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Romero FA, Jones CT, Xu Y, Fenaux M, Halcomb RL. The Race to Bash NASH: Emerging Targets and Drug Development in a Complex Liver Disease. J Med Chem 2020; 63:5031-5073. [PMID: 31930920 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a severe form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) characterized by liver steatosis, inflammation, and hepatocellular damage. NASH is a serious condition that can progress to cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The association of NASH with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia has led to an emerging picture of NASH as the liver manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Although diet and exercise can dramatically improve NASH outcomes, significant lifestyle changes can be challenging to sustain. Pharmaceutical therapies could be an important addition to care, but currently none are approved for NASH. Here, we review the most promising targets for NASH treatment, along with the most advanced therapeutics in development. These include targets involved in metabolism (e.g., sugar, lipid, and cholesterol metabolism), inflammation, and fibrosis. Ultimately, combination therapies addressing multiple aspects of NASH pathogenesis are expected to provide benefit for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Anthony Romero
- Terns Pharmaceuticals, 1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Suite 100, Foster City, California 94404, United States
| | - Christopher T Jones
- Terns Pharmaceuticals, 1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Suite 100, Foster City, California 94404, United States
| | - Yingzi Xu
- Terns Pharmaceuticals, 1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Suite 100, Foster City, California 94404, United States
| | - Martijn Fenaux
- Terns Pharmaceuticals, 1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Suite 100, Foster City, California 94404, United States
| | - Randall L Halcomb
- Terns Pharmaceuticals, 1065 E. Hillsdale Blvd., Suite 100, Foster City, California 94404, United States
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Kim DY, Chung SI, Ro SW, Paik YH, Lee JI, Jung MK, Lee MG, Park YN, Lee KS, Park JG, Park HD, Han KH. Combined effects of an antioxidant and caspase inhibitor on the reversal of hepatic fibrosis in rats. Apoptosis 2014; 18:1481-91. [PMID: 24045874 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-013-0896-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED We sought to determine the hepatic fibrosis-reversal effects upon simultaneous administration of lithospermate B (LAB), an anti-oxidant, and nivocasan, a caspase inhibitor, to rats compared with each compound alone. Liver fibrosis was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats by thioacetamide (TAA). Rats were treated with TAA and then given LAB and (or) nivocasan. Fibrotic areas were evaluated quantitatively by computerized morphometry. Apoptosis was assessed using a TUNEL assay, and immunohistochemical staining for malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4HNE) was performed to assess oxidative stress levels. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to quantify expression of fibrosis-related genes. The degree of hepatic fibrosis was significantly reduced in rats treated with LAB and nivocasan compared to either treatment alone (P < 0.001). Treatment with each compound significantly decreased expression of fibrosis-related genes, such as type I collagen α1 (col1α1), α-SMA and TGF-β1 (P < 0.05). Co-treatment with LAB and nivocasan further reduced col1α1 expression compared to treatment with either compound. A TUNEL assay revealed that hepatocyte apoptosis was significantly decreased in the group treated with nivocasan compared to other groups (P < 0.01). Immunohistochemistry showed a decrease in MDA and 4HNE, reflecting amelioration of oxidative stress, when LAB or LAB+nivocasan was administered compared to nivocasan alone (P < 0.01). Nivocasan was found to inhibit caspase-1, -3, -7, -9 and gliotoxin-induced death of rat-derived hepatic stellate cells was inhibited by nivocasan administration without overexpression of α-SMA. CONCLUSIONS Co-incidental administration of LAB and nivocasan suppressed oxidative stress and apoptosis, resulting in enhanced reversal of hepatic fibrosis in rat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do Young Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Korea,
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Naoghare PK, Ki HA, Paek SM, Tak YK, Suh YG, Kim SG, Lee KH, Song JM. Simultaneous quantitative monitoring of drug-induced caspase cascade pathways in carcinoma cells. Integr Biol (Camb) 2009; 2:46-57. [PMID: 20473412 DOI: 10.1039/b916481b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Caspases are the key mediators of apoptosis. The caspase cascade includes a series of events leading to the activation of initiator and downstream caspases in a cell. Analysis of the caspase cascade in intact cells, however, has generally been limited as the simultaneous monitoring of upstream and downstream caspases is not well executed. In an effort to monitor the activation of caspase cascades in an intact cell, high-content cellular imaging that allows simultaneous quantitative monitoring of caspase activation has been developed. This has great significance for the exploration of various cellular caspases involved in apoptotic pathways as possible therapeutic targets in the process of drug discovery. To explore the potential of simultaneous monitoring of caspase-mediated apoptotic pathways, human myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells were treated with SH-03 {(7S,7aR,13aS)-9,10-dimethoxy-3,3-dimethyl-7,7a,13,13a-tetrahydro-3H-chromeno [3,4-b]pyrano[2,3-h]chromen-7-ol} (a newly synthesized candidate), camptothecin or naringenin (agents known to induce apoptosis) with or without caspase inhibitors. SH-03 or naringenin treatment initiated the caspase cascade through an intrinsic apoptotic pathway, whereas camptothecin treatment triggered both intrinsic and extrinsic caspase cascades. We now report a new approach based on uniform threshold intensity distribution that facilitates rapid, quantitative monitoring of drug-induced caspase cascades through multi-spectral and multicolor imaging cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pravin K Naoghare
- Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and College of Pharmacy, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, South Korea
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Tawa P, Giroux A, Grimm E, Han Y, Nicholson DW, Xanthoudakis S. Correlating the fractional inhibition of caspase-3 in NT2 cells with apoptotic markers using an active-caspase-3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anal Biochem 2006; 350:32-40. [PMID: 16430849 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2005.11.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2005] [Revised: 11/27/2005] [Accepted: 11/30/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A rapid and quantitative method for measuring the activity and fractional inhibition of enzymes within their natural cellular environment remains an unmet need in drug discovery. We describe the use of a nonradioactive quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for measuring intracellular caspase activity that is amenable to robotic automation. The ELISA specifically detects active-caspase-3 and was used to correlate the in-cell activity of caspase-3 with the progress of caspase-3-mediated events under varying concentrations of caspase-3 inhibitors in NT2 cells. We examined the cleavage of endogenous substrates (poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase and alphaII-spectrin), the extent of DNA fragmentation, and the autocatalytic removal of the caspase-3 prodomain as markers of caspase-3 activity. To impart inhibition of the downstream markers, a greater level of caspase-3 inhibition was required. Although the functional markers were found not to accurately predict intracellular caspase-3 activity, we found that the inhibition of intracellular caspase-3 was highly correlated (R(2) = 0.96) to the inhibition of DNA fragmentation. Also, by comparing the potency of the different inhibitors against the intracellular enzyme versus the purified enzyme, the effects of inhibitor functional groups on whole-cell activity were addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Tawa
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology/Medicinal Chemistry, Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research, Kirkland, Que., Canada.
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Abstract
The genomics revolution has provided a deluge of new targets for drug discovery. To facilitate the drug discovery process, many researchers are turning to fragment-based approaches to find lead molecules more efficiently. One such method, Tethering1, allows for the identification of small-molecule fragments that bind to specific regions of a protein target. These fragments can then be elaborated, combined with other molecules, or combined with one another to provide high-affinity drug leads. In this review we describe the background and theory behind Tethering and discuss its use in identifying novel inhibitors for protein targets including interleukin-2 (IL-2), thymidylate synthase (TS), protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B), and caspases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Erlanson
- Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 341 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, California 94080, USA.
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Allen DA, Pham P, Choong IC, Fahr B, Burdett MT, Lew W, DeLano WL, Gordon EM, Lam JW, O'Brien T, Lee D. Identification of potent and novel small-Molecule inhibitors of caspase-3. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2003; 13:3651-5. [PMID: 14552750 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2003.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The design and synthesis of a series of novel, reversible, small molecule inhibitors of caspase-3 are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darin A Allen
- Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 341 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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Erlanson DA, Lam JW, Wiesmann C, Luong TN, Simmons RL, DeLano WL, Choong IC, Burdett MT, Flanagan WM, Lee D, Gordon EM, O'Brien T. In situ assembly of enzyme inhibitors using extended tethering. Nat Biotechnol 2003; 21:308-14. [PMID: 12563278 DOI: 10.1038/nbt786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2002] [Accepted: 12/13/2002] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cysteine aspartyl protease-3 (caspase-3) is a mediator of apoptosis and a therapeutic target for a wide range of diseases. Using a dynamic combinatorial technology, 'extended tethering', we identified unique nonpeptidic inhibitors for this enzyme. Extended tethering allowed the identification of ligands that bind to discrete regions of caspase-3 and also helped direct the assembly of these ligands into small-molecule inhibitors. We first designed a small-molecule 'extender' that irreversibly alkylates the cysteine residue of caspase-3 and also contains a thiol group. The modified protein was then screened against a library of disulfide-containing small-molecule fragments. Mass-spectrometry was used to identify ligands that bind noncovalently to the protein and that also form a disulfide linkage with the extender. Linking the selected fragments with binding elements from the extenders generates reversible, tight-binding molecules that are druglike and distinct from known inhibitors. One molecule derived from this approach inhibited apoptosis in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Erlanson
- Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 341 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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Henshall DC, Skradski SL, Meller R, Araki T, Minami M, Schindler CK, Lan JQ, Bonislawski DP, Simon RP. Expression and differential processing of caspases 6 and 7 in relation to specific epileptiform EEG patterns following limbic seizures. Neurobiol Dis 2002; 10:71-87. [PMID: 12127146 DOI: 10.1006/nbdi.2002.0505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The caspase family of cell death proteases has been implicated in the mechanism of neuronal death following seizures. We investigated the expression and processing of caspases 6 and 7, putative executioner caspases. Brief limbic seizures were evoked by intraamygdala kainic acid to elicit unilateral death of target hippocampal CA3 neurons in the rat. Seizures rapidly induced cleavage of constitutively expressed caspase-6, followed by elevated VEIDase activity and the proteolysis of lamin A. Neuronal caspase-6 immunoreactivity was markedly upregulated within cortex and hippocampus in relation to bursts of polyspike paroxysmal discharges. In contrast, while caspase-7 expression also increased within cortical and hippocampal neuronal populations in response to the same seizure patterns, caspase-7 was not proteolytically activated. These data highlight differences in expression and activation of caspases 6 and 7 in response to identifiable seizure patterns, focusing potential therapeutic targets for neuroprotection in epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Henshall
- Robert S. Dow Neurobiology Laboratories, Legacy Research, Portland, Oregon, USA.
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Aldskogius H. Regulation of microglia - potential new drug targets in the CNS. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2001; 5:655-668. [PMID: 12540276 DOI: 10.1517/14728222.5.6.655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Microglia respond to any disturbance in the CNS which poses a threat to physiological homeostasis. Although these responses are secondary, mainly to neuronal alterations, the way the microglial response evolves in many situations promotes further damage to the CNS. The list of clinical conditions in which this situation is a major problem is continuously growing and includes neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, trauma, demyelinating disorders and neuropathic pain. The significance of microglia for the pathogenesis of neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions has led to a rapidly expanding search for therapeutic possibilities to regulate microglial activity. As will be clear from this review, treatments which are currently available appear to offer some positive effects but are still far from satisfactory. A major challenge is to understand the mechanisms that determine whether activated microglia will develop into a cytotoxic or a cytoprotective component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Håkan Aldskogius
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, PO Box 587, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden.
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