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Pierrat OA, Liu M, Collie GW, Shetty K, Rodrigues MJ, Le Bihan YV, Gunnell EA, McAndrew PC, Stubbs M, Rowlands MG, Yahya N, Shehu E, Talbot R, Pickard L, Bellenie BR, Cheung KMJ, Drouin L, Innocenti P, Woodward H, Davis OA, Lloyd MG, Varela A, Huckvale R, Broccatelli F, Carter M, Galiwango D, Hayes A, Raynaud FI, Bryant C, Whittaker S, Rossanese OW, Hoelder S, Burke R, van Montfort RLM. Discovering cell-active BCL6 inhibitors: effectively combining biochemical HTS with multiple biophysical techniques, X-ray crystallography and cell-based assays. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18633. [PMID: 36329085 PMCID: PMC9633773 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23264-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
By suppressing gene transcription through the recruitment of corepressor proteins, B-cell lymphoma 6 (BCL6) protein controls a transcriptional network required for the formation and maintenance of B-cell germinal centres. As BCL6 deregulation is implicated in the development of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, we sought to discover novel small molecule inhibitors that disrupt the BCL6-corepressor protein-protein interaction (PPI). Here we report our hit finding and compound optimisation strategies, which provide insight into the multi-faceted orthogonal approaches that are needed to tackle this challenging PPI with small molecule inhibitors. Using a 1536-well plate fluorescence polarisation high throughput screen we identified multiple hit series, which were followed up by hit confirmation using a thermal shift assay, surface plasmon resonance and ligand-observed NMR. We determined X-ray structures of BCL6 bound to compounds from nine different series, enabling a structure-based drug design approach to improve their weak biochemical potency. We developed a time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer biochemical assay and a nano bioluminescence resonance energy transfer cellular assay to monitor cellular activity during compound optimisation. This workflow led to the discovery of novel inhibitors with respective biochemical and cellular potencies (IC50s) in the sub-micromolar and low micromolar range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier A Pierrat
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Manjuan Liu
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Gavin W Collie
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
- Division of Structural Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Kartika Shetty
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
- Division of Structural Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Matthew J Rodrigues
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
- Division of Structural Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Yann-Vaï Le Bihan
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
- Division of Structural Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - Emma A Gunnell
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
- Division of Structural Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK
| | - P Craig McAndrew
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Mark Stubbs
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Martin G Rowlands
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Norhakim Yahya
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Erald Shehu
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Rachel Talbot
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Lisa Pickard
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Benjamin R Bellenie
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Kwai-Ming J Cheung
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Ludovic Drouin
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Paolo Innocenti
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Hannah Woodward
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Owen A Davis
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Matthew G Lloyd
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Ana Varela
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Rosemary Huckvale
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Fabio Broccatelli
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Michael Carter
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - David Galiwango
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Angela Hayes
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Florence I Raynaud
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Christopher Bryant
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Steven Whittaker
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Olivia W Rossanese
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Swen Hoelder
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Rosemary Burke
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Rob L M van Montfort
- Division of Cancer Therapeutics, Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SM2 5NG, UK.
- Division of Structural Biology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, SW3 6JB, UK.
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2
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Cho KF, Javier N, Choi K. BRET measurement on CCD camera-based microtiter plate readers. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2022; 27:413-417. [PMID: 35981684 DOI: 10.1016/j.slasd.2022.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
NanoBRET assays, which utilize bioluminescence energy resonance transfer (BRET), have been widely adopted in drug discovery for measuring both protein-protein interactions and drug target engagement. While the EnVision and other traditional well-scanning plate readers that measure a single well at a time are satisfactory for signal detection for smaller experiments, it becomes challenging to scale these assays to applications that require higher throughput. To address this, we explored the adaptation of the ViewLux and FLIPR plate readers for measuring NanoBRET signal. These plate readers utilize charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras for detection, which enable imaging of the entire assay plate simultaneously. We used tool compounds to generate data from each plate reader and found that the image-based plate readers can be used to measure NanoBRET signals with high S/B and Z´, resulting in comparable IC50 values to those obtained from the EnVision, while requiring less time to complete reads. Consequently, utilization of image-based plate readers for NanoBRET measurement may enable applications that require faster reads, such as for high-throughput screening or kinetics studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin F Cho
- Lead Discovery & Characterization, Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen Research, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Noelle Javier
- Lead Discovery & Characterization, Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen Research, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kaylee Choi
- Lead Discovery & Characterization, Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen Research, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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3
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Canham SM, Wang Y, Cornett A, Auld DS, Baeschlin DK, Patoor M, Skaanderup PR, Honda A, Llamas L, Wendel G, Mapa FA, Aspesi P, Labbé-Giguère N, Gamber GG, Palacios DS, Schuffenhauer A, Deng Z, Nigsch F, Frederiksen M, Bushell SM, Rothman D, Jain RK, Hemmerle H, Briner K, Porter JA, Tallarico JA, Jenkins JL. Systematic Chemogenetic Library Assembly. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 27:1124-1129. [PMID: 32707038 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Chemogenetic libraries, collections of well-defined chemical probes, provide tremendous value to biomedical research but require substantial effort to ensure diversity as well as quality of the contents. We have assembled a chemogenetic library by data mining and crowdsourcing institutional expertise. We are sharing our approach, lessons learned, and disclosing our current collection of 4,185 compounds with their primary annotated gene targets (https://github.com/Novartis/MoaBox). This physical collection is regularly updated and used broadly both within Novartis and in collaboration with external partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M Canham
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Yuan Wang
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Allen Cornett
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Douglas S Auld
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
| | - Daniel K Baeschlin
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Forum 1 Novartis Campus, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maude Patoor
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Forum 1 Novartis Campus, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philip R Skaanderup
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Forum 1 Novartis Campus, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ayako Honda
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Luis Llamas
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Greg Wendel
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Felipa A Mapa
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Peter Aspesi
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Nancy Labbé-Giguère
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Gabriel G Gamber
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Daniel S Palacios
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ansgar Schuffenhauer
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Forum 1 Novartis Campus, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zhan Deng
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Florian Nigsch
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Forum 1 Novartis Campus, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Frederiksen
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, Forum 1 Novartis Campus, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simon M Bushell
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Deborah Rothman
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Rishi K Jain
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Horst Hemmerle
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Karin Briner
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jeffery A Porter
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - John A Tallarico
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jeremy L Jenkins
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, 181 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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4
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Henderson MJ, Holbert MA, Simeonov A, Kallal LA. High-Throughput Cellular Thermal Shift Assays in Research and Drug Discovery. SLAS DISCOVERY : ADVANCING LIFE SCIENCES R & D 2020; 25:137-147. [PMID: 31566060 PMCID: PMC10915787 DOI: 10.1177/2472555219877183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Thermal shift assays (TSAs) can reveal changes in protein structure, due to a resultant change in protein thermal stability. Since proteins are often stabilized upon binding of ligand molecules, these assays can provide a readout for protein target engagement. TSA has traditionally been applied using purified proteins and more recently has been extended to study target engagement in cellular environments with the emergence of cellular thermal shift assays (CETSAs). The utility of CETSA in confirming molecular interaction with targets in a more native context, and the desire to apply this technique more broadly, has fueled the emergence of higher-throughput techniques for CETSA (HT-CETSA). Recent studies have demonstrated that HT-CETSA can be performed in standard 96-, 384-, and 1536-well microtiter plate formats using methods such as beta-galactosidase and NanoLuciferase reporters and AlphaLISA assays. HT-CETSA methods can be used to select and characterize compounds from high-throughput screens and to prioritize compounds in lead optimization by facilitating dose-response experiments. In conjunction with cellular and biochemical activity assays for targets, HT-CETSA can be a valuable addition to the suite of assays available to characterize molecules of interest. Despite the successes in implementing HT-CETSA for a diverse set of targets, caveats and challenges must also be recognized to avoid overinterpretation of results. Here, we review the current landscape of HT-CETSA and discuss the methodologies, practical considerations, challenges, and applications of this approach in research and drug discovery. Additionally, a perspective on potential future directions for the technology is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Henderson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Marc A Holbert
- Protein, Cellular, & Structural Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA
| | - Anton Simeonov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Lorena A Kallal
- Screening, Profiling, and Mechanistic Biology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, USA
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5
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A widely-applicable high-throughput cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) using split Nano Luciferase. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9472. [PMID: 29930256 PMCID: PMC6013488 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27834-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Assessment of the interactions between a drug and its protein target in a physiologically relevant cellular environment constitutes a major challenge in the pre-clinical drug discovery space. The Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) enables such an assessment by quantifying the changes in the thermal stability of proteins upon ligand binding in intact cells. Here, we present the development and validation of a homogeneous, standardized, target-independent, and high-throughput (384- and 1536-well formats) CETSA platform that uses a split Nano Luciferase approach (SplitLuc CETSA). The broad applicability of the assay was demonstrated for diverse targets, and its performance was compared with independent biochemical and cell-based readouts using a set of well-characterized inhibitors. Moreover, we investigated the utility of the platform as a primary assay for high-throughput screening. The SplitLuc CETSA presented here enables target engagement studies for medium and high-throughput applications. Additionally, it provides a rapid assay development and screening platform for targets where phenotypic or other cell-based assays are not readily available.
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6
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Axelsson H, Almqvist H, Otrocka M, Vallin M, Lundqvist S, Hansson P, Karlsson U, Lundbäck T, Seashore-Ludlow B. In Situ Target Engagement Studies in Adherent Cells. ACS Chem Biol 2018; 13:942-950. [PMID: 29433316 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.7b01079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
A prerequisite for successful drugs is effective binding of the desired target protein in the complex environment of a living system. Drug-target engagement has typically been difficult to monitor in physiologically relevant models, and with current methods, especially, while maintaining spatial information. One recent technique for quantifying drug-target engagement is the cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), in which ligand-induced protein stabilization is measured after a heat challenge. Here, we describe a CETSA protocol in live A431 cells for p38α (MAPK14), where remaining soluble protein is detected in situ, using high-content imaging in 384-well, microtiter plates. We validate this assay concept using a number of known p38α inhibitors and further demonstrate the potential of this technology for chemical probe and drug discovery purposes by performing a small pilot screen for novel p38α binders. Importantly, this protocol creates a workflow that is amenable to adherent cells in their native state and yields spatially resolved target engagement information measurable at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Axelsson
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Helena Almqvist
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Magdalena Otrocka
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Michaela Vallin
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
| | - Sara Lundqvist
- Discovery
Sciences,
IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pia Hansson
- Discovery
Sciences,
IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ulla Karlsson
- Discovery
Sciences,
IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Thomas Lundbäck
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Discovery
Sciences,
IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Brinton Seashore-Ludlow
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 65 Solna, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden
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7
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Identification of PARP14 inhibitors using novel methods for detecting auto-ribosylation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 486:626-631. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.03.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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8
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Small-Molecule Target Engagement in Cells. Cell Chem Biol 2016; 23:435-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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9
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Klumpp M. Non-stoichiometric inhibition in integrated lead finding - a literature review. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2015; 11:149-62. [PMID: 26653534 DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2016.1128892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Non-stoichiometric inhibition summarizes different mechanisms by which low-molecular weight compounds can reproducibly inhibit high-throughput screening (HTS) and other lead finding assays without binding to a structurally defined site on their molecular target. This disqualifies such molecules from optimization by medicinal chemistry, and therefore their rapid elimination from screening hit lists is essential for productive and effective drug discovery. AREAS COVERED This review covers recent literature that either investigates the various mechanisms behind non-stoichiometric inhibition or suggests assays and readouts to identify them. In addition, combination of the various methods to distill promising molecules out of raw primary hit lists step-by-step is considered. Emerging technologies to demonstrate target engagement in cells are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION Over the last few years, awareness of non-stoichiometric inhibitors within screening libraries and HTS hit lists has considerably increased, not only in the pharmaceutical industry but also in the academic drug discovery community. This has resulted in a variety of methods to detect and handle such compounds. These range from in silico approaches to flag suspicious compounds, and counterassays to measure non-stoichiometric inhibition, to biophysical methods that positively demonstrate stoichiometric binding. In addition, novel technologies to verify target engagement within cells are becoming available. While still a time- and resource-consuming nuisance, non-stoichiometric inhibitors therefore do not fundamentally jeopardize the discovery of low molecular weight lead and drug candidates. Rather, they should be viewed as a manageable issue that with appropriate expertise can be overcome through integration of the above-mentioned approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Klumpp
- a Novartis Institute of Biomedical Research Basel, Novartis Pharma AG , Basel , Switzerland
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