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Lauwerys L, Beroske L, Solania A, Vangestel C, Miranda A, Van Giel N, Adhikari K, Lambeir AM, Wyffels L, Wolan D, Van der Veken P, Elvas F. Development of caspase-3-selective activity-based probes for PET imaging of apoptosis. EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem 2024; 9:58. [PMID: 39117920 PMCID: PMC11310375 DOI: 10.1186/s41181-024-00291-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cysteine-aspartic acid protease caspase-3 is recognized as the main executioner of apoptosis in cells responding to specific extrinsic and intrinsic stimuli. Caspase-3 represents an interesting biomarker to evaluate treatment response, as many cancer therapies exert their effect by inducing tumour cell death. Previously developed caspase-3 PET tracers were unable to reach routine clinical use due to low tumour uptake or lack of target selectivity, which are two important requirements for effective treatment response evaluation in cancer patients. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop and preclinically evaluate novel caspase-3-selective activity-based probes (ABPs) for apoptosis imaging. RESULTS A library of caspase-3-selective ABPs was developed for tumour apoptosis detection. In a first attempt, the inhibitor Ac-DW3-KE (Ac-3Pal-Asp-βhLeu-Phe-Asp-KE) was 18F-labelled on the N-terminus to generate a radiotracer that was incapable of adequately detecting an increase in apoptosis in vivo. The inability to effectively detect active caspase-3 in vivo was likely attributable to slow binding, as demonstrated with in vitro inhibition kinetics. Hence, a second generation of caspase-3 selective ABPs was developed based on the Ac-ATS010-KE (Ac-3Pal-Asp-Phe(F5)-Phe-Asp-KE) with greatly improved binding kinetics over Ac-DW3-KE. Our probes based on Ac-ATS010-KE were made by modifying the N-terminus with 6 different linkers. All the linker modifications had limited effect on the binding kinetics, target selectivity, and pharmacokinetic profile in healthy mice. In an in vitro apoptosis model, the least hydrophilic tracer [18F]MICA-316 showed an increased uptake in apoptotic cells in comparison to the control group. Finally, [18F]MICA-316 was tested in an in vivo colorectal cancer model, where it showed a limited tumour uptake and was unable to discriminate treated tumours from the untreated group, despite demonstrating that the radiotracer was able to bind caspase-3 in complex mixtures in vitro. In contrast, the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-binding radiotracer [99mTc]Tc-duramycin was able to recognize the increased cell death in the disease model, making it the best performing treatment response assessment tracer developed thus far. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, a novel library of caspase-3-binding PET tracers retaining similar binding kinetics as the original inhibitor was developed. The most promising tracer, [18F]MICA-316, showed an increase uptake in an in vitro apoptosis model and was able to selectively bind caspase-3 in apoptotic tumour cells. In order to distinguish therapy-responsive from non-responsive tumours, the next generation of caspase-3-selective ABPs will be developed with higher tumour accumulation and in vivo stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Lauwerys
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lucas Beroske
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Angelo Solania
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Christel Vangestel
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alan Miranda
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nele Van Giel
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Karuna Adhikari
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anne-Marie Lambeir
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Leonie Wyffels
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dennis Wolan
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Filipe Elvas
- Molecular Imaging and Radiology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Castellón JO, Ofori S, Burton NR, Julio AR, Turmon AC, Armenta E, Sandoval C, Boatner LM, Takayoshi EE, Faragalla M, Taylor C, Zhou AL, Tran K, Shek J, Yan T, Desai HS, Fregoso OI, Damoiseaux R, Backus KM. Chemoproteomics Identifies State-Dependent and Proteoform-Selective Caspase-2 Inhibitors. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:14972-14988. [PMID: 38787738 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Caspases are a highly conserved family of cysteine-aspartyl proteases known for their essential roles in regulating apoptosis, inflammation, cell differentiation, and proliferation. Complementary to genetic approaches, small-molecule probes have emerged as useful tools for modulating caspase activity. However, due to the high sequence and structure homology of all 12 human caspases, achieving selectivity remains a central challenge for caspase-directed small-molecule inhibitor development efforts. Here, using mass spectrometry-based chemoproteomics, we first identify a highly reactive noncatalytic cysteine that is unique to caspase-2. By combining both gel-based activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) and a tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease activation assay, we then identify covalent lead compounds that react preferentially with this cysteine and afford a complete blockade of caspase-2 activity. Inhibitory activity is restricted to the zymogen or precursor form of monomeric caspase-2. Focused analogue synthesis combined with chemoproteomic target engagement analysis in cellular lysates and in cells yielded both pan-caspase-reactive molecules and caspase-2 selective lead compounds together with a structurally matched inactive control. Application of this focused set of tool compounds to stratify the functions of the zymogen and partially processed (p32) forms of caspase-2 provide evidence to support that caspase-2-mediated response to DNA damage is largely driven by the partially processed p32 form of the enzyme. More broadly, our study highlights future opportunities for the development of proteoform-selective caspase inhibitors that target nonconserved and noncatalytic cysteine residues.
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Affiliation(s)
- José O Castellón
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Samuel Ofori
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Nikolas R Burton
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Ashley R Julio
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Alexandra C Turmon
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Ernest Armenta
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Carina Sandoval
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Lisa M Boatner
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Evan E Takayoshi
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Marina Faragalla
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Cameron Taylor
- California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Ann L Zhou
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Ky Tran
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Jeremy Shek
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Tianyang Yan
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Heta S Desai
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Oliver I Fregoso
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Robert Damoiseaux
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, Samueli School of Engineering, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Keriann M Backus
- Biological Chemistry Department, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- DOE Institute for Genomics and Proteomics, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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3
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Boateng ST, Roy T, Torrey K, Owunna U, Banang-Mbeumi S, Basnet D, Niedda E, Alexander AD, Hage DE, Atchimnaidu S, Nagalo BM, Aryal D, Findley A, Seeram NP, Efimova T, Sechi M, Hill RA, Ma H, Chamcheu JC, Murru S. Synthesis, in silico modelling, and in vitro biological evaluation of substituted pyrazole derivatives as potential anti-skin cancer, anti-tyrosinase, and antioxidant agents. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2205042. [PMID: 37184042 PMCID: PMC10187093 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2205042] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Twenty-five azole compounds (P1-P25) were synthesised using regioselective base-metal catalysed and microwave-assisted approaches, fully characterised by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and infrared spectra (IR) analyses, and evaluated for anticancer, anti-tyrosinase, and anti-oxidant activities in silico and in vitro. P25 exhibited potent anticancer activity against cells of four skin cancer (SC) lines, with selectivity for melanoma (A375, SK-Mel-28) or non-melanoma (A431, SCC-12) SC cells over non-cancerous HaCaT-keratinocytes. Clonogenic, scratch-wound, and immunoblotting assay data were consistent with anti-proliferative results, expression profiling therewith implicating intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis activation. In a mushroom tyrosinase inhibition assay, P14 was most potent among the compounds (half-maximal inhibitory concentration where 50% of cells are dead, IC50 15.9 μM), with activity greater than arbutin and kojic acid. Also, P6 exhibited noteworthy free radical-scavenging activity. Furthermore, in silico docking and absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) simulations predicted prominent-phenotypic actives to engage diverse cancer/hyperpigmentation-related targets with relatively high affinities. Altogether, promising early-stage hits were identified - some with multiple activities - warranting further hit-to-lead optimisation chemistry with further biological evaluations, towards identifying new skin-cancer and skin-pigmentation renormalising agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel T. Boateng
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Tithi Roy
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Kara Torrey
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Uchechi Owunna
- School of Sciences, College of Arts, Education and Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Sergette Banang-Mbeumi
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
- School of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences, Louisiana Delta Community College, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - David Basnet
- School of Sciences, College of Arts, Education and Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Eleonora Niedda
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Alexis D. Alexander
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Denzel El Hage
- School of Sciences, College of Arts, Education and Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Siriki Atchimnaidu
- School of Sciences, College of Arts, Education and Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Bolni Marius Nagalo
- Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Little Rock, AR, USA
- The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, UAMS, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Dinesh Aryal
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Affairs and Research, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Ann Findley
- School of Sciences, College of Arts, Education and Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Navindra P. Seeram
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Tatiana Efimova
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mario Sechi
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Ronald A. Hill
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Hang Ma
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA
| | - Jean Christopher Chamcheu
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
| | - Siva Murru
- School of Sciences, College of Arts, Education and Sciences, University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA, USA
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4
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Castellón JO, Ofori S, Armenta E, Burton N, Boatner LM, Takayoshi EE, Faragalla M, Zhou A, Tran K, Shek J, Yan T, Desai HS, Backus KM. Chemoproteomics identifies proteoform-selective caspase-2 inhibitors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.25.563785. [PMID: 37961563 PMCID: PMC10634807 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.25.563785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Caspases are a highly conserved family of cysteine-aspartyl proteases known for their essential roles in regulating apoptosis, inflammation, cell differentiation, and proliferation. Complementary to genetic approaches, small-molecule probes have emerged as useful tools for modulating caspase activity. However, due to the high sequence and structure homology of all twelve human caspases, achieving selectivity remains a central challenge for caspase-directed small-molecule inhibitor development efforts. Here, using mass spectrometry-based chemoproteomics, we first identify a highly reactive non-catalytic cysteine that is unique to caspase-2. By combining both gel-based activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) and a tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease activation assay, we then identify covalent lead compounds that react preferentially with this cysteine and afford a complete blockade of caspase-2 activity. Inhibitory activity is restricted to the zymogen or precursor form of monomeric caspase-2. Focused analogue synthesis combined with chemoproteomic target engagement analysis in cellular lysates and in cells yielded both pan-caspase reactive molecules and caspase-2 selective lead compounds together with a structurally matched inactive control. Application of this focused set of tool compounds to stratify caspase contributions to initiation of intrinsic apoptosis, supports compensatory caspase-9 activity in the context of caspase-2 inactivation. More broadly, our study highlights future opportunities for the development of proteoform-selective caspase inhibitors that target non-conserved and non-catalytic cysteine residues.
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5
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Liang Y, Zhu M, Xu T, Ding W, Chen M, Wang Y, Zheng J. A Novel Betulinic Acid Analogue: Synthesis, Solubility, Antitumor Activity and Pharmacokinetic Study in Rats. Molecules 2023; 28:5715. [PMID: 37570685 PMCID: PMC10419975 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155715] [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: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Betulinic acid (BA) and betulin (BE) are naturally pentacyclic triterpenes with documented biological activities, especially antitumor and anti-inflammatory activity. However, their bioavailability in vivo is not satisfactory in terms of medical applications. Thus, to improve the solubility and bioavailability so as to improve the efficacy, 28-O-succinyl betulin (SBE), a succinyl derivative of BE, was synthesized and its solubility, in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activities, the apoptosis pathway as well as the pharmacokinetic properties were investigated. The results showed that SBE exhibited significantly higher solubility in most of the tested solvents, and showed a maximum solubility of 7.19 ± 0.66 g/L in n-butanol. In vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity assays indicated both BA and SBE exhibited good anti-tumor activities, and SBE demonstrated better potential compared to BA. An increase in the ratio of Bad/Bcl-xL and activation of caspase 9 was found in SBE treated Hela cells, suggesting that the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway is involved in SBE induced apoptosis. Compared with BA, SBE showed much-improved absorption and bioavailability in pharmacokinetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucen Liang
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Meixuan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
- Changchun Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Changchun 130011, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Weimin Ding
- School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Min Chen
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
| | - Jian Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Saline-Alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration in Oil Field, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; (Y.L.); (Y.W.)
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Guo Y, Jin S, Song D, Yang T, Hu J, Hu X, Han Q, Zhao J, Guo Z, Wang X. Amlexanox-modified platinum(IV) complex triggers apoptotic and autophagic bimodal death of cancer cells. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 242:114691. [PMID: 36029563 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Platinum(IV) prodrugs c,c,t-[PtCl2(NH3)2(OH)(amlexanox)] (MAP) and c,c,t-[PtCl2(NH3)2(amlexanox)2] (DAP) were synthesized by reacting amlexanox with oxoplatin and characterized by NMR, HR-MS, HPLC, and elemental analysis. The complexes could be reduced to platinum(II) species and amlexanox to exert antitumor activity. Generally, MAP was more potent than DAP and cisplatin towards various human cancer cell lines; particularly, it was active in cisplatin-resistant Caov-3 ovarian cancer and A549/DDP lung cancer cells. MAP induced serious damage to DNA, remarkable change in mitochondrial morphology, decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, and up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein Bax in Caov-3 cells, thereby leading to evident apoptosis. Meanwhile, MAP markedly promoted the autophagic flux, including affecting the expression of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) and autophagy adaptor protein p62 in Caov-3 cells, with an increase in the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I and a decrease in p62, thus trigging the occurrence of autophagy. The MAP-induced bimodal cell death mode is uncommon for platinum complexes, which presents a new possibility to invent anticancer drugs with unique mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Guo
- College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Henan University of Urban Construction, Henan, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Suxing Jin
- School of Food Science and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China.
| | - Dongfan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Tao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Jiyong Hu
- College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Henan University of Urban Construction, Henan, PR China
| | - Xiaowei Hu
- College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Henan University of Urban Construction, Henan, PR China
| | - Qingqing Han
- College of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Henan University of Urban Construction, Henan, PR China
| | - Jin'an Zhao
- College of Chemical Engineering and Dyeing Engineering, Henan University of Engineering, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
| | - Zijian Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Xiaoyong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China.
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7
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Kim HR, Tagirasa R, Yoo E. Covalent Small Molecule Immunomodulators Targeting the Protease Active Site. J Med Chem 2021; 64:5291-5322. [PMID: 33904753 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Cells of the immune system utilize multiple proteases to regulate cell functions and orchestrate innate and adaptive immune responses. Dysregulated protease activities are implicated in many immune-related disorders; thus, protease inhibitors have been actively investigated for pharmaceutical development. Although historically considered challenging with concerns about toxicity, compounds that covalently modify the protease active site represent an important class of agents, emerging not only as chemical probes but also as approved drugs. Here, we provide an overview of technologies useful for the study of proteases with the focus on recent advances in chemoproteomic methods and screening platforms. By highlighting covalent inhibitors that have been designed to target immunomodulatory proteases, we identify opportunities for the development of small molecule immunomodulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Rae Kim
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Ravichandra Tagirasa
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Euna Yoo
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
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8
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Beroske L, Van den Wyngaert T, Stroobants S, Van der Veken P, Elvas F. Molecular Imaging of Apoptosis: The Case of Caspase-3 Radiotracers. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22083948. [PMID: 33920463 PMCID: PMC8069194 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22083948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular imaging of apoptosis remains an important method for the diagnosis and monitoring of the progression of certain diseases and the evaluation of the efficacy of anticancer apoptosis-inducing therapies. Among the multiple biomarkers involved in apoptosis, activated caspase-3 is an attractive target, as it is the most abundant of the executioner caspases. Nuclear imaging is a good candidate, as it combines a high depth of tissue penetration and high sensitivity, features necessary to detect small changes in levels of apoptosis. However, designing a caspase-3 radiotracer comes with challenges, such as selectivity, cell permeability and transient caspase-3 activation. In this review, we discuss the different caspase-3 radiotracers for the imaging of apoptosis together with the challenges of the translation of various apoptosis-imaging strategies in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Beroske
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;
| | - Tim Van den Wyngaert
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
| | - Sigrid Stroobants
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
| | - Pieter Van der Veken
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;
| | - Filipe Elvas
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (L.B.); (T.V.d.W.); (S.S.)
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Antwerp University Hospital, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
- Correspondence:
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9
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Roy T, Boateng ST, Banang-Mbeumi S, Singh PK, Basnet P, Chamcheu RCN, Ladu F, Chauvin I, Spiegelman VS, Hill RA, Kousoulas KG, Nagalo BM, Walker AL, Fotie J, Murru S, Sechi M, Chamcheu JC. Synthesis, inverse docking-assisted identification and in vitro biological characterization of Flavonol-based analogs of fisetin as c-Kit, CDK2 and mTOR inhibitors against melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Bioorg Chem 2021; 107:104595. [PMID: 33450548 PMCID: PMC7870562 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Due to hurdles, including resistance, adverse effects, and poor bioavailability, among others linked with existing therapies, there is an urgent unmet need to devise new, safe, and more effective treatment modalities for skin cancers. Herein, a series of flavonol-based derivatives of fisetin, a plant-based flavonoid identified as an anti-tumorigenic agent targeting the mammalian targets of rapamycin (mTOR)-regulated pathways, were synthesized and fully characterized. New potential inhibitors of receptor tyrosine kinases (c-KITs), cyclin-dependent kinase-2 (CDK2), and mTOR, representing attractive therapeutic targets for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) treatment, were identified using inverse-docking, in vitro kinase activity and various cell-based anticancer screening assays. Eleven compounds exhibited significant inhibitory activities greater than the parent molecule against four human skin cancer cell lines, including melanoma (A375 and SK-Mel-28) and NMSCs (A431 and UWBCC1), with IC50 values ranging from 0.12 to < 15 μM. Seven compounds were identified as potentially potent single, dual or multi-kinase c-KITs, CDK2, and mTOR kinase inhibitors after inverse-docking and screening against twelve known cancer targets, followed by kinase activity profiling. Moreover, the potent compound F20, and the multi-kinase F9 and F17 targeted compounds, markedly decreased scratch wound closure, colony formation, and heightened expression levels of key cancer-promoting pathway molecular targets c-Kit, CDK2, and mTOR. In addition, these compounds downregulated Bcl-2 levels and upregulated Bax and cleaved caspase-3/7/8 and PARP levels, thus inducing apoptosis of A375 and A431 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, compounds F20, F9 and F17, were identified as promising c-Kit, CDK2 and mTOR inhibitors, worthy of further investigation as therapeutics, or as adjuvants to standard therapies for the control of melanoma and NMSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tithi Roy
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA
| | - Samuel T Boateng
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA
| | - Sergette Banang-Mbeumi
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Pratik Basnet
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA
| | - Roxane-Cherille N Chamcheu
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA
| | - Federico Ladu
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Isabel Chauvin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA
| | - Vladimir S Spiegelman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania 17033-0850, USA
| | - Ronald A Hill
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA
| | - Konstantin G Kousoulas
- Division of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA; Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Bolni Marius Nagalo
- Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Mayo Clinic Hospital, 5777 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA
| | - Anthony L Walker
- School of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA
| | - Jean Fotie
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Southeastern Louisiana University, SELU, Hammond, LA 70402-0878, USA
| | - Siva Murru
- Department of Chemistry, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA
| | - Mario Sechi
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Jean Christopher Chamcheu
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Monroe, LA 71209-0497, USA.
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10
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Zhang LS, Xu HL, Xia Y, Bi JP, Zhang CZ, Xi Z, Li LY, Zhang ZS. Real-time monitoring of caspase-3/8 activity by self-assembling nanofiber probes in living cells. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:797-800. [PMID: 33355564 DOI: 10.1039/d0cc07821b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Caspase-3/8 are key members of the cysteine-aspartyl protease family with pivotal roles in apoptosis. We have designed and synthesized self-assembling probes, Nap-GFFpYDEVD-AFC and Nap-GFFpYIETD-AFC, with fluorescence 'turn-on' properties for real-time monitoring of Caspase-3/8 activity in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Song Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, NanKai University, Tianjin 300350, China.
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11
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Feng N, Hu J, Ma Q, Ju H. Mass spectrometric biosensing: Quantitation of multiplex enzymes using single mass probe and fluorous affinity chip. Biosens Bioelectron 2020; 157:112159. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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12
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Yang YQ, Chen H, Liu QS, Sun Y, Gu W. Synthesis and anticancer evaluation of novel 1H-benzo[d]imidazole derivatives of dehydroabietic acid as PI3Kα inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2020; 100:103845. [PMID: 32344183 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is one of the most attractive therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. In this study, a series of new 2-arylthio- and 2-arylamino-1H-benzo[d]imidazole derivatives of dehydroabietic acid were designed, synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and MS spectra analyses. In the in vitro anticancer assay, some title compounds showed significant inhibitory activities against four cancer cell lines (HCT-116, MCF-7, HeLa and HepG2). Among them, compound 9g exhibited the most potent activity with IC50 values of 0.18 ± 0.03, 0.43 ± 0.05, 0.71 ± 0.08 and 0.63 ± 0.09 μM against four cancer cell lines, and considerably lower cytotoxicity to human gastric mucosal cell line Ges-1 (IC50: 21.95 ± 0.73 μM). Besides, compound 9g displayed a certain selective activity to PI3Kα (IC50 = 0.012 ± 0.002 μM) over PI3Kβ, γ and δ, and meanwhile, it can remarkably decrease the expression level of p-Akt (Ser473). In addition, compound 9g could increase intracellular reactive oxygen species level, decrease mitochondrial membrane potential, upregulate Bax and cleaved caspase-3/9 levels, downregulate Bcl-2 level and thus induce the apoptosis of HCT-116 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggested that compound 9g could be considered as a promising PI3Kα inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Qun Yang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Hao Chen
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Qing-Song Liu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Yue Sun
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Wen Gu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China.
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13
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Xu JH, Eberhardt J, Hill-Payne B, González-Páez GE, Castellón JO, Cravatt BF, Forli S, Wolan DW, Backus KM. Integrative X-ray Structure and Molecular Modeling for the Rationalization of Procaspase-8 Inhibitor Potency and Selectivity. ACS Chem Biol 2020; 15:575-586. [PMID: 31927936 PMCID: PMC7370820 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Caspases are a critical class of proteases involved in regulating programmed cell death and other biological processes. Selective inhibitors of individual caspases, however, are lacking, due in large part to the high structural similarity found in the active sites of these enzymes. We recently discovered a small-molecule inhibitor, 63-R, that covalently binds the zymogen, or inactive precursor (pro-form), of caspase-8, but not other caspases, pointing to an untapped potential of procaspases as targets for chemical probes. Realizing this goal would benefit from a structural understanding of how small molecules bind to and inhibit caspase zymogens. There have, however, been very few reported procaspase structures. Here, we employ X-ray crystallography to elucidate a procaspase-8 crystal structure in complex with 63-R, which reveals large conformational changes in active-site loops that accommodate the intramolecular cleavage events required for protease activation. Combining these structural insights with molecular modeling and mutagenesis-based biochemical assays, we elucidate key interactions required for 63-R inhibition of procaspase-8. Our findings inform the mechanism of caspase activation and its disruption by small molecules and, more generally, have implications for the development of small molecule inhibitors and/or activators that target alternative (e.g., inactive precursor) protein states to ultimately expand the druggable proteome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice H. Xu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Jerome Eberhardt
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Brianna Hill-Payne
- Departments of Biological Chemistry and Chemistry and Biochemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Gonzalo E. González-Páez
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - José Omar Castellón
- Departments of Biological Chemistry and Chemistry and Biochemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Benjamin F. Cravatt
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Stefano Forli
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Dennis W. Wolan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Department of Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Keriann M. Backus
- Departments of Biological Chemistry and Chemistry and Biochemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095
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14
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Elvas F, Vanden Berghe T, Adriaenssens Y, Vandenabeele P, Augustyns K, Staelens S, Stroobants S, Van der Veken P, Wyffels L. Caspase-3 probes for PET imaging of apoptotic tumor response to anticancer therapy. Org Biomol Chem 2020; 17:4801-4824. [PMID: 31033991 DOI: 10.1039/c9ob00657e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a highly regulated process involved in the normal organism development and homeostasis. In the context of anticancer therapy, apoptosis is also studied intensively in an attempt to induce cell death in cancer cells. Caspase activation is a known key event in the apoptotic process. In particular, active caspase-3 and -7 are the common effectors in several apoptotic pathways, therefore effector caspase activation may be a promising biomarker for response evaluation to anticancer therapy. Quantitative imaging of apoptosis in vivo could provide early assessment of therapeutic effectiveness and could also be used in drug development to evaluate the efficacy as well as potential toxicity of novel treatments. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a highly sensitive molecular imaging modality that allows non-invasive in vivo imaging of biological processes such as apoptosis by using radiolabeled probes. Here we describe the development and evaluation of fluorine-18-labeled caspase-3 activity-based probes (ABPs) for PET imaging of apoptosis. ABPs were selected by screening of a small library of fluorine-19-labeled DEVD peptides containing different electrophilic warhead groups. An acyloxymethyl ketone was identified with low nanomolar affinity for caspase-3 and was radiolabeled with fluorine-18. The resulting radiotracer, [18F]MICA-302, showed good labeling of active caspase-3 in vitro and favorable pharmacokinetic properties. A μPET imaging experiment in colorectal tumor xenografts demonstrated an increased tumor accumulation of [18F]MICA-302 in drug-treated versus control animals. Therefore, our data suggest this radiotracer may be useful for clinical PET imaging of response to anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Elvas
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
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15
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Chen H, Qiao C, Miao TT, Li AL, Wang WY, Gu W. Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel N-(piperazin-1-yl)alkyl-1 H-dibenzo[ a, c]carbazole derivatives of dehydroabietic acid as potential MEK inhibitors. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2020; 34:1544-1561. [PMID: 31448648 PMCID: PMC6720511 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2019.1655407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper, a series of novel 1H-dibenzo[a,c]carbazole derivatives of dehydroabietic acid bearing different N-(piperazin-1-yl)alkyl side chains were designed, synthesised and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activities against three human hepatocarcinoma cell lines (SMMC-7721, HepG2 and Hep3B). Among them, compound 10g exhibited the most potent activity against three cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 1.39 ± 0.13, 0.51 ± 0.09 and 0.73 ± 0.08 µM, respectively. In the kinase inhibition assay, compound 10g could significantly inhibit MEK1 kinase activity with IC50 of 0.11 ± 0.02 µM, which was confirmed by western blot analysis and molecular docking study. In addition, compound 10g could elevate the intracellular ROS levels, decrease mitochondrial membrane potential, destroy the cell membrane integrity, and finally lead to the oncosis and apoptosis of HepG2 cells. Therefore, compound 10g could be a potent MEK inhibitor and a promising anticancer agent worthy of further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Chen
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University , Nanjing , PR China
| | - Chao Qiao
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University , Nanjing , PR China
| | - Ting-Ting Miao
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University , Nanjing , PR China
| | - A-Liang Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University , Nanjing , PR China
| | - Wen-Yan Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University , Nanjing , PR China
| | - Wen Gu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Inovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University , Nanjing , PR China
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16
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Jiao JB, Wang GZ, Hu XL, Zang Y, Maisonneuve S, Sedgwick AC, Sessler JL, Xie J, Li J, He XP, Tian H. Cyclodextrin-Based Peptide Self-Assemblies (Spds) That Enhance Peptide-Based Fluorescence Imaging and Antimicrobial Efficacy. J Am Chem Soc 2020; 142:1925-1932. [PMID: 31884796 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b11207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
As a result of their high specificity for their corresponding biological targets, peptides have shown significant potential in a range of diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, their widespread use has been limited by their minimal cell permeability and stability in biological milieus. We describe here a hepta-dicyanomethylene-4H-pyran appended β-cyclodextrin (DCM7-β-CD) that acts as a delivery enhancing "host" for 1-bromonaphthalene-modified peptides, as demonstrated with peptide probes P1-P4. Interaction between the fluorescent peptides P1-P3 and DCM7-β-CD results in the hierarchical formation of unique supramolecular architectures, which we term supramolecular-peptide-dots (Spds). Each Spd (Spd-1, Spd-2, and Spd-3) was found to facilitate the intracellular delivery of the constituent fluorescent probes (P1-P3), thus allowing spatiotemporal imaging of an apoptosis biomarker (caspase-3) and mitosis. Spd-4, incorporating the antimicrobial peptide P4, was found to provide an enhanced therapeutic benefit against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria relative to P4 alone. In addition, a fluorescent Spd-4 was prepared, which revealed greater bacterial cellular uptake compared to the peptide alone (P4-FITC) in E. coli. (ATCC 25922) and S. aureus (ATCC 25923). This latter observation supports the suggestion that the Spd platform reported here has the ability to facilitate the delivery of a therapeutic peptide and provides an easy-to-implement strategy for enhancing the antimicrobial efficacy of known therapeutic peptides. The present findings thus serve to highlight a new and effective supramolecular delivery approach that is potentially generalizable to overcome limitations associated with functional peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Biao Jiao
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering , East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Rd. , Shanghai 200237 , P. R. China.,Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, PPSM , 61 av President Wilson , F-94235 Cachan , France
| | - Guan-Zhen Wang
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 189 Guo Shoujing Rd. , Shanghai 201203 , P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 19A Yuquan Rd. , Beijing 100049 , P. R. China
| | - Xi-Le Hu
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering , East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Rd. , Shanghai 200237 , P. R. China
| | - Yi Zang
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 189 Guo Shoujing Rd. , Shanghai 201203 , P. R. China
| | - Stéphane Maisonneuve
- Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, PPSM , 61 av President Wilson , F-94235 Cachan , France
| | - Adam C Sedgwick
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Texas at Austin , 105 East 24th Street-A5300 , Austin , Texas 78712-1224 , United States
| | - Jonathan L Sessler
- Department of Chemistry , The University of Texas at Austin , 105 East 24th Street-A5300 , Austin , Texas 78712-1224 , United States
| | - Juan Xie
- Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, PPSM , 61 av President Wilson , F-94235 Cachan , France
| | - Jia Li
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica , Chinese Academy of Sciences , 189 Guo Shoujing Rd. , Shanghai 201203 , P. R. China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 19A Yuquan Rd. , Beijing 100049 , P. R. China.,Open Studio for Druggability Research of Marine Natural Products Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao) , 1 Wenhai Rd. , Aoshanwei , Jimo, Qingdao 266237 , P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Peng He
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering , East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Rd. , Shanghai 200237 , P. R. China
| | - He Tian
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Joint International Research Laboratory of Precision Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering , East China University of Science and Technology , 130 Meilong Rd. , Shanghai 200237 , P. R. China
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17
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Jin XY, Chen H, Li DD, Li AL, Wang WY, Gu W. Design, synthesis, and anticancer evaluation of novel quinoline derivatives of ursolic acid with hydrazide, oxadiazole, and thiadiazole moieties as potent MEK inhibitors. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2019; 34:955-972. [PMID: 31072147 PMCID: PMC6522941 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2019.1605364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In this article, a series of novel quinoline derivatives of ursolic acid (UA) bearing hydrazide, oxadiazole, or thiadiazole moieties were designed, synthesised, and screened for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against three cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, HeLa, and SMMC-7721). A number of compounds showed significant activity against at least one cell line. Among them, compound 4d exhibited the most potent activity against three cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 0.12 ± 0.01, 0.08 ± 0.01, and 0.34 ± 0.03 μM, respectively. In particular, compound 4d could induce the apoptosis of HeLa cells, arrest cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase, elevate intracellular reactive oxygen species level, and decrease mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, compound 4d could significantly inhibit MEK1 kinase activity and impede Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK transduction pathway. Therefore, compound 4d may be a potential anticancer agent and a promising lead worthy of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yan Jin
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Innovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Hao Chen
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Innovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Dong-Dong Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Innovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - A-Liang Li
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Innovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Wen-Yan Wang
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Innovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Wen Gu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-forest Biomass, Jiangsu Key Lab of Biomass-Based Green Fuels and Chemicals, Co-Innovation Center for Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Products, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, PR China
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18
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Solania A, González-Páez GE, Wolan DW. Selective and Rapid Cell-Permeable Inhibitor of Human Caspase-3. ACS Chem Biol 2019; 14:2463-2470. [PMID: 31334631 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Individual roles and overlapping functionalities of 12 human caspases during apoptosis and other cellular processes remain poorly resolved primarily due to a lack of chemical tools. Here we present a new selective caspase-3 inhibitor, termed Ac-ATS010-KE, with rapid and irreversible binding kinetics. Relative to previously designed caspase-3-selective molecules that have tremendously abated inhibitory rates and thus limited use in biological settings, the improved kinetics of Ac-ATS010-KE permits its use in a cell-based capacity. We demonstrate that Ac-ATS010-KE prevents apoptosis with comparable efficacy to the general caspase inhibitor Ac-DEVD-KE and surprisingly does so without side-chain methylation. This observation is in contrast to the well-established peptide modification strategy typically employed for improving cellular permeability. Ac-ATS010-KE protects against extrinsic apoptosis, which demonstrates the utility of a thiophene carboxylate leaving group in biological settings, challenges the requisite neutralization of free carboxylic acids to improve cell permeability, and provides a tool-like compound to interrogate the role of caspase-3 in a variety of cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Solania
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Gonzalo E. González-Páez
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Dennis W. Wolan
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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19
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Pham B, Eron SJ, Hill ME, Li X, Fahie MA, Hardy JA, Chen M. A Nanopore Approach for Analysis of Caspase-7 Activity in Cell Lysates. Biophys J 2019; 117:844-855. [PMID: 31427065 PMCID: PMC6731459 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspases are an important protease family that coordinate inflammation and programmed cell death. Two closely related caspases, caspase-3 and caspase-7, exhibit largely overlapping substrate specificities. Assessing their proteolytic activities individually has therefore proven extremely challenging. Here, we constructed an outer membrane protein G (OmpG) nanopore with a caspase substrate sequence DEVDG grafted into one of the OmpG loops. Cleavage of the substrate sequence in the nanopore by caspase-7 generated a characteristic signal in the current recording of the OmpG nanopore that allowed the determination of the activity of caspase-7 in Escherichia coli cell lysates. Our approach may provide a framework for the activity-based profiling of proteases that share highly similar substrate specificity spectrums.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bach Pham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Scott J Eron
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Maureen E Hill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Monifa A Fahie
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Jeanne A Hardy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts.
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20
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Backus KM, Cao J, Maddox SM. Opportunities and challenges for the development of covalent chemical immunomodulators. Bioorg Med Chem 2019; 27:3421-3439. [PMID: 31204229 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2019.05.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Compounds that react irreversibly with cysteines have reemerged as potent and selective tools for altering protein function, serving as chemical probes and even clinically approved drugs. The exquisite sensitivity of human immune cell signaling pathways to oxidative stress indicates the likely, yet still underexploited, general utility of covalent probes for selective chemical immunomodulation. Here, we provide an overview of immunomodulatory cysteines, including identification of electrophilic compounds available to label these residues. We focus our discussion on three protein classes essential for cell signaling, which span the 'druggability' spectrum from amenable to chemical probes (kinases), somewhat druggable (proteases), to inaccessible (phosphatases). Using existing inhibitors as a guide, we identify general strategies to guide the development of covalent probes for selected undruggable classes of proteins and propose the application of such compounds to alter immune cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keriann M Backus
- Departments of Biological Chemistry and Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, USA.
| | - Jian Cao
- Departments of Biological Chemistry and Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, USA
| | - Sean M Maddox
- Departments of Biological Chemistry and Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Los Angeles, USA
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21
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Hua S, Chen F, Xu G, Gou S. Multifunctional platinum(IV) complexes as immunostimulatory agents to promote cancer immunochemotherapy by inhibiting tryptophan-2,3-dioxygenase. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 169:29-41. [PMID: 30852385 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.02.063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidences suggested that cisplatin can be involved in a tumor-specific immune response as an immunomodulator to improve antitumor immunity, but the designation and development are limited. Here, we report a series of novel Pt(IV) complexes derived from the conjugation of platinum(II) anticancer agents with an immune checkpoint TDO inhibitor. These complexes not only showed significant cytotoxic effects on the tested cancer cell lines, but also could enhance antitumor immune response. Particularly, complex T2, the mono-conjuagte of oxoplatin and (E)-4-oxo-4-(3-(2-(pyridin-3-yl)vinyl)-1H-indol-1-yl)butanoic acid, displayed 35-fold more potency than cisplatin against TDO-overexpressed HepG-2 cancer cells. Further study indicated that T2 could inhibit TDO via releasing a derivative of a TDO inhibitor and block kynurenine production, resulting in T-cell activation and proliferation in vitro. In vivo tests proved that T2 as a potent immunomodulator could highly promote the antitumor activity of cisplatin and effectively suppress the expression of TDO. This immunochemotherapeutic strategy can be promisingly applied to treat with TDO-overexpressed cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shixian Hua
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Feihong Chen
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Gang Xu
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Shaohua Gou
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
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22
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Guo Y, Zhang S, Yuan H, Song D, Jin S, Guo Z, Wang X. A platinum(iv) prodrug to defeat breast cancer through disrupting vasculature and inhibiting metastasis. Dalton Trans 2019; 48:3571-3575. [DOI: 10.1039/c9dt00335e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A PtIV prodrug bearing a vascular disrupting agent demonstrates antiangiogenic and antimetastatic potentialities against metastatic triple-negative breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Nanjing University
- Nanjing 210023
- P. R. China
| | - Shuren Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Nanjing University
- Nanjing 210023
- P. R. China
| | - Hao Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Nanjing University
- Nanjing 210023
- P. R. China
| | - Dongfan Song
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Nanjing University
- Nanjing 210023
- P. R. China
| | - Suxing Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
- School of Life Sciences
- Nanjing University
- Nanjing 210023
- P. R. China
| | - Zijian Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
- Nanjing University
- Nanjing 210023
- P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
- School of Life Sciences
- Nanjing University
- Nanjing 210023
- P. R. China
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23
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Rybczynska AA, Boersma HH, de Jong S, Gietema JA, Noordzij W, Dierckx RAJO, Elsinga PH, van Waarde A. Avenues to molecular imaging of dying cells: Focus on cancer. Med Res Rev 2018. [PMID: 29528513 PMCID: PMC6220832 DOI: 10.1002/med.21495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Successful treatment of cancer patients requires balancing of the dose, timing, and type of therapeutic regimen. Detection of increased cell death may serve as a predictor of the eventual therapeutic success. Imaging of cell death may thus lead to early identification of treatment responders and nonresponders, and to “patient‐tailored therapy.” Cell death in organs and tissues of the human body can be visualized, using positron emission tomography or single‐photon emission computed tomography, although unsolved problems remain concerning target selection, tracer pharmacokinetics, target‐to‐nontarget ratio, and spatial and temporal resolution of the scans. Phosphatidylserine exposure by dying cells has been the most extensively studied imaging target. However, visualization of this process with radiolabeled Annexin A5 has not become routine in the clinical setting. Classification of death modes is no longer based only on cell morphology but also on biochemistry, and apoptosis is no longer found to be the preponderant mechanism of cell death after antitumor therapy, as was earlier believed. These conceptual changes have affected radiochemical efforts. Novel probes targeting changes in membrane permeability, cytoplasmic pH, mitochondrial membrane potential, or caspase activation have recently been explored. In this review, we discuss molecular changes in tumors which can be targeted to visualize cell death and we propose promising biomarkers for future exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Rybczynska
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Genetics, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Hendrikus H Boersma
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Steven de Jong
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jourik A Gietema
- Department of Medical Oncology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Walter Noordzij
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Rudi A J O Dierckx
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Philip H Elsinga
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Aren van Waarde
- Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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24
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Huang X, Hua S, Huang R, Liu Z, Gou S, Wang Z, Liao Z, Wang H. Dual-targeting antitumor hybrids derived from Pt(IV) species and millepachine analogues. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 148:1-25. [PMID: 29448138 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 02/04/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Many strategies have been developed to circumvent the shortcomings of Pt(II)-based chemotherapy, but the inherent problems still have not been effectively resolved. Here we report a new series of dual-targeting Pt(IV) prodrugs, conjugates of millepachine analogues with the related Pt(IV) complexes derived from cisplatin or oxaliplatin, respectively, which can inhibit tubulin polymerization and induce DNA damage. Among them, compound 19 possessed excellent antitumor activities against the tested human cancer cell lines, and arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phases and ultimately induced cell apoptosis. Interestingly, its low cytotoxicity toward two human normal cells and sensitivity toward two cisplatin-resistant cells revealed the possibility for cancer therapy. More importantly, 19 displayed excellent antitumor efficacy in the SK-OV-3 xenograft model better than cisplatin and the corresponding millepachine analogue. Our research provided an efficient strategy for multi-targeting antitumor drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochao Huang
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Shixian Hua
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Rizhen Huang
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Zhikun Liu
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Shaohua Gou
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China.
| | - Zhimei Wang
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Zhixin Liao
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Hengshan Wang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China.
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25
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Adriaenssens Y, Jiménez Fernández D, Vande Walle L, Elvas F, Joossens J, Lambeir A, Augustyns K, Lamkanfi M, Van der Veken P. Carboxylate isosteres for caspase inhibitors: the acylsulfonamide case revisited. Org Biomol Chem 2017; 15:7456-7473. [PMID: 28837200 DOI: 10.1039/c7ob01403a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
As part of an ongoing effort to discover inhibitors of caspase-1 with an optimized selectivity and biopharmaceutical profile, acylsulfonamides were explored as carboxylate isosteres for caspase inhibitors. Acylsulfonamide analogues of the clinically investigated caspase-1 inhibitor VRT-043198 and of the pan-caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-CHO were synthesized. The isostere-containing analogues with an aldehyde warhead had inhibitory potencies comparable to the carboxylate references. In addition, the conformational and tautomeric characteristics of these molecules were determined using 1H- and 13C-based NMR. The propensity of acylsulfonamides with an aldehyde warhead to occur in a ring-closed conformation at physiological pH significantly increases the sensitivity to hydrolysis of the acylsulfonamide moiety, yielding the parent carboxylate containing inhibitors. These results indicate that the acylsulfonamide analogues of the aldehyde-based inhibitor VRT-043198 might have potential as a novel type of prodrug for the latter. Finally, inhibition of caspase 1 and 11 mediated inflammation in mouse macrophages was found to correlate with the potencies of the compounds in enzymatic assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Adriaenssens
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
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26
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Multicolor imaging of hydrogen peroxide level in living and apoptotic cells by a single fluorescent probe. Biosens Bioelectron 2017; 91:115-121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2016.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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27
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Kasperkiewicz P, Poreba M, Groborz K, Drag M. Emerging challenges in the design of selective substrates, inhibitors and activity-based probes for indistinguishable proteases. FEBS J 2017; 284:1518-1539. [PMID: 28052575 PMCID: PMC7164106 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Revised: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Proteases are enzymes that hydrolyze the peptide bond of peptide substrates and proteins. Despite significant progress in recent years, one of the greatest challenges in the design and testing of substrates, inhibitors and activity‐based probes for proteolytic enzymes is achieving specificity toward only one enzyme. This specificity is particularly important if the enzyme is present with other enzymes with a similar catalytic mechanism and substrate specificity but completely different functionality. The cross‐reactivity of substrates, inhibitors and activity‐based probes with other enzymes can significantly impair or even prevent investigations of a target protease. In this review, we describe important concepts and the latest challenges, focusing mainly on peptide‐based substrate specificity techniques used to distinguish individual enzymes within major protease families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Kasperkiewicz
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
| | - Marcin Poreba
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Groborz
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
| | - Marcin Drag
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
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28
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Zhang B, Huang R, Hua J, Liang H, Pan Y, Dai L, Liang D, Wang H. Antitumor lignanamides from the aerial parts of Corydalis saxicola. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2016; 23:1599-1609. [PMID: 27823624 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer is one of the leading cause of unnatural death globally. There is still a great need for effective anticancer agents from plant sources. Corydalis saxicola Bunting is a medicinal plant that is traditionally used to treat various diseases in southwest China. Previous phytochemical investigations of C. saxicola have focused on isoquinoline alkaloids that have been isolated, which have activity against anti-hepatitis B virus and inhibit DNA topoisomerase I. However, the exploration of other classes of constituents and their bioactivities needs further study. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate the antitumor activity of isolated lignanamides as well as their detailed cellular proliferation, suppression, and cytotoxic mechanisms. METHODS Herbs were extracted and constituents were purified by chromatographic separation, including silica gel, ODS, MCI, Sephadex LH-20 and Preparative HPLC. The compound structures were elucidated by the use of UV, IR, NMR and MS spectral data. The cytotoxicity effects of all compounds from the MGC-803, HepG2, T24, NCI-H460, Spca-2, and HL-7702 cell lines were studied by MTT assays. The induction of apoptosis by corydalisin C was investigated using acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, Hoechst 33,258 staining, JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential staining and flow cytometry. RESULTS Three new lignanamides, together with five known analogues, were isolated from the aerial parts of C. saxicola. Corydalisin C possessed the most potent inhibitory effects, with an IC50 value of 8.81 ± 2.05µM against MGC-803 cells. SAR analysis showed that the sterics and chirality of lignanamides play a crucial role in pharmacologically relevant events. The antitumor activity was possibly due to the induction of cell apoptosis. Western blot experiments demonstrated that corydalisin C may induce apoptosis through both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways, accompanied by down-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 and FasL in a time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION This study provides evidence that a lignanamide from the ethyl acetate extract of whole plants of C. saxicola showing potential in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Rizhen Huang
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Hua
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Hong Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Yingming Pan
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Lumei Dai
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China
| | - Dong Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
| | - Hengshan Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, China.
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29
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Proteome-wide covalent ligand discovery in native biological systems. Nature 2016; 534:570-4. [PMID: 27309814 PMCID: PMC4919207 DOI: 10.1038/nature18002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 592] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Small molecules are powerful tools for investigating protein function and can serve as leads for new therapeutics. Most human proteins, however, lack small-molecule ligands, and entire protein classes are considered “undruggable” 1,2. Fragment-based ligand discovery (FBLD) can identify small-molecule probes for proteins that have proven difficult to target using high-throughput screening of complex compound libraries 1,3. Although reversibly binding ligands are commonly pursued, covalent fragments provide an alternative route to small-molecule probes 4–10, including those that can access regions of proteins that are difficult to access through binding affinity alone 5,10,11. In this manuscript, we report a quantitative analysis of cysteine-reactive small-molecule fragments screened against thousands of proteins. Covalent ligands were identified for >700 cysteines found in both druggable proteins and proteins deficient in chemical probes, including transcription factors, adaptor/scaffolding proteins, and uncharacterized proteins. Among the atypical ligand-protein interactions discovered were compounds that react preferentially with pro- (inactive) caspases. We used these ligands to distinguish extrinsic apoptosis pathways in human cell lines versus primary human T-cells, showing that the former is largely mediated by caspase-8 while the latter depends on both caspase-8 and −10. Fragment-based covalent ligand discovery provides a greatly expanded portrait of the ligandable proteome and furnishes compounds that can illuminate protein functions in native biological systems.
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30
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Abstract
Enzymes are essential for life, especially in the development of disease and on drug effects, but as we cannot yet directly observe the inside interactions and only partially observe biochemical outcomes, tools "translating" these processes into readable information are essential for better understanding of enzymes as well as for developing effective tools to fight against diseases. Therefore, sensitive small molecule probes suitable for direct in vivo monitoring of enzyme activities are ultimately desirable. For fulfilling this desire, two-photon small molecule enzymatic probes (TSMEPs) producing amplified fluorescent signals based on enzymatic conversion with better photophysical properties and deeper penetration in intact tissues and whole animals have been developed and demonstrated to be powerful in addressing the issues described above. Nonetheless, currently available TSMEPs only cover a small portion of enzymes despite the distinct advantages of two-photon fluorescence microscopy. In this Account, we would like to share design principles for TSMEPs as potential indicators of certain pathology-related biomarkers together with their applications in disease models to inspire more elegant work to be done in this area. Highlights will be addressed on how to equip two-photon fluorescent probes with features amenable for direct assessment of enzyme activities in complex pathological environments. We give three recent examples from our laboratory and collaborations in which TSMEPs are applied to visualize the distribution and activity of enzymes at cellular and organism levels. The first example shows that we could distinguish endogenous phosphatase activity in different organelles; the second illustrates that TSMEP is suitable for specific and sensitive detection of a potential Parkinson's disease marker (monoamine oxidase B) in a variety of biological systems from cells to patient samples, and the third identifies that TSMEPs can be applied to other enzyme families (proteases). Indeed, TSMEPs have helped to uncover new biological roles and functions of a series of enzymes; therefore, we hope to encourage more TSMEPs to be developed for diverse enzymes. Meanwhile, improvements in the TSMEP properties (such as new two-photon fluorophores with longer excitation and emission wavelengths and strategies allowing high specificity) are also indispensable for producing high-fidelity information inside biological systems. We are enthusiastic however that, with these efforts and wider applications of TSMEPs in both research studies and further clinical diagnoses, comprehensive knowledge of enzyme contributions to various physiologies will be obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linghui Qian
- Department
of Chemistry, National University of Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Lin Li
- Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics (KLOFE) & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing Tech University (NanjingTech), Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Shao Q. Yao
- Department
of Chemistry, National University of Singapore 117543, Singapore
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31
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Feng D, Tian F, Qin W, Qian X. A dual-functional lanthanide nanoprobe for both living cell imaging and ICP-MS quantification of active protease. Chem Sci 2015; 7:2246-2250. [PMID: 29910913 PMCID: PMC5977404 DOI: 10.1039/c5sc03363b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel nanoprobe is successfully developed for simultaneous living cell imaging and sensitive quantification of caspase-3 in cancer cells.
Real-time imaging and quantitative monitoring of dynamic changes in biomolecules in bioprocesses is in urgent need for biological and clinical studies. However, this goal is difficult to achieve due to the incompatibility between the commonly used imaging and quantification methods. To fulfill this need, we developed the first nanoprobe capable of both living cell imaging and ultrasensitive quantification of proteases in cancer cells by taking advantage of the characteristic luminescence and ICP-MS response of lanthanide metals. The nanoprobe is composed of a lanthanide metal-based luminescent donor/mass tag and a gold nanoparticle quencher linked by a specific peptide recognized by proteases. The protease activity in living cells is both visualized and quantified by monitoring the enzymatically released lanthanide metal using fluorescence imaging and ICP-MS. The low ppb level sensitivity of this method demonstrates its potential in the study of protease-dependent pathways and related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duan Feng
- National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing , State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center , Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China 102206 . ;
| | - Fang Tian
- National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing , State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center , Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China 102206 . ;
| | - Weijie Qin
- National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing , State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center , Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China 102206 . ;
| | - Xiaohong Qian
- National Center for Protein Sciences Beijing , State Key Laboratory of Proteomics , Beijing Proteome Research Center , Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine , Beijing , China 102206 . ;
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32
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Huang X, Huang R, Liao Z, Pan Y, Gou S, Wang H. Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of dehydroabietic acid thiourea derivatives containing bisphosphonate moiety as an inducer of apoptosis. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 108:381-391. [PMID: 26706349 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
A series of DHAA thiourea derivatives containing bisphosphonate moiety were designed and synthesized as potent antitumor agents. Structures of target molecules were confirmed using HR-MS, (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR and they exhibited potent anti-tumor activities against the SK-OV-3, BEL-7404, A549, HCT-116 and NCI-H460 tumor cell lines in vitro. Especially, compound 6e (IC50 = 1.79 ± 0.43 μM) exhibited the best anticancer activity against SK-OV-3 cell line. Its role as an inducer of apoptosis was investigated in this cell line by Annexin-V/PI binding assay and by following its capability for ROS generation, depolarization of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, activation of caspases and expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins. Elevated level of ROS generation, activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, and Fas, higher expression of Bax, lower expression of Bcl-2, and increased level of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio identified 6e as a promising inducer of apoptosis that follows both of the mitochondria dependent pathway and the death receptor-mediated pathway. In addition, the cell cycle analysis indicated that compound 6e caused cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, induced apoptosis and led to cell death by increasing the proportion of sub-G1 cells. Furthermore, molecular docking studies showed that 6e could bind to the ATP pocket sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochao Huang
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Rizheng Huang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Zhixin Liao
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Yingming Pan
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Shaohua Gou
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China; Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China.
| | - Hengshan Wang
- State Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources (Ministry of Education of China), School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences of Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, China.
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Poreba M, Szalek A, Kasperkiewicz P, Rut W, Salvesen GS, Drag M. Small Molecule Active Site Directed Tools for Studying Human Caspases. Chem Rev 2015; 115:12546-629. [PMID: 26551511 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Caspases are proteases of clan CD and were described for the first time more than two decades ago. They play critical roles in the control of regulated cell death pathways including apoptosis and inflammation. Due to their involvement in the development of various diseases like cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, or autoimmune disorders, caspases have been intensively investigated as potential drug targets, both in academic and industrial laboratories. This review presents a thorough, deep, and systematic assessment of all technologies developed over the years for the investigation of caspase activity and specificity using substrates and inhibitors, as well as activity based probes, which in recent years have attracted considerable interest due to their usefulness in the investigation of biological functions of this family of enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Poreba
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Technology , Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Szalek
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Technology , Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Paulina Kasperkiewicz
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Technology , Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Wioletta Rut
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Technology , Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Guy S Salvesen
- Program in Cell Death and Survival Networks, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Marcin Drag
- Department of Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Technology , Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
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Jin L, Qu HE, Huang XC, Pan YM, Liang D, Chen ZF, Wang HS, Zhang Y. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Dehydroabietic Acid Derivatives Conjugated with Acyl-Thiourea Peptide Moiety as Antitumor Agents. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:14571-93. [PMID: 26132564 PMCID: PMC4519859 DOI: 10.3390/ijms160714571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
A series of dehydroabietic acid (DHAA) acyl-thiourea derivatives were designed and synthesized as potent antitumor agents. The in vitro pharmacological screening results revealed that the target compounds exhibited potent cytotoxicity against HeLa, SK-OV-3 and MGC-803 tumor cell lines, while they showed lower cytotoxicity against HL-7702 normal human river cells. Compound 9n (IC50 = 6.58 ± 1.11 μM) exhibited the best antitumor activity against the HeLa cell line and even displayed more potent inhibitory activity than commercial antitumor drug 5-FU (IC50 = 36.58 ± 1.55 μM). The mechanism of representative compound 9n was then studied by acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, Hoechst 33,258 staining, JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential staining, TUNEL assay and flow cytometry, which illustrated that this compound could induce apoptosis in HeLa cells. Cell cycle analysis indicated that compound 9n mainly arrested HeLa cells in the S phase stage. Further investigation demonstrated that compound 9n induced apoptosis of HeLa cells through a mitochondrial pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Jin
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science of Guangxi Normal University, Yucai Road 15, Guilin 541004, China.
| | - Hong-En Qu
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science of Guangxi Normal University, Yucai Road 15, Guilin 541004, China.
| | - Xiao-Chao Huang
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science of Guangxi Normal University, Yucai Road 15, Guilin 541004, China.
| | - Ying-Ming Pan
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science of Guangxi Normal University, Yucai Road 15, Guilin 541004, China.
| | - Dong Liang
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science of Guangxi Normal University, Yucai Road 15, Guilin 541004, China.
| | - Zhen-Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science of Guangxi Normal University, Yucai Road 15, Guilin 541004, China.
| | - Heng-Shan Wang
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science of Guangxi Normal University, Yucai Road 15, Guilin 541004, China.
| | - Ye Zhang
- State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science of Guangxi Normal University, Yucai Road 15, Guilin 541004, China.
- Department of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science, Guilin Normal College, Xinyi Road 21, Guilin 541001, China.
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Zeng T, Zhang T, Wei W, Li Z, Wu D, Wang L, Guo J, He X, Ma N. Compact, Programmable, and Stable Biofunctionalized Upconversion Nanoparticles Prepared through Peptide-Mediated Phase Transfer for High-Sensitive Protease Sensing and in Vivo Apoptosis Imaging. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:11849-56. [PMID: 25970768 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b01446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Protease represents an important class of biomarkers for disease diagnostics and drug screening. Conventional fluorescence-based probes for in vivo protease imaging suffer from short excitation wavelengths and poor photostability. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) hold great promise for biosensing and bioimaging because of their deep-tissue excitability, robust photostability, and minimal imaging background. However, producing highly stable and compact biofunctionalized UCNP probes with optimal bioresponsivity for in vivo imaging of protease activities still remains challenging and has not been previously demonstrated. Herein, we report facile preparation of highly compact and stable biofunctionalized UCNPs through peptide-mediated phase transfer for high-sensitive detection of protease in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that the polyhistidine-containing chimeric peptides could displace oleic acid molecules capped on UCNPs synthesized in organic solvents and, thereby, directly transfer UCNPs from the chloroform phase to the water phase. The resulting UCNPs possess high stability, programmable surface properties, and a compact coating layer with minimized thickness for efficient luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET). On the basis of this strategy, we prepared LRET-based UCNP probes with optimal bioresponsivity for in vitro high-sensitive detection of trypsin and in vivo imaging of apoptosis for chemotherapy efficacy evaluation. The reported strategy could be extended to construct a variety of peptide-functionalized UCNPs for various biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zeng
- †Key Laboratory of Health Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Suzhou, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and ‡Testing and Analysis Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Zhang
- †Key Laboratory of Health Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Suzhou, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and ‡Testing and Analysis Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wei
- †Key Laboratory of Health Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Suzhou, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and ‡Testing and Analysis Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi Li
- †Key Laboratory of Health Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Suzhou, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and ‡Testing and Analysis Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Dan Wu
- †Key Laboratory of Health Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Suzhou, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and ‡Testing and Analysis Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Wang
- †Key Laboratory of Health Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Suzhou, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and ‡Testing and Analysis Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Guo
- †Key Laboratory of Health Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Suzhou, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and ‡Testing and Analysis Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuewen He
- †Key Laboratory of Health Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Suzhou, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and ‡Testing and Analysis Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Ma
- †Key Laboratory of Health Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis of Suzhou, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and ‡Testing and Analysis Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
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Huang XC, Jin L, Wang M, Liang D, Chen ZF, Zhang Y, Pan YM, Wang HS. Design, synthesis and in vitro evaluation of novel dehydroabietic acid derivatives containing a dipeptide moiety as potential anticancer agents. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 89:370-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.10.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2014] [Revised: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Vickers CJ, González-Páez GE, Litwin KM, Umotoy JC, Coutsias EA, Wolan DW. Selective inhibition of initiator versus executioner caspases using small peptides containing unnatural amino acids. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:2194-8. [PMID: 25079698 DOI: 10.1021/cb5004256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Caspases are fundamental to many essential biological processes, including apoptosis, differentiation, and inflammation. Unregulated caspase activity is also implicated in the development and progression of several diseases, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and sepsis. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine exactly which caspase(s) of the 11 isoforms that humans express is responsible for specific biological functions. This lack of resolution is primarily due to highly homologous active sites and overlapping substrates. Currently available peptide-based inhibitors and probes are based on specificity garnered from peptide substrate libraries. For example, the canonical tetrapeptide LETD was discovered as the canonical sequence that is optimally recognized by caspase-8; however, LETD-based inhibitors and substrates promiscuously bind to other isoforms with equal affinity, including caspases-3, -6, and -9. In order to mitigate this problem, we report the identification of a new series of compounds that are >100-fold selective for inhibiting the initiator caspases-8 and -9 over the executioner caspases-3, -6, and -7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris J. Vickers
- Departments
of Molecular and Experimental Medicine and Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Gonzalo E. González-Páez
- Departments
of Molecular and Experimental Medicine and Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Kevin M. Litwin
- Departments
of Molecular and Experimental Medicine and Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Jeffrey C. Umotoy
- Departments
of Molecular and Experimental Medicine and Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Evangelos A. Coutsias
- Department
of Applied Mathematics and Statistics and Laufer Center for Physical
and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
| | - Dennis W. Wolan
- Departments
of Molecular and Experimental Medicine and Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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38
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Vickers CJ, González-Páez GE, Wolan DW. Discovery of a highly selective caspase-3 substrate for imaging live cells. ACS Chem Biol 2014; 9:2199-203. [PMID: 25133295 DOI: 10.1021/cb500586p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Caspases are a family of cysteine proteases that are well-known for their roles in apoptosis and inflammation. Recent studies provide evidence that caspases are also integral to many additional cellular processes, such as differentiation and proliferation. Likewise, aberrant caspase activity has been implicated in the progression of several diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and sepsis. These observations establish the importance of caspases to a diverse array of physiological functions and future endeavors will undoubtedly continue to elucidate additional processes that require caspase activity. Unfortunately, the existence of 11 functional human caspases, with overlapping substrate specificities, confounds the ability to confidently assign one or more isoforms to biological phenomena. Herein, we characterize a first-in-class FRET substrate that is selectively recognized by active caspase-3 over other initiator and executioner caspases. We further apply this substrate to specifically image caspase-3 activity in live cells undergoing apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris J. Vickers
- Departments of Molecular
and Experimental Medicine and Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Gonzalo E. González-Páez
- Departments of Molecular
and Experimental Medicine and Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Dennis W. Wolan
- Departments of Molecular
and Experimental Medicine and Chemical Physiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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