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Wu HT, Wu BX, Fang ZX, Wu Z, Hou YY, Deng Y, Cui YK, Liu J. Lomitapide repurposing for treatment of malignancies: A promising direction. Heliyon 2024; 10:e32998. [PMID: 38988566 PMCID: PMC11234027 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of novel drugs from basic science to clinical practice requires several years, much effort, and cost. Drug repurposing can promote the utilization of clinical drugs in cancer therapy. Recent studies have shown the potential effects of lomitapide on treating malignancies, which is currently used for the treatment of familial hypercholesterolemia. We systematically review possible functions and mechanisms of lomitapide as an anti-tumor compound, regarding the aspects of apoptosis, autophagy, and metabolism of tumor cells, to support repurposing lomitapide for the clinical treatment of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Tao Wu
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Bing-Xuan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Ze-Xuan Fang
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
- Department of Physiology/Changjiang Scholar's Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Zheng Wu
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
- Department of Physiology/Changjiang Scholar's Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Yan-Yu Hou
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
- Department of Physiology/Changjiang Scholar's Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Yu Deng
- Department of General Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Yu-Kun Cui
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
| | - Jing Liu
- The Breast Center, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
- Department of Physiology/Changjiang Scholar's Laboratory, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, 515041, China
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Pal C. Redox modulating small molecules having antimalarial efficacy. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 218:115927. [PMID: 37992998 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115927] [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: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The search for effective antimalarial agents remains a critical priority because malaria is widely spread and drug-resistant strains are becoming more prevalent. In this review, a variety of small molecules capable of modulating redox processes were showcased for their potential as antimalarial agents. The compounds were designed to target the redox balance of Plasmodium parasites, which has a pivotal function in their ability to survive and multiply within the host organism. A thorough screening method was utilized to assess the effectiveness of these compounds against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria-causing parasite. The results revealed that several of the tested compounds exhibited significant effectiveness against malaria, displaying IC50 values at a low micromolar range. Furthermore, these compounds displayed promising selectivity for the parasite, as they exhibited low cytotoxicity towards mammalian cells. Thorough mechanistic studies were undertaken to clarify how the active compounds exert their mode of action. The findings revealed that these compounds disrupted the parasites' redox balance, causing oxidative stress and interfering with essential cellular functions. Additionally, the compounds showed synergistic effects when combined with existing antimalarial drugs, suggesting their potential for combination therapies to combat drug resistance. Overall, this study highlights the potential of redox-modulating small molecules as effective antimalarial agents. The identified compounds demonstrate promising antimalarial activity, and their mechanism of action offers insights into targeting the redox balance of Plasmodium parasites. Further optimization and preclinical studies are warranted to determine their efficacy, safety, and potential for clinical development as novel antimalarial therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinmay Pal
- Department of Chemistry, Gobardanga Hindu College, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal 743273, India.
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3
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Mogwera KSP, Chibale K, Arendse LB. Developing kinase inhibitors for malaria: an opportunity or liability? Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:720-731. [PMID: 37385921 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.06.001] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Highly druggable and essential to almost all aspects of cellular life, the protein and phosphoinositide kinase gene families offer a wealth of potential targets for pharmacological modulation for both noncommunicable and infectious diseases. Despite the success of kinase inhibitors in oncology and other disease indications, targeting kinases comes with significant challenges. Key hurdles for kinase drug discovery include selectivity and acquired resistance. The phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase beta inhibitor MMV390048 showed good efficacy in Phase 2a clinical trials, demonstrating the potential of kinase inhibitors for malaria treatment. Here we argue that the potential benefits of Plasmodium kinase inhibitors outweigh the risks, and we highlight the opportunity for designed polypharmacology to reduce the risk of resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koketso S P Mogwera
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Lauren B Arendse
- Drug Discovery and Development Centre (H3D), South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
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Bokosi FRB, Ngoepe MP. Synthesis, in silico docking studies, and antiplasmodial activity of hybrid molecules bearing 7-substituted 4-aminoquinoline moiety and cinnamic acid derivatives. Chem Biol Drug Des 2022; 100:41-50. [PMID: 35359031 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This paper reports a series of nine hybrid compounds of 7-substituted 4-aminoquinoline and cinnamic acid as antiplasmodial agents. 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectroscopic analysis and mass spectrometry studies were used to confirm the structures. The synthesized compounds were moderately active, with IC50 values ranging from 1.8 to 16 µM against the Pf3D7 chloroquine-sensitive strain in vitro. Compound C11 was shown to be the most potent in this investigation, with an IC50 value of 1.8 µM. Molecular docking studies revealed that compounds C14 and C17, with binding energies ( Δ G 0 ) of -7.19 and -7.72 kcal/mol and inhibition constants (Ki ) of 5.36 and 2.20 µM, respectively, were the best inhibitor candidates. The results of the Frontier molecular orbitals revealed that compounds possessed a small HOMO-LUMO energy gap. The HOMO-LUMO energy distributions indicated that the cinnamic acid regions favored the LUMO distribution, while the quinoline regions favored the HOMO energy. The investigation of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity based on in silico ADME tools predicted that the compounds have a good drug-like character.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fostino R B Bokosi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
| | - Mpho P Ngoepe
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, University of South Africa, Florida, South Africa
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de Sousa ACC, Combrinck JM, Maepa K, Egan TJ. THC shows activity against cultured Plasmodium falciparum. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 54:128442. [PMID: 34763083 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The FDA approved drug Dronabinol was identified in a previous study applying virtual screening using the haemozoin crystal as a target against malaria parasites. The active ingredient of dronabinol is synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is one of the major cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa. Traditional use of cannabis for malaria fever was reported in the world's oldest pharmacopoeia, dating to around 5000 years ago. In this research we report that THC inhibits β-haematin (synthetic haemozoin) and malaria parasite growth. Due the psychoactivity of THC, CBD, the other major naturally occurring cannabinoid that lacks the off-target psychoactive effects of THC, was also tested and inhibited β-haematin but showed only a mild antimalarial activity. To evaluate whether THC inhibit haemozoin formation, we performed a cellular haem fractionation assay that indicated that is not the likely mechanism of action. For the first time, the cannabinoid chemical structure is raised as a new chemical class to be further studied for malaria treatment, aiming to overcome the undesirable psychoactive effects of THC and optimize the antimalarial effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jill M Combrinck
- University of Cape Town, Division of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Observatory 7925, South Africa
| | - Keletso Maepa
- University of Cape Town, Division of Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, Observatory 7925, South Africa
| | - Timothy J Egan
- University of Cape Town, Department of Chemistry, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
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de Villiers KA, Egan TJ. Heme Detoxification in the Malaria Parasite: A Target for Antimalarial Drug Development. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:2649-2659. [PMID: 33982570 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Over the last century, malaria deaths have decreased by more than 85%. Nonetheless, there were 405 000 deaths in 2018, mostly resulting from Plasmodium falciparum infection. In the 21st century, much of the advance has arisen from the deployment of insecticide-treated bed nets and artemisinin combination therapy. However, over the past few decades parasites with a delayed artemisinin clearance phenotype have appeared in Southeast Asia, threatening further gains. The effort to find new drugs is thus urgent. A prominent process in blood stage malaria parasites, which we contend remains a viable drug target, is hemozoin formation. This crystalline material consisting of heme can be readily seen when parasites are viewed microscopically. The process of its formation in the parasite, however, is still not fully understood.In early work, we recognized hemozoin formation as a biomineralization process. We have subsequently investigated the kinetics of synthetic hemozoin (β-hematin) crystallization catalyzed at lipid-aqueous interfaces under biomimetic conditions. This led us to the use of neutral detergent-based high-throughput screening (HTS) for inhibitors of β-hematin formation. A good hit rate against malaria parasites was obtained. Simultaneously, we developed a pyridine-based assay which proved successful in measuring the concentrations of hematin not converted to β-hematin.The pyridine assay was adapted to determine the effects of chloroquine and other clinical antimalarials on hemozoin formation in the cell. This permitted the determination of the dose-dependent amounts of exchangeable heme and hemozoin in P. falciparum for the first time. These studies have shown that hemozoin inhibitors cause a dose-dependent increase in exchangeable heme, correlated with decreased parasite survival. Electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) showed a relocation of heme iron into the parasite cytoplasm, while electron microscopy provided evidence of the disruption of hemozoin crystals. This cellular assay was subsequently extended to top-ranked hits from a wide range of scaffolds found by HTS. Intriguingly, the amounts of exchangeable heme at the parasite growth IC50 values of these scaffolds showed substantial variation. The amount of exchangeable heme was found to be correlated with the amount of inhibitor accumulated in the parasitized red blood cell. This suggests that heme-inhibitor complexes, rather than free heme, lead to parasite death. This was supported by ESI using a Br-containing compound which showed the colocalization of Fe and Br as well as by confocal Raman microscopy which confirmed the presence of a complex in the parasite. Current evidence indicates that inhibitors block hemozoin formation by surface adsorption. Indeed, we have successfully introduced molecular docking with hemozoin to find new inhibitors. It follows that the resulting increase in free heme leads to the formation of the parasiticidal heme-inhibitor complex. We have reported crystal structures of heme-drug complexes for several aryl methanol antimalarials in nonaqueous media. These form coordination complexes but most other inhibitors interact noncovalently, and the determination of their structures remains a major challenge.It is our view that key future developments will include improved assays to measure cellular heme levels, better in silico approaches for predicting β-hematin inhibition, and a concerted effort to determine the structure and properties of heme-inhibitor complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. de Villiers
- Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag, Matieland 7600, South Africa
| | - Timothy J. Egan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town 7945, South Africa
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Mokosch AS, Gerbig S, Grevelding CG, Haeberlein S, Spengler B. High-resolution AP-SMALDI MSI as a tool for drug imaging in Schistosoma mansoni. Anal Bioanal Chem 2021; 413:2755-2766. [PMID: 33723627 PMCID: PMC8007518 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-021-03230-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Schistosoma mansoni is a parasitic flatworm causing schistosomiasis, an infectious disease affecting several hundred million people worldwide. Schistosomes live dioeciously, and upon pairing with the male, the female starts massive egg production, which causes pathology. Praziquantel (PZQ) is the only drug used, but it has an inherent risk of resistance development. Therefore, alternatives are needed. In the context of drug repurposing, the cancer drug imatinib was tested, showing high efficacy against S. mansoni in vitro. Besides the gonads, imatinib mainly affected the integrity of the intestine in males and females. In this study, we investigated the potential uptake and distribution of imatinib in adult schistosomes including its distribution kinetics. To this end, we applied for the first time atmospheric-pressure scanning microprobe matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (AP-SMALDI MSI) for drug imaging in paired S. mansoni. Our results indicate that imatinib was present in the esophagus and intestine of the male as early as 20 min after in vitro exposure, suggesting an oral uptake route. After one hour, the drug was also found inside the paired female. The detection of the main metabolite, N-desmethyl imatinib, indicated metabolization of the drug. Additionally, a marker signal for the female ovary was successfully applied to facilitate further conclusions regarding organ tropism of imatinib. Our results demonstrate that AP-SMALDI MSI is a useful method to study the uptake, tissue distribution, and metabolization of imatinib in S. mansoni. The results suggest using AP-SMALDI MSI also for investigating other antiparasitic compounds and their metabolites in schistosomes and other parasites. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika S Mokosch
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Gerbig
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christoph G Grevelding
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Simone Haeberlein
- Institute of Parasitology, BFS, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Bernhard Spengler
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, 35392, Giessen, Germany.
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Arthropod-Borne Disease Control at a Glance: What's New on Drug Development? Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25215175. [PMID: 33172077 PMCID: PMC7664442 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Discovering and validating effective drugs to manage arthropod-borne diseases (ABD) is a timely and important research challenge with major impacts on real-world control programs at the time of quick resistance development in the targeted pathogens. This editorial highlights major research advances in the development of drugs for the control of vector-borne diseases, with a significant focus on malaria, Chagas disease, dengue, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and Zika. Broad reviews providing new insights on ABD recently published in Molecules have also been covered in “The Editors’ pick” section.
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Bailly C. Pyronaridine: An update of its pharmacological activities and mechanisms of action. Biopolymers 2020; 112:e23398. [PMID: 33280083 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Pyronaridine (PYR) is an erythrocytic schizonticide with a potent antimalarial activity against multidrug-resistant Plasmodium. The drug is used in combination with artesunate for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria, in adults and children. The present review briefly retraces the discovery of PYR and recent antimalarial studies which has led to the approval of PYR/artesunate combination (Pyramax) by the European Medicines Agency to treat uncomplicated malaria worldwide. PYR also presents a marked antitumor activity and has revealed efficacy for the treatment of other parasitic diseases (notably Babesia and Trypanosoma infections) and to mitigate the Ebola virus propagation. On the one hand, PYR functions has an inhibitor of hemozoin (biomineral malaria pigment, by-product of hemoglobin digestion) formation, blocking the biopolymerization of β-hematin and thus facilitating the accumulation of toxic hematin into the digestive vacuole of the parasite. On the other hand, PYR is a bona fide DNA-intercalating agent and an inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase 2, leading to DNA damages and cell death. Inhibition of hematin polymerization represents the prime mechanism at the origin of the antimalarial activity, whereas anticancer effects relies essentially on the interference with DNA metabolism, as with structurally related anticancer drugs like amsacrine and quinacrine. In addition, recent studies point to an immune modulatory activity of PYR and the implication of a mitochondrial oxidative pathway. An analogy with the mechanism of action of artemisinin drugs is underlined. In brief, the biological actions of pyronaridine are recapitulated to shed light on the diverse health benefits of this unsung drug.
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