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Kopp KO, Greer ME, Glotfelty EJ, Hsueh SC, Tweedie D, Kim DS, Reale M, Vargesson N, Greig NH. A New Generation of IMiDs as Treatments for Neuroinflammatory and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050747. [PMID: 37238617 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The immunomodulatory imide drug (IMiD) class, which includes the founding drug member thalidomide and later generation drugs, lenalidomide and pomalidomide, has dramatically improved the clinical treatment of specific cancers, such as multiple myeloma, and it combines potent anticancer and anti-inflammatory actions. These actions, in large part, are mediated by IMiD binding to the human protein cereblon that forms a critical component of the E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. This complex ubiquitinates and thereby regulates the levels of multiple endogenous proteins. However, IMiD-cereblon binding modifies cereblon's normal targeted protein degradation towards a new set of neosubstrates that underlies the favorable pharmacological action of classical IMiDs, but also their adverse actions-in particular, their teratogenicity. The ability of classical IMiDs to reduce the synthesis of key proinflammatory cytokines, especially TNF-α levels, makes them potentially valuable to reposition as drugs to mitigate inflammatory-associated conditions and, particularly, neurological disorders driven by an excessive neuroinflammatory element, as occurs in traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and ischemic stroke. The teratogenic and anticancer actions of classical IMiDs are substantial liabilities for effective drugs in these disorders and can theoretically be dialed out of the drug class. We review a select series of novel IMiDs designed to avoid binding with human cereblon and/or evade degradation of downstream neosubstrates considered to underpin the adverse actions of thalidomide-like drugs. These novel non-classical IMiDs hold potential as new medications for erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), a painful inflammatory skin condition associated with Hansen's disease for which thalidomide remains widely used, and, in particular, as a new treatment strategy for neurodegenerative disorders in which neuroinflammation is a key component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine O Kopp
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd., NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Margaret E Greer
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd., NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
- Faculty of Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20007, USA
| | - Elliot J Glotfelty
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd., NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shih-Chang Hsueh
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd., NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - David Tweedie
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd., NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Dong Seok Kim
- Aevisbio Inc., Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
- Aevis Bio Inc., Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Marcella Reale
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, G. d'Annunzio University of Chieti and Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
| | - Neil Vargesson
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Nigel H Greig
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, Biomedical Research Center, 251 Bayview Blvd., NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Lecca D, Hsueh SC, Luo W, Tweedie D, Kim DS, Baig AM, Vargesson N, Kim YK, Hwang I, Kim S, Hoffer BJ, Chiang YH, Greig NH. Novel, thalidomide-like, non-cereblon binding drug tetrafluorobornylphthalimide mitigates inflammation and brain injury. J Biomed Sci 2023; 30:16. [PMID: 36872339 PMCID: PMC9987061 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-023-00907-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quelling microglial-induced excessive neuroinflammation is a potential treatment strategy across neurological disorders, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), and can be achieved by thalidomide-like drugs albeit this approved drug class is compromised by potential teratogenicity. Tetrafluorobornylphthalimide (TFBP) and tetrafluoronorbornylphthalimide (TFNBP) were generated to retain the core phthalimide structure of thalidomide immunomodulatory imide drug (IMiD) class. However, the classical glutarimide ring was replaced by a bridged ring structure. TFBP/TFNBP were hence designed to retain beneficial anti-inflammatory properties of IMiDs but, importantly, hinder cereblon binding that underlies the adverse action of thalidomide-like drugs. METHODS TFBP/TFNBP were synthesized and evaluated for cereblon binding and anti-inflammatory actions in human and rodent cell cultures. Teratogenic potential was assessed in chicken embryos, and in vivo anti-inflammatory actions in rodents challenged with either lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or controlled cortical impact (CCI) moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI). Molecular modeling was performed to provide insight into drug/cereblon binding interactions. RESULTS TFBP/TFNBP reduced markers of inflammation in mouse macrophage-like RAW264.7 cell cultures and in rodents challenged with LPS, lowering proinflammatory cytokines. Binding studies demonstrated minimal interaction with cereblon, with no resulting degradation of teratogenicity-associated transcription factor SALL4 or of teratogenicity in chicken embryo assays. To evaluate the biological relevance of its anti-inflammatory actions, two doses of TFBP were administered to mice at 1 and 24 h post-injury following CCI TBI. Compared to vehicle treatment, TFBP reduced TBI lesion size together with TBI-induction of an activated microglial phenotype, as evaluated by immunohistochemistry 2-weeks post-injury. Behavioral evaluations at 1- and 2-weeks post-injury demonstrated TFBP provided more rapid recovery of TBI-induced motor coordination and balance impairments, versus vehicle treated mice. CONCLUSION TFBP and TFNBP represent a new class of thalidomide-like IMiDs that lower proinflammatory cytokine generation but lack binding to cereblon, the main teratogenicity-associated mechanism. This aspect makes TFBP and TFNBP potentially safer than classic IMiDs for clinical use. TFBP provides a strategy to mitigate excessive neuroinflammation associated with moderate severity TBI to, thereby, improve behavioral outcome measures and warrants further investigation in neurological disorders involving a neuroinflammatory component.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Lecca
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute On Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Shih-Chang Hsueh
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute On Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Weiming Luo
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute On Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - David Tweedie
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute On Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Dong Seok Kim
- Aevisbio Inc., Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
- Aevis Bio Inc., Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Abdul Mannan Baig
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, 74800, Pakistan
| | - Neil Vargesson
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK
| | - Yu Kyung Kim
- Aevis Bio Inc., Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Inho Hwang
- Aevis Bio Inc., Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Sun Kim
- Aevis Bio Inc., Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Barry J Hoffer
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Yung-Hsiao Chiang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 110, Taiwan.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 110, Taiwan.
| | - Nigel H Greig
- Drug Design and Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute On Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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Hsueh SC, Scerba MT, Tweedie D, Lecca D, Kim DS, Baig AM, Kim YK, Hwang I, Kim S, Selman WR, Hoffer BJ, Greig NH. Activity of a Novel Anti-Inflammatory Agent F-3,6'-dithiopomalidomide as a Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury. Biomedicines 2022; 10:2449. [PMID: 36289711 PMCID: PMC9598880 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10102449] [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: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major risk factor for several neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuroinflammation is a cause of later secondary cell death following TBI, has the potential to aggravate the initial impact, and provides a therapeutic target, albeit that has failed to translate into clinical trial success. Thalidomide-like compounds have neuroinflammation reduction properties across cellular and animal models of TBI and neurodegenerative disorders. They lower the generation of proinflammatory cytokines, particularly TNF-α which is pivotal in microglial cell activation. Unfortunately, thalidomide-like drugs possess adverse effects in humans before achieving anti-inflammatory drug levels. We developed F-3,6'-dithiopomalidomide (F-3,6'-DP) as a novel thalidomide-like compound to ameliorate inflammation. F-3,6'-DP binds to cereblon but does not efficiently trigger the degradation of the transcription factors (SALL4, Ikaros, and Aiolos) associated with the teratogenic and anti-proliferative responses of thalidomide-like drugs. We utilized a phenotypic drug discovery approach that employed cellular and animal models in the selection and development of F-3,6'-DP. F-3,6'-DP significantly mitigated LPS-induced inflammatory markers in RAW 264.7 cells, and lowered proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine levels in the plasma and brain of rats challenged with systemic LPS. We subsequently examined immunohistochemical, biochemical, and behavioral measures following controlled cortical impact (CCI) in mice, a model of moderate TBI known to induce inflammation. F-3,6'-DP decreased CCI-induced neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, and behavioral deficits when administered after TBI. F-3,6'-DP represents a novel class of thalidomide-like drugs that do not lower classical cereblon-associated transcription factors but retain anti-inflammatory actions and possess efficacy in the treatment of TBI and potentially longer-term neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shih Chang Hsueh
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Michael T. Scerba
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - David Tweedie
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Daniela Lecca
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Dong Seok Kim
- AevisBio, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
- Aevis Bio, Inc., Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Abdul Mannan Baig
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Sun Kim
- Aevis Bio, Inc., Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Warren R. Selman
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Barry J. Hoffer
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Nigel H. Greig
- Drug Design & Development Section, Translational Gerontology Branch, Intramural Research Program National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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