1
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Hu H, Serra C, Zhang W, Scrivo A, Fernández-Carasa I, Consiglio A, Aytes A, Pujana MA, Llebaria A, Antolin AA. Identification of differential biological activity and synergy between the PARP inhibitor rucaparib and its major metabolite. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:973-988.e4. [PMID: 38335967 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The (poly)pharmacology of drug metabolites is seldom comprehensively characterized in drug discovery. However, some drug metabolites can reach high plasma concentrations and display in vivo activity. Here, we use computational and experimental methods to comprehensively characterize the kinase polypharmacology of M324, the major metabolite of the PARP1 inhibitor rucaparib. We demonstrate that M324 displays unique PLK2 inhibition at clinical concentrations. This kinase activity could have implications for the efficacy and safety of rucaparib and therefore warrants further clinical investigation. Importantly, we identify synergy between the drug and the metabolite in prostate cancer models and a complete reduction of α-synuclein accumulation in Parkinson's disease models. These activities could be harnessed in the clinic or open new drug discovery opportunities. The study reported here highlights the importance of characterizing the activity of drug metabolites to comprehensively understand drug response in the clinic and exploit our current drug arsenal in precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huabin Hu
- Center for Cancer Drug Discovery, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Carme Serra
- Medicinal Chemistry and Synthesis (MCS) Laboratory, Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Synthesis of High Added Value Molecules (SIMChem), Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Wenjie Zhang
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Aurora Scrivo
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irene Fernández-Carasa
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonella Consiglio
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain; Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alvaro Aytes
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Pujana
- ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Amadeu Llebaria
- Medicinal Chemistry and Synthesis (MCS) Laboratory, Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain; Synthesis of High Added Value Molecules (SIMChem), Institut de Química Avançada de Catalunya (IQAC-CSIC), 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Albert A Antolin
- Center for Cancer Drug Discovery, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK; ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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2
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Vidović D, Waller A, Holmes J, Sklar LA, Schürer SC. Best practices for managing and disseminating resources and outreach and evaluating the impact of the IDG Consortium. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:103953. [PMID: 38508231 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.103953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG) consortium generated reagents, biological model systems, data, informatic databases, and computational tools. The Resource Dissemination and Outreach Center (RDOC) played a central administrative role, organized internal meetings, fostered collaboration, and coordinated consortium-wide efforts. The RDOC developed and deployed a Resource Management System (RMS) to enable efficient workflows for collecting, accessing, validating, registering, and publishing resource metadata. IDG policies for repositories and standardized representations of resources were established, adopting the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) principles. The RDOC also developed metrics of IDG impact. Outreach initiatives included digital content, the Protein Illumination Timeline (representing milestones in generating data and reagents), the Target Watch publication series, the e-IDG Symposium series, and leveraging social media platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dušica Vidović
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Anna Waller
- Department of Pathology, Health Sciences Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jayme Holmes
- Translational Informatics Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Larry A Sklar
- Department of Pathology, Health Sciences Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Autophagy, Inflammation, & Metabolism (AIM) Center, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Stephan C Schürer
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Frost Institute for Data Science & Computing, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
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3
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Hoermann B, Dürr EM, Ludwig C, Ercan M, Köhn M. A strategy to disentangle direct and indirect effects on (de)phosphorylation by chemical modulators of the phosphatase PP1 in complex cellular contexts. Chem Sci 2024; 15:2792-2804. [PMID: 38404380 PMCID: PMC10882499 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc04746f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemical activators and inhibitors are useful probes to identify substrates and downstream effects of enzymes; however, due to the complex signaling environment within cells, it is challenging to distinguish between direct and indirect effects. This is particularly the case for phosphorylation, where a single (de)phosphorylation event can trigger rapid changes in many other phosphorylation sites. An additional complication arises when a single catalytic entity, which acts in the form of many different holoenzymes with different substrates, is activated or inhibited, as it is unclear which holoenzymes are affected, and in turn which of their substrates are (de)phosphorylated. Direct target engaging MS-based technologies to study targets of drugs do not address these challenges. Here, we tackle this by studying the modulation of protein phosphatase-1 (PP1) activity by PP1-disrupting peptides (PDPs), as well as their selectivity toward PP1, by using a combination of mass spectrometry-based experiments. By combining cellular treatment with the PDP with in vitro dephosphorylation by the enzyme, we identify high confidence substrate candidates and begin to separate direct and indirect effects. Together with experiments analyzing which holoenzymes are particularly susceptible to this treatment, we obtain insights into the effect of the modulator on the complex network of protein (de)phosphorylation. This strategy holds promise for enhancing our understanding of PP1 in particular and, due to the broad applicability of the workflow and the MS-based read-out, of chemical modulators with complex mode of action in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Hoermann
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Eva-Maria Dürr
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Christina Ludwig
- Chair of Proteomics and Bioanalytics, Technical University of Munich (TUM) Freising Germany
- Bavarian Center for Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry (BayBioMS), Technical University of Munich (TUM) Freising Germany
| | - Melda Ercan
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
| | - Maja Köhn
- Faculty of Biology, Institute of Biology III, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg Freiburg Germany
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4
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Hu H, Tjaden A, Knapp S, Antolin AA, Müller S. A machine learning and live-cell imaging tool kit uncovers small molecules induced phospholipidosis. Cell Chem Biol 2023; 30:1634-1651.e6. [PMID: 37797617 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2023.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Drug-induced phospholipidosis (DIPL), characterized by excessive accumulation of phospholipids in lysosomes, can lead to clinical adverse effects. It may also alter phenotypic responses in functional studies using chemical probes. Therefore, robust methods are needed to predict and quantify phospholipidosis (PL) early in drug discovery and in chemical probe characterization. Here, we present a versatile high-content live-cell imaging approach, which was used to evaluate a chemogenomic and a lysosomal modulation library. We trained and evaluated several machine learning models using the most comprehensive set of publicly available compounds and interpreted the best model using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Analysis of high-quality chemical probes extracted from the Chemical Probes Portal using our algorithm revealed that closely related molecules, such as chemical probes and their matched negative controls can differ in their ability to induce PL, highlighting the importance of identifying PL for robust target validation in chemical biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huabin Hu
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK; Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, BMC, Box 596, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amelie Tjaden
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Albert A Antolin
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK; ProCURE, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Oncobell, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet del Llobregat, Catalonia Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Susanne Müller
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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5
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Julio AR, Shikwana F, Truong C, Burton NR, Dominguez E, Turmon AC, Cao J, Backus K. Pervasive aggregation and depletion of host and viral proteins in response to cysteine-reactive electrophilic compounds. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.30.564067. [PMID: 38014036 PMCID: PMC10680658 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.564067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Protein homeostasis is tightly regulated, with damaged or misfolded proteins quickly eliminated by the proteasome and autophagosome pathways. By co-opting these processes, targeted protein degradation technologies enable pharmacological manipulation of protein abundance. Recently, cysteine-reactive molecules have been added to the degrader toolbox, which offer the benefit of unlocking the therapeutic potential of 'undruggable' protein targets. The proteome-wide impact of these molecules remains to be fully understood and given the general reactivity of many classes of cysteine-reactive electrophiles, on- and off-target effects are likely. Using chemical proteomics, we identified a cysteine-reactive small molecule degrader of the SARS-CoV-2 non- structural protein 14 (nsp14), which effects degradation through direct modification of cysteines in both nsp14 and in host chaperones together with activation of global cell stress response pathways. We find that cysteine-reactive electrophiles increase global protein ubiquitylation, trigger proteasome activation, and result in widespread aggregation and depletion of host proteins, including components of the nuclear pore complex. Formation of stress granules was also found to be a remarkably ubiquitous cellular response to nearly all cysteine-reactive compounds and degraders. Collectively, our study sheds light on complexities of covalent target protein degradation and highlights untapped opportunities in manipulating and characterizing proteostasis processes via deciphering the cysteine-centric regulation of stress response pathways.
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6
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Knapp S, Müller S. Improving data quality in chemical biology. Nat Chem Biol 2023; 19:1301-1302. [PMID: 37845552 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01449-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - Susanne Müller
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Buchmann Institute for Life Sciences, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.
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7
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Mader MM, Rudolph J, Hartung IV, Uehling D, Workman P, Zuercher W. Which Small Molecule? Selecting Chemical Probes for Use in Cancer Research and Target Validation. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:2150-2165. [PMID: 37712569 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule chemical "probes" complement the use of molecular biology techniques to explore, validate, and generate hypotheses on the function of proteins in diseases such as cancer. Unfortunately, the poor selection and use of small-molecule reagents can lead to incorrect conclusions. Here, we illustrate examples of poor chemical tools and suggest best practices for the selection, validation, and use of high-quality chemical probes in cancer research. We also note the complexity associated with tools for novel drug modalities, exemplified by protein degraders, and provide advice and resources to facilitate the independent identification of appropriate small-molecule probes by researchers. SIGNIFICANCE Validation of biological targets and pathways will be aided by a shared understanding of the criteria of potency, selectivity, and target engagement associated with small-molecule reagents ("chemical probes") that enable that work. Interdisciplinary collaboration between cancer biologists, medicinal chemists, and chemical biologists and the awareness of available resources will reduce misleading data generation and interpretation, strengthen data robustness, and improve productivity in academic and industrial research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary M Mader
- Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Chemistry in Cancer Research (CICR) Working Group of the American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Joachim Rudolph
- Chemistry in Cancer Research (CICR) Working Group of the American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Ingo V Hartung
- Chemistry in Cancer Research (CICR) Working Group of the American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - David Uehling
- Chemistry in Cancer Research (CICR) Working Group of the American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Canada
| | - Paul Workman
- Chemistry in Cancer Research (CICR) Working Group of the American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute of Cancer Research (London), Sutton, United Kingdom
- Chemical Probes Portal (www.chemicalprobes.org)
| | - William Zuercher
- Chemistry in Cancer Research (CICR) Working Group of the American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
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8
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Stuart DD, Guzman-Perez A, Brooijmans N, Jackson EL, Kryukov GV, Friedman AA, Hoos A. Precision Oncology Comes of Age: Designing Best-in-Class Small Molecules by Integrating Two Decades of Advances in Chemistry, Target Biology, and Data Science. Cancer Discov 2023; 13:2131-2149. [PMID: 37712571 PMCID: PMC10551669 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Small-molecule drugs have enabled the practice of precision oncology for genetically defined patient populations since the first approval of imatinib in 2001. Scientific and technology advances over this 20-year period have driven the evolution of cancer biology, medicinal chemistry, and data science. Collectively, these advances provide tools to more consistently design best-in-class small-molecule drugs against known, previously undruggable, and novel cancer targets. The integration of these tools and their customization in the hands of skilled drug hunters will be necessary to enable the discovery of transformational therapies for patients across a wider spectrum of cancers. SIGNIFICANCE Target-centric small-molecule drug discovery necessitates the consideration of multiple approaches to identify chemical matter that can be optimized into drug candidates. To do this successfully and consistently, drug hunters require a comprehensive toolbox to avoid following the "law of instrument" or Maslow's hammer concept where only one tool is applied regardless of the requirements of the task. Combining our ever-increasing understanding of cancer and cancer targets with the technological advances in drug discovery described below will accelerate the next generation of small-molecule drugs in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Axel Hoos
- Scorpion Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts
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9
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Anderson B, Rosston P, Ong HW, Hossain MA, Davis-Gilbert ZW, Drewry DH. How many kinases are druggable? A review of our current understanding. Biochem J 2023; 480:1331-1363. [PMID: 37642371 PMCID: PMC10586788 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
There are over 500 human kinases ranging from very well-studied to almost completely ignored. Kinases are tractable and implicated in many diseases, making them ideal targets for medicinal chemistry campaigns, but is it possible to discover a drug for each individual kinase? For every human kinase, we gathered data on their citation count, availability of chemical probes, approved and investigational drugs, PDB structures, and biochemical and cellular assays. Analysis of these factors highlights which kinase groups have a wealth of information available, and which groups still have room for progress. The data suggest a disproportionate focus on the more well characterized kinases while much of the kinome remains comparatively understudied. It is noteworthy that tool compounds for understudied kinases have already been developed, and there is still untapped potential for further development in this chemical space. Finally, this review discusses many of the different strategies employed to generate selectivity between kinases. Given the large volume of information available and the progress made over the past 20 years when it comes to drugging kinases, we believe it is possible to develop a tool compound for every human kinase. We hope this review will prove to be both a useful resource as well as inspire the discovery of a tool for every kinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Anderson
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, U.S.A
| | - Peter Rosston
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, U.S.A
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, U.S.A
| | - Han Wee Ong
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, U.S.A
| | - Mohammad Anwar Hossain
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, U.S.A
| | - Zachary W. Davis-Gilbert
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, U.S.A
| | - David H. Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, U.S.A
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, U.S.A
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10
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Hartung IV, Rudolph J, Mader MM, Mulder MPC, Workman P. Expanding Chemical Probe Space: Quality Criteria for Covalent and Degrader Probes. J Med Chem 2023; 66:9297-9312. [PMID: 37403870 PMCID: PMC10388296 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Within druggable target space, new small-molecule modalities, particularly covalent inhibitors and targeted degraders, have expanded the repertoire of medicinal chemists. Molecules with such modes of action have a large potential not only as drugs but also as chemical probes. Criteria have previously been established to describe the potency, selectivity, and properties of small-molecule probes that are qualified to enable the interrogation and validation of drug targets. These definitions have been tailored to reversibly acting modulators but fall short in their applicability to other modalities. While initial guidelines have been proposed, we delineate here a full set of criteria for the characterization of covalent, irreversible inhibitors as well as heterobifunctional degraders ("proteolysis-targeting chimeras", or PROTACs) and molecular glue degraders. We propose modified potency and selectivity criteria compared to those for reversible inhibitors. We discuss their relevance and highlight examples of suitable probe and pathfinder compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo V. Hartung
- Medicinal
Chemistry, Global Research & Development, Merck Healthcare KGaA, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Joachim Rudolph
- Discovery
Chemistry, Genentech, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Mary M. Mader
- Molecular
Innovation, Indiana Biosciences Research
Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana 64202, United States
| | - Monique P. C. Mulder
- Department
of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University
Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Workman
- Centre
for Cancer Drug Discovery, The Institute
of Cancer Research, London, Sutton SM2 5NG, United Kingdom
- Chemical
Probes Portal, https://www.chemicalprobes.org/
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11
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Sterling J, Baker JR, McCluskey A, Munoz L. Systematic literature review reveals suboptimal use of chemical probes in cell-based biomedical research. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3228. [PMID: 37270653 PMCID: PMC10239480 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38952-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical probes have reached a prominent role in biomedical research, but their impact is governed by experimental design. To gain insight into the use of chemical probes, we conducted a systematic review of 662 publications, understood here as primary research articles, employing eight different chemical probes in cell-based research. We summarised (i) concentration(s) at which chemical probes were used in cell-based assays, (ii) inclusion of structurally matched target-inactive control compounds and (iii) orthogonal chemical probes. Here, we show that only 4% of analysed eligible publications used chemical probes within the recommended concentration range and included inactive compounds as well as orthogonal chemical probes. These findings indicate that the best practice with chemical probes is yet to be implemented in biomedical research. To achieve this, we propose 'the rule of two': At least two chemical probes (either orthogonal target-engaging probes, and/or a pair of a chemical probe and matched target-inactive compound) to be employed at recommended concentrations in every study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayden Sterling
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Jennifer R Baker
- Discipline of Chemistry, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Adam McCluskey
- Discipline of Chemistry, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Lenka Munoz
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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12
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Pismataro MC, Astolfi A, Barreca ML, Pacetti M, Schenone S, Bandiera T, Carbone A, Massari S. Small Molecules Targeting DNA Polymerase Theta (POLθ) as Promising Synthetic Lethal Agents for Precision Cancer Therapy. J Med Chem 2023; 66:6498-6522. [PMID: 37134182 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c02101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic lethality (SL) is an innovative strategy in targeted anticancer therapy that exploits tumor genetic vulnerabilities. This topic has come to the forefront in recent years, as witnessed by the increased number of publications since 2007. The first proof of concept for the effectiveness of SL was provided by the approval of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase inhibitors, which exploit a SL interaction in BRCA-deficient cells, although their use is limited by resistance. Searching for additional SL interactions involving BRCA mutations, the DNA polymerase theta (POLθ) emerged as an exciting target. This review summarizes, for the first time, the POLθ polymerase and helicase inhibitors reported to date. Compounds are described focusing on chemical structure and biological activity. With the aim to enable further drug discovery efforts in interrogating POLθ as a target, we propose a plausible pharmacophore model for POLθ-pol inhibitors and provide a structural analysis of the known POLθ ligand binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chiara Pismataro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Astolfi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Barreca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Martina Pacetti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Silvia Schenone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Tiziano Bandiera
- D3 PharmaChemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Anna Carbone
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 3, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | - Serena Massari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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13
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Tredup C, Ndreshkjana B, Schneider NS, Tjaden A, Kemas AM, Youhanna S, Lauschke VM, Berger BT, Krämer A, Berger LM, Röhm S, Knapp S, Farin HF, Müller S. Deep Annotation of Donated Chemical Probes (DCP) in Organotypic Human Liver Cultures and Patient-Derived Organoids from Tumor and Normal Colorectum. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:822-836. [PMID: 36944371 PMCID: PMC10127199 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Well-characterized small molecules are essential tools for studying the biology and therapeutic relevance of a target protein. However, many compounds reported in the literature and routinely studied in biomedical research lack the potency and selectivity required for mechanistic cellular studies on the function of a given protein. Furthermore, commercially available compounds often do not include useful tools developed by industry as part of their research and development efforts, as they frequently remain proprietary. The freely available donated chemical probe (DCP) library, fueled by generous donations of compounds from industry and academia, enables easy access to a steadily growing collection of these valuable and well-characterized tools. Here, we provide a systematic description of the current DCP library collection and their associated comprehensive characterization data, including a variety of in vitro and cellular assays. Of note, we characterized the set in relevant human primary models by employing hepatotoxicity screening in primary human liver spheroids and viability screening in patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids and matched normal-adjacent epithelium. Taken together, the DCP library represents a well-annotated, openly available collection of tool compounds for studying a wide range of targets, including kinases, G-protein-coupled receptors, and ion channels. As such, it represents a unique resource for the biomedical research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Tredup
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Benardina Ndreshkjana
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, 60596Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Natalie S Schneider
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Amelie Tjaden
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Aurino M Kemas
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sonia Youhanna
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Volker M Lauschke
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 65Stockholm, Sweden
- Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, 70376Stuttgart, Germany
- University of Tübingen, 72074Tübingen, Germany
| | - Benedict-Tilman Berger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Andreas Krämer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main60596, Germany
| | - Lena M Berger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sandra Röhm
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main60596, Germany
| | - Henner F Farin
- Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Tumor Biology and Experimental Therapy, 60596Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main60596, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg69120, Germany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Müller
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Max-von-Laue-Str. 9, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences and Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), Max-von-Laue-Str. 15, 60438Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Ogorek TJ, Golden JE. Advances in the Development of Small Molecule Antivirals against Equine Encephalitic Viruses. Viruses 2023; 15:413. [PMID: 36851628 PMCID: PMC9958955 DOI: 10.3390/v15020413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Venezuelan, western, and eastern equine encephalitic alphaviruses (VEEV, WEEV, and EEEV, respectively) are arboviruses that are highly pathogenic to equines and cause significant harm to infected humans. Currently, human alphavirus infection and the resulting diseases caused by them are unmitigated due to the absence of approved vaccines or therapeutics for general use. These circumstances, combined with the unpredictability of outbreaks-as exemplified by a 2019 EEE surge in the United States that claimed 19 patient lives-emphasize the risks posed by these viruses, especially for aerosolized VEEV and EEEV which are potential biothreats. Herein, small molecule inhibitors of VEEV, WEEV, and EEEV are reviewed that have been identified or advanced in the last five years since a comprehensive review was last performed. We organize structures according to host- versus virus-targeted mechanisms, highlight cellular and animal data that are milestones in the development pipeline, and provide a perspective on key considerations for the progression of compounds at early and later stages of advancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler J. Ogorek
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jennifer E. Golden
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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15
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Licciardello MP, Workman P. The era of high-quality chemical probes. RSC Med Chem 2022; 13:1446-1459. [PMID: 36545432 PMCID: PMC9749956 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00291d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Small-molecule chemical probes are among the most important tools to study the function of proteins in cells and organisms. Regrettably, the use of weak and non-selective small molecules has generated an abundance of erroneous conclusions in the scientific literature. More recently, minimal criteria have been outlined for investigational compounds, encouraging the selection and use of high-quality chemical probes. Here, we briefly recall the milestones and key initiatives that have paved the way to this new era, illustrate examples of recent high-quality chemical probes and provide our perspective on future challenges and developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco P. Licciardello
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK
| | - Paul Workman
- Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, Division of Cancer Therapeutics, The Institute of Cancer ResearchLondonUK,The Chemical Probes PortalUK
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