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Weiss AM, Lopez MA, Rosenberger MG, Kim JY, Shen J, Chen Q, Ung T, Ibeh UM, Knight HR, Rutledge NS, Studnitzer B, Rowan SJ, Esser-Kahn AP. Identification of CDK4/6 Inhibitors as Small Molecule NLRP3 Inflammasome Activators that Facilitate IL-1β Secretion and T Cell Adjuvanticity. J Med Chem 2024; 67:14974-14985. [PMID: 39162654 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00516] [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: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Several FDA-approved adjuvants signal through the NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β release. Identifying small molecules that induce IL-1β release could allow targeted delivery and structure-function optimization, thereby improving safety and efficacy of next-generation adjuvants. In this work, we leverage our existing high throughput data set to identify small molecules that induce IL-1β release. We find that ribociclib induces IL-1β release when coadministered with a TLR4 agonist in an NLRP3- and caspase-dependent fashion. Ribociclib was formulated with a TLR4 agonist into liposomes, which were used as an adjuvant in an ovalbumin prophylactic vaccine model. The liposomes induced antigen-specific immunity in an IL-1 receptor-dependent fashion. Furthermore, the liposomes were coadministered with a tumor antigen and used in a therapeutic cancer vaccine, where they facilitated rejection of E.G7-OVA tumors. While further chemical optimization of the ribociclib scaffold is needed, this study provides proof-of-concept for its use as an IL-1 producing adjuvant in various immunotherapeutic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Weiss
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Department of Chemistry University of Chicago 5735 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Marcos A Lopez
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Department of Chemistry University of Chicago 5735 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Matthew G Rosenberger
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jeremiah Y Kim
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jingjing Shen
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Qing Chen
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Trevor Ung
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Udoka M Ibeh
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Pritzker School of Medicine University of Chicago 924 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Hannah Riley Knight
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Nakisha S Rutledge
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Bradley Studnitzer
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Department of Chemistry University of Chicago 5735 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Stuart J Rowan
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Department of Chemistry University of Chicago 5735 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Aaron P Esser-Kahn
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering University of Chicago 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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2
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Tsukidate T, Hespen CW, Hang HC. Small molecule modulators of immune pattern recognition receptors. RSC Chem Biol 2023; 4:1014-1036. [PMID: 38033733 PMCID: PMC10685800 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00096f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) represent a re-emerging class of therapeutic targets for vaccine adjuvants, inflammatory diseases and cancer. In this review article, we summarize exciting developments in discovery and characterization of small molecule PRR modulators, focusing on Toll-like receptors (TLRs), NOD-like receptors (NLRs) and the cGAS-STING pathway. We also highlight PRRs that are currently lacking small molecule modulators and opportunities for chemical biology and therapeutic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taku Tsukidate
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Microbial Pathogenesis, The Rockefeller University, New York New York 10065 USA
| | - Charles W Hespen
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Microbial Pathogenesis, The Rockefeller University, New York New York 10065 USA
| | - Howard C Hang
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Microbial Pathogenesis, The Rockefeller University, New York New York 10065 USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology and Department of Chemistry, Scripps Research, La Jolla California 92037 USA
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3
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Salunke DB, Lindsley CW. Call for Papers: Medicinal Chemistry of Next Generation Vaccine Adjuvants. J Med Chem 2023; 66:10119-10121. [PMID: 37490392 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Deepak B Salunke
- Department of Chemistry and Centre of Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
- National Interdisciplinary Centre of Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Antimicrobials (NICOVIA), Panjab University, Chandigarh 160 014, India
| | - Craig W Lindsley
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology Program in Drug Discovery, Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, United States
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4
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Zhao M, Yang K, Zhu X, Gao T, Yu W, Liu H, You Z, Liu Z, Qiao X, Song Y. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of dual Topo II/HDAC inhibitors bearing pyrimido[5,4-b]indole and pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine motifs. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 252:115303. [PMID: 36996717 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Both topoisomerase II (Topo II) and histone deacetylase (HDAC) are important therapeutic targets for cancer. In this study, two series of novel compounds containing pyrimido[5,4-b]indole and pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine motifs were designed and synthesized as dual Topo II/HDAC inhibitors. MTT assay indicated that all the compounds displayed potential antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines (MGC-803, MCF-7 and U937) and low cytotoxicity on normal cell line (3T3). In the enzyme activity inhibition experiments, compounds 7d and 8d exhibited excellent dual inhibitory activities against Topo II and HDAC. Cleavage reaction assay showed that 7d was a Topo II poison, which was consistent with the docking results. Further experimental results revealed that compounds 7d and 8d could promote apoptosis and significantly inhibit the migration in MCF-7 cells. Molecular docking showed that compounds 7d and 8d bind Topo II and HDAC at the active sites. Molecular dynamics simulation showed that 7d can stably bind to Topo II and HDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmiao Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Quality Control of Hebei Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China
| | - Kan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Quality Control of Hebei Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China
| | - Xinyue Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Quality Control of Hebei Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China
| | - Tian Gao
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Quality Control of Hebei Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China
| | - Wei Yu
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Quality Control of Hebei Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China
| | - Han Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Quality Control of Hebei Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China
| | - Zhihao You
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Quality Control of Hebei Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China
| | - Zhenming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Qiao
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Quality Control of Hebei Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China; Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis, Ministry of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China.
| | - Yali Song
- Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Quality Control of Hebei Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China; Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Diagnosis, Ministry of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei, 071002, China.
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5
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Sato-Kaneko F, Yao S, Lao FS, Sako Y, Jin J, Shukla NM, Cottam HB, Chan M, Belsuzarri MM, Carson DA, Hayashi T. A Dual Adjuvant System for Intranasal Boosting of Local and Systemic Immunity for Influenza Vaccination. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1694. [PMID: 36298559 PMCID: PMC9611830 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10101694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Systemically vaccinated individuals against COVID-19 and influenza may continue to support viral replication and shedding in the upper airways, contributing to the spread of infections. Thus, a vaccine regimen that enhances mucosal immunity in the respiratory mucosa is needed to prevent a pandemic. Intranasal/pulmonary (IN) vaccines can promote mucosal immunity by promoting IgA secretion at the infection site. Here, we demonstrate that an intramuscular (IM) priming-IN boosting regimen with an inactivated influenza A virus adjuvanted with the liposomal dual TLR4/7 adjuvant (Fos47) enhances systemic and local/mucosal immunity. The IN boosting with Fos47 (IN-Fos47) enhanced antigen-specific IgA secretion in the upper and lower respiratory tracts compared to the IM boosting with Fos47 (IM-Fos47). The secreted IgA induced by IN-Fos47 was also cross-reactive to multiple influenza virus strains. Antigen-specific tissue-resident memory T cells in the lung were increased after IN boosting with Fos47, indicating that IN-Fos47 established tissue-resident T cells. Furthermore, IN-Fos47 induced systemic cross-reactive IgG antibody titers comparable to those of IM-Fos47. Neither local nor systemic reactogenicity or adverse effects were observed after IN delivery of Fos47. Collectively, these results indicate that the IM/IN regimen with Fos47 is safe and provides both local and systemic anti-influenza immune responses.
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6
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Small Molecules as Toll-like Receptor 4 Modulators Drug and In-House Computational Repurposing. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10092326. [PMID: 36140427 PMCID: PMC9496124 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The innate immunity toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) system is a receptor of paramount importance as a therapeutic target. Virtual screening following a “computer-aided drug repurposing” approach was applied to the discovery of novel TLR4 modulators with a non-lipopolysaccharide-like structure. We screened almost 29,000 approved drugs and drug-like molecules from commercial, public, and in-house academia chemical libraries and, after biological assays, identified several compounds with TLR4 antagonist activity. Our computational protocol showed to be a robust approach for the identification of hits with drug-like scaffolds as possible inhibitors of the TLR4 innate immune pathways. Our collaborative work broadens the chemical diversity for inspiration of new classes of TLR4 modulators.
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7
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Kaur A, Baldwin J, Brar D, Salunke DB, Petrovsky N. Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists as a driving force behind next-generation vaccine adjuvants and cancer therapeutics. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2022; 70:102172. [PMID: 35785601 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Until recently, the development of new human adjuvants was held back by a poor understanding of their mechanisms of action. The field was revolutionized by the discovery of the toll-like receptors (TLRs), innate immune receptors that directly or indirectly are responsible for detecting pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and respond to them by activating innate and adaptive immune pathways. Hundreds of ligands targeting various TLRs have since been identified and characterized as vaccine adjuvants. This work has important implications not only for the development of vaccines against infectious diseases but also for immuno-therapies against cancer, allergy, Alzheimer's disease, drug addiction and other diseases. Each TLR has its own specific tissue localization and downstream gene signalling pathways, providing researchers the opportunity to precisely tailor adjuvants with specific immune effects. TLR agonists can be combined with other TLR or alternative adjuvants to create combination adjuvants with synergistic or modulatory effects. This review provides an introduction to the various classes of TLR adjuvants and their respective signalling pathways. It provides an overview of recent advancements in the TLR field in the past 2-3 years and discusses criteria for selecting specific TLR adjuvants based on considerations, such as disease mechanisms and correlates of protection, TLR immune biasing capabilities, route of administration, antigen compatibility, new vaccine technology platforms, and age- and species-specific effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arshpreet Kaur
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India; National Interdisciplinary Centre of Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Antimicrobials, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | | | - Deshkanwar Brar
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India; National Interdisciplinary Centre of Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Antimicrobials, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Deepak B Salunke
- Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India; National Interdisciplinary Centre of Vaccines, Immunotherapeutics and Antimicrobials, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
| | - Nikolai Petrovsky
- Vaxine Pty Ltd., Bedford Park, Adelaide 5042, Australia; College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, Australia.
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8
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Hernandez-Davies JE, Dollinger EP, Pone EJ, Felgner J, Liang L, Strohmeier S, Jan S, Albin TJ, Jain A, Nakajima R, Jasinskas A, Krammer F, Esser-Kahn A, Felgner PL, Nie Q, Davies DH. Magnitude and breadth of antibody cross-reactivity induced by recombinant influenza hemagglutinin trimer vaccine is enhanced by combination adjuvants. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9198. [PMID: 35654904 PMCID: PMC9163070 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12727-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of adjuvants for increasing the immunogenicity of influenza vaccines are well known. However, the effect of adjuvants on increasing the breadth of cross-reactivity is less well understood. In this study we have performed a systematic screen of different toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, with and without a squalene-in-water emulsion on the immunogenicity of a recombinant trimerized hemagglutinin (HA) vaccine in mice after single-dose administration. Antibody (Ab) cross-reactivity for other variants within and outside the immunizing subtype (homosubtypic and heterosubtypic cross-reactivity, respectively) was assessed using a protein microarray approach. Most adjuvants induced broad IgG profiles, although the response to a combination of CpG, MPLA and AddaVax (termed 'IVAX-1') appeared more quickly and reached a greater magnitude than the other formulations tested. Antigen-specific plasma cell labeling experiments show the components of IVAX-1 are synergistic. This adjuvant preferentially stimulates CD4 T cells to produce Th1>Th2 type (IgG2c>IgG1) antibodies and cytokine responses. Moreover, IVAX-1 induces identical homo- and heterosubtypic IgG and IgA cross-reactivity profiles when administered intranasally. Consistent with these observations, a single-cell transcriptomics analysis demonstrated significant increases in expression of IgG1, IgG2b and IgG2c genes of B cells in H5/IVAX-1 immunized mice relative to naïve mice, as well as significant increases in expression of the IFNγ gene of both CD4 and CD8 T cells. These data support the use of adjuvants for enhancing the breath and durability of antibody responses of influenza virus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny E Hernandez-Davies
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | | | - Egest J Pone
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Jiin Felgner
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Li Liang
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Shirin Strohmeier
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Sharon Jan
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Tyler J Albin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Avidity Biosciences, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Aarti Jain
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Rie Nakajima
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Algimantas Jasinskas
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Aaron Esser-Kahn
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Philip L Felgner
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Qing Nie
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - D Huw Davies
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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9
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Wu Q, Xu G, Li W, Wan J, Liu T, Huang C. Cu(I)-Catalyzed and Base-Promoted [5 + 2 + 1] Cascade Cyclization of 2-Nitrochalcones with Aliphatic Primary Amines to 5 H-Pyrimido[5,4- b]indole Frameworks. Org Lett 2022; 24:3950-3954. [PMID: 35639963 DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c01289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
An unprecedented [5 + 2 + 1] cascade cyclization to the preparation of 5H-pyrimido[5,4-b]indole derivatives has been disclosed. The novel protocol of 2-nitrochalcones reacted with aliphatic primary amines catalyzed by CuI and promoted by Cs2CO3, which underwent a critical intermediate 2,3-disubstituted indole, providing structurally diverse 5H-pyrimido[5,4-b]indoles in generally high yields (77-90%) and broad substrate scopes (34 examples).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Wu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Green Preparation Technology of Biobased Materials, School of Chemistry and Environment, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Genrui Xu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Green Preparation Technology of Biobased Materials, School of Chemistry and Environment, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Weiqiang Li
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Green Preparation Technology of Biobased Materials, School of Chemistry and Environment, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Juan Wan
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Green Preparation Technology of Biobased Materials, School of Chemistry and Environment, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Teng Liu
- College of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Qujing Normal University, Qujing 655011, P. R. China
| | - Chao Huang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Green Preparation Technology of Biobased Materials, School of Chemistry and Environment, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
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10
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Polyakov VR, Alexandrov V, Maderna A, Bajjuri K, Li X, Zhou S. Indexing Ultrafast Shape-Based Descriptors in MongoDB to Identify TLR4 Pathway Agonists. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:2446-2455. [PMID: 35522137 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
A method is presented for an ultrafast shape-based search workflow for the screening of large compound collections, i.e., those of vendors. The three-dimensional shape of a molecule dictates its biological activity by enabling the molecule to fit into binding pockets of proteins. Quite often, distinctly different chemical compounds that have similar shapes can bind in a similar way. OpenEye pioneered an algorithm for comparing shapes of molecules by overlaying them in a computer and measuring differences between a query molecule and a target molecule. Overlaying shapes is a computationally intensive process and represents a bottleneck in searching for similar molecules. More recent publications describe alternative methods of overlaying molecules, which are accomplished by comparing shape-based descriptors. These methods were implemented in the Open Drug Discovery Toolkit (ODDT) package. We utilized a combination of open-source software packages like ODDT and RDkit to implement a workflow for ultrafast conformer generation and matching that does not require storing precomputed conformers on the file system or in memory. Moreover, the generated descriptors could be optionally stored in MongoDB for performing searches in the future. To speed up the search, we created a set of indexes from the transformed shape-based descriptors. We are in the process of calculating descriptors for multiple vendors, including Enamine's "REAL" collection of 1.2 billion compounds. Currently, the shape similarity search on more than 70 million compounds takes less than 8 s! We exemplified our methodology with the screen of compounds that can act as putative TLR4 agonists. The search was based on a literature-known small-molecule TLR4 agonist series. In due course, we identified compounds with novel structural motifs that were active in mouse and human TLR4 reporter cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valery R Polyakov
- Sutro Biopharma, 111 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Vadim Alexandrov
- Liquid Algo LLC, 85 Thistle Ln, Hopewell Junction, New York 12533, United States
| | - Andreas Maderna
- Sutro Biopharma, 111 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Krishna Bajjuri
- Sutro Biopharma, 111 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Xiaofan Li
- Sutro Biopharma, 111 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sihong Zhou
- Sutro Biopharma, 111 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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11
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Saito T, Shukla NM, Sato-Kaneko F, Sako Y, Hosoya T, Yao S, Lao FS, Messer K, Pu M, Chan M, Chu PJ, Cottam HB, Hayashi T, Carson DA, Corr M. Small Molecule Calcium Channel Activator Potentiates Adjuvant Activity. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:217-229. [PMID: 34985883 PMCID: PMC8788586 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
There remains an unmet need for reliable fully synthetic adjuvants that increase lasting protective immune responses from vaccines. We previously reported a high-throughput screening for small molecules that extended nuclear factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation after a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligand, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), stimulation using a human myeloid reporter cell line. We identified compounds with a conserved aminothiazole scaffold including 2D216 [N-(4-(2,5-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)-4-(piperidin-1-ylsulfonyl)benzamide], which increased murine antigen-specific antibody responses when used as a co-adjuvant with LPS. Here, we examined the mechanism of action in human cells. Although 2D216 activated the major mitogen-activated protein kinases, it did not interact with common kinases and phosphatases and did not stimulate many of the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Instead, the mechanism of action was linked to intracellular Ca2+ elevation via Ca2+ channel(s) at the plasma membrane and nuclear translocation of the nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) as supported by RNA-seq data, analysis by reporter cells, Ca2+ flux assays, and immunoblots. Interestingly, 2D216 had minimal, if any, activity on Jurkat T cells but induced cytokine production and surface expression of costimulatory molecules on cells with antigen-presenting functions. A small series of analogs of 2D216 were tested for the ability to enhance a TLR4 ligand-stimulated autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). In the MLR, 2E151, N-(4-(2,5-dimethylphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)-4-((4-propylpiperidin-1-yl)sulfonyl)benzamide, was more potent than 2D216. These results indicate that a small molecule that is not a direct PRR agonist can act as a co-adjuvant to an approved adjuvant to enhance human immune responses via a complementary mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Saito
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
- Department
of Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Nikunj M. Shukla
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Fumi Sato-Kaneko
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Yukiya Sako
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Tadashi Hosoya
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
- Department
of Rheumatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Shiyin Yao
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Fitzgerald S. Lao
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Karen Messer
- Herbert
Wertheim School of Public Health and Longevity, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0901, United States
| | - Minya Pu
- Herbert
Wertheim School of Public Health and Longevity, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0901, United States
| | - Michael Chan
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Paul J. Chu
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Howard B. Cottam
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Tomoko Hayashi
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Dennis A. Carson
- Moores
Cancer Center, University of California
San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0809, United States
| | - Maripat Corr
- Department
of Medicine, University of California San
Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0656, United States
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12
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Losada Méndez J, Palomares F, Gómez F, Ramírez-López P, Ramos-Soriano J, Torres MJ, Mayorga C, Rojo J. Immunomodulatory Response of Toll-like Receptor Ligand-Peptide Conjugates in Food Allergy. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:2651-2664. [PMID: 34761908 PMCID: PMC8609526 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Covalent conjugation
of allergens to toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists
appears to be a powerful strategy for the development of safety compounds
for allergen-specific immunomodulatory response toward tolerance in
allergy. In this work, we have synthesized two family of ligands,
an 8-oxoadenine derivative as a ligand for TLR7 and a pyrimido[5,4-b]indole as a ligand for TLR4, both conjugated with a T-cell
peptide of Pru p 3 allergen, the lipid transfer protein (LTP) responsible
for LTP-dependent food allergy. These conjugates interact with dendritic
cells, inducing their specific maturation, T-cell proliferation, and
cytokine production in peach allergic patients. Moreover, they increased
the Treg-cell frequencies in these patients and could induce the IL-10
production. These outcomes were remarkable in the case of the TLR7
ligand conjugated with Pru p 3, opening the door for the potential
application of these allergen–adjuvant systems in food allergy
immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Losada Méndez
- Glycosystems Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), CSIC─Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Francisca Palomares
- Allergy Unit, IBIMA, Regional University Hospital of Malaga, UMA, 29009 Malaga, Spain
| | - Francisca Gómez
- Allergy Clinical Unit, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29009 Málaga, Spain
| | - Pedro Ramírez-López
- Glycosystems Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), CSIC─Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Javier Ramos-Soriano
- Glycosystems Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), CSIC─Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Maria Jose Torres
- Allergy Clinical Unit, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29009 Málaga, Spain
- Nanostructures for Diagnosing and Treatment of Allergic Diseases Laboratory, Centro Andaluz de Nanomedicina y Biotecnología-BIONAND, 29590 Málaga, Spain
- Allergy Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, 29009 Málaga, Spain
- Medicine Department, Universidad de Málaga-UMA, 29009 Málaga, Spain
| | - Cristobalina Mayorga
- Allergy Unit, IBIMA, Regional University Hospital of Malaga, UMA, 29009 Malaga, Spain
- Allergy Clinical Unit, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29009 Málaga, Spain
- Nanostructures for Diagnosing and Treatment of Allergic Diseases Laboratory, Centro Andaluz de Nanomedicina y Biotecnología-BIONAND, 29590 Málaga, Spain
| | - Javier Rojo
- Glycosystems Laboratory, Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), CSIC─Universidad de Sevilla, 41092 Seville, Spain
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13
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Martinez NJ, Braisted JC, Dranchak PK, Moran JJ, Larson H, Queme B, Pak E, Dutra A, Rai G, Cheng KCC, Svaren J, Inglese J. Genome-Edited Coincidence and PMP22-HiBiT Fusion Reporter Cell Lines Enable an Artifact-Suppressive Quantitative High-Throughput Screening Strategy for PMP22 Gene-Dosage Disorder Drug Discovery. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:1422-1436. [PMID: 34423274 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth 1A (CMT1A) is the most common form of hereditary peripheral neuropathies, characterized by genetic duplication of the critical myelin gene Peripheral Myelin Protein 22 (PMP22). PMP22 overexpression results in abnormal Schwann cell differentiation, leading to axonal loss and muscle wasting. Since regulation of PMP22 expression is a major target of therapeutic discovery for CMT1A, we sought to establish unbiased approaches that allow the identification of therapeutic agents for this disease. Using genome editing, we generated a coincidence reporter assay that accurately monitors Pmp22 transcript levels in the S16 rat Schwann cell line, while reducing reporter-based false positives. A quantitative high-throughput screen (qHTS) of 42 577 compounds using this assay revealed diverse novel chemical classes that reduce endogenous Pmp22 transcript levels. Moreover, some of these classes show pharmacological specificity in reducing Pmp22 over another major myelin-associated gene, Mpz (Myelin protein zero). Finally, to investigate whether compound-mediated reduction of Pmp22 transcripts translates to reduced PMP22 protein levels, we edited the S16 genome to generate a reporter assay that expresses a PMP22-HiBiT fusion protein using CRISPR/Cas9. Overall, we present a screening platform that combines genome edited cell lines encoding reporters that monitor transcriptional and post-translational regulation of PMP22 with titration-based screening (e.g., qHTS), which could be efficiently incorporated into drug discovery campaigns for CMT1A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia J Martinez
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - John C Braisted
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Patricia K Dranchak
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - John J Moran
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - Hunter Larson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Bryan Queme
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Evgenia Pak
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, United States
| | - Amalia Dutra
- National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, United States
| | - Ganesha Rai
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Ken Chih-Chien Cheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - John Svaren
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, United States
| | - James Inglese
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States.,National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, United States
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14
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Shukla NM, Chan M, Lao FS, Chu PJ, Belsuzarri M, Yao S, Nan J, Sato-Kaneko F, Saito T, Hayashi T, Corr M, Carson DA, Cottam HB. Structure-activity relationship studies in substituted sulfamoyl benzamidothiazoles that prolong NF-κB activation. Bioorg Med Chem 2021; 43:116242. [PMID: 34274759 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the face of emerging infectious diseases, there remains an unmet need for vaccine development where adjuvants that enhance immune responses to pathogenic antigens are highly desired. Using high-throughput screens with a cell-based nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) reporter assay, we identified a sulfamoyl benzamidothiazole bearing compound 1 that demonstrated a sustained activation of NF-κB after a primary stimulus with a Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 agonist, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here, we explore systematic structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies on compound 1 that indicated the sites on the scaffold that tolerated modification and yielded more potent compounds compared to 1. The selected analogs enhanced release of immunostimulatory cytokines in the human monocytic cell line THP-1 cells and murine primary dendritic cells. In murine vaccination studies, select compounds were used as co-adjuvants in combination with the Food and Drug Administration approved TLR-4 agonistic adjuvant, monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) that showed significant enhancement in antigen-specific antibody titers compared to MPLA alone. Additionally, our SAR studies led to identification of a photoaffinity probe which will aid the target identification and mechanism of action studies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikunj M Shukla
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA.
| | - Michael Chan
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Fitzgerald S Lao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Paul J Chu
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Masiel Belsuzarri
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Shiyin Yao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Jason Nan
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Fumi Sato-Kaneko
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Tetsuya Saito
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Tomoko Hayashi
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Maripat Corr
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0656, USA
| | - Dennis A Carson
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
| | - Howard B Cottam
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0809, USA
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15
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Fratzke AP, Jan S, Felgner J, Liang L, Nakajima R, Jasinskas A, Manna S, Nihesh FN, Maiti S, Albin TJ, Esser-Kahn AP, Davies DH, Samuel JE, Felgner PL, Gregory AE. Subunit Vaccines Using TLR Triagonist Combination Adjuvants Provide Protection Against Coxiella burnetii While Minimizing Reactogenic Responses. Front Immunol 2021; 12:653092. [PMID: 33815413 PMCID: PMC8010241 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.653092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Q fever is caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii, a designated potential agent of bioterrorism because of its route of transmission, resistance to disinfectants, and low infectious dose. The only vaccine licensed for human use is Q-VAX® (Seqirus, licensed in Australia), a formalin-inactivated whole-cell vaccine, which produces severe local and systemic reactogenic responses in previously sensitized individuals. Accordingly, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory bodies around the world, have been reluctant to approve Q-VAX for widespread use. To obviate these adverse reactions, we prepared recombinant protein subunit vaccine candidates containing purified CBU1910, CBU0307, CBU0545, CBU0612, CBU0891, and CBU1398 proteins and TLR triagonist adjuvants. TLR triagonist adjuvants combine different TLR agonists to enhance immune responses to vaccine antigens. We tested both the protective efficacy and reactogenicity of our vaccine candidates in Hartley guinea pigs using intratracheal infection with live C. burnetii. While all of our candidates showed varying degrees of protection during challenge, local reactogenic responses were significantly reduced for one of our vaccine candidates when compared with a formalin-inactivated whole-cell vaccine. Our findings show that subunit vaccines combined with novel TLR triagonist adjuvants can generate protective immunity to C. burnetii infection while reducing reactogenic responses.
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MESH Headings
- Adjuvants, Immunologic/pharmacology
- Adjuvants, Immunologic/therapeutic use
- Animals
- Antigens, Bacterial/genetics
- Antigens, Bacterial/pharmacology
- Antigens, Bacterial/therapeutic use
- Bacterial Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Proteins/immunology
- Bacterial Vaccines/genetics
- Bacterial Vaccines/pharmacology
- Bacterial Vaccines/therapeutic use
- Coxiella burnetii/immunology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Guinea Pigs
- Humans
- Immunogenicity, Vaccine
- Q Fever/immunology
- Q Fever/microbiology
- Q Fever/prevention & control
- Recombinant Proteins/genetics
- Recombinant Proteins/pharmacology
- Recombinant Proteins/therapeutic use
- Toll-Like Receptors/antagonists & inhibitors
- Vaccines, Subunit/genetics
- Vaccines, Subunit/pharmacology
- Vaccines, Subunit/therapeutic use
- Vaccines, Synthetic/genetics
- Vaccines, Synthetic/pharmacology
- Vaccines, Synthetic/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Alycia P. Fratzke
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Sharon Jan
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Jiin Felgner
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Li Liang
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Rie Nakajima
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Algis Jasinskas
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Saikat Manna
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Fnu N. Nihesh
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sampa Maiti
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Tyler J. Albin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Aaron P. Esser-Kahn
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - D. Huw Davies
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - James E. Samuel
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
| | - Philip L. Felgner
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Anthony E. Gregory
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States
- Vaccine Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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16
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Kimani FW, Ajit J, Galluppi A, Manna S, Howitz WJ, Tang S, Esser-Kahn AP. Receptor-Ligand Kinetics Influence the Mechanism of Action of Covalently Linked TLR Ligands. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:380-388. [PMID: 33523635 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
We report a mechanistic study comparing the immune activation of conjugated Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists and their unlinked mixtures. Herein, we synthesized a set of six linked dual agonists with different ligands, molecular structures, receptor locations, and biophysical characteristics. With these dimers, we ran a series of in vitro cell-based assays, comparing initial and overall NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) activation, cytokine expression profiles, as well as time-resolved TNF-α (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha) expression. We show that initial activation kinetics, ligand specificity, and the dose of the agonist influence the activity of these linked TLR systems. These results can help improve vaccine design by showing how linked TLR agonists can improve their potency with the appropriate selection of key criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flora W. Kimani
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jainu Ajit
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Alexander Galluppi
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Saikat Manna
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - William J. Howitz
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-2025, United States
| | - Sophia Tang
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Aaron P. Esser-Kahn
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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17
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Hosoya T, Shukla NM, Fujita Y, Yao S, Lao FS, Baba H, Yasuda S, Cottam HB, Carson DA, Hayashi T, Corr M. Identification of Compounds With Glucocorticoid Sparing Effects on Suppression of Chemokine and Cytokine Production by Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:607713. [PMID: 33390996 PMCID: PMC7773657 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.607713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years target based drug discovery has expanded our therapeutic armamentarium in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Despite these advances and adverse effects, glucocorticoids remain reliable agents that are used in many of these diseases. The anti-inflammatory mechanisms of glucocorticoids include the suppression of transcription factor activity like nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). By reanalyzing data from two prior high throughput screens (HTS) that utilized a NF-κB reporter construct in THP-1 cells, we identified 1824 small molecule synthetic compounds that demonstrated NF-κB suppressive activities similar to the glucocorticoids included in the original >134,000 compound libraries. These 1824 compounds were then rescreened for attenuating NF-κB activity at 5 and 16 h after LPS stimuli in the NF-κB THP-1 reporter cells. After a “Top X” selection approach 122 hit compounds were further tested for toxicity and suppression of LPS induced CXCL8 release in THP-1 cells. Excluding cytotoxic compounds, the remaining active compounds were grouped into chemotype families using Tanimoto based clustering. Promising representatives from clustered chemotype groups were commercially purchased for further testing. Amongst these index compounds a lead chemotype: 1H-pyrazolo [3,4 d] pyrimidin-4-amine, effectively suppressed CXCL8, and TNF production by THP-1 cells when stimulated with LPS, TNF or IL-1ß. Extending these studies to primary cells, these lead compounds also reduced IL-6 and CXCL8 production by TNF stimulated fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Importantly a lead 1H-pyrazolo [3,4 d] pyrimidin-4-amine compound demonstrated synergistic effects with dexamethasone when co-administered to TNF stimulated THP-1 cells and RA FLS in suppressing chemokine production. In summary, a cell based HTS approach identified lead compounds that reduced NF-κB activity and chemokine secretion induced by potent immunologic stimuli, and one lead compound that acted synergistically with dexamethasone as an anti-inflammatory agent showing a dose-sparing effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Hosoya
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States.,Department of Rheumatology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nikunj M Shukla
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Yuya Fujita
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Shiyin Yao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Fitzgerald S Lao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Hiroyuki Baba
- Department of Rheumatology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinsuke Yasuda
- Department of Rheumatology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Howard B Cottam
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Dennis A Carson
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Tomoko Hayashi
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Maripat Corr
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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18
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Federico S, Pozzetti L, Papa A, Carullo G, Gemma S, Butini S, Campiani G, Relitti N. Modulation of the Innate Immune Response by Targeting Toll-like Receptors: A Perspective on Their Agonists and Antagonists. J Med Chem 2020; 63:13466-13513. [PMID: 32845153 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a class of proteins that recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damaged-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and they are involved in the regulation of innate immune system. These transmembrane receptors, localized at the cellular or endosomal membrane, trigger inflammatory processes through either myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) or TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) signaling pathways. In the last decades, extensive research has been performed on TLR modulators and their therapeutic implication under several pathological conditions, spanning from infections to cancer, from metabolic disorders to neurodegeneration and autoimmune diseases. This Perspective will highlight the recent discoveries in this field, emphasizing the role of TLRs in different diseases and the therapeutic effect of their natural and synthetic modulators, and it will discuss insights for the future exploitation of TLR modulators in human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Federico
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Luca Pozzetti
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Alessandro Papa
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Gabriele Carullo
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Sandra Gemma
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Stefania Butini
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Campiani
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Nicola Relitti
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Department of Excellence 2018-2022, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
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19
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Abstract
Personalized cancer vaccines (PCVs) are reinvigorating vaccine strategies in cancer immunotherapy. In contrast to adoptive T-cell therapy and checkpoint blockade, the PCV strategy modulates the innate and adaptive immune systems with broader activation to redeploy antitumor immunity with individualized tumor-specific antigens (neoantigens). Following a sequential scheme of tumor biopsy, mutation analysis, and epitope prediction, the administration of neoantigens with synthetic long peptide (SLP) or mRNA formulations dramatically improves the population and activity of antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Despite the promising prospect of PCVs, there is still great potential for optimizing prevaccination procedures and vaccine potency. In particular, the arduous development of tumor-associated antigen (TAA)-based vaccines provides valuable experience and rational principles for augmenting vaccine potency which is expected to advance PCV through the design of adjuvants, delivery systems, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) reversion since current personalized vaccination simply admixes antigens with adjuvants. Considering the broader application of TAA-based vaccine design, these two strategies complement each other and can lead to both personalized and universal therapeutic methods. Chemical strategies provide vast opportunities for (1) exploring novel adjuvants, including synthetic molecules and materials with optimizable activity, (2) constructing efficient and precise delivery systems to avoid systemic diffusion, improve biosafety, target secondary lymphoid organs, and enhance antigen presentation, and (3) combining bioengineering methods to innovate improvements in conventional vaccination, "smartly" re-educate the TME, and modulate antitumor immunity. As chemical strategies have proven versatility, reliability, and universality in the design of T cell- and B cell-based antitumor vaccines, the union of such numerous chemical methods in vaccine construction is expected to provide new vigor and vitality in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hao Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Yan-Mei Li
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China.,Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, 100069 Beijing, China.,Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, 100084 Beijing, China
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20
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Romerio A, Peri F. Increasing the Chemical Variety of Small-Molecule-Based TLR4 Modulators: An Overview. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1210. [PMID: 32765484 PMCID: PMC7381287 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) is one of the receptors of innate immunity. It is activated by Pathogen- and Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs and DAMPs) and triggers pro-inflammatory responses that belong to the repertoire of innate immune responses, consequently protecting against infectious challenges and boosting adaptive immunity. Mild TLR4 stimulation by non-toxic molecules resembling its natural agonist (lipid A) provided efficient vaccine adjuvants. The non-toxic TLR4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) has been approved for clinical use. This suggests the development of other TLR4 agonists as adjuvants or drugs for cancer immunotherapy. TLR4 excessive activation by a Gram-negative bacteria lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leads to sepsis, while TLR4 stimulation by DAMPs is a common mechanism in several inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. TLR4 inhibition by small molecules and antibodies could therefore provide access to innovative therapeutics targeting sepsis as well as acute and chronic inflammations. The potential use of TLR4 antagonists as anti-inflammatory drugs with unique selectivity and a new mechanism of action compared to corticosteroids or other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs fueled the search for compounds of natural or synthetic origin able to block or inhibit TLR4 activation and signaling. The wide spectrum of clinical settings to which TLR4 inhibitors can be applied include autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases), vascular inflammation, neuroinflammations, and neurodegenerative diseases. The last advances (from 2017) in TLR4 activation or inhibition by small molecules (molecular weight <2 kDa) are reviewed here. Studies on pre-clinical validation of new chemical entities (drug hits) on cellular or animal models as well as new clinical studies on previously developed TLR4 modulators are reported. Innovative TLR4 modulators discovered by computer-assisted drug design and an artificial intelligence approach are described. Some "old" TLR4 agonists or antagonists such as MPLA or Eritoran are under study for repositioning in different pharmacological contexts. The mechanism of action of the molecules and the level of TLR4 involvement in their biological activity are critically discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Romerio
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Peri
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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21
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Van Herck S, De Geest BG. Nanomedicine-mediated alteration of the pharmacokinetic profile of small molecule cancer immunotherapeutics. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2020; 41:881-894. [PMID: 32451411 PMCID: PMC7471422 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-020-0425-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of immunotherapy is a game changer in cancer therapy with monoclonal antibody- and T cell-based therapeutics being the current flagships. Small molecule immunotherapeutics might offer advantages over the biological drugs in terms of complexity, tissue penetration, manufacturing cost, stability, and shelf life. However, small molecule drugs are prone to rapid systemic distribution, which might induce severe off-target side effects. Nanotechnology could aid in the formulation of the drug molecules to improve their delivery to specific immune cell subsets. In this review we summarize the current efforts in changing the pharmacokinetic profile of small molecule immunotherapeutics with a strong focus on Toll-like receptor agonists. In addition, we give our vision on limitations and future pathways in the route of nanomedicine to the clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Van Herck
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bruno G De Geest
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Ghent University, Ottergemsesteenweg 460, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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22
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Sato-Kaneko F, Yao S, Lao FS, Shpigelman J, Messer K, Pu M, Shukla NM, Cottam HB, Chan M, Chu PJ, Burkhart D, Schoener R, Matsutani T, Carson DA, Corr M, Hayashi T. A Novel Synthetic Dual Agonistic Liposomal TLR4/7 Adjuvant Promotes Broad Immune Responses in an Influenza Vaccine With Minimal Reactogenicity. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1207. [PMID: 32636840 PMCID: PMC7318308 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The limited efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccines is usually attributed to ongoing variation in the major antigenic targets for protective antibody responses including hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Hence, vaccine development has largely focused on broadening antigenic epitopes to generate cross-reactive protection. However, the vaccine adjuvant components which can accelerate, enhance and prolong antigenic immune responses, can also increase the breadth of these responses. We previously demonstrated that the combination of synthetic small-molecule Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and TLR7 ligands is a potent adjuvant for recombinant influenza virus HA, inducing rapid, and sustained antibody responses that are protective against influenza viruses in homologous and heterologous murine challenge models. To further enhance adjuvant efficacy, we performed a structure-activity relationship study for the TLR4 ligand, N-cyclohexyl-2-((5-methyl-4-oxo-3-phenyl-4,5-dihydro-3H-pyrimido[5,4-b]indol-2-yl)thio)acetamide (C25H26N4O2S; 1Z105), and identified the 8-(furan-2-yl) substituted pyrimido[5,4-b]indole analog (C29H28N4O3S; 2B182C) as a derivative with higher potency in activating both human and mouse TLR4-NF-κB reporter cells and primary cells. In a prime-boost immunization model using inactivated influenza A virus [IIAV; A/California/04/2009 (H1N1)pdm09], 2B182C used as adjuvant induced higher serum anti-HA and anti-NA IgG1 levels compared to 1Z105, and also increased the anti-NA IgG2a responses. In combination with a TLR7 ligand, 1V270, 2B182C induced equivalent levels of anti-NA and anti-HA IgG1 to 1V270+1Z105. However, the combination of 1V270+2B182C induced 10-fold higher anti-HA and anti-NA IgG2a levels compared to 1V270+1Z105. A stable liposomal formulation of 1V270+2B182C was developed, which synergistically enhanced anti-HA and anti-NA IgG1 and IgG2a responses without demonstrable reactogenicity after intramuscular injection. Notably, vaccination with IIAV plus the liposomal formulation of 1V270+2B182C protected mice against lethal homologous influenza virus (H1N1)pdm09 challenge and reduced lung viral titers and cytokine levels. The combination adjuvant induced a greater diversity in B cell clonotypes of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) genes in the draining lymph nodes and antibodies against a broad spectrum of HA epitopes encompassing HA head and stalk domains and with cross-reactivity against different subtypes of HA and NA. This novel combination liposomal adjuvant contributes to a more broadly protective vaccine while demonstrating an attractive safety profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumi Sato-Kaneko
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Shiyin Yao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Fitzgerald S. Lao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jonathan Shpigelman
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Karen Messer
- Division of Biostatistics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Minya Pu
- Division of Biostatistics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nikunj M. Shukla
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Howard B. Cottam
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Michael Chan
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Paul J. Chu
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Dennis A. Carson
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Maripat Corr
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Tomoko Hayashi
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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23
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Gilkes AP, Albin TJ, Manna S, Supnet M, Ruiz S, Tom J, Badten AJ, Jain A, Nakajima R, Felgner J, Davies DH, Stetkevich SA, Zlotnik A, Pearlman E, Nalca A, Felgner PL, Esser-Kahn AP, Burkhardt AM. Tuning Subunit Vaccines with Novel TLR Triagonist Adjuvants to Generate Protective Immune Responses against Coxiella burnetii. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 204:611-621. [PMID: 31871024 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular bacterium and the causative agent of Q fever. C. burnetii is considered a potential bioterrorism agent because of its low infectious dose; resistance to heat, drying, and common disinfectants; and lack of prophylactic therapies. Q-Vax, a formalin-inactivated whole-bacteria vaccine, is currently the only prophylactic measure that is protective against C. burnetii infections but is not U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved. To overcome the safety concerns associated with the whole-bacteria vaccine, we sought to generate and evaluate recombinant protein subunit vaccines against C. burnetii To accomplish this, we formulated C. burnetii Ags with a novel TLR triagonist adjuvant platform, which used combinatorial chemistry to link three different TLR agonists together to form one adjuvanting complex. We evaluated the immunomodulatory activity of a panel of TLR triagonist adjuvants and found that they elicited unique Ag-specific immune responses both in vitro and in vivo. We evaluated our top candidates in a live C. burnetii aerosol challenge model in C56BL/6 mice and found that several of our novel vaccine formulations conferred varying levels of protection to the challenged animals compared with sham immunized mice, although none of our candidates were as protective as the commercial vaccine across all protection criteria that were analyzed. Our findings characterize a novel adjuvant platform and offer an alternative approach to generating protective and effective vaccines against C. burnetii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne P Gilkes
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Tyler J Albin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Saikat Manna
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,The Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637; and
| | - Medalyn Supnet
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Sara Ruiz
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Janine Tom
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Alexander J Badten
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Aarti Jain
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Rie Nakajima
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Jiin Felgner
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - D Huw Davies
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | | | - Albert Zlotnik
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Eric Pearlman
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Aysegul Nalca
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD 21702
| | - Philip L Felgner
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697.,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Aaron P Esser-Kahn
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697; .,The Institute for Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637; and
| | - Amanda M Burkhardt
- Vaccine Research and Design Center, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697; .,Institute for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697
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24
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Chan M, Lao FS, Chu PJ, Shpigelman J, Yao S, Nan J, Sato-Kaneko F, Li V, Hayashi T, Corr M, Carson DA, Cottam HB, Shukla NM. Structure–Activity Relationship Studies To Identify Affinity Probes in Bis-aryl Sulfonamides That Prolong Immune Stimuli. J Med Chem 2019; 62:9521-9540. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Chan
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Fitzgerald S. Lao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Paul J. Chu
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Jonathan Shpigelman
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Shiyin Yao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Jason Nan
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Fumi Sato-Kaneko
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Vicky Li
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Tomoko Hayashi
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Maripat Corr
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Dennis A. Carson
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Howard B. Cottam
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Nikunj M. Shukla
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
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25
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Hardie J, Mas-Rosario JA, Ha S, Rizzo EM, Farkas ME. Macrophage activation by a substituted pyrimido[5,4-b]indole increases anti-cancer activity. Pharmacol Res 2019; 148:104452. [PMID: 31518642 PMCID: PMC6849472 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has become a promising new approach for cancer treatment due to the immune system's ability to remove tumors in a safe and specific manner. Many tumors express anti-inflammatory factors that deactivate the local immune response or recruit peripheral macrophages into pro-tumor roles. Because of this, effective and specific ways of activating macrophages into anti-tumor phenotypes is highly desirable for immunotherapy purposes. Here, the use of a small molecule TLR agonist as a macrophage activator for anti-cancer therapy is reported. This compound, referred to as PBI1, demonstrated unique activation characteristics and expression patterns compared to treatment with LPS, through activation of TLR4. Furthermore, PBI1 treatment resulted in anti-tumor immune behavior, enhancing macrophage phagocytic efficiency five-fold versus non-treated macrophages. Additive effects were observed via use of a complementary strategy (anti-CD47 antibody), resulting in ∼10-fold enhancement of phagocytosis, suggesting this small molecule approach could be used in conjunction with other therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Hardie
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Javier A Mas-Rosario
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Siyoung Ha
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Erik M Rizzo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Michelle E Farkas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
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26
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Albin T, Tom JK, Manna S, Gilkes AP, Stetkevich SA, Katz BB, Supnet M, Felgner J, Jain A, Nakajima R, Jasinskas A, Zlotnik A, Pearlman E, Davies DH, Felgner PL, Burkhardt AM, Esser-Kahn AP. Linked Toll-Like Receptor Triagonists Stimulate Distinct, Combination-Dependent Innate Immune Responses. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2019; 5:1137-1145. [PMID: 31403067 PMCID: PMC6661867 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.8b00823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Traditional vaccination strategies have failed to generate effective vaccines for many infections like tuberculosis and HIV. New approaches are needed for each type of disease. The protective immunity and distinct responses of many successful vaccines come from activating multiple Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Vaccines with multiple TLRs as adjuvants have proven effective in preclinical studies, but current research has not explored two important elements. First, few multi-TLR systems explore spatial organization-a critical feature of whole-cell vaccines. Second, no multi-TLR systems to date provide systematic analysis of the combinatorial space of three TLR agonists. Here, we present the first examination of the combinatorial space of several spatially defined triple-TLR adjuvants, by synthesizing a series of five triple-TLR agonists and testing their innate activity both in vitro and in vivo. The combinations were evaluated by measuring activation of immune stimulatory genes (Nf-κB, ISGs), cytokine profiles (IL12-p70, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, CCL2, IFN-α, IFN-β, IFN-γ), and in vivo cytokine serum levels (IL-6, TNF-α, IL12-p40, IFN-α, IFN-β). We demonstrate that linking TLR agonists substantially alters the resulting immune response compared to their unlinked counterparts and that each combination results in a distinct immune response, particularly between linked combinations. We show that combinations containing a TLR9 agonist produce more Th1 biasing immune response profiles, and that the effect is amplified upon conjugation. However, combinations containing TLR2/6 agonist are skewed toward TH2 biasing profiles despite the presence of TLR9. These results demonstrate the profound effects that conjugation and combinatorial administration of TLR agonists can have on immune responses, a critical element of vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler
J. Albin
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Janine K. Tom
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Saikat Manna
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Adrienne P. Gilkes
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Samuel A. Stetkevich
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Benjamin B. Katz
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Medalyn Supnet
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Jiin Felgner
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Aarti Jain
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Rie Nakajima
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Algis Jasinskas
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Albert Zlotnik
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Eric Pearlman
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - D. Huw Davies
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Phillip L. Felgner
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
| | - Amanda M. Burkhardt
- Vaccine
Research and Development Center, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- School
of Medicine, Institute for Immunology, University
of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- E-mail:
| | - Aaron P. Esser-Kahn
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92617, United States
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- E-mail:
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27
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Su L, Wang Y, Wang J, Mifune Y, Morin MD, Jones BT, Moresco EMY, Boger DL, Beutler B, Zhang H. Structural Basis of TLR2/TLR1 Activation by the Synthetic Agonist Diprovocim. J Med Chem 2019; 62:2938-2949. [PMID: 30829478 PMCID: PMC6537610 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Diprovocim is a recently discovered exceptionally potent, synthetic small molecule agonist of TLR2/TLR1 and has shown significant adjuvant activity in anticancer vaccination against murine melanoma. Since Diprovocim bears no structural similarity to the canonical lipopeptide ligands of TLR2/TLR1, we investigated how Diprovocim interacts with TLR2/TLR1 through in vitro biophysical, structural, and computational approaches. We found that Diprovocim induced the formation of TLR2/TLR1 heterodimers as well as TLR2 homodimers in vitro. We determined the crystal structure of Diprovocim in a complex with a TLR2 ectodomain, which revealed, unexpectedly, two Diprovocim molecules bound to the ligand binding pocket formed between two TLR2 ectodomains. Extensive hydrophobic interactions and a hydrogen-bonding network between the protein and Diprovocim molecules are observed within the defined ligand binding pocket and likely underlie the high potency of Diprovocim. Our work shed first light into the activation mechanism of TLR2/TLR1 by a noncanonical agonist. The structural information obtained here may be exploited to manipulate TLR2/TLR1-dependent signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijing Su
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Ying Wang
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Junmei Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, United States
| | - Yuto Mifune
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Matthew D. Morin
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Brian T. Jones
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Eva Marie Y. Moresco
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Dale L. Boger
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Bruce Beutler
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Hong Zhang
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
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28
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Human Toll-Like Receptor 4 (hTLR4): Structural and functional dynamics in cancer. Int J Biol Macromol 2019; 122:425-451. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.10.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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29
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Morin MD, Wang Y, Jones BT, Mifune Y, Su L, Shi H, Moresco EMY, Zhang H, Beutler B, Boger DL. Diprovocims: A New and Exceptionally Potent Class of Toll-like Receptor Agonists. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:14440-14454. [PMID: 30272974 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b09223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A screen conducted with nearly 100000 compounds and a surrogate functional assay for stimulation of an immune response that measured the release of TNF-α from treated human THP-1 myeloid cells differentiated along the macrophage line led to the discovery of the diprovocims. Unique to these efforts and of special interest, the screening leads for this new class of activators of an immune response came from a compound library designed to promote cell-surface receptor dimerization. Subsequent comprehensive structure-activity relationship studies improved the potency 800-fold over that of the screening leads, providing diprovocim-1 and diprovocim-2. The diprovocims act by inducing cell-surface toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 dimerization and activation with TLR1 (TLR1/TLR2 agonist), bear no structural similarity to any known natural or synthetic TLR agonist, and are easy to prepare and synthetically modify, and selected members are active in both human and murine systems. The most potent diprovocim (3, diprovocim-1) elicits full agonist activity at extraordinarily low concentrations (EC50 = 110 pM) in human THP-1 cells, being more potent than the naturally derived TLR1/TLR2 agonist Pam3CSK4 or any other known small molecule TLR agonist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Morin
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology , The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road , La Jolla , California 92037 United States
| | - Ying Wang
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas , Texas 75390 , United States
| | - Brian T Jones
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology , The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road , La Jolla , California 92037 United States
| | - Yuto Mifune
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology , The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road , La Jolla , California 92037 United States
| | - Lijing Su
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas , Texas 75390 , United States
| | - Hexin Shi
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas , Texas 75390 , United States
| | - Eva Marie Y Moresco
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas , Texas 75390 , United States
| | - Hong Zhang
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas , Texas 75390 , United States
| | - Bruce Beutler
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense , University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas , Texas 75390 , United States
| | - Dale L Boger
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology , The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road , La Jolla , California 92037 United States
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Shukla NM, Arimoto KI, Yao S, Fan JB, Zhang Y, Sato-Kaneko F, Lao FS, Hosoya T, Messer K, Pu M, Cottam HB, Carson DA, Hayashi T, Zhang DE, Corr M. Identification of Compounds That Prolong Type I Interferon Signaling as Potential Vaccine Adjuvants. SLAS DISCOVERY 2018; 23:960-973. [PMID: 29751735 DOI: 10.1177/2472555218774308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Vaccines are reliant on adjuvants to enhance the immune stimulus, and type I interferons (IFNs) have been shown to be beneficial in augmenting this response. We were interested in identifying compounds that would sustain activation of an endogenous type I IFN response as a co-adjuvant. We began with generation of a human monocytic THP-1 cell line with an IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE)-β-lactamase reporter construct for high-throughput screening. Pilot studies were performed to optimize the parameters and conditions for this cell-based Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) reporter assay for sustaining an IFN-α-induced ISRE activation signal. These conditions were confirmed in an initial pilot screen, followed by the main screen for evaluating prolongation of an IFN-α-induced ISRE activation signal at 16 h. Hit compounds were identified using a structure enrichment strategy based on chemoinformatic clustering and a naïve "Top X" approach. A select list of confirmed hits was then evaluated for toxicity and the ability to sustain IFN activity by gene and protein expression. Finally, for proof of concept, a panel of compounds was used to immunize mice as co-adjuvant with a model antigen and an IFN-inducing Toll-like receptor 4 agonist, lipopolysaccharide, as an adjuvant. Selected compounds significantly augmented antigen-specific immunoglobulin responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikunj M Shukla
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kei-Ichiro Arimoto
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shiyin Yao
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jun-Bao Fan
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yue Zhang
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Fumi Sato-Kaneko
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Fitzgerald S Lao
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tadashi Hosoya
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karen Messer
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,2 Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Minya Pu
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,2 Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Howard B Cottam
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dennis A Carson
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Dong-Er Zhang
- 1 Moores UCSD Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,3 Department of Pathology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maripat Corr
- 4 Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Ignacio BJ, Albin TJ, Esser-Kahn AP, Verdoes M. Toll-like Receptor Agonist Conjugation: A Chemical Perspective. Bioconjug Chem 2018; 29:587-603. [PMID: 29378134 PMCID: PMC10642707 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.7b00808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are vital elements of the mammalian immune system that function by recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), bridging innate and adaptive immunity. They have become a prominent therapeutic target for the treatment of infectious diseases, cancer, and allergies, with many TLR agonists currently in clinical trials or approved as immunostimulants. Numerous studies have shown that conjugation of TLR agonists to other molecules can beneficially influence their potency, toxicity, pharmacokinetics, or function. The functional properties of TLR agonist conjugates, however, are highly dependent on the ligation strategy employed. Here, we review the chemical structural requirements for effective functional TLR agonist conjugation. In addition, we provide similar analysis for those that have yet to be conjugated. Moreover, we discuss applications of covalent TLR agonist conjugation and their implications for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob J. Ignacio
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tyler J. Albin
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Aaron P. Esser-Kahn
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Martijn Verdoes
- Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Honegr J, Malinak D, Dolezal R, Soukup O, Benkova M, Hroch L, Benek O, Janockova J, Kuca K, Prymula R. Rational design of novel TLR4 ligands by in silico screening and their functional and structural characterization in vitro. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 146:38-46. [PMID: 29407964 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.12.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify new small molecules that possess activity on human toll-like receptor 4 associated with the myeloid differentiation protein 2 (hTLR4/MD2). Following current rational drug design principles, we firstly performed a ligand and structure based virtual screening of more than 130 000 compounds to discover until now unknown class of hTLR4/MD2 modulators that could be used as novel type of immunologic adjuvants. The core of the in silico study was molecular docking of flexible ligands in a partially flexible hTLR4/MD2 receptor model using a peta-flops-scale supercomputer. The most promising substances resulting from this study, related to anthracene-succimide hybrids, were synthesized and tested. The best prepared candidate exhibited 80% of Monophosphoryl Lipid A in vitro agonistic activity in cell lines expressing hTLR4/MD2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Honegr
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Department of Intensive Medicine and Forensic Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava, Syllabova 19, 703 00 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - David Malinak
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 500 03 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Rafael Dolezal
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Center for Basic and Applied Research, Faculty of Informatics and Management, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 500 03 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 500 03 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Soukup
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Benkova
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Lukas Hroch
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Benek
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 500 03 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Janockova
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Kamil Kuca
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 500 03 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Prymula
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05 Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
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Chen L, Fu W, Zheng L, Wang Y, Liang G. Recent progress in the discovery of myeloid differentiation 2 (MD2) modulators for inflammatory diseases. Drug Discov Today 2018; 23:1187-1202. [PMID: 29330126 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2018.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD2), together with Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), binds lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with high affinity, inducing the formation of the activated homodimer LPS-MD2-TLR4. MD2 directly recognizes the Lipid A domain of LPS, leading to the activation of downstream signaling of cytokine and chemokine production, and initiation of inflammatory and immune responses. However, excessive activation and potent host responses generate severe inflammatory syndromes such as acute sepsis and septic shock. MD2 is increasingly being considered as an attractive pharmacological target for the development of potent anti-inflammatory agents. In this Keynote review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the structure and biology of MD2, and present MD2 modulators as promising agents for anti-inflammatory intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingfeng Chen
- Chemical Biology Research Center at School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China; School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China
| | - Weitao Fu
- Chemical Biology Research Center at School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Lulu Zheng
- Chemical Biology Research Center at School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Chemical Biology Research Center at School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China.
| | - Guang Liang
- Chemical Biology Research Center at School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China; School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China.
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34
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Rational Design of a New Class of Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) Tryptamine Related Agonists by Means of the Structure- and Ligand-Based Virtual Screening for Vaccine Adjuvant Discovery. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23010102. [PMID: 29300367 PMCID: PMC6017214 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23010102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 12/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to identify novel lead structures for human toll-like receptor 4 (hTLR4) modulation virtual high throughput screening by a peta-flops-scale supercomputer has been performed. Based on the in silico studies, a series of 12 compounds related to tryptamine was rationally designed to retain suitable molecular geometry for interaction with the hTLR4 binding site as well as to satisfy general principles of drug-likeness. The proposed compounds were synthesized, and tested by in vitro and ex vivo experiments, which revealed that several of them are capable to stimulate hTLR4 in vitro up to 25% activity of Monophosphoryl lipid A. The specific affinity of the in vitro most potent substance was confirmed by surface plasmon resonance direct-binding experiments. Moreover, two compounds from the series show also significant ability to elicit production of interleukin 6.
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35
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Martinez-Gil L, Goff PH, Tan GS. The Role of Self-Assembling Lipid Molecules in Vaccination. ADVANCES IN BIOMEMBRANES AND LIPID SELF-ASSEMBLY 2018. [PMCID: PMC7147077 DOI: 10.1016/bs.abl.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The advent of vaccines represents one of the most significant advances in medical history. The protection provided by vaccines has greatly contributed in reducing the number of cases of infections and most notably to the eradication of small pox. A large number of new technologies and approaches in vaccine development are currently being investigated with the goal of providing the basis for the next generation of prophylactics against an ever-expanding list of emerging and reemerging pathogens. In this chapter, we will focus on the role of lipids and lipid self-assembling vesicles in new and promising vaccination approaches. We will start by describing how lipids can induce activation of the innate immune system and focus on some lipid-derived vaccine adjuvants. Next, we will review current lipid-based self-assembling particles used as vaccine platforms, specifically liposomes and virus-like particles, and how virus-like particles have facilitated research of highly pathogenic viruses such as Ebola.
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36
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Targeting pattern-recognition receptors to discover new small molecule immune modulators. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 144:82-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Cochet F, Peri F. The Role of Carbohydrates in the Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) Signalling. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2318. [PMID: 29099761 PMCID: PMC5713287 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18112318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The interactions between sugar-containing molecules from the bacteria cell wall and pattern recognition receptors (PRR) on the plasma membrane or cytosol of specialized host cells are the first molecular events required for the activation of higher animal's immune response and inflammation. This review focuses on the role of carbohydrates of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS, lipooligosaccharide, LOS, and lipid A), in the interaction with the host Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 2 (TLR4/MD-2) complex. The lipid chains and the phosphorylated disaccharide core of lipid A moiety are responsible for the TLR4 agonist action of LPS, and the specific interaction between MD-2, TLR4, and lipid A are key to the formation of the activated complex (TLR4/MD-2/LPS)₂, which starts intracellular signalling leading to nuclear factors activation and to production of inflammatory cytokines. Subtle chemical variations in the lipid and sugar parts of lipid A cause dramatic changes in endotoxin activity and are also responsible for the switch from TLR4 agonism to antagonism. While the lipid A pharmacophore has been studied in detail and its structure-activity relationship is known, the contribution of core saccharides 3-deoxy-d-manno-octulosonic acid (Kdo) and heptosyl-2-keto-3-deoxy-octulosonate (Hep) to TLR4/MD-2 binding and activation by LPS and LOS has been investigated less extensively. This review focuses on the role of lipid A, but also of Kdo and Hep sugars in LPS/TLR4 signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Cochet
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2, 20126 Milano, Italy.
| | - Francesco Peri
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza, 2, 20126 Milano, Italy.
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Chan M, Kakitsubata Y, Hayashi T, Ahmadi A, Yao S, Shukla NM, Oyama SY, Baba A, Nguyen B, Corr M, Suda Y, Carson DA, Cottam HB, Wakao M. Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of Pyrimido[5,4-b]indoles as Selective Toll-Like Receptor 4 Ligands. J Med Chem 2017; 60:9142-9161. [PMID: 29049886 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous high throughput screening studies led to the discovery of two novel, nonlipid-like chemotypes as Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonists. One of these chemotypes, the pyrimido[5,4-b]indoles, was explored for structure-activity relationship trends relative to production of TLR4 dependent cytokines/chemokines, resulting in a semioptimized lead (compound 1) that provided a starting point for further optimization studies. In this report, compounds belonging to three areas of structural modification were evaluated for biological activity using murine and human TLR4 reporter cells, primary murine bone marrow derived dendritic cells, and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The compounds bearing certain aryl groups at the C8 position, such as phenyl (36) and β-naphthyl (39), had potencies significantly greater than compound 1. Compound 36 displayed human TLR4 agonist activity at submicromolar concentrations. The computational analysis suggests that the improved potency of these C8-aryl derivatives may be the result of additional binding interactions at the interface of the TLR4/myeloid differentiation protein-2 (MD-2) complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Chan
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Yuhei Kakitsubata
- Department of Chemistry, Kagoshima University , 1-21-40 Kohrimoto, 890-0065, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Tomoko Hayashi
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Alast Ahmadi
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Shiyin Yao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Nikunj M Shukla
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Shin-Ya Oyama
- Department of Chemistry, Kagoshima University , 1-21-40 Kohrimoto, 890-0065, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Akihito Baba
- Department of Chemistry, Kagoshima University , 1-21-40 Kohrimoto, 890-0065, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Brandon Nguyen
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Maripat Corr
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Yasuo Suda
- Department of Chemistry, Kagoshima University , 1-21-40 Kohrimoto, 890-0065, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Dennis A Carson
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Howard B Cottam
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States
| | - Masahiro Wakao
- Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego , 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093-0695, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Kagoshima University , 1-21-40 Kohrimoto, 890-0065, Kagoshima, Japan
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Synthetic Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) and TLR7 Ligands Work Additively via MyD88 To Induce Protective Antiviral Immunity in Mice. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.01050-17. [PMID: 28724768 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01050-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that the combination of synthetic small-molecule Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and TLR7 ligands is a potent adjuvant for recombinant influenza virus hemagglutinin, inducing rapid and sustained immunity that is protective against influenza viruses in homologous, heterologous, and heterosubtypic murine challenge models. Combining the TLR4 and TLR7 ligands balances Th1 and Th2-type immune responses for long-lived cellular and neutralizing humoral immunity against the viral hemagglutinin. Here, we demonstrate that the protective response induced in mice by this combined adjuvant is dependent upon TLR4 and TLR7 signaling via myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88), indicating that the adjuvants function in vivo via their known receptors, with negligible off-target effects, to induce protective immunity. The combined adjuvant acts via MyD88 in both bone marrow-derived and non-bone marrow-derived radioresistant cells to induce hemagglutinin-specific antibodies and protect mice against influenza virus challenge. The protective efficacy generated by immunization with this adjuvant and recombinant hemagglutinin antigen is transferable with serum from immunized mice to recipient mice in a homologous, but not a heterologous, H1N1 viral challenge model. Depletion of CD4+ cells after an established humoral response in immunized mice does not impair protection from a homologous challenge; however, it does significantly impair recovery from a heterologous challenge virus, highlighting an important role for vaccine-induced CD4+ cells in cross-protective vaccine efficacy. The combination of the two TLR agonists allows for significant dose reductions of each component to achieve a level of protection equivalent to that afforded by either single agent at its full dose.IMPORTANCE Development of novel adjuvants is needed to enhance immunogenicity to provide better protection from seasonal influenza virus infection and improve pandemic preparedness. We show here that several dose combinations of synthetic TLR4 and TLR7 ligands are potent adjuvants for recombinant influenza virus hemagglutinin antigen induction of humoral and cellular immunity against viral challenges. The components of the combined adjuvant work additively to enable both antigen and adjuvant dose sparing while retaining efficacy. Understanding an adjuvant's mechanism of action is a critical component for preclinical safety evaluation, and we demonstrate here that a combined TLR4 and TLR7 adjuvant signals via the appropriate receptors and the MyD88 adaptor protein. This novel adjuvant combination contributes to a more broadly protective vaccine while demonstrating an attractive safety profile.
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Chan M, Ahmadi A, Yao S, Sato-Kaneko F, Messer K, Pu M, Nguyen B, Hayashi T, Corr M, Carson DA, Cottam HB, Shukla NM. Identification of Biologically Active Pyrimido[5,4-b]indoles That Prolong NF-κB Activation without Intrinsic Activity. ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2017; 19:533-543. [PMID: 28657707 DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.7b00080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Most vaccine adjuvants directly stimulate and activate antigen presenting cells but do not sustain immunostimulation of these cells. A high throughput screening (HTS) strategy was designed to identify compounds that would sustain NF-κB activation by a stimulus from the Toll-like receptor (TLR)4 ligand, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Several pilot studies optimized the parameters and conditions for a cell based NF-κB reporter assay in human monocytic THP-1 cells. The final assay evaluated prolongation of LPS induced NF-κB activation at 12 h. The dynamic range of the assay was confirmed in a pilot screen of 14 631 compounds and subsequently in a main extensive screen with 166 304 compounds. Hit compounds were identified using an enrichment strategy based on unsupervised chemoinformatic clustering, and also by a naı̈ve "Top X" approach. A total of 2011 compounds were then rescreened for levels of coactivation with LPS at 5 h and 12 h, which provided kinetic profiles. Of the 407 confirmed hits, compounds that showed correlation of the kinetic profiles with the structural similarities led to identification of four chemotypes: pyrimido[5,4-b]indoles, 4H-chromene-3-carbonitriles, benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-2-ylureas, and tetrahydrothieno[2,3-c]pyridines, which were segregated by 5 h and 12 h kinetic characteristics. Unlike the TLR4 agonistic pyrimidoindoles identified in previous studies, the revealed pyrimidoindoles in the present work did not intrinsically stimulate TLR4 nor induce NF-κB but rather prolonged NF-κB signaling induced by LPS. A 42-member combinatorial library was synthesized which led to identification of potent N3-alkyl substituted pyrimidoindoles that were not only active in vitro but also enhanced antibody responses in vivo when used as a coadjuvant. The novel HTS strategy led to identification of compounds that are intrinsically quiescent but functionally prolong stimulation by a TLR4 ligand and thereby potentiate vaccine efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Chan
- Moores
UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Alast Ahmadi
- Moores
UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Shiyin Yao
- Moores
UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Fumi Sato-Kaneko
- Moores
UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Karen Messer
- Division
of Biostatistics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Minya Pu
- Division
of Biostatistics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Brandon Nguyen
- Moores
UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Tomoko Hayashi
- Moores
UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Maripat Corr
- Department
of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Dennis A. Carson
- Moores
UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Howard B. Cottam
- Moores
UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Nikunj M. Shukla
- Moores
UCSD Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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41
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O'Hagan DT, Friedland LR, Hanon E, Didierlaurent AM. Towards an evidence based approach for the development of adjuvanted vaccines. Curr Opin Immunol 2017; 47:93-102. [PMID: 28755542 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
In the last two decades, several vaccines formulated with a new generation of adjuvants have been licensed or approved to target diseases such as influenza, hepatitis B, cervical cancer, and malaria. These new generation adjuvants appear to work by delivering a localized activation signal to the innate immune system, which in turn promotes antigen-specific adaptive immunity. Advances in understanding of the innate immune system together with high-throughput discovery of synthetic immune potentiators are now expanding the portfolio of new generation adjuvants available for evaluation. Meanwhile, omics and systems biology are providing molecular benchmarks or signatures to assess vaccine safety and effectiveness. This accumulating knowledge and experience raises the prospect that the future selection of the right antigen/adjuvant combination can be more evidence based and can speed up the clinical development program for new adjuvanted vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek T O'Hagan
- GSK Vaccines, 14200 Shady Grove Road, Rockville, MD, USA. derek.t.o'
| | | | - Emmanuel Hanon
- GSK Vaccines, Rue de l'Institut 89, 1330 Rixensart, Belgium
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42
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Oosenbrug T, van de Graaff MJ, Ressing ME, van Kasteren SI. Chemical Tools for Studying TLR Signaling Dynamics. Cell Chem Biol 2017. [PMID: 28648377 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2017.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The detection of infectious pathogens is essential for the induction of antimicrobial immune responses. The innate immune system detects a wide array of microbes using a limited set of pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs). One family of PRRs with a central role in innate immunity are the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Upon ligation, these receptors initiate signaling pathways culminating in the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and/or type I interferons (IFN-I). In recent years, it has become evident that the specific subcellular location and timing of TLR activation affect signaling outcome. The subtlety of this signaling has led to a growing demand for chemical tools that provide the ability to conditionally control TLR activation. In this review, we survey current models for TLR signaling in time and space, discuss how chemical tools have contributed to our understanding of TLR ligands, and describe how they can aid further elucidation of the dynamic aspects of TLR signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo Oosenbrug
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands
| | - Michel J van de Graaff
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands
| | - Maaike E Ressing
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC Leiden, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands.
| | - Sander I van Kasteren
- Department of Bio-organic Synthesis, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC Leiden, Zuid-Holland, the Netherlands.
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43
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Abstract
Adjuvant properties of bacterial cell wall components like MPLA (monophosphoryl lipid A) are well described and have gained FDA approval for use in vaccines such as Cervarix. MPLA is the product of chemically modified lipooligosaccharide (LOS), altered to diminish toxic proinflammatory effects while retaining adequate immunogenicity. Despite the virtually unlimited number of potential sources among bacterial strains, the number of useable compounds within this promising class of adjuvants are few. We have developed bacterial enzymatic combinatorial chemistry (BECC) as a method to generate rationally designed, functionally diverse lipid A. BECC removes endogenous or introduces exogenous lipid A-modifying enzymes to bacteria, effectively reprogramming the lipid A biosynthetic pathway. In this study, BECC is applied within an avirulent strain of Yersinia pestis to develop structurally distinct LOS molecules that elicit differential Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) activation. Using reporter cell lines that measure NF-κB activation, BECC-derived molecules were screened for the ability to induce a lower proinflammatory response than Escherichia coli LOS. Their structures exhibit varied, dose-dependent, TLR4-driven NF-κB activation with both human and mouse TLR4 complexes. Additional cytokine secretion screening identified molecules that induce levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) comparable to the levels induced by phosphorylated hexa-acyl disaccharide (PHAD). The lead candidates demonstrated potent immunostimulation in mouse splenocytes, human primary blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). This newly described system allows directed programming of lipid A synthesis and has the potential to generate a diverse array of TLR4 agonist candidates.IMPORTANCE There is an urgent need to develop effective vaccines against infectious diseases that continue to be major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Making effective vaccines requires selecting an adjuvant to strengthen an appropriate and protective immune response. This work describes a practical method, bacterial enzymatic combinatorial chemistry (BECC), for generating functionally diverse molecules for adjuvant use. These molecules were analyzed in cell culture for their ability to initiate immune stimulatory activity. Several of the assays described herein show promising in vitro cytokine production and costimulatory molecule expression results, suggesting that the BECC molecules may be useful in future vaccine preparations.
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44
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Balancing Inflammation: Computational Design of Small-Molecule Toll-like Receptor Modulators. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2017; 38:155-168. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2016.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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45
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Ryu KA, Slowinska K, Moore T, Esser-Kahn A. Immune Response Modulation of Conjugated Agonists with Changing Linker Length. ACS Chem Biol 2016; 11:3347-3352. [PMID: 27749034 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b00895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We report immune response modulation with linked Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists. Conjugating two agonists of synergistic TLRs induce an increase in immune activity compared to equal molarity of soluble agonists. Additionally, varying the distance between the agonists by changing the linker length alters the level of macrophage NF-κB activity as well as primary bone marrow derived dendritic cell IL-6 production. This modulation is effected by the size of the agonists and the pairing of the stimulated TLRs. The sensitivity of linker-length-dependent immune activity of conjugated agonists provides the potential for developing application specific therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keun Ah Ryu
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California−Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Katarzyna Slowinska
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University−Long Beach, Long Beach, California 90840, United States
| | - Troy Moore
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California−Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
| | - Aaron Esser-Kahn
- Department
of Chemistry, University of California−Irvine, Irvine, California 92697, United States
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46
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Marshall JD, Heeke DS, Rao E, Maynard SK, Hornigold D, McCrae C, Fraser N, Tovchigrechko A, Yu L, Williams N, King S, Cooper ME, Hajjar AM, Woo JC. A Novel Class of Small Molecule Agonists with Preference for Human over Mouse TLR4 Activation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164632. [PMID: 27736941 PMCID: PMC5063506 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The best-characterized Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligands are lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its chemically modified and detoxified variant, monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL). Although both molecules are active for human TLR4, they demonstrate a potency preference for mouse TLR4 based on data from transfected cell lines and primary cells of both species. After a high throughput screening process of small molecule libraries, we have discovered a new class of TLR4 agonist with a species preference profile differing from MPL. Products of the 4-component Ugi synthesis reaction were demonstrated to potently trigger human TLR4-transfected HEK cells but not mouse TLR4, although inclusion of the human MD2 with mTLR4 was able to partially recover activity. Co-expression of CD14 was not required for optimal activity of Ugi compounds on transfected cells, as it is for LPS. The species preference profile for the panel of Ugi compounds was found to be strongly active for human and cynomolgus monkey primary cells, with reduced but still substantial activity for most Ugi compounds on guinea pig cells. Mouse, rat, rabbit, ferret, and cotton rat cells displayed little or no activity when exposed to Ugi compounds. However, engineering the human versions of TLR4 and MD2 to be expressed in mTLR4/MD2 deficient mice allowed for robust activity by Ugi compounds both in vitro and in vivo. These findings extend the range of compounds available for development as agonists of TLR4 and identify novel molecules which reverse the TLR4 triggering preference of MPL for mouse TLR4 over human TLR4. Such compounds may be amenable to formulation as more potent human-specific TLR4L-based adjuvants than typical MPL-based adjuvants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D. Marshall
- Vaccine Platform Group, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Darren S. Heeke
- Translational Biology Group, MedImmune, Mountain View, California, United States of America
| | - Eileen Rao
- Translational Biology Group, MedImmune, Mountain View, California, United States of America
| | - Sean K. Maynard
- Vaccine Platform Group, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David Hornigold
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases, MedImmune, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher McCrae
- Translational Science, Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity Innovative Medicines, AstraZeneca R&D, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Neil Fraser
- Biology Department, AstraZeneca R&D, Charnwood, United Kingdom
| | - Andrey Tovchigrechko
- Research Bioinformatics, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Li Yu
- Statistical Sciences, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nicola Williams
- Biology Department, AstraZeneca R&D, Charnwood, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah King
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, AstraZeneca R&D, Charnwood, United Kingdom
| | - Martin E. Cooper
- Translational Science, Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity Innovative Medicines, AstraZeneca R&D, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Adeline M. Hajjar
- Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jennifer C. Woo
- Translational Biology Group, MedImmune, Mountain View, California, United States of America
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47
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Luo B, Gao JM, Lautens M. Palladium-Catalyzed Norbornene-Mediated Tandem Amination/Cyanation Reaction: A Method for the Synthesis of ortho-Aminated Benzonitriles. Org Lett 2016; 18:4166-9. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.6b02249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Luo
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
| | - Jin-Ming Gao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Mark Lautens
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada
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48
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Billod JM, Lacetera A, Guzmán-Caldentey J, Martín-Santamaría S. Computational Approaches to Toll-Like Receptor 4 Modulation. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21080994. [PMID: 27483231 PMCID: PMC6274477 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21080994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), along with its accessory protein myeloid differentiation factor 2 (MD-2), builds a heterodimeric complex that specifically recognizes lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which are present on the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria, activating the innate immune response. Some TLR4 modulators are undergoing preclinical and clinical evaluation for the treatment of sepsis, inflammatory diseases, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis. Since the relatively recent elucidation of the X-ray crystallographic structure of the extracellular domain of TLR4, research around this fascinating receptor has risen to a new level, and thus, new perspectives have been opened. In particular, diverse computational techniques have been applied to decipher some of the basis at the atomic level regarding the mechanism of functioning and the ligand recognition processes involving the TLR4/MD-2 system at the atomic level. This review summarizes the reported molecular modeling and computational studies that have recently provided insights into the mechanism regulating the activation/inactivation of the TLR4/MD-2 system receptor and the key interactions modulating the molecular recognition process by agonist and antagonist ligands. These studies have contributed to the design and the discovery of novel small molecules with promising activity as TLR4 modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joan Guzmán-Caldentey
- Department of Chemical & Physical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CIB-CSIC, C/Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Sonsoles Martín-Santamaría
- Department of Chemical & Physical Biology, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CIB-CSIC, C/Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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49
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Wu TYH. Strategies for designing synthetic immune agonists. Immunology 2016; 148:315-25. [PMID: 27213842 DOI: 10.1111/imm.12622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2016] [Revised: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancing the immune system is a validated strategy to combat infectious disease, cancer and allergy. Nevertheless, the development of immune adjuvants has been hampered by safety concerns. Agents that can stimulate the immune system often bear structural similarities with pathogen-associated molecular patterns found in bacteria or viruses and are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Activation of these PRRs results in the immediate release of inflammatory cytokines, up-regulation of co-stimulatory molecules, and recruitment of innate immune cells. The distribution and duration of these early inflammatory events are crucial in the development of antigen-specific adaptive immunity in the forms of antibody and/or T cells capable of searching for and destroying the infectious pathogens or cancer cells. However, systemic activation of these PRRs is often poorly tolerated. Hence, different strategies have been employed to modify or deliver immune agonists in an attempt to control the early innate receptor activation through temporal or spatial restriction. These approaches include physicochemical manipulation, covalent conjugation, formulation and conditional activation/deactivation. This review will describe recent examples of discovery and optimization of synthetic immune agonists towards clinical application.
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50
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Morin MD, Wang Y, Jones BT, Su L, Surakattula MMRP, Berger M, Huang H, Beutler EK, Zhang H, Beutler B, Boger DL. Discovery and Structure-Activity Relationships of the Neoseptins: A New Class of Toll-like Receptor-4 (TLR4) Agonists. J Med Chem 2016; 59:4812-30. [PMID: 27050713 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we report studies leading to the discovery of the neoseptins and a comprehensive examination of the structure-activity relationships (SARs) of this new class of small-molecule mouse Toll-like receptor 4 (mTLR4) agonists. The compounds in this class, which emerged from screening an α-helix mimetic library, stimulate the immune response, act by a well-defined mechanism (mouse TLR4 agonist), are easy to produce and structurally manipulate, exhibit exquisite SARs, are nontoxic, and elicit improved and qualitatively different responses compared to lipopolysaccharide, even though they share the same receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Morin
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Ying Wang
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Brian T Jones
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Lijing Su
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Murali M R P Surakattula
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Michael Berger
- Department of Genetics, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Hua Huang
- Department of Genetics, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Elliot K Beutler
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Biophysics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Bruce Beutler
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas, Texas 75390, United States
| | - Dale L Boger
- Department of Chemistry and the Skaggs Institute of Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute , 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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