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Takahashi C, Chtcherbinine M, Huddle BC, Wilson MW, Emmel T, Hohlman RM, McGonigal S, Buckanovich RJ, Larsen SD, Hurley TD. Development of substituted benzimidazoles as inhibitors of human aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A isoenzymes. Chem Biol Interact 2024; 391:110910. [PMID: 38364885 PMCID: PMC11062403 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.110910] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A (ALDH1A) isoforms may be a useful target for overcoming chemotherapy resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and other solid tumor cancers. However, as different cancers express different ALDH1A isoforms, isoform selective inhibitors may have a limited therapeutic scope. Furthermore, resistance to an ALDH1A isoform selective inhibitor could arise via induction of expression of other ALDH1A isoforms. As such, we have focused on the development of pan-ALDH1A inhibitors, rather than on ALDH1A isoform selective compounds. Herein, we report the development of a new group of pan-ALDH1A inhibitors to assess whether broad spectrum ALDH1A inhibition is an effective adjunct to chemotherapy in HGSOC. Optimization of the CM10 scaffold, aided by ALDH1A1 crystal structures, led to improved biochemical potencies, improved cellular efficacy as demonstrated by reduction in ALDEFLUOR signal in HGSOC cells, and substantial improvements in liver microsomal stability. Based on this work we identified two compounds 17 and 25 suitable for future in vivo proof of concept experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrus Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Mikhail Chtcherbinine
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Brandt C Huddle
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Michael W Wilson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Timothy Emmel
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Robert M Hohlman
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Stacy McGonigal
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, the Magee-Women's Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Ronald J Buckanovich
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, the Magee-Women's Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Division of Hematology-Oncology, Departments of Internal Medicine and Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Magee-Women's Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Thomas D Hurley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA.
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2
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Pawelec KM, Varnum M, Harkema JR, Auerbach B, Larsen SD, Neubig RR. Prevention of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis via inhibition of the MRTF/SRF transcription pathway. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2022; 10:e01028. [PMID: 36426895 PMCID: PMC9695093 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.1028] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis is a debilitating disease, linked to high morbidity and mortality in chemotherapy patients. The MRTF/SRF transcription pathway has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target, as it is critical for myofibroblast differentiation, a hallmark of fibrosis. In human lung fibroblasts, the MRTF/SRF pathway inhibitor, CCG-257081, effectively decreased mRNA levels of downstream genes: smooth muscle actin and connective tissue growth factor, with IC50 s of 4 and 15 μM, respectively. The ability of CCG-257081 to prevent inflammation and fibrosis, measured via pulmonary collagen content and histopathology, was tested in a murine model of bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Animals were given intraperitoneal bleomycin for 4 weeks and concurrently dosed with CCG-257081 (0, 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg PO), a clinical anti-fibrotic (nintedanib) or the clinical standard of care (prednisolone). Mice treated with 100 mg/kg CCG-257081 gained weight vs. vehicle-treated control mice, while those receiving nintedanib and prednisolone lost significant weight. Hydroxyproline content and histological findings in tissue of animals on 100 mg/kg CCG-257081 were not significantly different from naive tissue, indicating successful prevention. Measures of tissue fibrosis were comparable between CCG-257081 and nintedanib, but only the MRTF/SRF inhibitor decreased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), a marker linked to fibrosis, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. In contrast, prednisolone led to marked increases in lung fibrosis by all metrics. This study demonstrates the potential use of MRTF/SRF inhibitors to prevent bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in a clinically relevant model of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Megan Varnum
- FibrosIXEast LansingMichiganUSA,BBC Entrepreneurial Training and ConsultingChelseaMichiganUSA
| | - Jack R. Harkema
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostic InvestigationMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA,Department of Pharmacology & ToxicologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
| | - Bruce Auerbach
- Office of Technology TransferUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Scott D. Larsen
- FibrosIXEast LansingMichiganUSA,Department of Medicinal ChemistryUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganUSA
| | - Richard R. Neubig
- FibrosIXEast LansingMichiganUSA,Department of Pharmacology & ToxicologyMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
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3
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Barraza SJ, Sindac JA, Dobry CJ, Delekta PC, Lee PH, Miller DJ, Larsen SD. Synthesis and biological activity of conformationally restricted indole-based inhibitors of neurotropic alphavirus replication: Generation of a three-dimensional pharmacophore. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 46:128171. [PMID: 34098081 PMCID: PMC8272561 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128171] [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: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We have previously reported the development of indole-based CNS-active antivirals for the treatment of neurotropic alphavirus infection, but further optimization is impeded by a lack of knowledge of the molecular target and binding site. Herein we describe the design, synthesis and evaluation of a series of conformationally restricted analogues with the dual objectives of improving potency/selectivity and identifying the most bioactive conformation. Although this campaign was only modestly successful at improving potency, the sharply defined SAR of the rigid analogs enabled the definition of a three-dimensional pharmacophore, which we believe will be of value in further analog design and virtual screening for alternative antiviral leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J Barraza
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Janice A Sindac
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Craig J Dobry
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Philip C Delekta
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Pil H Lee
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - David J Miller
- Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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4
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Dechow SJ, Coulson GB, Wilson MW, Larsen SD, Abramovitch RB. AC2P20 selectively kills Mycobacterium tuberculosis at acidic pH by depleting free thiols. RSC Adv 2021; 11:20089-20100. [PMID: 34168865 PMCID: PMC8176622 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra03181c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) senses and adapts to host immune cues as part of its pathogenesis. One environmental cue sensed by Mtb is the acidic pH of its host niche in the macrophage phagosome. Disrupting the ability of Mtb to sense and adapt to acidic pH has the potential to reduce survival of Mtb in macrophages. Previously, a high throughput screen of a ∼220 000 compound small molecule library was conducted to discover chemical probes that inhibit Mtb growth at acidic pH. The screen discovered chemical probes that kill Mtb at pH 5.7 but are inactive at pH 7.0. In this study, AC2P20 was prioritized for continued study to test the hypothesis that it was targeting Mtb pathways associated with pH-driven adaptation. RNAseq transcriptional profiling studies showed AC2P20 modulates expression of genes associated with redox homeostasis. Gene enrichment analysis revealed that the AC2P20 transcriptional profile had significant overlap with a previously characterized pH-selective inhibitor, AC2P36. Like AC2P36, we show that AC2P20 kills Mtb by selectively depleting free thiols at acidic pH. Mass spectrometry studies show the formation of a disulfide bond between AC2P20 and reduced glutathione, supporting a mechanism where AC2P20 is able to deplete intracellular thiols and dysregulate redox homeostasis. The observation of two independent molecules targeting free thiols to kill Mtb at acidic pH further supports that Mtb has restricted redox homeostasis and sensitivity to thiol-oxidative stress at acidic pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby J Dechow
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA +1 517 353-8957 +1 517 884-5416
| | - Garry B Coulson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA +1 517 353-8957 +1 517 884-5416
| | - Michael W Wilson
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI 48109 USA
| | - Robert B Abramovitch
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA +1 517 353-8957 +1 517 884-5416
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5
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Wang N, Qi F, Yu H, Yestrepsky BD, Larsen SD, Shi H, Ji J, Anderson DW, Li H, Sun H. Physicochemical properties and formulation development of a novel compound inhibiting Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246408. [PMID: 33556134 PMCID: PMC7870075 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antibiotic resistance over the past several decades has given urgency to new antibacterial strategies that apply less selective pressure. A new class of anti-virulence compounds were developed that are active against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), by inhibiting bacterial virulence without hindering their growth to reduce the selective pressure for resistance development. One of the compounds CCG-211790 has demonstrated potent anti-biofilm activity against MRSA. This new class of anti-virulence compounds inhibited the gene expression of virulence factors involved in biofilm formation and disrupted the biofilm structures. In this study, the physicochemical properties of CCG-211790, including morphology, solubility in pure water or in water containing sodium dodecyl sulfate, solubility in organic solvents, and stability with respect to pH were investigated for the first time. Furthermore, a topical formulation was developed to enhance the therapeutic potential of the compound. The formulation demonstrated acceptable properties for drug release, viscosity, pH, cosmetic elegance and stability of over nine months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Feng Qi
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Haqing Yu
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Bryan D. Yestrepsky
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Scott D. Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Honglan Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Juan Ji
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - David W. Anderson
- Ivogen Inc. (Subsidiary of Nanova, Inc.), Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail: (HS); (HL)
| | - Hongmin Sun
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
- * E-mail: (HS); (HL)
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6
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Huddle BC, Grimley E, Chtcherbinine M, Buchman CD, Takahashi C, Debnath B, McGonigal SC, Mao S, Li S, Felton J, Pan S, Wen B, Sun D, Neamati N, Buckanovich RJ, Hurley TD, Larsen SD. Development of 2,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-one inhibitors of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A (ALDH1A) as potential adjuncts to ovarian cancer chemotherapy. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 211:113060. [PMID: 33341649 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
There is strong evidence that inhibition of one or more Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1A (ALDH1A) isoforms may be beneficial in chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer and other tumor types. While many previous efforts have focused on development of ALDH1A1 selective inhibitors, the most deadly ovarian cancer subtype, high-grade serous (HGSOC), exhibits elevated expression of ALDH1A3. Herein, we report continued development of pan-ALDH1A inhibitors to assess whether broad spectrum ALDH1A inhibition is an effective adjunct to chemotherapy in this critical tumor subtype. Optimization of the CM39 scaffold, aided by metabolite ID and several new ALDH1A1 crystal structures, led to improved biochemical potencies, improved cellular ALDH inhibition in HGSOC cell lines, and substantial improvements in microsomal stability culminating in orally bioavailable compounds. We demonstrate that two compounds 68 and 69 are able to synergize with chemotherapy in a resistant cell line and patient-derived HGSOC tumor spheroids, indicating their suitability for future in vivo proof of concept experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandt C Huddle
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Edward Grimley
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Departments of Internal Medicine and Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Mikhail Chtcherbinine
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Cameron D Buchman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Cyrus Takahashi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Bikash Debnath
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Stacy C McGonigal
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Departments of Internal Medicine and Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Shuai Mao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Siwei Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jeremy Felton
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Shu Pan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Bo Wen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Duxin Sun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Nouri Neamati
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ronald J Buckanovich
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Departments of Internal Medicine and Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Thomas D Hurley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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7
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Wilson MW, Shu L, Hinkovska-Galcheva V, Jin Y, Rajeswaran W, Abe A, Zhao T, Luo R, Wang L, Wen B, Liou B, Fannin V, Sun D, Sun Y, Shayman JA, Larsen SD. Optimization of Eliglustat-Based Glucosylceramide Synthase Inhibitors as Substrate Reduction Therapy for Gaucher Disease Type 3. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:3464-3473. [PMID: 33035424 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
There remain no approved therapies for rare but devastating neuronopathic glyocosphingolipid storage diseases, such as Sandhoff, Tay-Sachs, and Gaucher disease type 3. We previously reported initial optimization of the scaffold of eliglustat, an approved therapy for the peripheral symptoms of Gaucher disease type 1, to afford 2, which effected modest reductions in brain glucosylceramide (GlcCer) in normal mice at 60 mg/kg. The relatively poor pharmacokinetic properties and high Pgp-mediated efflux of 2 prompted further optimization of the scaffold. With a general objective of reducing topological polar surface area, and guided by multiple metabolite identification studies, we were successful at identifying 17 (CCG-222628), which achieves remarkably greater brain exposure in mice than 2. After demonstrating an over 60-fold improvement in potency over 2 at reducing brain GlcCer in normal mice, we compared 17 with Sanofi clinical candidate venglustat (Genz-682452) in the CBE mouse model of Gaucher disease type 3. At doses of 10 mg/kg, 17 and venglustat effected comparable reductions in both brain GlcCer and glucosylsphingosine. Importantly, 17 achieved these equivalent pharmacodynamic effects at significantly lower brain exposure than venglustat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W. Wilson
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Liming Shu
- Department of Internal Medicine - Nephrology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Vania Hinkovska-Galcheva
- Department of Internal Medicine - Nephrology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Yafei Jin
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Walajapet Rajeswaran
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Akira Abe
- Department of Internal Medicine - Nephrology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Ting Zhao
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Ruijuan Luo
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Lu Wang
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Bo Wen
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Benjamin Liou
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, United States
| | - Venette Fannin
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, United States
| | - Duxin Sun
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Ying Sun
- Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229, United States
| | - James A. Shayman
- Department of Internal Medicine - Nephrology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Scott D. Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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8
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Misek SA, Appleton KM, Dexheimer TS, Lisabeth EM, Lo RS, Larsen SD, Gallo KA, Neubig RR. Abstract B07: Rho-mediated gene transcription promotes BRAFi resistance in de-differentiated melanoma cells. Cancer Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.mel2019-b07] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The goal of this study is to identify pharmacologically tractable resistance mechanisms, and ultimately to prevent or reverse drug resistance in melanoma. We demonstrate that a subset of BRAFi-resistant melanoma cell lines showed diminished expression of melanocyte differentiation markers (e.g., Sox10). The transcriptional signature of 15% of treatment-naïve TCGA SKCM (skin cutaneous melanoma) tumors is similar to that of de-differentiated BRAFi-resistant cell lines. This transcriptional signature in BRAFi-resistant melanoma cells and human tumors is associated with increased Rho activation and increased expression of a RhoA/C gene signature. Using a machine learning approach, we predict that these tumors have decreased sensitivity to multiple BRAF/MEK inhibitors, consistent with our observations in multiple cell line models. De-differentiated tumors are predicted to have increased sensitivity to multiple ROCK inhibitors, and this prediction was validated in multiple BRAFi-resistant cell line models. Since ROCK is one of the canonical Rho effector proteins, these data suggest that melanoma cells and tumors with low differentiation characteristics activate the Rho pathway and are sensitive to Rho pathway inhibition. As a consequence of the effect of Rho on the actin cytoskeleton, Rho regulates gene transcription through modulating transcriptional co-activators such as MRTFA and YAP1. Both MRTFA and YAP1 are activated in de-differentiated BRAFi-resistant cells and are predicted to be activated in human tumors with a similar transcriptomic profile. Consistent with our predictions, melanoma cells with MRTFA activation are sensitive to an MRTFA pathway inhibitor and those with high YAP1 activity are sensitive to indirect blockade of YAP1 activation. In total, these results demonstrate that over the course of drug resistance a subset of cells and tumors lose melanocyte lineage characteristics and gain Rho activation. In summary, our work has used bioinformatics/ML approaches to identify Rho-mediated gene transcription as an important, targetable mechanism of BRAFi resistance in de-differentiated melanomas. We experimentally demonstrate the efficacy of this approach in multiple BRAFi-resistant models, highlighting the potential of targeting Rho-mediated transcription for treating drug-resistant melanomas.
Citation Format: Sean A. Misek, Kate M. Appleton, Tom S. Dexheimer, Erika M. Lisabeth, Roger S. Lo, Scott D. Larsen, Kathleen A. Gallo, Richard R. Neubig. Rho-mediated gene transcription promotes BRAFi resistance in de-differentiated melanoma cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Melanoma: From Biology to Target; 2019 Jan 15-18; Houston, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(19 Suppl):Abstract nr B07.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Roger S. Lo
- 2University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA,
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9
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Zwicker JD, Smith D, Guerra AJ, Hitchens JR, Haug N, Vander Roest S, Lee P, Wen B, Sun D, Wang L, Keep RF, Xiang J, Carruthers VB, Larsen SD. Discovery and Optimization of Triazine Nitrile Inhibitors of Toxoplasma gondii Cathepsin L for the Potential Treatment of Chronic Toxoplasmosis in the CNS. ACS Chem Neurosci 2020; 11:2450-2463. [PMID: 32027110 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00674] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
With roughly 2 billion people infected, the neurotropic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii remains one of the most pervasive and infectious parasites. Toxoplasma infection is the second leading cause of death due to foodborne illness in the United States, causes severe disease in immunocompromised patients, and is correlated with several cognitive and neurological disorders. Currently, no therapies exist that are capable of eliminating the persistent infection in the central nervous system (CNS). In this study we report the identification of triazine nitrile inhibitors of Toxoplasma cathepsin L (TgCPL) from a high throughput screen and their subsequent optimization. Through rational design, we improved inhibitor potency to as low as 5 nM, identified pharmacophore features that can be exploited for isoform selectivity (up to 7-fold for TgCPL versus human isoform), and improved metabolic stability (t1/2 > 60 min in mouse liver microsomes) guided by a metabolite ID study. We demonstrated that this class of compounds is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier in mice (1:1 brain/plasma at 2 h). Importantly, we also show for the first time that treatment of T. gondii bradyzoite cysts in vitro with triazine nitrile inhibitors reduces parasite viability with efficacy equivalent to a TgCPL genetic knockout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery D. Zwicker
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - David Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Alfredo J. Guerra
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Jacob R. Hitchens
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Nicole Haug
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Steve Vander Roest
- Center for Chemical Genomics, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Pil Lee
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Bo Wen
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Duxin Sun
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Lu Wang
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Richard F. Keep
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Jianming Xiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Vern B. Carruthers
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Scott D. Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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10
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Bouley RA, Weinberg ZY, Waldschmidt HV, Yen YC, Larsen SD, Puthenveedu MA, Tesmer JJG. A New Paroxetine-Based GRK2 Inhibitor Reduces Internalization of the μ-Opioid Receptor. Mol Pharmacol 2020; 97:392-401. [PMID: 32234810 DOI: 10.1124/mol.119.118661] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) play a key role in terminating signals initiated by agonist-bound GPCRs. However, chronic stimulation of GPCRs, such as that which occurs during heart failure, leads to the overexpression of GRKs and maladaptive downregulation of GPCRs on the cell surface. We previously reported the discovery of potent and selective families of GRK inhibitors based on either the paroxetine or GSK180736A scaffold. A new inhibitor, CCG258747, which is based on paroxetine, demonstrates increased potency against the GRK2 subfamily and favorable pharmacokinetic parameters in mice. CCG258747 and the closely related compound CCG258208 also showed high selectivity for the GRK2 subfamily in a kinome panel of 104 kinases. We developed a cell-based assay to screen the ability of CCG258747 and 10 other inhibitors with different GRK subfamily selectivities and with either the paroxetine or GSK180736A scaffold to block internalization of the μ-opioid receptor (MOR). CCG258747 showed the best efficacy in blocking MOR internalization among the compounds tested. Furthermore, we show that compounds based on paroxetine had much better cell permeability than those based on GSK180736A, which explains why GSK180736A-based inhibitors, although being potent in vitro, do not always show efficacy in cell-based assays. This study validates the paroxetine scaffold as the most effective for GRK inhibition in living cells, confirming that GRK2 predominantly drives internalization of MOR in the cell lines we tested and underscores the utility of high-resolution cell-based assays for assessment of compound efficacy. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) are attractive targets for developing therapeutics for heart failure. We have synthesized a new GRK2 subfamily-selective inhibitor, CCG258747, which has nanomolar potency against GRK2 and excellent selectivity over other kinases. A live-cell receptor internalization assay was used to test the ability of GRK2 inhibitors to impart efficacy on a GRK-dependent process in cells. Our data indicate that CCG258747 blocked the internalization of the μ-opioid receptor most efficaciously because it has the ability to cross cell membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee A Bouley
- Life Sciences Institute (R.A.B., H.V.W.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L.) and Pharmacology (R.A.B., Z.Y.W., M.A.P.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Departments of Biological Sciences and of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (Y.-C.Y., J.J.G.T.), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Zara Y Weinberg
- Life Sciences Institute (R.A.B., H.V.W.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L.) and Pharmacology (R.A.B., Z.Y.W., M.A.P.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Departments of Biological Sciences and of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (Y.-C.Y., J.J.G.T.), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Helen V Waldschmidt
- Life Sciences Institute (R.A.B., H.V.W.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L.) and Pharmacology (R.A.B., Z.Y.W., M.A.P.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Departments of Biological Sciences and of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (Y.-C.Y., J.J.G.T.), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Yu-Chen Yen
- Life Sciences Institute (R.A.B., H.V.W.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L.) and Pharmacology (R.A.B., Z.Y.W., M.A.P.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Departments of Biological Sciences and of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (Y.-C.Y., J.J.G.T.), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Life Sciences Institute (R.A.B., H.V.W.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L.) and Pharmacology (R.A.B., Z.Y.W., M.A.P.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Departments of Biological Sciences and of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (Y.-C.Y., J.J.G.T.), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Manojkumar A Puthenveedu
- Life Sciences Institute (R.A.B., H.V.W.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L.) and Pharmacology (R.A.B., Z.Y.W., M.A.P.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Departments of Biological Sciences and of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (Y.-C.Y., J.J.G.T.), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - John J G Tesmer
- Life Sciences Institute (R.A.B., H.V.W.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L.) and Pharmacology (R.A.B., Z.Y.W., M.A.P.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Departments of Biological Sciences and of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology (Y.-C.Y., J.J.G.T.), Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
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11
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Rowlands RA, Cato MC, Waldschmidt HV, Bouley RA, Chen Q, Avramova L, Larsen SD, Tesmer JJG, White AD. Structure-Based Design of Selective, Covalent G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 5 Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2019; 10:1628-1634. [PMID: 31857838 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.9b00365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) to regulate desensitization of GPCRs has made GRK2 and GRK5 attractive targets for treating heart failure and other diseases such as cancer. Although advances have been made toward developing inhibitors that are selective for GRK2, there have been far fewer reports of GRK5 selective compounds. Herein, we describe the development of GRK5 subfamily selective inhibitors, 5 and 16d that covalently interact with a nonconserved cysteine (Cys474) unique to this subfamily. Compounds 5 and 16d feature a highly amenable pyrrolopyrimidine scaffold that affords high nanomolar to low micromolar activity that can be easily modified with Michael acceptors with various reactivities and geometries. Our work thereby establishes a new pathway toward further development of subfamily selective GRK inhibitors and establishes Cys474 as a new and useful covalent handle in GRK5 drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Rowlands
- University of Michigan, Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, 428 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - M. Claire Cato
- University of Michigan, Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, 210 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Helen V. Waldschmidt
- University of Michigan, Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, 428 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Renee A. Bouley
- University of Michigan, Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, 210 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Qiuyan Chen
- Purdue University, Departments of Biological Sciences and Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, 915 W State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Larisa Avramova
- Purdue University, Departments of Biological Sciences and Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, 915 W State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Scott D. Larsen
- University of Michigan, Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, 428 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - John J. G. Tesmer
- Purdue University, Departments of Biological Sciences and Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, 915 W State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Andrew D. White
- University of Michigan, Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, 428 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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12
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Misek SA, Appleton KM, Dexheimer TS, Lisabeth EM, Lo RS, Larsen SD, Gallo KA, Neubig RR. Rho-mediated signaling promotes BRAF inhibitor resistance in de-differentiated melanoma cells. Oncogene 2019; 39:1466-1483. [PMID: 31659259 PMCID: PMC7024013 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-1074-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [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: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Over half of cutaneous melanoma tumors have BRAFV600E/K mutations. Acquired resistance to BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) remains a major hurdle in attaining durable therapeutic responses. In this study we demonstrate that approximately 50–60% of melanoma cell lines with vemurafenib resistance acquired in vitro show activation of RhoA family GTPases. In BRAFi-resistant melanoma cell lines and tumors, activation of RhoA is correlated with decreased expression of melanocyte lineage genes. Using a machine learning approach, we built gene expression-based models to predict drug sensitivity for 265 common anti-cancer compounds. We then projected these signatures onto the collection of TCGA cutaneous melanoma and found that poorly differentiated tumors were predicted to have increased sensitivity to multiple Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors. Two transcriptional effectors downstream of Rho, MRTF and YAP1, are activated in the RhoHigh BRAFi-resistant cell lines, and resistant cells are more sensitive to inhibition of these transcriptional mechanisms. Taken together, these results support the concept of targeting Rho-regulated gene transcription pathways as a promising therapeutic approach to restore sensitivity to BRAFi-resistant tumors or as a combination therapy to prevent the onset of drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Misek
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - K M Appleton
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - T S Dexheimer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - E M Lisabeth
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - R S Lo
- Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - S D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.,Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - K A Gallo
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - R R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA. .,Nicholas V. Perricone, M.D., Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, 48824, MI, USA.
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13
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Waldschmidt HV, Homan KT, Cato MC, Cruz-Rodríguez O, Cannavo A, Wilson MW, Song J, Cheung JY, Koch WJ, Tesmer JJG, Larsen SD. Correction to “Structure-Based Design of Highly Selective and Potent G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 Inhibitors Based on Paroxetine”. J Med Chem 2019; 62:5920. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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Gan X, Wilson MW, Beyett TS, Wen B, Sun D, Larsen SD, Tesmer JJG, Saltiel AR, Showalter HD. Synthesis of deuterium-labelled amlexanox and its metabolic stability against mouse, rat, and human microsomes. J Labelled Comp Radiopharm 2019; 62:202-208. [PMID: 30828860 DOI: 10.1002/jlcr.3716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
As part of a program toward making analogues of amlexanox (1), currently under clinical investigation for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, we have synthesized derivative 5 in which deuterium has been introduced into two sites of metabolism on the C-7 isopropyl function of amlexanox. The synthesis of 5 was completed in an efficient three-step process utilizing reduction of key olefin 7b to 8 by Wilkinson's catalyst to provide specific incorporation of di-deuterium across the double bond. Compound 5 displayed nearly equivalent potency to amlexanox (IC50 , 1.1μM vs 0.6μM, respectively) against recombinant human TBK1. When incubated with human, rat, and mouse liver microsomes, amlexanox (1) and d2 -amlexanox (5) were stable (t1/2 > 60 minutes) with 1 showing marginally greater stability relative to 5 except for rat liver microsomes. These data show that incorporating deuterium into two sites of metabolism does not majorly suppress Cyp-mediated metabolism relative to amlexanox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinmin Gan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael W Wilson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Tyler S Beyett
- Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Life Sciences Institute, Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Bo Wen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Duxin Sun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - John J G Tesmer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Alan R Saltiel
- Department of Medicine, Institute for Diabetes and Metabolic Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, Institute for Diabetes and Metabolic Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Hollis D Showalter
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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15
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Kahl DJ, Hutchings KM, Lisabeth EM, Haak AJ, Leipprandt JR, Dexheimer T, Khanna D, Tsou PS, Campbell PL, Fox DA, Wen B, Sun D, Bailie M, Neubig RR, Larsen SD. 5-Aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-ylthioalkanoic Acids: A Highly Potent New Class of Inhibitors of Rho/Myocardin-Related Transcription Factor (MRTF)/Serum Response Factor (SRF)-Mediated Gene Transcription as Potential Antifibrotic Agents for Scleroderma. J Med Chem 2019; 62:4350-4369. [PMID: 30951312 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Through a phenotypic high-throughput screen using a serum response element luciferase promoter, we identified a novel 5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-ylthiopropionic acid lead inhibitor of Rho/myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF)/serum response factor (SRF)-mediated gene transcription with good potency (IC50 = 180 nM). We were able to rapidly improve the cellular potency by 5 orders of magnitude guided by sharply defined and synergistic SAR. The remarkable potency and depth of the SAR, as well as the relatively low molecular weight of the series, suggests, but does not prove, that binding to the unknown molecular target may be occurring through a covalent mechanism. The series nevertheless has no observable cytotoxicity up to 100 μM. Ensuing pharmacokinetic optimization resulted in the development of two potent and orally bioavailable anti-fibrotic agents that were capable of dose-dependently reducing connective tissue growth factor gene expression in vitro as well as significantly reducing the development of bleomycin-induced dermal fibrosis in mice in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erika Mathes Lisabeth
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , United States
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , United States
| | - Jeffrey R Leipprandt
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , United States
| | - Thomas Dexheimer
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , United States
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence , University of Michigan Medical Center , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Pei-Suen Tsou
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence , University of Michigan Medical Center , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Phillip L Campbell
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence , University of Michigan Medical Center , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - David A Fox
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence , University of Michigan Medical Center , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | | | | | - Marc Bailie
- Michigan State University in Vivo Facility , East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , United States
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology , Michigan State University , East Lansing , Michigan 48824 , United States
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16
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Lisabeth EM, Kahl D, Gopallawa I, Haynes SE, Misek SA, Campbell PL, Dexheimer TS, Khanna D, Fox DA, Jin X, Martin BR, Larsen SD, Neubig RR. Identification of Pirin as a Molecular Target of the CCG-1423/CCG-203971 Series of Antifibrotic and Antimetastatic Compounds. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2019; 2:92-100. [PMID: 32039344 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.8b00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
A series of compounds (including CCG-1423 and CCG-203971) discovered through an MRTF/SRF-dependent luciferase screen has shown remarkable efficacy in a variety of in vitro and in vivo models, including significant reduction of melanoma metastasis and bleomycin- induced fibrosis. Although these compounds are efficacious in these disease models, the molecular target is unknown. Here, we describe affinity isolation-based target identification efforts which yielded pirin, an iron-dependent cotranscription factor, as a target of this series of compounds. Using biophysical techniques including isothermal titration calorimetry and X-ray crystallography, we verify that pirin binds these compounds in vitro. We also show with genetic approaches that pirin modulates MRTF- dependent luciferase reporter activity. Finally, using both siRNA and a previously validated pirin inhibitor, we show a role for pirin in TGF-β- induced gene expression in primary dermal fibroblasts. A recently developed analog, CCG-257081, which co crystallizes with pirin, is also effective in the prevention of bleomycin-induced dermal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika M Lisabeth
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States
| | - Dylan Kahl
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - Indiwari Gopallawa
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States
| | - Sarah E Haynes
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - Sean A Misek
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States
| | - Phillip L Campbell
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - Thomas S Dexheimer
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - David A Fox
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - Xiangshu Jin
- Department of Biochemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States
| | - Brent R Martin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States.,Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, United States
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17
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Chefetz I, Grimley E, Yang K, Hong L, Vinogradova EV, Suciu R, Kovalenko I, Karnak D, Morgan CA, Chtcherbinine M, Buchman C, Huddle B, Barraza S, Morgan M, Bernstein KA, Yoon E, Lombard DB, Bild A, Mehta G, Romero I, Chiang CY, Landen C, Cravatt B, Hurley TD, Larsen SD, Buckanovich RJ. A Pan-ALDH1A Inhibitor Induces Necroptosis in Ovarian Cancer Stem-like Cells. Cell Rep 2019; 26:3061-3075.e6. [PMID: 30865894 PMCID: PMC7061440 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [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: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is typified by the development of chemotherapy resistance. Chemotherapy resistance is associated with high aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzymatic activity, increased cancer "stemness," and expression of the stem cell marker CD133. As such, ALDH activity has been proposed as a therapeutic target. Although it remains controversial which of the 19 ALDH family members drive chemotherapy resistance, ALDH1A family members have been primarily linked with chemotherapy resistant and stemness. We identified two ALDH1A family selective inhibitors (ALDH1Ai). ALDH1Ai preferentially kills CD133+ ovarian cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). ALDH1Ai induce necroptotic CSC death, mediated, in part, by the induction of mitochondrial uncoupling proteins and reduction in oxidative phosphorylation. ALDH1Ai is highly synergistic with chemotherapy, reducing tumor initiation capacity and increasing tumor eradication in vivo. These studies link ALDH1A with necroptosis and confirm the family as a critical therapeutic target to overcome chemotherapy resistance and improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilana Chefetz
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Edward Grimley
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gynecology-Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kun Yang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Linda Hong
- Division of Gynecology-Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Radu Suciu
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ilya Kovalenko
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David Karnak
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Cynthia A Morgan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Mikhail Chtcherbinine
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Cameron Buchman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Brandt Huddle
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Scott Barraza
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Meredith Morgan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kara A Bernstein
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Euisik Yoon
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David B Lombard
- Department of Pathology and Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Andrea Bild
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Geeta Mehta
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Iris Romero
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Section of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Chun-Yi Chiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Section of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Charles Landen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Benjamin Cravatt
- Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Thomas D Hurley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ronald J Buckanovich
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Division of Gynecology-Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gynecology-Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Magee-Womens Research Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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18
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Dumas ME, Chen GY, Kendrick ND, Xu G, Larsen SD, Jana S, Waterson AG, Bauer JA, Hancock W, Sulikowski GA, Ohi R. Dual inhibition of Kif15 by oxindole and quinazolinedione chemical probes. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 29:148-154. [PMID: 30528696 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [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: 10/19/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The mitotic spindle is a microtubule-based machine that segregates a replicated set of chromosomes during cell division. Many cancer drugs alter or disrupt the microtubules that form the mitotic spindle. Microtubule-dependent molecular motors that function during mitosis are logical alternative mitotic targets for drug development. Eg5 (Kinesin-5) and Kif15 (Kinesin-12), in particular, are an attractive pair of motor proteins, as they work in concert to drive centrosome separation and promote spindle bipolarity. Furthermore, we hypothesize that the clinical failure of Eg5 inhibitors may be (in part) due to compensation by Kif15. In order to test this idea, we screened a small library of kinase inhibitors and identified GW108X, an oxindole that inhibits Kif15 in vitro. We show that GW108X has a distinct mechanism of action compared with a commercially available Kif15 inhibitor, Kif15-IN-1 and may serve as a lead with which to further develop Kif15 inhibitors as clinically relevant agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Dumas
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Geng-Yuan Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Nicole D Kendrick
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - George Xu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Somnath Jana
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Alex G Waterson
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States; Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Joshua A Bauer
- Department of Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - William Hancock
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Gary A Sulikowski
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Ryoma Ohi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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19
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Tanis SP, Colca JR, Parker TT, Artman GD, Larsen SD, McDonald WG, Gadwood RC, Kletzien RF, Zeller JB, Lee PH, Adams WJ. PPARγ-sparing thiazolidinediones as insulin sensitizers. Design, synthesis and selection of compounds for clinical development. Bioorg Med Chem 2018; 26:5870-5884. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2018.10.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 10/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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20
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Huddle BC, Grimley E, Buchman CD, Chtcherbinine M, Debnath B, Mehta P, Yang K, Morgan CA, Li S, Felton J, Sun D, Mehta G, Neamati N, Buckanovich RJ, Hurley TD, Larsen SD. Structure-Based Optimization of a Novel Class of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1A (ALDH1A) Subfamily-Selective Inhibitors as Potential Adjuncts to Ovarian Cancer Chemotherapy. J Med Chem 2018; 61:8754-8773. [PMID: 30221940 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity is commonly used as a marker to identify cancer stem-like cells. The three ALDH1A isoforms have all been individually implicated in cancer stem-like cells and in chemoresistance; however, which isoform is preferentially expressed varies between cell lines. We sought to explore the structural determinants of ALDH1A isoform selectivity in a series of small-molecule inhibitors in support of research into the role of ALDH1A in cancer stem cells. An SAR campaign guided by a cocrystal structure of the HTS hit CM39 (7) with ALDH1A1 afforded first-in-class inhibitors of the ALDH1A subfamily with excellent selectivity over the homologous ALDH2 isoform. We also discovered the first reported modestly selective single isoform 1A2 and 1A3 inhibitors. Two compounds, 13g and 13h, depleted the CD133+ putative cancer stem cell pool, synergized with cisplatin, and achieved efficacious concentrations in vivo following IP administration. Compound 13h additionally synergized with cisplatin in a patient-derived ovarian cancer spheroid model.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cameron D Buchman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis , Indiana 46202 , United States
| | - Mikhail Chtcherbinine
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis , Indiana 46202 , United States
| | | | - Pooja Mehta
- Department of Materials Science Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Kun Yang
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Cynthia A Morgan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis , Indiana 46202 , United States
| | - Siwei Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy ; University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Jeremy Felton
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy ; University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Duxin Sun
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy ; University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Geeta Mehta
- Department of Materials Science Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States.,Macromolecular Science and Engineering , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | | | - Ronald J Buckanovich
- Division of Hematology Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , United States
| | - Thomas D Hurley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis , Indiana 46202 , United States
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21
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Waldschmidt HV, Bouley R, Kirchhoff PD, Lee P, Tesmer JJG, Larsen SD. Utilizing a structure-based docking approach to develop potent G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) 2 and 5 inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:1507-1515. [PMID: 29627263 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.03.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) kinases (GRKs) regulate the desensitization and internalization of GPCRs. Two of these, GRK2 and GRK5, are upregulated in heart failure and are promising targets for heart failure treatment. Although there have been several reports of potent and selective inhibitors of GRK2 there are few for GRK5. Herein, we describe a ligand docking approach utilizing the crystal structures of the GRK2-Gβγ·GSK180736A and GRK5·CCG215022 complexes to search for amide substituents predicted to confer GRK2 and/or GRK5 potency and selectivity. From this campaign, we successfully generated two new potent GRK5 inhibitors, although neither exhibited selectivity over GRK2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen V Waldschmidt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Renee Bouley
- Department of Pharmacology and the Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Paul D Kirchhoff
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Pil Lee
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - John J G Tesmer
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Pharmacology and the Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
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22
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Zwicker JD, Diaz NA, Guerra AJ, Kirchhoff PD, Wen B, Sun D, Carruthers VB, Larsen SD. Optimization of dipeptidic inhibitors of cathepsin L for improved Toxoplasma gondii selectivity and CNS permeability. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:1972-1980. [PMID: 29650289 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.03.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The neurotropic protozoan Toxoplasma gondii is the second leading cause of death due to foodborne illness in the US, and has been designated as one of five neglected parasitic infections by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Currently, no treatment options exist for the chronic dormant-phase Toxoplasma infection in the central nervous system (CNS). T. gondii cathepsin L (TgCPL) has recently been implicated as a novel viable target for the treatment of chronic toxoplasmosis. In this study, we report the first body of SAR work aimed at developing potent inhibitors of TgCPL with selectivity vs the human cathepsin L. Starting from a known inhibitor of human cathepsin L, and guided by structure-based design, we were able to modulate the selectivity for Toxoplasma vs human CPL by nearly 50-fold while modifying physiochemical properties to be more favorable for metabolic stability and CNS penetrance. The overall potency of our inhibitors towards TgCPL was improved from 2 μM to as low as 110 nM and we successfully demonstrated that an optimized analog 18b is capable of crossing the BBB (0.5 brain/plasma). This work is an important first step toward development of a CNS-penetrant probe to validate TgCPL as a feasible target for the treatment of chronic toxoplasmosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery D Zwicker
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Nicolas A Diaz
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Alfredo J Guerra
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Paul D Kirchhoff
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Bo Wen
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Duxin Sun
- Pharmacokinetics Core, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Vern B Carruthers
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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23
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Cheriyan VT, Muthu M, Patel K, Sekhar S, Rajeswaran W, Larsen SD, Polin L, Levi E, Singh M, Rishi AK. CARP-1 functional mimetics are novel inhibitors of drug-resistant triple negative breast cancers. Oncotarget 2018; 7:73370-73388. [PMID: 27687593 PMCID: PMC5341985 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Doxorubicin and Cisplatin are the frontline therapeutics for treatment of the triple negative breast cancers (TNBCs). Emergence of drug-resistance often contributes to failure of drugs and poor prognosis, and thus necessitates development of new and improved modalities to treat TNBCs. We generated and characterized chemotherapy-resistant TNBC cells following their culture in chronic presence of Doxorubicin or Cisplatin, and tested whether their viabilities were inhibited by a novel class of CARP- 1 functional mimetic (CFM) compounds. Analogs of parent compound CFM-4 were obtained through structure-activity based medicinal chemistry studies. CFM-4.16, a novel analog of CFM-4, caused superior inhibition of viability of TNBC cells when used in combination with doxorubicin. Doxorubicin and cisplatin inhibited viabilities of parental cells with GI50 dose of 0.02–0.1 μM and 1.65 μM, respectively. The GI50 dose of doxorubicin for doxorubicin-resistant TNBC cells was ≥ 10.0 μM. For Cisplatin-resistant cells, the GI50 dose of Cisplatin was ≥ 6–15.0 μM for MDA-MB-468 sublines and ≥ 150.0 μM for MDA-MB-231 sublines. CFM-4.16 inhibited viability of chemotherapy-resistant TNBC cells, in part by inhibiting oncogenic cMet activation and expression, stimulating CARP-1 expression, caspase-8 cleavage and apoptosis. CFM-4.16 pretreatment enhanced anti-TNBC efficacies of inhibitors of cMET (Tevatinib) or cSrc (Dasatinib). CFM-4.16 suppressed growth of resistant TNBC cells in soft agar as well as in three-dimensional suspension cultures derived from enriched, stem-like cells. Finally, a nanolipid formulation of CFM-4.16 in combination with doxorubicin had superior efficacy in inhibiting TNBC xenograft growth. Our findings collectively demonstrate therapeutic potential of CFM-4.16 for parental and drug-resistant TNBCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vino T Cheriyan
- John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201 USA.,Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA
| | - Magesh Muthu
- John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201 USA.,Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA
| | - Ketan Patel
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
| | - Sreeja Sekhar
- John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201 USA.,Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA
| | - Walajapet Rajeswaran
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core and College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core and College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 USA
| | - Lisa Polin
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA
| | - Edi Levi
- John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201 USA.,Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA
| | - Mandip Singh
- College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
| | - Arun K Rishi
- John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 48201 USA.,Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA.,Department of Pathology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201 USA
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24
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Stoveken HM, Larsen SD, Smrcka AV, Tall GG. Gedunin- and Khivorin-Derivatives Are Small-Molecule Partial Agonists for Adhesion G Protein-Coupled Receptors GPR56/ADGRG1 and GPR114/ADGRG5. Mol Pharmacol 2018; 93:477-488. [PMID: 29476042 DOI: 10.1124/mol.117.111476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) have emerged as potential therapeutic targets in multiple cancers and in neurologic diseases. However, there are few modulatory compounds that act on these receptors. The majority of aGPCRs are orphans and a general activation mechanism has only recently been defined: aGPCRs are activated by a tethered agonist. aGPCRs constitutively cleave themselves during biosynthesis to generated two-part receptors comprising an extracellular domain (ECD) and a 7-transmembrane spanning domain (7TM). ECD dissociation reveals the tethered agonist initiating G protein signaling. Synthetic peptides that mimic the tethered agonist region can activate aGPCRs. We hypothesized that small molecules could act in the same way as peptide agonists. High throughput screening of the 2000-compound Spectrum Collection library using the serum response element luciferase gene reporter assay revealed two related classes of small molecules that could activate the aGPCR GPR56/ADGRG1. The most potent compound identified was 3-α-acetoxydihydrodeoxygedunin, or 3-α-DOG. 3-α-DOG activated engineered, low-activity GPR56 7TM in independent biochemical and cell-based assays with an EC50 of ∼5 μM. The compound also activated a subset of aGPCRs but not two class A GPCRs tested. The mode of 3-α-DOG-mediated receptor activation is that of partial agonist. 3-α-DOG activated GPR56 less efficaciously than peptide agonist and could antagonize both the peptide agonist and the endogenous tethered agonist, which are pharmacological hallmarks of partial agonists. Taken together, we have uncovered a novel group of aGPCR partial agonists that will serve as invaluable resources for understanding this unique class receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M Stoveken
- Departments of Pharmacology (H.M.S., A.V.S., G.G.T.) and Medicinal Chemistry (S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Departments of Pharmacology (H.M.S., A.V.S., G.G.T.) and Medicinal Chemistry (S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Alan V Smrcka
- Departments of Pharmacology (H.M.S., A.V.S., G.G.T.) and Medicinal Chemistry (S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Gregory G Tall
- Departments of Pharmacology (H.M.S., A.V.S., G.G.T.) and Medicinal Chemistry (S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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25
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Bouley R, Waldschmidt HV, Cato MC, Cannavo A, Song J, Cheung JY, Yao XQ, Koch WJ, Larsen SD, Tesmer JJG. Structural Determinants Influencing the Potency and Selectivity of Indazole-Paroxetine Hybrid G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 Inhibitors. Mol Pharmacol 2017; 92:707-717. [PMID: 29070696 DOI: 10.1124/mol.117.110130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) phosphorylate activated receptors to promote arrestin binding, decoupling from heterotrimeric G proteins, and internalization. GRK2 and GRK5 are overexpressed in the failing heart and thus have become therapeutic targets. Previously, we discovered two classes of GRK2-selective inhibitors, one stemming from GSK180736A, a Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinase 1 (ROCK1) inhibitor, the other from paroxetine, a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor. These two classes of compounds bind to the GRK2 active site in a similar configuration but contain different hinge-binding "warheads": indazole and benzodioxole, respectively. We surmised from our prior studies that an indazole would be the stronger hinge binder and would impart increased potency when substituted for benzodioxole in paroxetine derivatives. To test this hypothesis, we synthesized a series of hybrid compounds that allowed us to compare the effects of inhibitors that differ only in the identity of the warhead. The indazole-paroxetine analogs were indeed more potent than their respective benzodioxole derivatives but lost selectivity. To investigate how these two warheads dictate selectivity, we determined the crystal structures of three of the indazole hybrid compounds (CCG224061, CCG257284, and CCG258748) in complex with GRK2-Gβγ Comparison of these structures with those of analogous benzodioxole-containing complexes confirmed that the indazole-paroxetine hybrids form stronger interactions with the hinge of the kinase but also stabilize a distinct conformation of the kinase domain of GRK2 compared with previous complexes with paroxetine analogs. This conformation is analogous to one that can be assumed by GRK5, at least partially explaining the loss in selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee Bouley
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
| | - Helen V Waldschmidt
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
| | - M Claire Cato
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
| | - Alessandro Cannavo
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
| | - Jianliang Song
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
| | - Joseph Y Cheung
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
| | - Xin-Qiu Yao
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
| | - Walter J Koch
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
| | - John J G Tesmer
- Life Sciences Institute (R.B., H.V.W., M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), Departments of Medicinal Chemistry (H.V.W., S.D.L., J.J.G.T.), Pharmacology (R.B., J.J.G.T.), Biological Chemistry (M.C.C., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy (H.V.W., S.D.L.), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia (X.-Q.Y.); Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (A.C., J.S., J.Y.C, W.J.K.); and Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana (J.J.G.T.)
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Beck MW, Derrick JS, Suh JM, Kim M, Korshavn KJ, Kerr RA, Cho WJ, Larsen SD, Ruotolo BT, Ramamoorthy A, Lim MH. Minor Structural Variations of Small Molecules Tune Regulatory Activities toward Pathological Factors in Alzheimer's Disease. ChemMedChem 2017; 12:1828-1838. [PMID: 28990338 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201700456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chemical tools have been valuable for establishing a better understanding of the relationships between metal ion dyshomeostasis, the abnormal aggregation and accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ), and oxidative stress in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Still, very little information is available to correlate the structures of chemical tools with specific reactivities used to uncover such relationships. Recently, slight structural variations to the framework of a chemical tool were found to drastically determine the tool's reactivities toward multiple pathological facets to various extents. Herein, we report our rational design and characterization of a structural series to illustrate the extent to which the reactivities of small molecules vary toward different targets as a result of minor structural modifications. These compounds were rationally and systematically modified based on consideration of properties, including ionization potentials and metal binding, to afford their desired reactivities with metal-free or metal-bound Aβ, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and free organic radicals. Our results show that although small molecules are structurally similar, they can interact with multiple factors associated with AD pathogenesis and alleviate their reactivities to different degrees. Together, our studies demonstrate the rational structure-directed design that can be used to develop chemical tools capable of regulating individual or interrelated pathological features in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Beck
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea.,Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Derrick
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Min Suh
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Mingeun Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyle J Korshavn
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Richard A Kerr
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Woo Jong Cho
- School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Brandon T Ruotolo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.,Biophysics Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Mi Hee Lim
- Department of Chemistry, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
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Misek SA, Larsen SD, Gallo KA, Neubig RR. Abstract 89: Targeting Rho/MRTF regulated gene transcription in drug-resistant melanoma. Cancer Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2017-89] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Much of the recent focus of melanoma targeted therapy has been on the ERK pathway, which is aberrantly activated in approximately 90% of melanoma tumors (over half of which express BRAFV600E). Current targeted therapies such as vemurafenib (BRAFV600E inhibitor), or a combination therapy using dabrafenib (BRAFV600E inhibitor) and low dose trametinib (MEK inhibitor) shows profound initial effects in a majority of BRAFV600E expressing tumors. However, these responses are often short-lived and resistances typically develops within months. Resistance to these targeted therapies can arise from multiple mechanisms, including activation of pro-survival signaling pathways parallel to the ERK pathway. The goal of this work is to identify pharmacologically targetable resistance mechanisms so that effective combination therapies can be developed.
Despite the clear role of the RhoA subfamily of Rho GTPases (RhoA/B/C) as melanoma oncogenes, their role in drug resistance is not well understood. It is challenging to develop small molecule inhibitors which directly target the activity of small Rho GTPases, so an alternative approach is to inhibit downstream pathways. Through modulation of the actin cytoskeleton Rho can induce gene transcription through multiple transcriptional co-activators including Myocardin-Related Transcription Factor (MRTF) and Yes-Associated Protein 1 (YAP).
My bioinformatics analysis demonstrates that MRTF-A gene expression is correlated with poor overall survival in a large cohort of cutaneous melanoma patients. Furthermore, expression of a set of 216 MRTF target genes is enriched in dabrafenib/trametinib resistant cutaneous melanoma tumors compared to matched pre-treatment tumors, suggesting that MRTF activation may be involved in drug resistance. Based upon these results I hypothesized that small Rho GTPases may promote resistance to MAPK pathway targeted therapies through activation of MRTF/YAP.
To test this hypothesis, I generated vemurafenib resistant melanoma cells through chronic exposure to vemurafenib. This vemurafenib-resistant cell population is enriched for actin stress fiber positive cells, and these cells have increased Myosin Light Chain 2 (MLC2) phosphorylation, suggesting that there is increased Rho activation. Furthermore, these drug resistant cells are more sensitive to pharmacological inhibition of MRTF activity. These preliminary data suggest that vemurafenib resistant melanoma cells may be re-wired to depend on the Rho-induced gene transcription for their survival, and that a combination therapy simultaneously targeting these two pathways may be an effective treatment strategy for BRAF inhibitor-resistant melanomas.
Citation Format: Sean A. Misek, Scott D. Larsen, Kathleen A. Gallo, Richard R. Neubig. Targeting Rho/MRTF regulated gene transcription in drug-resistant melanoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 89. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-89
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28
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Johnson LA, Rodansky ES, Moons DS, Larsen SD, Neubig RR, Higgins PDR. Optimisation of Intestinal Fibrosis and Survival in the Mouse S. Typhimurium Model for Anti-fibrotic Drug Discovery and Preclinical Applications. J Crohns Colitis 2017; 11:724-736. [PMID: 27986839 PMCID: PMC5881735 DOI: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjw210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Intestinal fibrosis is a frequent complication in Crohn's disease [CD]. The mouse Salmonella typhimurium model, due to its simplicity, reproducibility, manipulability, and penetrance, is an established fibrosis model for drug discovery and preclinical trials. However, the severity of fibrosis and mortality are host- and bacterial strain-dependent, thus limiting the original model. We re-evaluated the S. typhimurium model to optimise fibrosis and survival, using commercially available mouse strains. METHODS Fibrotic and inflammatory markers were evaluated across S. typhimurium ΔaroA:C57bl/6 studies performed in our laboratory. A model optimisation study was performed using three commercially available mouse strains [CBA/J, DBA/J, and 129S1/SvImJ] infected with either SL1344 or ΔaroA S. typhimurium. Fibrotic penetrance was determined by histopathology, gene expression, and αSMA protein expression. Fibrosis severity, penetrance, and survival were analysed across subsequent CBA studies. RESULTS Fibrosis severity and survival are both host- and bacterial strain-dependent. Marked tissue fibrosis and 100% survival occurred in the CBA/J strain infected with SL1344. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that CBA/J mice develop extensive intestinal fibrosis, characterised by transmural tissue fibrosis, a Th1/Th17 cytokine response, and induction of pro-fibrotic genes and extracellular matrix proteins. A meta-analysis of subsequent SL1344:CBA/J studies demonstrated that intestinal fibrosis is consistent and highly penetrant across histological, protein, and gene expression markers. As proof-of-concept, we tested the utility of the SL1344:CBA/J fibrosis model to evaluate efficacy of CCG-203971, a novel anti-fibrotic drug. CONCLUSION The S. typhimurium SL1344:CBA/J model is an optimised model for the study of intestinal fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Johnson
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Eva S Rodansky
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - David S Moons
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Peter D R Higgins
- Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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29
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Yu-Wai-Man C, Spencer-Dene B, Lee RMH, Hutchings K, Lisabeth EM, Treisman R, Bailly M, Larsen SD, Neubig RR, Khaw PT. Local delivery of novel MRTF/SRF inhibitors prevents scar tissue formation in a preclinical model of fibrosis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:518. [PMID: 28364121 PMCID: PMC5428058 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00212-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [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: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The myocardin-related transcription factor/serum response factor (MRTF/SRF) pathway represents a promising therapeutic target to prevent fibrosis. We have tested the effects of new pharmacological inhibitors of MRTF/SRF signalling in a preclinical model of fibrosis. CCG-222740, a novel MRTF/SRF inhibitor, markedly decreased SRF reporter gene activity and showed a greater inhibitory effect on MRTF/SRF target genes than the previously described MRTF-A inhibitor CCG-203971. CCG-222740 was also five times more potent, with an IC50 of 5 μM, in a fibroblast-mediated collagen contraction assay, was less cytotoxic, and a more potent inhibitor of alpha-smooth muscle actin protein expression than CCG-203971. Local delivery of CCG-222740 and CCG-203971 in a validated and clinically relevant rabbit model of scar tissue formation after glaucoma filtration surgery increased the long-term success of the surgery by 67% (P < 0.0005) and 33% (P < 0.01), respectively, and significantly decreased fibrosis and scarring histologically. Unlike mitomycin-C, neither CCG-222740 nor CCG-203971 caused any detectable epithelial toxicity or systemic side effects with very low drug levels measured in the aqueous, vitreous, and serum. We conclude that inhibitors of MRTF/SRF-regulated gene transcription such as CCG-222740, potentially represent a new therapeutic strategy to prevent scar tissue formation in the eye and other tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Yu-Wai-Man
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK. .,National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK. .,Signalling and Transcription Group, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
| | | | - Richard M H Lee
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Kim Hutchings
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Erika M Lisabeth
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Richard Treisman
- Signalling and Transcription Group, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Peng T Khaw
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
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30
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Waldschmidt HV, Homan KT, Cato MC, Cruz-Rodríguez O, Cannavo A, Wilson MW, Song J, Cheung JY, Koch WJ, Tesmer JJG, Larsen SD. Structure-Based Design of Highly Selective and Potent G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 Inhibitors Based on Paroxetine. J Med Chem 2017; 60:3052-3069. [PMID: 28323425 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
In heart failure, the β-adrenergic receptors (βARs) become desensitized and uncoupled from heterotrimeric G proteins. This process is initiated by G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs), some of which are upregulated in the failing heart, making them desirable therapeutic targets. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, paroxetine, was previously identified as a GRK2 inhibitor. Utilizing a structure-based drug design approach, we modified paroxetine to generate a small compound library. Included in this series is a highly potent and selective GRK2 inhibitor, 14as, with an IC50 of 30 nM against GRK2 and greater than 230-fold selectivity over other GRKs and kinases. Furthermore, 14as showed a 100-fold improvement in cardiomyocyte contractility assays over paroxetine and a plasma concentration higher than its IC50 for over 7 h. Three of these inhibitors, including 14as, were additionally crystallized in complex with GRK2 to give insights into the structural determinants of potency and selectivity of these inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen V Waldschmidt
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Kristoff T Homan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Marilyn C Cato
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Osvaldo Cruz-Rodríguez
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Alessandro Cannavo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Michael W Wilson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Jianliang Song
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Joseph Y Cheung
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Walter J Koch
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - John J G Tesmer
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, Life Sciences Institute, §Ph.D. Program in Chemical Biology, ⊥Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States.,Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, United States
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Hutchings KM, Lisabeth EM, Rajeswaran W, Wilson MW, Sorenson RJ, Campbell PL, Ruth JH, Amin A, Tsou PS, Leipprandt JR, Olson SR, Wen B, Zhao T, Sun D, Khanna D, Fox DA, Neubig RR, Larsen SD. Pharmacokinetic optimitzation of CCG-203971: Novel inhibitors of the Rho/MRTF/SRF transcriptional pathway as potential antifibrotic therapeutics for systemic scleroderma. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:1744-1749. [PMID: 28285914 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.02.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [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: 02/10/2017] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We recently reported the development of a novel inhibitor of Rho-mediated gene transcription (1, CCG-203971) that is efficacious in multiple animal models of acute fibrosis, including scleroderma, when given intraperitoneally. The modest in vivo potency and poor pharmacokinetics (PK) of this lead, however, make it unsuitable for long term efficacy studies. We therefore undertook a systematic medicinal chemistry effort to improve both the metabolic stability and the solubility of 1, resulting in the identification of two analogs achieving over 10-fold increases in plasma exposures in mice. We subsequently showed that one of these analogs (8f, CCG-232601) could inhibit the development of bleomycin-induced dermal fibrosis in mice when administered orally at 50mg/kg, an effect that was comparable to what we had observed earlier with 1 at a 4-fold higher IP dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim M Hutchings
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Erika M Lisabeth
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Walajapet Rajeswaran
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Michael W Wilson
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Roderick J Sorenson
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Phillip L Campbell
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Ruth
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Asif Amin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Pei-Suen Tsou
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Leipprandt
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Samuel R Olson
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Bo Wen
- UM Pharmacokinetics Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ting Zhao
- UM Pharmacokinetics Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Duxin Sun
- UM Pharmacokinetics Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dinesh Khanna
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - David A Fox
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Autoimmunity Center of Excellence, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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32
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Zheng H, Colvin CJ, Johnson BK, Kirchhoff PD, Wilson M, Jorgensen-Muga K, Larsen SD, Abramovitch RB. Inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DosRST signaling and persistence. Nat Chem Biol 2016; 13:218-225. [PMID: 27992879 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) DosRST two-component regulatory system promotes the survival of Mtb during non-replicating persistence (NRP). NRP bacteria help drive the long course of tuberculosis therapy; therefore, chemical inhibition of DosRST may inhibit the ability of Mtb to establish persistence and thus shorten treatment. Using a DosRST-dependent fluorescent Mtb reporter strain, a whole-cell phenotypic high-throughput screen of a ∼540,000 compound small-molecule library was conducted. The screen discovered novel inhibitors of the DosRST regulon, including three compounds that were subject to follow-up studies: artemisinin, HC102A and HC103A. Under hypoxia, all three compounds inhibit Mtb-persistence-associated physiological processes, including triacylglycerol synthesis, survival and antibiotic tolerance. Artemisinin functions by disabling the heme-based DosS and DosT sensor kinases by oxidizing ferrous heme and generating heme-artemisinin adducts. In contrast, HC103A inhibits DosS and DosT autophosphorylation activity without targeting the sensor kinase heme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqing Zheng
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Christopher J Colvin
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Benjamin K Johnson
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Paul D Kirchhoff
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michael Wilson
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Robert B Abramovitch
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
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33
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Okawada M, Wilson MW, Larsen SD, Lipka E, Hillfinger J, Teitelbaum DH. Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system prevents acute and immunologically relevant colitis in murine models. Pediatr Surg Int 2016; 32:1103-1114. [PMID: 27670279 DOI: 10.1007/s00383-016-3965-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been shown to alleviate inflammatory processes in the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to determine if blockade of the RAS would be effective in an immunologically relevant colitis model, and to compare outcome with an acute colitis model. METHODS A losartan analog, CCG-203025 (C23H26ClN3O5S) containing a highly polar sulfonic acid moiety that we expected would allow localized mucosal antagonism with minimal systemic absorption was selected as an angiotensin II type 1a receptor antagonist (AT1aR-A). Two colitis models were studied: (1) Acute colitis was induced in 8- to 10-week-old C57BL/6J mice by 2.5 % dextran sodium sulfate (DSS, in drinking water) for 7 days. (2) IL10-/-colitis Piroxicam (200 ppm) was administered orally in feed to 5-week-old IL-10-/-mice (C57BL/6J background) for 14 days followed by enalaprilat (ACE-I), CCG-203025 or PBS administered transanally for 14 days. RESULTS In the DSS model, weight loss and histologic score for CCG-203025 were better than with placebo. In the IL10-/-model, ACE-I suppressed histologic damage better than CCG-203025. Both ACE-I and CCG-203025 reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of both ACE-I and AT1aR-A for preventing the development of both acute and immunologically relevant colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manabu Okawada
- Section of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Michigan Medical School, Mott Children's Hospital, F3970, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-0245, USA. .,Department of Pediatric General and Urogenital Surgery, Juntendo University School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
| | - Michael W Wilson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1065, USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1065, USA
| | - Elke Lipka
- Therapeutic Systems Research Laboratories, Inc, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA
| | - John Hillfinger
- Therapeutic Systems Research Laboratories, Inc, Ann Arbor, MI, 48108, USA
| | - Daniel H Teitelbaum
- Section of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Michigan Medical School, Mott Children's Hospital, F3970, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-0245, USA
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Haak AJ, Appleton KM, Lisabeth EM, Misek SA, Ji Y, Wade SM, Bell JL, Rockwell CE, Airik M, Krook MA, Larsen SD, Verhaegen M, Lawlor ER, Neubig RR. Pharmacological Inhibition of Myocardin-related Transcription Factor Pathway Blocks Lung Metastases of RhoC-Overexpressing Melanoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2016; 16:193-204. [PMID: 27837031 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer with the majority of deaths arising from metastatic disease. Evidence implicates Rho-activated gene transcription in melanoma metastasis mediated by the nuclear localization of the transcriptional coactivator, myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF). Here, we highlight a role for Rho and MRTF signaling and its reversal by pharmacologic inhibition using in vitro and in vivo models of human melanoma growth and metastasis. Using two cellular models of melanoma, we clearly show that one cell type, SK-Mel-147, is highly metastatic, has high RhoC expression, and MRTF nuclear localization and activity. Conversely, SK-Mel-19 melanoma cells have low RhoC expression, and decreased levels of MRTF-regulated genes. To probe the dependence of melanoma aggressiveness to MRTF transcription, we use a previously developed small-molecule inhibitor, CCG-203971, which at low micromolar concentrations blocks nuclear localization and activity of MRTF-A. In SK-Mel-147 cells, CCG-203971 inhibits cellular migration and invasion, and decreases MRTF target gene expression. In addition, CCG-203971-mediated inhibition of the Rho/MRTF pathway significantly reduces cell growth and clonogenicity and causes G1 cell-cycle arrest. In an experimental model of melanoma lung metastasis, the RhoC-overexpressing melanoma cells (SK-Mel-147) exhibited pronounced lung colonization compared with the low RhoC-expressing SK-Mel-19. Furthermore, pharmacologic inhibition of the MRTF pathway reduced both the number and size of lung metastasis resulting in a marked reduction of total lung tumor burden. These data link Rho and MRTF-mediated signaling with aggressive phenotypes and support targeting the MRTF transcriptional pathway as a novel approach to melanoma therapeutics. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(1); 193-204. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Haak
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kathryn M Appleton
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Erika M Lisabeth
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Sean A Misek
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Yajing Ji
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Susan M Wade
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jessica L Bell
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Cheryl E Rockwell
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Merlin Airik
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Melanie A Krook
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Monique Verhaegen
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Elizabeth R Lawlor
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
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Waldschmidt HV, Homan KT, Cruz-Rodríguez O, Cato MC, Waninger-Saroni J, Larimore KL, Cannavo A, Song J, Cheung JY, Koch WJ, Tesmer JJG, Larsen SD, Larsen SD. Structure-Based Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Highly Selective and Potent G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2016; 59:3793-807. [PMID: 27050625 PMCID: PMC4890168 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b02000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are central to many physiological processes. Regulation of this superfamily of receptors is controlled by GPCR kinases (GRKs), some of which have been implicated in heart failure. GSK180736A, developed as a Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase 1 (ROCK1) inhibitor, was identified as an inhibitor of GRK2 and co-crystallized in the active site. Guided by its binding pose overlaid with the binding pose of a known potent GRK2 inhibitor, Takeda103A, a library of hybrid inhibitors was developed. This campaign produced several compounds possessing high potency and selectivity for GRK2 over other GRK subfamilies, PKA, and ROCK1. The most selective compound, 12n (CCG-224406), had an IC50 for GRK2 of 130 nM, >700-fold selectivity over other GRK subfamilies, and no detectable inhibition of ROCK1. Four of the new inhibitors were crystallized with GRK2 to give molecular insights into the binding and kinase selectivity of this class of inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen V. Waldschmidt
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
| | - Kristoff T. Homan
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
| | - Osvaldo Cruz-Rodríguez
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,PhD Program in Chemical Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
| | - Marilyn C. Cato
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
| | - Jessica Waninger-Saroni
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
| | - Kelly L. Larimore
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
| | - Alessandro Cannavo
- Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19140
| | - Jianliang Song
- Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19140
| | - Joseph Y. Cheung
- Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19140
| | - Walter J. Koch
- Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19140
| | - John J. G. Tesmer
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109
| | - Scott D. Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology and Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,Corresponding Author: Scott D. Larsen, , (734) 615 - 0454
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36
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Muthu M, Somagoni J, Cheriyan VT, Munie S, Levi E, Ashour AE, Yassin AEB, Alafeefy AM, Sochacki P, Polin LA, Reddy KB, Larsen SD, Singh M, Rishi AK. Identification and Testing of Novel CARP-1 Functional Mimetic Compounds as Inhibitors of Non-Small Cell Lung and Triple Negative Breast Cancers. J Biomed Nanotechnol 2015; 11:1608-27. [PMID: 26485930 DOI: 10.1166/jbn.2015.2099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The triple negative breast cancer (TNBCs) and non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) often acquire mutations that contribute to failure of drugs in clinic and poor prognosis, thus presenting an urgent need to develop new and improved therapeutic modalities. Here we report that CARP-1 functional mimetic (CFMs) compounds 4 and 5, and 4.6, a structurally related analog of CFM-4, are potent inhibitors of TNBC and NSCLC cells in vitro. Cell growth suppression by CFM-4 and -4.6 involved interaction and elevated expression of CARP-1/CCAR1 and Death Effector Domain (DED) containing DNA binding (DEDD)2 proteins. Apoptosis by these compounds also involved activation of pro-apoptotic stress-activated kinases p38 and JNK1/2, cleavage of PARP and loss of mitotic cyclin B1. Both the CFMs inhibited abilities of NSCLC and TNBC cells to migrate, invade, and form colonies in suspension, while disrupting tubule formation by the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Nano-lipid formulation of CFM-4 (CFM-4 NLF) enhanced its serum bioavailability when compared with the free CFM-4. Oral administration of CFM-4 NLF reduced weights and volume of the xenografted tumors derived from A549 NSCLC and MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. Although no gross tissue or histological toxicities were noticed, the immuno-histochemical analysis revealed increased CARP-1 and DNA fragmentation in tumors of the CFM-4 NLF-treated animals. In conclusion, while stimulation of pro-apoptotic CARP-1 and DEDD2 expression and their binding underscore a novel mechanism of apoptosis transduction by CFM compounds, our proof-of-concept xenograft studies demonstrate therapeutic potential of CFM-4 for TNBC and NSCLC.
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Min KA, Rajeswaran WG, Oldenbourg R, Harris G, Keswani RK, Chiang M, Rzeczycki P, Talattof A, Hafeez M, Horobin RW, Larsen SD, Stringer KA, Rosania GR. Massive Bioaccumulation and Self-Assembly of Phenazine Compounds in Live Cells. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2015; 2:1500025. [PMID: 26380168 PMCID: PMC4569013 DOI: 10.1002/advs.201500025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Revised: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Clofazimine is an orally administered, FDA-approved drug that massively bioaccumulates in macrophages, forming membrane-bound intracellular structures possessing nanoscale supramolecular features. Here, a library of phenazine compounds derived from clofazimine was synthesized and tested for their ability to accumulate and form ordered molecular aggregates inside cells. Regardless of chemical structure or physicochemical properties, bioaccumulation was consistently greater in macrophages than in epithelial cells. Microscopically, some self-assembled structures exhibited a pronounced, diattenuation anisotropy signal, evident by the differential absorption of linearly polarized light, at the peak absorbance wavelength of the phenazine core. The measured anisotropy was well above the background anisotropy of endogenous cellular components, reflecting the self-assembly of condensed, insoluble complexes of ordered phenazine molecules. Chemical variations introduced at the R-imino position of the phenazine core led to idiosyncratic effects on the compounds' bioaccumulation behavior, as well as on the morphology and organization of the resulting intracellular structures. Beyond clofazimine, these results demonstrate how the self-assembly of membrane-permeant, orally-bioavailable small molecule building blocks can endow cells with unnatural structural elements possessing chemical, physical and functional characteristics unlike those of other natural cellular components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung Ah Min
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Walajapet G Rajeswaran
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | | | - Grant Harris
- Marine Biological Laboratories, Woods Hole, MA 02543
| | - Rahul K Keswani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Mason Chiang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Phillip Rzeczycki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Arjang Talattof
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Mahwish Hafeez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Richard W Horobin
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland UK
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Kathleen A Stringer
- Department of Clinical, Social and Administrative Sciences, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Gus R Rosania
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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38
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Homan KT, Waldschmidt HV, Glukhova A, Cannavo A, Song J, Cheung JY, Koch WJ, Larsen SD, Tesmer JJG. Crystal Structure of G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinase 5 in Complex with a Rationally Designed Inhibitor. J Biol Chem 2015; 290:20649-20659. [PMID: 26032411 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.647370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [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: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) regulate cell signaling by initiating the desensitization of active G protein-coupled receptors. The two most widely expressed GRKs (GRK2 and GRK5) play a role in cardiovascular disease and thus represent important targets for the development of novel therapeutic drugs. In the course of a GRK2 structure-based drug design campaign, one inhibitor (CCG215022) exhibited nanomolar IC50 values against both GRK2 and GRK5 and good selectivity against other closely related kinases such as GRK1 and PKA. Treatment of murine cardiomyocytes with CCG215022 resulted in significantly increased contractility at 20-fold lower concentrations than paroxetine, an inhibitor with more modest selectivity for GRK2. A 2.4 Å crystal structure of the GRK5·CCG215022 complex was determined and revealed that the inhibitor binds in the active site similarly to its parent compound GSK180736A. As designed, its 2-pyridylmethyl amide side chain occupies the hydrophobic subsite of the active site where it forms three additional hydrogen bonds, including one with the catalytic lysine. The overall conformation of the GRK5 kinase domain is similar to that of a previously determined structure of GRK6 in what is proposed to be its active state, but the C-terminal region of the enzyme adopts a distinct conformation. The kinetic properties of site-directed mutants in this region are consistent with the hypothesis that this novel C-terminal structure is representative of the membrane-bound conformation of the enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristoff T Homan
- Life Sciences Institute and the Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Helen V Waldschmidt
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core and the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Alisa Glukhova
- Life Sciences Institute and the Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - Alessandro Cannavo
- Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140
| | - Jianliang Song
- Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140
| | - Joseph Y Cheung
- Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140
| | - Walter J Koch
- Center for Translational Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core and the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
| | - John J G Tesmer
- Life Sciences Institute and the Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109.
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39
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Larsen MJ, Larsen SD, Fribley A, Grembecka J, Homan K, Mapp A, Haak A, Nikolovska-Coleska Z, Stuckey JA, Sun D, Sherman DH. The role of HTS in drug discovery at the University of Michigan. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2015; 17:210-30. [PMID: 24409957 DOI: 10.2174/1386207317666140109121546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2013] [Revised: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
High throughput screening (HTS) is an integral part of a highly collaborative approach to drug discovery at the University of Michigan. The HTS lab is one of four core centers that provide services to identify, produce, screen and follow-up on biomedical targets for faculty. Key features of this system are: protein cloning and purification, protein crystallography, small molecule and siRNA HTS, medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics. Therapeutic areas that have been targeted include anti-bacterial, metabolic, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, anti-cancer and anti-viral. The centers work in a coordinated, interactive environment to affordably provide academic investigators with the technology, informatics and expertise necessary for successful drug discovery. This review provides an overview of these centers at the University of Michigan, along with case examples of successful collaborations with faculty.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - David H Sherman
- Center for Chemical Genomics, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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40
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Sisson TH, Ajayi IO, Subbotina N, Dodi AE, Rodansky ES, Chibucos LN, Kim KK, Keshamouni VG, White ES, Zhou Y, Higgins PDR, Larsen SD, Neubig RR, Horowitz JC. Inhibition of myocardin-related transcription factor/serum response factor signaling decreases lung fibrosis and promotes mesenchymal cell apoptosis. Am J Pathol 2015; 185:969-86. [PMID: 25681733 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2014.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Revised: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Myofibroblasts are crucial to the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis. Their formation of stress fibers results in the release of myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF), a transcriptional coactivator of serum response factor (SRF). MRTF-A (Mkl1)-deficient mice are protected from lung fibrosis. We hypothesized that the SRF/MRTF pathway inhibitor CCG-203971 would modulate myofibroblast function in vitro and limit lung fibrosis in vivo. Normal and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis lung fibroblasts were treated with/without CCG-203971 (N-[4-chlorophenyl]-1-[3-(2-furanyl)benzoyl]-3-piperidine carboxamide) and/or Fas-activating antibody in the presence/absence of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, and apoptosis was assessed. In vivo studies examined the effect of therapeutically administered CCG-203971 on lung fibrosis in two distinct murine models of fibrosis induced by bleomycin or targeted type II alveolar epithelial injury. In vitro, CCG-203971 prevented nuclear localization of MRTF-A; increased the apoptotic susceptibility of normal and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis fibroblasts; blocked TGF-β1-induced myofibroblast differentiation; and inhibited TGF-β1-induced expression of fibronectin, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. TGF-β1 did not protect fibroblasts or myofibroblasts from apoptosis in the presence of CCG-203971. In vivo, CCG-203971 significantly reduced lung collagen content in both murine models while decreasing alveolar plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and promoting myofibroblast apoptosis. These data support a central role of the SRF/MRTF pathway in the pathobiology of lung fibrosis and suggest that its inhibition can help resolve lung fibrosis by promoting fibroblast apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas H Sisson
- Division of Pulmonary and Crucial Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
| | - Iyabode O Ajayi
- Division of Pulmonary and Crucial Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Natalya Subbotina
- Division of Pulmonary and Crucial Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Amos E Dodi
- Division of Pulmonary and Crucial Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Eva S Rodansky
- Division of Gastroenterology, Medical School, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lauren N Chibucos
- Division of Pulmonary and Crucial Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kevin K Kim
- Division of Pulmonary and Crucial Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Venkateshwar G Keshamouni
- Division of Pulmonary and Crucial Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Eric S White
- Division of Pulmonary and Crucial Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Yong Zhou
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Peter D R Higgins
- Division of Gastroenterology, Medical School, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Jeffrey C Horowitz
- Division of Pulmonary and Crucial Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Barraza SJ, Delekta PC, Sindac JA, Dobry CJ, Xiang J, Keep RF, Miller DJ, Larsen SD. Discovery of anthranilamides as a novel class of inhibitors of neurotropic alphavirus replication. Bioorg Med Chem 2015; 23:1569-87. [PMID: 25740634 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.01.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 11/20/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Neurotropic alphaviruses are debilitating pathogens that infect the central nervous system (CNS) and are transmitted to humans via mosquitoes. There exist no effective human vaccines against these viruses, underlining the need for effective antivirals, but no antiviral drugs are available for treating infection once the viruses have invaded the CNS. Previously, we reported the development of novel indole-2-carboxamide-based inhibitors of alphavirus replication that demonstrate significant reduction of viral titer and achieve measurable brain permeation in a pharmacokinetic mouse model. Herein we report our continued efforts to improve physicochemical properties predictive of in vivo blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability through reduction of overall molecular weight, replacing the indole core with a variety of aromatic and non-aromatic monocyclics. These studies culminated in the identification of simple anthranilamides that retain excellent potency with improved metabolic stability and significantly greater aqueous solubility. Furthermore, in a live virus study, we showed that two new compounds were capable of reducing viral titer by two orders of magnitude and that these compounds likely exert their effects through a mechanism similar to that of our indole-2-carboxamide inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott J Barraza
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Philip C Delekta
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Janice A Sindac
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Craig J Dobry
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Jianming Xiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Richard F Keep
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - David J Miller
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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42
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Haak AJ, Tsou PS, Amin MA, Ruth JH, Campbell P, Fox DA, Khanna D, Larsen SD, Neubig RR. Targeting the myofibroblast genetic switch: inhibitors of myocardin-related transcription factor/serum response factor-regulated gene transcription prevent fibrosis in a murine model of skin injury. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2014; 349:480-6. [PMID: 24706986 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.114.213520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Systemic sclerosis (SSc), or scleroderma, similar to many fibrotic disorders, lacks effective therapies. Current trials focus on anti-inflammatory drugs or targeted approaches aimed at one of the many receptor mechanisms initiating fibrosis. In light of evidence that a myocardin-related transcription factor (MRTF)-and serum response factor (SRF)-regulated gene transcriptional program induced by Rho GTPases is essential for myofibroblast activation, we explored the hypothesis that inhibitors of this pathway may represent novel antifibrotics. MRTF/SRF-regulated genes show spontaneously increased expression in primary dermal fibroblasts from patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc. A novel small-molecule inhibitor of MRTF/SRF-regulated transcription (CCG-203971) inhibits expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagen 1 (COL1A2) in both SSc fibroblasts and in lysophosphatidic acid (LPA)-and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-stimulated fibroblasts. In vivo treatment with CCG-203971 also prevented bleomycin-induced skin thickening and collagen deposition. Thus, targeting the MRTF/SRF gene transcription pathway could provide an efficacious new approach to therapy for SSc and other fibrotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Haak
- Department of Pharmacology (A.J.H.) and Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology (P.T., M.A.A., J.H.R., P.C., D.A.F., D.K.), University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (S.D.L.); and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan (R.R.N.)
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Báez-Santos Y, Barraza SJ, Wilson MW, Agius MP, Mielech AM, Davis NM, Baker SC, Larsen SD, Mesecar AD. X-ray structural and biological evaluation of a series of potent and highly selective inhibitors of human coronavirus papain-like proteases. J Med Chem 2014; 57:2393-412. [PMID: 24568342 PMCID: PMC3983375 DOI: 10.1021/jm401712t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [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: 11/06/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Structure-guided design was used to generate a series of noncovalent inhibitors with nanomolar potency against the papain-like protease (PLpro) from the SARS coronavirus (CoV). A number of inhibitors exhibit antiviral activity against SARS-CoV infected Vero E6 cells and broadened specificity toward the homologous PLP2 enzyme from the human coronavirus NL63. Selectivity and cytotoxicity studies established a more than 100-fold preference for the coronaviral enzyme over homologous human deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), and no significant cytotoxicity in Vero E6 and HEK293 cell lines is observed. X-ray structural analyses of inhibitor-bound crystal structures revealed subtle differences between binding modes of the initial benzodioxolane lead (15g) and the most potent analogues 3k and 3j, featuring a monofluoro substitution at para and meta positions of the benzyl ring, respectively. Finally, the less lipophilic bis(amide) 3e and methoxypyridine 5c exhibit significantly improved metabolic stability and are viable candidates for advancing to in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahira
M. Báez-Santos
- Department
of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Scott J. Barraza
- Vahlteich
Medicinal Chemistry Core and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College
of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Michael W. Wilson
- Vahlteich
Medicinal Chemistry Core and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College
of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Michael P. Agius
- Vahlteich
Medicinal Chemistry Core and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College
of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Anna M. Mielech
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University
Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois 60153, United States
| | - Nicole M. Davis
- Department
of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
| | - Susan C. Baker
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University
Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois 60153, United States
| | - Scott D. Larsen
- Vahlteich
Medicinal Chemistry Core and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College
of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Andrew D. Mesecar
- Department
of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
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44
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Shayman JA, Larsen SD. The development and use of small molecule inhibitors of glycosphingolipid metabolism for lysosomal storage diseases. J Lipid Res 2014; 55:1215-25. [PMID: 24534703 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.r047167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Glycosphingolipid (GSL) storage diseases have been the focus of efforts to develop small molecule therapeutics from design, experimental proof of concept studies, and clinical trials. Two primary alternative strategies that have been pursued include pharmacological chaperones and GSL synthase inhibitors. There are theoretical advantages and disadvantages to each of these approaches. Pharmacological chaperones are specific for an individual glycoside hydrolase and for the specific mutation present, but no candidate chaperone has been demonstrated to be effective for all mutations leading to a given disorder. Synthase inhibitors target single enzymes such as glucosylceramide synthase and inhibit the formation of multiple GSLs. A glycolipid synthase inhibitor could potentially be used to treat multiple diseases, but at the risk of lowering nontargeted cellular GSLs that are important for normal health. The basis for these strategies and specific examples of compounds that have led to clinical trials is the focus of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Shayman
- Department of Internal Medicine and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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45
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Yestrepsky BD, Kretz CA, Xu Y, Holmes A, Sun H, Ginsburg D, Larsen SD. Development of tag-free photoprobes for studies aimed at identifying the target of novel Group A Streptococcus antivirulence agents. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2014; 24:1538-44. [PMID: 24559768 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2014.01.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [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: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We previously reported the identification and development of novel inhibitors of streptokinase (SK) expression by Group A Streptococcus (GAS), originating from a high throughput cell-based phenotypic screen. Although phenotypic screening is well-suited to identifying compounds that exert desired biological effects in potentially novel ways, it requires follow-up experiments to determine the macromolecular target(s) of active compounds. We therefore designed and synthesized several classes of chemical probes for target identification studies, guided by previously established structure-activity relationships. The probes were designed to first irreversibly photolabel target proteins in the intact bacteria, followed by cell lysis and click ligation with fluorescent tags to allow for visualization on SDS-PAGE gels. This stepwise, 'tag-free' approach allows for a significant reduction in molecular weight and polar surface area compared to full-length fluorescent or biotinylated probes, potentially enhancing membrane permeability and the maintenance of activity. Of the seven probes produced, the three most biologically active were employed in preliminary target identification trials. Despite the potent activity of these probes, specific labeling events were not conclusively observed due to a considerable degree of nonspecific protein binding. Nevertheless, the successful synthesis of potent biologically active probe molecules will serve as a starting point for initiating more sensitive methods of probe-based target identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan D Yestrepsky
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, 428 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Colin A Kretz
- Department of Human Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Yuanxi Xu
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1 Hospital Dr., DC043.00, Columbia, MO 65212, United States
| | - Autumn Holmes
- Department of Human Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Hongmin Sun
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Missouri-Columbia, 1 Hospital Dr., DC043.00, Columbia, MO 65212, United States
| | - David Ginsburg
- Department of Human Genetics, Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, 210 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, 428 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
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46
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Lundquist MR, Storaska AJ, Liu TC, Larsen SD, Evans T, Neubig RR, Jaffrey SR. Redox modification of nuclear actin by MICAL-2 regulates SRF signaling. Cell 2014; 156:563-76. [PMID: 24440334 PMCID: PMC4384661 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [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: 12/31/2012] [Revised: 09/23/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The serum response factor (SRF) binds to coactivators, such as myocardin-related transcription factor-A (MRTF-A), and mediates gene transcription elicited by diverse signaling pathways. SRF/MRTF-A-dependent gene transcription is activated when nuclear MRTF-A levels increase, enabling the formation of transcriptionally active SRF/MRTF-A complexes. The level of nuclear MRTF-A is regulated by nuclear G-actin, which binds to MRTF-A and promotes its nuclear export. However, pathways that regulate nuclear actin levels are poorly understood. Here, we show that MICAL-2, an atypical actin-regulatory protein, mediates SRF/MRTF-A-dependent gene transcription elicited by nerve growth factor and serum. MICAL-2 induces redox-dependent depolymerization of nuclear actin, which decreases nuclear G-actin and increases MRTF-A in the nucleus. Furthermore, we show that MICAL-2 is a target of CCG-1423, a small molecule inhibitor of SRF/MRTF-A-dependent transcription that exhibits efficacy in various preclinical disease models. These data identify redox modification of nuclear actin as a regulatory switch that mediates SRF/MRTF-A-dependent gene transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R Lundquist
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Andrew J Storaska
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Ting-Chun Liu
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Todd Evans
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Samie R Jaffrey
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Sindac JA, Barraza SJ, Dobry CJ, Xiang J, Blakely PK, Irani DN, Keep RF, Miller DJ, Larsen SD. Optimization of novel indole-2-carboxamide inhibitors of neurotropic alphavirus replication. J Med Chem 2013; 56:9222-41. [PMID: 24151954 DOI: 10.1021/jm401330r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurotropic alphaviruses, which include western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) and Fort Morgan virus, are mosquito-borne pathogens that infect the central nervous system causing acute and potentially fatal encephalitis. We previously reported a novel series of indole-2-carboxamides as alphavirus replication inhibitors, one of which conferred protection against neuroadapted Sindbis virus infection in mice. We describe here further development of this series, resulting in 10-fold improvement in potency in a WEEV replicon assay and up to 40-fold increases in half-lives in mouse liver microsomes. Using a rhodamine123 uptake assay in MDR1-MDCKII cells, we were able to identify structural modifications that markedly reduce recognition by P-glycoprotein, the key efflux transporter at the blood-brain barrier. In a preliminary mouse PK study, we were able to demonstrate that two new analogues could achieve higher and/or longer plasma drug exposures than our previous lead and that one compound achieved measurable drug levels in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice A Sindac
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core and ‡Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, §Departments of Internal Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology, ∥Department of Neurology, ⊥Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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48
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Homan KT, Wu E, Wilson MW, Singh P, Larsen SD, Tesmer JJG. Structural and functional analysis of g protein-coupled receptor kinase inhibition by paroxetine and a rationally designed analog. Mol Pharmacol 2013; 85:237-48. [PMID: 24220010 DOI: 10.1124/mol.113.089631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently we identified the serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine as an inhibitor of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) that improves cardiac performance in live animals. Paroxetine exhibits up to 50-fold selectivity for GRK2 versus other GRKs. A better understanding of the molecular basis of this selectivity is important for the development of even more selective and potent small molecule therapeutics and chemical genetic probes. We first sought to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying paroxetine selectivity among GRKs. We directly measured the K(D) for paroxetine and assessed its mechanism of inhibition for each of the GRK subfamilies and then determined the atomic structure of its complex with GRK1, the most weakly inhibited GRK tested. Our results suggest that the selectivity of paroxetine for GRK2 largely reflects its lower affinity for adenine nucleotides. Thus, stabilization of off-pathway conformational states unique to GRK2 will likely be key for the development of even more selective inhibitors. Next, we designed a benzolactam derivative of paroxetine that has optimized interactions with the hinge of the GRK2 kinase domain. The crystal structure of this compound in complex with GRK2 confirmed the predicted interactions. Although the benzolactam derivative did not significantly alter potency of inhibition among GRKs, it exhibited 20-fold lower inhibition of serotonin reuptake. However, there was an associated increase in the potency for inhibition of other AGC kinases, suggesting that the unconventional hydrogen bond formed by the benzodioxole ring of paroxetine is better accommodated by GRKs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristoff T Homan
- Life Sciences Institute and the Departments of Pharmacology and Biological Sciences (K.T.H., E.W., P.S., J.J.G.T.), and Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core and the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (M.W.W., S.D.L.)
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49
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Bell JL, Haak AJ, Wade SM, Sun Y, Neubig RR, Larsen SD. Design and synthesis of tag-free photoprobes for the identification of the molecular target for CCG-1423, a novel inhibitor of the Rho/MKL1/SRF signaling pathway. Beilstein J Org Chem 2013; 9:966-73. [PMID: 23766813 PMCID: PMC3678708 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.9.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 02/13/2013] [Accepted: 04/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
CCG-1423 and related analogues represent a new class of inhibitors of Rho/MKL1/SRF-mediated gene transcription, a pathway that has been implicated in both cancer and fibrosis. The molecular target for these compounds is unknown. To facilitate its identification, a series of tag-free photoaffinity probes was designed and synthesized, each one containing a photoactivatable group and an acetylenic end group for subsequent attachment to a fluorescent tag using click chemistry. All were confirmed to maintain biological activity in a cell-based assay for inhibition of SRE-Luc expression. The functional activity of the most potent probe 24 was further confirmed in an assay for PC-3 cell migration. Photolysis of 24 in intact PC-3 cells followed by cell lysis, click ligation of a fluorescent dye, and gel electrophoresis revealed specific labeling of a single 24 kDa band that could be blocked with an active competitor. Future work will focus on identifying the labeled protein(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Bell
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Andrew J Haak
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Susan M Wade
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Yihan Sun
- College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Michigan Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Scott D Larsen
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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50
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Bell JL, Haak AJ, Wade SM, Kirchhoff PD, Neubig RR, Larsen SD. Optimization of novel nipecotic bis(amide) inhibitors of the Rho/MKL1/SRF transcriptional pathway as potential anti-metastasis agents. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2013; 23:3826-32. [PMID: 23707258 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.04.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Revised: 04/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
CCG-1423 (1) is a novel inhibitor of Rho/MKL1/SRF-mediated gene transcription that inhibits invasion of PC-3 prostate cancer cells in a Matrigel model of metastasis. We recently reported the design and synthesis of conformationally restricted analogs (e.g., 2) with improved selectivity for inhibiting invasion versus acute cytotoxicity. In this study we conducted a survey of aromatic substitution with the goal of improving physicochemical parameters (e.g., ClogP, MW) for future efficacy studies in vivo. Two new compounds were identified that attenuated cytotoxicity even further, and were fourfold more potent than 2 at inhibiting PC-3 cell migration in a scratch wound assay. One of these (8a, CCG-203971, IC50=4.2 μM) was well tolerated in mice for 5 days at 100mg/kg/day i.p., and was able to achieve plasma levels exceeding the migration IC50 for up to 3 h.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Bell
- Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, MI, USA
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