Marine-Derived Biologically Active Compounds for the Potential Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Marine Pharmacology in 2019-2021: Marine Compounds with Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, Anti-Inflammatory, Antiprotozoal, Antituberculosis and Antiviral Activities; Affecting the Immune and Nervous Systems, and Other Miscellaneous Mechanisms of Action

The current 2019-2021 marine pharmacology literature review provides a continuation of previous reviews covering the period 1998 to 2018. Preclinical marine pharmacology research during 2019-2021 was published by researchers in 42 countries and contributed novel mechanism-of-action pharmacology for 171 structurally characterized marine compounds. The peer-reviewed marine natural product pharmacology literature reported antibacterial, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antituberculosis, and antiviral mechanism-of-action studies for 49 compounds, 87 compounds with antidiabetic and anti-inflammatory activities that also affected the immune and nervous system, while another group of 51 compounds demonstrated novel miscellaneous mechanisms of action, which upon further investigation, may contribute to several pharmacological classes. Thus, in 2019-2021, a very active preclinical marine natural product pharmacology pipeline provided novel mechanisms of action as well as new lead chemistry for the clinical marine pharmaceutical pipeline targeting the therapy of several disease categories.

Food-derived bioactive peptides potentiating therapeutic intervention in rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects the joints of the human body and is projected to have a prevalence age-standardized rate of 1.5 million new cases worldwide by 2030. Several conventional and non-conventional preventive and therapeutic interventions have been suggested but they have their side effects including nausea, abdominal pain, liver damage, ulcers, heightened blood pressure, coagulation, and bleeding. Interestingly, several food-derived peptides (FDPs) from both plant and animal sources are increasingly gaining a reputation for their potential in the management or therapy of RA with little or no side effects. In this review, the concept of inflammation, its major types (acute and chronic), and RA identified as a chronic type were discussed based on its pathogenesis and pathophysiology. The conventional treatment options for RA were briefly outlined as the backdrop of introducing the FDPs that potentiate therapeutic effects in the management of RA.

Combining virtual screening and in vitro evaluation for the discovery of potential CYP11B2 inhibitors

Aim: To search for highly bioactive hits for CYP11B2 inhibitors by virtual screening and in vitro evaluation. Materials & methods: Virtual screening of potential CYP11B2 inhibitors was performed by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. Compound activity was determined by in vitro evaluation using MTT and ELISA assays. Results & conclusion: Based on the results of molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation, nine lead hits were selected for in vitro biochemical testing. All hits in in vitro experiments had lower inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and certain inhibitory effects on aldosterone secretion. These hits may be excellent candidates for CYP11B2 inhibitors.

Development of an intelligent, stimuli-responsive transdermal system for efficient delivery of Ibuprofen against rheumatoid arthritis

The present study aimed to fabricate and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of pH-responsive Ibuprofen (IB) nanoparticles (NPs) loaded transdermal hydrogel against rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The IB loaded Eudragit® L 100 (EL 100) nanoparticles were formulated through a modified nanoprecipitation technique and optimized using central composite design software. The optimized NPs were loaded into Carbopol® 934-based hydrogel by solvent evaporation method and were analyzed for physicochemical characteristics. The mean particle size of the prepared NPs was 48 nm with an entrapment efficiency of 90%. The transdermal hydrogel showed a pH-responsive sustained drug release and high penetration through the skin. Moreover, the prepared nanocarrier system exhibited therapeutic efficacy at inflamed joints' sites both in acute and chronic RA mice model. The therapeutic efficacy of the prepared formulation was confirmed through the results of various behavioral, biochemical, and cytokines-based assays. Similarly, the assessment of histopathological and radiological images, as well as the skin irritation studies further strengthens the potential use of the prepared formulation through the transdermal route. The current findings suggested that IB loaded pH-responsive NPs based transdermal hydrogel can be used as an efficient agent to manage RA.

Marine-Derived Compounds for the Potential Treatment of Glucocorticoid Resistance in Severe Asthma

One of the challenges to the management of severe asthma is the poor therapeutic response to treatment with glucocorticosteroids. Compounds derived from marine sources have received increasing interest in recent years due to their prominent biologically active properties for biomedical applications, as well as their sustainability and safety for drug development. Based on the pathobiological features associated with glucocorticoid resistance in severe asthma, many studies have already described many glucocorticoid resistance mechanisms as potential therapeutic targets. On the other hand, in the last decade, many studies described the potentially anti-inflammatory effects of marine-derived biologically active compounds. Analyzing the underlying anti-inflammatory mechanisms of action for these marine-derived biologically active compounds, we observed some of the targeted pathogenic molecular mechanisms similar to those described in glucocorticoid (GC) resistant asthma. This article gathers the marine-derived compounds targeting pathogenic molecular mechanism involved in GC resistant asthma and provides a basis for the development of effective marine-derived drugs.