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Guerlavais V, Sawyer TK, Carvajal L, Chang YS, Graves B, Ren JG, Sutton D, Olson KA, Packman K, Darlak K, Elkin C, Feyfant E, Kesavan K, Gangurde P, Vassilev LT, Nash HM, Vukovic V, Aivado M, Annis DA. Discovery of Sulanemadlin (ALRN-6924), the First Cell-Permeating, Stabilized α-Helical Peptide in Clinical Development. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37439511 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
We report the discovery of sulanemadlin (ALRN-6924), the first cell-permeating, stabilized α-helical peptide to enter clinical trials. ALRN-6924 is a "stapled peptide" that mimics the N-terminal domain of the p53 tumor suppressor protein. It binds with high affinity to both MDM2 and MDMX (also known as MDM4), the endogenous inhibitors of p53, to activate p53 signaling in cells having a non-mutant, or wild-type TP53 genotype (TP53-WT). Iterative structure-activity optimization endowed ALRN-6924 with favorable cell permeability, solubility, and pharmacokinetic and safety profiles. Intracellular proteolysis of ALRN-6924 forms a long-acting active metabolite with potent MDM2 and MDMX binding affinity and slow dissociation kinetics. At high doses, ALRN-6924 exhibits on-mechanism anticancer activity in TP53-WT tumor models. At lower doses, ALRN-6924 transiently arrests the cell cycle in healthy tissues to protect them from chemotherapy without protecting the TP53-mutant cancer cells. These results support the continued clinical evaluation of ALRN-6924 as an anticancer and chemoprotection agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Guerlavais
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Tomi K Sawyer
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Luis Carvajal
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Yong S Chang
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Bradford Graves
- Roche Research Center, Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc., Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Jian-Guo Ren
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - David Sutton
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Karen A Olson
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Kathryn Packman
- Roche Research Center, Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc., Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Krzysztof Darlak
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Carl Elkin
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Eric Feyfant
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Kamala Kesavan
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Pranoti Gangurde
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Lyubomir T Vassilev
- Roche Research Center, Hoffmann-La Roche, Inc., Nutley, New Jersey 07110, United States
| | - Huw M Nash
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Vojislav Vukovic
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - Manuel Aivado
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
| | - D Allen Annis
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc., 738 Main Street #398, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, United States
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Ruvinsky AM, Aloni I, Cappel D, Higgs C, Marshall K, Rotkiewicz P, Repasky M, Feher VA, Feyfant E, Hessler G, Matter H. The Role of Bridging Water and Hydrogen Bonding as Key Determinants of Noncovalent Protein-Carbohydrate Recognition. ChemMedChem 2018; 13:2684-2693. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201800437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ishita Aloni
- Schrödinger, Inc.; 120 West 45th Street New York NY 10036 USA
| | | | - Chris Higgs
- Schrödinger, Inc.; 10201 Wateridge Circle, Suite 220 San Diego CA 92121 USA
| | - Kyle Marshall
- Schrödinger, Inc.; 101 SW Main Street Portland OR 97204 USA
| | - Piotr Rotkiewicz
- Schrödinger, Inc.; 222 Third Street, Suite 2230 Cambridge MA 02142 USA
| | - Matt Repasky
- Schrödinger, Inc.; 101 SW Main Street Portland OR 97204 USA
| | - Victoria A. Feher
- Schrödinger, Inc.; 10201 Wateridge Circle, Suite 220 San Diego CA 92121 USA
| | - Eric Feyfant
- Schrödinger, Inc.; 222 Third Street, Suite 2230 Cambridge MA 02142 USA
| | - Gerhard Hessler
- Sanofi-Aventis (Deutschland) GmbH; Integrated Drug Discovery (IDD), Synthetic Molecular Design, Building G838; Industriepark Höchst 65926 Frankfurt am Main Germany
| | - Hans Matter
- Sanofi-Aventis (Deutschland) GmbH; Integrated Drug Discovery (IDD), Synthetic Molecular Design, Building G838; Industriepark Höchst 65926 Frankfurt am Main Germany
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Hughes DJ, Tiede C, Penswick N, Tang AAS, Trinh CH, Mandal U, Zajac KZ, Gaule T, Howell G, Edwards TA, Duan J, Feyfant E, McPherson MJ, Tomlinson DC, Whitehouse A. Generation of specific inhibitors of SUMO-1- and SUMO-2/3-mediated protein-protein interactions using Affimer (Adhiron) technology. Sci Signal 2017; 10:10/505/eaaj2005. [PMID: 29138295 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aaj2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Because protein-protein interactions underpin most biological processes, developing tools that target them to understand their function or to inform the development of therapeutics is an important task. SUMOylation is the posttranslational covalent attachment of proteins in the SUMO family (SUMO-1, SUMO-2, or SUMO-3), and it regulates numerous cellular pathways. SUMOylated proteins are recognized by proteins with SUMO-interaction motifs (SIMs) that facilitate noncovalent interactions with SUMO. We describe the use of the Affimer system of peptide display for the rapid isolation of synthetic binding proteins that inhibit SUMO-dependent protein-protein interactions mediated by SIMs both in vitro and in cells. Crucially, these synthetic proteins did not prevent SUMO conjugation either in vitro or in cell-based systems, enabling the specific analysis of SUMO-mediated protein-protein interactions. Furthermore, through structural analysis and molecular modeling, we explored the molecular mechanisms that may underlie their specificity in interfering with either SUMO-1-mediated interactions or interactions mediated by either SUMO-2 or SUMO-3. Not only will these reagents enable investigation of the biological roles of SUMOylation, but the Affimer technology used to generate these synthetic binding proteins could also be exploited to design or validate reagents or therapeutics that target other protein-protein interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Hughes
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. .,Biomedical Sciences Research Complex, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Christian Tiede
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,BioScreening Technology Group, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Natalie Penswick
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Anna Ah-San Tang
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,BioScreening Technology Group, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Chi H Trinh
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Upasana Mandal
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,BioScreening Technology Group, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Katarzyna Z Zajac
- BioScreening Technology Group, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Thembaninskosi Gaule
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Gareth Howell
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Thomas A Edwards
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | | | | | - Michael J McPherson
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,BioScreening Technology Group, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Darren C Tomlinson
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. .,BioScreening Technology Group, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.,Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Adrian Whitehouse
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK. .,Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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Steinbrecher T, Zhu C, Wang L, Abel R, Negron C, Pearlman D, Feyfant E, Duan J, Sherman W. Predicting the Effect of Amino Acid Single-Point Mutations on Protein Stability—Large-Scale Validation of MD-Based Relative Free Energy Calculations. J Mol Biol 2017; 429:948-963. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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5
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Modi ME, Majchrzak MJ, Fonseca KR, Doran A, Osgood S, Vanase-Frawley M, Feyfant E, McInnes H, Darvari R, Buhl DL, Kablaoui NM. Peripheral Administration of a Long-Acting Peptide Oxytocin Receptor Agonist Inhibits Fear-Induced Freezing. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2016; 358:164-72. [PMID: 27217590 PMCID: PMC4959095 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.116.232702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) modulates the expression of social and emotional behaviors and consequently has been proposed as a pharmacologic treatment of psychiatric diseases, including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia; however, endogenous OT has a short half-life in plasma and poor permeability across the blood-brain barrier. Recent efforts have focused on the development of novel drug delivery methods to enhance brain penetration, but few efforts have aimed at improving its half-life. To explore the behavioral efficacy of an OT analog with enhanced plasma stability, we developed PF-06655075 (PF1), a novel non–brain-penetrant OT receptor agonist with increased selectivity for the OT receptor and significantly increased pharmacokinetic stability. PF-06478939 was generated with only increased stability to disambiguate changes to selectivity versus stability. The efficacy of these compounds in evoking behavioral effects was tested in a conditioned fear paradigm. Both central and peripheral administration of PF1 inhibited freezing in response to a conditioned fear stimulus. Peripheral administration of PF1 resulted in a sustained level of plasma concentrations for greater than 20 hours but no detectable accumulation in brain tissue, suggesting that plasma or cerebrospinal fluid exposure was sufficient to evoke behavioral effects. Behavioral efficacy of peripherally administered OT receptor agonists on conditioned fear response opens the door to potential peripheral mechanisms in other behavioral paradigms, whether they are mediated by direct peripheral activation or feed-forward responses. Compound PF1 is freely available as a tool compound to further explore the role of peripheral OT in behavioral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meera E Modi
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Mark J Majchrzak
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Kari R Fonseca
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Angela Doran
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Sarah Osgood
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Michelle Vanase-Frawley
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Eric Feyfant
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Heather McInnes
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Ramin Darvari
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Derek L Buhl
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
| | - Natasha M Kablaoui
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Unit (M.E.M., M.J.M., D.L.B.), Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism (K.R.F.), Global Biotherapeutics Technologies (E.F.), and Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry (N.M.K.), Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics and Metabolism, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut (A.D., S.O., M.V.-F.); and Biotherapuetics Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts (H.M., R.D.)
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Abstract
Macrocyclic α-helical peptides have emerged as a promising new drug class and within the scope of hydrocarbon-stapled peptides such molecules have advanced into the clinic. The overarching concept of designing proteomimetics of an α-helical ‘ligand’ which binds its cognate ‘target’ relative to α-helical interfacing protein-protein interactions has been well-validated and expanded through numerous investigations for a plethora of therapeutic targets oftentimes referred to as “undruggable” with respect to other modalities (e.g., small-molecule or proteins). This chapter highlights the evolution of macrocyclic α-helical peptides in terms of target space, biophysical and computational chemistry, structural diversity and synthesis, drug design and chemical biology. It is noteworthy that hydrocarbon-stapled peptides have successfully risen to the summit of such drug discovery campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R. Hansen
- Altoris, Inc., 7770 Regents Rd
#557, San Diego, California 92122, United States
| | - Hugo O. Villar
- Altoris, Inc., 7770 Regents Rd
#557, San Diego, California 92122, United States
| | - Eric Feyfant
- Aileron Therapeutics, 281 Albany
Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Abstract
Fragment-based drug design (FBDD), which is comprised of both fragment screening and the use of fragment hits to design leads, began more than 15 years ago and has been steadily gaining in popularity and utility. Its origin lies on the fact that the coverage of chemical space and the binding efficiency of hits are directly related to the size of the compounds screened. Nevertheless, FBDD still faces challenges, among them developing fragment screening libraries that ensure optimal coverage of chemical space, physical properties and chemical tractability. Fragment screening also requires sensitive assays, often biophysical in nature, to detect weak binders. In this chapter we will introduce the technologies used to address these challenges and outline the experimental advantages that make FBDD one of the most popular new hit-to-lead process.
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Mobilio D, Walker G, Brooijmans N, Nilakantan R, Denny RA, DeJoannis J, Feyfant E, Kowticwar RK, Mankala J, Palli S, Punyamantula S, Tatipally M, John RK, Humblet C. A Protein Relational Database and Protein Family Knowledge Bases to Facilitate Structure-Based Design Analyses. Chem Biol Drug Des 2010; 76:142-53. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-0285.2010.00994.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Brooijmans N, Mobilio D, Walker G, Nilakantan R, Denny RA, Feyfant E, Diller D, Bikker J, Humblet C. A structural informatics approach to mine kinase knowledge bases. Drug Discov Today 2010; 15:203-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2009.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2009] [Revised: 11/02/2009] [Accepted: 11/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Hopper DW, Vera MD, How D, Sabatini J, Xiang JS, Ipek M, Thomason J, Hu Y, Feyfant E, Wang Q, Georgiadis KE, Reifenberg E, Sheldon RT, Keohan CC, Majumdar MK, Morris EA, Skotnicki J, Sum PE. Synthesis and biological evaluation of ((4-keto)-phenoxy)methyl biphenyl-4-sulfonamides: A class of potent aggrecanase-1 inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2009; 19:2487-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.03.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2009] [Revised: 03/11/2009] [Accepted: 03/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Abstract
We describe an automated method for the modeling of point mutations in protein structures. The protein is represented by all non-hydrogen atoms. The scoring function consists of several types of physical potential energy terms and homology-derived restraints. The optimization method implements a combination of conjugate gradient minimization and molecular dynamics with simulated annealing. The testing set consists of 717 pairs of known protein structures differing by a single mutation. Twelve variations of the scoring function were tested in three different environments of the mutated residue. The best-performing protocol optimizes all the atoms of the mutated residue, with respect to a scoring function that includes molecular mechanics energy terms for bond distances, angles, dihedral angles, peptide bond planarity, and non-bonded atomic contacts represented by Lennard-Jones potential, dihedral angle restraints derived from the aligned homologous structure, and a statistical potential for non-bonded atomic interactions extracted from a large set of known protein structures. The current method compares favorably with other tested approaches, especially when predicting long and flexible side-chains. In addition to the thoroughness of the conformational search, sampled degrees of freedom, and the scoring function type, the accuracy of the method was also evaluated as a function of the flexibility of the mutated side-chain, the relative volume change of the mutated residue, and its residue type. The results suggest that further improvement is likely to be achieved by concentrating on the improvement of the scoring function, in addition to or instead of increasing the variety of sampled conformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Feyfant
- Wyeth Research, Chemical and Screening Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02421, USA
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Lombart HG, Feyfant E, Joseph-McCarthy D, Huang A, Lovering F, Sun L, Zhu Y, Zeng C, Zhang Y, Levin J. Design and synthesis of 3,3-piperidine hydroxamate analogs as selective TACE inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2007; 17:4333-7. [PMID: 17531482 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2007.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2007] [Revised: 05/07/2007] [Accepted: 05/09/2007] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Structure-based methods were used to design beta-sulfone 3,3-piperidine hydroxamates as TACE inhibitors with the aim of improving selectivity for TACE versus MMP-13. Several compounds in this series were synthesized and evaluated in enzymatic and cell-based assays. These analogs exhibit excellent in vitro potency against isolated TACE enzyme and show good selectivity for TACE over the related metalloproteases MMP-2, -13, and -14.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry-Georges Lombart
- Chemical and Screening Sciences, Wyeth Research, 200 Cambridge Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
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Joseph-McCarthy D, Baber JC, Feyfant E, Thompson DC, Humblet C. Lead optimization via high-throughput molecular docking. Curr Opin Drug Discov Devel 2007; 10:264-74. [PMID: 17554852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Structure-based lead optimization approaches are increasingly playing a role in the drug-discovery process. Recent advances in 'high-throughput' molecular docking methods and examples of their successful use in lead optimization are reviewed. Measures of docking accuracy, scoring function comparisons, and consensus approaches are discussed. Differences in docking protocols typically used for lead optimization versus lead generation are highlighted; this section includes a discussion of the latest methods for the incorporation of protein flexibility. New approaches developed specifically for the design of combinatorial libraries as well as those designed or used for 'fragment' versus lead optimization are presented. Finally, potential future improvements to the technology are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Joseph-McCarthy
- Wyeth Research, Chemical and Screening Sciences, 200 Cambridge Park Drive, Cambridge, MA 02140, USA.
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Olson MW, Ruzin A, Feyfant E, Rush TS, O'Connell J, Bradford PA. Functional, biophysical, and structural bases for antibacterial activity of tigecycline. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2006; 50:2156-66. [PMID: 16723578 PMCID: PMC1479133 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01499-05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tigecycline is a novel glycylcycline antibiotic that possesses broad-spectrum activity against many clinically relevant species of bacterial pathogens. The mechanism of action of tigecycline was delineated using functional, biophysical, and molecular modeling experiments in this study. Functional assays showed that tigecycline specifically inhibits bacterial protein synthesis with potency 3- and 20-fold greater than that of minocycline and tetracycline, respectively. Biophysical analyses demonstrated that isolated ribosomes bind tigecycline, minocycline, and tetracycline with dissociation constant values of 10(-8), 10(-7), and >10(-6) M, respectively. A molecular model of tigecycline bound to the ribosome was generated with the aid of a 3.40-angstrom resolution X-ray diffraction structure of the 30S ribosomal subunit from Thermus thermophilus. This model places tigecycline in the A site of the 30S subunit and involves substantial interactions with residues of H34 of the ribosomal subunit. These interactions were not observed in a model of tetracycline binding. Modeling data were consistent with the biochemical and biophysical data generated in this and other recent studies and suggested that tigecycline binds to bacterial ribosomes in a novel way that allows it to overcome tetracycline resistance due to ribosomal protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Olson
- Department of Chemical and Screening Sciences, Wyeth Research, Pearl River, New York 10965, USA
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16
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Barbouche R, Feyfant E, Belhaj B, Fenouillet E. Pharmacophore determination of a gp120 C terminal-derived anti-HIV peptide construct interfering with membrane fusion suggesting that processing of the gp120 C terminus is a prelude to fusion. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2002; 18:201-6. [PMID: 11839154 DOI: 10.1089/08892220252781257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A multiple antigen peptide [CLIV; (PTKAKRR1VVQREKR2)4-K2-K-betaA] from the C terminus of the gp120 subunit of HIV Env inhibits Env-mediated cell-to-cell fusion through direct interference with the process (Virology 2000;273:169). We have examined various CLIV analogs using a cell-to-cell fusion assay, receptor binding assays, and molecular modeling to further address the characteristics of the peptide responsible for its anti-HIV activity. We show that (1) CLIV does not interfere with Env binding to CD4 and does not interact with the binding site of Env on CXCR4; (2) CLIV does not inhibit protease activities already reported to play a role in fusion; and (3) the pharmacophore is composed of cleavage site1 with amino acid residues at its C terminal end. Based on our data and on the literature, we propose that CLIV interferes with processing of the gp120 C terminus at site1 by the lymphocyte surface after CD4 binding. Our hypothesis implies that the cleavage region of Env is submitted to a stepwise processing including the known intracellular cleavage of gp160 at site2 in order to set the activation of the fusion peptide and a yet unexplored cleavage at site1 by the target cell surface that triggers fusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Barbouche
- CNRS, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Marseille, France and Institut Universitaire de Sciences Biologiques, Monastir, Tunisia
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17
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Huang C, Morales G, Vagi A, Chanasyk K, Ferrazzi M, Burklow C, Qiu WT, Feyfant E, Sali A, Stevens RL. Formation of enzymatically active, homotypic, and heterotypic tetramers of mouse mast cell tryptases. Dependence on a conserved Trp-rich domain on the surface. J Biol Chem 2000; 275:351-8. [PMID: 10617625 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.275.1.351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Mouse mast cell protease (mMCP) 6 and mMCP-7 are homologous tryptases stored in granules as macromolecular complexes with heparin and/or chondroitin sulfate E containing serglycin proteoglycans. When pro-mMCP-7 and pseudozymogen forms of this tryptase and mMCP-6 were separately expressed in insect cells, all three recombinant proteins were secreted into the conditioned medium as properly folded, enzymatically inactive 33-kDa monomers. However, when their propeptides were removed, mMCP-6 and mMCP-7 became enzymatically active and spontaneously assumed an approximately 150-kDa tetramer structure. Heparin was not required for this structural change. When incubated at 37 degrees C, recombinant mMCP-7 progressively lost its enzymatic activity in a time-dependent manner. Its N-linked glycans helped regulate the thermal stability of mMCP-7. However, the ability of this tryptase to form the enzymatically active tetramer was more dependent on a highly conserved Trp-rich domain on its surface. Although recombinant mMCP-6 and mMCP-7 preferred to form homotypic tetramers, these tryptases readily formed heterotypic tetramers in vitro. This latter finding indicates that the tetramer structural unit is a novel way the mast cell uses to assemble varied combinations of tryptases.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Huang
- Departments of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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18
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Wong GW, Tang Y, Feyfant E, Sali A, Li L, Li Y, Huang C, Friend DS, Krilis SA, Stevens RL. Identification of a new member of the tryptase family of mouse and human mast cell proteases which possesses a novel COOH-terminal hydrophobic extension. J Biol Chem 1999; 274:30784-93. [PMID: 10521469 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.274.43.30784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Mapping of the tryptase locus on chromosome 17 revealed a novel gene 2.3 kilobase 3' of the mouse mast cell protease (mMCP) 6 gene. This 3.7-kilobase gene encodes the first example of a protease in the tryptase family that contains a membrane-spanning segment located at its COOH terminus. Comparative structural studies indicated that the putative transmembrane tryptase (TMT) possesses a unique substrate-binding cleft. As assessed by RNA blot analyses, mTMT is expressed in mice in both strain- and tissue-dependent manners. Thus, different transcriptional and/or post-transcriptional mechanisms are used to control the expression of mTMT in vivo. Analysis of the corresponding tryptase locus in the human genome resulted in the isolation and characterization of the hTMT gene. The hTMT transcript is expressed in numerous tissues and is also translated. Analysis of the tryptase family of genes in mice and humans now indicates that a primordial serine protease gene duplicated early and often during the evolution of mammals to generate a panel of homologous tryptases in each species that differ in their tissue expression, substrate specificities, and physical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- G W Wong
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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19
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Hunt JE, Friend DS, Gurish MF, Feyfant E, Sali A, Huang C, Ghildyal N, Stechschulte S, Austen KF, Stevens RL. Mouse mast cell protease 9, a novel member of the chromosome 14 family of serine proteases that is selectively expressed in uterine mast cells. J Biol Chem 1997; 272:29158-66. [PMID: 9360993 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.272.46.29158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Mouse mast cell protease (mMCP) 1, mMCP-2, mMCP-4, and mMCP-5 are members of a family of related serine proteases whose genes reside within an approximately 850 kilobase (kb) complex on chromosome 14 that does not readily undergo crossover events. While mapping the mMCP-1 gene, we isolated a novel gene that encodes a homologous serine protease designated mMCP-9. The mMCP-9 and mMCP-1 genes are only approximately 7 kb apart on the chromosome and are oriented back to back. The proximity of the mMCP-1 and mMCP-9 genes now suggests that the low recombination frequency of the complex is due to the closeness of some of its genes. The mMCP-9 transcript and protein were observed in the jejunal submucosa of Trichinella spiralis-infected BALB/c mice. However, in normal BALB/c mice, mMCP-9 transcript and protein were found only in those mast cells that reside in the uterus. Thus, the expression of mMCP-9 differs from that of all other chymases. The observation that BALB/c mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells developed with interleukin (IL) 10 and c-kit ligand contain mMCP-9 transcript, whereas those developed with IL-3 do not, indicates that the expression of this particular chymase is regulated by the cytokine microenvironment. Comparative protein structure modeling revealed that mMCP-9 is the only known granule protease with three positively charged regions on its surface. This property may allow mMCP-9 to form multimeric complexes with serglycin proteoglycans and other negatively charged proteins inside the granule. Although mMCP-9 exhibits a >50% overall amino acid sequence identity with its homologous chymases, it has a unique substrate-binding cleft. This finding suggests that each member of the chromosome 14 family of serine proteases evolved to degrade a distinct group of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- J E Hunt
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
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20
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Legros C, Feyfant E, Sampieri F, Rochat H, Bougis PE, Martin-Eauclaire MF. Influence of a NH2-terminal extension on the activity of KTX2, a K+ channel blocker purified from Androctonus australis scorpion venom. FEBS Lett 1997; 417:123-9. [PMID: 9395089 DOI: 10.1016/s0014-5793(97)01177-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A cDNA encoding a short polypeptide blocker of K+ channels, kaliotoxin 2 (KTX2), from the venom of the North African scorpion Androctonus australis was expressed in the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli. KTX2 was produced as a fusion protein with the maltose binding protein followed by the recognition site for factor Xa or enterokinase preceding the first amino acid residue of the toxin. The fully refolded recombinant KTX2 (rKTX2) was obtained (0.15-0.30 mg/l of culture) and was indistinguishable from the native toxin according to chemical and biological criteria. An N-extended analogue of KTX2 exhibiting three additional residues was also expressed. This analogue had 1000-fold less affinity for the 125I-kaliotoxin binding site on rat brain synaptosomes than KTX2. Conformational models of KTX2 and its mutant were designed by amino acid replacement using the structure of agitoxin 2 from Leiurus quinquestriatus as template, to try to understand the decrease in affinity for the receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Legros
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, Ingénierie des Protéines, UMR 6560 du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Fédératif Jean Roche, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Marseille, France
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