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Felicetti T, Gwee CP, Burali MS, Chan KWK, Alonso S, Pismataro MC, Sabatini S, Barreca ML, Cecchetti V, Vasudevan SG, Manfroni G. Functionalized sulfonyl anthranilic acid derivatives inhibit replication of all the four dengue serotypes. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 252:115283. [PMID: 36965228 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, continues to be a major public health threat in many countries and no approved antiviral therapeutics are available yet. In this work, we designed and synthesized a series of sulfonyl anthranilic acid (SAA) derivatives using a ligand-based scaffold morphing approach of the 2,1-benzothiazine 2,2-dioxide core, previously used by us to develop DENV polymerase inhibitors resulting devoid of any cell-based antiviral activity. Several derivatives based on the new SAA chemotype exhibited potent inhibition against DENV infection in the cell-based assay but did not inhibit DENV NS5 polymerase activity in the in vitro de novo initiation and elongation assays. Notably, best compounds 26 and 39 showed EC50 values in the range of 0.54-1.36 μM against cells infected with the four dengue serotypes (DENV-1-4). Time-of-drug-addition assay revealed that analogue 26 is a post-entry replication inhibitor that appears to be specific for cells of primate origin, implicating a host target with a high barrier to resistance. In conclusion, SAA derivatives offer a valuable starting point for developing effective Dengue antiviral therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Felicetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Del Liceo, 1-06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Chin Piaw Gwee
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore
| | - Maria Sole Burali
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Del Liceo, 1-06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Kitti Wing Ki Chan
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore
| | - Sylvie Alonso
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Singapore; Immunology programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Maria Chiara Pismataro
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Del Liceo, 1-06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Stefano Sabatini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Del Liceo, 1-06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Barreca
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Del Liceo, 1-06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Violetta Cecchetti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Del Liceo, 1-06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Subhash G Vasudevan
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, 169857, Singapore; Institute for Glycomics, Griffith University, Queensland, 4222, Australia.
| | - Giuseppe Manfroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via Del Liceo, 1-06123, Perugia, Italy.
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2
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Li Q, Kang C. Dengue virus NS4B protein as a target for developing antivirals. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:959727. [PMID: 36017362 PMCID: PMC9398000 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.959727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus is an important pathogen affecting global population while no specific treatment is available against this virus. Effort has been made to develop inhibitors through targeting viral nonstructural proteins such as NS3 and NS5 with enzymatic activities. No potent inhibitors entering clinical studies have been developed so far due to many challenges. The genome of dengue virus encodes four membrane-bound nonstructural proteins which do not possess any enzymatic activities. Studies have shown that the membrane protein-NS4B is a validated target for drug discovery and several NS4B inhibitors exhibited antiviral activities in various assays and entered preclinical studies.. Here, we summarize the recent studies on dengue NS4B protein. The structure and membrane topology of dengue NS4B derived from biochemical and biophysical studies are described. Function of NS4B through protein-protein interactions and some available NS4B inhibitors are summarized. Accumulated studies demonstrated that cell-based assays play important roles in developing NS4B inhibitors. Although the atomic structure of NS4B is not obtained, target-based drug discovery approach become feasible to develop NS4B inhibitors as recombinant NS4B protein is available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxin Li
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Laboratory of Biomass High Value Utilization, Institute of Biological and Medical Engineering, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qingxin Li, ; Congbao Kang,
| | - Congbao Kang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
- *Correspondence: Qingxin Li, ; Congbao Kang,
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3
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Moquin SA, Simon O, Karuna R, Lakshminarayana SB, Yokokawa F, Wang F, Saravanan C, Zhang J, Day CW, Chan K, Wang QY, Lu S, Dong H, Wan KF, Lim SP, Liu W, Seh CC, Chen YL, Xu H, Barkan DT, Kounde CS, Sim WLS, Wang G, Yeo HQ, Zou B, Chan WL, Ding M, Song JG, Li M, Osborne C, Blasco F, Sarko C, Beer D, Bonamy GMC, Sasseville VG, Shi PY, Diagana TT, Yeung BKS, Gu F. NITD-688, a pan-serotype inhibitor of the dengue virus NS4B protein, shows favorable pharmacokinetics and efficacy in preclinical animal models. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/579/eabb2181. [PMID: 33536278 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb2181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that poses a threat to public health, yet no antiviral drug is available. We performed a high-throughput phenotypic screen using the Novartis compound library and identified candidate chemical inhibitors of DENV. This chemical series was optimized to improve properties such as anti-DENV potency and solubility. The lead compound, NITD-688, showed strong potency against all four serotypes of DENV and demonstrated excellent oral efficacy in infected AG129 mice. There was a 1.44-log reduction in viremia when mice were treated orally at 30 milligrams per kilogram twice daily for 3 days starting at the time of infection. NITD-688 treatment also resulted in a 1.16-log reduction in viremia when mice were treated 48 hours after infection. Selection of resistance mutations and binding studies with recombinant proteins indicated that the nonstructural protein 4B is the target of NITD-688. Pharmacokinetic studies in rats and dogs showed a long elimination half-life and good oral bioavailability. Extensive in vitro safety profiling along with exploratory rat and dog toxicology studies showed that NITD-688 was well tolerated after 7-day repeat dosing, demonstrating that NITD-688 may be a promising preclinical candidate for the treatment of dengue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Moquin
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA.,Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Oliver Simon
- Novartis (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Singapore 117432, Singapore
| | - Ratna Karuna
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | | | - Fumiaki Yokokawa
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Feng Wang
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Chandra Saravanan
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Translational Medicine: Preclinical Safety, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jin Zhang
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Translational Medicine: Pharmacokinetics, East Hanover, NJ 07936, USA
| | - Craig W Day
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Katherine Chan
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Qing-Yin Wang
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Siyan Lu
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Hongping Dong
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Kah Fei Wan
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Siew Pheng Lim
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Wei Liu
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Cheah Chen Seh
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Yen-Liang Chen
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Haoying Xu
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - David T Barkan
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Cyrille S Kounde
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | | | - Gang Wang
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Hui-Quan Yeo
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Bin Zou
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Wai Ling Chan
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Mei Ding
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | - Jae-Geun Song
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Min Li
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Colin Osborne
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA
| | - Francesca Blasco
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | | | - David Beer
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | | | - Vito G Sasseville
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Translational Medicine: Preclinical Safety, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore
| | | | - Bryan K S Yeung
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore 138670, Singapore.
| | - Feng Gu
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA.
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Hung K, Yokokawa F, Liu Y, Simon O, Zhang L, Lu P, Yeung BKS, Sarko C. Synthesis of a Potent Pan-Serotype Dengue Virus Inhibitor Having a Tetrahydrothienopyridine Core. Synlett 2020. [DOI: 10.1055/a-1323-4036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
A synthesis of the first-in-class pan-serotype dengue virus inhibitor NITD-688 is presented. The Gewald reaction of N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-6,6-dimethylpiperidin-3-one with malononitrile and sulfur in the presence of l-proline as a catalyst gave tert-butyl 2-amino-3-cyano-6,6-dimethyl-6,7-dihydrothieno[3,2-c]pyridine-5(4H)-carboxylate. This was coupled with [4-(aminosulfonyl)phenyl]acetic acid by using propanephosphonic acid anhydride. A subsequent reductive alkylation with cyclohexanecarboxaldehyde gave NITD-688. Preliminary results of our attempts to control the regioselectivity of the Gewald synthesis of the 2-amino-3-cyanothiophene core are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Hung
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases
| | - Fumiaki Yokokawa
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases
- Novartis Institutes for Tropical Diseases 10 Biopolis Road, no. 05-01, Chromos, Singapore 138670
| | | | - Oliver Simon
- Novartis Institutes for Tropical Diseases 10 Biopolis Road, no. 05-01, Chromos, Singapore 138670
| | - Lei Zhang
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases
| | - Peichao Lu
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases
| | - Bryan K. S. Yeung
- Novartis Institutes for Tropical Diseases 10 Biopolis Road, no. 05-01, Chromos, Singapore 138670
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Felicetti T, Manfroni G, Cecchetti V, Cannalire R. Broad-Spectrum Flavivirus Inhibitors: a Medicinal Chemistry Point of View. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:2391-2419. [PMID: 32961008 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Infections by flaviviruses, such as Dengue, West Nile, Yellow Fever and Zika viruses, represent a growing risk for global health. There are vaccines only for few flaviviruses while no effective treatments are available. Flaviviruses share epidemiological, structural, and ecologic features and often different viruses can co-infect the same host. Therefore, the identification of broad-spectrum inhibitors is highly desirable either for known flaviviruses or for viruses that likely will emerge in the future. Strategies targeting both virus and host factors have been pursued to identify broad-spectrum antiflaviviral agents. In this review, we describe the most promising and best characterized targets and their relative broad-spectrum inhibitors, identified by drug repurposing/libraries screenings and by focused medicinal chemistry campaigns. Finally, we discuss about future strategies to identify new broad-spectrum antiflavivirus agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Felicetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, via del Liceo 1, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Manfroni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, via del Liceo 1, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Violetta Cecchetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, via del Liceo 1, 06123, Perugia, Italy
| | - Rolando Cannalire
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Napoli "Federico II", via D. Montesano 49, 80131, Napoli, Italy
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