1
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Bag S, Liu J, Patil S, Bonowski J, Koska S, Schölermann B, Zhang R, Wang L, Pahl A, Sievers S, Brieger L, Strohmann C, Ziegler S, Grigalunas M, Waldmann H. A divergent intermediate strategy yields biologically diverse pseudo-natural products. Nat Chem 2024:10.1038/s41557-024-01458-4. [PMID: 38365941 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-024-01458-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The efficient exploration of biologically relevant chemical space is essential for the discovery of bioactive compounds. A molecular design principle that possesses both biological relevance and structural diversity may more efficiently lead to compound collections that are enriched in diverse bioactivities. Here the diverse pseudo-natural product (PNP) strategy, which combines the biological relevance of the PNP concept with synthetic diversification strategies from diversity-oriented synthesis, is reported. A diverse PNP collection was synthesized from a common divergent intermediate through developed indole dearomatization methodologies to afford three-dimensional molecular frameworks that could be further diversified via intramolecular coupling and/or carbon monoxide insertion. In total, 154 PNPs were synthesized representing eight different classes. Cheminformatic analyses showed that the PNPs are structurally diverse between classes. Biological investigations revealed the extent of diverse bioactivity enrichment of the collection in which four inhibitors of Hedgehog signalling, DNA synthesis, de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis and tubulin polymerization were identified from four different PNP classes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukdev Bag
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Sohan Patil
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jana Bonowski
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Sandra Koska
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Beate Schölermann
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ruirui Zhang
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Axel Pahl
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
- Compound Management and Screening Center, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Sonja Sievers
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
- Compound Management and Screening Center, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Lukas Brieger
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Carsten Strohmann
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Inorganic Chemistry, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Slava Ziegler
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Michael Grigalunas
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany.
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Grigalunas M, Patil S, Krzyzanowski A, Pahl A, Flegel J, Schölermann B, Xie J, Sievers S, Ziegler S, Waldmann H. Unprecedented Combination of Polyketide Natural Product Fragments Identifies the New Hedgehog Signaling Pathway Inhibitor Grismonone. Chemistry 2022; 28:e202202164. [PMID: 36083197 PMCID: PMC10091983 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202202164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pseudo-natural products (pseudo-NPs) are de novo combinations of natural product (NP) fragments that define novel bioactive chemotypes. For their discovery, new design principles are being sought. Previously, pseudo-NPs were synthesized by the combination of fragments originating from biosynthetically unrelated NPs to guarantee structural novelty and novel bioactivity. We report the combination of fragments from biosynthetically related NPs in novel arrangements to yield a novel chemotype with activity not shared by the guiding fragments. We describe the synthesis of the polyketide pseudo-NP grismonone and identify it as a structurally novel and potent inhibitor of Hedgehog signaling. The insight that the de novo combination of fragments derived from biosynthetically related NPs may also yield new biologically relevant compound classes with unexpected bioactivity may be considered a chemical extension or diversion of existing biosynthetic pathways and greatly expands the opportunities for exploration of biologically relevant chemical space by means of the pseudo-NP principle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Grigalunas
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
| | - Sohan Patil
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
| | - Adrian Krzyzanowski
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
- Technical University DortmundFaculty of ChemistryChemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
| | - Axel Pahl
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
- Compound Management and Screening CenterDortmund44227Germany
| | - Jana Flegel
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
| | - Beate Schölermann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
| | - Jianing Xie
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
| | - Sonja Sievers
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
- Compound Management and Screening CenterDortmund44227Germany
| | - Slava Ziegler
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular PhysiologyDepartment of Chemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
- Technical University DortmundFaculty of ChemistryChemical BiologyDortmund44227Germany
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3
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Wang C, Wang M, Zhang Y, Jia H, Chen B. Cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-modified red blood cells for drug delivery: Synthesis and in vitro evaluation. J Pharm Anal 2022; 12:324-331. [PMID: 35582403 PMCID: PMC9091773 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2021.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Red blood cells (RBCs) are an excellent choice for cell preparation research because of their biocompatibility, high drug loading, and long half-life. In this study, doxorubicin (DOX) was encapsulated with RBCs as the carrier. The biotin-avidin system binding principle was used to modify biotinylated cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (cRGD) onto RBC surfaces for accurate targeting, high drug loading, and sustained drug release. The RBC drug delivery system (DDS) was characterized, and the concentration of surface sulfur in the energy spectrum was 6.330%. The physical and chemical properties of RBC DDS were as follows: drug content, 0.857 mg/mL; particle size, 3339 nm; potential value, -12.5 mV; and cumulative release rate, 81.35%. There was no significant change in RBC morphology for up to seven days. The results of the targeting and cytotoxicity studies of RBC DDS showed that many RBCs covered the surfaces of U251 cells, and the fluorescence intensity was higher than that of MCF-7 cells. The IC50 value of unmodified drug-loaded RBCs was 2.5 times higher than that of targeted modified drug-loaded RBCs, indicating that the targeting of cancer cells produced satisfactory inhibition. This study confirms that the RBC DDS has the characteristics of accurate targeting, high drug loading, and slow drug release, which increases its likelihood of becoming a clinical cancer treatment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, Fujian, 361023, China
- Institute of Respiratory Diseases, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, Fujian, 361023, China
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Xiamen Medical College, Xiamen, Fujian, 361023, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin, 150076, China
| | - Hongxin Jia
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Harbin University of Commerce, Harbin, 150076, China
| | - Binbin Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian, 361012, China
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Mathai N, Chen Y, Kirchmair J. Validation strategies for target prediction methods. Brief Bioinform 2021; 21:791-802. [PMID: 31220208 PMCID: PMC7299289 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbz026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Computational methods for target prediction, based on molecular similarity and network-based approaches, machine learning, docking and others, have evolved as valuable and powerful tools to aid the challenging task of mode of action identification for bioactive small molecules such as drugs and drug-like compounds. Critical to discerning the scope and limitations of a target prediction method is understanding how its performance was evaluated and reported. Ideally, large-scale prospective experiments are conducted to validate the performance of a model; however, this expensive and time-consuming endeavor is often not feasible. Therefore, to estimate the predictive power of a method, statistical validation based on retrospective knowledge is commonly used. There are multiple statistical validation techniques that vary in rigor. In this review we discuss the validation strategies employed, highlighting the usefulness and constraints of the validation schemes and metrics that are employed to measure and describe performance. We address the limitations of measuring only generalized performance, given that the underlying bioactivity and structural data are biased towards certain small-molecule scaffolds and target families, and suggest additional aspects of performance to consider in order to produce more detailed and realistic estimates of predictive power. Finally, we describe the validation strategies that were employed by some of the most thoroughly validated and accessible target prediction methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neann Mathai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Computational Biology Unit (CBU), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Center for Bioinformatics (ZBH), Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ya Chen
- Center for Bioinformatics (ZBH), Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Johannes Kirchmair
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Computational Biology Unit (CBU), University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Center for Bioinformatics (ZBH), Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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Wei SF, He DH, Zhang SB, Lu Y, Ye X, Fan XZ, Wang H, Wang Q, Liu YQ. Identification of pseudolaric acid B as a novel Hedgehog pathway inhibitor in medulloblastoma. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 190:114593. [PMID: 33964282 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis and development of multiple cancers, especially Hh-driven medulloblastoma (MB). Smoothened (SMO) is a promising therapeutic target of the Hh pathway in clinical cancer treatment. However, SMO mutations frequently occur, which leads to drug resistance and tumor relapse. Novel inhibitors that target both the wild-type and mutant SMO are in high demand. In this study, we identified a novel Hh pathway inhibitor, pseudolaric acid B (PAB), which significantly inhibited the expression of Gli1 and its transcriptional target genes, such as cyclin D1 and N-myc, thus inhibiting the proliferation of DAOY and Ptch1+/- primary MB cells. Mechanistically, PAB can potentially bind to the extracellular entrance of the heptahelical transmembrane domain (TMD) of SMO, based on molecular docking and the BODIPY-cyclopamine binding assay. Further, PAB also efficiently blocked ciliogenesis, demonstrating the inhibitory effects of PAB on the Hh pathway at multiple levels. Thus, PAB may overcome drug-resistance induced by SMO mutations, which frequently occurs in clinical setting. PAB markedly suppressed tumor growth in the subcutaneous allografts of Ptch1+/- MB cells. Together, our results identified PAB as a potent Hh pathway inhibitor to treat Hh-dependent MB, especially cases resistant to SMO antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Fen Wei
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Dan-Hua He
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China; Research Center of Chinese Herbal Resources Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Resource from Lingnan, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shi-Bing Zhang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Yongzhi Lu
- Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou 510005, China; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510530, China
| | - Xiaowei Ye
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Xiang-Zhen Fan
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Hong Wang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China.
| | - Yong-Qiang Liu
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Science and Technology Innovation Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510405, China; Research Center of Chinese Herbal Resources Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Resource from Lingnan, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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6
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Hughes RE, Elliott RJR, Dawson JC, Carragher NO. High-content phenotypic and pathway profiling to advance drug discovery in diseases of unmet need. Cell Chem Biol 2021; 28:338-355. [PMID: 33740435 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Conventional thinking in modern drug discovery postulates that the design of highly selective molecules which act on a single disease-associated target will yield safer and more effective drugs. However, high clinical attrition rates and the lack of progress in developing new effective treatments for many important diseases of unmet therapeutic need challenge this hypothesis. This assumption also impinges upon the efficiency of target agnostic phenotypic drug discovery strategies, where early target deconvolution is seen as a critical step to progress phenotypic hits. In this review we provide an overview of how emerging phenotypic and pathway-profiling technologies integrate to deconvolute the mechanism-of-action of phenotypic hits. We propose that such in-depth mechanistic profiling may support more efficient phenotypic drug discovery strategies that are designed to more appropriately address complex heterogeneous diseases of unmet need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Hughes
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Richard J R Elliott
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - John C Dawson
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Neil O Carragher
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK.
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7
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Iriana S, Asha K, Repak M, Sharma-Walia N. Hedgehog Signaling: Implications in Cancers and Viral Infections. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:1042. [PMID: 33494284 PMCID: PMC7864517 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway is primarily involved in embryonic gut development, smooth muscle differentiation, cell proliferation, adult tissue homeostasis, tissue repair following injury, and tissue polarity during the development of vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. GLIoma-associated oncogene homolog (GLI) family of zinc-finger transcription factors and smoothened (SMO) are the signal transducers of the SHH pathway. Both SHH ligand-dependent and independent mechanisms activate GLI proteins. Various transcriptional mechanisms, posttranslational modifications (phosphorylation, ubiquitination, proteolytic processing, SUMOylation, and acetylation), and nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling control the activity of SHH signaling pathway proteins. The dysregulated SHH pathway is associated with bone and soft tissue sarcomas, GLIomas, medulloblastomas, leukemias, and tumors of breast, lung, skin, prostate, brain, gastric, and pancreas. While extensively studied in development and sarcomas, GLI family proteins play an essential role in many host-pathogen interactions, including bacterial and viral infections and their associated cancers. Viruses hijack host GLI family transcription factors and their downstream signaling cascades to enhance the viral gene transcription required for replication and pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss a distinct role(s) of GLI proteins in the process of tumorigenesis and host-pathogen interactions in the context of viral infection-associated malignancies and cancers due to other causes. Here, we emphasize the potential of the Hedgehog (HH) pathway targeting as a potential anti-cancer therapeutic approach, which in the future could also be tested in infection-associated fatalities.
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Lospinoso Severini L, Ghirga F, Bufalieri F, Quaglio D, Infante P, Di Marcotullio L. The SHH/GLI signaling pathway: a therapeutic target for medulloblastoma. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:1159-1181. [PMID: 32990091 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1823967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Medulloblastoma (MB) is a heterogeneous tumor of the cerebellum that is divided into four main subgroups with distinct molecular and clinical features. Sonic Hedgehog MB (SHH-MB) is the most genetically understood and occurs predominantly in childhood. Current therapies consist of aggressive and non-targeted multimodal approaches that are often ineffective and cause long-term complications. These problems intensify the need to develop molecularly targeted therapies to improve outcome and reduce treatment-related morbidities. In this scenario, Hedgehog (HH) signaling, a developmental pathway whose deregulation is involved in the pathogenesis of several malignancies, has emerged as an attractive druggable pathway for SHH-MB therapy. AREAS COVERED This review provides an overview of the advancements in the HH antagonist research field. We place an emphasis on Smoothened (SMO) and glioma-associated oncogene homolog (GLI) inhibitors and immunotherapy approaches that are validated in preclinical SHH-MB models and that have therapeutic potential for MB patients. Literature from Pubmed and data reported on ClinicalTrial.gov up to August 2020 were considered. EXPERT OPINION Extensive-omics analysis has enhanced our knowledge and has transformed the way that MB is studied and managed. The clinical use of SMO antagonists has yet to be determined, however, future GLI inhibitors and multitargeting approaches are promising.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesca Ghirga
- Center for Life NanoScience@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Bufalieri
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza , 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Deborah Quaglio
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 , Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Infante
- Center for Life NanoScience@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Di Marcotullio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza , 00161, Rome, Italy.,Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, University of Rome La Sapienza , 00161, Rome, Italy
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Lowe RA, Taylor D, Chibale K, Nelson A, Marsden SP. Synthesis and evaluation of the performance of a small molecule library based on diverse tropane-related scaffolds. Bioorg Med Chem 2020; 28:115442. [PMID: 32209295 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A unified synthetic approach was developed that enabled the synthesis of diverse tropane-related scaffolds. The key intermediates that were exploited were cycloadducts formed by reaction between 3-hydroxy-pyridinium salts and vinyl sulfones or sulfonamides. The diverse tropane-related scaffolds were formed by addition of substituents to, cyclisation reactions of, and fusion of additional ring(s) to the key bicyclic intermediates. A set of 53 screening compounds was designed, synthesised and evaluated in order to determine the biological relevance of the scaffolds accessible using the synthetic approach. Two inhibitors of Hedgehog signalling, and four compounds with weak activity against the parasite P. falciparum, were discovered. Three of the active compounds may be considered to be indotropane or pyrrotropane pseudo natural products in which a tropane is fused with a fragment from another natural product class. It was concluded that the unified synthetic approach had yielded diverse scaffolds suitable for the design of performance-diverse screening libraries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Lowe
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Dale Taylor
- H3D Drug Discovery and Development Center, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa; Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council, Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Adam Nelson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK; School of Chemistry, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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11
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Kremer L, Hennes E, Brause A, Ursu A, Robke L, Matsubayashi HT, Nihongaki Y, Flegel J, Mejdrová I, Eickhoff J, Baumann M, Nencka R, Janning P, Kordes S, Schöler HR, Sterneckert J, Inoue T, Ziegler S, Waldmann H. Discovery of the Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitor Pipinib that Targets PI4KIIIß. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201907632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lea Kremer
- Department of Chemical Biology Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Straße 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Elisabeth Hennes
- Department of Chemical Biology Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Straße 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Alexandra Brause
- Department of Chemical Biology Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Straße 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Andrei Ursu
- Department of Chemical Biology Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Straße 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Technical University Dortmund Otto-Hahn-Straße 6 44221 Dortmund Germany
- Current address: Department of Chemistry The Scripps Research Institute 110 Scripps Way Jupiter FL 33458 USA
| | - Lucas Robke
- Department of Chemical Biology Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Straße 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Technical University Dortmund Otto-Hahn-Straße 6 44221 Dortmund Germany
| | - Hideaki T. Matsubayashi
- Department of Cell Biology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 855 N. Wolfe Street, 453 Rangos Baltimore MD 21205 USA
| | - Yuta Nihongaki
- Department of Cell Biology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 855 N. Wolfe Street, 453 Rangos Baltimore MD 21205 USA
| | - Jana Flegel
- Department of Chemical Biology Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Straße 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Ivana Mejdrová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Flemingovo nam. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Jan Eickhoff
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH Otto-Hahn-Straße 15 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Matthias Baumann
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH Otto-Hahn-Straße 15 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Flemingovo nam. 2 16610 Prague 6 Czech Republic
| | - Petra Janning
- Department of Chemical Biology Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Straße 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Susanne Kordes
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH Otto-Hahn-Straße 15 44227 Dortmund Germany
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine Röntgenstr. 20 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Hans R. Schöler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine Röntgenstr. 20 48149 Münster Germany
- Medical Faculty University of Münster Domagkstr. 3 48149 Münster Germany
| | - Jared Sterneckert
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine Röntgenstr. 20 48149 Münster Germany
- Technische Universität Dresden DFG-Research Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden 01307 Dresden Germany
| | - Takanari Inoue
- Department of Cell Biology Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 855 N. Wolfe Street, 453 Rangos Baltimore MD 21205 USA
| | - Slava Ziegler
- Department of Chemical Biology Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Straße 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Department of Chemical Biology Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology Otto-Hahn-Straße 11 44227 Dortmund Germany
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology Technical University Dortmund Otto-Hahn-Straße 6 44221 Dortmund Germany
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12
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Moumbock AF, Li J, Mishra P, Gao M, Günther S. Current computational methods for predicting protein interactions of natural products. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2019; 17:1367-1376. [PMID: 31762960 PMCID: PMC6861622 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2019.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural products (NPs) are an indispensable source of drugs and they have a better coverage of the pharmacological space than synthetic compounds, owing to their high structural diversity. The prediction of their interaction profiles with druggable protein targets remains a major challenge in modern drug discovery. Experimental (off-)target predictions of NPs are cost- and time-consuming, whereas computational methods, on the other hand, are much faster and cheaper. As a result, computational predictions are preferentially used in the first instance for NP profiling, prior to experimental validations. This review covers recent advances in computational approaches which have been developed to aid the annotation of unknown drug-target interactions (DTIs), by focusing on three broad classes, namely: ligand-based, target-based, and target-ligand-based (hybrid) approaches. Computational DTI prediction methods have the potential to significantly advance the discovery and development of novel selective drugs exhibiting minimal side effects. We highlight some inherent caveats of these methods which must be overcome to enable them to realize their full potential, and a future outlook is given.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Stefan Günther
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Research Group Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany
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Kremer L, Hennes E, Brause A, Ursu A, Robke L, Matsubayashi HT, Nihongaki Y, Flegel J, Mejdrová I, Eickhoff J, Baumann M, Nencka R, Janning P, Kordes S, Schöler HR, Sterneckert J, Inoue T, Ziegler S, Waldmann H. Discovery of the Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitor Pipinib that Targets PI4KIIIß. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:16617-16628. [PMID: 31454140 PMCID: PMC6900058 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201907632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is crucial for vertebrate embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Hh signaling is upregulated in basal cell carcinoma and medulloblastoma and Hh pathway inhibitors targeting the Smoothened (SMO) protein are in clinical use. However, the signaling cascade is incompletely understood and novel druggable proteins in the pathway are in high demand. We describe the discovery of the Hh‐pathway modulator Pipinib by means of cell‐based screening. Target identification and validation revealed that Pipinib selectively inhibits phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase IIIβ (PI4KB) and suppresses GLI‐mediated transcription and Hh target gene expression by impairing SMO translocation to the cilium. Therefore, inhibition of PI4KB and, consequently, reduction in phosphatidyl‐4‐phosphate levels may be considered an alternative approach to inhibit SMO function and thus, Hedgehog signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Kremer
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Elisabeth Hennes
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Alexandra Brause
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Andrei Ursu
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227, Dortmund, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Straße 6, 44221, Dortmund, Germany.,Current address: Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 110 Scripps Way, Jupiter, FL, 33458, USA
| | - Lucas Robke
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227, Dortmund, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Straße 6, 44221, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Hideaki T Matsubayashi
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 N. Wolfe Street, 453 Rangos, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Yuta Nihongaki
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 N. Wolfe Street, 453 Rangos, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jana Flegel
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ivana Mejdrová
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Flemingovo nam. 2, 16610, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Eickhoff
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH, Otto-Hahn-Straße 15, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Matthias Baumann
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH, Otto-Hahn-Straße 15, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Radim Nencka
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Flemingovo nam. 2, 16610, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Janning
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Susanne Kordes
- Lead Discovery Center GmbH, Otto-Hahn-Straße 15, 44227, Dortmund, Germany.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstr. 20, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Hans R Schöler
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstr. 20, 48149, Münster, Germany.,Medical Faculty, University of Münster, Domagkstr. 3, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Jared Sterneckert
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine, Röntgenstr. 20, 48149, Münster, Germany.,Technische Universität Dresden, DFG-Research Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Takanari Inoue
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 855 N. Wolfe Street, 453 Rangos, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Slava Ziegler
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Herbert Waldmann
- Department of Chemical Biology, Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Physiology, Otto-Hahn-Straße 11, 44227, Dortmund, Germany.,Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technical University Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Straße 6, 44221, Dortmund, Germany
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14
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Nogueira MS, Koch O. The Development of Target-Specific Machine Learning Models as Scoring Functions for Docking-Based Target Prediction. J Chem Inf Model 2019; 59:1238-1252. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.8b00773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mauro S. Nogueira
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Straße 6, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Oliver Koch
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, TU Dortmund University, Otto-Hahn-Straße 6, 44227, Dortmund, Germany
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15
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Pietrobono S, Stecca B. Targeting the Oncoprotein Smoothened by Small Molecules: Focus on Novel Acylguanidine Derivatives as Potent Smoothened Inhibitors. Cells 2018; 7:cells7120272. [PMID: 30558232 PMCID: PMC6316656 DOI: 10.3390/cells7120272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hedgehog-GLI (HH) signaling was originally identified as a critical morphogenetic pathway in embryonic development. Since its discovery, a multitude of studies have reported that HH signaling also plays key roles in a variety of cancer types and in maintaining tumor-initiating cells. Smoothened (SMO) is the main transducer of HH signaling, and in the last few years, it has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for anticancer therapy. Although vismodegib and sonidegib have demonstrated effectiveness for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), their clinical use has been hampered by severe side effects, low selectivity against cancer stem cells, and the onset of mutation-driven drug resistance. Moreover, SMO antagonists are not effective in cancers where HH activation is due to mutations of pathway components downstream of SMO, or in the case of noncanonical, SMO-independent activation of the GLI transcription factors, the final mediators of HH signaling. Here, we review the current and rapidly expanding field of SMO small-molecule inhibitors in experimental and clinical settings, focusing on a class of acylguanidine derivatives. We also discuss various aspects of SMO, including mechanisms of resistance to SMO antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pietrobono
- Tumor Cell Biology Unit⁻Core Research Laboratory, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy.
| | - Barbara Stecca
- Tumor Cell Biology Unit⁻Core Research Laboratory, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), 50139 Florence, Italy.
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16
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Ghirga F, Mori M, Infante P. Current trends in Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibition by small molecules. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:3131-3140. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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17
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Comess KM, McLoughlin SM, Oyer JA, Richardson PL, Stöckmann H, Vasudevan A, Warder SE. Emerging Approaches for the Identification of Protein Targets of Small Molecules - A Practitioners’ Perspective. J Med Chem 2018; 61:8504-8535. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth M. Comess
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Shaun M. McLoughlin
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Jon A. Oyer
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Paul L. Richardson
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Henning Stöckmann
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Anil Vasudevan
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
| | - Scott E. Warder
- AbbVie Inc., 1 Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064-1802, United States
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18
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19
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Khatra H, Khan PP, Pattanayak S, Bhadra J, Rather B, Chakrabarti S, Saha T, Sinha S. Hedgehog Antagonist Pyrimidine-Indole Hybrid Molecule Inhibits Ciliogenesis through Microtubule Destabilisation. Chembiochem 2018; 19:723-735. [PMID: 29363254 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201700631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
One of the crucial regulators of embryonic patterning and tissue development is the Hedgehog-glioma (Hh-Gli) signalling pathway; its uncontrolled activation has been implicated in different types of cancer in adult tissues. Primary cilium is one of the important factors required for the activation of Hh signalling, as it brings the critical components together for key protein-protein interactions required for Hh pathway regulation. Most of the synthetic and natural small molecule modulators of the pathway primarily antagonise Smoothened (Smo) or other effectors like Hh ligand or Gli. Here, we report a previously described Hh antagonist, with a pyrimidine-indole hybrid (PIH) core structure, as an inhibitor of ciliogenesis. The compound is unique in its mode of action, as it shows perturbation of microtubule dynamics in both cell-based assays and in vivo systems (zebrafish embryos). Further studies revealed that the probable targets are α-tubulin and its acetylated form, found in the cytoplasm and primary cilia. PIH also showed axonal defasiculation in developing zebrafish embryos. We thus propose that PIH antagonises Hh signalling by repressing cilia biogenesis and disassembling α-tubulin from its stabilised form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harleen Khatra
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Pragya Paramita Khan
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Sankha Pattanayak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Jhuma Bhadra
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700032, India
| | - Bilal Rather
- Structural Biology and Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700 032, India
| | - Saikat Chakrabarti
- Structural Biology and Bio-Informatics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700 032, India
| | - Taniya Saha
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, Kolkata, 700 009, India
| | - Surajit Sinha
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata, 700032, India
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President of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker: M. Urmann / Paul Karrer Medal: H. Waldmann / KCS-Wiley Young Chemist Award: Y. Lee and D.-H. Ko. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:383. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201711728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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21
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Präsident der Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker: M. Urmann / Paul-Karrer-Medaille: H. Waldmann / KCS-Wiley Young Chemist Award: Y. Lee und D.-H. Ko. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201711728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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