Structure-Guided Discovery and Preclinical Assessment of Novel (Thiophen-3-yl)aminopyrimidine Derivatives as Potent ERK1/2 Inhibitors

The RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK signaling cascade is abnormally activated in various tumors, playing a crucial role in mediating tumor progression. As the key component at the terminal stage of this cascade, ERK1/2 emerges as a potential antitumor target and offers a promising therapeutic strategy for tumors harboring BRAF or RAS mutations. Here, we identified 36c with a (thiophen-3-yl)aminopyrimidine scaffold as a potent ERK1/2 inhibitor through structure-guided optimization for hit 18. In preclinical studies, 36c showed powerful ERK1/2 inhibitory activities (ERK1/2 IC50 = 0.11/0.08 nM) and potent antitumor efficacy both in vitro and in vivo against triple-negative breast cancer and colorectal cancer models harboring BRAF and RAS mutations. 36c could directly inhibit ERK1/2, significantly block the phosphorylation expression of their downstream substrates p90RSK and c-Myc, and induce cell apoptosis and incomplete autophagy-related cell death. Taken together, this work provides a promising ERK1/2 lead compound for multiple tumor-treatment drug discovery.

Appraising the quality standard of clinical practice guidelines related to central venous catheter-related thrombosis prevention: a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the quality and analyse the content of clinical practice guidelines regarding central venous catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) to provide evidence for formulating an evidence-based practice protocol and a risk assessment scale to prevent it.

DESIGN

Scoring and analysis of the guidelines using the AGREE II and AGREE REX scales.

DATA SOURCES

Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature, and the relevant websites of the guideline, were searched from 1 January 2017 to 26 March 2022.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Guidelines covering CRT treatment, prevention, or management were included from 1 January 2017 to 26 March 2022.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Three independent reviewers systematically trained in using the AGREE II and AGREE REX scales were selected to evaluate these guidelines.

RESULTS

Nine guidelines were included, and the quality grade results showed that three were at A-level and six were at B-level. The included guidelines mainly recommended the prevention measure of central venous CRT from three aspects: risk screening, prevention strategies, and knowledge training, with a total of 22 suggestions being recommended.

CONCLUSION

The overall quality of the guidelines is high, but there are few preventive measures for central venous CRT involved in the guidelines. All preventive measures have yet to be systematically integrated and evaluated, and no risk assessment scale dedicated to this field has been recommended. Therefore, developing an evidence-based practice protocol and a risk assessment scale to prevent it is urgent.

Design, Synthesis, and Antitumor Activity of Potent and Selective EGFR L858R/T790M Inhibitors and Identification of a Combination Therapy to Overcome Acquired Resistance in Models of Non-small-cell Lung Cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most studied drug targets for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we report the identification, structure optimization, and structure-activity relationship studies of quinazoline derivatives as novel selective EGFR L858R/T790M inhibitors. The most promising compound, 28f, exhibited strong inhibitory activity against EGFR L858R/T790M (IC₅₀ = 3.5 nM) and greater than 368-fold selectivity over EGFR WT (IC₅₀ = 1290 nM), a 6.7-fold improvement over osimertinib. Furthermore, 28f effectively inhibited downstream signaling pathways and induced apoptosis in mutant cells. In the H1975 xenograft in vivo model, 28f exhibited a good tumor suppressive effect. Furthermore, the combination of 28f with the ACK1 inhibitor dasatinib produced synergistic antiproliferative efficacy with 28f in 28f-resistant cells and in vivo. In conclusion,28f could become a candidate drug for the treatment of NSCLC, and the combination of 28f and dasatinib is expected to overcome EGFR resistance.

Discovery of Novel Indazole Chemotypes as Isoform-Selective JNK3 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease

c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) are involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases. In particular, JNK3 and not JNK1/2 is primarily expressed in the brain and plays a key role in mediating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease (PD). Due to the sequence similarity of JNK isoforms, developing isoform-selective JNK3 inhibitors to evaluate their biological functions and therapeutic potential in PD has become a challenge. Herein, docking-based virtual screening and structure-activity relationship studies identified 25c with excellent inhibitory activity against JNK3 (IC₅₀ = 85.21 nM) and exhibited an over 100-fold isoform selectivity for JNK3 over JNK1/2 and remarkable kinase selectivity. 25c showed neuroprotective effects on in vitro and in vivo PD models by selectively inhibiting JNK3. Meanwhile, 25c showed an ideal blood-brain barrier permeability and low toxicity. Overall, this study provided a valuable molecular tool for investigating the role of JNK3 in PD and a solid foundation for developing JNK3-targeted drugs in PD treatment.

Development of small molecule extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) inhibitors for cancer therapy

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway is widely activated by a variety of extracellular stimuli, and its dysregulation is associated with the proliferation, invasion, and migration of cancer cells. ERK1/2 is located at the distal end of this pathway and rarely undergoes mutations, making it an attractive target for anticancer drug development. Currently, an increasing number of ERK1/2 inhibitors have been designed and synthesized for antitumor therapy, among which representative compounds have entered clinical trials. When ERK1/2 signal transduction is eliminated, ERK5 may provide a bypass route to rescue proliferation, and weaken the potency of ERK1/2 inhibitors. Therefore, drug research targeting ERK5 or based on the compensatory mechanism of ERK5 for ERK1/2 opens up a new way for oncotherapy. This review provides an overview of the physiological and biological functions of ERKs, focuses on the structure-activity relationships of small molecule inhibitors targeting ERKs, with a view to providing guidance for future drug design and optimization, and discusses the potential therapeutic strategies to overcome drug resistance.

Longitudinal changes in home-based arts engagement during and following the first national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK

Aims:

This study aimed to examine potential heterogeneity in longitudinal changes in home-based arts engagement during the first national lockdown and following gradual easing of restrictions in the UK. Furthermore, it sought to explore factors that were associated with patterns of longitudinal changes in home-based arts engagement.

Method:

Data were from the UCL COVID-19 Social Study. The analytical sample consisted of 29,147 adults in the UK who were followed up for 22 weeks from 21 March to 21 August 2020. Data were analysed using growth mixture models.

Results:

Our analyses identified five classes of growth trajectories. There were two stable classes showing little change in arts engagement over time (64.4% in total), two classes showing initial increases in arts engagement followed by declines as restrictions were eased (29.8%), and one class showing slight declines during strict lockdown followed by an increase in arts engagement after the easing of restrictions (5.9%). A range of factors were found to be associated with class membership of these arts engagement trajectories, such as age, gender, education, income, employment status, and health.

Conclusion:

There is substantial heterogeneity in longitudinal changes in home-based arts engagement. For participants whose engagement changed over time, growth trajectories of arts engagement were related to changes in lockdown measures. These findings suggest that some individuals may have drawn on the arts when they needed them the most, such as during the strict lockdown period, even if they usually had lower levels of arts engagement before the pandemic. Overall, our results indicate the importance of promoting arts engagement during pandemics and periods of lockdown as part of public health campaigns.

Unraveling the Design and Discovery of c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase Inhibitors and Their Therapeutic Potential in Human Diseases

c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, are encoded by three genes: jnk1, jnk2, and jnk3. JNKs are involved in the pathogenesis and development of many diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation, and cancers. Therefore, JNKs have become important therapeutic targets. Many JNK inhibitors have been discovered, and some have been introduced into clinical trials. However, the study of isoform-selective JNK inhibitors is still a challenging task. To further develop novel JNK inhibitors with clinical value, a comprehensive understanding of JNKs and their corresponding inhibitors is required. In this Perspective, we introduced the JNK signaling pathways and reviewed different chemical types of JNK inhibitors, focusing on their structure-activity relationships and biological activities. The challenges and strategies for the development of JNK inhibitors are also discussed. It is hoped that this Perspective will provide valuable references for the development of novel selective JNK inhibitors.

Developing potent LC3-targeting AUTAC tools for protein degradation with selective autophagy

Autophagy-based protein degradation is emerging as a promising technology for anti-diseases and innovative drug discovery. Here, we demonstrate a novel type of autophagy-targeting chimera (AUTAC) to degrade protein by targeting autophagy key protein LC3. The best compound 10f powerfully degraded BRD4 protein through the autophagy pathway and exhibited good anti-proliferative activity in multiple tumor cells, providing a powerful toolbox for medicinal chemists to study disease-related targets with autophagy-based degradation.

Repurposing drugs in autophagy for the treatment of cancer: From bench to bedside

Autophagy is a multistep degradation pathway involving the lysosome, which supports nutrient reuse and metabolic balance, and has been implicated as a process that regulates cancer genesis and development. Targeting tumors by regulating autophagy has become a therapeutic strategy of interest. Drugs with other indications can have antitumor activity by modulating autophagy, providing a shortcut to developing novel antitumor drugs (i.e., drug repurposing/repositioning), as successfully performed for chloroquine (CQ); an increasing number of repurposed drugs have since advanced into clinical trials. In this review, we describe the application of different drug-repurposing approaches in autophagy for the treatment of cancer and focus on repurposing drugs that target autophagy to treat malignant neoplasms.

Recent Progress on Tubulin Inhibitors with Dual Targeting Capabilities for Cancer Therapy

Microtubules play a crucial role in multiple cellular functions including mitosis, cell signaling, and organelle trafficking, which makes the microtubule an important target for cancer therapy. Despite the great successes of microtubule-targeting agents in the clinic, the development of drug resistance and dose-limiting toxicity restrict their clinical efficacy. In recent years, multitarget therapy has been considered an effective strategy to achieve higher therapeutic efficacy, in particular dual-target drugs. In terms of the synergetic effect of tubulin and other antitumor agents such as receptor tyrosine kinases inhibitors, histone deacetylases inhibitors, DNA-damaging agents, and topoisomerase inhibitors in combination therapy, designing dual-target tubulin inhibitors is regarded as a promising approach to overcome these limitations and improve therapeutic efficacy. In this Perspective, we discussed rational target combinations, design strategies, structure-activity relationships, and future directions of dual-target tubulin inhibitors.

Who is lonely in lockdown? Cross-cohort analyses of predictors of loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

There are concerns internationally that lockdown measures taken during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could lead to a rise in loneliness. As loneliness is recognised as a major public health concern, it is therefore vital that research considers the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on loneliness to provide necessary support. But it remains unclear, who is lonely in lockdown?

METHODS

This study compared sociodemographic predictors of loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using cross-cohort analyses of data from UK adults captured before the pandemic (UK Household Longitudinal Study, n = 31,064) and during the pandemic (UCL (University College London) COVID-19 Social Study, n = 60,341).

RESULTS

Risk factors for loneliness were near identical before and during the pandemic. Young adults, women, people with lower education or income, the economically inactive, people living alone and urban residents had a higher risk of being lonely. Some people who were already at risk of being lonely (e.g. young adults aged 18-30 years, people with low household income and adults living alone) experienced a heightened risk during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with people living before COVID-19 emerged. Furthermore, being a student emerged as a higher risk factor during lockdown than usual.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that interventions to reduce or prevent loneliness during COVID-19 should be targeted at those sociodemographic groups already identified as high risk in previous research. These groups are likely not just to experience loneliness during the pandemic but potentially to have an even higher risk than normal of experiencing loneliness relative to low-risk groups.

Who is lonely in lockdown? Cross-cohort analyses of predictors of loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

There are concerns internationally that lockdown measures taken during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could lead to a rise in loneliness. As loneliness is recognised as a major public health concern, it is therefore vital that research considers the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on loneliness to provide necessary support. But it remains unclear, who is lonely in lockdown?

METHODS

This study compared sociodemographic predictors of loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic using cross-cohort analyses of data from UK adults captured before the pandemic (UK Household Longitudinal Study, n = 31,064) and during the pandemic (UCL (University College London) COVID-19 Social Study, n = 60,341).

RESULTS

Risk factors for loneliness were near identical before and during the pandemic. Young adults, women, people with lower education or income, the economically inactive, people living alone and urban residents had a higher risk of being lonely. Some people who were already at risk of being lonely (e.g. young adults aged 18-30 years, people with low household income and adults living alone) experienced a heightened risk during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with people living before COVID-19 emerged. Furthermore, being a student emerged as a higher risk factor during lockdown than usual.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that interventions to reduce or prevent loneliness during COVID-19 should be targeted at those sociodemographic groups already identified as high risk in previous research. These groups are likely not just to experience loneliness during the pandemic but potentially to have an even higher risk than normal of experiencing loneliness relative to low-risk groups.

[Microdeletion and Mutation of Y Chromosome in Full Sibling Identification]

OBJECTIVES

To explore the identification method of full sibling between two males with microdeletion and mutation of Y chromosome.

METHODS

DNA were extracted from two samples. The type testing of Y-STR and autosomal STR were performed. Full sibling between two individuals was calculated by IBS, ITO and discriminant functions methods.

RESULTS

There were 2 loci mutations existed in 33 Y-STR loci and one of the two samples had 19 loci deletions. The IBS of two samples was 53 and greater than the threshold which was 42; FSI was 1.36×10¹⁶ and far greater than 19. The discriminant function of full sibling-unrelated individual D_FS2 was greater than D_R2, which meant the two individuals tend to be full sibling.

CONCLUSIONS

The methods of IBS, ITO and discriminant functions of full sibling-unrelated individual can be used comprehensively to provide more reliable expert opinion in microdeletion and mutation of Y chromosome in full sibling identification.

Pharmacokinetics of ginkgolide B injection in beagle dogs

A liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method was developed, validated, and applied to the pharmacokinetic study with doses of 0.68, 2.73 and 10.92 mg/kg of ginkgolide B in beagle dogs after intravenous infusion.An aliquot of blood samples were -collected, separated and quantitatively analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method with mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.02% ammonia solution (33:67, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min on the UltimateTM XB-C18 column (5 μm, 4.6×150 mm).The method was sensitive, accurate and convenient, and can be used for the determination of ginkgolide B in beagle dogs. The Cmax and AUC0-∞ of GB increased with dose escalation, but ANOVA analyses showed that no significant difference was observed in other pharmacokinetic parameters between different doses.An LC/MS method was developed with good sensitivity, reproducibility and specificity. In the pharmacokinetic study of GB in beagle dogs, linear pharmacokinetics was found at doses from 0.62 to 10.92 mg/kg after a single-dose intravenous infusion. Gender differences were not observed in the pharmacokinetics of GB.

[The language healing system of deaf children based on wavelet transform]

In the language healing system of deaf children, the wavelet transform method is employed to describe the time-varying characteristics of speech signals, improve the resolution of speech spectrum and make the speech characteristics more obvious. The speech spectrum information shown in this system is easier for deaf children to observe and understand and it is of great importance to the language healing of deaf children.

[The quantitative analysis of voice disease based on fractal method]

The fractal method is employed to check the voice diseases. The severity of pathological changes of human voice can be analyzed objectively and quantitatively with different fractal dimensions. With this method we can end up the history of judging the voice with subjective hearing and it is of great importance to the development of laryngology.

[Analysis of impulse response of rectangular ultrasound transducer]

A new expression for calculating the impulse response of rectangular pistonlike transducers, proper to any points of acoustic field, is presented. The radiated field of ultrasound transducer can be analyzed using impulse response method, avoiding paraxial and farfield approximation. The velocity potential at an observation point is expressed as the convolution of the excitation velocity and the impulse response. A time-amplitude shift method for the far field impulse response of small aperture transducers is presented. The radiated field of rectangular transducers is calculated through the new method and the previous method and excellent agreement is observed.

Chromatography of human prothrombin from Nitschmann fraction III on DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow using axial and radial flow column

An axial column (3 x 2.6 cm) and a radial flow column (3.5 x 5 cm) packed with DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow media was evaluated for the separation of human prothrombin from Nitschmann fraction III. Under radial flow conditions, a sample flow rate up to 14 mL/min (approximately 18 bed vols/h) was achieved. Breakthrough capacity was determined and both columns had almost the same breakthrough capacity per mL media, indicating that the sample loading was independent of radial column geometry.

Studies on the resuscitative efficacy of polymerized bovine hemoglobin

The paper described modified hemoglobin (Hb) with glycolaldehyde for the efficacy on resuscitation of severe hemorrhagic shock. Our objective was to compare the effect on resuscitation of severe hemorrhagic shock with different experimental groups. Results showed early resuscitation with modified bovine Hb is superior to lactated Ringer's solution group in improving hemodynamic and acidosis, but the effect of polymerized Hb with glycolaldehyde were similar to fresh whole blood in this rat model.

Purification of human prothrombin from Nitschmann fraction III using DEAE membrane radial flow chromatography

A DEAE membrane radial column (4x5 cm) was used to purify human prothrombin from Nitschmann fraction III and performances of the column were investigated. Sample flow-rate of 20-30 ml/min (i.e., 24-36 bed volumes/h) and elution velocity up to 40 ml/min (i.e., 48 bed volumes/h) were obtained without compromising the separation efficiency. Its breakthrough capacity was one-third to half that of the commercial DEAE Sepharose Fast Flow media. It was concluded that the novel column is an attractive alternate to traditional axial column.

[Photodynamic inactivation of model virus in human plasma by methylene blue and its influence on plasma proteins]

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether photochemical method can inactivate viruses in human plasma efficiently, and to what extent it affects the protein in human plasma.

METHODS

Vascular stomatitis virus (VSV) Indiana strain was used as the indicating virus. It was inoculated on Vero cell monolayer, incubated in 37 degrees C for 24 hours, microtitered by cytopathogenic effect. Small amount experiments were carried out to observe virus inactivation and the influence on plasma proteins.

RESULTS

Methylene blue (MB) in combination with visible light can inactivate the model virus in human plasma efficiently. The dye in very low concentration combined with light was sufficient to achieve a reduction of VSV titer of more than 6 log10 TCID50. Compared with the untreated plasma, neither the activities of blood clotting factors nor the immunological properties of the plasma proteins and the blood albumin were reduced significantly. In this experiment, the dose of MB used for photoinactivation of the virus was very low, about a hundred fold lower than that of methemoglobinemia used in clinical treatment. Furthermore, heat of the light and photochemical reaction are two import factors for decreasing of clotting factor's activity.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this preliminary study suggest the potential application of MB-photodynamic inactivation of plasma virus is an useful approach in clinical practice.

[Antiviral activity of antisense oligonucleotides to human cytomegalovirus]

Human cytomegalovirus(HCMV) is one of the important pathogens to human being. At present there is no specific antiviral drugs. In order to find an effective antisense phosphorothioate deoxyoligonucleotide(ASON) against--HCMV, the antiviral activity was observed in this study. Three ASON complementary to UL36 gene were synthesized according to immediate early gene sequence of HCMV, and the antiviral activity was evaluated in vitro using human embryonic lung cells as targeted cells of virus infections. The result showed that ASON targeting to splice donor had fairly strong antiviral activity. The specific ASON has sure antiviral activity. As a new means, it may be used to prevent and treat human CMV infections.