1
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Atkinson BN, Willis NJ, Zhao Y, Patel C, Frew S, Costelloe K, Magno L, Svensson F, Jones EY, Fish PV. Designed switch from covalent to non-covalent inhibitors of carboxylesterase Notum activity. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 251:115132. [PMID: 36934521 PMCID: PMC10626578 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
N-Acyl indolines 4 are potent, non-covalent Notum inhibitors developed from a covalent virtual screening hit 2a. The lead compounds were simple to synthesise, achieved excellent potency in a biochemical Notum-OPTS assay and restored Wnt signalling in a cell-based TCF/LEF reporter assay. Multiple high resolution X-ray structures established a common binding mode of these inhibitors with the indoline bound centred in the palmiteolate pocket with key interactions being aromatic stacking and a water mediated hydrogen bond to the oxyanion hole. These N-acyl indolines 4 will be useful tools for use in vitro studies to investigate the role of Notum in disease models, especially when paired with a structurally related covalent inhibitor (e.g. 4w and 2a). Overall, this study highlights the designed switch from covalent to non-covalent Notum inhibitors and so illustrates a complementary approach for hit generation and target inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Chandni Patel
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Kathryn Costelloe
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Lorenza Magno
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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2
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Chatzopoulou M, Conole D, Emer E, Rowley JA, Willis NJ, Squire SE, Gill B, Brough S, Wilson FX, Wynne GM, Davies SG, Davies KE, Russell AJ. Structure-activity relationships of 2-pyrimidinecarbohydrazides as utrophin modulators for the potential treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 69:116812. [PMID: 35772287 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
A therapeutic approach that holds the potential to treat all Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patient populations is utrophin modulation. Ezutromid, a first generation utrophin modulator which was later found to act via antagonism of the arylhydrocarbon receptor, progressed to Phase 2 clinical trials. Although interim data showed target engagement and functional improvements, ezutromid ultimately failed to meet its clinical endpoints. We recently described the identification of a new class of hydrazide utrophin modulators which has a different mechanism of action to ezutromid. In this study we report our early optimisation studies on this hydrazide series. The new analogues had significantly improved potency in cell-based assays, increased sp3 character and reduced lipophilicity, which also improved their physicochemical properties. A representative new analogue combining these attributes increased utrophin protein in dystrophic mouse cells showing it can be used as a chemical tool to reveal new insights regarding utrophin upregulation as a strategy for DMD therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chatzopoulou
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Daniel Conole
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Enrico Emer
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Jessica A Rowley
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Sarah E Squire
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sir Henry Wellcome Building of Gene Function, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Becky Gill
- Key Organics Ltd, Highfield Road Industrial Estate, Camelford, Cornwall PL32 9RA, UK
| | - Steve Brough
- Key Organics Ltd, Highfield Road Industrial Estate, Camelford, Cornwall PL32 9RA, UK
| | - Francis X Wilson
- Summit Therapeutics Plc, 136a Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4SB, UK
| | - Graham M Wynne
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Stephen G Davies
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Kay E Davies
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sir Henry Wellcome Building of Gene Function, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Angela J Russell
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, UK; Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3PQ, UK
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3
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Zhao Y, Mahy W, Willis NJ, Woodward HL, Steadman D, Bayle ED, Atkinson BN, Sipthorp J, Vecchia L, Ruza RR, Harlos K, Jeganathan F, Constantinou S, Costa A, Kjær S, Bictash M, Salinas PC, Whiting P, Vincent JP, Fish PV, Jones EY. Structural Analysis and Development of Notum Fragment Screening Hits. ACS Chem Neurosci 2022; 13:2060-2077. [PMID: 35731924 PMCID: PMC9264368 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wnt signaling suppressor Notum is a promising target for osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, and colorectal cancers. To develop novel Notum inhibitors, we used an X-ray crystallographic fragment screen with the Diamond-SGC Poised Library (DSPL) and identified 59 fragment hits from the analysis of 768 data sets. Fifty-eight of the hits were found bound at the enzyme catalytic pocket with potencies ranging from 0.5 to >1000 μM. Analysis of the fragments' diverse binding modes, enzymatic inhibitory activities, and chemical properties led to the selection of six hits for optimization, and five of these resulted in improved Notum inhibitory potencies. One hit, 1-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole 7, and its related cluster members, have shown promising lead-like properties. These became the focus of our fragment development activities, resulting in compound 7d with IC50 0.0067 μM. The large number of Notum fragment structures and their initial optimization provided an important basis for further Notum inhibitor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuguang Zhao
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - William Mahy
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Hannah L. Woodward
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Elliott D. Bayle
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Benjamin N. Atkinson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - James Sipthorp
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Luca Vecchia
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Reinis R. Ruza
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Karl Harlos
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
| | - Fiona Jeganathan
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Stefan Constantinou
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Artur Costa
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Svend Kjær
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Patricia C. Salinas
- Department
of Cell and Developmental Biology, Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular
Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Paul Whiting
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Jean-Paul Vincent
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Paul V. Fish
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - E. Yvonne Jones
- Division
of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine,
Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K.
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4
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Steadman D, Atkinson BN, Zhao Y, Willis NJ, Frew S, Monaghan A, Patel C, Armstrong E, Costelloe K, Magno L, Bictash M, Jones EY, Fish PV, Svensson F. Virtual Screening Directly Identifies New Fragment-Sized Inhibitors of Carboxylesterase Notum with Nanomolar Activity. J Med Chem 2022; 65:562-578. [PMID: 34939789 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Notum is a negative regulator of Wnt signaling acting through the hydrolysis of a palmitoleoylate ester, which is required for Wnt activity. Inhibitors of Notum could be of use in diseases where dysfunctional Notum activity is an underlying cause. A docking-based virtual screen (VS) of a large commercial library was used to shortlist 952 compounds for experimental validation as inhibitors of Notum. The VS was successful with 31 compounds having an IC50 < 500 nM. A critical selection process was then applied with two clusters and two singletons (1-4d) selected for hit validation. Optimization of 4d guided by structural biology identified potent inhibitors of Notum activity that restored Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cell-based models. The [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-b]pyradizin-3(2H)-one series 4 represent a new chemical class of Notum inhibitors and the first to be discovered by a VS campaign. These results demonstrate the value of VS with well-designed docking models based on X-ray structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, OxfordOX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Chandni Patel
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Emma Armstrong
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Kathryn Costelloe
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Lorenza Magno
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, OxfordOX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, The Cruciform Building, Gower Street, LondonWC1E 6BT, U.K
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5
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Atkinson BN, Willis NJ, Smith J, Gill R, Ali J, Xu Z, Lai PS, Fish PV. Large-scale synthesis of Notum inhibitor 1-(2,4-dichloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)-phenyl)-1 H-1,2,3-triazole (ARUK3001185) employing a modified Sakai reaction as the key step. RSC Adv 2022; 12:26497-26503. [PMID: 36275171 PMCID: PMC9478995 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra05132j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
1-Phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole 1 (ARUK3001185) was prepared on large scale from aniline 4 by application of both (1) a copper catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) with (trimethylsilyl)acetylene, and (2) a Clark modification of the Sakai reaction. The one-pot Sakai–Clark method with (MeO)2CHCH
Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019
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NNHTos (2b) proved to be superior as it was operationally simple, metal-free, and avoided the use of aryl azide 7. The Sakai–Clark method has been reliably performed on large scale to produce >100 g of 1 in good efficiency and high purity. 1-Phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole 1 was prepared on large scale from aniline 4 by application of a one-pot Sakai–Clark reaction in good efficiency and high purity.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin N. Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jennifer Smith
- Key Organics Ltd, Highfield Road Industrial Estate, Camelford, Cornwall, PL32 9RA, UK
| | - Rebecca Gill
- Key Organics Ltd, Highfield Road Industrial Estate, Camelford, Cornwall, PL32 9RA, UK
| | - Jody Ali
- Key Organics Ltd, Highfield Road Industrial Estate, Camelford, Cornwall, PL32 9RA, UK
| | - Zhou Xu
- WuXi AppTec (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., 168 Nanhai Road, 10th Avenue, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Ping-Shan Lai
- WuXi AppTec (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., 168 Nanhai Road, 10th Avenue, Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), Tianjin 300457, P.R. China
| | - Paul V. Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
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6
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Flanagan DJ, Pentinmikko N, Luopajärvi K, Willis NJ, Gilroy K, Raven AP, Mcgarry L, Englund JI, Webb AT, Scharaw S, Nasreddin N, Hodder MC, Ridgway RA, Minnee E, Sphyris N, Gilchrist E, Najumudeen AK, Romagnolo B, Perret C, Williams AC, Clevers H, Nummela P, Lähde M, Alitalo K, Hietakangas V, Hedley A, Clark W, Nixon C, Kirschner K, Jones EY, Ristimäki A, Leedham SJ, Fish PV, Vincent JP, Katajisto P, Sansom OJ. NOTUM from Apc-mutant cells biases clonal competition to initiate cancer. Nature 2021; 594:430-435. [PMID: 34079124 PMCID: PMC7615049 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03525-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The tumour suppressor APC is the most commonly mutated gene in colorectal cancer. Loss of Apc in intestinal stem cells drives the formation of adenomas in mice via increased WNT signalling1, but reduced secretion of WNT ligands increases the ability of Apc-mutant intestinal stem cells to colonize a crypt (known as fixation)2. Here we investigated how Apc-mutant cells gain a clonal advantage over wild-type counterparts to achieve fixation. We found that Apc-mutant cells are enriched for transcripts that encode several secreted WNT antagonists, with Notum being the most highly expressed. Conditioned medium from Apc-mutant cells suppressed the growth of wild-type organoids in a NOTUM-dependent manner. Furthermore, NOTUM-secreting Apc-mutant clones actively inhibited the proliferation of surrounding wild-type crypt cells and drove their differentiation, thereby outcompeting crypt cells from the niche. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of NOTUM abrogated the ability of Apc-mutant cells to expand and form intestinal adenomas. We identify NOTUM as a key mediator during the early stages of mutation fixation that can be targeted to restore wild-type cell competitiveness and provide preventative strategies for people at a high risk of developing colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nalle Pentinmikko
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Molecular and Integrative Bioscience Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kalle Luopajärvi
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Molecular and Integrative Bioscience Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kathryn Gilroy
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- SpecifiCancer CRUK Grand Challenge Team (C7932/A29055), Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander P Raven
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- SpecifiCancer CRUK Grand Challenge Team (C7932/A29055), Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lynn Mcgarry
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | - Johanna I Englund
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Molecular and Integrative Bioscience Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna T Webb
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sandra Scharaw
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nadia Nasreddin
- Intestinal Stem Cell Biology Lab, Wellcome Trust Centre Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael C Hodder
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Emma Minnee
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ella Gilchrist
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | | | - Christine Perret
- Université de Paris, Institut Cochin, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Ann C Williams
- Colorectal Tumour Biology Group, School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Hans Clevers
- SpecifiCancer CRUK Grand Challenge Team (C7932/A29055), Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Hubrecht Institute, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Pirjo Nummela
- Department of Pathology, Applied Tumor Genomics, Research Programs Unit and HUSLAB, HUS Diagnostic Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marianne Lähde
- Translational Cancer Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Wihuri Research Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kari Alitalo
- Translational Cancer Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Wihuri Research Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ville Hietakangas
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Molecular and Integrative Bioscience Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ann Hedley
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Colin Nixon
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ari Ristimäki
- Department of Pathology, Applied Tumor Genomics, Research Programs Unit and HUSLAB, HUS Diagnostic Center, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Simon J Leedham
- Intestinal Stem Cell Biology Lab, Wellcome Trust Centre Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Pekka Katajisto
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Molecular and Integrative Bioscience Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Owen J Sansom
- Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK.
- SpecifiCancer CRUK Grand Challenge Team (C7932/A29055), Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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7
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Partridge F, Bataille CJ, Forman R, Marriott AE, Forde-Thomas J, Häberli C, Dinsdale RL, O’Sullivan JD, Willis NJ, Wynne GM, Whiteland H, Archer J, Steven A, Keiser J, Turner JD, Hoffmann KF, Taylor MJ, Else KJ, Russell AJ, Sattelle DB. Structural Requirements for Dihydrobenzoxazepinone Anthelmintics: Actions against Medically Important and Model Parasites: Trichuris muris, Brugia malayi, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, and Schistosoma mansoni. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1260-1274. [PMID: 33797218 PMCID: PMC8154432 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Nine hundred million people are infected with the soil-transmitted helminths Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworm), hookworm, and Trichuris trichiura (whipworm). However, low single-dose cure rates of the benzimidazole drugs, the mainstay of preventative chemotherapy for whipworm, together with parasite drug resistance, mean that current approaches may not be able to eliminate morbidity from trichuriasis. We are seeking to develop new anthelmintic drugs specifically with activity against whipworm as a priority and previously identified a hit series of dihydrobenzoxazepinone (DHB) compounds that block motility of ex vivo Trichuris muris. Here, we report a systematic investigation of the structure-activity relationship of the anthelmintic activity of DHB compounds. We synthesized 47 analogues, which allowed us to define features of the molecules essential for anthelmintic action as well as broadening the chemotype by identification of dihydrobenzoquinolinones (DBQs) with anthelmintic activity. We investigated the activity of these compounds against other parasitic nematodes, identifying DHB compounds with activity against Brugia malayi and Heligmosomoides polygyrus. We also demonstrated activity of DHB compounds against the trematode Schistosoma mansoni, a parasite that causes schistosomiasis. These results demonstrate the potential of DHB and DBQ compounds for further development as broad-spectrum anthelmintics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick
A. Partridge
- Centre
for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom
| | - Carole J.R. Bataille
- Department
of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Forman
- Lydia
Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology,
Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Amy E. Marriott
- Centre
for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Josephine Forde-Thomas
- Institute
of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales SY23 3DA, United Kingdom
| | - Cécile Häberli
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, Petersplatz
1, Basel CH-4001, Switzerland
| | - Ria L. Dinsdale
- Department
of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - James D.B. O’Sullivan
- Lydia
Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology,
Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
- Henry
Royce Institute, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United
Kingdom
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Department
of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Graham M. Wynne
- Department
of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Whiteland
- Institute
of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales SY23 3DA, United Kingdom
| | - John Archer
- Centre
for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Steven
- Centre
for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, Basel CH-4002, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, Petersplatz
1, Basel CH-4001, Switzerland
| | - Joseph D. Turner
- Centre
for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
- Centre
for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool
School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Karl F. Hoffmann
- Institute
of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Wales SY23 3DA, United Kingdom
| | - Mark J. Taylor
- Centre
for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
- Centre
for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool
School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn J. Else
- Lydia
Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology,
Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Angela J. Russell
- Department
of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3QT, United
Kingdom
| | - David B. Sattelle
- Centre
for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London WC1E 6JF, United Kingdom
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8
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Bayle E, Svensson F, Atkinson BN, Steadman D, Willis NJ, Woodward HL, Whiting P, Vincent JP, Fish PV. Carboxylesterase Notum Is a Druggable Target to Modulate Wnt Signaling. J Med Chem 2021; 64:4289-4311. [PMID: 33783220 PMCID: PMC8172013 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway is critically important for a number of cellular processes in both development and adult mammalian biology. This Perspective will provide a summary of current and emerging therapeutic opportunities in modulating Wnt signaling, especially through inhibition of Notum carboxylesterase activity. Notum was recently shown to act as a negative regulator of Wnt signaling through the removal of an essential palmitoleate group. Inhibition of Notum activity may represent a new approach to treat disease where aberrant Notum activity has been identified as the underlying cause. Reliable screening technologies are available to identify inhibitors of Notum, and structural studies are accelerating the discovery of new inhibitors. A selection of these hits have been optimized to give fit-for-purpose small molecule inhibitors of Notum. Three noteworthy examples are LP-922056 (26), ABC99 (27), and ARUK3001185 (28), which are complementary chemical tools for exploring the role of Notum in Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliott
D. Bayle
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Benjamin N. Atkinson
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Hannah L. Woodward
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Paul Whiting
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
| | - Jean-Paul Vincent
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
| | - Paul V. Fish
- Alzheimer’s
Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K.
- The
Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K.
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9
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Vuorinen A, Wilkinson IVL, Chatzopoulou M, Edwards B, Squire SE, Fairclough RJ, Bazan NA, Milner JA, Conole D, Donald JR, Shah N, Willis NJ, Martínez RF, Wilson FX, Wynne GM, Davies SG, Davies KE, Russell AJ. Discovery and mechanism of action studies of 4,6-diphenylpyrimidine-2-carbohydrazides as utrophin modulators for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 220:113431. [PMID: 33915371 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a fatal disease with no cure, caused by lack of the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin. Upregulation of utrophin, a dystrophin paralogue, offers a potential therapy independent of mutation type. The failure of first-in-class utrophin modulator ezutromid/SMT C1100 in Phase II clinical trials necessitates development of compounds with better efficacy, physicochemical and ADME properties and/or complementary mechanisms. We have discovered and performed a preliminary optimisation of a novel class of utrophin modulators using an improved phenotypic screen, where reporter expression is derived from the full genomic context of the utrophin promoter. We further demonstrate through target deconvolution studies, including expression analysis and chemical proteomics, that this compound series operates via a novel mechanism of action, distinct from that of ezutromid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aini Vuorinen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Isabel V L Wilkinson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Maria Chatzopoulou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Ben Edwards
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sir Henry Wellcome Building of Gene Function, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Sarah E Squire
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sir Henry Wellcome Building of Gene Function, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Rebecca J Fairclough
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sir Henry Wellcome Building of Gene Function, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Noelia Araujo Bazan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Josh A Milner
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Daniel Conole
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - James R Donald
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Nandini Shah
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sir Henry Wellcome Building of Gene Function, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - R Fernando Martínez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Francis X Wilson
- Summit Therapeutics Plc, 136a Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4SB, UK
| | - Graham M Wynne
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Stephen G Davies
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK
| | - Kay E Davies
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sir Henry Wellcome Building of Gene Function, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK.
| | - Angela J Russell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, UK; Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3PQ, UK.
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10
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Mahy W, Willis NJ, Zhao Y, Woodward HL, Svensson F, Sipthorp J, Vecchia L, Ruza RR, Hillier J, Kjær S, Frew S, Monaghan A, Bictash M, Salinas PC, Whiting P, Vincent JP, Jones EY, Fish PV. 5-Phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3 H)-ones Are Potent Inhibitors of Notum Carboxylesterase Activity Identified by the Optimization of a Crystallographic Fragment Screening Hit. J Med Chem 2020; 63:12942-12956. [PMID: 33124429 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Carboxylesterase Notum is a negative regulator of the Wnt signaling pathway. There is an emerging understanding of the role Notum plays in disease, supporting the need to discover new small-molecule inhibitors. A crystallographic X-ray fragment screen was performed, which identified fragment hit 1,2,3-triazole 7 as an attractive starting point for a structure-based drug design hit-to-lead program. Optimization of 7 identified oxadiazol-2-one 23dd as a preferred example with properties consistent with drug-like chemical space. Screening 23dd in a cell-based TCF/LEF reporter gene assay restored the activation of Wnt signaling in the presence of Notum. Mouse pharmacokinetic studies with oral administration of 23dd demonstrated good plasma exposure and partial blood-brain barrier penetration. Significant progress was made in developing fragment hit 7 into lead 23dd (>600-fold increase in activity), making it suitable as a new chemical tool for exploring the role of Notum-mediated regulation of Wnt signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Mahy
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Hannah L Woodward
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - James Sipthorp
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - Luca Vecchia
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Reinis R Ruza
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - James Hillier
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Svend Kjær
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Patricia C Salinas
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Paul Whiting
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
| | - Jean-Paul Vincent
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, U.K
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, U.K
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11
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Mahy W, Patel M, Steadman D, Woodward HL, Atkinson BN, Svensson F, Willis NJ, Flint A, Papatheodorou D, Zhao Y, Vecchia L, Ruza RR, Hillier J, Frew S, Monaghan A, Costa A, Bictash M, Walter MW, Jones EY, Fish PV. Screening of a Custom-Designed Acid Fragment Library Identifies 1-Phenylpyrroles and 1-Phenylpyrrolidines as Inhibitors of Notum Carboxylesterase Activity. J Med Chem 2020; 63:9464-9483. [PMID: 32787107 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The Wnt family of proteins are secreted signaling proteins that play key roles in regulating cellular functions. Recently, carboxylesterase Notum was shown to act as a negative regulator of Wnt signaling by mediating the removal of an essential palmitoleate. Here we disclose two new chemical scaffolds that inhibit Notum enzymatic activity. Our approach was to create a fragment library of 250 acids for screening against Notum in a biochemical assay followed by structure determination by X-ray crystallography. Twenty fragments were identified as hits for Notum inhibition, and 14 of these fragments were shown to bind in the palmitoleate pocket of Notum. Optimization of 1-phenylpyrrole 20, guided by structure-based drug design, identified 20z as the most potent compound from this series. Similarly, the optimization of 1-phenylpyrrolidine 8 gave acid 26. This work demonstrates that inhibition of Notum activity can be achieved by small, drug-like molecules possessing favorable in vitro ADME profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Mahy
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Mikesh Patel
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah L Woodward
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Fredrik Svensson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Alister Flint
- Department of Chemistry, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Dimitra Papatheodorou
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, Bloomsbury, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Yuguang Zhao
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Luca Vecchia
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Reinis R Ruza
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - James Hillier
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Frew
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Monaghan
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Artur Costa
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Magda Bictash
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Magnus W Walter
- Eli Lilly, Erl Wood Manor, Windlesham, Surrey GU20 6PH, United Kingdom
| | - E Yvonne Jones
- Division of Structural Biology, Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, The Henry Wellcome Building for Genomic Medicine, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, University College London, Cruciform Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
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12
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Willis NJ, Bayle ED, Papageorgiou G, Steadman D, Atkinson BN, Mahy W, Fish PV. An improved, scalable synthesis of Notum inhibitor LP-922056 using 1-chloro-1,2-benziodoxol-3-one as a superior electrophilic chlorinating agent. Beilstein J Org Chem 2019; 15:2790-2797. [PMID: 31807213 PMCID: PMC6880826 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.15.271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The carboxylesterase Notum has been shown to act as a key negative regulator of the Wnt signalling pathway by mediating the depalmitoleoylation of Wnt proteins. LP-922056 (1) is an orally active inhibitor of Notum. We are investigating the role of Notum in modulating Wnt signalling in the central nervous system and wished to establish if 1 would serve as a peripherally restricted control. An accessible and improved synthetic route would allow 1 to become more readily available as a chemical tool to explore the fundamental biology of Notum and build target validation to underpin new drug discovery programs. Results: An improved, scalable synthesis of 1 is reported. Key modifications include: (1) the introduction of the C7-cyclopropyl group was most effectively achieved with a Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling reaction with MIDA-boronate 11 (5 → 6), and (2) C6 chlorination was performed with 1-chloro-1,2-benziodoxol-3-one (12) (6 → 7) as a mild and selective electrophilic chlorination agent. This 7-step route from 16 has been reliably performed on large scale to produce multigram quantities of 1 in good efficiency and high purity. Pharmacokinetic studies in mouse showed CNS penetration of 1 is very low with a brain/plasma concentration ratio of just 0.01. A small library of amides 17 were prepared from acid 1 to explore if 1 could be modified to deliver a CNS penetrant tool by capping off the acid as an amide. Although significant Notum inhibition activity could be achieved, none of these amides demonstrated the required combination of metabolic stability along with cell permeability without evidence of P-gp mediated efflux. Conclusion: Mouse pharmacokinetic studies demonstrate that 1 is unsuitable for use in models of disease where brain penetration is an essential requirement of the compound but would be an ideal peripherally restricted control. These data will contribute to the understanding of drug levels of 1 to overlay with appropriate in vivo efficacy endpoints, i.e., the PK-PD relationship. The identification of a suitable analogue of 1 (or 17) which combines Notum inhibition with CNS penetration would be a valuable chemical probe for investigating the role of Notum in disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky J Willis
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Elliott D Bayle
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - George Papageorgiou
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - David Steadman
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Benjamin N Atkinson
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - William Mahy
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Paul V Fish
- Alzheimer's Research UK UCL Drug Discovery Institute, The Cruciform Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.,The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, Kings Cross, London NW1 1AT, UK
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13
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Chatzopoulou M, Claridge TDW, Davies KE, Davies SG, Elsey DJ, Emer E, Fletcher AM, Harriman S, Robinson N, Rowley JA, Russell AJ, Tinsley JM, Weaver R, Wilkinson IVL, Willis NJ, Wilson FX, Wynne GM. Isolation, Structural Identification, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Profiling of 1,2-trans-Dihydro-1,2-diol Metabolites of the Utrophin Modulator Ezutromid. J Med Chem 2019; 63:2547-2556. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chatzopoulou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Tim D. W. Claridge
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Kay E. Davies
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen G. Davies
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Elsey
- Summit Therapeutics plc, 136a Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 4SB, United Kingdom
| | - Enrico Emer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Ai M. Fletcher
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Shawn Harriman
- Summit Therapeutics plc, One Broadway, 14th Floor, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Neil Robinson
- S.H.B. Enterprises Ltd., 55 Station Road, Beaconsfield HP19 1QL, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica A. Rowley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Angela J. Russell
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3PQ, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathon M. Tinsley
- Summit Therapeutics plc, 136a Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 4SB, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Weaver
- XenoGesis Ltd., BioCity Nottingham, Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham NG1 1GF, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel V. L. Wilkinson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Francis X. Wilson
- Summit Therapeutics plc, 136a Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 4SB, United Kingdom
| | - Graham M. Wynne
- Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, Chemistry Research Laboratory, Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
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14
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Chatzopoulou M, Martínez RF, Willis NJ, Claridge TD, Wilson FX, Wynne GM, Davies SG, Russell AJ. The Dimroth rearrangement as a probable cause for structural misassignments in imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines: A N-labelling study and an easy method for the determination of regiochemistry. Tetrahedron 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2018.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Partridge FA, Forman R, Willis NJ, Bataille CJR, Murphy EA, Brown AE, Heyer-Chauhan N, Marinič B, Sowood DJC, Wynne GM, Else KJ, Russell AJ, Sattelle DB. 2,4-Diaminothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidines, a new class of anthelmintic with activity against adult and egg stages of whipworm. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006487. [PMID: 29995893 PMCID: PMC6062138 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The human whipworm Trichuris trichiura is a parasite that infects around 500 million people globally, with consequences including damage to physical growth and educational performance. Current drugs such as mebendazole have a notable lack of efficacy against whipworm, compared to other soil-transmitted helminths. Mass drug administration programs are therefore unlikely to achieve eradication and new treatments for trichuriasis are desperately needed. All current drug control strategies focus on post-infection eradication, targeting the parasite in vivo. Here we propose developing novel anthelmintics which target the egg stage of the parasite in the soil as an adjunct environmental strategy. As evidence in support of such an approach we describe the actions of a new class of anthelmintic compounds, the 2,4-diaminothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidines (DATPs). This compound class has found broad utility in medicinal chemistry, but has not previously been described as having anthelmintic activity. Importantly, these compounds show efficacy against not only the adult parasite, but also both the embryonated and unembryonated egg stages and thereby may enable a break in the parasite lifecycle. The human whipworm, Trichuris trichiura, infects around 500 million people globally, impacting on their physical growth and educational performance. There are currently huge mass drug administration (MDA) programs aiming to control whipworm, along with the other major soil transmitted helminths, Ascaris and hookworm. However single doses of albendazole and mebendazole, which are used in MDA, have particularly poor effectiveness against whipworm, with cure rates less than 40%. This means that MDA may not be able to control and eliminate whipworm infection, and risks the spread of resistance to albendazole and mebendazole in the parasite population. We are attempting to develop new treatments for parasitic worm infection, particularly focused on whipworm. We report the identification of a class of compounds, diaminothienopyrimidines (DATPs), which have not previously been described as anthelmintics. These compounds are effective against adult stages of whipworm, and also block the development of the model nematode C. elegans. Our DATP compounds reduce the ability of treated eggs to successfully establish infection in a mouse model of human whipworm. These results support a potential environmental spray to control whipworm by targeting the infectious egg stage in environmental hotspots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick A. Partridge
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Forman
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Carole J. R. Bataille
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Emma A. Murphy
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Anwen E. Brown
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Narinder Heyer-Chauhan
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Marinič
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J. C. Sowood
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Graham M. Wynne
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn J. Else
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DBS); (KJE); (AJR)
| | - Angela J. Russell
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DBS); (KJE); (AJR)
| | - David B. Sattelle
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DBS); (KJE); (AJR)
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Partridge FA, Brown AE, Buckingham SD, Willis NJ, Wynne GM, Forman R, Else KJ, Morrison AA, Matthews JB, Russell AJ, Lomas DA, Sattelle DB. An automated high-throughput system for phenotypic screening of chemical libraries on C. elegans and parasitic nematodes. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2017; 8:8-21. [PMID: 29223747 PMCID: PMC5734697 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 11/23/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Parasitic nematodes infect hundreds of millions of people and farmed livestock. Further, plant parasitic nematodes result in major crop damage. The pipeline of therapeutic compounds is limited and parasite resistance to the existing anthelmintic compounds is a global threat. We have developed an INVertebrate Automated Phenotyping Platform (INVAPP) for high-throughput, plate-based chemical screening, and an algorithm (Paragon) which allows screening for compounds that have an effect on motility and development of parasitic worms. We have validated its utility by determining the efficacy of a panel of known anthelmintics against model and parasitic nematodes: Caenorhabditis elegans, Haemonchus contortus, Teladorsagia circumcincta, and Trichuris muris. We then applied the system to screen the Pathogen Box chemical library in a blinded fashion and identified compounds already known to have anthelmintic or anti-parasitic activity, including tolfenpyrad, auranofin, and mebendazole; and 14 compounds previously undescribed as anthelmintics, including benzoxaborole and isoxazole chemotypes. This system offers an effective, high-throughput system for the discovery of novel anthelmintics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick A Partridge
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Anwen E Brown
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Steven D Buckingham
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Nicky J Willis
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Graham M Wynne
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Forman
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn J Else
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Alison A Morrison
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentland Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqueline B Matthews
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentland Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, United Kingdom
| | - Angela J Russell
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA, United Kingdom; Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3QT, United Kingdom
| | - David A Lomas
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
| | - David B Sattelle
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
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Llorente-Garcia I, Lenn T, Erhardt H, Harriman OL, Liu LN, Robson A, Chiu SW, Matthews S, Willis NJ, Bray CD, Lee SH, Shin JY, Bustamante C, Liphardt J, Friedrich T, Mullineaux CW, Leake MC. Corrigendum to "Single-molecule in vivo imaging of bacterial respiratory complexes indicates delocalized oxidative phosphorylation" [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1837(6) (2014) 811-824 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2014.01.020]. Biochim Biophys Acta Bioenerg 2017; 1859:164. [PMID: 29175561 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2017.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Llorente-Garcia
- Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower St., London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Tchern Lenn
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK; QB3 University of California, Berkeley CA94720, USA
| | | | | | - Lu-Ning Liu
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Alex Robson
- Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Sheng-Wen Chiu
- Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Sarah Matthews
- Clarendon Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, UK
| | - Nicky J Willis
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Christopher D Bray
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | | | - Jae Yen Shin
- QB3 University of California, Berkeley CA94720, USA
| | | | - Jan Liphardt
- QB3 University of California, Berkeley CA94720, USA
| | | | - Conrad W Mullineaux
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Mark C Leake
- Biological Physical Sciences Institute (BPSI), University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK.
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Partridge FA, Murphy EA, Willis NJ, Bataille CJR, Forman R, Heyer-Chauhan N, Marinič B, Sowood DJC, Wynne GM, Else KJ, Russell AJ, Sattelle DB. Dihydrobenz[e][1,4]oxazepin-2(3H)-ones, a new anthelmintic chemotype immobilising whipworm and reducing infectivity in vivo. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005359. [PMID: 28182663 PMCID: PMC5321434 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichuris trichiura is a human parasitic whipworm infecting around 500 million people globally, damaging the physical growth and educational performance of those infected. Current drug treatment options are limited and lack efficacy against the worm, preventing an eradication programme. It is therefore important to develop new treatments for trichuriasis. Using Trichuris muris, an established model for T. trichiura, we screened a library of 480 novel drug-like small molecules for compounds causing paralysis of the ex vivo adult parasite. We identified a class of dihydrobenz[e][1,4]oxazepin-2(3H)-one compounds with anthelmintic activity against T. muris. Further screening of structurally related compounds and resynthesis of the most potent molecules led to the identification of 20 active dihydrobenzoxazepinones, a class of molecule not previously implicated in nematode control. The most active immobilise adult T. muris with EC50 values around 25–50μM, comparable to the existing anthelmintic levamisole. The best compounds from this chemotype show low cytotoxicity against murine gut epithelial cells, demonstrating selectivity for the parasite. Developing a novel oral pharmaceutical treatment for a neglected disease and deploying it via mass drug administration is challenging. Interestingly, the dihydrobenzoxazepinone OX02983 reduces the ability of embryonated T. muris eggs to establish infection in the mouse host in vivo. Complementing the potential development of dihydrobenzoxazepinones as an oral anthelmintic, this supports an alternative strategy of developing a therapeutic that acts in the environment, perhaps via a spray, to interrupt the parasite lifecycle. Together these results show that the dihydrobenzoxazepinones are a new class of anthelmintic, active against both egg and adult stages of Trichuris parasites. They demonstrate encouraging selectivity for the parasite, and importantly show considerable scope for further optimisation to improve potency and pharmacokinetic properties with the aim of developing a clinical agent. Trichuris trichiura is a human parasitic whipworm infecting around 500 million people globally and having major consequences on the physical growth and educational performance of those infected. Current drug treatment options are limited and lack efficacy against the worm. Critically, they lack the effectiveness that would allow for a practical program for eradication of this parasite. It is therefore important to develop new treatments for trichuriasis. We screened for molecules that could paralyse the adult of a closely related mouse parasite, and identified a class of compounds, the dihydrobenzoxazepinones, not previously implicated as anthelmintics. Importantly, our compounds are active against the parasite but show only low toxicity against mouse cells, demonstrating selectivity for the parasite. Dihydrobenzoxazepinones could be developed as potential pharmaceutical treatments for trichuriasis. Since developing and deploying new drugs for neglected diseases by mass administration is challenging, we also explored whether the compounds could potentially be used to interrupt the Trichuris lifecycle by acting on eggs. Our dihydrobenzoxazepinone compounds reduced the ability of T. muris eggs to establish infection in their mouse host. This supports an environmental spray strategy for the control of Trichuris targeting their eggs in environmental hotspots such as latrines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick A. Partridge
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emma A. Murphy
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Nicky J. Willis
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Carole J. R. Bataille
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ruth Forman
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Narinder Heyer-Chauhan
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Marinič
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J. C. Sowood
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Graham M. Wynne
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn J. Else
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (KJE); (AJR); (DBS)
| | - Angela J. Russell
- Department of Chemistry, Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (KJE); (AJR); (DBS)
| | - David B. Sattelle
- Centre for Respiratory Biology, UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (KJE); (AJR); (DBS)
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Llorente-Garcia I, Lenn T, Erhardt H, Harriman OL, Liu LN, Robson A, Chiu SW, Matthews S, Willis NJ, Bray CD, Lee SH, Shin JY, Bustamante C, Liphardt J, Friedrich T, Mullineaux CW, Leake MC. Single-molecule in vivo imaging of bacterial respiratory complexes indicates delocalized oxidative phosphorylation. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics 2014; 1837:811-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2014.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Revised: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Willis NJ, Smith JM. An operationally simple, palladium catalysed dehydrogenative cross-coupling reaction of pyridine N-oxides and thiazoles “on water”. RSC Adv 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c3ra44411b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Abstract
Edward Jenner's careful investigations into the usefulness of cowpox vaccination for the prevention of smallpox during the late 1790s, and his enthusiastic and continued advocation of vaccination despite the scepticism of critics, laid the foundations for the growth of understanding about the nature of infectious disease and the development of immunity during the 19th century. He began the long process which resulted in the successful eradication of the smallpox virus in 1980. His life story remains an inspiration to physicians facing an uncertain future as viruses and bacteria not yet eradicated adapt to the antibiotic age.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Willis
- Ninewells Hospital and Medical School University of Dundee
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