1
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Rother N, Yanginlar C, Prévot G, Jonkman I, Jacobs M, van Leent MMT, van Heck J, Matzaraki V, Azzun A, Morla-Folch J, Ranzenigo A, Wang W, van der Meel R, Fayad ZA, Riksen NP, Hilbrands LB, Lindeboom RGH, Martens JHA, Vermeulen M, Joosten LAB, Netea MG, Mulder WJM, van der Vlag J, Teunissen AJP, Duivenvoorden R. Acid ceramidase regulates innate immune memory. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113458. [PMID: 37995184 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate immune memory, also called "trained immunity," is a functional state of myeloid cells enabling enhanced immune responses. This phenomenon is important for host defense, but also plays a role in various immune-mediated conditions. We show that exogenously administered sphingolipids and inhibition of sphingolipid metabolizing enzymes modulate trained immunity. In particular, we reveal that acid ceramidase, an enzyme that converts ceramide to sphingosine, is a potent regulator of trained immunity. We show that acid ceramidase regulates the transcription of histone-modifying enzymes, resulting in profound changes in histone 3 lysine 27 acetylation and histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation. We confirm our findings by identifying single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the region of ASAH1, the gene encoding acid ceramidase, that are associated with the trained immunity cytokine response. Our findings reveal an immunomodulatory effect of sphingolipids and identify acid ceramidase as a relevant therapeutic target to modulate trained immunity responses in innate immune-driven disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Rother
- Department of Nephrology, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Cansu Yanginlar
- Department of Nephrology, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Geoffrey Prévot
- Biomolecular Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Inge Jonkman
- Department of Nephrology, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Maaike Jacobs
- Department of Nephrology, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Mandy M T van Leent
- Biomolecular Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Julia van Heck
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Vasiliki Matzaraki
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anthony Azzun
- Biomolecular Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Judit Morla-Folch
- Biomolecular Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Ranzenigo
- Biomolecular Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - William Wang
- Biomolecular Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roy van der Meel
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Zahi A Fayad
- Biomolecular Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Niels P Riksen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Luuk B Hilbrands
- Department of Nephrology, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Rik G H Lindeboom
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Oncode Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Joost H A Martens
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Oncode Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel Vermeulen
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Oncode Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Leo A B Joosten
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Medical Genetics, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iuliu Haţieganu, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mihai G Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Immunology and Metabolism, Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Willem J M Mulder
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Johan van der Vlag
- Department of Nephrology, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Abraham J P Teunissen
- Biomolecular Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Raphaël Duivenvoorden
- Department of Nephrology, Research Institute for Medical Innovation, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Biomolecular Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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2
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Uddin MJ, Overkleeft HS, Lentz CS. Activity-Based Protein Profiling in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Reveals the Broad Reactivity of a Carmofur-Derived Probe. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300473. [PMID: 37552008 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300473] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
Activity-based protein profiling is a powerful chemoproteomic technique to detect active enzymes and identify targets and off-targets of drugs. Here, we report the use of carmofur- and activity-based probes to identify biologically relevant enzymes in the bacterial pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Carmofur is an anti-neoplastic prodrug of 5-fluorouracil and also has antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity. Carmofur probes were originally designed to target human acid ceramidase, a member of the NTN hydrolase family with an active-site cysteine nucleophile. Here, we first profiled the targets of a fluorescent carmofur probe in live S. aureus under biofilm-promoting conditions and in liquid culture, before proceeding to target identification by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Treatment with a carmofur-biotin probe led to enrichment of 20 enzymes from diverse families awaiting further characterization, including the NTN hydrolase-related IMP cyclohydrolase PurH. However, the probe preferentially labeled serine hydrolases, thus displaying a reactivity profile similar to that of carbamates. Our results suggest that the electrophilic N-carbamoyl-5-fluorouracil scaffold could potentially be optimized to achieve selectivity towards diverse enzyme families. The observed promiscuous reactivity profile suggests that the clinical use of carmofur presumably leads to inactivation of a number human and microbial enzymes, which could lead to side effects and/or contribute to therapeutic efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Jalal Uddin
- Department of Medical Biology, UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, 9019, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Hermen S Overkleeft
- Department of Bioorganic Synthesis, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Christian S Lentz
- Department of Medical Biology, UiT- The Arctic University of Norway, 9019, Tromsø, Norway
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3
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Islam MM, Mirza SP. Versatile use of Carmofur: A comprehensive review of its chemistry and pharmacology. Drug Dev Res 2022; 83:1505-1518. [PMID: 36031762 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21984] [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: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Carmofur, 1-hexylcarbamoyl-5-fluorouracil (HCFU) is an antineoplastic drug, which has been in clinics in Japan since 1981 for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Subsequently, it was also introduced in China, Korea, and Finland. Besides colorectal cancer, it has also shown antitumor activity in other cancers such as breast, head and neck, pancreatic, gastrointestinal, and solid brain tumors. A prodrug of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), carmofur has shown better gastrointestinal stability and superior antiproliferative activity compared to its active counterpart 5-FU. Recently, carmofur has gained attention as an acid ceramidase inhibitor and as a potential lead compound against several noncancerous diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019, Krabbe disease, acute lung injury, Parkinson's disease, dementia, childhood ependymoma etc. Carmofur has also been reported to have antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. Nevertheless, no comprehensive review is available on this drug. Herein, we summarized the chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacology of carmofur based on the literature published between January 1976 and March 2022 as identified from PubMed and Google Scholar search engines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mohiminul Islam
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Shama P Mirza
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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4
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A 5-Fluorouracil Derivative: Carmofur as a New Potent Agent for Inhibition of Human Prostate and Breast Cancer Cell Lines. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, TRANSACTIONS A: SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s40995-021-01227-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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5
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Munk R, Anerillas C, Rossi M, Tsitsipatis D, Martindale JL, Herman AB, Yang JH, Roberts JA, Varma VR, Pandey PR, Thambisetty M, Gorospe M, Abdelmohsen K. Acid ceramidase promotes senescent cell survival. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:15750-15769. [PMID: 34102611 PMCID: PMC8266329 DOI: 10.18632/aging.203170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Cellular senescence is linked to chronic age-related diseases including atherosclerosis, diabetes, and neurodegeneration. Compared to proliferating cells, senescent cells express distinct subsets of proteins. In this study, we used cultured human diploid fibroblasts rendered senescent through replicative exhaustion or ionizing radiation to identify proteins differentially expressed during senescence. We identified acid ceramidase (ASAH1), a lysosomal enzyme that cleaves ceramide into sphingosine and fatty acid, as being highly elevated in senescent cells. This increase in ASAH1 levels in senescent cells was associated with a rise in the levels of ASAH1 mRNA and a robust increase in ASAH1 protein stability. Furthermore, silencing ASAH1 in pre-senescent fibroblasts decreased the levels of senescence proteins p16, p21, and p53, and reduced the activity of the senescence-associated β-galactosidase. Interestingly, depletion of ASAH1 in pre-senescent cells sensitized these cells to the senolytics Dasatinib and Quercetin (D+Q). Together, our study indicates that ASAH1 promotes senescence, protects senescent cells, and confers resistance against senolytic drugs. Given that inhibiting ASAH1 sensitizes cells towards senolysis, this enzyme represents an attractive therapeutic target in interventions aimed at eliminating senescent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Munk
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Carlos Anerillas
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Martina Rossi
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Dimitrios Tsitsipatis
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Jennifer L Martindale
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Allison B Herman
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Jen-Hao Yang
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Jackson A Roberts
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Vijay R Varma
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Poonam R Pandey
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Madhav Thambisetty
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Myriam Gorospe
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
| | - Kotb Abdelmohsen
- Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics, National Institute on Aging-Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21224, USA
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6
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Weiss L, Jung KM, Nalbandian A, Llewellyn K, Yu H, Ta L, Chang I, Migliore M, Squire E, Ahmed F, Piomelli D, Kimonis V. Ceramide contributes to pathogenesis and may be targeted for therapy in VCP inclusion body myopathy. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:3945-3953. [PMID: 33410456 PMCID: PMC8485215 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Knock-in homozygote VCPR155H/R155H mutant mice are a lethal model of valosin-containing protein (VCP)-associated inclusion body myopathy associated with Paget disease of bone, frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ceramide (d18:1/16:0) levels are elevated in skeletal muscle of the mutant mice, compared to wild-type controls. Moreover, exposure to a lipid-enriched diet reverses lethality, improves myopathy and normalizes ceramide levels in these mutant mice, suggesting that dysfunctions in lipid-derived signaling are critical to disease pathogenesis. Here, we investigated the potential role of ceramide in VCP disease using pharmacological agents that manipulate the ceramide levels in myoblast cultures from VCP mutant mice and VCP patients. Myoblasts from wild-type, VCPR155H/+ and VCPR155H/R155H mice, as well as patient-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), were treated with an inhibitor of ceramide degradation to increase ceramide via acid ceramidase (ARN082) for proof of principle. Three chemically distinct inhibitors of ceramide biosynthesis via serine palmitoyl-CoA transferase (L-cycloserine, myriocin or ARN14494) were used as a therapeutic strategy to reduce ceramide in myoblasts. Acid ceramidase inhibitor, ARN082, elevated cellular ceramide levels and concomitantly enhanced pathology. Conversely, inhibitors of ceramide biosynthesis L-cycloserine, myriocin and ARN14494 reduced ceramide production. The results point to ceramide-mediated signaling as a key contributor to pathogenesis in VCP disease and suggest that manipulating this pathway by blocking ceramide biosynthesis might exert beneficial effects in patients with this condition. The ceramide pathway appears to be critical in VCP pathogenesis, and small-molecule inhibitors of ceramide biosynthesis might provide therapeutic benefits in VCP and related neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan Weiss
- Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Kwang-Mook Jung
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Angele Nalbandian
- Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Katrina Llewellyn
- Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Howard Yu
- Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Lac Ta
- Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Isabela Chang
- Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Marco Migliore
- Drug Discovery and Development, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, 16162, Italy
- Aptuit (Verona) Srl, Verona, 37135 Italy
| | - Erica Squire
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Faizy Ahmed
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Biological Chemistry, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Virginia Kimonis
- Division of Genetic and Genomic Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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7
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Caputo S, Di Martino S, Cilibrasi V, Tardia P, Mazzonna M, Russo D, Penna I, Summa M, Bertozzi SM, Realini N, Margaroli N, Migliore M, Ottonello G, Liu M, Lansbury P, Armirotti A, Bertorelli R, Ray SS, Skerlj R, Scarpelli R. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of a Series of Oxazolone Carboxamides as a Novel Class of Acid Ceramidase Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2020; 63:15821-15851. [PMID: 33290061 PMCID: PMC7770833 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Acid
ceramidase (AC) is a cysteine hydrolase that plays a crucial
role in the metabolism of lysosomal ceramides, important members of
the sphingolipid family, a diversified class of bioactive molecules
that mediate many biological processes ranging from cell structural
integrity, signaling, and cell proliferation to cell death. In the
effort to expand the structural diversity of the existing collection
of AC inhibitors, a novel class of substituted oxazol-2-one-3-carboxamides
were designed and synthesized. Herein, we present the chemical optimization
of our initial hits, 2-oxo-4-phenyl-N-(4-phenylbutyl)oxazole-3-carboxamide 8a and 2-oxo-5-phenyl-N-(4-phenylbutyl)oxazole-3-carboxamide 12a, which resulted in the identification of 5-[4-fluoro-2-(1-methyl-4-piperidyl)phenyl]-2-oxo-N-pentyl-oxazole-3-carboxamide 32b as a potent
AC inhibitor with optimal physicochemical and metabolic properties,
showing target engagement in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and
a desirable pharmacokinetic profile in mice, following intravenous
and oral administration. 32b enriches the arsenal of
promising lead compounds that may therefore act as useful pharmacological
tools for investigating the potential therapeutic effects of AC inhibition
in relevant sphingolipid-mediated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Caputo
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Simona Di Martino
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cilibrasi
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Piero Tardia
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Mazzonna
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Debora Russo
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,D3-Pharma Chemistry, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ilaria Penna
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,D3-Pharma Chemistry, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Maria Summa
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Sine Mandrup Bertozzi
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Natalia Realini
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Natasha Margaroli
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Migliore
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Giuliana Ottonello
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Min Liu
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Peter Lansbury
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Rosalia Bertorelli
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Analytical Chemistry and Translational Pharmacology, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Soumya S Ray
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Renato Skerlj
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Rita Scarpelli
- Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Drug Discovery and Development (D3)-Validation, Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
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8
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Di Martino S, Tardia P, Cilibrasi V, Caputo S, Mazzonna M, Russo D, Penna I, Realini N, Margaroli N, Migliore M, Pizzirani D, Ottonello G, Bertozzi SM, Armirotti A, Nguyen D, Sun Y, Bongarzone ER, Lansbury P, Liu M, Skerlj R, Scarpelli R. Lead Optimization of Benzoxazolone Carboxamides as Orally Bioavailable and CNS Penetrant Acid Ceramidase Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2020; 63:3634-3664. [PMID: 32176488 PMCID: PMC7997574 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b02004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Sphingolipids
(SphLs) are a diverse class of molecules that are
regulated by a complex network of enzymatic pathways. A disturbance
in these pathways leads to lipid accumulation and initiation of several
SphL-related disorders. Acid ceramidase is one of the key enzymes
that regulate the metabolism of ceramides and glycosphingolipids,
which are important members of the SphL family. Herein, we describe
the lead optimization studies of benzoxazolone carboxamides resulting
in piperidine 22m, where we demonstrated target engagement
in two animal models of neuropathic lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs),
Gaucher’s and Krabbe’s diseases. After daily intraperitoneal
administration at 90 mg kg–1, 22m significantly
reduced the brain levels of the toxic lipids glucosylsphingosine (GluSph)
in 4L;C* mice and galactosylsphingosine (GalSph) in Twitcher mice.
We believe that 22m is a lead molecule that can be further
developed for the correction of severe neurological LSDs where GluSph
or GalSph play a significant role in disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Duc Nguyen
- The Myelin Regeneration Group at the Dept. Anatomy & Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States
| | - Ying Sun
- The Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3039, United States
| | - Ernesto R Bongarzone
- The Myelin Regeneration Group at the Dept. Anatomy & Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60612, United States
| | - Peter Lansbury
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Min Liu
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Renato Skerlj
- Lysosomal Therapeutics Inc., 19 Blackstone Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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9
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Role of Ceramidases in Sphingolipid Metabolism and Human Diseases. Cells 2019; 8:cells8121573. [PMID: 31817238 PMCID: PMC6952831 DOI: 10.3390/cells8121573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pathologies such as Alzheimer’s disease, type 2 diabetes-induced insulin resistance, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases have altered lipid homeostasis. Among these imbalanced lipids, the bioactive sphingolipids ceramide and sphingosine-1 phosphate (S1P) are pivotal in the pathophysiology of these diseases. Several enzymes within the sphingolipid pathway contribute to the homeostasis of ceramide and S1P. Ceramidase is key in the degradation of ceramide into sphingosine and free fatty acids. In humans, five different ceramidases are known—acid ceramidase, neutral ceramidase, and alkaline ceramidase 1, 2, and 3—which are encoded by five different genes (ASAH1, ASAH2, ACER1, ACER2, and ACER3, respectively). Notably, the neutral ceramidase N-acylsphingosine amidohydrolase 2 (ASAH2) shows considerable differences between humans and animals in terms of tissue expression levels. Besides, the subcellular localization of ASAH2 remains controversial. In this review, we sum up the results obtained for identifying gene divergence, structure, subcellular localization, and manipulating factors and address the role of ASAH2 along with other ceramidases in human diseases.
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10
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Wu K, Xiu Y, Zhou P, Qiu Y, Li Y. A New Use for an Old Drug: Carmofur Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-Induced Acute Lung Injury via Inhibition of FAAH and NAAA Activities. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:818. [PMID: 31379583 PMCID: PMC6659393 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.00818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute lung injury (ALI), characterized by a severe inflammatory process, is a complex syndrome that can lead to multisystem organ failure. Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and N-acylethanolamine acid amidase (NAAA) are two potential therapeutic targets for inflammation-related diseases. Herein, we identified carmofur, a 5-fluorouracil-releasing drug and clinically used as a chemotherapeutic agent, as a dual FAAH and NAAA inhibitor. In Raw264.7 macrophages, carmofur effectively reduced the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory factors, including IL-1β, IL-6, iNOS, and TNF-α, and down-regulated signaling proteins of the nuclear transcription factor κB (NF-κB) pathway. Furthermore, carmofur significantly ameliorated the inflammatory responses and promoted resolution of pulmonary injury in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI mice. The pharmacological effects of carmofur were partially blocked by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) antagonist MK886 and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) antagonist SR144528, indicating that carmofur attenuated LPS-induced ALI in a PPARα- and CB2-dependent mechanism. Our study suggested that carmofur might be a novel therapeutic agent for ALI, and drug repurposing may provide us effective therapeutic strategies for ALI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangni Wu
- Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yanghui Xiu
- Eye Institute & Affiliated Xiamen Eye Center, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Pan Zhou
- Eye Institute & Affiliated Xiamen Eye Center, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Institute of Hematology, Medical College of Xiamem University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yan Qiu
- Eye Institute & Affiliated Xiamen Eye Center, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.,Institute of Hematology, Medical College of Xiamem University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuhang Li
- Xiamen Institute of Rare-earth Materials, Haixi Institutes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fujian, China.,CAS Key Laboratory of Design and Assembly of Functional Nanostructures, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanomaterials, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fujian, China
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11
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Snider JM, Luberto C, Hannun YA. Approaches for probing and evaluating mammalian sphingolipid metabolism. Anal Biochem 2019; 575:70-86. [PMID: 30917945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2019.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Sphingolipid metabolism plays a critical role in regulating processes that control cellular fate. This dynamic pathway can generate and degrade the central players: ceramide, sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate in almost any membrane in the cell, adding an unexpected level of complexity in deciphering signaling events. While in vitro assays have been developed for most enzymes in SL metabolism, these assays are setup for optimal activity conditions and can fail to take into account regulatory components such as compartmentalization, substrate limitations, and binding partners that can affect cellular enzymatic activity. Therefore, many in-cell assays have been developed to derive results that are authentic to the cellular situation which may give context to alteration in SL mass. This review will discuss approaches for utilizing probes for mammalian in-cell assays to interrogate most enzymatic steps central to SL metabolism. The use of inhibitors in conjunction with these probes can verify the specificity of cellular assays as well as provide valuable insight into flux in the SL network. The use of inhibitors specific to each of the central sphingolipid enzymes are also discussed to assist researchers in further interrogation of these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M Snider
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; The Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Chiara Luberto
- The Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Yusuf A Hannun
- Department of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; The Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA; Departments of Biochemistry, Pathology and Pharmacology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
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12
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Arshad F, Khan MF, Akhtar W, Alam MM, Nainwal LM, Kaushik SK, Akhter M, Parvez S, Hasan SM, Shaquiquzzaman M. Revealing quinquennial anticancer journey of morpholine: A SAR based review. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 167:324-356. [PMID: 30776694 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Morpholine, a six-membered heterocycle containing one nitrogen and one oxygen atom, is a moiety of great significance. It forms an important intermediate in many industrial and organic syntheses. Morpholine containing drugs are of high therapeutic value. Its wide array of pharmacological activity includes anti-diabetic, anti-emetic, growth stimulant, anti-depressant, bronchodilator and anticancer. Multi-drug resistance in cancer cases have emerged in the last few years and have led to the failure of many chemotherapeutic drugs. Newer treatment methods and drugs are being developed to overcome this problem. Target based drug discovery is an effective method to develop novel anticancer drugs. To develop newer drugs, previously reported work needs to be studied. Keeping this in mind, last five year's literature on morpholine used as anticancer agents has been reviewed and summarized in the paper herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Arshad
- Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India
| | - Mohemmed Faraz Khan
- Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India
| | - Wasim Akhtar
- Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India
| | - Mohammad Mumtaz Alam
- Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India
| | - Lalit Mohan Nainwal
- Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India
| | - Sumit Kumar Kaushik
- Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India
| | - Mymoona Akhter
- Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India
| | - Suhel Parvez
- Department of Toxicology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India
| | | | - Mohammad Shaquiquzzaman
- Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry Lab, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, 110062, India.
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13
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Dementiev A, Joachimiak A, Nguyen H, Gorelik A, Illes K, Shabani S, Gelsomino M, Ahn EYE, Nagar B, Doan N. Molecular Mechanism of Inhibition of Acid Ceramidase by Carmofur. J Med Chem 2018; 62:987-992. [PMID: 30525581 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Human acid ceramidase (AC) is a lysosomal cysteine amidase, which has received a great deal of interest in recent years as a potential target for the development of new therapeutics against melanoma and glioblastoma tumors. Despite the strong interest in obtaining structural information, only the structures of the apo-AC enzyme in its zymogen and activated conformations are available. In this work, the crystal structure of AC in complex with the covalent carmofur inhibitor is presented. Carmofur is an antineoplastic drug containing an electrophilic carbonyl reactive group that targets the catalytic cysteine. This novel structural data explains the basis of the AC inhibition, provides insights into the enzymatic properties of the protein, and is a great aid toward the structure-based drug design of potent inhibitors for AC, providing the detailed mechanism, which has eluded the scientific community for more than 30 years, of carmofur's mysterious 5-fluorouracil-independent antitumor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Dementiev
- Structural Biology Center, Biosciences Division , Argonne National Laboratory , Lemont , Illinois 60439 , United States
| | - Andrzej Joachimiak
- Structural Biology Center, Biosciences Division , Argonne National Laboratory , Lemont , Illinois 60439 , United States
| | - Ha Nguyen
- California Institute of Neuroscience , Thousand Oaks , California 91360 , United States.,National Skull Base Center , Thousand Oaks , California 91360 , United States
| | - Alexei Gorelik
- Department of Biochemistry and Groupe de Recherche Axé sur la Structure des Protéines , McGill University , Montreal , Quebec H3G 0B1 , Canada
| | - Katalin Illes
- Department of Biochemistry and Groupe de Recherche Axé sur la Structure des Protéines , McGill University , Montreal , Quebec H3G 0B1 , Canada
| | - Saman Shabani
- Department of Neurosurgery , Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee , Wisconsin 53226 , United States
| | - Michael Gelsomino
- Department of Neurosurgery , Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee , Wisconsin 53226 , United States
| | - Eun-Young Erin Ahn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mitchell Cancer Institute , University of South Alabama , Mobile , Alabama 36617 United States
| | - Bhushan Nagar
- Department of Biochemistry and Groupe de Recherche Axé sur la Structure des Protéines , McGill University , Montreal , Quebec H3G 0B1 , Canada
| | - Ninh Doan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mitchell Cancer Institute , University of South Alabama , Mobile , Alabama 36617 United States
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14
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Click chemistry in sphingolipid research. Chem Phys Lipids 2018; 215:71-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chemphyslip.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
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15
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Doan NB, Nguyen HS, Montoure A, Al-Gizawiy MM, Mueller WM, Kurpad S, Rand SD, Connelly JM, Chitambar CR, Schmainda KM, Mirza SP. Acid ceramidase is a novel drug target for pediatric brain tumors. Oncotarget 2018; 8:24753-24761. [PMID: 28445970 PMCID: PMC5421885 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.15800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children and are also a leading culprit of cancer-related fatalities in children. Pediatric brain tumors remain hard to treat. In this study, we demonstrated that medulloblastoma, pediatric glioblastoma, and atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors express significant levels of acid ceramidase, where levels are highest in the radioresistant tumors, suggesting that acid ceramidase may confer radioresistance. More importantly, we also showed that acid ceramidase inhibitors are highly effective at targeting these pediatric brain tumors with low IC50 values (4.6–50 μM). This data suggests acid ceramidase as a novel drug target for adjuvant pediatric brain tumor therapies. Of these acid ceramidase inhibitors, carmofur has seen clinical use in Japan since 1981 for colorectal cancers and is a promising drug to undergo further animal studies and subsequently a clinical trial as a treatment for pediatric patients with brain tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninh B Doan
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Ha S Nguyen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Andrew Montoure
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Mona M Al-Gizawiy
- Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Wade M Mueller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Shekar Kurpad
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Scott D Rand
- Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Jennifer M Connelly
- Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | | | - Kathleen M Schmainda
- Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA.,Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Shama P Mirza
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA.,Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53211, USA
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16
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Doan NB, Alhajala H, Al-Gizawiy MM, Mueller WM, Rand SD, Connelly JM, Cochran EJ, Chitambar CR, Clark P, Kuo J, Schmainda KM, Mirza SP. Acid ceramidase and its inhibitors: a de novo drug target and a new class of drugs for killing glioblastoma cancer stem cells with high efficiency. Oncotarget 2017; 8:112662-112674. [PMID: 29348854 PMCID: PMC5762539 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma remains the most common, malignant primary cancer of the central nervous system with a low life expectancy and an overall survival of less than 1.5 years. The treatment options are limited and there is no cure. Moreover, almost all patients develop recurrent tumors, which typically are more aggressive. Therapeutically resistant glioblastoma or glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs) are hypothesized to cause this inevitable recurrence. Identifying prognostic biomarkers of glioblastoma will potentially advance knowledge about glioblastoma tumorigenesis and enable discovery of more effective therapies. Proteomic analysis of more than 600 glioblastoma-specific proteins revealed, for the first time, that expression of acid ceramidase (ASAH1) is associated with poor glioblastoma survival. CD133+ GSCs express significantly higher ASAH1 compared to CD133- GSCs and serum-cultured glioblastoma cell lines, such as U87MG. These findings implicate ASAH1 as a plausible independent prognostic marker, providing a target for a therapy tailored toward GSCs. We further demonstrate that ASAH1 inhibition increases cellular ceramide level and induces apoptosis. Strikingly, U87MG cells, and three different patient-derived glioblastoma stem-like cancer cell lines were efficiently killed, through apoptosis, by three different known ASAH1 inhibitors with IC50's ranging from 11–104 μM. In comparison, the standard glioblastoma chemotherapy agent, temozolomide, had minimal GSC-targeted effects at comparable or even higher concentrations (IC50 > 750 μM against GSCs). ASAH1 is identified as a de novo glioblastoma drug target, and ASAH1 inhibitors, such as carmofur, are shown to be highly effective and to specifically target glioblastoma GSCs. Carmofur is an ASAH1 inhibitor that crosses the blood-brain barrier, a major bottleneck in glioblastoma treatment. It has been approved in Japan since 1981 for colorectal cancer therapy. Therefore, it is poised for repurposing and translation to glioblastoma clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninh B Doan
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Hisham Alhajala
- Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Mona M Al-Gizawiy
- Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Wade M Mueller
- Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Scott D Rand
- Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | | | | | - Christopher R Chitambar
- Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Paul Clark
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53792, USA
| | - John Kuo
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Human Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53792, USA
| | - Kathleen M Schmainda
- Medicine, Hematology/Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA.,Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA
| | - Shama P Mirza
- Biotechnology and Bioengineering Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA.,Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53226, USA.,Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53211, USA
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17
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Sengupta N, Reardon DC, Gerard PD, Baldwin WS. Exchange of polar lipids from adults to neonates in Daphnia magna: Perturbations in sphingomyelin allocation by dietary lipids and environmental toxicants. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178131. [PMID: 28542405 PMCID: PMC5443554 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Because xenosensing nuclear receptors are also lipid sensors that regulate lipid allocation, we hypothesized that toxicant-induced modulation of HR96 activity would alter lipid profiles and the balance between adult survival and neonate production following exposure in Daphnia magna. Adult daphnids were exposed to unsaturated fatty acid- and toxicant- activators or inhibitors of HR96 and later starved to test whether chemical exposure altered allocation toward survival or reproduction. The HR96 activators, linoleic acid and atrazine, decreased reproduction as expected with concomitant changes in the expression of HR96 regulated genes such as magro. The HR96 inhibitors, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and triclosan, increased reproduction or neonate starvation survival, respectively. However, pre-exposure to triclosan increased in neonate survival at the expense of reproductive maturation. Lipidomic analysis revealed that sphingomyelins (SM) are predominantly found in neonates and therefore we propose are important in development. DHA and triclosan increased neonatal SM, consistent with HR96’s regulation of Niemann-Pick genes. While DHA altered expression of magro, Niemann-Pick 1b, mannosidase, and other HR96-regulated genes as expected, triclosan primarily perturbed sphingomyelinase and mannosidase expression indicating different but potentially overlapping mechanisms for perturbing SM. Overall, SM appears to be a key lipid in Daphnia maturation and further support was provided by carmofur, which inhibits sphingomyelin/ceramide metabolism and in turn severely represses Daphnia maturation and initial brood production. In conclusion, toxicants can perturb lipid allocation and in turn impair development and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrata Sengupta
- Environmental Toxicology Program, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States of America
| | - Delaney C. Reardon
- Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States of America
| | - Patrick D. Gerard
- Mathematical Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States of America
| | - William S. Baldwin
- Environmental Toxicology Program, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States of America
- Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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Tan SF, Pearson JM, Feith DJ, Loughran TP. The emergence of acid ceramidase as a therapeutic target for acute myeloid leukemia. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2017; 21:583-590. [PMID: 28434262 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2017.1322065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common adult leukemia. Only a fraction of AML patients will survive with existing chemotherapy regimens. Hence, there is an urgent and unmet need to identify novel targets and develop better therapeutics in AML. In the past decade, the field of sphingolipid metabolism has emerged into the forefront of cancer biology due to its importance in cancer cell proliferation and survival. In particular, acid ceramidase (AC) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target due to its role in neutralizing the pro-death effects of ceramide. Areas covered: This review highlights key information about AML biology as well as current knowledge on dysregulated sphingolipid metabolism in cancer and AML. We describe AC function and dysregulation in cancer, followed by a review of studies that report elevated AC in AML and compounds known to inhibit the enzyme. Expert opinion: AML has a great need for new drug targets and better therapeutic agents. The finding of elevated AC in AML supports the concept that this enzyme represents a novel and realistic therapeutic target for this common leukemia. More effort is needed towards developing better AC inhibitors for clinical use and combination treatment with existing AML therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Fern Tan
- a Department of Medicine , University of Virginia , Charlottesville , VA , USA
| | - Jennifer M Pearson
- a Department of Medicine , University of Virginia , Charlottesville , VA , USA
| | - David J Feith
- a Department of Medicine , University of Virginia , Charlottesville , VA , USA.,b University of Virginia Cancer Center , Charlottesville , VA , USA
| | - Thomas P Loughran
- a Department of Medicine , University of Virginia , Charlottesville , VA , USA.,b University of Virginia Cancer Center , Charlottesville , VA , USA
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19
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Qiu Y, Ren J, Ke H, Zhang Y, Gao Q, Yang L, Lu C, Li Y. Design and synthesis of uracil urea derivatives as potent and selective fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitors. RSC Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ra02237a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is one of the key enzymes involved in the biological degradation of endocannabinoids, especially anandamide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Qiu
- Medical College
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen
- P. R. China
| | - Jie Ren
- Medical College
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen
- P. R. China
| | - Hongwei Ke
- Xiamen Institute of Rare-earth Materials
- Haixi Institutes
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- P. R. China
- College of Ocean and Earth Science
| | - Yang Zhang
- Medical College
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen
- P. R. China
| | - Qi Gao
- Medical College
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen
- P. R. China
| | - Longhe Yang
- Engineering Research Centre of Marine Biological Resource Comprehensive Utilization
- Third Institute of Oceanography
- State Oceanic Administration
- Xiamen 361102
- P. R. China
| | - Canzhong Lu
- Xiamen Institute of Rare-earth Materials
- Haixi Institutes
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- P. R. China
| | - Yuhang Li
- Medical College
- Xiamen University
- Xiamen
- P. R. China
- Xiamen Institute of Rare-earth Materials
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20
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Kamori A, Kato A, Miyawaki S, Koyama J, Nash RJ, Fleet GW, Miura D, Ishikawa F, Adachi I. Dual action of acertannins as potential regulators of intracellular ceramide levels. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetasy.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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21
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Gregorić T, Sedić M, Grbčić P, Tomljenović Paravić A, Kraljević Pavelić S, Cetina M, Vianello R, Raić-Malić S. Novel pyrimidine-2,4-dione-1,2,3-triazole and furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2-one-1,2,3-triazole hybrids as potential anti-cancer agents: Synthesis, computational and X-ray analysis and biological evaluation. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 125:1247-1267. [PMID: 27875779 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Regioselective 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole tethered pyrimidine-2,4-dione derivatives (5-23) were successfully prepared by the copper(I)-catalyzed click chemistry. While known palladium/copper-cocatalyzed method based on Sonogashira cross-coupling followed by the intramolecular 5-endo-dig ring closure generated novel 6-alkylfuro[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2-one-1,2,3-triazole hybrids (24b-37b), a small library of their 5-alkylethynyl analogs (24a-37a) was synthesized and described for the first time by tandem terminal alkyne dimerization and subsequent 5-endo-trig cyclization, which was additionally corroborated with computational and X-ray crystal structure analyses. The nature of substituents on alkynes and thereof homocoupled 1,3-diynes predominantly influenced the ratio of the formed products in both pathways. In vitro antiproliferative activity of prepared compounds evaluated on five human cancer cell lines revealed that N,N-1,3-bis-(1,2,3-triazole)-5-bromouracil (5-7) and 5,6-disubstituted furo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2-one-1,2,3-triazole 34a hybrids exhibited the most pronounced cytostatic acitivities against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) and cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells with higher potencies than the reference drug 5-fluorouracil. Cytostatic effect of pyrimidine-2,4-dione-1,2,3-triazole hybrid 7 in HepG2 cells could be attributed to the Wee-1 kinase inhibition and abolishment of sphingolipid signaling mediated by acid ceramidase and sphingosine kinase 1. Importantly, this compound proved to be a non-mitochondrial toxicant, which makes it a promising candidate for further lead optimization and development of a new and more efficient agent for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomislav Gregorić
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Department of Organic Chemistry, Marulićev Trg 20, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mirela Sedić
- University of Rijeka, Department of Biotechnology, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Centre for High-throughput Technologies, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
| | - Petra Grbčić
- University of Rijeka, Department of Biotechnology, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | | | - Sandra Kraljević Pavelić
- University of Rijeka, Department of Biotechnology, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia; University of Rijeka, Centre for High-throughput Technologies, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Mario Cetina
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Textile Technology, Department of Applied Chemistry, Prilaz Baruna Filipovića 28a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Robert Vianello
- Computational Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Group, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Silvana Raić-Malić
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Department of Organic Chemistry, Marulićev Trg 20, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
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22
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Huang HM, Procter DJ. Radical–Radical Cyclization Cascades of Barbiturates Triggered by Electron-Transfer Reduction of Amide-Type Carbonyls. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:7770-5. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b04086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huan-Ming Huang
- School of Chemistry, Oxford Road, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Procter
- School of Chemistry, Oxford Road, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom
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23
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Discovery of Uracil Derivatives as Potent Inhibitors of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21020229. [PMID: 26901181 PMCID: PMC6274076 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21020229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) is an intracellular serine enzyme involved in the biological degradation of the fatty acid ethanolamide family of signaling lipids, which exerts neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. In the present study, a conjugated 2,4-dioxo-pyrimidine-1-carboxamide scaffold was confirmed as a novel template for FAAH inhibitors, based on which, a series of analogues had been prepared for an initial structure-activity relationship (SAR) study. Most of the synthesized compounds displayed moderate to significant FAAH inhibitory potency. Among them, compounds 11 and 14 showed better activity than others, with IC50 values of 21 and 53 nM. SAR analysis indicated that 2,4-dioxopyrimidine-1-carboxamides represented a novel class of potent inhibitors of FAAH, and substitution at the uracil ring or replacement of the N-terminal group might favor the inhibitory potency. Selected compounds of this class may be used as useful parent molecules for further investigation.
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24
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Bhattacherjee D, Bhabak KP. Atom based 3D-QSAR studies on 2,4-dioxopyrimidine-1-carboxamide analogs: Validation of experimental inhibitory potencies towards acid ceramidase. Eur J Pharm Sci 2016; 83:8-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2015.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 12/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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25
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Ouairy CMJ, Ferraz MJ, Boot RG, Baggelaar MP, van der Stelt M, Appelman M, van der Marel GA, Florea BI, Aerts JMFG, Overkleeft HS. Development of an acid ceramidase activity-based probe. Chem Commun (Camb) 2015; 51:6161-3. [PMID: 25748248 DOI: 10.1039/c5cc00356c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Acid ceramidase is responsible for the ultimate step in the catabolism of (glyco)sphingolipids by hydrolysis of ceramide into sphingosine and free fatty acid. Deficiency in acid ceramidase is the molecular basis of Farber disease. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of an activity-based acid ceramidase probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile M J Ouairy
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, P. O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
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26
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Bach A, Pizzirani D, Realini N, Vozella V, Russo D, Penna I, Melzig L, Scarpelli R, Piomelli D. Benzoxazolone Carboxamides as Potent Acid Ceramidase Inhibitors: Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) Studies. J Med Chem 2015; 58:9258-72. [PMID: 26560855 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ceramides are lipid-derived intracellular messengers involved in the control of senescence, inflammation, and apoptosis. The cysteine amidase, acid ceramidase (AC), hydrolyzes these substances into sphingosine and fatty acid and, by doing so, regulates their signaling activity. AC inhibitors may be useful in the treatment of pathological conditions, such as cancer, in which ceramide levels are abnormally reduced. Here, we present a systematic SAR investigation of the benzoxazolone carboxamides, a recently described class of AC inhibitors that display high potency and systemic activity in mice. We examined a diverse series of substitutions on both benzoxazolone ring and carboxamide side chain. Several modifications enhanced potency and stability, and one key compound with a balanced activity-stability profile (14) was found to inhibit AC activity in mouse lungs and cerebral cortex after systemic administration. The results expand our arsenal of AC inhibitors, thereby facilitating the use of these compounds as pharmacological tools and their potential development as drug leads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anders Bach
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Daniela Pizzirani
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Natalia Realini
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Valentina Vozella
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Debora Russo
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ilaria Penna
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Laurin Melzig
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Rita Scarpelli
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Daniele Piomelli
- Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Via Morego 30, I-16163 Genova, Italy.,Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Biological Chemistry, and Pharmacology, University of California , Irvine, California 92697-4625, United States
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27
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Meščić A, Harej A, Klobučar M, Glavač D, Cetina M, Pavelić SK, Raić-Malić S. Discovery of New Acid Ceramidase-Targeted Acyclic 5-Alkynyl and 5-Heteroaryl Uracil Nucleosides. ACS Med Chem Lett 2015; 6:1150-5. [PMID: 26617970 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.5b00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 10/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of novel N-acyclic uracil analogs with linear, branched, aromatic, and cyclopropyl-alkynyl as well as heteroaryl moieties at C-5 were prepared using palladium catalyzed Sonogashira and Stille cross-coupling and evaluated against malignant tumor cell lines. C-5-Furan-2-yl uracil derivative 6 was shown to be more potent against MCF-7 than the reference drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), while C-5-alkynyl uracil derivatives 9c and 9e exhibited antibreast cancer activities comparable to 5-FU. Selected compounds induced cell death, partially due to apoptosis, of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Abrogation of acid ceramidase (ASAH1) expression of 9c and 9e indicated that these compounds could perturb ASAH1-mediated sphingolipid signaling. The selective activity of 9c and 9e against breast cancer cells via the ASAH1-mediated signaling, as a molecular target, might have a great advantage for potential future therapeutic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrijana Meščić
- University of Zagreb, Department of Organic Chemistry,
Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 20, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anja Harej
- University of Rijeka, Department of Biotechnology, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia
- University of Rijeka, Centre for high-throughput technologies, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Marko Klobučar
- University of Rijeka, Department of Biotechnology, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia
- University of Rijeka, Centre for high-throughput technologies, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Danijel Glavač
- University of Zagreb, Department of Organic Chemistry,
Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 20, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mario Cetina
- University of Zagreb, Faculty of Textile Technology,
Department of Applied Chemistry, Prilaz baruna Filipovića 28a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sandra Kraljević Pavelić
- University of Rijeka, Department of Biotechnology, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia
- University of Rijeka, Centre for high-throughput technologies, Radmile Matejčić 2, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Silvana Raić-Malić
- University of Zagreb, Department of Organic Chemistry,
Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Marulićev trg 20, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
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28
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Realini N, Palese F, Pizzirani D, Pontis S, Basit A, Bach A, Ganesan A, Piomelli D. Acid Ceramidase in Melanoma: EXPRESSION, LOCALIZATION, AND EFFECTS OF PHARMACOLOGICAL INHIBITION. J Biol Chem 2015; 291:2422-34. [PMID: 26553872 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.666909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Acid ceramidase (AC) is a lysosomal cysteine amidase that controls sphingolipid signaling by lowering the levels of ceramides and concomitantly increasing those of sphingosine and its bioactive metabolite, sphingosine 1-phosphate. In the present study, we evaluated the role of AC-regulated sphingolipid signaling in melanoma. We found that AC expression is markedly elevated in normal human melanocytes and proliferative melanoma cell lines, compared with other skin cells (keratinocytes and fibroblasts) and non-melanoma cancer cells. High AC expression was also observed in biopsies from human subjects with Stage II melanoma. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that the subcellular localization of AC differs between melanocytes (where it is found in both cytosol and nucleus) and melanoma cells (where it is primarily localized to cytosol). In addition to having high AC levels, melanoma cells generate lower amounts of ceramides than normal melanocytes do. This down-regulation in ceramide production appears to result from suppression of the de novo biosynthesis pathway. To test whether AC might contribute to melanoma cell proliferation, we blocked AC activity using a new potent (IC50 = 12 nM) and stable inhibitor. AC inhibition increased cellular ceramide levels, decreased sphingosine 1-phosphate levels, and acted synergistically with several, albeit not all, antitumoral agents. The results suggest that AC-controlled sphingolipid metabolism may play an important role in the control of melanoma proliferation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Realini
- From the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Francesca Palese
- From the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Daniela Pizzirani
- From the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Silvia Pontis
- From the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Abdul Basit
- From the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy
| | - Anders Bach
- From the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy, the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark, and
| | | | - Daniele Piomelli
- From the Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16163, Italy, Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92617
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29
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Synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel betulinic acid derivative as an inducer of apoptosis in human colon carcinoma cells (HT-29). Eur J Med Chem 2015; 102:93-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2015] [Revised: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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30
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Abstract
The topic of ceramidases has experienced an enormous boost during the last few years. Ceramidases catalyze the degradation of ceramide to sphingosine and fatty acids. Ceramide is not only the central hub of sphingolipid biosynthesis and degradation, it is also a key molecule in sphingolipid signaling, promoting differentiation or apoptosis. Acid ceramidase inhibition sensitizes certain types of cancer to chemo- and radio-therapy and this is suggestive of a role of acid ceramidase inhibitors as chemo-sensitizers which can act synergistically with chemo-therapeutic drugs. In this review, we summarize the development of ceramide analogues as first-generation ceramidase inhibitors together with data on their activity in cells and disease models. Furthermore, we describe the recent developments that have led to highly potent second-generation ceramidase inhibitors that act at nanomolar concentrations. In the third part, various assays of ceramidases are described and their relevance for accurately measuring ceramidase activities and for the development of novel inhibitors is highlighted. Besides potential clinical implications, the recent improvements in ceramidase inhibition and assaying may help to better understand the mechanisms of ceramide biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Essa M Saied
- Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute for Chemistry, Berlin, Germany; Suez Canal University, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Christoph Arenz
- Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institute for Chemistry, Berlin, Germany.
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31
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Pizzirani D, Bach A, Realini N, Armirotti A, Mengatto L, Bauer I, Girotto S, Pagliuca C, De Vivo M, Summa M, Ribeiro A, Piomelli D. Benzoxazolone Carboxamides: Potent and Systemically Active Inhibitors of Intracellular Acid Ceramidase. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201409042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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32
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Pizzirani D, Bach A, Realini N, Armirotti A, Mengatto L, Bauer I, Girotto S, Pagliuca C, De Vivo M, Summa M, Ribeiro A, Piomelli D. Benzoxazolone carboxamides: potent and systemically active inhibitors of intracellular acid ceramidase. ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE (INTERNATIONAL ED. IN ENGLISH) 2014; 54:485-9. [PMID: 25395373 PMCID: PMC4502975 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201409042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The ceramides are a family of bioactive lipid-derived messengers involved in the control of cellular senescence, inflammation, and apoptosis. Ceramide hydrolysis by acid ceramidase (AC) stops the biological activity of these substances and influences survival and function of normal and neoplastic cells. Because of its central role in the ceramide metabolism, AC may offer a novel molecular target in disorders with dysfunctional ceramide-mediated signaling. Here, a class of benzoxazolone carboxamides is identified as the first potent and systemically active inhibitors of AC. Prototype members of this class inhibit AC with low nanomolar potency by covalent binding to the catalytic cysteine. Their metabolic stability and high in vivo efficacy suggest that these compounds may be used as probes to investigate the roles of ceramide in health and disease, and that this scaffold may represent a promising starting point for the development of novel therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Pizzirani
- Drug Discovery and Development, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova (Italy)
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33
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Pirhadi S, Shiri F, Ghasemi JB. Pharmacophore elucidation and 3D-QSAR analysis of a new class of highly potent inhibitors of acid ceramidase based on maximum common substructure and field fit alignment methods. JOURNAL OF THE IRANIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s13738-013-0402-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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