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Zhang C, Liu F, Zhang Y, Song C. Macrocycles and macrocyclization in anticancer drug discovery: Important pieces of the puzzle. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116234. [PMID: 38401189 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Increasing disease-related proteins have been identified as novel therapeutic targets. Macrocycles are emerging as potential solutions, bridging the gap between conventional small molecules and biomacromolecules in drug discovery. Inspired by successful macrocyclic drugs of natural origins, macrocycles are attracting more attention for enhanced binding affinity and target selectivity. Due to the conformation constraint and structure preorganization, macrocycles can reach bioactive conformations more easily than parent acyclic compounds. Also, rational macrocyclization combined with sequent structural modification will help improve oral bioavailability and combat drug resistance. This review introduces various strategies to enhance membrane permeability in macrocyclization and subsequent modification, such as N-methylation, intramolecular hydrogen bonding modulation, isomerization, and reversible bicyclization. Several case studies highlight macrocyclic inhibitors targeting kinases, HDAC, and protein-protein interactions. Finally, some macrocyclic agents targeting tumor microenvironments are illustrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhang
- Laboratory for Food and Medicine Homologous Natural Resources Development and Utilization, Belgorod College of Food Sciences, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, China
| | - Fenfen Liu
- Laboratory for Food and Medicine Homologous Natural Resources Development and Utilization, Belgorod College of Food Sciences, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, China
| | - Youming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
| | - Chun Song
- Laboratory for Food and Medicine Homologous Natural Resources Development and Utilization, Belgorod College of Food Sciences, Dezhou University, Dezhou, 253023, China; State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, China.
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2
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The Strange Case: The Unsymmetric Cisplatin-Based Pt(IV) Prodrug [Pt(CH 3COO)Cl 2(NH 3) 2(OH)] Exhibits Higher Cytotoxic Activity with respect to Its Symmetric Congeners due to Carrier-Mediated Cellular Uptake. Bioinorg Chem Appl 2022; 2022:3698391. [PMID: 36620349 PMCID: PMC9822769 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3698391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological behavior of the axially unsymmetric antitumor prodrug (OC-6-44)-acetatodiamminedichloridohydroxidoplatinum(IV), 2, was deeply investigated and compared with that of analogous symmetric Pt(IV) complexes, namely, dihydroxido 1 and diacetato 3, which have a similar structure. The complexes were tested on a panel of human tumor cell lines. Complex 2 showed an anomalous higher cytotoxicity (similar to that of cisplatin) with respect to their analogues 1 and 3. Their reduction potentials, reduction kinetics, lipophilicity, and membrane affinity are compared. Cellular uptake and DNA platination of Pt(IV) complexes were deeply investigated in the sensitive A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line and in the corresponding resistant A2780cisR subline. The unexpected activity of 2 appears to be related to its peculiar cellular accumulation and not to a different rate of reduction or a different efficacy in DNA platination and/or efficiency in apoptosis induction. Although the exact mechanism of cell uptake is not fully deciphered, a series of naïve experiments indicates an energy-dependent, carrier-mediated transport: the organic cation transporters (OCTs) are the likely proteins involved.
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Róg T, Girych M, Bunker A. Mechanistic Understanding from Molecular Dynamics in Pharmaceutical Research 2: Lipid Membrane in Drug Design. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:1062. [PMID: 34681286 PMCID: PMC8537670 DOI: 10.3390/ph14101062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We review the use of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation as a drug design tool in the context of the role that the lipid membrane can play in drug action, i.e., the interaction between candidate drug molecules and lipid membranes. In the standard "lock and key" paradigm, only the interaction between the drug and a specific active site of a specific protein is considered; the environment in which the drug acts is, from a biophysical perspective, far more complex than this. The possible mechanisms though which a drug can be designed to tinker with physiological processes are significantly broader than merely fitting to a single active site of a single protein. In this paper, we focus on the role of the lipid membrane, arguably the most important element outside the proteins themselves, as a case study. We discuss work that has been carried out, using MD simulation, concerning the transfection of drugs through membranes that act as biological barriers in the path of the drugs, the behavior of drug molecules within membranes, how their collective behavior can affect the structure and properties of the membrane and, finally, the role lipid membranes, to which the vast majority of drug target proteins are associated, can play in mediating the interaction between drug and target protein. This review paper is the second in a two-part series covering MD simulation as a tool in pharmaceutical research; both are designed as pedagogical review papers aimed at both pharmaceutical scientists interested in exploring how the tool of MD simulation can be applied to their research and computational scientists interested in exploring the possibility of a pharmaceutical context for their research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Róg
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Mykhailo Girych
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Alex Bunker
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland;
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Sajid MI, Moazzam M, Stueber R, Park SE, Cho Y, Malik NUA, Tiwari RK. Applications of amphipathic and cationic cyclic cell-penetrating peptides: Significant therapeutic delivery tool. Peptides 2021; 141:170542. [PMID: 33794283 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A new class of peptides, cyclic cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), has great potential for delivering a vast variety of therapeutics intracellularly for treating diverse ailments. CPPs have been used previously; however, their further use is limited due to instability, toxicity, endosomal degradation, and insufficient cellular penetration. Cyclic CPPs are being investigated in delivering therapeutics to treat various ailments, including multi-drug resistant microbial infections, HIV, and cancer. They can act as a carrier for a variety of cargos and target intracellularly. Approximately 40 cyclic peptides-based therapeutics are available in the market, and annually one cyclic peptide-based drug enters the market. Numerous research and review articles have been published in the last decade about linear and cyclic peptides separately. This review is the first to provide a comprehensive deliberation about cationic and amphipathic cyclic CPPs. Herein, we highlights their structures, significant advantages, translocation mechanisms, and delivery application in the area of biomedical sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Imran Sajid
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Moazzam
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Ryan Stueber
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | - Shang Eun Park
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | - Yeseom Cho
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA
| | - Noor Ul Ain Malik
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan
| | - Rakesh K Tiwari
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine, CA, 92618, USA.
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Gabano E, Rangone B, Perin E, Caron G, Ermondi G, Vallaro M, Gandin V, Marzano C, Barbanente A, Margiotta N, Ravera M. Pt(iv) complexes based on cyclohexanediamines and the histone deacetylase inhibitor 2-(2-propynyl)octanoic acid: synthesis, characterization, cell penetration properties and antitumor activity. Dalton Trans 2021; 50:4663-4672. [PMID: 33725031 DOI: 10.1039/d0dt04135a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Pt(iv) complexes based on (SP-4-2)-dichlorido(cyclohexane-1,4-diamine)platinum(ii) (kiteplatin) and the histone deacetylase inhibitor 2-(2-propynyl)octanoic acid (POA) were investigated. Since POA contains a chiral carbon, all the possible Pt(iv) isomers were prepared and characterized, and their antiproliferative activity on six cancer cell lines was compared with that of the corresponding Pt(iv) complexes containing the cyclohexane-1R,2R-diamine equatorial ligand. To justify the very good antiproliferative activity (nanomolar IC50), the polarity, lipophilicity, permeability, and cell accumulation of the complexes were studied. Overall, the two series of Pt(iv) complexes showed similar cell penetration properties, being significantly better than that of the Pt(ii) reference compounds. Finally, a representative compound of the whole set of complexes (i.e., that based on cyclohexane-1R,2R-diamine and racemic POA) was tested in vivo on mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma, showing good tumor growth inhibition with negligible body weight loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Gabano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Innovazione Tecnologica, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Viale Michel 11, 15121 Alessandria, Italy.
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Cipcigan F, Smith P, Crain J, Hogner A, De Maria L, Llinas A, Ratkova E. Membrane Permeability in Cyclic Peptides is Modulated by Core Conformations. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 61:263-269. [PMID: 33350828 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides have the potential to bind to challenging targets, which are undruggable with small molecules, but their application is limited by low membrane permeability. Here, using a series of cyclic pentapeptides, we showed that established physicochemical criteria of permeable peptides are heavily violated. We revealed that a dominant core conformation, stabilized by amides' shielding pattern, could guide the design of novel compounds. As a result, counter-intuitive strategies, such as incorporation of polar residues, can be beneficial for permeability. We further find that core globularity is a promising descriptor, which can extend the capability of standard predictive models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flaviu Cipcigan
- IBM Research Europe, The Hartree Centre STFC Laboratory, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4AD, U.K
| | - Paul Smith
- IBM Research Europe, The Hartree Centre STFC Laboratory, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4AD, U.K.,King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, U.K
| | - Jason Crain
- IBM Research Europe, The Hartree Centre STFC Laboratory, Sci-Tech Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4AD, U.K.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, U.K
| | - Anders Hogner
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM), BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 43150, Sweden
| | - Leonardo De Maria
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology (RI), BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 43150, Sweden
| | - Antonio Llinas
- Inhalation Product Development, Pharmaceutical Technology and Development, Operations, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 43150, Sweden
| | - Ekaterina Ratkova
- Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism (CVRM), BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 43150, Sweden
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Vallaro M, Ermondi G, Caron G. Chromatographic HILIC indexes to characterize the lipophilicity of zwitterions. Eur J Pharm Sci 2020; 145:105232. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2020.105232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Park SE, Sajid MI, Parang K, Tiwari RK. Cyclic Cell-Penetrating Peptides as Efficient Intracellular Drug Delivery Tools. Mol Pharm 2019; 16:3727-3743. [PMID: 31329448 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic cell-penetrating peptides are relatively a newer class of peptides that have a huge potential for the intracellular delivery of therapeutic agents aimed at treating challenging ailments like multidrug-resistant bacterial diseases, cancer, and HIV infection. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been extensively explored as intracellular delivery vehicles; however, they have some inherent limitations like poor stability, endosomal entrapment, toxicity, and suboptimal cell penetration. Owing to their favorable properties that avoid these limitations, cyclic CPPs can provide a good alternative to linear CPPs. Several Reviews have been published in the past decade that cover CPPs and cyclic peptides independently. To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the first Reviews that covers cyclic CPPs comprehensively in the light of studies published so far. In this Review, we have detailed examples of cyclic CPPs, their structures, and cyclization strategies followed by a detailed account of their advantages over their linear counterparts. A hot area in cyclic CPPs is the exploration of cell-penetration mechanisms; this Review highlights this topic in detail. Finally, we will review the applications of cyclic CPPs, followed by conclusions and future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang Eun Park
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Chapman University School of Pharmacy , Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine , California 92618 , United States
| | - Muhammad Imran Sajid
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Chapman University School of Pharmacy , Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine , California 92618 , United States.,Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Central Punjab , Lahore 54000 , Pakistan
| | - Keykavous Parang
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Chapman University School of Pharmacy , Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine , California 92618 , United States
| | - Rakesh Kumar Tiwari
- Center for Targeted Drug Delivery, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Chapman University School of Pharmacy , Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Irvine , California 92618 , United States
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Caron G, Kihlberg J, Ermondi G. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding: An opportunity for improved design in medicinal chemistry. Med Res Rev 2019; 39:1707-1729. [PMID: 30659634 DOI: 10.1002/med.21562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Recent literature shows that intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB) formation can positively impact upon the triad of permeability, solubility, and potency of drugs and candidates. IMHB modulation can be applied to compounds in any chemical space as a means for discovering drug candidates with both acceptable potency and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion-Tox profiles. Integrating IMHB formation in design of drugs is, therefore, an exciting and timely challenge for modern medicinal chemistry. In this review, we first provide some background about IMHBs from the medicinal chemist's point of view and highlight some IMHB-associated misconceptions. Second, we propose a classification of IMHBs for drug discovery purposes, review the most common in silico tactics to include IMHBs in lead optimization and list some experimental physicochemical descriptors, which quantify the propensity of compounds to form IMHBs. By focusing on the compounds size and the number of IMHBs that can potentially be formed, we also outline the major difficulties encountered when designing compounds based on the inclusion of IMHBs. Finally, we discuss recent case studies illustrating the application of IMHB to optimize cell permeability and physicochemical properties of small molecules, cyclic peptides and macrocycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Caron
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Jan Kihlberg
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Giuseppe Ermondi
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
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