Role of biotransformation studies in minimizing metabolism-related liabilities in drug discovery

Electrocatalytic Access to Azetidines via Intramolecular Allylic Hydroamination: Scrutinizing Key Oxidation Steps through Electrochemical Kinetic Analysis

Azetidines are prominent structural scaffolds in bioactive molecules, medicinal chemistry, and ligand design for transition metals. However, state-of-the-art methods cannot be applied to intramolecular hydroamination of allylic amine derivatives despite their underlying potential as one of the most prevalent synthetic precursors to azetidines. Herein, we report an electrocatalytic method for intramolecular hydroamination of allylic sulfonamides to access azetidines for the first time. The merger of cobalt catalysis and electricity enables the regioselective generation of key carbocationic intermediates, which could directly undergo intramolecular C-N bond formation. The mechanistic investigations including electrochemical kinetic analysis suggest that either the catalyst regeneration by nucleophilic cyclization or the second electrochemical oxidation to access the carbocationic intermediate is involved in the rate-determining step (RDS) of our electrochemical protocol and highlight the ability of electrochemistry in providing ideal means to mediate catalyst oxidation.

Investigating the Contribution of Major Drug-Metabolising Enzymes to Possum-Specific Fertility Control

The potential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of potential oestrogen-based oral contraceptives (fertility control) for possums was investigated by comparing the inhibitory potential of hepatic CYP3A and UGT2B catalytic activity using a selected compound library (CYP450 inhibitor-based compounds) in possums to that of three other species (mouse, avian, and human). The results showed higher CYP3A protein levels in possum liver microsomes compared to other test species (up to a 4-fold difference). Moreover, possum liver microsomes had significantly higher basal p-nitrophenol glucuronidation activity than other test species (up to an 8-fold difference). However, no CYP450 inhibitor-based compounds significantly decreased the catalytic activity of possum CYP3A and UGT2B below the estimated IC₅₀ and 2-fold IC₅₀ values and were therefore not considered to be potent inhibitors of these enzymes. However, compounds such as isosilybin (65%), ketoconazole (72%), and fluconazole (74%) showed reduced UGT2B glucuronidation activity in possums, mainly at 2-fold IC₅₀ values compared to the control (p < 0.05). Given the structural features of these compounds, these results could provide opportunities for future compound screening. More importantly, however, this study provided preliminary evidence that the basal activity and protein content of two major drug-metabolising enzymes differ in possums compared to other test species, suggesting that this could be further exploited to reach the ultimate goal: a potential target-specific fertility control for possums in New Zealand.

In-vivo processing of nanoassemblies: a neglected framework for recycling to bypass nanotoxicological therapeutics

The proof-of-concept of nanomaterials (NMs) in the fields of imaging, diagnosis, treatment, and theranostics shows the importance in biopharmaceuticals development due to structural orientation, on-targeting, and long-term stability. However, biotransformation of NMs and their modified form in human body via recyclable techniques are not explored owing to tiny structures and cytotoxic effects. Recycling of NMs offers advantages of dose reduction, re-utilization of the administered therapeutics providing secondary release, and decrease in nanotoxicity in human body. Therefore, approaches like in-vivo re-processing and bio-recycling are essential to overcome nanocargo system-associated toxicities such as hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and lung toxicity. After 3-5 stages of recycling process of some NMs of gold, lipid, iron oxide, polymer, silver, and graphene in spleen, kidney, and Kupffer's cells retain biological efficiency in the body. Thus, substantial attention towards recyclability and reusability of NMs for sustainable development necessitates further advancement in healthcare for effective therapy. This review article outlines biotransformation of engineered NMs as a valuable source of drug carriers and biocatalyst with critical strategies like pH modification, flocculation, or magnetization for recovery of NMs in the body. Furthermore, this article summarizes the challenges of recycled NMs and advances in integrated technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, in-silico assay, etc. Therefore, potential contribution of NM's life-cycle in the recovery of nanosystems for futuristic developments require consideration in site-specific delivery, reduction of dose, remodeling in breast cancer therapy, wound healing action, antibacterial effect, and for bioremediation to develop ideal nanotherapeutics.

Concerted Enantioselective [2+2] Cycloaddition Reaction of Imines Mediated by a Magnesium Catalyst

Enantioselective [2 + 2] cyclization between an imine and a carbon-carbon double bond is a versatile strategy to build chiral azetidines. However, α-branched allenoates have never been successfully applied in [2 + 2] cyclization reactions with imines, as they always undergo Kwon's [4 + 2] annulation in previous catalytic methods. Herein, a simple in situ generated magnesium catalyst was employed to successfully achieve the enantioselective [2 + 2] cyclization reaction of DPP-imines and α-branched allenoates for the first time. Insightful experiments including KIE experiments, controlled experiments, Hammett plot analysis, and ³¹P NMR studies of initial intermediates indicate that the current [2 + 2] cyclization of imine most likely involves an asynchronous concerted transition state. Further mechanistic investigations by combining kinetic studies, ESI experiments, ³¹P NMR studies of coordination complexes, and controlled experiments on reaction rates under different catalyst loading amounts provided the coordination details for this [2 + 2] cyclization reaction between DPP-imines and α-branched allenoates. This new approach was applied to the synthesis of various chiral aza-heterocycles, including the enantioselective synthesis of the key intermediate of a lipid-lowering agent Ezetimibe.

New strategies for the synthesis of 1- and 2-azetines and their applications as value-added building blocks

Four-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles are highly desirable functional groups with synthetic and biological applications. Unsaturated four-membered N-heterocycles, 1- and 2-azetines, are historically underexplored, but have recently been gaining interest due to the development of new synthetic methods to access these compounds, and to their potential as reactive intermediates. This review covers both the synthesis and applications of azetines, with a focus on synthetic methods to access azetines developed since 2018, and a comprehensive review of the reactivity and applications of azetines as starting materials or intermediates to access both other heterocycles and complex products.

Intramolecular, Visible-Light-Mediated Aza Paternò-Büchi Reactions of Unactivated Alkenes

Azetidines are of particular interest in medicinal chemistry for their favorable properties, including increased resistance to oxidative metabolism and lower lipophilicity. The recent development of [2 + 2] reactions has significantly expanded the limited repertoire of methods for azetidine synthesis, but access to more complex architectures still requires further development. Herein, we report a visible-light-enabled intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition of unactivated alkenes that proved previously unreactive to access tricyclic azetidines with 3D complex structures and high levels of saturation.

Design, Synthesis, and the Effects of (E)-9-Oxooctadec-10-en-12-ynoic Acid Analogues to Promote Glucose Uptake

(E)-9-Oxooctadec-10-en-12-ynoic acid is found to mediate its antidiabetic activity by increasing insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in L6 myotubes by activating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway. A simultaneous study of site-specific modification followed by structure-activity relationship provides a tremendous scope for exploiting the bioactivity of the parent molecule. Therefore, in the present study, we focused on site-specific modification of (E)-9-oxooctadec-10-en-12-ynoic acid (1) to generate multiple derivatives and extensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. We have done structural base design and synthesized a series of amides from acid compound 1. Compound 1 consists of an acid functionality, which is known for its metabolism-related liabilities. The SAR has been generated using scaffolds of different antidiabetic drugs such as biguanides, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones/glitazones, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, K + ATP, α-glucosidase inhibitors, and others. Furthermore, the study demonstrates and explains the promising derivatives and importance of SAR of the compound (E)-9-oxooctadec-10-en-12-ynoic acid. In order to gain mechanistic insights, a molecular docking study was performed against PI3K, which could identify the binding modes and thermodynamic interactions governing the binding affinity. According to our research, compounds 5, 6, 27, 28, 31, 32, and 33 are the best compounds from the series having EC₅₀ values of 15.47, 8.89, 7.00, 13.99, 8.70, 12.27, and 16.14 μM, respectively.

Re-Examining the Impact of Minimal Scans in Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Analysis

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is one of the most widely used analytical tools. High analysis volumes and sample complexity often demand more informative LC-MS acquisition schemes to improve efficiency and throughput without compromising data quality, and such a demand has been always hindered by the prerequisite that a minimum of 13-20 MS scans (data points) across an analyte peak are required for accurate quantitation. The current study systematically re-evaluated and compared the impact of different scan numbers on quantitation analysis using both triple quadrupoles mass spectrometry (TQMS) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Contrary to the 13-20 minimal scan prerequisite, the data obtained from a group of eight commercial drugs in the absence and presence of biological matrices suggest that 6 scans per analyte peak are sufficient to achieve highly comparable quantitation results compared to that obtained using 10 and 20 scans, respectively. The fewer minimal scan prerequisite is presumably attributed to an improved LC system and advanced column technology, better MS detector, and more intelligent peak detection and integration algorithms leading to a more symmetric peak shape and smaller peak standard deviation. As a result, more informative acquisition schemes can be broadly set up for higher throughput and more data-rich LC-MS/MS analysis as demonstrated in a hepatocyte clearance assay in which fewer MS scans executed on HRMS led to broader metabolite coverage without compromising data quality in hepatic clearance assessment. The demonstrated acquisition scheme would substantially increase the throughput, robustness, and richness of the nonregulatory analysis, which can be broadly applied in diverse fields including pharmaceutical, environmental, forensic, toxicological, and biotechnological.

Regio- and Diastereoselective Synthesis of 2-Arylazetidines: Quantum Chemical Explanation of Baldwin's Rules for the Ring-Formation Reactions of Oxiranes†

A general, scalable two-step regio- and diastereoselective method has been described for the synthesis of versatile alkaloid-type azetidines from simple building blocks with excellent overall yields. In the kinetically controlled reaction, only the formation of the strained four-membered ring can be achieved instead of the thermodynamically favorable five-membered rings under appropriate conditions. Remarkable functional group tolerance has also been demonstrated. In this paper, we give a new scope of Baldwin’s rules by density functional theory (DFT) calculations with an explicit solvent model, confirming the proposed reaction mechanisms and the role of kinetic controls in the stereochemical outcome of the reported transition-metal-free carbon–carbon bond formation reactions.

Biotransformation of phytoestrogens from soy in enzymatically characterized liver microsomes and primary hepatocytes of Atlantic salmon

Efficient aquaculture is depending on sustainable protein sources. The shortage in marine raw materials has initiated a shift to "green aquafeeds" based on staple ingredients such as soy and wheat. Plant-based diets entail new challenges regarding fish health, product quality and consumer risks due to the possible presence of chemical contaminants, natural toxins and bioactive compounds like phytoestrogens. Daidzein (DAI), genistein (GEN) and glycitein (GLY) are major soy isoflavones with considerable estrogenic activities, potentially interfering with the piscine endocrine system and affecting consumers after carry-over. In this context, information on isoflavone biotransformation in fish is crucial for risk evaluation. We have therefore isolated hepatic fractions of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), the most important species in Norwegian aquaculture, and used them to study isoflavone elimination and metabolite formation. The salmon liver microsomes and primary hepatocytes were characterized with respect to phase I cytochrome P450 (CYP) and phase II uridine-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzyme activities using specific probe substrates, which allowed comparison to results in other species. DAI, GEN and GLY were effectively cleared by UGT. Based on the measurement of exact masses, fragmentation patterns, and retention times in liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry, we preliminarily identified the 7-O-glucuronides as the main metabolites in salmon, possibly produced by UGT1A1 and UGT1A9-like activities. In contrast, the production of oxidative metabolites by CYP was insignificant. Under optimized assay conditions, only small amounts of mono-hydroxylated DAI were detectable. These findings suggested that bioaccumulation of phytoestrogens in farmed salmon and consumer risks from soy-containing aquafeeds are unlikely.

ADMET profiling of geographically diverse phytochemical using chemoinformatic tools

Aim: Phytocompounds are important due to their uniqueness, however, only few reach the development phase due to their poor pharmacokinetics. Therefore, preassessing the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) properties is essential in drug discovery. Methodology: Biologically diverse databases (Phytochemica, SerpentinaDB, SANCDB and NuBBE_DB) covering the region of India, Brazil and South Africa were considered to predict the ADMET using chemoinformatic tools (Qikprop, pkCSM and DataWarrior). Results: Screening through each of pharmacokinetic criteria resulted in identification of 24 compounds that adhere to all the ADMET properties. Furthermore, assessment revealed that five have potent anticancer biological activity against cancer cell lines. Conclusion: We have established an open-access database (ADMET-BIS) to enable identification of promising molecules that follow ADMET properties and can be considered for drug development.

Detection and characterization of olmutinib reactive metabolites by LC-MS/MS: Elucidation of bioactivation pathways

Olmutinib (Olita™) is an orally bioavailable third generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Olmutinib was approved in South Korea in May 2016 for the treatment of patients suffering from locally advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer. Reactive olmutinib intermediates may be responsible for the severe side effects associated with the treatment. However, literature review revealed no previous reports on the structural identification of reactive olmutinib metabolites. In this work, the formation of reactive olmutinib metabolites in rat liver microsomes was investigated. Methoxylamine, glutathione, and potassium cyanide were used as capturing agents for aldehyde, iminoquinones, and iminium intermediates, respectively. The stable complexes formed were identified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The major phase I metabolic pathway observed in vitro was hydroxylation of the piperazine ring. Seven potential reactive intermediates were characterized, including three iminium ions, three iminoquinones, and one aldehyde. Based on the findings, various bioactivation pathways were postulated. Hence, identifying the reactive intermediates of olmutinib that may be the cause of severe side effects can provide new insights, leading to improved treatments for patients.

Functionalized azetidines via visible light-enabled aza Paternò-Büchi reactions

Azetidines are four-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles that hold great promise in current medicinal chemistry due to their desirable pharmacokinetic effects. However, a lack of efficient synthetic methods to access functionalized azetidines has hampered their incorporation into pharmaceutical lead structures. As a [2+2] cycloaddition reaction between imines and alkenes, the aza Paternò-Büchi reaction arguably represents the most direct approach to functionalized azetidines. Hampered by competing reaction paths accessible upon photochemical excitation of the substrates, the current synthetic utility of these transformations is greatly restricted. We herein report the development of a visible light-enabled aza Paternò-Büchi reaction that surmounts existing limitations and represents a mild solution for the direct formation of functionalized azetidines from imine and alkene containing precursors.

Toxicity of erythromycin to Oncorhynchus mykiss at different biochemical levels: detoxification metabolism, energetic balance, and neurological impairment

During the last decades, the presence of antibiotics in different aquatic compartments has raised increasing interest and concern, since these compounds are usually persistent and bioactive pseudo pollutants. Erythromycin (ERY) is a macrolide antibiotic, prescribed for human and veterinary medicines but also used in aquaculture and livestock production. Taking into account the recorded environmental levels of ERY, its toxicity to non-target organisms has become a still poorly studied issue, particularly in fish. In this sense, this study investigated the acute and chronic effects of realistic levels of ERY on Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout), namely, through the quantification of the activity of enzymes involved in different biochemical pathways, such as detoxification (phase I-7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD); phase II-glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), uridine-diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs)), neurotransmission (acetylcholinesterase (AChE)), and energy production (lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)). Both types of exposure caused significant increases in EROD activity in liver of O. mykiss; an increase in GST activity in gills after chronic exposure was also observed. UGT branchial activity was significantly depressed, following the long-term exposure. Thus, EROD, GST, and UGT enzymatic forms seem to be involved in the biotransformation of ERY. In terms of neurotransmission and preferential pathway of energy homeostasis, the exposed organisms appear not to have been affected, as there were no significant alterations in terms of AChE and LDH activities, respectively. The here-obtained data suggest that the observed alterations in terms of detoxification enzymes may have prevented the establishment of a set of toxic responses, namely, neurotoxic and metabolic disorders.

Pharmacokinetic profiling of anticancer phytocompounds using computational approach

INTRODUCTION

Natural products exhibit diverse scaffolds and are considered as suitable candidates for development of leads. However, poor pharmacokinetics often acts as a hindrance during the drug discovery process.

OBJECTIVE

With a view of exploring the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET) profile of plant-based anticancer compounds, open-access databases (NPACT, CancerHSP and TaxKB) were analysed to identify molecules having properties favourable for drug ability.

METHODOLOGY

Our workflow involved identification of molecules capable of passing each of the ADMET barriers based on physicochemical properties of molecules, and physiological barriers and factors.

RESULTS

The results revealed that out of 5086 phytomolecules, 63% were orally absorbable and 52% distributable. Also, an appreciable proportion of these compounds (45%) could be metabolised and excreted. Furthermore, 28% were found to be non-toxic for cardio toxicity and central nervous system (CNS) activity. Additionally, comparison against known anticancer drugs (reference dataset) revealed that the three libraries exhibit similar trends, thus providing additional confidence to the predictions. Overall, 28% of the molecular dataset was found to have suitable pharmacokinetic properties. We have also discussed a few natural products which exhibit favourable ADMET as well as low nano-micromolar in vitro anticancer activity.

CONCLUSION

We have created an interactive database (ADMETCan), which provides access to predicted ADMET of these anticancer phytomolecules. The ease of availability of this dataset is expected to minimise failure rate of these compounds and thus is expected to be beneficial to the scientific community involved in anticancer identification and development.

Ecotoxicological evaluation of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) exposed to the antibiotic oxytetracycline using a multibiomarker approach

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is an antibiotic widely used in human and veterinary medicines. Since the primary toxicity occurs mainly at molecular/biochemical levels, the study of different biological responses corresponds to a sensitive and crucial approach. The aim of the present study was to assess the toxic effects of OTC in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) through the use of multibiomarkers and elucidate about the possible toxicological mechanisms involved. S. aurata were acutely (96 h: 0.04-400 μg/L) and chronically (28 days: 0.0004-4 μg/L) exposed to OTC. Detoxification, antioxidant defense, lipid peroxidation, genotoxicity, neurotransmission and energy metabolism biomarkers were evaluated. OTC impaired the detoxification pathways and caused peroxidative damage and genotoxicity. The relevance of the here-obtained data is high, since significant effects were recorded for levels already reported to occur in the wild, meaning that environmentally-exposed marine organisms (including those cultured at fish farms) are not completely exempt of risks posed by OTC.

Investigation of an 18F-labelled Imidazopyridotriazine for Molecular Imaging of Cyclic Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase 2A

Specific radioligands for in vivo visualization and quantification of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 2A (PDE2A) by positron emission tomography (PET) are increasingly gaining interest in brain research. Herein we describe the synthesis, the ¹⁸F-labelling as well as the biological evaluation of our latest PDE2A (radio-)ligand 9-(5-Butoxy-2-fluorophenyl)-2-(2-([¹⁸F])fluoroethoxy)-7-methylimidazo[5,1-c]pyrido[2,3-e][1,2,4]triazine (([¹⁸F])TA5). It is the most potent PDE2A ligand out of our series of imidazopyridotriazine-based derivatives so far (IC₅₀ hPDE2A = 3.0 nM; IC₅₀ hPDE10A > 1000 nM). Radiolabelling was performed in a one-step procedure starting from the corresponding tosylate precursor. In vitro autoradiography on rat and pig brain slices displayed a homogenous and non-specific binding of the radioligand. Investigation of stability in vivo by reversed-phase HPLC (RP-HPLC) and micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) analyses of plasma and brain samples obtained from mice revealed a high fraction of one main radiometabolite. Hence, we concluded that [¹⁸F]TA5 is not appropriate for molecular imaging of PDE2A neither in vitro nor in vivo. Our ongoing work is focusing on further structurally modified compounds with enhanced metabolic stability.

Chemical, computational and functional insights into the chemical stability of the Hedgehog pathway inhibitor GANT61

This work aims at elucidating the mechanism and kinetics of hydrolysis of GANT61, the first and most-widely used inhibitor of the Hedgehog (Hh) signalling pathway that targets Glioma-associated oncogene homologue (Gli) proteins, and at confirming the chemical nature of its bioactive form. GANT61 is poorly stable under physiological conditions and rapidly hydrolyses into an aldehyde species (GANT61-A), which is devoid of the biological activity against Hh signalling, and a diamine derivative (GANT61-D), which has shown inhibition of Gli-mediated transcription. Here, we combined chemical synthesis, NMR spectroscopy, analytical studies, molecular modelling and functional cell assays to characterise the GANT61 hydrolysis pathway. Our results show that GANT61-D is the bioactive form of GANT61 in NIH3T3 Shh-Light II cells and SuFu^−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts, and clarify the structural requirements for GANT61-D binding to Gli1. This study paves the way to the design of GANT61 derivatives with improved potency and chemical stability.

Structure-guided development of deoxycytidine kinase inhibitors with nanomolar affinity and improved metabolic stability

Recently, we have shown that small molecule dCK inhibitors in combination with pharmacological perturbations of de novo dNTP biosynthetic pathways could eliminate acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells in animal models. However, our previous lead compound had a short half-life in vivo. Therefore, we set out to develop dCK inhibitors with favorable pharmacokinetic properties. We delineated the sites of the inhibitor for modification, guided by crystal structures of dCK in complex with the lead compound and with derivatives. Crystal structure of the complex between dCK and the racemic mixture of our new lead compound indicated that the R-isomer is responsible for kinase inhibition. This was corroborated by kinetic analysis of the purified enantiomers, which showed that the R-isomer has >60-fold higher affinity than the S-isomer for dCK. This new lead compound has significantly improved metabolic stability, making it a prime candidate for dCK-inhibitor based therapies against hematological malignancies and, potentially, other cancers.

The Simplest Flowchart Stating the Mechanisms for Organic Xenobiotics-induced Toxicity: Can it Possibly be Accepted as a "Central Dogma" for Toxic Mechanisms?

Xenobiotics causing a variety of toxicity in biological systems could be classified as two types, inorganic and organic chemicals. It is estimated that the organic xenobiotics are responsible for approximately 80~90% of chemical-induced toxicity in human population. In the class for toxicology, we have encountered some difficulties in explaining the mechanisms of toxicity caused especially by organic chemicals. Here, a simple flowchart was introduced for explaining the mechanism of toxicity caused by organic xenobiotics, as the central dogma of molecular biology. This flowchart, referred to as a central dogma, was described based on a view of various aspects as follows: direct-acting chemicals vs. indirect-acting chemicals, cytochrome P450-dependent vs. cytochrome P450-independent biotransformation, reactive intermediates, reactivation, toxicokinetics vs. toxicodynamics, and reversibility vs. irreversibility. Thus, the primary objective of this flowchart is to help better understanding of the organic xenobiotics-induced toxic mechanisms, providing a major pathway for toxicity occurring in biological systems.

Inhibition of cellular proliferation and induction of apoptosis in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells by T-type calcium channel antagonist

The anti-proliferative and apoptotic activities of new T-type calcium channel antagonist, 6e (BK10040) on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells were investigated. The MTT assay results indicated that BK10040 was cytotoxic against human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and pancreatic cancer (MiaPaCa2) cells in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 of 2.25 and 0.93μM, respectively, which is ca. 2-fold more potent than lead compound KYS05090 despite of its decreased T-type calcium channel blockade. As a mode of action for cytotoxic effect of BK10040 on lung cancer (A549) cells, this cancer cell death was found to have the typical features of apoptosis, as evidenced by the accumulation of positive cells for annexin V. In addition, BK10040 triggered the activations of caspases 3 and 9, and the cleavages of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Moreover, the treatment with z-VAD-fmk (a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor) significantly prevented BK10040-induced apoptosis. Based on these results, BK10040 may be used as a potential therapeutic agent for human lung cancer via the potent apoptotic activity.

Development of new deoxycytidine kinase inhibitors and noninvasive in vivo evaluation using positron emission tomography

Combined inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase and deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) in multiple cancer cell lines depletes deoxycytidine triphosphate pools leading to DNA replication stress, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Evidence implicating dCK in cancer cell proliferation and survival stimulated our interest in developing small molecule dCK inhibitors. Following a high throughput screen of a diverse chemical library, a structure-activity relationship study was carried out. Positron Emission Tomography (PET) using (18)F-L-1-(2'-deoxy-2'-FluoroArabinofuranosyl) Cytosine ((18)F-L-FAC), a dCK-specific substrate, was used to rapidly rank lead compounds based on their ability to inhibit dCK activity in vivo. Evaluation of a subset of the most potent compounds in cell culture (IC50 = ∼1-12 nM) using the (18)F-L-FAC PET pharmacodynamic assay identified compounds demonstrating superior in vivo efficacy.

Bioactivation of 2-(alkylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazoles and 2-(alkylthio)-1,3-benzothiazoles

Certain functional groups/structural motifs are known to generate chemically reactive metabolites that can covalently modify essential cellular macromolecules and, therefore, have the potential to disrupt biological function and elicit idiosyncratic adverse drug reactions. In this report, we describe the bioactivation of 5-substituted 2-(alkylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazoles and 2-(alkylthio)-1,3-benzothiazoles, which can be added to the growing list of structural alerts. When 5-substituted 2-(methylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazoles and 2-(methylthio)-1,3-benzothiazole were incubated with pooled human liver microsomes in the presence of NADPH and GSH, unusual GSH adducts were formed. Characterization of these GSH adducts by high-resolution mass spectrometry indicated the replacement of the methylthio- group by GSH, and NMR experiments ascertained the proposed structures. On the basis of the metabolic profile change in incubation samples with/without GSH, we proposed that the GSH adduct formation involved two steps: (1) enzymatic oxidation of the alkylthio- group to form sulfoxide and sulfone and (2) nucleophilic displacement of the formed sulfoxide and sulfone by GSH. The proposed mechanism was confirmed by the formation of the same GSH adduct from the incubation of synthetically prepared sulfoxide and sulfone compounds in buffer. We found the sulfur oxidation step was significantly inhibited (80-100%) by preincubation with 1-aminobenzotriazole but was much less affected by thermoinactivation (0-45%), suggesting that the sulfoxidation step is primarily catalyzed by cytochrome P450s and not by flavin monooxygenases. We also investigated the presence of this bioactivation pathway in more than a dozen compounds containing 2-(alkylthio)-1,3,4-thiadiazole and 2-(alkylthio)-1,3-benzothiazoles. The common GSH adduct formation pathway demonstrated by current studies raises a new structural alert and potential liability in drug safety when 2-alkylthio derivatives of 1,3-benzothiazoles and 1,3,4-thiadiazoles are incorporated in drug design.

Insights into the structural determinants required for high-affinity binding of chiral cyclopropane-containing ligands to α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: an integrated approach to behaviorally active nicotinic ligands

Structure-based drug design can potentially accelerate the development of new therapeutics. In this study, a cocrystal structure of the acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) from Capitella teleta (Ct) in complex with a cyclopropane-containing selective α4β2-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) partial agonist (compound 5) was acquired. The structural determinants required for ligand binding obtained from this AChBP X-ray structure were used to refine a previous model of the human α4β2-nAChR, thus possibly providing a better understanding of the structure of the human receptor. To validate the potential application of the structure of the Ct-AChBP in the engineering of new α4β2-nAChR ligands, homology modeling methods, combined with in silico ADME calculations, were used to design analogues of compound 5. The most promising compound, 12, exhibited an improved metabolic stability in comparison to the parent compound 5 while retaining favorable pharmacological parameters together with appropriate behavioral end points in the rodent studies.

Identification and characterization of reactive metabolites in natural products-driven drug discovery

Toxicity of natural products arising from their metabolic biotransformation into reactive chemical intermediates is an important reason for high attrition rates in early drug discovery efforts. Screening promising natural products for their likelihood to form such metabolites is therefore an important step in identifying potential liabilities in the drug development process. However, such screening is complicated by the need to have test methods that are sensitive, reliable, accurate, efficient, and cost-effective enough to allow for routine identification and characterization of the reactive metabolites. These metabolites are typically formed in minute quantities, usually through minor metabolic pathways, and, due to their highly reactive and therefore transient chemical nature, pose considerable analytical challenges in attempts to determine their properties. Understanding the formation of reactive metabolites may be used as the basis for synthetic chemical modification of parent natural products aimed at bypassing such harmful bioactivation. This paper highlights the general principles and protocols commonly used to predict and study the formation of reactive metabolites in vitro and how the data obtained from such studies can be used in the development of safer drugs from natural products.

Respective roles of CYP2A5 and CYP2F2 in the bioactivation of 3-methylindole in mouse olfactory mucosa and lung: studies using Cyp2a5-null and Cyp2f2-null mouse models

The aim of this study was to determine whether mouse CYP2A5 and CYP2F2 play critical roles in the bioactivation of 3-methylindole (3MI), a tissue-selective toxicant, in the target tissues, the nasal olfactory mucosa (OM) and lung. Five metabolites of 3MI were identified in NADPH- and GSH-fortified microsomal reactions, including 3-glutathionyl-S-methylindole (GS-A1), 3-methyl-2-glutathionyl-S-indole (GS-A2), 3-hydroxy-3-methyleneindolenine (HMI), indole-3-carbinol (I-3-C), and 3-methyloxindole (MOI). The metabolite profiles and enzyme kinetics of the reactions were compared between OM and lung, and among wild-type, Cyp2a5-null, and Cyp2f2-null mice. In lung reactions, GS-A1, GS-A2, and HMI were detected as major products, and I-3-C and MOI, as minor metabolites. In OM reactions, all five metabolites were detected in ample amounts. The loss of CYP2F2 affected formation of all 3MI metabolites in the lung and formation of HMI, GS-A1, and GS-A2 in the OM. In contrast, loss of CYP2A5 did not affect formation of 3MI metabolites in the lung but caused substantial decreases in I-3-C and MOI formation in the OM. Thus, whereas CYP2F2 plays a critical role in the 3MI metabolism in the lung, both CYP2A5 and CYP2F2 play important roles in 3MI metabolism in the OM. Furthermore, the fate of the reactive metabolites produced by the two enzymes through common dehydrogenation and epoxidation pathways seemed to differ with CYP2A5 supporting direct conversion to stable metabolites and CYP2F2 supporting further formation of reactive iminium ions. These results provide the basis for understanding the respective roles of CYP2A5 and CYP2F2 in 3MI's toxicity in the respiratory tract.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-amino-1-thiazolyl imidazoles as orally active anticancer agents

Designed from a high throughput screened hit compound, novel 2-amino-1-thiazolyl imidazoles were synthesized and demonstrated cytotoxicity against human cancer cells. 1-(4-Phenylthiazol-2-yl)-4-(thiophen-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-2-amine (compound 2), a 2-amino-1-thiazolyl imidazole, inhibited tubulin polymerization, interacted with the colchicine-binding sites of tubulins, and caused cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase in human gastric cancer cells. Disruption of the microtubule structure in cancer cells by compound 2 was also observed. Compound 2 concentration-dependently inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells in histocultured human gastric and colorectal tumors. Given orally, compound 2 prolonged the lifespans of leukemia mice intraperitoneally inoculated with the murine P388 leukemic cells. We report 2-amino-1-thiazolyl imidazoles as a novel class of orally active microtubule-destabilizing anticancer agents.