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Liu Y, Chen H, Xiao L, Dong P, Ma Y, Zhou Y, Yang J, Bian B, Xie G, Chen L, Shen L. Notum enhances gastric cancer stem-like cell properties through upregulation of Sox2 by PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2024; 47:463-480. [PMID: 37749430 PMCID: PMC11090966 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00875-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Considerable evidence suggests that tumor cells with stemness features contribute to initiation, progression, recurrence of gastric cancer (GC) and resistance to therapy, but involvement of underlying regulators and mechanisms remain largely unclear. However, the clinical significance and biological function of Notum in GC tumor sphere formation and tumorigenesis remain unclear. METHODS Bioinformatics analysis, RT-qPCR, western blot and imunohistochemistry staining were applied to characterize Notum expression in GC specimens. The early diagnostic value of Notum was analyzed by logistic regression analysis method. Cancer stemness assays were used in Notum knockdown and overexpressing cells in vitro and in vivo. RNA-seq was employed to reveal the downstream effectors of Notum. RESULTS Notum is highly expressed in early stage of GC patients and stem-like GC cells. For discriminating the early-stage and advanced GC patients, the joint analysis had a better diagnostic value. Overexpression of Notum markedly increased stemness features of GC cells to promote tumor sphere formation and tumorigenesis. Conversely, Notum knockdown attenuated the stem-like cell properties in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, Notum upregulates Sox2 through activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Notum inhibitor Caffeine exhibited a potent inhibitory effect on stemness features by impairing the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activity and targeting Sox2. CONCLUSION Our findings confer a comprehensive and mechanistic function of Notum in GC tumor sphere formation and tumorigenesis that may provide a novel and promising target for early diagnosis and clinical therapy of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Hui Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Lanshu Xiao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Ping Dong
- Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yanhui Ma
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Yunlan Zhou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Junyao Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Bingxian Bian
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Guohua Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Lisong Shen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence Medicine, Shanghai Academy of Experimental Medicine, Shanghai, 200240, China.
- Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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2
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Song X, Kirtipal N, Lee S, Malý P, Bharadwaj S. Current therapeutic targets and multifaceted physiological impacts of caffeine. Phytother Res 2023; 37:5558-5598. [PMID: 37679309 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Caffeine, which shares consubstantial structural similarity with purine adenosine, has been demonstrated as a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist for eliciting most of the biological functions at physiologically relevant dosages. Accumulating evidence supports caffeine's beneficial effects against different disorders, such as total cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. Conversely, paradoxical effects are also linked to caffeine ingestion in humans including hypertension-hypotension and tachycardia-bradycardia. These observations suggest the association of caffeine action with its ingested concentration and/or concurrent interaction with preferential molecular targets to direct explicit events in the human body. Thus, a coherent analysis of the functional targets of caffeine, relevant to normal physiology, and disease pathophysiology, is required to understand the pharmacology of caffeine. This review provides a broad overview of the experimentally validated targets of caffeine, particularly those of therapeutic interest, and the impacts of caffeine on organ-specific physiology and pathophysiology. Overall, the available empirical and epidemiological evidence supports the dose-dependent functional activities of caffeine and advocates for further studies to get insights into the caffeine-induced changes under specific conditions, such as asthma, DNA repair, and cancer, in view of its therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinjie Song
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab for Chemical and Biological Processing Technology of Farm Product, School of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Nikhil Kirtipal
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunjae Lee
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Petr Malý
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences v.v.i, BIOCEV Research Center, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Shiv Bharadwaj
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences v.v.i, BIOCEV Research Center, Vestec, Czech Republic
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3
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Steadman D, Atkinson BN, Zhao Y, Willis NJ, Frew S, Monaghan A, Patel C, Armstrong E, Costelloe K, Magno L, Bictash M, Jones EY, Fish PV, Svensson F. Virtual Screening Directly Identifies New Fragment-Sized Inhibitors of Carboxylesterase Notum with Nanomolar Activity. J Med Chem 2022; 65:562-578. [PMID: 34939789 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Notum is a negative regulator of Wnt signaling acting through the hydrolysis of a palmitoleoylate ester, which is required for Wnt activity. Inhibitors of Notum could be of use in diseases where dysfunctional Notum activity is an underlying cause. A docking-based virtual screen (VS) of a large commercial library was used to shortlist 952 compounds for experimental validation as inhibitors of Notum. The VS was successful with 31 compounds having an IC50 < 500 nM. A critical selection process was then applied with two clusters and two singletons (1-4d) selected for hit validation. Optimization of 4d guided by structural biology identified potent inhibitors of Notum activity that restored Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cell-based models. The [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-b]pyradizin-3(2H)-one series 4 represent a new chemical class of Notum inhibitors and the first to be discovered by a VS campaign. These results demonstrate the value of VS with well-designed docking models based on X-ray structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, OxfordOX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Chandni Patel
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Emma Armstrong
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Kathryn Costelloe
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Lorenza Magno
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, OxfordOX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
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4
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Zhao Y, Svensson F, Steadman D, Frew S, Monaghan A, Bictash M, Moreira T, Chalk R, Lu W, Fish PV, Jones EY. Structural Insights into Notum Covalent Inhibition. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11354-11363. [PMID: 34292747 PMCID: PMC8365597 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The carboxylesterase Notum hydrolyzes a palmitoleate moiety from Wingless/Integrated(Wnt) ligands and deactivates Wnt signaling. Notum inhibitors can restore Wnt signaling which may be of therapeutic benefit for pathologies such as osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease. We report the identification of a novel class of covalent Notum inhibitors, 4-(indolin-1-yl)-4-oxobutanoate esters. High-resolution crystal structures of the Notum inhibitor complexes reveal a common covalent adduct formed between the nucleophile serine-232 and hydrolyzed butyric esters. The covalent interaction in solution was confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis. Inhibitory potencies vary depending on the warheads used. Mechanistically, the resulting acyl-enzyme intermediate carbonyl atom is positioned at an unfavorable angle for the approach of the active site water, which, combined with strong hydrophobic interactions with the enzyme pocket residues, hinders the intermediate from being further processed and results in covalent inhibition. These insights into Notum catalytic inhibition may guide development of more potent Notum inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguang Zhao
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Tiago Moreira
- Centre
for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, U.K.
| | - Rod Chalk
- Centre
for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, U.K.
| | - Weixian Lu
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Paul V. Fish
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - E. Yvonne Jones
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
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5
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Zhao Y, Jolly S, Benvegnu S, Jones EY, Fish PV. Small-molecule inhibitors of carboxylesterase Notum. Future Med Chem 2021; 13:1001-1015. [PMID: 33882714 PMCID: PMC8130783 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2021-0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Notum has recently been identified as a negative regulator of Wnt signaling through the removal of an essential palmitoleate group from Wnt proteins. There are emerging reports that Notum plays a role in human disease, with published data suggesting that targeting Notum could represent a new therapeutic approach for treating cancer, osteoporosis and neurodegenerative disorders. Complementary hit-finding strategies have been applied with successful approaches that include high-throughput screening, activity-based protein profiling, screening of fragment libraries and virtual screening campaigns. Structural studies are accelerating the discovery of new inhibitors of Notum. Three fit-for-purpose examples are LP-922056, ABC99 and ARUK3001185. The application of these small-molecule inhibitors is helping to further advance an understanding of the role Notum plays in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Sarah Jolly
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Stefano Benvegnu
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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6
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Abstract
The purine alkaloid caffeine is the most widely consumed psychostimulant drug in the world and has multiple beneficial pharmacological activities, for example, in neurodegenerative diseases. However, despite being an extensively studied bioactive natural product, the mechanistic understanding of caffeine's pharmacological effects is incomplete. While several molecular targets of caffeine such as adenosine receptors and phosphodiesterases have been known for decades and inspired numerous medicinal chemistry programs, new protein interactions of the xanthine are continuously discovered providing potentially improved pharmacological understanding and a molecular basis for future medicinal chemistry. In this Perspective, we gather knowledge on the confirmed protein interactions, structure activity relationship, and chemical biology of caffeine on well-known and upcoming targets. The diversity of caffeine's molecular activities on receptors and enzymes, many of which are abundant in the CNS, indicates a complex interplay of several mechanisms contributing to neuroprotective effects and highlights new targets as attractive subjects for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Faudone
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Silvia Arifi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniel Merk
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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7
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Bayle E, Svensson F, Atkinson BN, Steadman D, Willis NJ, Woodward HL, Whiting P, Vincent JP, Fish PV. Carboxylesterase Notum Is a Druggable Target to Modulate Wnt Signaling. J Med Chem 2021; 64:4289-4311. [PMID: 33783220 PMCID: PMC8172013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway is critically important for a number of cellular processes in both development and adult mammalian biology. This Perspective will provide a summary of current and emerging therapeutic opportunities in modulating Wnt signaling, especially through inhibition of Notum carboxylesterase activity. Notum was recently shown to act as a negative regulator of Wnt signaling through the removal of an essential palmitoleate group. Inhibition of Notum activity may represent a new approach to treat disease where aberrant Notum activity has been identified as the underlying cause. Reliable screening technologies are available to identify inhibitors of Notum, and structural studies are accelerating the discovery of new inhibitors. A selection of these hits have been optimized to give fit-for-purpose small molecule inhibitors of Notum. Three noteworthy examples are LP-922056 (26), ABC99 (27), and ARUK3001185 (28), which are complementary chemical tools for exploring the role of Notum in Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliott
D. Bayle
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Benjamin N. Atkinson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Hannah L. Woodward
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Paul Whiting
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Jean-Paul Vincent
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Paul V. Fish
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
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8
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Janitschke D, Lauer AA, Bachmann CM, Grimm HS, Hartmann T, Grimm MOW. Methylxanthines and Neurodegenerative Diseases: An Update. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13030803. [PMID: 33671099 PMCID: PMC8000915 DOI: 10.3390/nu13030803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylxanthines (MTX) are purine derived xanthine derivatives. Whereas naturally occurring methylxanthines like caffeine, theophylline or theobromine are widely consumed in food, several synthetic but also non-synthetic methylxanthines are used as pharmaceuticals, in particular in treating airway constrictions. Besides the well-established bronchoprotective effects, methylxanthines are also known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties, mediate changes in lipid homeostasis and have neuroprotective effects. Known molecular mechanisms include adenosine receptor antagonism, phosphodiesterase inhibition, effects on the cholinergic system, wnt signaling, histone deacetylase activation and gene regulation. By affecting several pathways associated with neurodegenerative diseases via different pleiotropic mechanisms and due to its moderate side effects, intake of methylxanthines have been suggested to be an interesting approach in dealing with neurodegeneration. Especially in the past years, the impact of methylxanthines in neurodegenerative diseases has been extensively studied and several new aspects have been elucidated. In this review we summarize the findings of methylxanthines linked to Alzheimer´s disease, Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis since 2017, focusing on epidemiological and clinical studies and addressing the underlying molecular mechanisms in cell culture experiments and animal studies in order to assess the neuroprotective potential of methylxanthines in these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Janitschke
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany; (D.J.); (A.A.L.); (C.M.B.); (H.S.G.); (T.H.)
| | - Anna A. Lauer
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany; (D.J.); (A.A.L.); (C.M.B.); (H.S.G.); (T.H.)
| | - Cornel M. Bachmann
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany; (D.J.); (A.A.L.); (C.M.B.); (H.S.G.); (T.H.)
| | - Heike S. Grimm
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany; (D.J.); (A.A.L.); (C.M.B.); (H.S.G.); (T.H.)
| | - Tobias Hartmann
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany; (D.J.); (A.A.L.); (C.M.B.); (H.S.G.); (T.H.)
- Deutsches Institut für DemenzPrävention (DIDP), Saarland University, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Marcus O. W. Grimm
- Experimental Neurology, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany; (D.J.); (A.A.L.); (C.M.B.); (H.S.G.); (T.H.)
- Deutsches Institut für DemenzPrävention (DIDP), Saarland University, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany
- Correspondence:
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9
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Mahy W, Willis NJ, Zhao Y, Woodward HL, Svensson F, Sipthorp J, Vecchia L, Ruza RR, Hillier J, Kjær S, Frew S, Monaghan A, Bictash M, Salinas PC, Whiting P, Vincent JP, Jones EY, Fish PV. 5-Phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3 H)-ones Are Potent Inhibitors of Notum Carboxylesterase Activity Identified by the Optimization of a Crystallographic Fragment Screening Hit. J Med Chem 2020; 63:12942-12956. [PMID: 33124429 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Carboxylesterase Notum is a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway. There is an emerging understanding of the role Notum plays in disease, supporting the need to discover new small-molecule inhibitors. A crystallographic X-ray fragment screen was performed, which identified fragment hit 1,2,3-triazole 7 as an attractive starting point for a structure-based drug design hit-to-lead program. Optimization of 7 identified oxadiazol-2-one 23dd as a preferred example with properties consistent with drug-like chemical space. Screening 23dd in a cell-based TCF/LEF reporter gene assay restored the activation of Wnt signaling in the presence of Notum. Mouse pharmacokinetic studies with oral administration of 23dd demonstrated good plasma exposure and partial blood-brain barrier penetration. Significant progress was made in developing fragment hit 7 into lead 23dd (>600-fold increase in activity), making it suitable as a new chemical tool for exploring the role of Notum-mediated regulation of Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Mahy
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Hannah L Woodward
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - James Sipthorp
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - Luca Vecchia
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Reinis R Ruza
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - James Hillier
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Svend Kjær
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Patricia C Salinas
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Paul Whiting
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Jean-Paul Vincent
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
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