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Ahn MJ, Kim EH, Choi Y, Chae CH, Kim P, Kim SH. Novel hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 inhibitor KHK-6 enhances T-cell activation. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0305261. [PMID: 38923962 PMCID: PMC11207149 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305261] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Inhibiting the functional role of negative regulators in immune cells is an effective approach for developing immunotherapies. The serine/threonine kinase hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) involved in the T-cell receptor signaling pathway attenuates T-cell activation by inducing the degradation of SLP-76 through its phosphorylation at Ser-376, reducing the immune response. Interestingly, several studies have shown that the genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of HPK1 kinase activity improves the immune response to cancers by enhancing T-cell activation and cytokine production; therefore, HPK1 could be a promising druggable target for T-cell-based cancer immunotherapy. To increase the immune response against cancer cells, we designed and synthesized KHK-6 and evaluated its cellular activity to inhibit HPK1 and enhance T-cell activation. KHK-6 inhibited HPK1 kinase activity with an IC50 value of 20 nM and CD3/CD28-induced phosphorylation of SLP-76 at Ser-376 Moreover, KHK-6 significantly enhanced CD3/CD28-induced production of cytokines; proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells that expressed CD69, CD25, and HLA-DR markers; and T-cell-mediated killing activity of SKOV3 and A549 cells. In conclusion, KHK-6 is a novel ATP-competitive HPK1 inhibitor that blocks the phosphorylation of HPK1 downstream of SLP-76, enhancing the functional activation of T cells. In summary, our study showed the usefulness of KHK-6 in the drug discovery for the HPK1-inhibiting immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jeong Ahn
- Therapeutics & Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Hye Kim
- Therapeutics & Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunha Choi
- Therapeutics & Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Chong Hak Chae
- Therapeutics & Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Pilho Kim
- Therapeutics & Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Medicinal Chemistry & Pharmacology, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Hwan Kim
- Therapeutics & Biotechnology Division, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of New Drug Discovery and Development, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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2
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Nesabi A, Kalayan J, Al-Rawashdeh S, Ghattas MA, Bryce RA. Molecular dynamics simulations as a guide for modulating small molecule aggregation. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2024; 38:11. [PMID: 38470532 PMCID: PMC10933209 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-024-00557-1] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Small colloidally aggregating molecules (SCAMs) can be problematic for biological assays in drug discovery campaigns. However, the self-associating properties of SCAMs have potential applications in drug delivery and analytical biochemistry. Consequently, the ability to predict the aggregation propensity of a small organic molecule is of considerable interest. Chemoinformatics-based filters such as ChemAGG and Aggregator Advisor offer rapid assessment but are limited by the assay quality and structural diversity of their training set data. Complementary to these tools, we explore here the ability of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations as a physics-based method capable of predicting the aggregation propensity of diverse chemical structures. For a set of 32 molecules, using simulations of 100 ns in explicit solvent, we find a success rate of 97% (one molecule misclassified) as opposed to 75% by Aggregator Advisor and 72% by ChemAGG. These short timescale MD simulations are representative of longer microsecond trajectories and yield an informative spectrum of aggregation propensities across the set of solutes, capturing the dynamic behaviour of weakly aggregating compounds. Implicit solvent simulations using the generalized Born model were less successful in predicting aggregation propensity. MD simulations were also performed to explore structure-aggregation relationships for selected molecules, identifying chemical modifications that reversed the predicted behaviour of a given aggregator/non-aggregator compound. While lower throughput than rapid cheminformatics-based SCAM filters, MD-based prediction of aggregation has potential to be deployed on the scale of focused subsets of moderate size, and, depending on the target application, provide guidance on removing or optimizing a compound's aggregation propensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azam Nesabi
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Jas Kalayan
- Daresbury Laboratory, Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC), Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, Warrington, WA4 4AD, UK
| | - Sara Al-Rawashdeh
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | | | - Richard A Bryce
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
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3
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Dang M, Shoichet MS. Long-Acting Ocular Injectables: Are We Looking In The Right Direction? ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2306463. [PMID: 38018313 PMCID: PMC10885661 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202306463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The complex anatomy and physiological barriers of the eye make delivering ocular therapeutics challenging. Generally, effective drug delivery to the eye is hindered by rapid clearance and limited drug bioavailability. Biomaterial-based approaches have emerged to enhance drug delivery to ocular tissues and overcome existing limitations. In this review, some of the most promising long-acting injectables (LAIs) in ocular drug delivery are explored, focusing on novel design strategies to improve therapeutic outcomes. LAIs are designed to enable sustained therapeutic effects, thereby extending local drug residence time and facilitating controlled and targeted drug delivery. Moreover, LAIs can be engineered to enhance drug targeting and penetration across ocular physiological barriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickael Dang
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied ChemistryUniversity of Toronto200 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3E5Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular ResearchUniversity of Toronto160 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3E1Canada
| | - Molly S. Shoichet
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied ChemistryUniversity of Toronto200 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3E5Canada
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular ResearchUniversity of Toronto160 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3E1Canada
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering164 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3G9Canada
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Chen C, Wu Y, Wang ST, Berisha N, Manzari MT, Vogt K, Gang O, Heller DA. Fragment-based drug nanoaggregation reveals drivers of self-assembly. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8340. [PMID: 38097573 PMCID: PMC10721832 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43560-0] [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: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug nanoaggregates are particles that can deleteriously cause false positive results during drug screening efforts, but alternatively, they may be used to improve pharmacokinetics when developed for drug delivery purposes. The structural features of molecules that drive nanoaggregate formation remain elusive, however, and the prediction of intracellular aggregation and rational design of nanoaggregate-based carriers are still challenging. We investigate nanoaggregate self-assembly mechanisms using small molecule fragments to identify the critical molecular forces that contribute to self-assembly. We find that aromatic groups and hydrogen bond acceptors/donors are essential for nanoaggregate formation, suggesting that both π-π stacking and hydrogen bonding are drivers of nanoaggregation. We apply structure-assembly-relationship analysis to the drug sorafenib and discover that nanoaggregate formation can be predicted entirely using drug fragment substructures. We also find that drug nanoaggregates are stabilized in an amorphous core-shell structure. These findings demonstrate that rational design can address intracellular aggregation and pharmacologic/delivery challenges in conventional and fragment-based drug development processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Chen
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - You Wu
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Shih-Ting Wang
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, 11973, USA
| | - Naxhije Berisha
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, 10065, USA
| | - Mandana T Manzari
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Kaleidoscope Technologies, Inc., New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Kristen Vogt
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Oleg Gang
- Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, 11973, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
- Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - Daniel A Heller
- Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Chemical Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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5
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Brito M, Prazeres S, Malheiros M. A method to detect fulvestrant interference in estradiol in breast cancer patients. Endocr Connect 2023; 12:e230178. [PMID: 37671722 PMCID: PMC10563597 DOI: 10.1530/ec-23-0178] [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: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Background Fulvestrant resembles estradiol in its structure. Reports have been published concerning fulvestrant measured as estradiol by the immunoassays. This may induce falsely elevated estradiol results and wrongly impact medical decisions. Our aim was to confirm the interference of fulvestrant on estradiol concentration and test a method to identify the false results. Methods Four serum samples with low estradiol levels were spiked with fulvestrant at various concentrations. Estradiol was then measured directly on serum (Dir), after a 1:5 dilution (Dil), and a ratio Dil/Dir was estimated. On the second part of the study, estradiol results (Dir, Dil and ratio Dil/Dir) from 14 women treated with fulvestrant were analysed, as well as from 14 patients not under this treatment. Results The addition of exogenous fulvestrant to the serum samples induced a gradual rise on estradiol concentration with a mean ratio for the Dil/Dir samples of 2.1 ± 0.4 (range 1.7-2.9). Patients on fulvestrant treatment experienced a mean ratio for the Dil/Dir estradiol sample of 2.4 ± 0.4 (range 1.6-3.0). In the control group, a mean estradiol ratio Dil/Dir of 1.1 ± 0.1 was observed (range 0.8-1.3). No correlation between the number of days after fulvestrant injection and estradiol result (r = 0.531) was observed. Conclusion Our study confirmed the interference of fulvestrant in the estradiol measurement by immunoassay. When fulvestrant was present, the estradiol ratio for Dil/Dir sample was about 2. In the control group, the ratio was around 1. The estradiol Dil/Dir ratio is a simple tool which can be used to identify fulvestrant false immunoassay estradiol results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Brito
- Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Susana Prazeres
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marta Malheiros
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Instituto Português de Oncologia de Lisboa Francisco Gentil, Lisboa, Portugal
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Donders EN, Slaughter KV, Dank C, Ganesh AN, Shoichet BK, Lautens M, Shoichet MS. Synthetic Ionizable Colloidal Drug Aggregates Enable Endosomal Disruption. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2300311. [PMID: 36905240 PMCID: PMC10161099 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202300311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Colloidal drug aggregates enable the design of drug-rich nanoparticles; however, the efficacy of stabilized colloidal drug aggregates is limited by entrapment in the endo-lysosomal pathway. Although ionizable drugs are used to elicit lysosomal escape, this approach is hindered by toxicity associated with phospholipidosis. It is hypothesized that tuning the pKa of the drug would enable endosomal disruption while avoiding phospholipidosis and minimizing toxicity. To test this idea, 12 analogs of the nonionizable colloidal drug fulvestrant are synthesized with ionizable groups to enable pH-dependent endosomal disruption while maintaining bioactivity. Lipid-stabilized fulvestrant analog colloids are endocytosed by cancer cells, and the pKa of these ionizable colloids influenced the mechanism of endosomal and lysosomal disruption. Four fulvestrant analogs-those with pKa values between 5.1 and 5.7-disrupted endo-lysosomes without measurable phospholipidosis. Thus, by manipulating the pKa of colloid-forming drugs, a tunable and generalizable strategy for endosomal disruption is established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric N. Donders
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied ChemistryUniversity of Toronto200 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3E5Canada
- Institute of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Toronto164 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3G9Canada
- Donnelly CentreUniversity of Toronto160 College StreetTorontoONM5S3E1Canada
| | - Kai V. Slaughter
- Institute of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Toronto164 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3G9Canada
- Donnelly CentreUniversity of Toronto160 College StreetTorontoONM5S3E1Canada
| | - Christian Dank
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Toronto80 St. George StreetTorontoONM5S 3H6Canada
| | - Ahil N. Ganesh
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied ChemistryUniversity of Toronto200 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3E5Canada
- Institute of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Toronto164 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3G9Canada
- Donnelly CentreUniversity of Toronto160 College StreetTorontoONM5S3E1Canada
| | - Brian K. Shoichet
- Department of Pharmaceutical ChemistryUniversity of California San Francisco1700 Fourth Street, Mail Box 2550San FranciscoCA94143USA
| | - Mark Lautens
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of Toronto80 St. George StreetTorontoONM5S 3H6Canada
| | - Molly S. Shoichet
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied ChemistryUniversity of Toronto200 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3E5Canada
- Institute of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Toronto164 College StreetTorontoONM5S 3G9Canada
- Donnelly CentreUniversity of Toronto160 College StreetTorontoONM5S3E1Canada
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7
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Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used in different areas, including consumer products and medicine. In terms of biomedical applications, NPs or NP-based drug formulations have been extensively investigated for cancer diagnostics and therapy in preclinical studies, but the clinical translation rate is low. Therefore, a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the pharmacokinetics of NPs, especially in drug delivery efficiency to the target therapeutic tissue tumor, is important to design more effective nanomedicines and for proper assessment of the safety and risk of NPs. This review article focuses on the pharmacokinetics of both organic and inorganic NPs and their tumor delivery efficiencies, as well as the associated mechanisms involved. We discuss the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) processes following different routes of exposure and the mechanisms involved. Many physicochemical properties and experimental factors, including particle type, size, surface charge, zeta potential, surface coating, protein binding, dose, exposure route, species, cancer type, and tumor size can affect NP pharmacokinetics and tumor delivery efficiency. NPs can be absorbed with varying degrees following different exposure routes and mainly accumulate in liver and spleen, but also distribute to other tissues such as heart, lung, kidney and tumor tissues; and subsequently get metabolized and/or excreted mainly through hepatobiliary and renal elimination. Passive and active targeting strategies are the two major mechanisms of tumor delivery, while active targeting tends to have less toxicity and higher delivery efficiency through direct interaction between ligands and receptors. We also discuss challenges and perspectives remaining in the field of pharmacokinetics and tumor delivery efficiency of NPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long Yuan
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Qiran Chen
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Jim E. Riviere
- 1Data Consortium, Kansas State University, Olathe, KS 66061, USA
| | - Zhoumeng Lin
- Department of Environmental and Global Health, College of Public Health and Health Professions, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
- Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
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8
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Jiang X, Huang B, Rumrill S, Pople D, Zalloum WA, Kang D, Zhao F, Ji X, Gao Z, Hu L, Wang Z, Xie M, De Clercq E, Ruiz FX, Arnold E, Pannecouque C, Liu X, Zhan P. Discovery of diarylpyrimidine derivatives bearing piperazine sulfonyl as potent HIV-1 nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Commun Chem 2023; 6:83. [PMID: 37120482 PMCID: PMC10148624 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-023-00888-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 reverse transcriptase is one of the most attractive targets for the treatment of AIDS. However, the rapid emergence of drug-resistant strains and unsatisfactory drug-like properties seriously limit the clinical application of HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). Here we show that a series of piperazine sulfonyl-bearing diarylpyrimidine-based NNRTIs were designed to improve the potency against wild-type and NNRTI-resistant strains by enhancing backbone-binding interactions. Among them, compound 18b1 demonstrates single-digit nanomolar potency against the wild-type and five mutant HIV-1 strains, which is significantly better than the approved drug etravirine. The co-crystal structure analysis and molecular dynamics simulation studies were conducted to explain the broad-spectrum inhibitory activity of 18b1 against reverse transcriptase variants. Besides, compound 18b1 demonstrates improved water solubility, cytochrome P450 liability, and other pharmacokinetic properties compared to the currently approved diarylpyrimidine (DAPY) NNRTIs. Therefore, we consider compound 18b1 a potential lead compound worthy of further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
| | - Boshi Huang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
| | - Shawn Rumrill
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - David Pople
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Waleed A Zalloum
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Science, American University of Madaba, P.O Box 2882, Amman, 11821, Jordan
| | - Dongwei Kang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
- China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
| | - Fabao Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
| | - Xiangkai Ji
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
| | - Zhen Gao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
| | - Lide Hu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
| | - Minghui Xie
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China
| | - Erik De Clercq
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U.Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Francesc X Ruiz
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
| | - Eddy Arnold
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
| | - Christophe Pannecouque
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, K.U.Leuven, Herestraat 49 Postbus 1043 (09.A097), B-3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Xinyong Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China.
- China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China.
| | - Peng Zhan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China.
- China-Belgium Collaborative Research Center for Innovative Antiviral Drugs of Shandong Province, 44 West Culture Road, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, PR China.
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9
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Ali DA, Domínguez Mercado L, Findlay BL, Badia A, DeWolf C. Opposites Attract: Electrostatically Driven Loading of Antimicrobial Peptides into Phytoglycogen Nanocarriers. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:53-63. [PMID: 36525622 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides, such as GL13K, have a high binding selectivity toward bacterial membranes, while not affecting healthy mammalian cells at therapeutic concentrations. However, delivery of these peptides is challenging since they are susceptible to proteolytic hydrolysis and exhibit poor cellular uptake. A protective nanocarrier is thus proposed to overcome these obstacles. We investigate the potential to employ biodegradable phytoglycogen nanoparticles as carriers for GL13K using a simple loading protocol based on electrostatic association rather than chemical conjugation, eliminating the need for control of chemical cleavage for release of the peptide in situ. Both the native (quasi-neutral) and carboxymethylated (anionic) phytoglycogen were evaluated for their colloidal stability, loading capacity, and release characteristics. We show that the anionic nanophytoglycogen carries a greater cationic GL13K load and exhibits slower release kinetics than native nanophytoglycogen. Isotope exchange measurements demonstrate that the antimicrobial peptide is entrapped in the pores of the dendritic-like macromolecule, which should provide the necessary protection for delivery. Importantly, the nanoformulations are active against a Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolate at concentrations comparable to those of the free peptide and representative, small molecule antibiotics. The colloidal nanocarrier preserves peptide stability and antimicrobial activity, even after long periods of storage (at least 8 months).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalia A Ali
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montreal, QuebecH4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for NanoScience Research, Concordia University, Montreal, QuebecH4B 1R6, Canada
- FRQNT Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels─Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QuebecH3A 0G4, Canada
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria5424041, Egypt
| | - Laura Domínguez Mercado
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montreal, QuebecH4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Brandon L Findlay
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montreal, QuebecH4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Antonella Badia
- FRQNT Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels─Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QuebecH3A 0G4, Canada
- Département de Chimie, Université de Montréal, Complexe des sciences, C.P. 6128, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QuebecH3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Christine DeWolf
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Concordia University, Montreal, QuebecH4B 1R6, Canada
- Centre for NanoScience Research, Concordia University, Montreal, QuebecH4B 1R6, Canada
- FRQNT Centre Québécois sur les Matériaux Fonctionnels─Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials, McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QuebecH3A 0G4, Canada
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10
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Sheridan R, Spelman K. Polyphenolic promiscuity, inflammation-coupled selectivity: Whether PAINs filters mask an antiviral asset. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:909945. [PMID: 36339544 PMCID: PMC9634583 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.909945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The Covid-19 pandemic has elicited much laboratory and clinical research attention on vaccines, mAbs, and certain small-molecule antivirals against SARS-CoV-2 infection. By contrast, there has been comparatively little attention on plant-derived compounds, especially those that are understood to be safely ingested at common doses and are frequently consumed in the diet in herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables. Examining plant secondary metabolites, we review recent elucidations into the pharmacological activity of flavonoids and other polyphenolic compounds and also survey their putative frequent-hitter behavior. Polyphenols, like many drugs, are glucuronidated post-ingestion. In an inflammatory milieu such as infection, a reversion back to the active aglycone by the release of β-glucuronidase from neutrophils and macrophages allows cellular entry of the aglycone. In the context of viral infection, virions and intracellular virus particles may be exposed to promiscuous binding by the polyphenol aglycones resulting in viral inhibition. As the mechanism's scope would apply to the diverse range of virus species that elicit inflammation in infected hosts, we highlight pre-clinical studies of polyphenol aglycones, such as luteolin, isoginkgetin, quercetin, quercetagetin, baicalein, curcumin, fisetin and hesperetin that reduce virion replication spanning multiple distinct virus genera. It is hoped that greater awareness of the potential spatial selectivity of polyphenolic activation to sites of pathogenic infection will spur renewed research and clinical attention for natural products antiviral assaying and trialing over a wide array of infectious viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kevin Spelman
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA, United States
- Health Education and Research, Driggs, ID, United States
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11
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LaPlante SR, Roux V, Shahout F, LaPlante G, Woo S, Denk MM, Larda ST, Ayotte Y. Probing the free-state solution behavior of drugs and their tendencies to self-aggregate into nano-entities. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:5250-5273. [PMID: 34707256 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00612-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The free-state solution behaviors of drugs profoundly affect their properties. Therefore, it is critical to properly evaluate a drug's unique multiphase equilibrium when in an aqueous enviroment, which can comprise lone molecules, self-associating aggregate states and solid phases. To date, the full range of nano-entities that drugs can adopt has been a largely unexplored phenomenon. This protocol describes how to monitor the solution behavior of drugs, revealing the nano-entities formed as a result of self-associations. The procedure begins with a simple NMR 1H assay, and depending on the observations, subsequent NMR dilution, NMR T2-CPMG (spin-spin relaxation Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill) and NMR detergent assays are used to distinguish between the existence of fast-tumbling lone drug molecules, small drug aggregates and slow-tumbling colloids. Three orthogonal techniques (dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy) are also described that can be used to further characterize any large colloids. The protocol can take a non-specialist between minutes to a few hours; thus, libraries of compounds can be evaluated within days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven R LaPlante
- Université du Québec, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada.
- NMX Research and Solutions, Inc., Laval, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Valérie Roux
- Université du Québec, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fatma Shahout
- Université du Québec, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Simon Woo
- Université du Québec, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Maria M Denk
- NMX Research and Solutions, Inc., Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sacha T Larda
- NMX Research and Solutions, Inc., Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yann Ayotte
- Université du Québec, INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Laval, Quebec, Canada
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12
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Bender BJ, Gahbauer S, Luttens A, Lyu J, Webb CM, Stein RM, Fink EA, Balius TE, Carlsson J, Irwin JJ, Shoichet BK. A practical guide to large-scale docking. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:4799-4832. [PMID: 34561691 PMCID: PMC8522653 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00597-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Structure-based docking screens of large compound libraries have become common in early drug and probe discovery. As computer efficiency has improved and compound libraries have grown, the ability to screen hundreds of millions, and even billions, of compounds has become feasible for modest-sized computer clusters. This allows the rapid and cost-effective exploration and categorization of vast chemical space into a subset enriched with potential hits for a given target. To accomplish this goal at speed, approximations are used that result in undersampling of possible configurations and inaccurate predictions of absolute binding energies. Accordingly, it is important to establish controls, as are common in other fields, to enhance the likelihood of success in spite of these challenges. Here we outline best practices and control docking calculations that help evaluate docking parameters for a given target prior to undertaking a large-scale prospective screen, with exemplification in one particular target, the melatonin receptor, where following this procedure led to direct docking hits with activities in the subnanomolar range. Additional controls are suggested to ensure specific activity for experimentally validated hit compounds. These guidelines should be useful regardless of the docking software used. Docking software described in the outlined protocol (DOCK3.7) is made freely available for academic research to explore new hits for a range of targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Bender
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Stefan Gahbauer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andreas Luttens
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jiankun Lyu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chase M Webb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Reed M Stein
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Elissa A Fink
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Trent E Balius
- NCI RAS Initiative, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Jens Carlsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John J Irwin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Brian K Shoichet
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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13
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Laurin CMC, Bluck JP, Chan AKN, Keller M, Boczek A, Scorah AR, See KFL, Jennings LE, Hewings DS, Woodhouse F, Reynolds JK, Schiedel M, Humphreys PG, Biggin PC, Conway SJ. Fragment-Based Identification of Ligands for Bromodomain-Containing Factor 3 of Trypanosoma cruzi. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:2238-2249. [PMID: 33203208 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi) parasite is the cause of Chagas disease, a neglected disease endemic in South America. The life cycle of the T. cruzi parasite is complex and includes transitions between distinct life stages. This change in phenotype (without a change in genotype) could be controlled by epigenetic regulation, and might involve the bromodomain-containing factors 1-5 (TcBDF1-5). However, little is known about the function of the TcBDF1-5. Here we describe a fragment-based approach to identify ligands for T. cruzi bromodomain-containing factor 3 (TcBDF3). We expressed a soluble construct of TcBDF3 in E. coli, and used this to develop a range of biophysical assays for this protein. Fragment screening identified 12 compounds that bind to the TcBDF3 bromodomain. On the basis of this screen, we developed functional ligands containing a fluorescence or 19F reporter group, and a photo-crosslinking probe for TcBDF3. These tool compounds will be invaluable in future studies on the function of TcBDF3 and will provide insight into the biology of T. cruzi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentine M. C. Laurin
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Joseph P. Bluck
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, 3 Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Anthony K. N. Chan
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Michelle Keller
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Andrew Boczek
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Amy R. Scorah
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - K. F. Larissa See
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Laura E. Jennings
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - David S. Hewings
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Fern Woodhouse
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Jessica K. Reynolds
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Matthias Schiedel
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | | | - Philip C. Biggin
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, 3 Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Stuart J. Conway
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
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14
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Reker D, Rybakova Y, Kirtane AR, Cao R, Yang JW, Navamajiti N, Gardner A, Zhang RM, Esfandiary T, L'Heureux J, von Erlach T, Smekalova EM, Leboeuf D, Hess K, Lopes A, Rogner J, Collins J, Tamang SM, Ishida K, Chamberlain P, Yun D, Lytton-Jean A, Soule CK, Cheah JH, Hayward AM, Langer R, Traverso G. Computationally guided high-throughput design of self-assembling drug nanoparticles. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 16:725-733. [PMID: 33767382 PMCID: PMC8197729 DOI: 10.1038/s41565-021-00870-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Nanoformulations of therapeutic drugs are transforming our ability to effectively deliver and treat a myriad of conditions. Often, however, they are complex to produce and exhibit low drug loading, except for nanoparticles formed via co-assembly of drugs and small molecular dyes, which display drug-loading capacities of up to 95%. There is currently no understanding of which of the millions of small-molecule combinations can result in the formation of these nanoparticles. Here we report the integration of machine learning with high-throughput experimentation to enable the rapid and large-scale identification of such nanoformulations. We identified 100 self-assembling drug nanoparticles from 2.1 million pairings, each including one of 788 candidate drugs and one of 2,686 approved excipients. We further characterized two nanoparticles, sorafenib-glycyrrhizin and terbinafine-taurocholic acid both ex vivo and in vivo. We anticipate that our platform can accelerate the development of safer and more efficacious nanoformulations with high drug-loading capacities for a wide range of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Reker
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Yulia Rybakova
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ameya R Kirtane
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ruonan Cao
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Engineering Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jee Won Yang
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Natsuda Navamajiti
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Apolonia Gardner
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rosanna M Zhang
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tina Esfandiary
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Johanna L'Heureux
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thomas von Erlach
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Elena M Smekalova
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Kaitlyn Hess
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Lopes
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jaimie Rogner
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joy Collins
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Siddartha M Tamang
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Keiko Ishida
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Paul Chamberlain
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - DongSoo Yun
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Abigail Lytton-Jean
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christian K Soule
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jaime H Cheah
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alison M Hayward
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert Langer
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Giovanni Traverso
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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15
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Abstract
"There's plenty of room at the bottom" (Richard Feynman, 1959): an invitation for (metalla)carboranes to enter the (new) field of nanomedicine. For two decades, the number of publications on boron cluster compounds designed for potential applications in medicine has been constantly increasing. Hundreds of compounds have been screened in vitro or in vivo for a variety of biological activities (chemotherapeutics, radiotherapeutics, antiviral, etc.), and some have shown rather promising potential for further development. However, until now, no boron cluster compounds have made it to the clinic, and even clinical trials have been very sparse. This review introduces a new perspective in the field of medicinal boron chemistry, namely that boron-based drugs should be regarded as nanomedicine platforms, due to their peculiar self-assembly behaviour in aqueous solutions, and treated as such. Examples for boron-based 12- and 11-vertex clusters and appropriate comparative studies from medicinal (in)organic chemistry and nanomedicine, highlighting similarities, differences and gaps in physicochemical and biological characterisation methods, are provided to encourage medicinal boron chemists to fill in the gaps between chemistry laboratory and real applications in living systems by employing bioanalytical and biophysical methods for characterising and controlling the aggregation behaviour of the clusters in solution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gozzi
- Institute of Inorganic ChemistryFaculty of Chemistry and MineralogyLeipzig UniversityJohannisallee 2904103LeipzigGermany
- Institute of Analytical ChemistryFaculty of Chemistry and MineralogyLeipzig UniversityLinnéstr. 304103LeipzigGermany
- Institute of Medicinal Physics and BiophysicsFaculty of MedicineLeipzig UniversityHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Benedikt Schwarze
- Institute of Medicinal Physics and BiophysicsFaculty of MedicineLeipzig UniversityHärtelstr. 16–1804107LeipzigGermany
| | - Evamarie Hey‐Hawkins
- Institute of Inorganic ChemistryFaculty of Chemistry and MineralogyLeipzig UniversityJohannisallee 2904103LeipzigGermany
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16
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Lak P, O'Donnell H, Du X, Jacobson MP, Shoichet BK. A Crowding Barrier to Protein Inhibition in Colloidal Aggregates. J Med Chem 2021; 64:4109-4116. [PMID: 33761256 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Small molecule colloidal aggregates adsorb and partially denature proteins, inhibiting them artifactually. Oddly, this inhibition is typically time-dependent. Two mechanisms might explain this: low concentrations of the colloid and enzyme might mean low encounter rates, or colloid-based protein denaturation might impose a kinetic barrier. These two mechanisms should have different concentration dependencies. Perplexingly, when enzyme concentration was increased, incubation times actually lengthened, inconsistent with both models and with classical chemical kinetics of solution species. We therefore considered molecular crowding, where colloids with lower protein surface density demand a shorter incubation time than more crowded colloids. To test this, we grew and shrank colloid surface area. As the surface area shrank, the incubation time lengthened, while as it increased, the converse was true. These observations support a crowding effect on protein binding to colloidal aggregates. Implications for drug delivery and for detecting aggregation-based inhibition will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parnian Lak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Fourth Street, San Francisco, California 94143-2550, United States
| | - Henry O'Donnell
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Fourth Street, San Francisco, California 94143-2550, United States
| | - Xuewen Du
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Fourth Street, San Francisco, California 94143-2550, United States
| | - Matthew P Jacobson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Fourth Street, San Francisco, California 94143-2550, United States
| | - Brian K Shoichet
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Fourth Street, San Francisco, California 94143-2550, United States
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17
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Cogan PS. Regarding the Mechanisms of Promiscuous Cannabinoid Pharmacology: An Elephant Has Entered the Room. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2021; 6:457-461. [PMID: 33998883 DOI: 10.1089/can.2020.0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of research have discovered a broad variety of interesting in vitro activities resulting from cannabinoid exposure. Recent investigations of cannabidiol, however, present a potential explanation for these findings, which relies on the nonspecific effects of colloidal dispersions as opposed to those of specific drug interactions with macromolecular targets. This perspective raises the question of how false-positive assay results arising from such colloidal interference may permeate the field of cannabinoid pharmacology. It further suggests a direction for future research with the intent of identifying true pharmacological interactions that might be more efficiently developed into therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter S Cogan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Regis University School of Pharmacy, Denver, Colorado, USA
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18
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Brudzynski K, Sjaarda CP. Colloidal structure of honey and its influence on antibacterial activity. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2021; 20:2063-2080. [PMID: 33569893 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Honey colloidal structure emerges as a new trend in research on honey functions since it became recognized as a major factor altering bioactivity of honey compounds. In honey complex matrix, macromolecules self-associate to colloidal particles at the critical concentration, driven by honey viscosity. Sequestration of macromolecules into colloids changes their activities and affects honey antibacterial function. This review fills the 80-year-old gap in research on honey colloidal structure. It summarizes past and current status of the research on honey colloids and describes physicochemical properties and the mechanisms of colloid formation and their dissociation upon honey dilution. The experimental observations are explained in the context of theoretical background of colloidal science. The functional changes and bioactivity of honey macromolecules bound to colloidal particles are illustrated here by the production of H2 O2 by glucose oxidase and the effect they have on antibacterial activity of honey. The changes in the production of H2 O2 and antibacterial activity of honey were coordinated with the changes in the aggregation-dissociation states of honey colloidal particles upon dilution. In all cases, these changes were nonlinear, assuming an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve. At the curve maximum, the production of H2 O2 and antibacterial activity reached the peak. The curve maximum signaled the minimum honey concentration required for the phase separation. With phase transition from two-phase colloidal condense state to dilute state dispersion, the change to opposite effects of dilution on these honey's activities occurred. Thus, the colloidal structure strongly influences bioactivity of honey compounds and affects its antibacterial activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Brudzynski
- Department of Drug Discovery, Bee-Bimedical Inc., St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University and Department of Drug Discovery, Bee-Biomedicals Inc., St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
| | - Calvin P Sjaarda
- Queen's Genomics Lab at Ongwanada (Q-GLO), Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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19
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Brewitz L, Tumber A, Zhang X, Schofield CJ. Small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients of approved cancer therapeutics inhibit human aspartate/asparagine-β-hydroxylase. Bioorg Med Chem 2020; 28:115675. [PMID: 33069066 PMCID: PMC7588595 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Human aspartate/asparagine-β-hydroxylase (AspH) is a 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) dependent oxygenase that catalyses the hydroxylation of Asp/Asn-residues of epidermal growth factor-like domains (EGFDs). AspH is reported to be upregulated on the cell surface of invasive cancer cells in a manner distinguishing healthy from cancer cells. We report studies on the effect of small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of human cancer therapeutics on the catalytic activity of AspH using a high-throughput mass spectrometry (MS)-based inhibition assay. Human B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-protein inhibitors, including the (R)-enantiomer of the natural product gossypol, were observed to efficiently inhibit AspH, as does the antitumor antibiotic bleomycin A2. The results may help in the design of AspH inhibitors with the potential of increased selectivity compared to the previously identified Fe(II)-chelating or 2OG-competitive inhibitors. With regard to the clinical use of bleomycin A2 and of the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax, the results suggest that possible side-effects mediated through the inhibition of AspH and other 2OG oxygenases should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Brewitz
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Tumber
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaojin Zhang
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom; Laboratory of Drug Design and Discovery, Department of Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Christopher J Schofield
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, OX1 3TA Oxford, United Kingdom.
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20
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Ghattas MA, Al Rawashdeh S, Atatreh N, Bryce RA. How Do Small Molecule Aggregates Inhibit Enzyme Activity? A Molecular Dynamics Study. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:3901-3909. [PMID: 32628846 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Small molecule compounds which form colloidal aggregates in solution are problematic in early drug discovery; adsorption of the target protein by these aggregates can lead to false positives in inhibition assays. In this work, we probe the molecular basis of this inhibitory mechanism using molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, we examine in aqueous solution the adsorption of the enzymes β-lactamase and PTP1B onto aggregates of the drug miconazole. In accordance with experiment, molecular dynamics simulations observe formation of miconazole aggregates as well as subsequent association of these aggregates with β-lactamase and PTP1B. When complexed with aggregate, the proteins do not exhibit significant alteration in protein tertiary structure or dynamics on the microsecond time scale of the simulations, but they do indicate persistent occlusion of the protein active site by miconazole molecules. MD simulations further suggest this occlusion can occur via surficial interactions of protein with miconazole but also potentially by envelopment of the protein by miconazole. The heterogeneous polarity of the miconazole aggregate surface seems to underpin its activity as an invasive and nonspecific inhibitory agent. A deeper understanding of these protein/aggregate systems has implications not only for drug design but also for their exploitation as tools in drug delivery and analytical biochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Al Rawashdeh
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Noor Atatreh
- College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Richard A Bryce
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
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21
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Abstract
Small-molecule aggregates are a leading cause of artifacts in early drug discovery, but little is known about their interactions with proteins, nor why some proteins are more susceptible to inhibition than others. A possible reason for this apparent selectivity is that aggregation-based inhibition, as a stoichiometric process, is sensitive to protein concentration, which varies across assays. Alternatively, local protein unfolding by aggregates may lead to selectivity since stability varies among proteins. To deconvolute these effects, we used differentially stable point mutants of a single protein, TEM-1 β-lactamase. Broadly, destabilized mutants had higher affinities for and were more potently inhibited by aggregates versus more stable variants. The addition of the irreversible inhibitor moxalactam destabilized several mutants, and these typically bound tighter to a colloidal particle, while the only mutant it stabilized bound weaker. These results suggest that less-stable enzymes are more easily sequestered and inhibited by colloidal aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayarpi Torosyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry , University of California, San Francisco , 1700 Fourth Street , San Francisco , California 94143-2550 , United States
| | - Brian K Shoichet
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry , University of California, San Francisco , 1700 Fourth Street , San Francisco , California 94143-2550 , United States
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22
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Ayotte Y, Marando VM, Vaillancourt L, Bouchard P, Heffron G, Coote PW, Larda ST, LaPlante SR. Exposing Small-Molecule Nanoentities by a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Relaxation Assay. J Med Chem 2019; 62:7885-7896. [PMID: 31422659 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Small molecules can self-assemble in aqueous solution into a wide range of nanoentity types and sizes (dimers, n-mers, micelles, colloids, etc.), each having their own unique properties. This has important consequences in the context of drug discovery including issues related to nonspecific binding, off-target effects, and false positives and negatives. Here, we demonstrate the use of the spin-spin relaxation Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill NMR experiment, which is sensitive to molecular tumbling rates and can expose larger aggregate species that have slower rotational correlations. The strategy easily distinguishes lone-tumbling molecules versus nanoentities of various sizes. The technique is highly sensitive to chemical exchange between single-molecule and aggregate states and can therefore be used as a reporter when direct measurement of aggregates is not possible by NMR. Interestingly, we found differences in solution behavior for compounds within structurally related series, demonstrating structure-nanoentity relationships. This practical experiment is a valuable tool to support drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Ayotte
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie , 531 Boulevard des Prairies , Laval , Québec H7V 1B7 , Canada
| | - Victoria M Marando
- NMX Research and Solutions, Inc. , 500 Boulevard Cartier Ouest , Laval , Québec , H7V 5B7 , Canada
| | - Louis Vaillancourt
- NMX Research and Solutions, Inc. , 500 Boulevard Cartier Ouest , Laval , Québec , H7V 5B7 , Canada
| | - Patricia Bouchard
- NMX Research and Solutions, Inc. , 500 Boulevard Cartier Ouest , Laval , Québec , H7V 5B7 , Canada
| | - Gregory Heffron
- Harvard Medical School , 240 Longwood Avenue , Boston , Massachusetts 02115 , United States
| | - Paul W Coote
- NMX Research and Solutions, Inc. , 500 Boulevard Cartier Ouest , Laval , Québec , H7V 5B7 , Canada.,Harvard Medical School , 240 Longwood Avenue , Boston , Massachusetts 02115 , United States
| | - Sacha T Larda
- NMX Research and Solutions, Inc. , 500 Boulevard Cartier Ouest , Laval , Québec , H7V 5B7 , Canada
| | - Steven R LaPlante
- INRS-Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie , 531 Boulevard des Prairies , Laval , Québec H7V 1B7 , Canada.,NMX Research and Solutions, Inc. , 500 Boulevard Cartier Ouest , Laval , Québec , H7V 5B7 , Canada.,Harvard Medical School , 240 Longwood Avenue , Boston , Massachusetts 02115 , United States
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23
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Simeonov A, Auld D. Literature Search and Review. Assay Drug Dev Technol 2019. [DOI: 10.1089/adt.2019.29089.lit] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Doug Auld
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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24
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Donders EN, Ganesh AN, Torosyan H, Lak P, Shoichet BK, Shoichet MS. Triggered Release Enhances the Cytotoxicity of Stable Colloidal Drug Aggregates. ACS Chem Biol 2019; 14:1507-1514. [PMID: 31243955 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chemotherapeutics that self-assemble into colloids have limited efficacy above their critical aggregation concentration due to their inability to penetrate intact plasma membranes. Even when colloid uptake is promoted, issues with colloid escape from the endolysosomal pathway persist. By stabilizing acid-responsive lapatinib colloids through coaggregation with fulvestrant, and inclusion of transferrin, we demonstrate colloid internalization by cancer cells, where subsequent lapatinib ionization leads to endosomal leakage and increased cytotoxicity. These results demonstrate a strategy for triggered drug release from stable colloidal aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric N. Donders
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Ahil N. Ganesh
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Hayarpi Torosyan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Fourth Street, Mail Box 2550, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Parnian Lak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Fourth Street, Mail Box 2550, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Brian K. Shoichet
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 1700 Fourth Street, Mail Box 2550, San Francisco, California 94143, United States
| | - Molly S. Shoichet
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 164 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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25
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Novel Amphiphilic Cyclobutene and Cyclobutane cis-C 18 Fatty Acid Derivatives Inhibit Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Growth. Vet Sci 2019; 6:vetsci6020046. [PMID: 31137605 PMCID: PMC6631517 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci6020046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) is the etiologic agent of Johne’s disease in ruminants and has been associated with Crohn’s disease in humans. An effective control of Map by either vaccines or chemoprophylaxis is a paramount need for veterinary and possibly human medicine. Given the importance of fatty acids in the biosynthesis of mycolic acids and the mycobacterial cell wall, we tested novel amphiphilic C10 and C18 cyclobutene and cyclobutane fatty acid derivatives for Map inhibition. Microdilution minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) with 5 or 7 week endpoints were measured in Middlebrook 7H9 base broth media. We compared the Map MIC results with those obtained previously with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium smegmatis. Several of the C18 compounds showed moderate efficacy (MICs 392 to 824 µM) against Map, while a higher level of inhibition (MICs 6 to 82 µM) was observed for M. tuberculosis for select analogs from both the C10 and C18 groups. For most of these analogs tested in M. smegmatis, their efficacy decreased in the presence of bovine or human serum albumin. Compound 5 (OA-CB, 1-(octanoic acid-8-yl)-2-octylcyclobutene) was identified as the best chemical lead against Map, which suggests derivatives with better pharmacodynamics may be of interest for evaluation in animal models.
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