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Adam A, Chenu E, Besson D. Compound management in a virtual research organization: The cornerstone of a reliable MMV discovery engine. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2024; 29:100168. [PMID: 38866329 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2024.100168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Despite the efforts towards malaria eradication, latest estimates show that the number of malaria cases is still rising, and malaria continues to have a devastating impact on people's health and livelihoods particularly in populations located in sub-Saharan Africa 1. As a Product Development Partnership (PDP), MMV Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) plays a crucial role by using public and philanthropic funds to engage the pharmaceutical industry and academic research institutions to discover, develop and deliver the new drugs needed to control and eradicate malaria. MMV Discovery, working with partners, has developed a robust pipeline of molecules and a reliable discovery engine able to support research projects from screening to candidate nomination, providing access to centers of expertise and evaluating the profile and potential of molecules. To efficiently support this malaria discovery effort, MMV and its partners have established a state-of-the-art compound management network, supporting all discovery activities. This network serves both discovery projects and open innovation initiatives, such as MMV Open, tailoring workflows to align with distinct project objectives. In addition to this, MMV has implemented reliable integrated logistic tools and interfaces. These tools enable the efficient management and tracking of individual not solubilized (dry) samples of project compounds, as well as dedicated, solubilized libraries of compounds designated for primary screens targeting malaria and other neglected diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Adam
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland.
| | - Elodie Chenu
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Besson
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Route de Pré-Bois 20, 1215 Geneva 15, Switzerland
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2
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Marchant JS. Progress interrogating TRPMPZQ as the target of praziquantel. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011929. [PMID: 38358948 PMCID: PMC10868838 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011929] [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] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The drug praziquantel (PZQ) has served as the long-standing drug therapy for treatment of infections caused by parasitic flatworms. These encompass diseases caused by parasitic blood, lung, and liver flukes, as well as various tapeworm infections. Despite a history of clinical usage spanning over 4 decades, the parasite target of PZQ has long resisted identification. However, a flatworm transient receptor potential ion channel from the melastatin subfamily (TRPMPZQ) was recently identified as a target for PZQ action. Here, recent experimental progress interrogating TRPMPZQ is evaluated, encompassing biochemical, pharmacological, genetic, and comparative phylogenetic data that highlight the properties of this ion channel. Various lines of evidence that support TRPMPZQ being the therapeutic target of PZQ are presented, together with additional priorities for further research into the mechanism of action of this important clinical drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S. Marchant
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
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3
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Dos Santos Nascimento IJ, Albino SL, da Silva Menezes KJ, de Azevedo Teotônio Cavalcanti M, de Oliveira MS, Mali SN, de Moura RO. Targeting SmCB1: Perspectives and Insights to Design Antischistosomal Drugs. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:2264-2284. [PMID: 37921174 DOI: 10.2174/0109298673255826231011114249] [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: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are prevalent in tropical and subtropical countries, and schistosomiasis is among the most relevant diseases worldwide. In addition, one of the two biggest problems in developing drugs against this disease is related to drug resistance, which promotes the demand to develop new drug candidates for this purpose. Thus, one of the drug targets most explored, Schistosoma mansoni Cathepsin B1 (SmCB1 or Sm31), provides new opportunities in drug development due to its essential functions for the parasite's survival. In this way, here, the latest developments in drug design studies targeting SmCB1 were approached, focusing on the most promising analogs of nitrile, vinyl sulphones, and peptidomimetics. Thus, it was shown that despite being a disease known since ancient times, it remains prevalent throughout the world, with high mortality rates. The therapeutic arsenal of antischistosomal drugs (ASD) consists only of praziquantel, which is widely used for this purpose and has several advantages, such as efficacy and safety. However, it has limitations, such as the impossibility of acting on the immature worm and exploring new targets to overcome these limitations. SmCB1 shows its potential as a cysteine protease with a catalytic triad consisting of Cys100, His270, and Asn290. Thus, design studies of new inhibitors focus on their catalytic mechanism for designing new analogs. In fact, nitrile and sulfonamide analogs show the most significant potential in drug development, showing that these chemical groups can be better exploited in drug discovery against schistosomiasis. We hope this manuscript guides the authors in searching for promising new antischistosomal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor José Dos Santos Nascimento
- Pharmacy Department, Cesmac University Center, Maceió, 57051-160, Brazil
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, 58429-500, Brazil
| | - Sonaly Lima Albino
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
| | - Karla Joane da Silva Menezes
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, 58429-500, Brazil
| | - Misael de Azevedo Teotônio Cavalcanti
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, 58429-500, Brazil
| | - Mozaniel Santana de Oliveira
- Coordination of Botany-Laboratory Adolpho Ducke, Avenida Perimetral, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, 1901, Belém, 66077-530, PA Brazil
| | - Suraj N Mali
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga East, Mumbai, 400019, India
| | - Ricardo Olimpio de Moura
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Síntese de Fármacos, Departamento de Farmácia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande 58429-500, Brazil
- Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, 58429-500, Brazil
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4
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dos Santos M, Oliveira Costa AL, Vaz GHDS, de Souza GCA, Vitor RWDA, Martins-Duarte ÉS. Medicines for Malaria Venture Pandemic Box In Vitro Screening Identifies Compounds Highly Active against the Tachyzoite Stage of Toxoplasma gondii. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:510. [PMID: 38133442 PMCID: PMC10747034 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8120510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis is a disease that causes high mortality in immunocompromised individuals, such as AIDS patients, and sequelae in congenitally infected newborns. Despite its great medical importance, there are few treatments available and these are associated with adverse events and resistance. In this work, after screening the drugs present in the Medicines for Malaria Venture Pandemic Box, we found new hits with anti-Toxoplasma gondii activity. Through our analysis, we selected twenty-three drugs or drug-like compounds that inhibited the proliferation of T. gondii tachyzoites in vitro by more than 50% at a concentration of 1 µM after seven days of treatment. Nineteen of these compounds have never been reported active before against T. gondii. Inhibitory curves showed that most of these drugs were able to inhibit parasite replication with IC50 values on the nanomolar scale. To better understand the unprecedented effect of seven compounds against T. gondii tachyzoites, an ultrastructural analysis was carried out using transmission electron microscopy. Treatment with 0.25 µM verdinexor, 3 nM MMV1580844, and 0.25 µM MMV019724 induced extensive vacuolization, complete ultrastructural disorganization, and lytic effects in the parasite, respectively, and all of them showed alterations in the division process. Treatment with 1 µM Eberconazole, 0.5 µM MMV1593541, 1 µM MMV642550, 1 µM RWJ-67657, and 1 µM URMC-099-C also caused extensive vacuolization in the parasite. The activity of these drugs against intracellular tachyzoites supports the idea that the drugs selected in the Pandemic Box could be potential future drugs for the treatment of acute toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike dos Santos
- Laboratório de Quimioterapia de Protozoários Egler Chiari, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil (G.H.d.S.V.)
| | - Andréia Luiza Oliveira Costa
- Laboratório de Quimioterapia de Protozoários Egler Chiari, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil (G.H.d.S.V.)
| | - Guilherme Henrique de Souza Vaz
- Laboratório de Quimioterapia de Protozoários Egler Chiari, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil (G.H.d.S.V.)
| | - Gabriela Carolina Alves de Souza
- Laboratório de Quimioterapia de Protozoários Egler Chiari, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil (G.H.d.S.V.)
| | - Ricardo Wagner de Almeida Vitor
- Laboratório de Toxoplasmose, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil;
| | - Érica S. Martins-Duarte
- Laboratório de Quimioterapia de Protozoários Egler Chiari, Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil (G.H.d.S.V.)
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5
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Padalino G, Coghlan A, Pagliuca G, Forde-Thomas JE, Berriman M, Hoffmann KF. Using ChEMBL to Complement Schistosome Drug Discovery. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1359. [PMID: 37242601 PMCID: PMC10220823 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15051359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is one of the most important neglected tropical diseases. Until an effective vaccine is registered for use, the cornerstone of schistosomiasis control remains chemotherapy with praziquantel. The sustainability of this strategy is at substantial risk due to the possibility of praziquantel insensitive/resistant schistosomes developing. Considerable time and effort could be saved in the schistosome drug discovery pipeline if available functional genomics, bioinformatics, cheminformatics and phenotypic resources are systematically leveraged. Our approach, described here, outlines how schistosome-specific resources/methodologies, coupled to the open-access drug discovery database ChEMBL, can be cooperatively used to accelerate early-stage, schistosome drug discovery efforts. Our process identified seven compounds (fimepinostat, trichostatin A, NVP-BEP800, luminespib, epoxomicin, CGP60474 and staurosporine) with ex vivo anti-schistosomula potencies in the sub-micromolar range. Three of those compounds (epoxomicin, CGP60474 and staurosporine) also demonstrated potent and fast-acting ex vivo effects on adult schistosomes and completely inhibited egg production. ChEMBL toxicity data were also leveraged to provide further support for progressing CGP60474 (as well as luminespib and TAE684) as a novel anti-schistosomal compound. As very few compounds are currently at the advanced stages of the anti-schistosomal pipeline, our approaches highlight a strategy by which new chemical matter can be identified and quickly progressed through preclinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilda Padalino
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Redwood Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Avril Coghlan
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Cambridge CB10 1SA, UK;
| | | | | | - Matthew Berriman
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow, 120 University Place, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK;
| | - Karl F. Hoffmann
- The Department of Life Sciences (DLS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK;
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6
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Approaches to advance drug discovery for neglected tropical diseases. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:2278-2287. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Chulkov EG, Smith E, Rohr CM, Yahya NA, Park SK, Scampavia L, Spicer TP, Marchant JS. Identification of novel modulators of a schistosome transient receptor potential channel targeted by praziquantel. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009898. [PMID: 34731172 PMCID: PMC8565742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Given the worldwide burden of neglected tropical diseases, there is ongoing need to develop novel anthelmintic agents to strengthen the pipeline of drugs to combat these burdensome infections. Many diseases caused by parasitic flatworms are treated using the anthelmintic drug praziquantel (PZQ), employed for decades as the key clinical agent to treat schistosomiasis. PZQ activates a flatworm transient receptor potential (TRP) channel within the melastatin family (TRPMPZQ) to mediate sustained Ca2+ influx and worm paralysis. As a druggable target present in many parasitic flatworms, TRPMPZQ is a promising target for a target-based screening campaign with the goal of discovering novel regulators of this channel complex. Here, we have optimized methods to miniaturize a Ca2+-based reporter assay for Schistosoma mansoni TRPMPZQ (Sm.TRPMPZQ) activity enabling a high throughput screening (HTS) approach. This methodology will enable further HTS efforts against Sm.TRPMPZQ as well as other flatworm ion channels. A pilot screen of ~16,000 compounds yielded a novel activator of Sm.TRPMPZQ, and numerous potential blockers. The new activator of Sm.TRPMPZQ represented a distinct chemotype to PZQ, but is a known chemical entity previously identified by phenotypic screening. The fact that a compound prioritized from a phenotypic screening campaign is revealed to act, like PZQ, as an Sm.TRPMPZQ agonist underscores the validity of TRPMPZQ as a druggable target for antischistosomal ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeny G. Chulkov
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Emery Smith
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Claudia M. Rohr
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Nawal A. Yahya
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Sang-Kyu Park
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | - Louis Scampavia
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Timothy P. Spicer
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research, Jupiter, Florida, United States of America
| | - Jonathan S. Marchant
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America
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8
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Gardner JMF, Mansour NR, Bell AS, Helmby H, Bickle Q. The discovery of a novel series of compounds with single-dose efficacy against juvenile and adult Schistosoma species. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009490. [PMID: 34280206 PMCID: PMC8321398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment and control of schistosomiasis depends on a single drug, praziquantel, but this is not ideal for several reasons including lack of potency against the juvenile stage of the parasite, dose size, and risk of resistance. We have optimised the properties of a series of compounds we discovered through high throughput screening and have designed candidates for clinical development. The best compounds demonstrate clearance of both juvenile and adult S. mansoni worms in a mouse model of infection from a single oral dose of < 10 mg/kg. Several compounds in the series are predicted to treat schistosomiasis in humans across a range of species with a single oral dose of less than 5 mg/kg.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nuha R. Mansour
- Department for Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Helena Helmby
- Department for Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Quentin Bickle
- Department for Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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9
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High-content approaches to anthelmintic drug screening. Trends Parasitol 2021; 37:780-789. [PMID: 34092518 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Most anthelmintics were discovered through in vivo screens using animal models of infection. Developing in vitro assays for parasitic worms presents several challenges. The lack of in vitro life cycle culture protocols requires harvesting worms from vertebrate hosts or vectors, limiting assay throughput. Once worms are removed from the host environment, established anthelmintics often show no obvious phenotype - raising concerns about the predictive value of many in vitro assays. However, with recent progress in understanding how anthelmintics subvert host-parasite interactions, and breakthroughs in high-content imaging and machine learning, in vitro assays have the potential to discern subtle cryptic parasite phenotypes. These may prove better endpoints than conventional in vitro viability assays.
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10
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Moreira-Filho JT, Silva AC, Dantas RF, Gomes BF, Souza Neto LR, Brandao-Neto J, Owens RJ, Furnham N, Neves BJ, Silva-Junior FP, Andrade CH. Schistosomiasis Drug Discovery in the Era of Automation and Artificial Intelligence. Front Immunol 2021; 12:642383. [PMID: 34135888 PMCID: PMC8203334 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.642383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma and affects over 200 million people worldwide. The control and treatment of this neglected tropical disease is based on a single drug, praziquantel, which raises concerns about the development of drug resistance. This, and the lack of efficacy of praziquantel against juvenile worms, highlights the urgency for new antischistosomal therapies. In this review we focus on innovative approaches to the identification of antischistosomal drug candidates, including the use of automated assays, fragment-based screening, computer-aided and artificial intelligence-based computational methods. We highlight the current developments that may contribute to optimizing research outputs and lead to more effective drugs for this highly prevalent disease, in a more cost-effective drug discovery endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
- José T. Moreira-Filho
- LabMol – Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Arthur C. Silva
- LabMol – Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Rafael F. Dantas
- LaBECFar – Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Barbara F. Gomes
- LaBECFar – Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Lauro R. Souza Neto
- LaBECFar – Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jose Brandao-Neto
- Diamond Light Source Ltd., Didcot, United Kingdom
- Research Complex at Harwell, Didcot, United Kingdom
| | - Raymond J. Owens
- The Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell, United Kingdom
- Division of Structural Biology, The Wellcome Centre for Human Genetic, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Furnham
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno J. Neves
- LabMol – Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Floriano P. Silva-Junior
- LaBECFar – Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carolina H. Andrade
- LabMol – Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás – UFG, Goiânia, Brazil
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11
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Vejzagić N, Prodjinotho UF, El-Khafif N, Huang R, Simeonov A, Spangenberg T, Prazeres da Costa C. Identification of hit compounds with anti-schistosomal activity on in vitro generated juvenile worms in cell-free medium. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009432. [PMID: 34033658 PMCID: PMC8191877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009432] [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: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Anthelminthic treatment options against schistosomiasis are limited. The current treatment relies almost exclusively on a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ). As a consequence, the development of resistance to PZQ and limited activity of PZQ against earlier development stages are respectively a risk and a limitation to achieving the goals of the new WHO roadmap towards elimination. For the discovery of new chemical starting points, the in vitro drug screening on Schistosoma mansoni (S. mansoni) against newly transformed schistosomula (NTS) is still the most predominant approach. The use of only NTS in the initial screening limits sensitivity to potential new compounds which are predominantly active in later developmental stages. Using our recently described highly standardized, straightforward and reliable culture method that generates high rates of juvenile worms, we aimed to repurpose a subset of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Pharmaceutical Collection (340 compounds) to identify new hits with an in vitro worm culture assay. Methodology/Principal findings Cercariae were mechanically transformed into skin-stage (SkS) schistosomula and continuously cultured for 3–6 weeks to the liver stage (LiS). A commercial source of serum was identified, and decrease of NTS/well along with optimal drug testing conditions was established to test compounds on early and late LiS worms. The library was screened in 96-well format assays using praziquantel (PZQ) as a positive control. Primary screening allowed a 5.9% hit rate and generated two confirmed hits on adult worms; a prophylactic antianginal agent and an antihistaminic drug. Conclusion With this standardized and reliable in vitro assay, important S. mansoni developmental stages up to LiS worms can be generated and cultured over an extended period. When exposed to a subset of the NCATS Pharmaceutical Collection, 3 compounds yielded a defined anti-schistosomal phenotype on juvenile worms. Translation of activity on perfused adult S. mansoni worms was achieved only for perhexiline (a prophylactic antianginal agent) and astemizole (an antihistaminic drug). Schistosomiasis continues to be a major public health problem, mainly in developing countries. Although there have been some advances in finding new drugs, praziquantel is still the drug of choice. Certainly, one of the most important advances in the search for new treatments was the ability to in vitro transform cercariae and to grow schistosomula in culture. To reduce animal use in future drug discovery efforts (3Rs), we optimized a previously established reliable and robust in vitro cell-free culture system for the generation of liver-stage worms that we applied to the screening of a compound library stemming from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Pharmaceutical Collection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nermina Vejzagić
- Institute for Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Center for Global Health, TUM School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Fabien Prodjinotho
- Institute for Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Center for Global Health, TUM School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Nagwa El-Khafif
- Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Mahad Al Abhas Al Bahari, Warraq Al Arab, El Warraq, Giza Governorate, Egypt
| | - Ruili Huang
- Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Anton Simeonov
- Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Thomas Spangenberg
- Global Health Institute of Merck, Ares Trading S.A. (a subsidiary of Merck KGaA Darmstadt Germany), Eysins, Switzerland
| | - Clarissa Prazeres da Costa
- Institute for Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Center for Global Health, TUM School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
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12
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Spangenberg T. Alternatives to Praziquantel for the Prevention and Control of Schistosomiasis. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:939-942. [PMID: 32819092 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease provoked by infection with parasitic blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma, affects almost 240 million people worldwide, and more than 700 million people live in endemic areas. However, 40 years after the approval of praziquantel as an anthelmintic drug, the pipeline is nearly empty, and no other therapeutic alternative has reached the market. In its roadmap to "eliminate Schistosomiasis as a public health problem by 2030", the World Health Organization calls for the development of new therapeutic interventions. A viewpoint on the learnings from praziquantel research as well as shaping the next generation of drugs is shared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Spangenberg
- Global Health Institute of Merck, Ares Trading S.A., a subsidiary of Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany), 1262 Eysins, Switzerland
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13
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Zorn KM, Sun S, McConnon CL, Ma K, Chen EK, Foil DH, Lane TR, Liu LJ, El-Sakkary N, Skinner DE, Ekins S, Caffrey CR. A Machine Learning Strategy for Drug Discovery Identifies Anti-Schistosomal Small Molecules. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:406-420. [PMID: 33434015 PMCID: PMC7887754 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00754] [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] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
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Schistosomiasis is a chronic and
painful disease of poverty caused
by the flatworm parasite Schistosoma. Drug discovery
for antischistosomal compounds predominantly employs in vitro whole organism (phenotypic) screens against two developmental stages
of Schistosoma mansoni, post-infective larvae (somules)
and adults. We generated two rule books and associated scoring systems
to normalize 3898 phenotypic data points to enable machine learning.
The data were used to generate eight Bayesian machine learning models
with the Assay Central software according to parasite’s developmental
stage and experimental time point (≤24, 48, 72, and >72
h).
The models helped predict 56 active and nonactive compounds from commercial
compound libraries for testing. When these were screened against S. mansoni in vitro, the prediction accuracy for active
and inactives was 61% and 56% for somules and adults, respectively;
also, hit rates were 48% and 34%, respectively, far exceeding the
typical 1–2% hit rate for traditional high throughput screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley M. Zorn
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Shengxi Sun
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0021, United States
| | - Cecelia L. McConnon
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0021, United States
| | - Kelley Ma
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0021, United States
| | - Eric K. Chen
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0021, United States
| | - Daniel H. Foil
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Thomas R. Lane
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Lawrence J. Liu
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0021, United States
| | - Nelly El-Sakkary
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0021, United States
| | - Danielle E. Skinner
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0021, United States
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals, 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, United States
| | - Conor R. Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093-0021, United States
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Duguet TB, Glebov A, Hussain A, Kulkarni S, Mochalkin I, Geary TG, Rashid M, Spangenberg T, Ribeiro P. Identification of annotated bioactive molecules that impair motility of the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2020; 13:73-88. [PMID: 32531750 PMCID: PMC7284125 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases are of growing worldwide concern and schistosomiasis, caused by parasitic flatworms, continues to be a major threat with more than 200 million people requiring preventive treatment. As praziquantel (PZQ) remains the treatment of choice, an urgent need for alternative treatments motivates research to identify new lead compounds that would complement PZQ by filling the therapeutic gaps associated with this treatment. Because impairing parasite neurotransmission remains a core strategy for control of parasitic helminths, we screened a library of 708 compounds with validated biological activity in humans on the blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni, measuring their effect on the motility on schistosomulae and adult worms. The primary phenotypic screen performed on schistosomulae identified 70 compounds that induced changes in viability and/or motility. Screening different concentrations and incubation times identified molecules with fast onset of activity on both life stages at low concentration (1 μM). To complement this study, similar assays were performed with chemical analogs of the cholinomimetic drug arecoline and the calcilytic molecule NPS-2143, two compounds that rapidly inhibited schistosome motility; 17 arecoline and 302 NPS-2143 analogs were tested to enlarge the pool of schistosomicidal molecules. Finally, validated hit compounds were tested on three functionally-validated neuroregulatory S. mansoni G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs): Sm5HTR (serotonin-sensitive), SmGPR2 (histamine) and SmD2 (dopamine), revealing NPS-2143 and analogs as potent inhibitors of dopamine/epinine responses on both human and S. mansoni GPCRs. This study highlights the potential for repurposing known human therapeutic agents for potential schistosomicidal effects and expands the list of hits for further progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas B Duguet
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Anastasia Glebov
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Asimah Hussain
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Igor Mochalkin
- EMD Serono Research and Development Institute, Billerica, MA, USA
| | - Timothy G Geary
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Mohammed Rashid
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Thomas Spangenberg
- Global Health Institute of Merck, Ares Trading S.A., a subsidiary of Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany), Eysins, Switzerland.
| | - Paula Ribeiro
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
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Whole-Cell Phenotypic Screening of Medicines for Malaria Venture Pathogen Box Identifies Specific Inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum Late-Stage Development and Egress. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2020; 64:AAC.01802-19. [PMID: 32071059 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01802-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a systematic, cellular phenotype-based antimalarial screening of the Medicines for Malaria Venture Pathogen Box collection, which facilitated the identification of specific blockers of late-stage intraerythrocytic development of Plasmodium falciparum First, from standard growth inhibition assays, we identified 173 molecules with antimalarial activity (50% effective concentration [EC50] ≤ 10 μM), which included 62 additional molecules over previously known antimalarial candidates from the Pathogen Box. We identified 90 molecules with EC50 of ≤1 μM, which had significant effect on the ring-trophozoite transition, while 9 molecules inhibited the trophozoite-schizont transition and 21 molecules inhibited the schizont-ring transition (with ≥50% parasites failing to proceed to the next stage) at 1 μM. We therefore rescreened all 173 molecules and validated hits in microscopy to prioritize 12 hits as selective blockers of the schizont-ring transition. Seven of these molecules inhibited the calcium ionophore-induced egress of Toxoplasma gondii, a related apicomplexan parasite, suggesting that the inhibitors may be acting via a conserved mechanism which could be further exploited for target identification studies. We demonstrate that two molecules, MMV020670 and MMV026356, identified as schizont inhibitors in our screens, induce the fragmentation of DNA in merozoites, thereby impairing their ability to egress and invade. Further mechanistic studies would facilitate the therapeutic exploitation of these molecules as broadly active inhibitors targeting late-stage development and egress of apicomplexan parasites relevant to human health.
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Ehrenkaufer G, Li P, Stebbins EE, Kangussu-Marcolino MM, Debnath A, White CV, Moser MS, DeRisi J, Gisselberg J, Yeh E, Wang SC, Company AH, Monti L, Caffrey CR, Huston CD, Wang B, Singh U. Identification of anisomycin, prodigiosin and obatoclax as compounds with broad-spectrum anti-parasitic activity. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008150. [PMID: 32196500 PMCID: PMC7112225 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitic infections are a major source of human suffering, mortality, and economic loss, but drug development for these diseases has been stymied by the significant expense involved in bringing a drug though clinical trials and to market. Identification of single compounds active against multiple parasitic pathogens could improve the economic incentives for drug development as well as simplifying treatment regimens. We recently performed a screen of repurposed compounds against the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica, causative agent of amebic dysentery, and identified four compounds (anisomycin, prodigiosin, obatoclax and nithiamide) with low micromolar potency and drug-like properties. Here, we extend our investigation of these drugs. We assayed the speed of killing of E. histolytica trophozoites and found that all four have more rapid action than the current drug of choice, metronidazole. We further established a multi-institute collaboration to determine whether these compounds may have efficacy against other parasites and opportunistic pathogens. We found that anisomycin, prodigiosin and obatoclax all have broad-spectrum antiparasitic activity in vitro, including activity against schistosomes, T. brucei, and apicomplexan parasites. In several cases, the drugs were found to have significant improvements over existing drugs. For instance, both obatoclax and prodigiosin were more efficacious at inhibiting the juvenile form of Schistosoma than the current standard of care, praziquantel. Additionally, low micromolar potencies were observed against pathogenic free-living amebae (Naegleria fowleri, Balamuthia mandrillaris and Acanthamoeba castellanii), which cause CNS infection and for which there are currently no reliable treatments. These results, combined with the previous human use of three of these drugs (obatoclax, anisomycin and nithiamide), support the idea that these compounds could serve as the basis for the development of broad-spectrum anti-parasitic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gretchen Ehrenkaufer
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Pengyang Li
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Erin E. Stebbins
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Monica M. Kangussu-Marcolino
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Anjan Debnath
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Corin V. White
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Matthew S. Moser
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Joseph DeRisi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jolyn Gisselberg
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford Medical School, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Ellen Yeh
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford Medical School, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Steven C. Wang
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Ana Hervella Company
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Ludovica Monti
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Conor R. Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Christopher D. Huston
- Department of Medicine, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Upinder Singh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
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17
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Hooft van Huijsduijnen R, Kojima S, Carter D, Okabe H, Sato A, Akahata W, Wells TNC, Katsuno K. Reassessing therapeutic antibodies for neglected and tropical diseases. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0007860. [PMID: 31999695 PMCID: PMC6991954 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past two decades there has been a significant expansion in the number of new therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that are approved by regulators. The discovery of these new medicines has been driven primarily by new approaches in inflammatory diseases and oncology, especially in immuno-oncology. Other recent successes have included new antibodies for use in viral diseases, including HIV. The perception of very high costs associated with mAbs has led to the assumption that they play no role in prophylaxis for diseases of poverty. However, improvements in antibody-expression yields and manufacturing processes indicate this is a cost-effective option for providing protection from many types of infection that should be revisited. Recent technology developments also indicate that several months of protection could be achieved with a single dose. Moreover, new methods in B cell sorting now enable the systematic identification of high-quality antibodies from humanized mice, or patients. This Review discusses the potential for passive immunization against schistosomiasis, fungal infections, dengue, and other neglected diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dee Carter
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences and The Marie Bashir Institute, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Wataru Akahata
- VLP Therapeutics, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Kei Katsuno
- Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, Tokyo, Japan
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Nagasaki University School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki, Japan
- * E-mail:
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18
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Development and optimization of a high-throughput screening method utilizing Ancylostoma ceylanicum egg hatching to identify novel anthelmintics. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217019. [PMID: 31158236 PMCID: PMC6546214 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Hookworms remain a major health burden in the developing world, with hundreds of millions currently afflicted by these blood-feeding parasites. There exists a vital need for the discovery of novel drugs and identification of parasite drug targets for the development of chemotherapies. New drug development requires the identification of compounds that target molecules essential to parasite survival and preclinical testing in robust, standardized animal models of human disease. This process can prove costly and time consuming using conventional, low-throughput methods. We have developed a novel high-throughput screen (HTS) to identify anthelmintics for the treatment of soil-transmitted helminths. Our high-throughput, plate reader-based assay was used to rapidly assess compound toxicity to Ancylostoma ceylanicum L1 larva. Using this method, we screened 39,568 compounds from several small molecule screening libraries at 10 μM and identified 830 bioactive compounds that inhibit egg hatching of the human hookworm A. ceylanicum by >50%. Of these, 132 compounds inhibited hookworm egg hatching by >90% compared to controls. The nematicidal activities of 268 compounds were verified by retesting in the egg hatching assay and were also tested for toxicity against the human HeLa cell line at 10 μM. Fifty-nine compounds were verified to inhibit A. ceylanicum egg hatching by >80% and were <20% toxic to HeLa cells. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were determined for the 59 hit compounds and ranged from 0.05–8.94 μM. This stringent advancement of compounds was designed to 1) systematically assess the nematicidal activity of novel compounds against the egg stage of A. ceylanicum hookworms in culture and 2) define their chemotherapeutic potential in vivo by evaluating their toxicity to human cells. Information gained from these experiments may directly contribute to the development of new drugs for the treatment of human hookworm disease.
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Lombardo FC, Pasche V, Panic G, Endriss Y, Keiser J. Life cycle maintenance and drug-sensitivity assays for early drug discovery in Schistosoma mansoni. Nat Protoc 2019; 14:461-481. [PMID: 30610241 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-018-0101-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Drug discovery for schistosomiasis is still limited to a handful of academic laboratories worldwide, with only a few novel antischistosomal lead compounds being actively researched. Despite recent international mobilization against the disease to stimulate and promote antischistosomal drug discovery, setting up a drug-screening flow with schistosome parasites remains challenging. Whereas numerous different protocols to obtain and cultivate schistosomes have been published, those describing the drug-screening process are scarce, and none gather together parasite cultivation and early drug discovery procedures. To help overcome this hurdle, we provide here a set of integrated methods either adapted from already-published protocols or based on our long-term experience in schistosomiasis research. Specifically, we detail the establishment and maintenance of the complex and several-week-long Schistosoma mansoni life cycle in a laboratory setting, as well as the means of retrieving and culturing the parasites at their relevant life stages. The in vitro and in vivo assays that are performed along the drug-screening cascade are also described. In these assays, which can be performed within 5 d, the effect of a drug is determined by phenotypic assessment of the parasites' viability and morphology, for which stage-specific scoring scales are proposed. Finally, the modalities for testing and evaluating a compound in vivo, constituting a procedure lasting up to 10 weeks, are presented in order to go from in vitro hit identification to the selection of early lead candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavio C Lombardo
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Valérian Pasche
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gordana Panic
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yvette Endriss
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland. .,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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Frahm S, Anisuzzaman A, Prodjinotho UF, Vejzagić N, Verschoor A, Prazeres da Costa C. A novel cell-free method to culture Schistosoma mansoni from cercariae to juvenile worm stages for in vitro drug testing. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0006590. [PMID: 30689639 PMCID: PMC6375649 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The arsenal in anthelminthic treatment against schistosomiasis is limited and relies almost exclusively on a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ). Thus, resistance to PZQ could constitute a major threat. Even though PZQ is potent in killing adult worms, its activity against earlier stages is limited. Current in vitro drug screening strategies depend on newly transformed schistosomula (NTS) for initial hit identification, thereby limiting sensitivity to new compounds predominantly active in later developmental stages. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish a highly standardized, straightforward and reliable culture method to generate and maintain advanced larval stages in vitro. We present here how this method can be a valuable tool to test drug efficacy at each intermediate larval stage, reducing the reliance on animal use (3Rs). Methodology/Principal findings Cercariae were mechanically transformed into skin-stage (SkS) schistosomula and successfully cultured for up to four weeks with no loss in viability in a commercially available medium. Under these serum- and cell-free conditions, development halted at the lung-stage (LuS). However, the addition of human serum (HSe) propelled further development into liver stage (LiS) worms within eight weeks. Skin and lung stages, as well as LiS, were submitted to 96-well drug screening assays using known anti-schistosomal compounds such as PZQ, oxamniquine (OXM), mefloquine (MFQ) and artemether (ART). Our findings showed stage-dependent differences in larval susceptibility to these compounds. Conclusion With this robust and highly standardized in vitro assay, important developmental stages of S. mansoni up to LiS worms can be generated and maintained over prolonged periods of time. The phenotype of LiS worms, when exposed to reference drugs, was comparable to most previously published works for ex vivo harvested adult worms. Therefore, this in vitro assay can help reduce reliance on animal experiments in search for new anti-schistosomal drugs. Schistosomiasis remains a major health threat, predominantly in developing countries. Even though there has been some progress in search of new drugs, praziquantel remains the only available drug. Probably the most important advance in the search for new drugs was in vitro transformation of cercariae and their subsequent culture. However, hit identification in compound screenings is exclusively tested in skin stage parasites and is only confirmed for more mature worms in a subsequent step. This is in part due to the lack of an easy culture system for advance-stage parasites. We present here a reliable and highly standardized way to generate LiS worms in vitro in a cell-free culture system. The inclusion of in vitro drug tests on advanced-stage parasites in initial hit identification will help to identify compounds that might otherwise be overlooked. Furthermore, the ability to continuously observe the parasite’s development in vitro will provide an important platform for a better understanding of its maturation in the human host. Taken together, this opens up new avenues to investigate the influence of specific cell types or host proteins on the development of Schistosoma mansoni and provides an additional tool to reduce animal use in future drug discovery efforts (3Rs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sören Frahm
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anisuzzaman Anisuzzaman
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Department of Parasitology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Ulrich Fabien Prodjinotho
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Nermina Vejzagić
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Admar Verschoor
- Institute for Systemic Inflammation Research, Universität zu Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Clarissa Prazeres da Costa
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Hygiene, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Pasche V, Laleu B, Keiser J. Early Antischistosomal Leads Identified from in Vitro and in Vivo Screening of the Medicines for Malaria Venture Pathogen Box. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:102-110. [PMID: 30398059 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
As part of the control and elimination strategy of human schistosomiasis, preventive chemotherapy relies on a single drug, praziquantel. Facing an almost dry drug development pipeline, screening the Pathogen Box from the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), provides a unique opportunity to possibly expand the pool of potent molecules against schistosomiasis. The activity of 400 compounds from this open-access library was first screened in vitro on the larval stage of Schistosoma mansoni. The hits were then tested on adult worms. Eleven leads were identified and tested for albumin-binding and activity on adult S. haematobium. In parallel, a rudimental structure-activity relationship analysis was performed on the 112 available analogues of three leads, yielding another 30 molecules active against both larval and adult stages of S. mansoni. Seven leads, selected on druglikeness, pharmacokinetic properties, and availability, plus auranofin were tested in mice harboring a chronic S. mansoni infection. MMV022029 and MMV022478 revealed the highest worm burden reductions of 67.8 and 70.7%, respectively. This study provided a series of new potent scaffolds and pharmacophores that could be used to design and develop suitable alternative(s) to praziquantel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérian Pasche
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Benoît Laleu
- Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Gemma S, Federico S, Brogi S, Brindisi M, Butini S, Campiani G. Dealing with schistosomiasis: Current drug discovery strategies. ANNUAL REPORTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.armc.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Chawla K, Modena MM, Ravaynia PS, Lombardo FC, Leonhardt M, Panic G, Bürgel SC, Keiser J, Hierlemann A. Impedance-Based Microfluidic Assay for Automated Antischistosomal Drug Screening. ACS Sens 2018; 3:2613-2620. [PMID: 30426744 PMCID: PMC6396876 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.8b01027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease, caused by parasitic worms, which affects almost 200 million people worldwide. For over 40 years, chemotherapeutic treatment has relied on the administration of praziquantel, an efficacious drug against schistosomiasis. However, concerns about developing drug resistance require the discovery of novel drug compounds. Currently, the drug-screening process is mostly based on the visual evaluation of drug effects on worm larvae in vitro by a trained operator. This manual process is extremely labor-intensive, has limited throughput, and may be affected by subjectivity of the operator evaluation. In this paper, we introduce a microfluidic platform with integrated electrodes for the automated detection of worm larvae viability using an impedance-based approach. The microfluidic analysis unit consists of two sets of electrodes and a channel of variable geometry to enable counting and size detection of single parasite larvae and the collective evaluation of the motility of the larvae as an unbiased estimator for their viability. The current platform also allows for multiplexing of the analysis units resulting in increased throughput. We used our platform to record size and motility variations of Schistosoma mansoni larvae exposed to different concentrations of mefloquine, a drug with established in vitro antischistosomal properties. The developed platform demonstrates the potential of integrated microfluidic platforms for high-throughput antischistosomal drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ketki Chawla
- ETH Zurich, Dept. of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mario M. Modena
- ETH Zurich, Dept. of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paolo S. Ravaynia
- ETH Zurich, Dept. of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Flavio C. Lombardo
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Leonhardt
- ETH Zurich, Dept. of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gordana Panic
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian C. Bürgel
- ETH Zurich, Dept. of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Basel, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hierlemann
- ETH Zurich, Dept. of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Basel, Switzerland
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Hernandez HW, Soeung M, Zorn KM, Ashoura N, Mottin M, Andrade CH, Caffrey CR, de Siqueira-Neto JL, Ekins S. High Throughput and Computational Repurposing for Neglected Diseases. Pharm Res 2018; 36:27. [PMID: 30560386 PMCID: PMC6792295 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-018-2558-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) represent are a heterogeneous group of communicable diseases that are found within the poorest populations of the world. There are 23 NTDs that have been prioritized by the World Health Organization, which are endemic in 149 countries and affect more than 1.4 billion people, costing these developing economies billions of dollars annually. The NTDs result from four different causative pathogens: protozoa, bacteria, helminth and virus. The majority of the diseases lack effective treatments. Therefore, new therapeutics for NTDs are desperately needed. Methods We describe various high throughput screening and computational approaches that have been performed in recent years. We have collated the molecules identified in these studies and calculated molecular properties. Results Numerous global repurposing efforts have yielded some promising compounds for various neglected tropical diseases. These compounds when analyzed as one would expect appear drug-like. Several large datasets are also now in the public domain and this enables machine learning models to be constructed that then facilitate the discovery of new molecules for these pathogens. Conclusions In the space of a few years many groups have either performed experimental or computational repurposing high throughput screens against neglected diseases. These have identified compounds which in many cases are already approved drugs. Such approaches perhaps offer a more efficient way to develop treatments which are generally not a focus for global pharmaceutical companies because of the economics or the lack of a viable market. Other diseases could perhaps benefit from these repurposing approaches. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11095-018-2558-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melinda Soeung
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kimberley M Zorn
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27606, USA
| | | | - Melina Mottin
- LabMol - Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design Faculdade de Farmacia, Universidade Federal de Goias - UFG, Goiânia, GO, 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- LabMol - Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design Faculdade de Farmacia, Universidade Federal de Goias - UFG, Goiânia, GO, 74605-170, Brazil
| | - Conor R Caffrey
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Jair Lage de Siqueira-Neto
- Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, 92093, USA
| | - Sean Ekins
- Collaborations Pharmaceuticals Inc., 840 Main Campus Drive, Lab 3510, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27606, USA.
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25
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Padalino G, Ferla S, Brancale A, Chalmers IW, Hoffmann KF. Combining bioinformatics, cheminformatics, functional genomics and whole organism approaches for identifying epigenetic drug targets in Schistosoma mansoni. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2018; 8:559-570. [PMID: 30455056 PMCID: PMC6288008 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis endangers the lives of greater than 200 million people every year and is predominantly controlled by a single class chemotherapy, praziquantel (PZQ). Development of PZQ replacement (to combat the threat of PZQ insensitivity/resistance arising) or combinatorial (to facilitate the killing of PZQ-insensitive juvenile schistosomes) chemotherapies would help sustain this control strategy into the future. Here, we re-categorise two families of druggable epigenetic targets in Schistosoma mansoni, the histone methyltransferases (HMTs) and the histone demethylases (HDMs). Amongst these, a S. mansoni Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (SmLSD1, Smp_150560) homolog was selected for further analyses. Homology modelling of SmLSD1 and in silico docking of greater than four thousand putative inhibitors identified seven (L1 – L7) showing more favourable binding to the target pocket of SmLSD1 vs Homo sapiens HsLSD1; six of these seven (L1 – L6) plus three structural analogues of L7 (L8 – L10) were subsequently screened against schistosomula using the Roboworm anthelmintic discovery platform. The most active compounds (L10 - pirarubicin > L8 – danunorubicin hydrochloride) were subsequently tested against juvenile (3 wk old) and mature (7 wk old) schistosome stages and found to impede motility, suppress egg production and affect tegumental surfaces. When compared to a surrogate human cell line (HepG2), a moderate window of selectivity was observed for the most active compound L10 (selectivity indices - 11 for schistosomula, 9 for juveniles, 1.5 for adults). Finally, RNA interference of SmLSD1 recapitulated the egg-laying defect of schistosomes co-cultivated in the presence of L10 and L8. These preliminary results suggest that SmLSD1 represents an attractive new target for schistosomiasis; identification of more potent and selective SmLSD1 compounds, however, is essential. Nevertheless, the approaches described herein highlight an interdisciplinary strategy for selecting and screening novel/repositioned anti-schistosomals, which can be applied to any druggable (epigenetic) target encoded by the parasite's genome. Schistosoma mansoni contains 27 histone methyltransferases (HMTs) and 14 histone demethylases (HDMs). S. mansoni lysine specific demethylase 1 (SmLSD1) is a druggable target. Schistosomes treated with the putative SmLSD1 inhibitor pirarubicin or siRNAs targeting SmLSD1 are less fecund.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilda Padalino
- The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, SY23 3DA, Wales, UK.
| | - Salvatore Ferla
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, United Kingdom.
| | - Iain W Chalmers
- The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, SY23 3DA, Wales, UK.
| | - Karl F Hoffmann
- The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, SY23 3DA, Wales, UK.
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Computationally-guided drug repurposing enables the discovery of kinase targets and inhibitors as new schistosomicidal agents. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006515. [PMID: 30346968 PMCID: PMC6211772 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of novel therapeutics is urgently required for diseases where existing treatments are failing due to the emergence of resistance. This is particularly pertinent for parasitic infections of the tropics and sub-tropics, referred to collectively as neglected tropical diseases, where the commercial incentives to develop new drugs are weak. One such disease is schistosomiasis, a highly prevalent acute and chronic condition caused by a parasitic helminth infection, with three species of the genus Schistosoma infecting humans. Currently, a single 40-year old drug, praziquantel, is available to treat all infective species, but its use in mass drug administration is leading to signs of drug-resistance emerging. To meet the challenge of developing new therapeutics against this disease, we developed an innovative computational drug repurposing pipeline supported by phenotypic screening. The approach highlighted several protein kinases as interesting new biological targets for schistosomiasis as they play an essential role in many parasite’s biological processes. Focusing on this target class, we also report the first elucidation of the kinome of Schistosoma japonicum, as well as updated kinomes of S. mansoni and S. haematobium. In comparison with the human kinome, we explored these kinomes to identify potential targets of existing inhibitors which are unique to Schistosoma species, allowing us to identify novel targets and suggest approved drugs that might inhibit them. These include previously suggested schistosomicidal agents such as bosutinib, dasatinib, and imatinib as well as new inhibitors such as vandetanib, saracatinib, tideglusib, alvocidib, dinaciclib, and 22 newly identified targets such as CHK1, CDC2, WEE, PAKA, MEK1. Additionally, the primary and secondary targets in Schistosoma of those approved drugs are also suggested, allowing for the development of novel therapeutics against this important yet neglected disease. The rise of resistance through the intensive use of drugs targeted to treat specific infectious diseases means that new therapeutics are continually required. Diseases common in the tropics and sub-tropics, classified as neglected tropical diseases, suffer from a lack of new drug treatments due to the difficulty in developing new drugs and the lack of market incentive. One such disease is schistosomiasis, a major human helminth disease caused by worms from the genus Schistosoma. It is currently treated by a 40-year old drug, praziquantel, but its widespread use has led to signs of drug-resistance emerging, with no alternative effective treatments available. To meet this challenge, we have developed an innovative computational drug repurposing pipeline supported by experimental phenotypic screening. Protein kinases emerged from our pipeline as interesting new biological targets. Given that many human kinase inhibitors have been successfully applied specially in cancer therapy and kinases have conserved structures and functions, we also undertook a detailed analysis of the kinases present in all infective Schistosoma species and human host. This allowed identification of new Schistosoma-specific kinase targets and suggest approved drugs to be used for treating schistosomiasis as well as opening new avenues to treat this neglected disease.
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27
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Birchall K, Merritt A, Sattikar A, Kettleborough C, Saxty B. Design of the LifeArc Index Set and Retrospective Review of Its Performance: A Collection for Sharing. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2018; 24:332-345. [PMID: 30290126 DOI: 10.1177/2472555218803696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Building, curating, and maintaining a compound collection is an expensive operation, beyond the scope of most academic organizations. Here we describe the selection criteria used to compile the LifeArc diversity set from commercial suppliers and the process we undertook to generate our representative LifeArc index set. The aim was to avoid a "junk in, junk out" screen collection to increase chemical tractability going forward, while maximizing diversity. Using historical LifeArc screening data, we demonstrate that the index set was predictive of ligandability and that progressable hits could be identified by mining associated clusters within our larger diversity set. Indeed, a higher percentage of index-derived hit clusters were found to have been progressed into hit-to-lead programs, reflecting better drug-likeness. In practice, the library has been shared widely with academic groups and used routinely within LifeArc to assess the ligandability of novel targets. Its small size is well suited to meet the needs of medium-throughput screening in labs with either limited automation, limited precious or expensive reagents, or complex cellular assays. The strategy of screening a small set in combination with rapid hit analog follow-up has demonstrated the utility of finding active clusters for potential development against challenging targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andy Merritt
- 1 LifeArc, Centre for Therapeutic Discovery, Stevenage, UK
| | - Afrah Sattikar
- 1 LifeArc, Centre for Therapeutic Discovery, Stevenage, UK
| | | | - Barbara Saxty
- 1 LifeArc, Centre for Therapeutic Discovery, Stevenage, UK
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28
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Abstract
Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms (blood flukes) of the genus Schistosoma, with considerable morbidity in parts of the Middle East, South America, Southeast Asia and, particularly, in sub-Saharan Africa. Infective larvae grow in an intermediate host (fresh-water snails) before penetrating the skin of the definitive human host. Mature adult worms reside in the mesenteric (Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum) or pelvic (Schistosoma haematobium) veins, where female worms lay eggs, which are secreted in stool or urine. Eggs trapped in the surrounding tissues and organs, such as the liver and bladder, cause inflammatory immune responses (including granulomas) that result in intestinal, hepato-splenic or urogenital disease. Diagnosis requires the detection of eggs in excreta or worm antigens in the serum, and sensitive, rapid, point-of-care tests for populations living in endemic areas are needed. The anti-schistosomal drug praziquantel is safe and efficacious against adult worms of all the six Schistosoma spp. infecting humans; however, it does not prevent reinfection and the emergence of drug resistance is a concern. Schistosomiasis elimination will require a multifaceted approach, including: treatment; snail control; information, education and communication; improved water, sanitation and hygiene; accurate diagnostics; and surveillance-response systems that are readily tailored to social-ecological settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald P McManus
- Immunology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - David W Dunne
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Moussa Sacko
- Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Research, Institut National de Recherche en Santé Publique, Bamako, Mali
| | - Jürg Utzinger
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.,University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Birgitte J Vennervald
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Xiao-Nong Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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29
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Challenges and recent progress in drug discovery for tropical diseases. Nature 2018; 559:498-506. [PMID: 30046073 PMCID: PMC6129172 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0327-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Infectious tropical diseases have a huge effect in terms of mortality and morbidity, and impose a heavy economic burden on affected countries. These diseases predominantly affect the world's poorest people. Currently available drugs are inadequate for the majority of these diseases, and there is an urgent need for new treatments. This Review discusses some of the challenges involved in developing new drugs to treat these diseases and highlights recent progress. While there have been notable successes, there is still a long way to go.
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30
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Screening the Pathogen Box for Identification of Candida albicans Biofilm Inhibitors. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2016; 61:AAC.02006-16. [PMID: 27795383 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02006-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans remains the main causative agent of candidiasis, one of the most frequent nosocomial infections, with unacceptably high mortality rates. Biofilm formation is a major risk factor for invasive candidiasis, as Candida biofilms display high-level resistance to most antifungal agents. In this work we have screened the Pathogen Box chemical library (Medicines for Malaria Venture [MMV], Switzerland) in search for inhibitors of C. albicans biofilm formation. Our initial screen identified seven hits, and additional dose-response assays confirmed the biofilm-inhibitory activity of six of these small molecules. Three compounds, MMV688768, MMV687273, and MMV687807, were also able to reduce the metabolic activity of cells within preformed biofilms. Interestingly, the most potent of these, compound MMV688768, displayed increased antibiofilm activity compared to its activity against planktonic cultures, indicating that it may affect processes with a predominant role during the biofilm mode of growth. This compound demonstrated a high selectivity index when its antibiofilm activity was compared with its toxicity in liver hepatocellular cells. In vitro combination assays showed a synergistic interaction between compound MMV688768 and fluconazole against preformed biofilms. Overall, our results indicate that this compound may constitute a potential candidate for further clinical development.
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31
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Tekwu EM, Anyan WK, Boamah D, Baffour-Awuah KO, Keyetat Tekwu S, Penlap Beng V, Nyarko AK, Bosompem KM. Mechanically produced schistosomula as a higher-throughput tools for phenotypic pre-screening in drug sensitivity assays: current research and future trends. Biomark Res 2016; 4:21. [PMID: 27895916 PMCID: PMC5120492 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-016-0075-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
It is crucial to develop new antischistosomal drugs since there is no vaccine and the whole world is relying on only a single drug for the treatment of schistosomiasis. One of the obstacles to the development of drugs is the absence of the high throughput objective screening methods to assess drug compounds efficacy. Thus for identification of new drug compounds candidates, fast and accurate in vitro assays are unavoidable and more research efforts in the field of drug discovery can target schistosomula. This review presents a substantial overview of the present state of in vitro drug sensitivity assays developed so far for the determination of anti-schistosomula activity of drug compounds, natural products and derivatives using newly transformed schistosomula (NTS). It highlights some of the challenges involved in in vitro compound screening using NTS and the way forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Mouafo Tekwu
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, PO Box LG581 Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Laboratory for Tuberculosis Research and Pharmacology, Biotechnology Centre, Nkolbisson, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - William Kofi Anyan
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, PO Box LG581 Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Daniel Boamah
- Centre for Plant Medicine Research (CPMR), Akwapim, Mampong, Ghana
| | - Kofi Owusu Baffour-Awuah
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, PO Box LG581 Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Veronique Penlap Beng
- Laboratory for Tuberculosis Research and Pharmacology, Biotechnology Centre, Nkolbisson, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | | | - Kwabena Mante Bosompem
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR), College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, PO Box LG581 Legon, Accra, Ghana
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32
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Neves BJ, Dantas RF, Senger MR, Melo-Filho CC, Valente WCG, de Almeida ACM, Rezende-Neto JM, Lima EFC, Paveley R, Furnham N, Muratov E, Kamentsky L, Carpenter AE, Braga RC, Silva-Junior FP, Andrade CH. Discovery of New Anti-Schistosomal Hits by Integration of QSAR-Based Virtual Screening and High Content Screening. J Med Chem 2016; 59:7075-88. [PMID: 27396732 PMCID: PMC5844225 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b02038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a debilitating neglected tropical disease, caused by flatworms of Schistosoma genus. The treatment relies on a single drug, praziquantel (PZQ), making the discovery of new compounds extremely urgent. In this work, we integrated QSAR-based virtual screening (VS) of Schistosoma mansoni thioredoxin glutathione reductase (SmTGR) inhibitors and high content screening (HCS) aiming to discover new antischistosomal agents. Initially, binary QSAR models for inhibition of SmTGR were developed and validated using the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidance. Using these models, we prioritized 29 compounds for further testing in two HCS platforms based on image analysis of assay plates. Among them, 2-[2-(3-methyl-4-nitro-5-isoxazolyl)vinyl]pyridine and 2-(benzylsulfonyl)-1,3-benzothiazole, two compounds representing new chemical scaffolds have activity against schistosomula and adult worms at low micromolar concentrations and therefore represent promising antischistosomal hits for further hit-to-lead optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno J. Neves
- LabMol—Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rua 240, Qd.87, Setor Leste Universitário, Goiânia 74605-510, Brazil
| | - Rafael F. Dantas
- LaBECFar—Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mario R. Senger
- LaBECFar—Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cleber C. Melo-Filho
- LabMol—Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rua 240, Qd.87, Setor Leste Universitário, Goiânia 74605-510, Brazil
| | - Walter C. G. Valente
- LaBECFar—Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana C. M. de Almeida
- LaBECFar—Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - João M. Rezende-Neto
- LaBECFar—Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elid F. C. Lima
- LaBECFar—Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ross Paveley
- Department of Infection and Immunity, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Furnham
- Department of Infection and Immunity, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, United Kingdom
| | - Eugene Muratov
- Laboratory for Molecular Modeling, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill North Carolina 27955-7568, United States
| | - Lee Kamentsky
- Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Anne E. Carpenter
- Imaging Platform, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Rodolpho C. Braga
- LabMol—Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rua 240, Qd.87, Setor Leste Universitário, Goiânia 74605-510, Brazil
| | - Floriano P. Silva-Junior
- LaBECFar—Laboratório de Bioquímica Experimental e Computacional de Fármacos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil, 4365, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- LabMol—Laboratory for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rua 240, Qd.87, Setor Leste Universitário, Goiânia 74605-510, Brazil
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Pharmacological profiling an abundantly expressed schistosome serotonergic GPCR identifies nuciferine as a potent antagonist. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2016; 6:364-370. [PMID: 27397763 PMCID: PMC5196489 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a key regulator of muscle contraction in parasitic flatworms. In Schistosoma mansoni, the myoexcitatory action of 5-HT is effected through activation of a serotonergic GPCR (Sm.5HTRL), prioritizing pharmacological characterization of this target for anthelmintic drug discovery. Here, we have examined the effects of several aporphine alkaloids on the signaling activity of a heterologously expressed Sm.5HTRL construct using a cAMP biosensor assay. Four structurally related natural products - nuciferine, D-glaucine, boldine and bulbocapnine - were demonstrated to block Sm.5HTRL evoked cAMP generation with the potency of GPCR blockade correlating well with the ability of each drug to inhibit contractility of schistosomule larvae. Nuciferine was also effective at inhibiting both basal and 5-HT evoked motility of adult schistosomes. These data advance our understanding of structure-affinity relationships at Sm.5HTRL, and demonstrate the effectiveness of Sm.5HTRL antagonists as hypomotility-evoking drugs across different parasite life cycle stages.
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