1
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Jing SX, McDermott CM, Flanders PL, Reis-Havlat M, Chen SN, Bedran-Russo AK, McAlpine JB, Ambrose EA, Pauli GF. Chemical Transformation of B- to A-type Proanthocyanidins and 3D Structural Implications. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2024; 87:1416-1425. [PMID: 38687902 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.4c00231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
In nature, proanthocyanidins (PACs) with A-type linkages are relatively rare, likely due to biosynthetic constraints in the formation of additional ether bonds to be introduced into the more common B-type precursors. However, A-type linkages confer greater structural rigidity on PACs than do B-type linkages. Prior investigations into the structure-activity relationships (SAR) describing how plant-derived PACs with B- and complex AB-type linkages affect their capacity for dentin biomodification indicate that a higher ratio of double linkages leads to a greater interaction with dentin type I collagen. Thus, A-type PACs emerge as particularly intriguing candidates for interventional functional biomaterials. This study employed a free-radical-mediated oxidation using DPPH to transform trimeric and tetrameric B-type PACs, 2 and 4, respectively, into their exclusively A-type linked analogues, 3 and 5, respectively. The structures and absolute configurations of the semisynthetic products, including the new all-A-type tetramer 5, were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analysis. Additionally, molecular modeling investigated the conformational characteristics of all trimers and tetramers, 1-5. Our findings suggest that the specific interflavan linkages significantly impact the flexibility and low-energy conformations of the connected monomeric units, which conversely can affect the bioactive conformations relevant for dentin biomodification.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Connor M McDermott
- Department of Chemistry, Grandview University, Des Moines, Iowa 50316, United States
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2
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Kuemper S, Cairns AG, Birchall K, Yao Z, Large JM. Targeted protein degradation in CNS disorders: a promising route to novel therapeutics? Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1370509. [PMID: 38685916 PMCID: PMC11057381 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1370509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is a rapidly expanding field, with various PROTACs (proteolysis-targeting chimeras) in clinical trials and molecular glues such as immunomodulatory imide drugs (IMiDs) already well established in the treatment of certain blood cancers. Many current approaches are focused on oncology targets, leaving numerous potential applications underexplored. Targeting proteins for degradation offers a novel therapeutic route for targets whose inhibition remains challenging, such as protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases. This mini review focuses on the prospect of utilizing TPD for neurodegenerative disease targets, particularly PROTAC and molecular glue formats and opportunities for novel CNS E3 ligases. Some key challenges of utilizing such modalities including molecular design of degrader molecules, drug delivery and blood brain barrier penetrance will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Kuemper
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew G. Cairns
- LifeArc, Accelerator Building, Open Innovation Campus, Stevenage, United Kingdom
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3
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Price E, Weinheimer M, Rivkin A, Jenkins G, Nijsen M, Cox PB, DeGoey D. Beyond Rule of Five and PROTACs in Modern Drug Discovery: Polarity Reducers, Chameleonicity, and the Evolving Physicochemical Landscape. J Med Chem 2024; 67:5683-5698. [PMID: 38498697 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Developing orally bioavailable drugs demands an understanding of absorption in early drug development. Traditional methods and physicochemical properties optimize absorption for rule of five (Ro5) compounds; beyond rule of five (bRo5) drugs necessitate advanced tools like the experimental measure of exposed polarity (EPSA) and the AbbVie multiparametric score (AB-MPS). Analyzing AB-MPS and EPSA against ∼1000 compounds with human absorption data and ∼10,000 AbbVie tool compounds (∼1000 proteolysis targeting chimeras or PROTACs, ∼7000 Ro5s, and ∼2000 bRo5s) revealed new patterns of physicochemical trends. We introduced a high-throughput "polarity reduction" descriptor: ETR, the EPSA-to-topological polar surface area (TPSA) ratio, highlights unique bRo5 and PROTAC subsets for specialized drug design strategies for effective absorption. Our methods and guidelines refine drug design by providing innovative in vitro approaches, enhancing physicochemical property optimization, and enabling accurate predictions of intestinal absorption in the complex bRo5 domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Price
- Research and Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Manuel Weinheimer
- Research and Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Alexey Rivkin
- Research and Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Gary Jenkins
- Research and Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Marjoleen Nijsen
- Research and Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Philip B Cox
- Research and Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - David DeGoey
- Research and Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 North Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
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4
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Apprato G, Poongavanam V, Garcia Jimenez D, Atilaw Y, Erdelyi M, Ermondi G, Caron G, Kihlberg J. Exploring the chemical space of orally bioavailable PROTACs. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:103917. [PMID: 38360147 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.103917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
A principal challenge in the discovery of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) as oral medications is their bioavailability. To facilitate drug design, it is therefore essential to identify the chemical space where orally bioavailable PROTACs are more likely to be situated. To this aim, we extracted structure-bioavailability insights from published data using traditional 2D descriptors, thereby shedding light on their potential and limitations as drug design tools. Subsequently, we describe cutting-edge experimental, computational and hybrid design strategies based on 3D descriptors, which show promise for enhancing the probability of discovering PROTACs with high oral bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Apprato
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44bis, 10126 Torino, Italy
| | | | - Diego Garcia Jimenez
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44bis, 10126 Torino, Italy
| | - Yoseph Atilaw
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mate Erdelyi
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Giuseppe Ermondi
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44bis, 10126 Torino, Italy
| | - Giulia Caron
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Piazza Nizza 44bis, 10126 Torino, Italy.
| | - Jan Kihlberg
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, SE-75123 Uppsala, Sweden.
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5
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Ly HM, Desgagné M, Nguyen DT, Comeau C, Froehlich U, Marsault É, Boudreault PL. Insights on Structure-Passive Permeability Relationship in Pyrrole and Furan-Containing Macrocycles. J Med Chem 2024; 67:3711-3726. [PMID: 38417040 PMCID: PMC10946398 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Macrocycles have recognized therapeutic potential, but their limited cellular permeability can hinder their development as oral drugs. To better understand the structure-permeability relationship of heterocycle-containing, semipeptidic macrocycles, a library was synthesized. These compounds were created by developing two novel reactions described herein: the reduction of activated oximes by LiBH4 and the aqueous reductive mono-N-alkylation of aldehydes using catalytic SmI2 and stoichiometric Zn. The permeability of the macrocycles was evaluated through a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA), and the results indicated that macrocycles with a furan incorporated into the structure have better passive permeability than those with a pyrrole moiety. Compounds bearing a 2,5-disubstituted pyrrole (endo orientation) were shown to be implicated in intramolecular H-bonds, enhancing their permeability. This study highlighted the impact of heterocycles moieties in semipeptides, creating highly permeable macrocycles, thus showing promising avenues for passive diffusion of drugs beyond the rule-of-five chemical space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huy M Ly
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e ave Nord, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada
| | - Michael Desgagné
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e ave Nord, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada
| | - Duc Tai Nguyen
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e ave Nord, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada
| | - Christian Comeau
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e ave Nord, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada
| | - Ulrike Froehlich
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e ave Nord, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada
| | - Éric Marsault
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e ave Nord, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada
| | - Pierre-Luc Boudreault
- Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, 3001 12e ave Nord, Sherbrooke, QC J1H5N4, Canada
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6
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Möbitz H. Design Principles for Balancing Lipophilicity and Permeability in beyond Rule of 5 Space. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300395. [PMID: 37986275 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300395] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
An ab initio conformational analysis of oral beyond Rule of 5 (bRo5) drugs was complemented with measured permeability and logP(octanol) to derive design principles conferring oral bioavailability. 3D polar surface area (PSA) thresholds for oral bRo5 drugs coincided with those reported for Ro5 space. The majority of oral bRo5 drugs exceeded the Ro5 logP threshold of 5, reflecting a bias for permeability. Above 500 Da molecular weight (MW), oral drugs and highly permeable Novartis compounds occupy a narrow polarity range (topological or TPSA/MW) of 0.1-0.3 Å2 /Da, whose upper half coincides with the lower 90 percentiles of the Novartis logP set. This TPSA/MW range and 3D PSA below 100 Å2 define the "Rule of ~1 /₅" for balancing lipophilicity and permeability. Neutral TPSA, defined as TPSA minus 3D PSA occurs independent of conformation, intramolecular hydrogen bonds (IMHB) and MW, suggesting it is an intrinsic molecular property. Neutral TPSA increased in the lead optimization (LO) campaigns of three first in class de novo designed bRo5 drugs and may be a useful design parameter in bRo5 space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Möbitz
- Computer-Aided Drug Design, Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis BioMedical Research, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
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7
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Ferrie RP, Fuselier T, Wimley WC. Cytosolic Delivery of Bioactive Cyclic Peptide Cargo by Spontaneous Membrane Translocating Peptides. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:8179-8187. [PMID: 38405535 PMCID: PMC10882622 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c08701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides that inhibit protein-protein interactions have significant advantages over linear peptides and small molecules for modulating cellular signaling networks in cancer and other diseases. However, the permeability barrier of the plasma membrane remains a formidable obstacle to the development of cyclic peptides into applicable drugs. Here, we test the ability of a family of synthetically evolved spontaneous membrane translocating peptides (SMTPs) to deliver phalloidin, a representative bioactive cyclic peptide, to the cytosol of human cells in culture. Phalloidin does not enter cells spontaneously, but if delivered to the cytosol, it inhibits actin depolymerization. We thus use a wound-healing cell mobility assay to assess the biological activity of phalloidin conjugated to three SMTPs that we previously discovered. All three SMTPs can deliver phalloidin to the cell cytosol, and one does so at concentrations as low as 3 μM. Delivery occurs despite the fact that the SMTPs were originally selected based on membrane translocation with no cargo other than a small fluorescent dye. These results show that SMTPs are viable delivery vehicles for cyclic peptides, although their efficiency is moderate. Further, these results suggest that one additional generation of synthetic molecular evolution could be used to optimize SMTPs for the efficient delivery of any bioactive cyclic peptide into cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan P. Ferrie
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, Tulane University
School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, United States
| | - Taylor Fuselier
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, Tulane University
School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, United States
| | - William C. Wimley
- Department of Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology, Tulane University
School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, United States
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8
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Poongavanam V, Wieske LHE, Peintner S, Erdélyi M, Kihlberg J. Molecular chameleons in drug discovery. Nat Rev Chem 2024; 8:45-60. [PMID: 38123688 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-023-00563-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Molecular chameleons possess a flexibility that allows them to dynamically shield or expose polar functionalities in response to the properties of the environment. Although the concept of molecular chameleons was introduced already in 1970, interest in them has grown considerably since the 2010s, when drug discovery has focused to an increased extent on new chemical modalities. Such modalities include cyclic peptides, macrocycles and proteolysis-targeting chimeras, all of which reside in a chemical space far from that of traditional small-molecule drugs. Both cell permeability and aqueous solubility are required for the oral absorption of drugs. Engineering these properties, and potent target binding, into the larger new modalities is a more daunting task than for traditional small-molecule drugs. The ability of chameleons to adapt to different environments may be essential for success. In this Review, we provide both general and theoretical insights into the realm of molecular chameleons. We discuss why chameleons have come into fashion and provide a do-it-yourself toolbox for their design; we then provide a glimpse of how advanced in silico methods can support molecular chameleon design.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Stefan Peintner
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Máté Erdélyi
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Kihlberg
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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9
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Parvatikar PP, Patil S, Khaparkhuntikar K, Patil S, Singh PK, Sahana R, Kulkarni RV, Raghu AV. Artificial intelligence: Machine learning approach for screening large database and drug discovery. Antiviral Res 2023; 220:105740. [PMID: 37935248 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Recent research in drug discovery dealing with many faces difficulties, including development of new drugs during disease outbreak and drug resistance due to rapidly accumulating mutations. Virtual screening is the most widely used method in computer aided drug discovery. It has a prominent ability in screening drug targets from large molecular databases. Recently, a number of web servers have developed for quickly screening publicly accessible chemical databases. In a nutshell, deep learning algorithms and artificial neural networks have modernised the field. Several drug discovery processes have used machine learning and deep learning algorithms, including peptide synthesis, structure-based virtual screening, ligand-based virtual screening, toxicity prediction, drug monitoring and release, pharmacophore modelling, quantitative structure-activity relationship, drug repositioning, polypharmacology, and physiochemical activity. Although there are presently a wide variety of data-driven AI/ML tools available, the majority of these tools have, up to this point, been developed in the context of non-communicable diseases like cancer, and a number of obstacles have prevented the translation of these tools to the discovery of treatments against infectious diseases. In this review various aspects of AI and ML in virtual screening of large databases were discussed. Here, with an emphasis on antivirals as well as other disease, offers a perspective on the advantages, drawbacks, and hazards of AI/ML techniques in the search for innovative treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prachi P Parvatikar
- Department of Biotechnology, Allied Health Science, BLDE (Deemed-to-be University), Vijayapur 586103, Karnataka, India.
| | - Sudha Patil
- Department of Pharmaceutics, BLDEA's SSM College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Vijayapur 586 103, Karnataka, India
| | - Kedar Khaparkhuntikar
- Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, Telangana, 500037, India
| | - Shruti Patil
- Department of Biotechnology, Allied Health Science, BLDE (Deemed-to-be University), Vijayapur 586103, Karnataka, India
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Hyderabad, Telangana, 500037, India
| | - R Sahana
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, RV Institute of Technology and Management, 560076, Bengaluru, India
| | - Raghavendra V Kulkarni
- Department of Biotechnology, Allied Health Science, BLDE (Deemed-to-be University), Vijayapur 586103, Karnataka, India; Department of Pharmaceutics, BLDEA's SSM College of Pharmacy and Research Centre, Vijayapur 586 103, Karnataka, India
| | - Anjanapura V Raghu
- Department of Science and Technology, BLDE (Deemed-to-be University), Vijayapur 586103, Karnataka, India.
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10
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Tang X, Kokot J, Waibl F, Fernández-Quintero ML, Kamenik AS, Liedl KR. Addressing Challenges of Macrocyclic Conformational Sampling in Polar and Apolar Solvents: Lessons for Chameleonicity. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:7107-7123. [PMID: 37943023 PMCID: PMC10685455 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated a workflow to reliably sample the conformational space of a set of 47 peptidic macrocycles. Starting from SMILES strings, we use accelerated molecular dynamics simulations to overcome high energy barriers, in particular, the cis-trans isomerization of peptide bonds. We find that our approach performs very well in polar solvents like water and dimethyl sulfoxide. Interestingly, the protonation state of a secondary amine in the ring only slightly influences the conformational ensembles of our test systems. For several of the macrocycles, determining the conformational distribution in chloroform turns out to be considerably more challenging. Especially, the choice of partial charges crucially influences the ensembles in chloroform. We address these challenges by modifying initial structures and the choice of partial charges. Our results suggest that special care has to be taken to understand the configurational distribution in apolar solvents, which is a key step toward a reliable prediction of membrane permeation of macrocycles and their chameleonic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuechen Tang
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Janik Kokot
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Franz Waibl
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
- Department
of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH
Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Anna S. Kamenik
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus R. Liedl
- Department
of General, Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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11
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Dougnon G, Ito M. Molecular Descriptors and QSAR Models for Sedative Activity of Sesquiterpenes Administered to Mice via Inhalation. PLANTA MEDICA 2023; 89:1236-1249. [PMID: 35158383 DOI: 10.1055/a-1770-7581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Essential oils are often utilized for therapeutic purposes and are composed of complex structural molecules, including sesquiterpenes, with high molecular weight and potential for stereochemistry. A detailed study on the properties of selected sesquiterpenes was conducted as part of a broader investigation on the effects of sesquiterpenes on the central nervous system. A set of 18 sesquiterpenes, rigorously selected from an original list of 114, was divided into 2 groups i.e., the training and test sets, with each containing 9 compounds. The training set was evaluated for the sedative activity in mice through inhalation, and all compounds were sedatives at any dose in the range of 4 × 10-4-4 × 10-2 mg/cage, except for curzerene. Molecular determinants of the sedative activities of sesquiterpenes were evaluated using quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) and structure-activity relationship (SAR) analyses. An additional test set of six compounds obtained from the literature was utilized for validating the QSAR model. The parental carbonyl cation and an oxygen-containing groups are possible determinants of sedative activity. The QSAR study using multiple regression models could reasonably predict the sedative activity of sesquiterpenes with statistical parameters such as the correlation coefficient r2 = 0.82 > 0.6 and q2 LOO = 0.71 > 0.5 obtained using the leave-one-out cross-validation technique. Molar refractivity and the number of hydrogen bond acceptors were statistically important in predicting the activities. The present study could help predict the sedative activity of additional sesquiterpenes, thus accelerating the process of drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Godfried Dougnon
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Michiho Ito
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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12
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L'Exact M, Comeau C, Bourhis A, Boisvert O, Fröhlich U, Létourneau D, Marsault É, Lavigne P, Grandbois M, Boudreault PL. Beyond Rule-of-five: Permeability Assessment of Semipeptidic Macrocycles. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. BIOMEMBRANES 2023; 1865:184196. [PMID: 37400050 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Compounds beyond the rule-of-five are generating interest as they expand the molecular toolbox for modulating targets previously considered "undruggable". Macrocyclic peptides are an efficient class of molecules for modulating protein-protein interactions. However, predicting their permeability is difficult as they differ from small molecules. Although constrained by macrocyclization, they generally retain some conformational flexibility associated with an enhanced ability to cross biological membranes. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the structure of semi-peptidic macrocycles and their membrane permeability through structural modifications. Based on a scaffold of four amino acids and a linker, we synthesized 56 macrocycles incorporating modifications in either stereochemistry, N-methylation, or lipophilicity and assessed their passive permeability using the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). Our results show that some semi-peptidic macrocycles have adequate passive permeability even with properties outside the Lipinski rule of five. We found that N-methylation in position 2 and the addition of lipophilic groups to the side chain of tyrosine led to an improvement in permeability with a decrease in tPSA and 3D-PSA. This enhancement could be attributed to the shielding effect of the lipophilic group on some regions of the macrocycle, which in turn, facilitates a favorable macrocycle conformation for permeability, suggesting some degree of chameleonic behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion L'Exact
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Comeau
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Alix Bourhis
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Olivier Boisvert
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Biochimie Et Génomique Fonctionnelle, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Ulrike Fröhlich
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Danny Létourneau
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Biochimie Et Génomique Fonctionnelle, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Éric Marsault
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Lavigne
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Biochimie Et Génomique Fonctionnelle, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la Santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Michel Grandbois
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre-Luc Boudreault
- Institut de Pharmacologie de Sherbrooke, Département de Pharmacologie-Physiologie, Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada.
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13
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Lee D, Choi J, Yang MJ, Park CJ, Seo J. Controlling the Chameleonic Behavior and Membrane Permeability of Cyclosporine Derivatives via Backbone and Side Chain Modifications. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13189-13204. [PMID: 37718494 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Some macrocycles exhibit enhanced membrane permeability through conformational switching in different environmental polarities, a trait known as chameleonic behavior. In this study, we demonstrate specific backbone and side chain modifications that can control chameleonic behavior and passive membrane permeability using a cyclosporin O (CsO) scaffold. To quantify chameleonic behavior, we used a ratio of the population of the closed conformation obtained in polar solvent and nonpolar solvent for each CsO derivative. We found that β-hydroxylation at position 1 (1 and 3) can encode chameleonicity and improve permeability. However, the conformational stabilization induced by adding an additional transannular H-bond (2 and 5) leads to a much slower rate of membrane permeation. Our CsO scaffold provides a platform for the systematic study of the relationship among conformation, membrane permeability, solubility, and protein binding. This knowledge contributes to the discovery of potent beyond the rule of five (bRo5) macrocycles capable of targeting undruggable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongjae Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Jieun Choi
- Department of Chemistry, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Min June Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Chin-Ju Park
- Department of Chemistry, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwon Seo
- Department of Chemistry, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
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14
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Koziolek M, Augustijns P, Berger C, Cristofoletti R, Dahlgren D, Keemink J, Matsson P, McCartney F, Metzger M, Mezler M, Niessen J, Polli JE, Vertzoni M, Weitschies W, Dressman J. Challenges in Permeability Assessment for Oral Drug Product Development. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2397. [PMID: 37896157 PMCID: PMC10609725 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug permeation across the intestinal epithelium is a prerequisite for successful oral drug delivery. The increased interest in oral administration of peptides, as well as poorly soluble and poorly permeable compounds such as drugs for targeted protein degradation, have made permeability a key parameter in oral drug product development. This review describes the various in vitro, in silico and in vivo methodologies that are applied to determine drug permeability in the human gastrointestinal tract and identifies how they are applied in the different stages of drug development. The various methods used to predict, estimate or measure permeability values, ranging from in silico and in vitro methods all the way to studies in animals and humans, are discussed with regard to their advantages, limitations and applications. A special focus is put on novel techniques such as computational approaches, gut-on-chip models and human tissue-based models, where significant progress has been made in the last few years. In addition, the impact of permeability estimations on PK predictions in PBPK modeling, the degree to which excipients can affect drug permeability in clinical studies and the requirements for colonic drug absorption are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirko Koziolek
- NCE Drug Product Development, Development Sciences, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, 67061 Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Patrick Augustijns
- Drug Delivery and Disposition, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Constantin Berger
- Chair of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany;
| | - Rodrigo Cristofoletti
- Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Florida, 6550 Sanger Road, Orlando, FL 32827, USA
| | - David Dahlgren
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden (J.N.)
| | - Janneke Keemink
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, 4070 Basel, Switzerland;
| | - Pär Matsson
- Department of Pharmacology and SciLifeLab Gothenburg, University of Gothenburg, 40530 Gothenburg, Sweden;
| | - Fiona McCartney
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland;
| | - Marco Metzger
- Translational Center for Regenerative Therapies (TLZ-RT) Würzburg, Branch of the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC), 97082 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mario Mezler
- Quantitative, Translational & ADME Sciences, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, 67061 Ludwigshafen, Germany;
| | - Janis Niessen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, 75124 Uppsala, Sweden (J.N.)
| | - James E. Polli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21021, USA;
| | - Maria Vertzoni
- Department of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 84 Zografou, Greece;
| | - Werner Weitschies
- Institute of Pharmacy, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Jennifer Dressman
- Fraunhofer Institute of Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany
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15
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Mizuno-Kaneko M, Hashimoto I, Miyahara K, Kochi M, Ohashi N, Tsumura K, Suzuki K, Tamura T. Molecular Design of Cyclic Peptides with Cell Membrane Permeability and Development of MDMX-p53 Inhibitor. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:1174-1178. [PMID: 37736191 PMCID: PMC10510666 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cyclic peptides have been expected to be one of the modalities of intracellular protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors, but they are generally known to have low cell membrane permeability. In this study, we focused on the conformation of cyclic peptides in the cell membrane to determine the requirement for their cell membrane permeability through passive diffusion. Utilizing the requirement, we searched for structures with high affinity for MDMX via computational chemistry and acquired cyclic peptide 19 (Papp = 0.80 × 10-6 cm s-1, IC50 = 0.07 μM).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai Mizuno-Kaneko
- Synthetic
Organic Chemistry Laboratories, FUJIFILM
Corporation, 577, Ushijima, Kaisei-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa 258-8577, Japan
| | - Ichihiko Hashimoto
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Kenta Miyahara
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Masahiro Kochi
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Ohashi
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Kyosuke Tsumura
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Koo Suzuki
- Analysis
Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210, Nakanuma, Minamiashigara-shi, Kanagawa 250-0193, Japan
| | - Takashi Tamura
- Synthetic
Organic Chemistry Laboratories, FUJIFILM
Corporation, 577, Ushijima, Kaisei-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa 258-8577, Japan
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16
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Mostofian B, Martin HJ, Razavi A, Patel S, Allen B, Sherman W, Izaguirre JA. Targeted Protein Degradation: Advances, Challenges, and Prospects for Computational Methods. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:5408-5432. [PMID: 37602861 PMCID: PMC10498452 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
The therapeutic approach of targeted protein degradation (TPD) is gaining momentum due to its potentially superior effects compared with protein inhibition. Recent advancements in the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors have led to the development of compounds that are currently in human trials, with some showing promising clinical results. However, the use of computational tools in TPD is still limited, as it has distinct characteristics compared with traditional computational drug design methods. TPD involves creating a ternary structure (protein-degrader-ligase) responsible for the biological function, such as ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation, which depends on the spatial orientation of the protein of interest (POI) relative to E2-loaded ubiquitin. Modeling this structure necessitates a unique blend of tools initially developed for small molecules (e.g., docking) and biologics (e.g., protein-protein interaction modeling). Additionally, degrader molecules, particularly heterobifunctional degraders, are generally larger than conventional small molecule drugs, leading to challenges in determining drug-like properties like solubility and permeability. Furthermore, the catalytic nature of TPD makes occupancy-based modeling insufficient. TPD consists of multiple interconnected yet distinct steps, such as POI binding, E3 ligase binding, ternary structure interactions, ubiquitination, and degradation, along with traditional small molecule properties. A comprehensive set of tools is needed to address the dynamic nature of the induced proximity ternary complex and its implications for ubiquitination. In this Perspective, we discuss the current state of computational tools for TPD. We start by describing the series of steps involved in the degradation process and the experimental methods used to characterize them. Then, we delve into a detailed analysis of the computational tools employed in TPD. We also present an integrative approach that has proven successful for degrader design and its impact on project decisions. Finally, we examine the future prospects of computational methods in TPD and the areas with the greatest potential for impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barmak Mostofian
- OpenEye, Cadence Molecular Sciences, Boston, Massachusetts 02114 United States
| | - Holli-Joi Martin
- Laboratory
for Molecular Modeling, Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal
Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599 United States
| | - Asghar Razavi
- ENKO
Chem, Inc, Mystic, Connecticut 06355 United States
| | - Shivam Patel
- Psivant
Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts 02210 United States
| | - Bryce Allen
- Differentiated
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92056 United States
| | - Woody Sherman
- Psivant
Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts 02210 United States
| | - Jesus A Izaguirre
- Differentiated
Therapeutics, San Diego, California 92056 United States
- Atommap
Corporation, New York, New York 10013 United States
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17
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Yang W, Lipert M, Nofsinger R. Current screening, design, and delivery approaches to address low permeability of chemically synthesized modalities in drug discovery and early clinical development. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103685. [PMID: 37356613 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
A drug's permeability across biological membranes is a key property associated with the successful development of an orally absorbed drug candidate. Although a variety of methods are available for predicting and assessing permeability, some are more preferred than others at specific stages of drug discovery and development across the pharmaceutical industry. Permeability measurements may be interpreted differently depending on the chosen method. Herein, we present a refreshed perspective on the screening approaches and philosophy in permeability evaluation, from early drug discovery to early clinical development. Additionally, we review and discuss chemical design and drug delivery technologies that can be leveraged to overcome permeability challenges, which are increasingly being used with emerging modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhan Yang
- Advanced Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Boston, USA.
| | - Maya Lipert
- Molecular Profiling and Drug Delivery, Small Molecule CMC Development, AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, IL, USA
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18
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Teng M, Gray NS. The rise of degrader drugs. Cell Chem Biol 2023; 30:864-878. [PMID: 37494935 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The cancer genomics revolution has served up a plethora of promising and challenging targets for the drug discovery community. The field of targeted protein degradation (TPD) uses small molecules to reprogram the protein homeostasis system to destroy desired target proteins. In the last decade, remarkable progress has enabled the rational development of degraders for a large number of target proteins, with over 20 molecules targeting more than 12 proteins entering clinical development. While TPD has been fully credentialed by the prior development of immunomodulatory drug (IMiD) class for the treatment of multiple myeloma, the field is poised for a "Gleevec moment" in which robust clinical efficacy of a rationally developed novel degrader against a preselected target is firmly established. Here, we endeavor to provide a high-level evaluation of exciting developments in the field and comment on steps that may realize the full potential of this new therapeutic modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Teng
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, and Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, ChEM-H, Stanford Cancer Institute, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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19
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Garcia Jimenez D, Vallaro M, Rossi Sebastiano M, Apprato G, D’Agostini G, Rossetti P, Ermondi G, Caron G. Chamelogk: A Chromatographic Chameleonicity Quantifier to Design Orally Bioavailable Beyond-Rule-of-5 Drugs. J Med Chem 2023; 66:10681-10693. [PMID: 37490408 PMCID: PMC10424176 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
New chemical modalities in drug discovery include molecules belonging to the bRo5 chemical space. Because of their complex and flexible structure, bRo5 compounds often suffer from a poor solubility/permeability profile. Chameleonicity describes the capacity of a molecule to adapt to the environment through conformational changes; the design of molecular chameleons is a medicinal chemistry strategy simultaneously optimizing solubility and permeability. A default method to quantify chameleonicity in early drug discovery is still missing. Here we introduce Chamelogk, an automated, fast, and cheap chromatographic descriptor of chameleonicity. Moreover, we report measurements for 55 Ro5 and bRo5 compounds and validate our method with literature data. Then, selected case studies (macrocycles, nonmacrocyclic compounds, and PROTACs) are used to illustrate the application of Chamelogk in combination with lipophilicity (BRlogD) and polarity (Δ log kwIAM) descriptors. Overall, we show how Chamelogk deserves being included in property-based drug discovery strategies to design oral bioavailable bRo5 compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Garcia Jimenez
- Molecular Biotechnology and
Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, University
of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Maura Vallaro
- Molecular Biotechnology and
Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, University
of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Matteo Rossi Sebastiano
- Molecular Biotechnology and
Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, University
of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giulia Apprato
- Molecular Biotechnology and
Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, University
of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giulia D’Agostini
- Molecular Biotechnology and
Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, University
of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Paolo Rossetti
- Molecular Biotechnology and
Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, University
of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ermondi
- Molecular Biotechnology and
Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, University
of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giulia Caron
- Molecular Biotechnology and
Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, University
of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
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20
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Mendoza A, Bernardino SJ, Dweck MJ, Valencia I, Evans D, Tian H, Lee W, Li Y, Houk KN, Harran PG. Cascade Synthesis of Fluorinated Spiroheterocyclic Scaffolding for Peptidic Macrobicycles. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37441722 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c03071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Octafluorocyclopentene (OFCP) engages linear, unprotected peptides in polysubstitution cascades that generate complex fluorinated polycycles. The reactions occur in a single flask at 0-25 °C and require no catalysts or heavy metals. OFCP can directly polycyclize linear sequences using native functionality, or fluorospiroheterocyclic intermediates can be intercepted with exogenous nucleophiles. The latter tactic generates molecular hybrids composed of peptides, sugars, lipids, and heterocyclic components. The platform can create stereoisomers of both single- and double-looped macrocycles. Calculations indicate that the latter can mimic diverse protein surface loops. Subsets of the molecules have low energy conformers that shield the polar surface area through intramolecular hydrogen bonding. A significant fraction of OFCP-derived macrocycles tested show moderate to high passive permeability in parallel artificial membrane permeability assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel Mendoza
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Salvador J Bernardino
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Morris J Dweck
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Isabel Valencia
- Departamento de Química Orgánica y Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 28805, Spain
| | - Declan Evans
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Haowen Tian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - William Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Yu Li
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Kendall N Houk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Patrick G Harran
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
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21
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Young RJ. Today's drug discovery and the shadow of the rule of 5. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:965-972. [PMID: 37378429 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2228199] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The rule of 5 developed by Lipinski et al., a landmark and prescient piece of scholarship, focused the minds of drug hunters by systematically characterizing the physical make-up of drug molecules for the first time, noting many sub-optimal compounds identified by high-throughput screening practices. Its profound influence on thinking and practices, whilst providing benefit, perhaps etched the guidelines too strongly in the minds of some drug hunters who applied the bounds too literally without understanding the implications of the underlying statistics. AREAS COVERED This opinion is based on recent key developments that take thinking, measurements, and standards beyond those first set out, particularly the influences of molecular weight and the understanding, measurement, and calculation of lipophilicity. EXPERT OPINION Techniques and technologies for physicochemical estimations set new standards. It is timely to celebrate the significance and influence of the rule of 5, whilst taking thinking to new levels with better characterizations. The shadow of the rule of 5 may be long, but it is not dark, as new measurements, predictions and principles emerge as guiding lights in the design and prioritization of higher-quality molecules redefining the meaning of beyond the rule of 5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Young
- Blue Burgundy (Drug Discovery Consultancy) Ltd, Bedford, UK
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22
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Whitehurst BC, Bauer MR, Edfeldt F, Gunnarsson A, Margreitter C, Rawlins PB, Storer RI. Design and Evaluation of a Low Hydrogen Bond Donor Count Fragment Screening Set to Aid Hit Generation of PROTACs Intended for Oral Delivery. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37224440 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The development of orally bioavailable PROTACs presents a significant challenge due to the inflated physicochemical properties of such heterobifunctional molecules. Molecules occupying this "beyond rule of five" space often demonstrate limited oral bioavailability due to the compounding effects of elevated molecular weight and hydrogen bond donor count (among other properties), but it is possible to achieve sufficient oral bioavailability through physicochemical optimization. Herein, we disclose the design and evaluation of a low hydrogen bond donor count (≤1 HBD) fragment screening set to aid hit generation of PROTACs intended for an oral route of delivery. We demonstrate that application of this library can enhance fragment screens against PROTAC proteins of interest and ubiquitin ligases, yielding fragment hits containing ≤1 HBD suitable for optimizing toward orally bioavailable PROTACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Whitehurst
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, United Kingdom
| | - Matthias R Bauer
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, United Kingdom
| | - Fredrik Edfeldt
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Mölndal, Gothenburg 431 50, Sweden
| | - Anders Gunnarsson
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Mölndal, Gothenburg 431 50, Sweden
| | - Christian Margreitter
- Molecular AI, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Mölndal, Gothenburg 431 50, Sweden
| | - Philip B Rawlins
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, United Kingdom
| | - R Ian Storer
- Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, United Kingdom
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23
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Menke AJ, Gloor CJ, Claton LE, Mekhail MA, Pan H, Stewart MD, Green KN, Reibenspies JH, Pavan GM, Capelli R, Simanek EE. A Model for the Rapid Assessment of Solution Structures for 24-Atom Macrocycles: The Impact of β-Branched Amino Acids on Conformation. J Org Chem 2023; 88:2692-2702. [PMID: 36780253 PMCID: PMC10903118 DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.2c01984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Experiment and computation are used to develop a model to rapidly predict solution structures of macrocycles sharing the same Murcko framework. These 24-atom triazine macrocycles result from the quantitative dimerization of identical monomers presenting a hydrazine group and an acetal tethered to an amino acid linker. Monomers comprising glycine and the β-branched amino acids threonine, valine, and isoleucine yield macrocycles G-G, T-T, V-V, and I-I, respectively. Elements common to all members of the framework include the efficiency of macrocyclization (quantitative), the solution- and solid-state structures (folded), the site of protonation (opposite the auxiliary dimethylamine group), the geometry of the hydrazone (E), the C2 symmetry of the subunits (conserved), and the rotamer state adopted. In aggregate, the data reveal metrics predictive of the three-dimensional solution structure that derive from the fingerprint region of the 1D 1H spectrum and a network of rOes from a single resonance. The metrics also afford delineation of more nuanced structural features that allow subpopulations to be identified among the members of the framework. Well-tempered metadynamics provides free energy surfaces and population distributions of these macrocycles. The areas of the free energy surface decrease with increasing steric bulk (G-G > V-V ∼ T-T > I-I). In addition, the surfaces are increasingly isoenergetic with decreasing steric bulk (G-G > V-V ∼ T-T > I-I).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Menke
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Camryn J Gloor
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Liam E Claton
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Magy A Mekhail
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Hongjun Pan
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76203, United States
| | - Mikaela D Stewart
- Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Kayla N Green
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Joseph H Reibenspies
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77845, United States
| | - Giovanni M Pavan
- Department of Innovative Technologies, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano, Viganello, 6962 Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Riccardo Capelli
- Department of Biosciences, Université degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Eric E Simanek
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
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24
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O'Brien Laramy MN, Luthra S, Brown MF, Bartlett DW. Delivering on the promise of protein degraders. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:410-427. [PMID: 36810917 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00652-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Over the past 3 years, the first bivalent protein degraders intentionally designed for targeted protein degradation (TPD) have advanced to clinical trials, with an initial focus on established targets. Most of these clinical candidates are designed for oral administration, and many discovery efforts appear to be similarly focused. As we look towards the future, we propose that an oral-centric discovery paradigm will overly constrain the chemical designs that are considered and limit the potential to drug novel targets. In this Perspective, we summarize the current state of the bivalent degrader modality and propose three categories of degrader designs, based on their likely route of administration and requirement for drug delivery technologies. We then describe a vision for how parenteral drug delivery, implemented early in research and supported by pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling, can enable exploration of a broader drug design space, expand the scope of accessible targets and deliver on the promise of protein degraders as a therapeutic modality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Suman Luthra
- Discovery Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew F Brown
- Discovery Sciences, Worldwide Research, Development, and Medical, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT, USA
| | - Derek W Bartlett
- Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, & Metabolism, Worldwide Research, Development, and Medical, Pfizer Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
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25
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Wieske LHE, Atilaw Y, Poongavanam V, Erdélyi M, Kihlberg J. Going Viral: An Investigation into the Chameleonic Behaviour of Antiviral Compounds. Chemistry 2023; 29:e202202798. [PMID: 36286339 PMCID: PMC10107787 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202202798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The ability to adjust conformations in response to the polarity of the environment, i.e. molecular chameleonicity, is considered to be important for conferring both high aqueous solubility and high cell permeability to drugs in chemical space beyond Lipinski's rule of 5. We determined the conformational ensembles populated by the antiviral drugs asunaprevir, simeprevir, atazanavir and daclatasvir in polar (DMSO-d6 ) and non-polar (chloroform) environments with NMR spectroscopy. Daclatasvir was fairly rigid, whereas the first three showed large flexibility in both environments, that translated into major differences in solvent accessible 3D polar surface area within each conformational ensemble. No significant differences in size and polar surface area were observed between the DMSO-d6 and chloroform ensembles of these three drugs. We propose that such flexible compounds are characterized as "partial molecular chameleons" and hypothesize that their ability to adopt conformations with low polar surface area contributes to their membrane permeability and oral absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianne H E Wieske
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Box 576, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yoseph Atilaw
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Box 576, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Máté Erdélyi
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Box 576, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Kihlberg
- Department of Chemistry - BMC, Uppsala University, Box 576, SE-751 23, Uppsala, Sweden
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26
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Menke AJ, Henderson NC, Kouretas LC, Estenson AN, Janesko BG, Simanek EE. Computational and Experimental Evidence for Templated Macrocyclization: The Role of a Hydrogen Bond Network in the Quantitative Dimerization of 24-Atom Macrocycles. Molecules 2023; 28:1144. [PMID: 36770811 PMCID: PMC9921993 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In the absence of preorganization, macrocyclization reactions are often plagued by oligomeric and polymeric side products. Here, a network of hydrogen bonds was identified as the basis for quantitative yields of macrocycles derived from the dimerization of monomers. Oligomers and polymers were not observed. Macrocyclization, the result of the formation of two hydrazones, was hypothesized to proceed in two steps. After condensation to yield the monohydrazone, a network of hydrogen bonds formed to preorganize the terminal acetal and hydrazine groups for cyclization. Experimental evidence for preorganization derived from macrocycles and acyclic models. Solution NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that the macrocycles isolated from the cyclization reaction were protonated twice. These protons contributed to an intramolecular network of hydrogen bonds that engaged distant carbonyl groups to realize a long-range order. DFT calculations showed that this network of hydrogen bonds contributed 8.7 kcal/mol to stability. Acyclic models recapitulated this network in solution. Condensation of an acetal and a triazinyl hydrazine, which adopted a number of conformational isomers, yielded a hydrazone that adopted a favored rotamer conformation in solution. The critical hydrogen-bonded proton was also evident. DFT calculations of acyclic models showed that the rotamers were isoenergetic when deprotonated. Upon protonation, however, energies diverged with one low-energy rotamer adopting the conformation observed in the macrocycle. This conformation anchored the network of hydrogen bonds of the intermediate. Computation revealed that the hydrogen-bonded network in the acyclic intermediate contributed up to 14 kcal/mol of stability and preorganized the acetal and hydrazine for cyclization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Benjamin G. Janesko
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76109, USA
| | - Eric E. Simanek
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76109, USA
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27
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Conformational Sampling Deciphers the Chameleonic Properties of a VHL-Based Degrader. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15010272. [PMID: 36678900 PMCID: PMC9861353 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15010272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chameleonicity (the capacity of a molecule to adapt its conformations to the environment) may help to identify orally bioavailable drugs in the beyond-Rule-of-5 chemical space. Computational methods to predict the chameleonic behaviour of degraders have not yet been reported and the identification of molecular chameleons still relies on experimental evidence. Therefore, there is a need to tune predictions with experimental data. Here, we employ PROTAC-1 (a passively cell-permeable degrader), for which NMR and physicochemical data prove the chameleonic behaviour, to benchmark the capacity of two conformational sampling algorithms and selection schemes. To characterize the conformational ensembles in both polar and nonpolar environments, we compute three molecular properties proven to be essential for cell permeability: conformer shape (radius of gyration), polarity (3D PSA), and the number of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Energetic criteria were also considered. Infographics monitored the simultaneous variation of those properties in computed and NMR conformers. Overall, we provide key points for tuning conformational sampling tools to reproduce PROTAC-1 chameleonicity according to NMR evidence. This study is expected to improve the design of PROTAC drugs and the development of computational sustainable strategies to exploit the potential of new modalities in drug discovery.
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28
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Sethio D, Poongavanam V, Xiong R, Tyagi M, Duy Vo D, Lindh R, Kihlberg J. Simulation Reveals the Chameleonic Behavior of Macrocycles. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:138-146. [PMID: 36563083 PMCID: PMC9832480 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c01093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Conformational analysis is central to the design of bioactive molecules. It is particularly challenging for macrocycles due to noncovalent transannular interactions, steric interactions, and ring strain that are often coupled. Herein, we simulated the conformations of five macrocycles designed to express a progression of increasing complexity in environment-dependent intramolecular interactions and verified the results against NMR measurements in chloroform and dimethyl sulfoxide. Molecular dynamics using an explicit solvent model, but not the Monte Carlo method with implicit solvation, handled both solvents correctly. Refinement of conformations at the ab initio level was fundamental to reproducing the experimental observations─standard state-of-the-art molecular mechanics force fields were insufficient. Our simulations correctly predicted the intramolecular interactions between side chains and the macrocycle and revealed an unprecedented solvent-induced conformational switch of the macrocyclic ring. Our results provide a platform for the rational, prospective design of molecular chameleons that adapt to the properties of the environment.
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29
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Guedeney N, Cornu M, Schwalen F, Kieffer C, Voisin-Chiret AS. PROTAC technology: A new drug design for chemical biology with many challenges in drug discovery. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103395. [PMID: 36228895 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Target Protein Degradation TPD is a new avenue and revolutionary for therapeutics because redefining the principles of classical drug discovery and guided by event-based target activity rather than the occupancy-driven activity. Since the discovery of the first PROTAC in 2001, TPD represents a rapidly growing technology, with applications in both drug discovery and chemical biology. Over the last decade, many questions have been raised and today the knowledge gained by each team has elucidated a number of them, although there is still a long way to go. The objective of this work is to present the challenges that the PROTAC strategy has very recently addressed in drug design and discovery by presenting extremely recent results from the literature and to provide guidelines in the drug design of new PROTACs as successful therapeutic modality for medicinal chemists.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marie Cornu
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, CERMN, 14000 Caen, France
| | - Florian Schwalen
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, CERMN, 14000 Caen, France; Department of Pharmacy, Caen University Hospital, Caen 14000, France
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30
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Tunjic TM, Weber N, Brunsteiner M. Computer aided drug design in the development of proteolysis targeting chimeras. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:2058-2067. [PMID: 36968015 PMCID: PMC10030821 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.02.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteolysis targeting chimeras represent a class of drug molecules with a number of attractive properties, most notably a potential to work for targets that, so far, have been in-accessible for conventional small molecule inhibitors. Due to their different mechanism of action, and physico-chemical properties, many of the methods that have been designed and applied for computer aided design of traditional small molecule drugs are not applicable for proteolysis targeting chimeras. Here we review recent developments in this field focusing on three aspects: de-novo linker-design, estimation of absorption for beyond-rule-of-5 compounds, and the generation and ranking of ternary complex structures. In spite of this field still being young, we find that a good number of models and algorithms are available, with the potential to assist the design of such compounds in-silico, and accelerate applied pharmaceutical research.
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31
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Yang J, Liu Y, Lan S, Yu S, Ma X, Luo D, Shan H, Zhong X, Yan G, Li R. Discovery of 2-Methyl-2-(4-(2-methyl-8-(1 H-pyrrolo[2,3- b]pyridin-6-yl)-1 H-naphtho[1,2- d]imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)propanenitrile as a Novel PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor with Enhanced Antitumor Efficacy In Vitro and In Vivo. J Med Chem 2022; 65:12781-12801. [PMID: 36191148 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is a validated drug target for cancer treatment that plays a critical role in controlling tumor growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. However, no FDA-approved PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor exists. Thus, a candidate with a better curative effect and lower toxicity is still urgently needed. Herein, we design, synthesize, and evaluate compounds belonging to a novel series of 2-methyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-c]quinoline scaffold derivatives as PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitors. Among them, compound 8o was identified as a novel candidate with excellent kinase selectivity. It manifested remarkable antiproliferative activities against SW620 and HeLa cells. Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis results proved that 8o could regulate the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway by inhibiting the phosphorylation of AKT and S6 proteins. Additionally, 8o presented a favorable pharmacokinetic property (oral bioavailability of 76.8%) and significant antitumor efficacy in vivo without obvious toxicity. Collectively, these results indicated that 8o is a promising agent for cancer treatment and merits further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.,Department of Pharmacy, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China.,Personalized Drug Therapy Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610072, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Suke Lan
- College of Chemistry & Environment Protection Engineering, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Su Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xinyu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Dan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Huifang Shan
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xinxin Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Guoyi Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Rui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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32
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Considerations in the developability of peptides for oral administration when formulated together with transient permeation enhancers. Int J Pharm 2022; 628:122238. [PMID: 36174850 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.122238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews many of the properties of a peptide that need to be considered prior to development as an oral dosage form when co-formulated with a permeation enhancer to improve oral bioavailability, including the importance and implications of peptide half-life on variability in pharmacokinetic profiles. Clinical considerations in terms of food and drug-drug interactions are also discussed. The paper further gives a brief overview how permeation enhancers overcome barriers that limit oral absorption of peptides and thereby improve their oral bioavailability, albeit bioavailabilities are still low single digit and variability is high.
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33
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Agarwal P, Huckle J, Newman J, Reid DL. Trends in small molecule drug properties: A developability molecule assessment perspective. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:103366. [PMID: 36122862 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Developability molecule assessment is a key interfacial capability across the biopharmaceutical industry, screening and staging molecules discovered by medicinal chemists for successful chemistry manufacturing controls (CMC) development and launch. The breadth of responsibility and expertise such teams possess puts them in a unique position to understand the impact of the physicochemical properties of a drug during its initial discovery and subsequent development. However, most of the publications describing trends in physicochemical properties are written from a medicinal chemistry perspective with the aim to identify molecules with better ADMET profiles that are either lead-like or drug-like, failing to describe the impact these properties have on CMC development. To systematically uncover knowledge obtained from recent trends in physicochemical properties and the corresponding impact on CMC development, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on molecules in the drug repurposing hub dataset. The only physicochemical property that seems to have been preserved in FDA-approved oral molecules over the decades (1900-2020) is a constant H-bond donor count, highlighting the importance this property has on cell permeability and lattice energy. Pharmaceutical attrition analysis suggests that partition-distribution coefficient, H-bond acceptors, polar surface area and the fraction of sp3 carbons are properties that are associated with compound attrition. Looking at pharmaceutical attrition asynchronously with the temporal analysis of FDA-approved oral molecules highlights the opposing trends, risks and diminishing effects some of these physiochemical properties (cLogP, cLogD and Fsp3) have on describing compound attrition during the past decade. Trellising the dataset by target class suggests that certain formulation and drug delivery strategies can be anticipated or put into place based on target class of a molecule. For example, molecules binding to nuclear hormone receptors are amenable to lipid-based drug delivery systems with proven commercial success. Although the poor solubility of kinase inhibitors is a combination of hydrophobicity (due to aromaticity) required to bind to its target and high lattice energy (melting point), they are a challenging target class to formulate. The influence of drug targets on physicochemical properties and the temporal nature of these properties is highlighted when comparing molecules in the drug repurposing dataset to those developed at Amgen. An improved understanding of the impact of molecular properties on performance attributes can accelerate decisions and facilitate risk assessments during candidate selection and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prashant Agarwal
- Drug Product Technologies, Process Development, Amgen, One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA.
| | - James Huckle
- Drug Product Technologies, Process Development, Amgen, One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Jake Newman
- Drug Product Technologies, Process Development, Amgen, One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Darren L Reid
- Drug Product Technologies, Process Development, Amgen, 360 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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34
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Nomura K, Hashimoto S, Takeyama R, Tamiya M, Kato T, Muraoka T, Kage M, Nii K, Kotake K, Iida S, Emura T, Tanada M, Iikura H. Broadly Applicable and Comprehensive Synthetic Method for N-Alkyl-Rich Drug-like Cyclic Peptides. J Med Chem 2022; 65:13401-13412. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Nomura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
| | - Satoshi Hashimoto
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
| | - Ryuuichi Takeyama
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
| | - Minoru Tamiya
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 200 Kajiwara, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-8530, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Kato
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
| | - Terushige Muraoka
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 200 Kajiwara, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-8530, Japan
| | - Mirai Kage
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
| | - Keiji Nii
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 200 Kajiwara, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-8530, Japan
| | - Kenichiro Kotake
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
| | - Satomi Iida
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
| | - Takashi Emura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
| | - Mikimasa Tanada
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 200 Kajiwara, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-8530, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Iikura
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 1-135 Komakado, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-8513, Japan
- Research Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., 200 Kajiwara, Kamakura, Kanagawa 247-8530, Japan
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35
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Rossi Sebastiano M, Garcia Jimenez D, Vallaro M, Caron G, Ermondi G. Refinement of Computational Access to Molecular Physicochemical Properties: From Ro5 to bRo5. J Med Chem 2022; 65:12068-12083. [PMID: 36094896 PMCID: PMC9511483 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
There is a need of computational tools to rank bRo5 drug
candidates
in the very early phases of drug discovery when chemical matter is
unavailable. In this study, we selected three compounds: (a) a Ro5
drug (Pomalidomide), (b) a bRo5 orally available drug (Saquinavir),
and (c) a polar PROTAC (CMP 98) to focus on computational access to
physicochemical properties. To provide a benchmark, the three compounds
were first experimentally characterized for their lipophilicity, polarity,
IMHBs, and chameleonicity. To reproduce the experimental information
content, we generated conformer ensembles with conformational sampling
and molecular dynamics in both water and nonpolar solvents. Then we
calculated Rgyr, 3D PSA, and IMHB number. An innovative pool of strategies
for data analysis was then provided. Overall, we report a contribution
to close the gap between experimental and computational methods for
characterizing bRo5 physicochemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Rossi Sebastiano
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Diego Garcia Jimenez
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Maura Vallaro
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giulia Caron
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ermondi
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
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36
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Sugita M, Fujie T, Yanagisawa K, Ohue M, Akiyama Y. Lipid Composition Is Critical for Accurate Membrane Permeability Prediction of Cyclic Peptides by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:4549-4560. [PMID: 36053061 PMCID: PMC9516681 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic peptides have attracted attention as a promising pharmaceutical modality due to their potential to selectively inhibit previously undruggable targets, such as intracellular protein-protein interactions. Poor membrane permeability is the biggest bottleneck hindering successful drug discovery based on cyclic peptides. Therefore, the development of computational methods that can predict membrane permeability and support elucidation of the membrane permeation mechanism of drug candidate peptides is much sought after. In this study, we developed a protocol to simulate the behavior in membrane permeation steps and estimate the membrane permeability of large cyclic peptides with more than or equal to 10 residues. This protocol requires the use of a more realistic membrane model than a single-lipid phospholipid bilayer. To select a membrane model, we first analyzed the effect of cholesterol concentration in the model membrane on the potential of mean force and hydrogen bonding networks along the direction perpendicular to the membrane surface as predicted by molecular dynamics simulations using cyclosporine A. These results suggest that a membrane model with 40 or 50 mol % cholesterol was suitable for predicting the permeation process. Subsequently, two types of membrane models containing 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 40 and 50 mol % cholesterol were used. To validate the efficiency of our protocol, the membrane permeability of 18 ten-residue peptides was predicted. Correlation coefficients of R > 0.8 between the experimental and calculated permeability values were obtained with both model membranes. The results of this study demonstrate that the lipid membrane is not just a medium but also among the main factors determining the membrane permeability of molecules. The computational protocol proposed in this study and the findings obtained on the effect of membrane model composition will contribute to building a schematic view of the membrane permeation process. Furthermore, the results of this study will eventually aid the elucidation of design rules for peptide drugs with high membrane permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masatake Sugita
- Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.,Middle-Molecule IT-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (MIDL), Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Takuya Fujie
- Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.,Middle-Molecule IT-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (MIDL), Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Keisuke Yanagisawa
- Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.,Middle-Molecule IT-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (MIDL), Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Masahito Ohue
- Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.,Middle-Molecule IT-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (MIDL), Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Yutaka Akiyama
- Department of Computer Science, School of Computing, Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan.,Middle-Molecule IT-Based Drug Discovery Laboratory (MIDL), Tokyo Institute of Technology, W8-76, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
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37
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Capelli R, Menke AJ, Pan H, Janesko BG, Simanek EE, Pavan GM. Well-Tempered Metadynamics Simulations Predict the Structural and Dynamic Properties of a Chiral 24-Atom Macrocycle in Solution. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:30291-30296. [PMID: 36061685 PMCID: PMC9434777 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c03536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Inspired by therapeutic potential, the molecular engineering of macrocycles is garnering increased interest. Exercising control with design, however, is challenging due to the dynamic behavior that these molecules must demonstrate in order to be bioactive. Herein, the value of metadynamics simulations is demonstrated: the free-energy surfaces calculated reveal folded and flattened accessible conformations of a 24-atom macrocycle separated by barriers of ∼6 kT under experimentally relevant conditions. Simulations reveal that the dominant conformer is folded-an observation consistent with a solid-state structure determined by X-ray crystallography and a network of rOes established by 1H NMR. Simulations suggest that the macrocycle exists as a rapidly interconverting pair of enantiomeric, folded structures. Experimentally, 1H NMR shows a single species at room temperature. However, at lower temperature, the interconversion rate between these enantiomers becomes markedly slower, resulting in the decoalescence of enantiotopic methylene protons into diastereotopic, distinguishable resonances due to the persistence of conformational chirality. The emergence of conformational chirality provides critical experimental support for the simulations, revealing the dynamic nature of the scaffold-a trait deemed critical for oral bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Capelli
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Alexander J. Menke
- Department
of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian
University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Hongjun Pan
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Benjamin G. Janesko
- Department
of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian
University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Eric E. Simanek
- Department
of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Texas Christian
University, Fort Worth, Texas 76129, United States
| | - Giovanni M. Pavan
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
- Department
of Innovative Technologies, University of
Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano, 6962 Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
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38
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Mattei A, Hong RS, Dietrich H, Firaha D, Helfferich J, Liu YM, Sasikumar K, Abraham NS, Miglani Bhardwaj R, Neumann MA, Sheikh AY. Efficient Crystal Structure Prediction for Structurally Related Molecules with Accurate and Transferable Tailor-Made Force Fields. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:5725-5738. [PMID: 35930763 PMCID: PMC9476662 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Crystal structure prediction (CSP) his generally used to complement experimental solid form screening and applied to individual molecules in drug development. The fast development of algorithms and computing resources offers the opportunity to use CSP earlier and for a broader range of applications in the drug design cycle. This study presents a novel paradigm of CSP specifically designed for structurally related molecules, referred to as Quick-CSP. The approach prioritizes more accurate physics through robust and transferable tailor-made force fields (TMFFs), such that significant efficiency gains are achieved through the reduction of expensive ab initio calculations. The accuracy of the TMFF is increased by the introduction of electrostatic multipoles, and the fragment-based force field parameterization scheme is demonstrated to be transferable for a family of chemically related molecules. The protocol is benchmarked with structurally related compounds from the Bromodomain and Extraterminal (BET) domain inhibitors series. A new convergence criterion is introduced that aims at performing only as many ab initio optimizations of crystal structures as required to locate the bottom of the crystal energy landscape within a user-defined accuracy. The overall approach provides significant cost savings ranging from three- to eight-fold less than the full-CSP workflow. The reported advancements expand the scope and utility of the underlying CSP building blocks as well as their novel reassembly to other applications earlier in the drug design cycle to guide molecule design and selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Mattei
- Solid State Chemistry, Research & Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 N Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Richard S Hong
- Solid State Chemistry, Research & Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 N Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Hanno Dietrich
- Avant-garde Materials Simulation, GmbH, Alte Str. 2, 79249 Merzhausen, Germany
| | - Dzmitry Firaha
- Avant-garde Materials Simulation, GmbH, Alte Str. 2, 79249 Merzhausen, Germany
| | - Julian Helfferich
- Avant-garde Materials Simulation, GmbH, Alte Str. 2, 79249 Merzhausen, Germany
| | - Yifei Michelle Liu
- Avant-garde Materials Simulation, GmbH, Alte Str. 2, 79249 Merzhausen, Germany
| | - Kiran Sasikumar
- Avant-garde Materials Simulation, GmbH, Alte Str. 2, 79249 Merzhausen, Germany
| | - Nathan S Abraham
- Solid State Chemistry, Research & Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 N Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Rajni Miglani Bhardwaj
- Solid State Chemistry, Research & Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 N Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
| | - Marcus A Neumann
- Avant-garde Materials Simulation, GmbH, Alte Str. 2, 79249 Merzhausen, Germany
| | - Ahmad Y Sheikh
- Solid State Chemistry, Research & Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 N Waukegan Road, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, United States
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39
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Rzepiela AA, Viarengo-Baker LA, Tatarskii V, Kombarov R, Whitty A. Conformational Effects on the Passive Membrane Permeability of Synthetic Macrocycles. J Med Chem 2022; 65:10300-10317. [PMID: 35861996 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c02090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Macrocyclic compounds (MCs) can have complex conformational properties that affect pharmacologically important behaviors such as membrane permeability. We measured the passive permeability of 3600 diverse nonpeptidic MCs and used machine learning to analyze the results. Incorporating selected properties based on the three-dimensional (3D) conformation gave models that predicted permeability with Q2 = 0.81. A biased spatial distribution of polar versus nonpolar regions was particularly important for good permeability, consistent with a mechanism in which the initial insertion of nonpolar portions of a MC helps facilitate the subsequent membrane entry of more polar parts. We also examined effects on permeability of 800 substructural elements by comparing matched molecular pairs. Some substitutions were invariably beneficial or invariably deleterious to permeability, while the influence of others was highly contextual. Overall, the work provides insights into how the permeability of MCs is influenced by their 3D conformational properties and suggests design hypotheses for achieving macrocycles with high membrane permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A Rzepiela
- Pyxis Discovery, Delftechpark 26, 2628XH Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Lauren A Viarengo-Baker
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Victor Tatarskii
- Asinex Corporation, 101 N Chestnut St # 104, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101,United States
| | - Roman Kombarov
- Asinex Corporation, 101 N Chestnut St # 104, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101,United States
| | - Adrian Whitty
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States.,Center for Molecular Discovery, Boston University, 24 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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40
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Erckes V, Steuer C. A story of peptides, lipophilicity and chromatography - back and forth in time. RSC Med Chem 2022; 13:676-687. [PMID: 35800203 PMCID: PMC9215158 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00027j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides, as part of the beyond the rule of 5 (bRo5) chemical space, represent a unique class of pharmaceutical compounds. Because of their exceptional position in the chemical space between traditional small molecules (molecular weight (MW) < 500 Da) and large therapeutic proteins (MW > 5000 Da), peptides became promising candidates for targeting challenging binding sites, including even targets traditionally considered as undruggable - e.g. intracellular protein-protein interactions. However, basic knowledge about physicochemical properties that are important for a drug to be membrane permeable is missing but would enhance the drug discovery process of bRo5 molecules. Consequently, there is a demand for quick and simple lipophilicity determination methods for peptides. In comparison to the traditional lipophilicity determination methods via shake flask and in silico prediction, chromatography-based methods could have multiple benefits such as the requirement of low analyte amount, insensitivity to impurities and high throughput. Herein we elucidate the role of peptide lipophilicity and different lipophilicity values. Further, we summarize peptide analysis via common chromatographic techniques, in specific reversed phase liquid chromatography, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography and their role in drug discovery and development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Erckes
- Pharmaceutical Analytics, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology Zurich 8093 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Christian Steuer
- Pharmaceutical Analytics, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology Zurich 8093 Zurich Switzerland
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41
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Pal S, 't Hart P. RNA-Binding Macrocyclic Peptides. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:883060. [PMID: 35517859 PMCID: PMC9062085 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.883060] [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: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Being able to effectively target RNA with potent ligands will open up a large number of potential therapeutic options. The knowledge on how to achieve this is ever expanding but an important question that remains open is what chemical matter is suitable to achieve this goal. The high flexibility of an RNA as well as its more limited chemical diversity and featureless binding sites can be difficult to target selectively but can be addressed by well-designed cyclic peptides. In this review we will provide an overview of reported cyclic peptide ligands for therapeutically relevant RNA targets and discuss the methods used to discover them. We will also provide critical insights into the properties required for potent and selective interaction and suggestions on how to assess these parameters. The use of cyclic peptides to target RNA is still in its infancy but the lessons learned from past examples can be adopted for the development of novel potent and selective ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunit Pal
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Peter 't Hart
- Chemical Genomics Centre of the Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany
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42
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García Jiménez D, Rossi Sebastiano M, Vallaro M, Mileo V, Pizzirani D, Moretti E, Ermondi G, Caron G. Designing Soluble PROTACs: Strategies and Preliminary Guidelines. J Med Chem 2022; 65:12639-12649. [PMID: 35469399 PMCID: PMC9574862 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Solubility optimization is a crucial step to obtaining oral PROTACs. Here we measured the thermodynamic solubilities (log S) of 21 commercial PROTACs. Next, we measured BRlogD and log kwIAM (lipophilicity), EPSA, and Δ log kwIAM (polarity) and showed that lipophilicity plays a major role in governing log S, but a contribution of polarity cannot be neglected. Two-/three-dimensional descriptors calculated on conformers arising from conformational sampling and steered molecular dynamics failed in modeling solubility. Infographic tools were used to identify a privileged region of soluble PROTACs in a chemical space defined by BRlogD, log kwIAM and topological polar surface area, while machine learning provided a log S classification model. Finally, for three pairs of PROTACs we measured the solubility, lipophilicity, and polarity of the building blocks and identified the limits of estimating PROTAC solubility from the synthetic components. Overall, this paper provides promising guidelines for optimizing PROTAC solubility in early drug discovery programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego García Jiménez
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, Via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Matteo Rossi Sebastiano
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, Via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Maura Vallaro
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, Via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Valentina Mileo
- Global Research and Preclinical Development, Research Center, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Belloli 11/a, 43122 Parma, Italy.,Emerging Science & Technology Unit, Research Center, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Belloli 11/a, 43122 Parma, Italy
| | - Daniela Pizzirani
- Global Research and Preclinical Development, Research Center, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Belloli 11/a, 43122 Parma, Italy.,Emerging Science & Technology Unit, Research Center, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Belloli 11/a, 43122 Parma, Italy
| | - Elisa Moretti
- Global Research and Preclinical Development, Research Center, Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Belloli 11/a, 43122 Parma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ermondi
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, Via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giulia Caron
- Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department, CASSMedChem, University of Torino, Via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
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43
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Gervasoni S, Malloci G, Bosin A, Vargiu AV, Zgurskaya HI, Ruggerone P. AB-DB: Force-Field parameters, MD trajectories, QM-based data, and Descriptors of Antimicrobials. Sci Data 2022; 9:148. [PMID: 35365662 PMCID: PMC8976083 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01261-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health. The development of chemo-informatic tools to guide medicinal chemistry campaigns in the efficint design of antibacterial libraries is urgently needed. We present AB-DB, an open database of all-atom force-field parameters, molecular dynamics trajectories, quantum-mechanical properties, and curated physico-chemical descriptors of antimicrobial compounds. We considered more than 300 molecules belonging to 25 families that include the most relevant antibiotic classes in clinical use, such as β-lactams and (fluoro)quinolones, as well as inhibitors of key bacterial proteins. We provide traditional descriptors together with properties obtained with Density Functional Theory calculations. Noteworthy, AB-DB contains less conventional descriptors extracted from μs-long molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent. In addition, for each compound we make available force-field parameters for the major micro-species at physiological pH. With the rise of multi-drug-resistant pathogens and the consequent need for novel antibiotics, inhibitors, and drug re-purposing strategies, curated databases containing reliable and not straightforward properties facilitate the integration of data mining and statistics into the discovery of new antimicrobials. Measurement(s) | molecular physical property analysis objective | Technology Type(s) | Computer Modeling |
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gervasoni
- University of Cagliari, Department of Physics, I-09042, Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Giuliano Malloci
- University of Cagliari, Department of Physics, I-09042, Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy.
| | - Andrea Bosin
- University of Cagliari, Department of Physics, I-09042, Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Attilio V Vargiu
- University of Cagliari, Department of Physics, I-09042, Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
| | - Helen I Zgurskaya
- University of Oklahoma, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Norman, OK, 73072, United States
| | - Paolo Ruggerone
- University of Cagliari, Department of Physics, I-09042, Monserrato (Cagliari), Italy
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44
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de Oliveira ECL, da Costa KS, Taube PS, Lima AH, Junior CDSDS. Biological Membrane-Penetrating Peptides: Computational Prediction and Applications. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:838259. [PMID: 35402305 PMCID: PMC8992797 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.838259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptides comprise a versatile class of biomolecules that present a unique chemical space with diverse physicochemical and structural properties. Some classes of peptides are able to naturally cross the biological membranes, such as cell membrane and blood-brain barrier (BBB). Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and blood-brain barrier-penetrating peptides (B3PPs) have been explored by the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries to develop new therapeutic molecules and carrier systems. The computational prediction of peptides’ penetration into biological membranes has been emerged as an interesting strategy due to their high throughput and low-cost screening of large chemical libraries. Structure- and sequence-based information of peptides, as well as atomistic biophysical models, have been explored in computer-assisted discovery strategies to classify and identify new structures with pharmacokinetic properties related to the translocation through biomembranes. Computational strategies to predict the permeability into biomembranes include cheminformatic filters, molecular dynamics simulations, artificial intelligence algorithms, and statistical models, and the choice of the most adequate method depends on the purposes of the computational investigation. Here, we exhibit and discuss some principles and applications of these computational methods widely used to predict the permeability of peptides into biomembranes, exhibiting some of their pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewerton Cristhian Lima de Oliveira
- Institute of Technology, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Kauê Santana da Costa, ; Ewerton Cristhian Lima de Oliveira,
| | - Kauê Santana da Costa
- Laboratory of Computational Simulation, Institute of Biodiversity, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Kauê Santana da Costa, ; Ewerton Cristhian Lima de Oliveira,
| | - Paulo Sérgio Taube
- Laboratory of Computational Simulation, Institute of Biodiversity, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém, Brazil
| | - Anderson H. Lima
- Laboratório de Planejamento e Desenvolvimento de Fármacos, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
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45
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Kansy M, Caron G. New therapeutic modalities in drug discovery and development: Insights & opportunities. ADMET AND DMPK 2022; 9:227-230. [PMID: 35300374 PMCID: PMC8920101 DOI: 10.5599/admet.1209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
New Therapeutic Modalities in Drug Discovery and Development: Insights & Opportunities (Editorial for the special issue of ADMET and DMPK)
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfred Kansy
- Independent Consultant, 79111, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Giulia Caron
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
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46
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Jimenez DG, Sebastiano MR, Caron G, Ermondi G. Are we ready to design oral PROTACs®? ADMET AND DMPK 2022; 9:243-254. [PMID: 35300370 PMCID: PMC8920102 DOI: 10.5599/admet.1037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
PROTACs® are expected to strongly impact the future of drug discovery. Therefore, in this work we firstly performed a statistical study to highlight the distribution of E3 ligases and POIs collected in PROTAC-DB, the main online database focused on degraders. Moreover, since the emerging technology of protein degradation deals with large and complex chemical structures, the second part of the paper focuses on how to set up a property-based design strategy to obtain oral degraders. For this purpose, we calculated a pool of seven previously ad hoc selected 2D descriptors for the 2258 publicly available degraders in PROTAC-DB (average values: MW= 972.9 Da, nC= 49.5, NAR= 4.5, PHI= 17.3, nHDon= 4.5, nHAcc= 17.7 and TPSA= 240 Å2) and compared them to a dataset of 50 bRo5 orally approved drugs. Then, a chemical space based on nC, PHI and TPSA was built and subregions with optimal permeability and bioavailability were identified. Bioavailable degraders (ARV-110 and ARV-471) tend to be closer to the Ro5 region, using mainly semi-rigid linkers. Permeable degraders, on the other hand, are placed in an average central region of the chemical space but chameleonicity could allow them to be located closer to the two Arvinas compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Garcia Jimenez
- University of Torino, Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Matteo Rossi Sebastiano
- University of Torino, Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giulia Caron
- University of Torino, Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ermondi
- University of Torino, Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Dept., CASSMedChem, via Quarello 15, 10135 Torino, Italy
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47
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Skrzypczak N, Przybylski P. Structural diversity and biological relevance of benzenoid and atypical ansamycins and their congeners. Nat Prod Rep 2022; 39:1678-1704. [PMID: 35262153 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00004k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 2011 to 2021The structural division of ansamycins, including those of atypical cores and different lengths of the ansa chains, is presented. Recently discovered benzenoid and atypical ansamycin scaffolds are presented in relation to their natural source and biosynthetic routes realized in bacteria as well as their muta and semisynthetic modifications influencing biological properties. To better understand the structure-activity relationships among benzenoid ansamycins structural aspects together with mechanisms of action regarding different targets in cells, are discussed. The most promising directions for structural optimizations of benzenoid ansamycins, characterized by predominant anticancer properties, were discussed in view of their potential medical and pharmaceutical applications. The bibliography of the review covers mainly years from 2011 to 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Skrzypczak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 8, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Piotr Przybylski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 8, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
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48
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Skrzypczak N, Przybylski P. Modifications, biological origin and antibacterial activity of naphthalenoid ansamycins. Nat Prod Rep 2022; 39:1653-1677. [PMID: 35244668 DOI: 10.1039/d2np00002d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Covering: 2011 to 2021Structural division of natural naphthalenoid ansamycins, regarding the type of the core and length of the ansa chain, and their biosynthetic pathways in microorganisms are discussed. The great biosynthetic plasticity of natural naphthalenoid ansamycins is reflected in their structural variety due to the alterations within ansa bridge or naphthalenoid core portions. A comparison between the biological potency of natural and semisynthetic naphthalenoid ansamycins was performed and discussed in relation to the molecular targets in cells. The antibacterial potency of naphthalenoid ansamycins seems to be dependent on the ansa chain length and conformational flexibility - the higher flexibility of the ansa chain the better biological outcome is noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Skrzypczak
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 8, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Piotr Przybylski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego 8, 61-614 Poznan, Poland.
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49
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Tamura T, Inoue M, Yoshimitsu Y, Hashimoto I, Ohashi N, Tsumura K, Suzuki K, Watanabe T, Hohsaka T. Chemical Synthesis and Cell-Free Expression of Thiazoline Ring-Bridged Cyclic Peptides and Their Properties on Biomembrane Permeability. BULLETIN OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN 2022. [DOI: 10.1246/bcsj.20210409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Tamura
- School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1211, Japan
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, 577 Ushijima, Kaisei-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa 258-8577, Japan
| | - Masaaki Inoue
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, 577 Ushijima, Kaisei-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa 258-8577, Japan
| | - Yuji Yoshimitsu
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry Laboratories, FUJIFILM Corporation, 577 Ushijima, Kaisei-machi, Ashigarakami-gun, Kanagawa 258-8577, Japan
| | - Ichihiko Hashimoto
- Analysis Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa 258-0123, Japan
| | - Noriyuki Ohashi
- Analysis Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa 258-0123, Japan
| | - Kyosuke Tsumura
- Analysis Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa 258-0123, Japan
| | - Koo Suzuki
- Analysis Technology Center, FUJIFILM Corporation, 210 Nakanuma, Minamiashigara, Kanagawa 258-0123, Japan
| | - Takayoshi Watanabe
- School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1211, Japan
| | - Takahiro Hohsaka
- School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1211, Japan
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50
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Li J, Kannan S, Aronica P, Brown CJ, Partridge AW, Verma CS. Molecular descriptors suggest stapling as a strategy for optimizing membrane permeability of cyclic peptides. J Chem Phys 2022; 156:065101. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0078025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Li
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix, Singapore 138671
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
| | | | - Pietro Aronica
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix, Singapore 138671
| | | | - Anthony W. Partridge
- MSD International, Translation Medicine Research Centre, 8 Biomedical Grove, #04-01/05 Neuros Building, Singapore 138665, Singapore
| | - Chandra S. Verma
- Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, 30 Biopolis Street, Matrix, Singapore 138671
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 637551, Singapore
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