Design of Sphingosine Kinases Inhibitors: Challenges and Recent Developments

The emerging roles of sphingosine 1-phosphate and SphK1 in cancer resistance: a promising therapeutic target

Cancer chemoresistance is a problematic dilemma that significantly restrains numerous cancer management protocols. It can promote cancer recurrence, spreading of cancer, and finally, mortality. Accordingly, enhancing the responsiveness of cancer cells towards chemotherapies could be a vital approach to overcoming cancer chemoresistance. Tumour cells express a high level of sphingosine kinase-1 (SphK1), which acts as a protooncogenic factor and is responsible for the synthesis of sphingosine-1 phosphate (S1P). S1P is released through a Human ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter to interact with other phosphosphingolipids components in the interstitial fluid in the tumor microenvironment (TME), provoking communication, progression, invasion, and tumor metastasis. Also, S1P is associated with several impacts, including anti-apoptotic behavior, metastasis, mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, and chemotherapy resistance. Recent reports addressed high levels of S1P in several carcinomas, including ovarian, prostate, colorectal, breast, and HCC. Therefore, targeting the S1P/SphK signaling pathway is an emerging therapeutic approach to efficiently attenuate chemoresistance. In this review, we comprehensively discussed S1P functions, metabolism, transport, and signaling. Also, through a bioinformatic framework, we pointed out the alterations of SphK1 gene expression within different cancers with their impact on patient survival, and we demonstrated the protein-protein network of SphK1, elaborating its sparse roles. Furthermore, we made emphasis on different machineries of cancer resistance and the tight link with S1P. We evaluated all publicly available SphK1 inhibitors and their inhibition activity using molecular docking and how SphK1 inhibitors reduce the production of S1P and might reduce chemoresistance, an approach that might be vital in the course of cancer treatment and prognosis.

Discovering Gummadiol and Isoarboreol as potential inhibitors of sphingosine kinase 1: virtual screening and MD simulation studies

Sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) dysfunction is well-known to be linked to various severe diseases, including breast, lung, prostate, and hematological cancers. Due to its crucial function in the onset of cancer and its progression, it is considered a notable drug target for anticancer therapy. Small molecule inhibitors with high specificity and efficacy towards SphK1 are needed for their therapeutic use. In order to find possible SphK1 inhibitors, we conducted a stepwise structure-based virtual screening of plant-based molecules available from the IMPPAT library. A multi-step virtual screening, including physicochemical and ADMET evaluation, PAINS, molecular docking, PASS analysis followed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and principal component analysis, identifies two compounds, Gummadiol and Isoarboreol, against SphK1. All-atom MD simulations were performed for 100 ns which examined the structural changes and stability of the docked complexes in the aqueous environment. The time evolution data of structural deviations and compactness, PCA and free energy landscapes suggested that the binding of Gummadiol and Isoarboreol with SphK1 is considerably stable throughout the trajectory. The study highlighted the use of phytochemicals in anticancer therapeutics and presented Gummadiol and Isoarboreol as promising inhibitors of SphK1.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Discovery of an SphK1 inhibitor: A hybrid approach involving a receptor–ligand-complex-based pharmacophore and docking-based virtual screening

Sphingosine kinase is a lipid kinase that catalyzes the phosphorylation of sphingosine to sphingosine-1-phosphate. Sphingosine-1-phosphate is a bioactive lipid that regulates biological processes. The overexpression of sphingosine kinases is related to a variety of pathophysiological conditions. For example, SphK1 has been shown to be highly expressed in various cancer cells including ovarian, cervical, colon, stomach, lung, and brain cancer. Inhibition of sphingosine kinases is a promising way to treat diseases such as cancer. Through computer-aided drug design, we have discovered a new SphK1 inhibitor named Amb30572637 (SAMS10). In this report, we describe the discovery process and biological characteristics. In biochemical experiments, SAMS10 shows a prominent inhibitory effect on SphK1, with an IC50 value of 9.8 μM. Subsequent MTT experiments show that SAMS10 has anticancer effects toward A549, SKVO3, A375, and LOVO cell lines and has essentially no cytotoxicity against the healthy cell L929. SAMS10 has significant inhibitory activity against the A549 and LOVO cell lines, with IC50 values of 14.64 and 14.48 μM, respectively. It belongs to a moderately active SphK1 inhibitor with lower anticancer activity than the control compound cisplatin, but the effect of SAMS10 toward SphK1 and its anticancer activity indicate that it is a promising lead compound for the development of effective SphK1 anticancer inhibitors.

The Functional Role of Sphingosine Kinase 2

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid molecule that is present in all eukaryotic cells and plays key roles in various extracellular, cytosolic, and nuclear signaling pathways. Two sphingosine kinase isoforms, sphingosine kinase 1 (SPHK1) and sphingosine kinase 2 (SPHK2), synthesize S1P by phosphorylating sphingosine. While SPHK1 is a cytoplasmic kinase, SPHK2 is localized to the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondria. The SPHK2/S1P pathway regulates transcription, telomere maintenance, mitochondrial respiration, among many other processes. SPHK2 is under investigation as a target for treating many age-associated conditions, such as cancer, stroke, and neurodegeneration. In this review, we will focus on the role of SPHK2 in health and disease.

Lysophospholipids in Lung Inflammatory Diseases

The lysophospholipids (LPLs) belong to a group of bioactive lipids that play pivotal roles in several physiological and pathological processes. LPLs are derivatives of phospholipids and consist of a single hydrophobic fatty acid chain, a hydrophilic head, and a phosphate group with or without a large molecule attached. Among the LPLs, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) are the simplest, and have been shown to be involved in lung inflammatory symptoms and diseases such as acute lung injury, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate LPA and S1P signaling. In this chapter, we will discuss on the role of LPA, S1P, their metabolizing enzymes, inhibitors or agonists of their receptors, and their GPCR-mediated signaling in lung inflammatory symptoms and diseases, focusing specially on acute respiratory distress syndrome, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Rational design of SphK inhibitors using crystal structures aided by computer

Sphingosine kinases (SphKs) are lipid kinases that catalyze the phosphorylation of sphingosine (Sph) to sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). As a bioactive lipid, S1P plays a role outside and inside the cell to regulate biological processes. The overexpression of SphKs is related to a variety of pathophysiological conditions. Targeting the S1P signaling pathway is a potential treatment strategy for many diseases. SphKs are key kinases of the S1P signaling pathway. The SphK family includes two isoforms: SphK1 and SphK2. Determination of the co-crystal structure of SphK1 with various inhibitors has laid a solid foundation for the development of small molecule inhibitors targeting SphKs. This paper reviews the differences and connections between the two isoforms and the structure of SphK1 crystals, especially the structure of its Sph "J-shaped" channel binding site. This review also summarizes the recent development of SphK1 and SphK2 selective inhibitors and the exploration of the unresolved SphK2 structure.

Glycans Meet Sphingolipids: Structure-Based Design of Glycan Containing Analogues of a Sphingosine Kinase Inhibitor

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid mediator associated with diverse homeostatic and signaling roles. Enhanced biosynthesis of S1P, mediated by the sphingosine kinase isozymes (SK1 and SK2), is implicated in several pathophysiological conditions and diseases, including skeletal muscle fibrosis, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, and cancer. Therefore, therapeutic approaches that control S1P production have focused on the development of SK1/2 inhibitors. In this framework, we designed a series of natural monosaccharide-based compounds to enhance anchoring of the known SK1 inhibitor PF-543 at the polar head of the J-shaped substrate-binding channel. Herein, we describe the structure-based design and synthesis of new glycan-containing PF-543 analogues and we demonstrate their efficiency in a TGFβ1-induced pro-fibrotic assay.

Sphingolipids as mediators of inflammation and novel therapeutic target in inflammatory bowel disease

Morbidity of inflammatory gastrointestinal (GI) diseases continues to grow resulting in worsen quality of life and increased burden on public medical systems. Complex and heterogenous illnesses, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) encompass several inflammation -associated pathologies including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. IBD is often initiated by a complex interplay between host genetic and environmental factors, lifestyle and diet, and intestinal bacterial components. IBD inflammatory signature was linked to the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) signaling pathway that is currently targeted by IBD therapies. Sphingolipid signaling was identified as one of the key mediators and regulators of pro-inflammatory conditions, and, specifically, TNF-α related signaling. All GI tissues and circulating immune/blood cells contain activated sphingolipid-metabolizing enzymes, including sphingosine kinases (SphK1 and SphK2) that generate sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive lipid and ligand for five G-protein coupled membrane S1P receptors (S1PRs). Numerous normal and pathogenic inflammatory responses are mediated by SphK/S1P/S1PRs signaling axis including lymphocyte trafficking and activation of cytokine signaling machinery. SphK1/S1P/S1PRs axis has recently been defined as a target for the treatment of GI diseases including IBD/colitis. Several SphK1 inhibitors and S1PRs antagonists have been developed as novel anti-inflammatory agents. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of SphK/S1P signaling in inflammation-linked GI disorders. The potential role of SphK/S1PRs inhibitors in the prevention and treatment of IBD/colitis is critically evaluated.