thermal unfolding methods applied in hit finding during early drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Llowarch
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Usselmann
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Delyan Ivanov
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey A. Holdgate
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
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2
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Tu Y, Tan L, Tao H, Li Y, Liu H. CETSA and thermal proteome profiling strategies for target identification and drug discovery of natural products. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 116:154862. [PMID: 37216761 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Monitoring target engagement at various stages of drug development is essential for natural product (NP)-based drug discovery and development. The cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) developed in 2013 is a novel, broadly applicable, label-free biophysical assay based on the principle of ligand-induced thermal stabilization of target proteins, which enables direct assessment of drug-target engagement in physiologically relevant contexts, including intact cells, cell lysates and tissues. This review aims to provide an overview of the work principles of CETSA and its derivative strategies and their recent progress in protein target validation, target identification and drug lead discovery of NPs. METHODS A literature-based survey was conducted using the Web of Science and PubMed databases. The required information was reviewed and discussed to highlight the important role of CETSA-derived strategies in NP studies. RESULTS After nearly ten years of upgrading and evolution, CETSA has been mainly developed into three formats: classic Western blotting (WB)-CETSA for target validation, thermal proteome profiling (TPP, also known as MS-CETSA) for unbiased proteome-wide target identification, and high-throughput (HT)-CETSA for drug hit discovery and lead optimization. Importantly, the application possibilities of a variety of TPP approaches for the target discovery of bioactive NPs are highlighted and discussed, including TPP-temperature range (TPP-TR), TPP-compound concentration range (TPP-CCR), two-dimensional TPP (2D-TPP), cell surface-TPP (CS-TPP), simplified TPP (STPP), thermal stability shift-based fluorescence difference in 2D gel electrophoresis (TS-FITGE) and precipitate supported TPP (PSTPP). In addition, the key advantages, limitations and future outlook of CETSA strategies for NP studies are discussed. CONCLUSION The accumulation of CETSA-based data can significantly accelerate the elucidation of the mechanism of action and drug lead discovery of NPs, and provide strong evidence for NP treatment against certain diseases. The CETSA strategy will certainly bring a great return far beyond the initial investment and open up more possibilities for future NP-based drug research and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanbei Tu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China
| | - Lihua Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR 999078, China
| | - Hongxun Tao
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China
| | - Yanfang Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China.
| | - Hanqing Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China.
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3
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Al-Amin RA, Johansson L, Abdurakhmanov E, Landegren N, Löf L, Arngården L, Blokzijl A, Svensson R, Hammond M, Lönn P, Haybaeck J, Kamali-Moghaddam M, Jensen A, Danielson U, Artursson P, Lundbäck T, Landegren U. Monitoring drug-target interactions through target engagement-mediated amplification on arrays and in situ. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:e129. [PMID: 36189884 PMCID: PMC9825164 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Drugs are designed to bind their target proteins in physiologically relevant tissues and organs to modulate biological functions and elicit desirable clinical outcomes. Information about target engagement at cellular and subcellular resolution is therefore critical for guiding compound optimization in drug discovery, and for probing resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies in clinical samples. We describe a target engagement-mediated amplification (TEMA) technology, where oligonucleotide-conjugated drugs are used to visualize and measure target engagement in situ, amplified via rolling-circle replication of circularized oligonucleotide probes. We illustrate the TEMA technique using dasatinib and gefitinib, two kinase inhibitors with distinct selectivity profiles. In vitro binding by the dasatinib probe to arrays of displayed proteins accurately reproduced known selectivity profiles, while their differential binding to fixed adherent cells agreed with expectations from expression profiles of the cells. We also introduce a proximity ligation variant of TEMA to selectively investigate binding to specific target proteins of interest. This form of the assay serves to improve resolution of binding to on- and off-target proteins. In conclusion, TEMA has the potential to aid in drug development and clinical routine by conferring valuable insights in drug-target interactions at spatial resolution in protein arrays, cells and in tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasel A Al-Amin
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +46 70 0535324;
| | - Lars Johansson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Eldar Abdurakhmanov
- Department of Chemistry-BMC, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nils Landegren
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine (Solna), Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Liza Löf
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Linda Arngården
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andries Blokzijl
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Richard Svensson
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University Drug Optimization and Pharmaceutical Profiling (UDOPP), Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Hammond
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Peter Lönn
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johannes Haybaeck
- Institute of Pathology, Neuropathology and Molecular Pathology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Masood Kamali-Moghaddam
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Annika Jenmalm Jensen
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - U Helena Danielson
- Department of Chemistry-BMC, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Per Artursson
- Department of Pharmacy, Uppsala University Drug Optimization and Pharmaceutical Profiling (UDOPP), Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Thomas Lundbäck
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden (CBCS), Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Ulf Landegren
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Ulf Landegren. Tel: +46 18 4714910; Fax: +46 18 4714808;
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4
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Abstract
Knowing that the drug candidate binds to its intended target is a vital part of drug discovery. Thus, several labeled and label-free methods have been developed to study target engagement. In recent years, the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) with its variations has been widely adapted to drug discovery workflows. Western blot–based CETSA is used primarily to validate the target binding of a molecule to its target protein whereas CETSA based on bead chemistry detection methods (CETSA HT) has been used to screen molecular libraries to find novel molecules binding to a pre-determined target. Mass spectrometry–based CETSA also known as thermal proteome profiling (TPP) has emerged as a powerful tool for target deconvolution and finding novel binding partners for old and novel molecules. With this technology, it is possible to probe thermal shifts among over 7,000 proteins from one sample and to identify the wanted target binding but also binding to unwanted off-targets known to cause adverse effects. In addition, this proteome-wide method can provide information on the biological process initiated by the ligand binding. The continued development of mass spectrometry labeling reagents, such as isobaric tandem mass tag technology (TMT) continues to increase the throughput of CETSA MS, allowing its use for structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies with a limited number of molecules. In this review, we discussed the differences between different label-free methods to study target engagement, but our focus was on CETSA and recent advances in the CETSA method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomas Aleksi Tolvanen
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Pelago Bioscience AB, Solna, Sweden
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5
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Sandström N, Brandt L, Sandoz PA, Zambarda C, Guldevall K, Schulz-Ruhtenberg M, Rösener B, Krüger RA, Önfelt B. Live single cell imaging assays in glass microwells produced by laser-induced deep etching. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:2107-2121. [PMID: 35470832 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00090c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Miniaturization of cell culture substrates enables controlled analysis of living cells in confined micro-scale environments. This is particularly suitable for imaging individual cells over time, as they can be monitored without escaping the imaging field-of-view (FoV). Glass materials are ideal for most microscopy applications. However, with current methods used in life sciences, glass microfabrication is limited in terms of either freedom of design, quality, or throughput. In this work, we introduce laser-induced deep etching (LIDE) as a method for producing glass microwell arrays for live single cell imaging assays. We demonstrate novel microwell arrays with deep, high-aspect ratio wells that have rounded, dimpled or flat bottom profiles in either single-layer or double-layer glass chips. The microwells are evaluated for microscopy-based analysis of long-term cell culture, clonal expansion, laterally organized cell seeding, subcellular mechanics during migration and immune cell cytotoxicity assays of both adherent and suspension cells. It is shown that all types of microwells can support viable cell cultures and imaging with single cell resolution, and we highlight specific benefits of each microwell design for different applications. We believe that high-quality glass microwell arrays enabled by LIDE provide a great option for high-content and high-resolution imaging-based live cell assays with a broad range of potential applications within life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Sandström
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Ludwig Brandt
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Patrick A Sandoz
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Chiara Zambarda
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Karolin Guldevall
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | | | | | - Björn Önfelt
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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6
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Owens AE, Iannotti MJ, Sanchez TW, Voss T, Kapoor A, Hall MD, Marugan JJ, Michael S, Southall N, Henderson MJ. High-Throughput Cellular Thermal Shift Assay Using Acoustic Transfer of Protein Lysates. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:322-330. [PMID: 35119255 PMCID: PMC10026039 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) is a valuable method to confirm target engagement within a complex cellular environment, by detecting changes in a protein's thermal stability upon ligand binding. The classical CETSA method measures changes in the thermal stability of endogenous proteins using immunoblotting, which is low-throughput and laborious. Reverse-phase protein arrays (RPPAs) have been demonstrated as a detection modality for CETSA; however, the reported procedure requires manual processing steps that limit throughput and preclude screening applications. We developed a high-throughput CETSA using an acoustic RPPA (HT-CETSA-aRPPA) protocol that is compatible with 96- and 384-well microplates from start-to-finish, using low speed centrifugation to remove thermally destabilized proteins. The utility of HT-CETSA-aRPPA for guiding structure-activity relationship studies was demonstrated for inhibitors of lactate dehydrogenase A. Additionally, a collection of kinase inhibitors was screened to identify compounds that engage MEK1, a clinically relevant kinase target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley E. Owens
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
| | - Michael J. Iannotti
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
| | - Tino W. Sanchez
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
| | - Ty Voss
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
| | - Abhijeet Kapoor
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
| | - Matthew D. Hall
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
| | - Juan J. Marugan
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
| | - Sam Michael
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
| | - Noel Southall
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
| | - Mark J. Henderson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
- Corresponding Author: Mark Henderson;
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7
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Osman S, Bendtsen C, Peel S, Yrlid L, Muthas D, Simpson J, Willison KR, Klug DR. Evaluation of FOXO1 Target Engagement Using a Single-Cell Microfluidic Platform. Anal Chem 2021; 93:14659-14666. [PMID: 34694778 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) has been used extensively since its introduction to study drug-target engagement within both live cells and cellular lysate. This has proven to be a useful tool in early stage drug discovery and is used to study a wide range of protein classes. We describe the application of a single-cell CETSA workflow within a microfluidic affinity capture (MAC) chip. This has enabled us to quantitatively determine the active FOXO1 single-molecule count and observe FOXO1 stabilization and destabilization in the presence of three small molecule inhibitors, including demonstrating the determination of EC50. The successful use of the MAC chip for single-cell CETSA paves the way for the study of precious clinical samples owing to the low number of cells needed by the chip. It also provides a useful tool for studying any underlying population heterogeneity that exists within a cellular system, a feature that is usually masked when conducting ensemble measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhuur Osman
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, 80 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, United Kingdom
| | - Claus Bendtsen
- Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 310 Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WG, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha Peel
- Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 310 Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WG, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Yrlid
- Early Respiratory & Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, 43150 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniel Muthas
- Early Respiratory & Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Pepparedsleden 1, 43150 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - John Simpson
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, 80 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, United Kingdom
| | - Keith R Willison
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, 80 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, United Kingdom
| | - David R Klug
- Department of Chemistry, Molecular Sciences Research Hub, Imperial College London, 80 Wood Lane, London, W12 0BZ, United Kingdom
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8
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Mortison JD, Cornella-Taracido I, Venkatchalam G, Partridge AW, Siriwardana N, Bushell SM. Rapid Evaluation of Small Molecule Cellular Target Engagement with a Luminescent Thermal Shift Assay. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:1288-1294. [PMID: 34413958 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Determination of target engagement for candidate drug molecules in the native cellular environment is a significant challenge for drug discovery programs. The cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) has emerged as a powerful tool for determining compound target engagement through measurement of changes to a protein's thermal stability upon ligand binding. Here, we present a HiBiT thermal shift assay (BiTSA) that deploys a quantitative peptide tag for determination of compound target engagement in the native cellular environment using a high throughput, plate-based luminescence readout. We demonstrate that BiTSA can rapidly assess cellular target engagement of small molecule ligands against their cognate targets and highlight two applications of BiTSA for differentiating small molecules targeting mutant KRAS and TP53.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Simon M. Bushell
- Chemical Biology, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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9
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Al-Amin RA, Gallant CJ, Muthelo PM, Landegren U. Sensitive Measurement of Drug-Target Engagement by a Cellular Thermal Shift Assay with Multiplex Proximity Extension Readout. Anal Chem 2021; 93:10999-11009. [PMID: 34319715 PMCID: PMC8358919 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The ability to monitor
target engagement in cellular contexts is
a key for successful drug discovery and also valuable in clinical
routine. A cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) provides realistic
information about drug binding in cells and tissues, revealing drug-target
engagement in clinically relevant samples. The CETSA combined with
mass spectrometry (MS) detection can be applied in the early hit identification
phase to generate target engagement data for large sets of proteins.
However, the analysis is slow, requires substantial amounts of the
sample material, and often misses proteins of specific interest. Here,
we combined the CETSA and the multiplex proximity extension assay
(PEA) for analysis of target engagement of a set of 67 proteins from
small amounts of the sample material treated with kinase inhibitors.
The results were concordant with the corresponding analyses read out
via MS. Our approach allows analyses of large numbers of specific
target proteins at high sensitivity in limited sample aliquots. Highly
sensitive multiplex CETSA-PEA assays are therefore promising for monitoring
drug-target engagement in small sample aliquots in the course of drug
development and potentially in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasel A Al-Amin
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-751 08, Sweden
| | - Caroline J Gallant
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-751 08, Sweden
| | - Phathutshedzo M Muthelo
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-751 08, Sweden
| | - Ulf Landegren
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala SE-751 08, Sweden
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10
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Ofori S, Gukathasan S, Awuah SG. Gold-Based Pharmacophore Inhibits Intracellular MYC Protein. Chemistry 2021; 27:4168-4175. [PMID: 33275307 PMCID: PMC8605874 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202004962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Direct targeting of intrinsically disordered proteins, including MYC, by small molecules for biomedical applications would resolve a longstanding issue in chemical biology and medicine. Thus, we developed gold-based small-molecule MYC reagents that engage MYC inside cells and modulate MYC transcriptional activity. Lead compounds comprise an affinity ligand and a gold(I) or gold(III) warhead capable of protein chemical modification. Cell-based MYC target engagement studies via CETSA and co-immunoprecipitation reveal specific interaction of compounds with MYC in cells. The lead gold(I) reagent, 1, demonstrates superior cell-killing potential (up to 35-fold) in a MYC-dependent manner when compared to 10058-F4 in cells including the TNBC, MDA-MB-231. Subsequently, 1 suppresses MYC transcription factor activity via functional colorimetric assays, and gene-profiling using whole-cell transcriptomics reveals significant modulation of MYC target genes by 1. These findings point to metal-mediated ligand affinity chemistry (MLAC) based on gold as a promising strategy to develop chemical probes and anticancer therapeutics targeting MYC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Ofori
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, 505 Rose Street, Lexington Kentucky, 40506
| | - Sailajah Gukathasan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, 505 Rose Street, Lexington Kentucky, 40506
| | - Samuel G. Awuah
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, 505 Rose Street, Lexington Kentucky, 40506
- Center for Pharmaceutical and Research Innovation, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington Kentucky, 40536
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11
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Dai L, Li Z, Chen D, Jia L, Guo J, Zhao T, Nordlund P. Target identification and validation of natural products with label-free methodology: A critical review from 2005 to 2020. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 216:107690. [PMID: 32980441 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Natural products (NPs) have been an important source of therapeutic drugs in clinic use and contributed many chemical probes for research. The usefulness of NPs is however often marred by the incomplete understanding of their direct cellular targets. A number of experimental methods for drug target identification have been developed over the years. One class of methods, termed "label-free" methodology, exploits the energetic and biophysical features accompanying the association of macromolecules with drugs and other compounds in their native forms. Herein we review the working principles, assay implementations, and key applications of the most important approaches, and also give examples where they have been applied to NPs. We also assess the key advantages and limitations of each method. Furthermore, we address when and how the label-free methodology can be particularly useful considering some of the unique features of NP chemistry and bioactivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Dai
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Urology Minimally Invasive Engineering Center, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China; Department of Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China; Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore.
| | - Zhijie Li
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Urology Minimally Invasive Engineering Center, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China; Department of Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Dan Chen
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Lin Jia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Jinan Guo
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen Urology Minimally Invasive Engineering Center, Shenzhen 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Tianyun Zhao
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore
| | - Pär Nordlund
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore 138673, Singapore; Department of Oncology and Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
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12
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Stefaniak J, Huber KVM. Importance of Quantifying Drug-Target Engagement in Cells. ACS Med Chem Lett 2020; 11:403-406. [PMID: 32292539 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Measuring and quantifying the binding of a drug to a protein target inside living cells and thereby correlating biochemical or biophysical activity with target engagement in cells or tissue represents a key step in target validation and drug development. A prototypic target engagement assay should allow for unbiased determination of small molecule-protein interactions in order to confirm cellular mechanism-of-action (MoA) while avoiding major artificial perturbations of cellular homeostasis and integrity. Recently, several new additions to the chemical biology toolbox have expanded our ability to study drug action in intact cells and enabled surveying of intracellular residence time and binding kinetics, which are particularly important for potent receptor ligands and therapeutic moieties with limited therapeutic index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Stefaniak
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, U.K
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, U.K
| | - Kilian V. M. Huber
- Structural Genomics Consortium, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, U.K
- Target Discovery Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
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Henderson MJ, Holbert MA, Simeonov A, Kallal LA. High-Throughput Cellular Thermal Shift Assays in Research and Drug Discovery. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2020; 25:137-147. [PMID: 31566060 PMCID: PMC10915787 DOI: 10.1177/2472555219877183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Thermal shift assays (TSAs) can reveal changes in protein structure, due to a resultant change in protein thermal stability. Since proteins are often stabilized upon binding of ligand molecules, these assays can provide a readout for protein target engagement. TSA has traditionally been applied using purified proteins and more recently has been extended to study target engagement in cellular environments with the emergence of cellular thermal shift assays (CETSAs). The utility of CETSA in confirming molecular interaction with targets in a more native context, and the desire to apply this technique more broadly, has fueled the emergence of higher-throughput techniques for CETSA (HT-CETSA). Recent studies have demonstrated that HT-CETSA can be performed in standard 96-, 384-, and 1536-well microtiter plate formats using methods such as beta-galactosidase and NanoLuciferase reporters and AlphaLISA assays. HT-CETSA methods can be used to select and characterize compounds from high-throughput screens and to prioritize compounds in lead optimization by facilitating dose-response experiments. In conjunction with cellular and biochemical activity assays for targets, HT-CETSA can be a valuable addition to the suite of assays available to characterize molecules of interest. Despite the successes in implementing HT-CETSA for a diverse set of targets, caveats and challenges must also be recognized to avoid overinterpretation of results. Here, we review the current landscape of HT-CETSA and discuss the methodologies, practical considerations, challenges, and applications of this approach in research and drug discovery. Additionally, a perspective on potential future directions for the technology is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Henderson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Marc A Holbert
- Protein, Cellular, & Structural Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lorena A Kallal
- Screening, Profiling, and Mechanistic Biology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA
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14
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Herledan A, Andres M, Lejeune-Dodge A, Leroux F, Biela A, Piveteau C, Warenghem S, Couturier C, Deprez B, Deprez-Poulain R. Drug Target Engagement Using Coupled Cellular Thermal Shift Assay-Acoustic Reverse-Phase Protein Array. SLAS DISCOVERY 2019; 25:207-214. [PMID: 31885312 DOI: 10.1177/2472555219897256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In the last 5 years, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), a technology based on ligand-induced changes in protein thermal stability, has been increasingly used in drug discovery to address the fundamental question of whether drug candidates engage their intended target in a biologically relevant setting. To analyze lysates from cells submitted to increasing temperature, the detection and quantification of the remaining soluble protein can be achieved using quantitative mass spectrometry, Western blotting, or AlphaScreen techniques. Still, these approaches can be time- and cell-consuming. To cope with limitations of throughput and protein amount requirements, we developed a new coupled assay combining the advantages of a nanoacoustic transfer system and reverse-phase protein array technology within CETSA experiments. We validated the technology to assess engagement of inhibitors of insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), an enzyme involved in diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. CETSA-acoustic reverse-phase protein array (CETSA-aRPPA) allows simultaneous analysis of many conditions and drug-target engagement with a small sample size, in a rapid, cost-effective, and biological material-saving manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Herledan
- University of Lille, Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1177-Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems, Lille, France
| | - Marine Andres
- University of Lille, Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1177-Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems, Lille, France.,European Genomic Institute for Diabetes, EGID, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | | | - Florence Leroux
- University of Lille, Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1177-Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems, Lille, France.,European Genomic Institute for Diabetes, EGID, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Alexandre Biela
- University of Lille, Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1177-Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems, Lille, France
| | - Catherine Piveteau
- University of Lille, Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1177-Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems, Lille, France
| | - Sandrine Warenghem
- University of Lille, Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1177-Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems, Lille, France
| | - Cyril Couturier
- University of Lille, Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1177-Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems, Lille, France
| | - Benoit Deprez
- University of Lille, Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1177-Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems, Lille, France.,European Genomic Institute for Diabetes, EGID, University of Lille, Lille, France
| | - Rebecca Deprez-Poulain
- University of Lille, Inserm, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1177-Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems, Lille, France.,European Genomic Institute for Diabetes, EGID, University of Lille, Lille, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
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15
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Langebäck A, Bacanu S, Laursen H, Mout L, Seki T, Erkens-Schulze S, Ramos AD, Berggren A, Cao Y, Hartman J, van Weerden W, Bergh J, Nordlund P, Lööf S. CETSA-based target engagement of taxanes as biomarkers for efficacy and resistance. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19384. [PMID: 31852908 PMCID: PMC6920357 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55526-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of taxanes has for decades been crucial for treatment of several cancers. A major limitation of these therapies is inherent or acquired drug resistance. A key to improved outcome of taxane-based therapies is to develop tools to predict and monitor drug efficacy and resistance in the clinical setting allowing for treatment and dose stratification for individual patients. To assess treatment efficacy up to the level of drug target engagement, we have established several formats of tubulin-specific Cellular Thermal Shift Assays (CETSAs). This technique was evaluated in breast and prostate cancer models and in a cohort of breast cancer patients. Here we show that taxanes induce significant CETSA shifts in cell lines as well as in animal models including patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. Furthermore, isothermal dose response CETSA measurements allowed for drugs to be rapidly ranked according to their reported potency. Using multidrug resistant cancer cell lines and taxane-resistant PDX models we demonstrate that CETSA can identify taxane resistance up to the level of target engagement. An imaging-based CETSA format was also established, which in principle allows for taxane target engagement to be accessed in specific cell types in complex cell mixtures. Using a highly sensitive implementation of CETSA, we measured target engagement in fine needle aspirates from breast cancer patients, revealing a range of different sensitivities. Together, our data support that CETSA is a robust tool for assessing taxane target engagement in preclinical models and clinical material and therefore should be evaluated as a prognostic tool during taxane-based therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anette Langebäck
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Solna, 171 64, Sweden
| | - Smaranda Bacanu
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Solna, 171 64, Sweden
| | - Henriette Laursen
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Solna, 171 64, Sweden
| | - Lisanne Mout
- Department of Urology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Takahiro Seki
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
| | | | - Anderson Daniel Ramos
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Solna, 171 64, Sweden
| | - Anna Berggren
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Solna, 171 64, Sweden
| | - Yihai Cao
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Johan Hartman
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Solna, 171 64, Sweden
| | - Wytske van Weerden
- Department of Urology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jonas Bergh
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Solna, 171 64, Sweden
| | - Pär Nordlund
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Solna, 171 64, Sweden. .,School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore. .,Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, 138673, Singapore.
| | - Sara Lööf
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, BioClinicum, Solna, 171 64, Sweden
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16
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Seashore-Ludlow B, Axelsson H, Lundbäck T. Perspective on CETSA Literature: Toward More Quantitative Data Interpretation. SLAS DISCOVERY 2019; 25:118-126. [PMID: 31665966 DOI: 10.1177/2472555219884524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) was introduced in 2013 to investigate drug-target engagement inside live cells and tissues. As with all thermal shift assays, the response measured by CETSA is not simply governed by ligand affinity to the investigated target protein, but the thermodynamics and kinetics of ligand binding and protein unfolding also contribute to the observed protein stabilization. This limitation is commonly neglected in current applications of the method to validate the target of small-molecule probes. Instead, there is an eagerness to make direct comparisons of CETSA measurements with functional and phenotypic readouts from cells at 37 °C. Here, we present a perspective of the early CETSA literature and put the accumulated data into a quantitative context. The analysis includes annotation of ~270 peer-reviewed papers, the majority of which do not consider the underlying biophysical basis of CETSA. We also detail what future technology developments are needed to enable CETSA-based optimization of structure-activity relationships and more appropriate comparisons of these data with functional or phenotypic responses. Finally, we describe ongoing developments in assay formats that allow for CETSA measurements at single-cell resolution, with the aspiration to allow differentiation in cellular target engagement between cells in co-cultures and more complex models, such as organoids and potentially even tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brinton Seashore-Ludlow
- Department of Oncology and Pathology, Science for Life Laboratories, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Hanna Axelsson
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratories, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Thomas Lundbäck
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratories, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden.,Mechanistic Biology & Profiling, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Mölndal, Sweden
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17
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Lundgren S. Focusing on Relevance: CETSA-Guided Medicinal Chemistry and Lead Generation. ACS Med Chem Lett 2019; 10:690-693. [PMID: 31097981 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Confirmation of target engagement in relevant physiological environment ensures successful drug discovery and the right project prioritization. The Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) offers a robust label-free method for studying protein-compound interactions in a cellular environment. This Viewpoint covers the broad applicability of CETSA in lead generation. The method can be used for deconvolution studies, target validation, screening of compound libraries, and hit confirmation. Moreover, the method is well suited for generation of relevant structure-activity relationship (SAR) data, enabling optimal compound design.
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18
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Shaw J, Dale I, Hemsley P, Leach L, Dekki N, Orme JP, Talbot V, Narvaez AJ, Bista M, Martinez Molina D, Dabrowski M, Main MJ, Gianni D. Positioning High-Throughput CETSA in Early Drug Discovery through Screening against B-Raf and PARP1. SLAS DISCOVERY 2018; 24:121-132. [PMID: 30543471 PMCID: PMC6484527 DOI: 10.1177/2472555218813332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Methods to measure cellular target engagement are increasingly being used in early drug discovery. The Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) is one such method. CETSA can investigate target engagement by measuring changes in protein thermal stability upon compound binding within the intracellular environment. It can be performed in high-throughput, microplate-based formats to enable broader application to early drug discovery campaigns, though high-throughput forms of CETSA have only been reported for a limited number of targets. CETSA offers the advantage of investigating the target of interest in its physiological environment and native state, but it is not clear yet how well this technology correlates to more established and conventional cellular and biochemical approaches widely used in drug discovery. We report two novel high-throughput CETSA (CETSA HT) assays for B-Raf and PARP1, demonstrating the application of this technology to additional targets. By performing comparative analyses with other assays, we show that CETSA HT correlates well with other screening technologies and can be applied throughout various stages of hit identification and lead optimization. Our results support the use of CETSA HT as a broadly applicable and valuable methodology to help drive drug discovery campaigns to molecules that engage the intended target in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Shaw
- 1 Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ian Dale
- 1 Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Paul Hemsley
- 1 Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lindsey Leach
- 2 Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, UK
| | | | - Jonathan P Orme
- 1 Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Verity Talbot
- 4 Mechanistic Biology & Profiling, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ana J Narvaez
- 4 Mechanistic Biology & Profiling, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michal Bista
- 5 Structure, Biophysics & Fragment Based Lead Generation, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Martin J Main
- 1 Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.,6 Medicines Discovery Catapult, Mereside, Alderley Park, UK
| | - Davide Gianni
- 1 Discovery Biology, Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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19
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Comess KM, McLoughlin SM, Oyer JA, Richardson PL, Stöckmann H, Vasudevan A, Warder SE. Emerging Approaches for the Identification of Protein Targets of Small Molecules - A Practitioners’ Perspective. J Med Chem 2018; 61:8504-8535. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth M. Comess
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Shaun M. McLoughlin
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Jon A. Oyer
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Paul L. Richardson
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Henning Stöckmann
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Anil Vasudevan
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Scott E. Warder
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
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