Transcription inhibitors in inflammation

Biological evaluation of isoegomaketone isolated from Perilla frutescens and its synthetic derivatives as anti-inflammatory agents

The anti-inflammatory activities of a prepared isoegomaketone 3a and its derivatives 3b-3f were evaluated in RAW 264.7 cells. Among these, the compound 3d was displayed the most potent inhibitory activities against production of nitric oxide, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-6. Based on these results, the abilities of compounds 3a-3f to modulate NF-κB and AP-1-mediated gene transcription using a luciferase reporter assay were investigated. The transcriptional activities of NF-κB and AP-1 decreased when pretreated with 3a-3f. Interestingly, at 10 μM, compound 3d markedly suppressed the lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-κB and activator protein-1 DNA binding activities. Some preliminary structure-activity relationships were proposed that may provide a direction for further study.

Herbal medicinal products target defined biochemical and molecular mediators of inflammatory autoimmune arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic debilitating disease characterized by synovial inflammation, damage to cartilage and bone, and deformities of the joints. Several drugs possessing anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties are being used in the conventional (allopathic) system of medicine to treat RA. However, the long-term use of these drugs is associated with harmful side effects. Therefore, newer drugs with low or no toxicity for the treatment of RA are actively being sought. Interestingly, several herbs demonstrate anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic activity. In this review, we describe the role of the major biochemical and molecular mediators in the pathogenesis of RA, and highlight the sites of action of herbal medicinal products that have anti-arthritic activity. With the rapidly increasing use of CAM products by patients with RA and other inflammation-related disorders, our review presents timely information validating the scientific rationale for the use of natural therapeutic products.

Development of paramagnetic probes for molecular recognition studies in protein kinases

We report on the synthesis and evaluation of an indazole-spin-labeled compound that was designed as an effective chemical probe for second site screening against the protein kinase JNK using NMR-based techniques. We demonstrate the utility of the derived compound in detecting and characterizing binding events at the protein kinase docking site. In addition, we report on the NMR-based design and synthesis of a bidentate compound spanning both the ATP site and the docking site. We show that the resulting compound has nanomolar affinity for JNK despite the relatively weak affinities of the individual fragments that constitute it. The approach demonstrates that targeting the docking site of protein kinases represents a valuable yet unexplored avenue to obtain potent kinase inhibitors with increased selectivity.

Targeting JNK for therapeutic benefit: from junk to gold?

The c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinases (JNKs) phosphorylate and activate members of the activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factor family and other cellular factors implicated in regulating altered gene expression, cellular survival and proliferation in response to cytokines and growth factors, noxious stimuli and oncogenic transformation. Because these events are commonly associated with the pathogenesis of a number of human diseases, the potential of JNK inhibitors as therapeutics has attracted considerable interest. Here we discuss the evidence supporting the application of JNK inhibitors in inflammatory, vascular, neurodegenerative, metabolic and oncological diseases in humans, and describe the present status of drug discovery targeting JNK.

2-Chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidine-5-N-(3',5'- bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)-carboxamide: a potent inhibitor of NF-kappa B- and AP-1-mediated gene expression identified using solution-phase combinatorial chemistry

Described is the identification of a novel series of compounds that blocks the activation of two key transcription factors, AP-1 and NF-kappa B. These transcription factors regulate the expression of several critical proinflammatory proteins and cytokines and represent attractive targets for drug discovery. Through the use of high throughput screening and solution-phase parallel synthesis, inhibitors of both NF-kappa B and AP-1 were identified. In subsequent testing, these compounds were also shown to block both IL-2 and IL-8 levels in the same cells. One of the most potent compounds in this series, 28, was active in several animal models of inflammation and immunosuppression, thus validating the importance of AP-1 and NF-kappa B as potential therapeutic targets. The synthesis and preliminary structure-activity relationships of these compounds is addressed.