1
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Gruber FS, Richardson A, Johnston ZC, Myles R, Norcross NR, Day DP, Georgiou I, Sesma-Sanz L, Wilson C, Read KD, Martins da Silva S, Barratt CLR, Gilbert IH, Swedlow JR. Sperm Toolbox-A selection of small molecules to study human spermatozoa. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297666. [PMID: 38377053 PMCID: PMC10878532 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Male contraceptive options and infertility treatments are limited, and almost all innovation has been limited to updates to medically assisted reproduction protocols and methods. To accelerate the development of drugs that can either improve or inhibit fertility, we established a small molecule library as a toolbox for assay development and screening campaigns using human spermatozoa. We have profiled all compounds in the Sperm Toolbox in several automated high-throughput assays that measure stimulation or inhibition of sperm motility or the acrosome reaction. We have assayed motility under non-capacitating and capacitating conditions to distinguish between pathways operating under these different physiological states. We also assayed cell viability to ensure any effects on sperm function are specific. A key advantage of our studies is that all compounds are assayed together in the same experimental conditions, which allows quantitative comparisons of their effects in complementary functional assays. We have combined the resulting datasets to generate fingerprints of the Sperm Toolbox compounds on sperm function. The data are included in an on-line R-based app for convenient querying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz S. Gruber
- Divisions of Computational Biology and Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, and National Phenotypic Screening Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Richardson
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Zoe C. Johnston
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Myles
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Neil R. Norcross
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - David P. Day
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Georgiou
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Sesma-Sanz
- Divisions of Computational Biology and Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, and National Phenotypic Screening Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Wilson
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin D. Read
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Martins da Silva
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher L. R. Barratt
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Ian H. Gilbert
- Drug Discovery Unit, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Jason R. Swedlow
- Divisions of Computational Biology and Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, and National Phenotypic Screening Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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2
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You J, Reilly MD, Eljalby M, Bareja R, Yusupova M, Vyas NS, Bang J, Ding W, Desman G, Miller LS, Elemento O, Granstein RD, Zippin JH. Soluble adenylyl cyclase contributes to imiquimod-mediated inflammation and is a potential therapeutic target in psoriasis. Exp Dermatol 2023; 32:1051-1062. [PMID: 37039485 PMCID: PMC10523866 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Cyclic AMP (cAMP) has a key role in psoriasis pathogenesis, as indicated by the therapeutic efficacy of phosphodiesterase inhibitors that prevent the degradation of cAMP. However, whether soluble adenylate cyclase (sAC) (encoded by the ADCY10 gene), which is an important source for cAMP, is involved in Th17 cell-mediated inflammation or could be an alternative therapeutic target in psoriasis is unknown. We have utilized the imiquimod model of murine psoriasiform dermatitis to address this question. Adcy10-/- mice had reduced erythema, scaling and swelling in the skin and reduced CD4+ IL17+ cell numbers in the draining lymph nodes, compared with wild-type mice after induction of psoriasiform dermatitis with imiquimod. Keratinocyte-specific knock out of Adcy10 had no effect on imiquimod-induced ear swelling suggesting keratinocyte sAC has no role in imiquimod-induced inflammation. During Th17 polarization in vitro, naive T cells from Adcy10-/- mice exhibited reduced IL17 secretion and IL-17+ T-cell proliferation suggesting that differentiation into Th17 cells is suppressed without sAC activity. Interestingly, loss of sAC did not impact the expression of Th17 lineage-defining transcription factors (such as Rorc and cMaf) but rather was required for CREB-dependent gene expression, which is known to support Th17 cell gene expression. Finally, topical application of small molecule sAC inhibitors (sACi) reduced imiquimod-induced psoriasiform dermatitis and Il17 gene expression in the skin. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that sAC is important for psoriasiform dermatitis in mouse skin. sACi may provide an alternative class of topical therapeutics for Th17-mediated skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaewon You
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY NY
| | | | | | - Rohan Bareja
- Englander Institute of Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY NY
| | | | - Nikki S. Vyas
- Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY NY
| | - Jakyung Bang
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY NY
| | - Wanhong Ding
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY NY
| | - Garrett Desman
- Departments of Pathology and Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY NY
- ProHEALTH Care Associates, OptumCare, New Hyde Park, NY
| | - Lloyd S. Miller
- Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Immunology, Janssen Research and Development, Spring House, PA
| | - Olivier Elemento
- Englander Institute of Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY NY
| | | | - Jonathan H. Zippin
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY NY
- Englander Institute of Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY NY
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY NY
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3
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Sun S, Fushimi M, Rossetti T, Kaur N, Ferreira J, Miller M, Quast J, van den Heuvel J, Steegborn C, Levin LR, Buck J, Myers RW, Kargman S, Liverton N, Meinke PT, Huggins DJ. Scaffold Hopping and Optimization of Small Molecule Soluble Adenyl Cyclase Inhibitors Led by Free Energy Perturbation. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:2828-2841. [PMID: 37060320 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01577] [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: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Free energy perturbation is a computational technique that can be used to predict how small changes to an inhibitor structure will affect the binding free energy to its target. In this paper, we describe the utility of free energy perturbation with FEP+ in the hit-to-lead stage of a drug discovery project targeting soluble adenyl cyclase. The project was structurally enabled by X-ray crystallography throughout. We employed free energy perturbation to first scaffold hop to a preferable chemotype and then optimize the binding affinity to sub-nanomolar levels while retaining druglike properties. The results illustrate that effective use of free energy perturbation can enable a drug discovery campaign to progress rapidly from hit to lead, facilitating proof-of-concept studies that enable target validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Sun
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Makoto Fushimi
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Thomas Rossetti
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York 10056, United States
| | - Navpreet Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York 10056, United States
| | - Jacob Ferreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York 10056, United States
| | - Michael Miller
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Jonathan Quast
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
| | | | - Clemens Steegborn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth 95440, Germany
| | - Lonny R Levin
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York 10056, United States
| | - Jochen Buck
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York 10056, United States
| | - Robert W Myers
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Stacia Kargman
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Nigel Liverton
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Peter T Meinke
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, New York 10056, United States
| | - David J Huggins
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York 10065, United States
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4
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Johnston DS, Kopf GS. The urgent need for innovation in contraception. Biol Reprod 2023; 108:519-521. [PMID: 36780138 PMCID: PMC10399112 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite advancements in medicine over the past decades, there exists a significant unmet global need for new and improved contraceptive methods for men and women. The development of innovative contraceptives will be facilitated via advancements in biomedical science, biomedical engineering, and drug development technologies. This article describes the need for new methods, opportunities afforded by advancements in biomedical science, strategies being employed to advance innovative novel methods, value of drug development accelerators and the need for industry involvement to provide men and women worldwide greater reproductive autonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Johnston
- Contraception Research Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Fertility and Infertility Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Gynecologic Health and Disease Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gregory S Kopf
- Product Development and Introduction, Global Health and Population, FHI 360, Durham, NC, USA
- SACYL Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Wilmington, DE, USA
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5
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Yunaini L, Ari Pujianto D. Various gene modification techniques to discover molecular targets for nonhormonal male contraceptives: A review. Int J Reprod Biomed 2023; 21:17-32. [PMID: 36875503 PMCID: PMC9982321 DOI: 10.18502/ijrm.v21i1.12662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification and characterization of relevant targets are necessary for developing nonhormonal male contraceptives. The molecules must demonstrate that they are necessary for reproduction. As a result, a sophisticated technique is required to identify the molecular targets for nonhormonal male contraceptives. Genetic modification (GM) techniques are one method that can be applied. This technique has been widely used to study gene function that effected male fertility and has resulted in the discovery of numerous nonhormonal male contraceptive target molecules. We examined GM techniques and approaches used to investigate genes involved in male fertility as potential targets for nonhormonal contraceptives. The discovery of nonhormonal contraceptive candidate molecules was increased by using GM techniques, especially the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9 method. The discovery of candidate nonhormonal contraceptive molecules can be a wide-open research for the development of nonhormonal male contraceptives. Therefore, we are believing that one day nonhormonal male contraceptives will be released.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luluk Yunaini
- Doctoral Program of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia.,Department of Medicine Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
| | - Dwi Ari Pujianto
- Department of Medicine Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia
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6
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Miller M, Rossetti T, Ferreira J, Ghanem L, Balbach M, Kaur N, Levin LR, Buck J, Kehr M, Coquille S, van den Heuvel J, Steegborn C, Fushimi M, Finkin-Groner E, Myers RW, Kargman S, Liverton NJ, Huggins DJ, Meinke PT. Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Second-Generation Soluble Adenylyl Cyclase (sAC, ADCY10) Inhibitors with Slow Dissociation Rates. J Med Chem 2022; 65:15208-15226. [PMID: 36346696 PMCID: PMC9866367 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC: ADCY10) is an enzyme involved in intracellular signaling. Inhibition of sAC has potential therapeutic utility in a number of areas. For example, sAC is integral to successful male fertility: sAC activation is required for sperm motility and ability to undergo the acrosome reaction, two processes central to oocyte fertilization. Pharmacologic evaluation of existing sAC inhibitors for utility as on-demand, nonhormonal male contraceptives suggested that both high intrinsic potency, fast on and slow dissociation rates are essential design elements for successful male contraceptive applications. During the course of the medicinal chemistry campaign described here, we identified sAC inhibitors that fulfill these criteria and are suitable for in vivo evaluation of diverse sAC pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Miller
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Thomas Rossetti
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Jacob Ferreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Lubna Ghanem
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Melanie Balbach
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Navpreet Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Lonny R. Levin
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Jochen Buck
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Maria Kehr
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sandrine Coquille
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Joop van den Heuvel
- Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Recombinant Protein Expression, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Clemens Steegborn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Makoto Fushimi
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Efrat Finkin-Groner
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Robert W. Myers
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Stacia Kargman
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Nigel J. Liverton
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - David J. Huggins
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Peter T. Meinke
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States; Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
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7
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Cordero-Martínez J, Jimenez-Gutierrez GE, Aguirre-Alvarado C, Alacántara-Farfán V, Chamorro-Cevallos G, Roa-Espitia AL, Hernández-González EO, Rodríguez-Páez L. Participation of signaling proteins in sperm hyperactivation. Syst Biol Reprod Med 2022; 68:315-330. [DOI: 10.1080/19396368.2022.2122761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín Cordero-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Farmacológica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | | | - Charmina Aguirre-Alvarado
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Farmacológica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunología e Infectología Centro Médico Nacional La Raza, IMSS, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Verónica Alacántara-Farfán
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Farmacológica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Germán Chamorro-Cevallos
- Laboratorio de Toxicología Preclínica Departamento de Farmacia Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Ana L. Roa-Espitia
- Departamento de Biología Celular Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico
| | - Enrique O. Hernández-González
- Departamento de Biología Celular Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico
| | - Lorena Rodríguez-Páez
- Laboratorio de Bioquímica Farmacológica, Departamento de Bioquímica, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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8
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Rossetti T, Ferreira J, Ghanem L, Buck H, Steegborn C, Myers RW, Meinke PT, Levin LR, Buck J. Assessing potency and binding kinetics of soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) inhibitors to maximize therapeutic potential. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1013845. [PMID: 36246105 PMCID: PMC9554468 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1013845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian cells, 10 different adenylyl cyclases produce the ubiquitous second messenger, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP). Amongst these cAMP-generating enzymes, bicarbonate (HCO3 -)-regulated soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC; ADCY10) is uniquely essential in sperm for reproduction. For this reason, sAC has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target for non-hormonal contraceptives for men. Here, we describe key sAC-focused in vitro assays to identify and characterize sAC inhibitors for therapeutic use. The affinity and binding kinetics of an inhibitor can greatly influence in vivo efficacy, therefore, we developed improved assays for assessing these efficacy defining features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Rossetti
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jacob Ferreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lubna Ghanem
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hannes Buck
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Clemens Steegborn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Robert W. Myers
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Peter T. Meinke
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lonny R. Levin
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jochen Buck
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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9
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Ferreira J, Levin LR, Buck J. Strategies to safely target widely expressed soluble adenylyl cyclase for contraception. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:953903. [PMID: 36091839 PMCID: PMC9452739 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.953903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, the prototypical second messenger cyclic AMP is produced by 10 adenylyl cyclase isoforms, which are divided into two classes. Nine isoforms are G protein coupled transmembrane adenylyl cyclases (tmACs; ADCY1-9) and the 10th is the bicarbonate regulated soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC; ADCY10). This review details why sAC is uniquely druggable and outlines ways to target sAC for novel forms of male and female contraception.
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10
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Meinke PT. Transforming Academic Drug Discovery. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202100671. [PMID: 35181980 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A drug accelerator that partners the creative power of academic scientists with drug discovery professionals to consistently advance groundbreaking biological discoveries towards patients in need would be transformational. One such model, the Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, evolved a series of best practices for identifying, selecting, executing, and completing academic-initiated drug discovery projects, as evidenced by licensing successes, is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter T Meinke
- Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, NY 10021, USA
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11
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Ferreira JJ, Lybaert P, Puga-Molina LC, Santi CM. Conserved Mechanism of Bicarbonate-Induced Sensitization of CatSper Channels in Human and Mouse Sperm. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:733653. [PMID: 34650979 PMCID: PMC8505895 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.733653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
To fertilize an egg, mammalian sperm must undergo capacitation in the female genital tract. A key contributor to capacitation is the calcium (Ca2+) channel CatSper, which is activated by membrane depolarization and intracellular alkalinization. In mouse epididymal sperm, membrane depolarization by exposure to high KCl triggers Ca2+ entry through CatSper only in alkaline conditions (pH 8.6) or after in vitro incubation with bicarbonate (HCO3–) and bovine serum albumin (capacitating conditions). However, in ejaculated human sperm, membrane depolarization triggers Ca2+ entry through CatSper in non-capacitating conditions and at lower pH (< pH 7.4) than is required in mouse sperm. Here, we aimed to determine the mechanism(s) by which CatSper is activated in mouse and human sperm. We exposed ejaculated mouse and human sperm to high KCl to depolarize the membrane and found that intracellular Ca2+ concentration increased at pH 7.4 in sperm from both species. Conversely, intracellular Ca2+ concentration did not increase under these conditions in mouse epididymal or human epididymal sperm. Furthermore, pre-incubation with HCO3– triggered an intracellular Ca2+ concentration increase in response to KCl in human epididymal sperm. Treatment with protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitors during exposure to HCO3– inhibited Ca2+ concentration increases in mouse epididymal sperm and in both mouse and human ejaculated sperm. Finally, we show that soluble adenylyl cyclase and increased intracellular pH are required for the intracellular Ca2+ concentration increase in both human and mouse sperm. In summary, our results suggest that a conserved mechanism of activation of CatSper channels is present in both human and mouse sperm. In this mechanism, HCO3– in semen activates the soluble adenylyl cyclase/protein kinase A pathway, which leads to increased intracellular pH and sensitizes CatSper channels to respond to membrane depolarization to allow Ca2+ influx. This indirect mechanism of CatSper sensitization might be an early event capacitation that occurs as soon as the sperm contact the semen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan J Ferreira
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Pascale Lybaert
- Research Laboratory on Human Reproduction, Faculté de Médecine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Lis C Puga-Molina
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Celia M Santi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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12
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Fushimi M, Buck H, Balbach M, Gorovyy A, Ferreira J, Rossetti T, Kaur N, Levin LR, Buck J, Quast J, van den Heuvel J, Steegborn C, Finkin-Groner E, Kargman S, Michino M, Foley MA, Miller M, Liverton NJ, Huggins DJ, Meinke PT. Discovery of TDI-10229: A Potent and Orally Bioavailable Inhibitor of Soluble Adenylyl Cyclase (sAC, ADCY10). ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:1283-1287. [PMID: 34413957 PMCID: PMC8366019 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) has gained attention as a potential therapeutic target given the role of this enzyme in intracellular signaling. We describe successful efforts to design improved sAC inhibitors amenable for in vivo interrogation of sAC inhibition to assess its potential therapeutic applications. This work culminated in the identification of TDI-10229 (12), which displays nanomolar inhibition of sAC in both biochemical and cellular assays and exhibits mouse pharmacokinetic properties sufficient to warrant its use as an in vivo tool compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Fushimi
- Tri-Institutional
Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Hannes Buck
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Melanie Balbach
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Anna Gorovyy
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Jacob Ferreira
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Thomas Rossetti
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Navpreet Kaur
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Lonny R. Levin
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Jochen Buck
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Jonathan Quast
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Clemens Steegborn
- Department
of Biochemistry, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Efrat Finkin-Groner
- Tri-Institutional
Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Stacia Kargman
- Tri-Institutional
Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Mayako Michino
- Tri-Institutional
Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Michael A. Foley
- Tri-Institutional
Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Michael Miller
- Tri-Institutional
Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - Nigel J. Liverton
- Tri-Institutional
Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
| | - David J. Huggins
- Tri-Institutional
Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
- Department
of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell
Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United
States
| | - Peter T. Meinke
- Tri-Institutional
Therapeutics Discovery Institute, New York, New York 10021, United States
- Department
of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York 10021, United States
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13
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Long JE, Lee MS, Blithe DL. Update on Novel Hormonal and Nonhormonal Male Contraceptive Development. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021; 106:e2381-e2392. [PMID: 33481994 PMCID: PMC8344836 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The advent of new methods of male contraception would increase contraceptive options for men and women and advance male contraceptive agency. Pharmaceutical R&D for male contraception has been dormant since the 1990s. The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) has supported a contraceptive development program since 1969 and supports most ongoing hormonal male contraceptive development. Nonhormonal methods are in earlier stages of development. CONTENT Several hormonal male contraceptive agents have entered clinical trials. Novel single agent products being evaluated include dimethandrolone undecanoate, 11β-methyl-nortestosterone dodecylcarbonate, and 7α-methyl-19-nortestosterone. A contraceptive efficacy trial of Nestorone®/testosterone gel is underway. Potential nonhormonal methods are at preclinical stages of development. Many nonhormonal male contraceptive targets that affect sperm production, sperm function, or sperm transport have been identified. SUMMARY NICHD supports development of reversible male contraceptive agents. Other organizations such as the World Health Organization, the Population Council, and the Male Contraception Initiative are pursuing male contraceptive development, but industry involvement remains limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill E Long
- Contraceptive Development Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Correspondence: Dr. Jill Long, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Room 3243, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Min S Lee
- Contraceptive Development Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Diana L Blithe
- Contraceptive Development Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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14
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Aslam M, Ladilov Y. Targeting the sAC-Dependent cAMP Pool to Prevent SARS-Cov-2 Infection. Cells 2020; 9:cells9091962. [PMID: 32854430 PMCID: PMC7563949 DOI: 10.3390/cells9091962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
An outbreak of the novel coronavirus (CoV) SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 respiratory disease, infected millions of people since the end of 2019, led to high-level morbidity and mortality and caused worldwide social and economic disruption. There are currently no antiviral drugs available with proven efficacy or vaccines for its prevention. An understanding of the underlying cellular mechanisms involved in virus replication is essential for repurposing the existing drugs and/or the discovery of new ones. Endocytosis is the important mechanism of entry of CoVs into host cells. Endosomal maturation followed by the fusion with lysosomes are crucial events in endocytosis. Late endosomes and lysosomes are characterized by their acidic pH, which is generated by a proton transporter V-ATPase and required for virus entry via endocytic pathway. The cytoplasmic cAMP pool produced by soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) promotes V-ATPase recruitment to endosomes/lysosomes and thus their acidification. In this review, we discuss targeting the sAC-specific cAMP pool as a potential strategy to impair the endocytic entry of the SARS-CoV-2 into the host cell. Furthermore, we consider the potential impact of sAC inhibition on CoV-induced disease via modulation of autophagy and apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Aslam
- Experimental Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Justus Liebig University, 35392 Giessen, Germany;
- DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Department of Cardiology, Kerckhoff Clinic GmbH partner site Rhein-Main, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Yury Ladilov
- Independent Researcher, 42929 Wermelskirchen, Germany
- Correspondence:
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