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Donati G, Viviano M, D'Amore VM, Cipriano A, Diakogiannaki I, Amato J, Tomassi S, Brancaccio D, Russomanno P, Di Leva FS, Arosio D, Seneci P, Taliani S, Magiera-Mularz K, Musielak B, Skalniak L, Holak TA, Castellano S, La Pietra V, Marinelli L. A combined approach of structure-based virtual screening and NMR to interrupt the PD-1/PD-L1 axis: Biphenyl-benzimidazole containing compounds as novel PD-L1 inhibitors. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300583. [PMID: 38110703 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300583] [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: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a game-changing approach for cancer treatment. Although monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death protein 1 ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) axis have entered the market revolutionizing the treatment landscape of many cancer types, small molecules, although presenting several advantages including the possibility of oral administration and/or reduced costs, struggled to enter in clinical trials, suffering of water insolubility and/or inadequate potency compared with mAbs. Thus, the search for novel scaffolds for both the design of effective small molecules and possible synergistic strategies is an ongoing field of interest. In an attempt to find novel chemotypes, a virtual screening approach was employed, resulting in the identification of new chemical entities with a certain binding capability, the most versatile of which was the benzimidazole-containing compound 10. Through rational design, a small library of its derivatives was synthesized and evaluated. The homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay revealed that compound 17 shows the most potent inhibitory activity (IC50 ) in the submicromolar range and notably, differently from the major part of PD-L1 inhibitors, exhibits satisfactory water solubility properties. These findings highlight the potential of benzimidazole-based compounds as novel promising candidates for PD-L1 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Donati
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Monica Viviano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Jussara Amato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefano Tomassi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Diego Brancaccio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Daniela Arosio
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Bogdan Musielak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Lukasz Skalniak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Tad A Holak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | | | - Valeria La Pietra
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luciana Marinelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Ciccone L, Camodeca C, Tonali N, Barlettani L, Rossello A, Fruchart Gaillard C, Kaffy J, Petrarolo G, La Motta C, Nencetti S, Orlandini E. New Hybrid Compounds Incorporating Natural Products as Multifunctional Agents against Alzheimer's Disease. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2369. [PMID: 37896129 PMCID: PMC10610016 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102369] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A series of new hybrid derivatives 1a-c, 2a-c, 3a-c, 4a-c, 5a-c, inspired by nature, were synthesized and studied as multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). These compounds were designed to merge together the trifluoromethyl benzyloxyaminic bioactive moiety, previously identified, with different acids available in nature. The ability of the synthesized compounds to chelate biometals, such as Cu2+, Zn2+ and Fe2+, was studied by UV-Vis spectrometer, and through a preliminary screening their antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH. Then, selected compounds were tested by in vitro ABTS free radical method and ex vivo rat brain TBARS assay. Compounds 2a-c, combining the strongest antioxidant and biometal chelators activities, were studied for their ability to contrast Aβ1-40 fibrillization process. Finally, starting from the promising profile obtained for compound 2a, we evaluated if it could be able to induce a positive cross-interaction between transthyretin (TTR) and Aβ in presence and in absence of Cu2+.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Ciccone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.C.); (L.B.); (A.R.); (G.P.); (C.L.M.)
| | - Caterina Camodeca
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.C.); (L.B.); (A.R.); (G.P.); (C.L.M.)
| | - Nicolò Tonali
- CNRS, BioCIS, Bâtiment Henri Moissan, Université Paris-Saclay, 17 Av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France; (N.T.); (J.K.)
| | - Lucia Barlettani
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.C.); (L.B.); (A.R.); (G.P.); (C.L.M.)
| | - Armando Rossello
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.C.); (L.B.); (A.R.); (G.P.); (C.L.M.)
- Research Center “E. Piaggio”, University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Carole Fruchart Gaillard
- CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SIMoS, Université Paris Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France;
| | - Julia Kaffy
- CNRS, BioCIS, Bâtiment Henri Moissan, Université Paris-Saclay, 17 Av. des Sciences, 91400 Orsay, France; (N.T.); (J.K.)
| | - Giovanni Petrarolo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.C.); (L.B.); (A.R.); (G.P.); (C.L.M.)
| | - Concettina La Motta
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.C.); (L.B.); (A.R.); (G.P.); (C.L.M.)
| | - Susanna Nencetti
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Via Bonanno 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.C.); (L.B.); (A.R.); (G.P.); (C.L.M.)
| | - Elisabetta Orlandini
- Research Center “E. Piaggio”, University of Pisa, 56122 Pisa, Italy;
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa, Via Santa Maria 53, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Van Neer W, Alhaique F, Wouters W, Dierickx K, Gala M, Goffette Q, Mariani GS, Zerboni A, di Lernia S. Aquatic fauna from the Takarkori rock shelter reveals the Holocene central Saharan climate and palaeohydrography. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228588. [PMID: 32074116 PMCID: PMC7029841 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The abundant faunal remains from the Takarkori rock shelter in the Tadrart Acacus region of southwestern Libya are described. The material that covers the period between 10,200 to 4650 years cal BP illustrates the more humid environmental conditions in the Central Sahara during early and middle Holocene times. Particular attention is focussed on the aquatic fauna that shows marked diachronic changes related to increasing aridification. This is reflected in the decreasing amount of fish remains compared to mammals and, within the fish fauna, by changes through time in the proportion of the species and by a reduction of fish size. The aquatic fauna can, in addition, be used to formulate hypotheses about the former palaeohydrographical network. This is done by considering the possible location of pre-Holocene relic populations combined with observations on the topography and palaeohydrological settings of the Central Sahara.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wim Van Neer
- Operational Direction Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- * E-mail: (WVN); (SDL)
| | | | - Wim Wouters
- Operational Direction Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Katrien Dierickx
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Monica Gala
- Bioarchaeology Service, Museo delle Civiltà, Roma, Italy
| | - Quentin Goffette
- Operational Direction Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Guido S. Mariani
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terrra “A. Desio”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Zerboni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Savino di Lernia
- Dipartimento Scienze dell’Antichità, Sapienza Università di Roma, Roma, Italy
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- * E-mail: (WVN); (SDL)
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