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Howes JM, Harper MT. Application of the Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) to validate drug target engagement in platelets. Platelets 2024; 35:2354833. [PMID: 38767506 DOI: 10.1080/09537104.2024.2354833] [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: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Small molecule drugs play a major role in the study of human platelets. Effective action of a drug requires it to bind to one or more targets within the platelet (target engagement). However, although in vitro assays with isolated proteins can be used to determine drug affinity to these targets, additional factors affect target engagement and its consequences in an intact platelet, including plasma membrane permeability, intracellular metabolism or compartmentalization, and level of target expression. Mechanistic interpretation of the effect of drugs on platelet activity requires comprehensive investigation of drug binding in the proper cellular context, i.e. in intact platelets. The Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) is a valuable method to investigate target engagement within complex cellular environments. The assay is based on the principle that drug binding to a target protein increases that protein's thermal stability. In this technical report, we describe the application of CETSA to platelets. We highlight CETSA as a quick and informative technique for confirming the direct binding of drugs to platelet protein targets, providing a platform for understanding the mechanism of action of drugs in platelets, and which will be a valuable tool for investigating platelet signaling and function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew T Harper
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Nie S, Chang L, Huang Y, Zhou H, Yang Q, Kong L, Li Y. β-carboline derivative Z86 attenuates colorectal cancer cell proliferation and migration by directly targeting PI3K. NATURAL PRODUCTS AND BIOPROSPECTING 2024; 14:3. [PMID: 38169019 PMCID: PMC10761647 DOI: 10.1007/s13659-023-00422-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3Ks) are lipid kinases widely involved in cell proliferation, metastasis and differentiation. Constitutive activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling are well confirmed in colorectal cancers (CRCs). In this study, we identified isopropyl 9-ethyl-1-(naphthalen-1-yl)-9 H-pyrido[3,4-b] indole-3-carboxylate (Z86), as a novel PI3Kα inhibitor with the IC50 value of 4.28 µM. The binding of Z86 to PI3Kα was further confirmed with DARTS and CETSA assay. Immunofluorescence analysis and western blotting data demonstrated that Z86 effectively attenuated PI3K/AKT pathway. Z86 caused dramatic proliferation inhibition of CRCs through G0/G1 cycle arrest rather than apoptosis induction. Besides, the migration of CRCs was also relieved by Z86. The present study not only identified Z86 as a novel PI3Kα inhibitor with potent inhibitory efficiency on PI3K-mediated CRCs growth and migration, but also elucidated a reasonable molecular mechanism of Z86 in the Wnt signaling pathway inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyun Nie
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, People's Republic of China
| | - Lizhong Chang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Huang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, People's Republic of China
| | - Heyang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, People's Republic of China
| | - Qianqing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, People's Republic of China
| | - Lingmei Kong
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yan Li
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry for Natural Resource, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Research and Development for Natural Products, School of Pharmacy, Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, People's Republic of China.
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Zhang L, Qiu L, Xu S, Cheng X, Wu J, Wang Y, Gao W, Bao J, Yu H. Curcumin induces mitophagy by promoting mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase activity and sensitizes human papillary thyroid carcinoma BCPAP cells to radioiodine treatment. Toxicol In Vitro 2023; 93:105669. [PMID: 37634662 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2023.105669] [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: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Thyroid cancer is one of the most common endocrine malignancies. Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) treatment is based on the ability of thyroid follicular cells to accumulate radioactive iodide (RAI). DTC generally has a good prognosis. However, tumor dedifferentiation or defect in certain cell death mechanism occurs in a subset of DTC patients, leading to RAI resistance. Therefore, developing novel therapeutic approaches that enhance RAI sensitivity are still warranted. We found that curcumin, an active ingredient in turmeric with anti-cancer properties, rapidly accumulated in the mitochondria of thyroid cancer cells but not normal epithelial cells. Curcumin treatment triggered mitochondrial membrane depolarization, engulfment of mitochondria within autophagosomes and a robust decrease in mitochondrial mass and proteins, indicating that curcumin selectively induced mitophagy in thyroid cancer cells. In addition, curcumin-induced mitophagic cell death and its synergistic cytotoxic effect with radioiodine could be attenuated by autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine (3-MA). Interestingly, the mechanism of mitophagy-inducing potential of curcumin was its unique mitochondria-targeting property, which induced a burst of SDH activity and excessive ROS production. Our data suggest that curcumin induces mitochondrial dysfunction and triggers lethal mitophagy, which synergizes with radioiodine to kill thyroid cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, Jiangsu, China; Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China; School of Life science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Ling Qiu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shichen Xu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xian Cheng
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Wu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yunping Wang
- School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wenjing Gao
- School of Life science and Technology, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Jiandong Bao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huixin Yu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, Jiangsu, China
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Llowarch P, Usselmann L, Ivanov D, Holdgate GA. Thermal unfolding methods in drug discovery. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:021305. [PMID: 38510342 PMCID: PMC10903397 DOI: 10.1063/5.0144141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Thermal unfolding methods, applied in both isolated protein and cell-based settings, are increasingly used to identify and characterize hits during early drug discovery. Technical developments over recent years have facilitated their application in high-throughput approaches, and they now are used more frequently for primary screening. Widespread access to instrumentation and automation, the ability to miniaturize, as well as the capability and capacity to generate the appropriate scale and quality of protein and cell reagents have all played a part in these advances. As the nature of drug targets and approaches to their modulation have evolved, these methods have broadened our ability to provide useful chemical start points. Target proteins without catalytic function, or those that may be difficult to express and purify, are amenable to these methods. Here, we provide a review of the applications of thermal unfolding methods applied in hit finding during early drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Llowarch
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Usselmann
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Delyan Ivanov
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
| | - Geoffrey A. Holdgate
- High Throughput Screening, Hit Discovery, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Alderley Park, United Kingdom
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Mertens RT, Gukathasan S, Arojojoye AS, Olelewe C, Awuah SG. Next Generation Gold Drugs and Probes: Chemistry and Biomedical Applications. Chem Rev 2023; 123:6612-6667. [PMID: 37071737 PMCID: PMC10317554 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
The gold drugs, gold sodium thiomalate (Myocrisin), aurothioglucose (Solganal), and the orally administered auranofin (Ridaura), are utilized in modern medicine for the treatment of inflammatory arthritis including rheumatoid and juvenile arthritis; however, new gold agents have been slow to enter the clinic. Repurposing of auranofin in different disease indications such as cancer, parasitic, and microbial infections in the clinic has provided impetus for the development of new gold complexes for biomedical applications based on unique mechanistic insights differentiated from auranofin. Various chemical methods for the preparation of physiologically stable gold complexes and associated mechanisms have been explored in biomedicine such as therapeutics or chemical probes. In this Review, we discuss the chemistry of next generation gold drugs, which encompasses oxidation states, geometry, ligands, coordination, and organometallic compounds for infectious diseases, cancer, inflammation, and as tools for chemical biology via gold-protein interactions. We will focus on the development of gold agents in biomedicine within the past decade. The Review provides readers with an accessible overview of the utility, development, and mechanism of action of gold-based small molecules to establish context and basis for the thriving resurgence of gold in medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Tyler Mertens
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Sailajah Gukathasan
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Adedamola S Arojojoye
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Chibuzor Olelewe
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
| | - Samuel G Awuah
- Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40506, United States
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, United States
- University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, United States
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Zhao S, Zhang P, Yan Y, Xu W, Li J, Wang L, Wang N, Huang Y. Network pharmacology-based prediction and validation of the active ingredients and potential mechanisms of the Huangxiong formula for treating ischemic stroke. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 312:116507. [PMID: 37080367 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Huangxiong Formula (HXF) is composed of four herbs: Rheum palmatum L., Ligusticum striatum DC., Curcuma aromatica Salisb., and Acorus gramineus Aiton. HXF is clinically used for the treatment of ischemic stroke (IS). However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY A network pharmacology-based strategy combined with experimental study in vivo and in vitro to were used to investigate the bioactive components, potential targets, and molecular mechanisms of HXF in the treatment of IS. MATERIALS AND METHODS The components of HXF were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). The potential active ingredients of HXF were acquired from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and literature, and corresponding targets were discerned through the Swiss TargetPrediction database. IS-related targets were obtained from Genecards, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), and DisGeNET. The intersection of ingredient and disease targets was screened, and a herbal-compound-target network was constructed. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was created, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Based on these analyses, we established a compound-target-pathway (C-T-P) network. A cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) animal model was established, and the cerebral protective effect of HXF was assessed. The accuracy of the predicted targets was verified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Hippocampal neuronal injury cell model induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) was used to evaluate the protective effect of α-Asarone. Furthermore, molecular docking, drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay, and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) were performed to verify whether α-Asarone can bind to PI3K. RESULTS A total of 44 active ingredients and 795 gene targets were identified through network pharmacology. Network analysis showed that naringenin, eupatin, kaempferol, and α-Asarone were possible drug candidates. SRC, AKT1, TP53, MAPK3, STAT3, HRAS, CTNNB1, EGFR, VEGFA, PIK3R1 could serve as potential drug targets. KEGG analysis implied that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway might play an important role in treating IS by HXF. Moreover, HXF significantly reduced neurological impairment, cerebral infarct volume, brain index, and brain histopathological damage in I/R rats. The mRNA expression of the top 10 potential targets was verified in the brain tissue. The C-T-P network and UPLC analysis suggested that α-Asarone might be an important component of HXF and can inhibit oxidative stress and apoptosis in HT22 cells by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Molecular docking, DARTS, and CETSA assay analysis confirmed that there were direct interactions between α-Asarone and PI3K. CONCLUSION HXF had a therapeutic effect in IS with multi-component, multi-target, and multi-approach features. α-Asarone, identified as one of the major active components of HXF, could alleviate oxidative stress and apoptosis by targeting PI3K/AKT pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saihong Zhao
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Pingping Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yonghuan Yan
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Weifang Xu
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Jiacheng Li
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Ning Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; Institute for the Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Chinese Medicines, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.
| | - Yingying Huang
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicinal Formula, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; Institute for the Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Chinese Medicines, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.
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Brown JI, Wang P, Wong AYL, Petrova B, Persaud R, Soukhtehzari S, Lopez McDonald M, Hanke D, Christensen J, Iliev P, Wang W, Everton DK, Williams KC, Frank DA, Kanarek N, Page BDG. Cycloguanil and Analogues Potently Target DHFR in Cancer Cells to Elicit Anti-Cancer Activity. Metabolites 2023; 13:151. [PMID: 36837770 PMCID: PMC9961069 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13020151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is an established anti-cancer drug target whose inhibition disrupts folate metabolism and STAT3-dependent gene expression. Cycloguanil was proposed as a DHFR inhibitor in the 1950s and is the active metabolite of clinically approved plasmodium DHFR inhibitor Proguanil. The Cycloguanil scaffold was explored to generate potential cancer therapies in the 1970s. Herein, current computational and chemical biology techniques were employed to re-investigate the anti-cancer activity of Cycloguanil and related compounds. In silico modeling was employed to identify promising Cycloguanil analogues from NCI databases, which were cross-referenced with NCI-60 Human Tumor Cell Line Screening data. Using target engagement assays, it was found that these compounds engage DHFR in cells at sub-nanomolar concentrations; however, growth impairments were not observed until higher concentrations. Folinic acid treatment rescues the viability impairments induced by some, but not all, Cycloguanil analogues, suggesting these compounds may have additional targets. Cycloguanil and its most promising analogue, NSC127159, induced similar metabolite profiles compared to established DHFR inhibitors Methotrexate and Pyrimethamine while also blocking downstream signaling, including STAT3 transcriptional activity. These data confirm that Cycloguanil and its analogues are potent inhibitors of human DHFR, and their anti-cancer activity may be worth further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer I. Brown
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alan Y. L. Wong
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Boryana Petrova
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rosanne Persaud
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sepideh Soukhtehzari
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | | | - Danielle Hanke
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Josephine Christensen
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Petar Iliev
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Weiyuan Wang
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Daniel K. Everton
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Karla C. Williams
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - David A. Frank
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Naama Kanarek
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brent D. G. Page
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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