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Savoy EA, Olatunji FP, Mesbahi N, Ballard RK, Lovingier CL, Hendricksen AT, Fulton MD, Berkman CE. PSMA-targeted SMART molecules outfitted with SN38. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 101:129657. [PMID: 38360419 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2024.129657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Herein, we report the modular synthesis and evaluation of a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted small molecule drug conjugate (SMDC) carrying the chemotherapeutic agent, SN38. Due to the fluorogenic properties of SN38, payload release kinetics from the platform was observed in buffers representing the pH conditions of systemic circulation and cellular internalization. It was found that this platform is stable with minimal payload release at physiological pH with most rapid payload release observed at pH values representing the endosome complex. We confirmed selective payload release and chemotherapeutic efficacy for PSMA(+) prostate cancer cells over PSMA(-) cells. These results demonstrate that chemotherapeutic agents with limited solubility can be conjugated to a water-soluble targeting and linker platform without attenuating efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Savoy
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Feyisola P Olatunji
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Nooshin Mesbahi
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Ryanne K Ballard
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Christine L Lovingier
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Aaron T Hendricksen
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Melody D Fulton
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Clifford E Berkman
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States.
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2
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Savoy EA, Olatunji FP, Fulton MD, Kesic BN, Herman JW, Romero O, Maniatopoulos M, Berkman CE. PSMA-targeted small-molecule drug-conjugates with valine-citrulline and phosphoramidate cleavable linkers. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2024; 98:129573. [PMID: 38052377 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2023.129573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we present a modular synthesis and evaluation of two prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeted small molecule drug conjugates (SMDCs) incorporating the potent chemotherapeutic agent monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE). These SMDCs are distinguished by their cleavable linker modules: one utilizing the widely known valine-citrulline linker, susceptible to cleavage by cathepsin B, and the other featuring a novel acid-labile phosphoramidate-based (PhosAm) linker. Both SMDCs maintained nanomolar affinity to PSMA. Furthermore, we confirmed the selective release of the payload and observed chemotherapeutic efficacy specifically within PSMA-positive prostate cancer cells, while maintaining cell viability in PSMA-negative cells. These findings not only validate the efficacy of our approach but also highlight the potential of the innovative pH-responsive PhosAm linker. This study contributes significantly to the field and also paves the way for future advancements in targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Savoy
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, USA
| | - Feyisola P Olatunji
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, USA
| | - Melody D Fulton
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, USA
| | - Brittany N Kesic
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, USA
| | - Jacob W Herman
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, USA
| | - Oscar Romero
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, USA
| | | | - Clifford E Berkman
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, USA.
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3
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Yang M, Olatunji FP, Rhodes C, Balaratnam S, Dunne-Dombrink K, Seshadri S, Liang X, Jones CP, Le Grice SFJ, Ferré-D’Amaré AR, Schneekloth JS. Discovery of Small Molecules Targeting the Frameshifting Element RNA in SARS-CoV-2 Viral Genome. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:757-765. [PMID: 37312842 PMCID: PMC10258829 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting structured RNA elements in the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome with small molecules is an attractive strategy for pharmacological control over viral replication. In this work, we report the discovery of small molecules that target the frameshifting element (FSE) in the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome using high-throughput small-molecule microarray (SMM) screening. A new class of aminoquinazoline ligands for the SARS-CoV-2 FSE are synthesized and characterized using multiple orthogonal biophysical assays and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. This work reveals compounds with mid-micromolar binding affinity (KD = 60 ± 6 μM) to the FSE RNA and supports a binding mode distinct from previously reported FSE binders MTDB and merafloxacin. In addition, compounds are active in in vitro dual-luciferase and in-cell dual-fluorescent-reporter frameshifting assays, highlighting the promise of targeting structured elements of RNAs with druglike compounds to alter expression of viral proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mo Yang
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, United States
| | - Feyisola P. Olatunji
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, United States
| | - Curran Rhodes
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, United States
| | - Sumirtha Balaratnam
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, United States
| | - Kara Dunne-Dombrink
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, United States
| | - Srinath Seshadri
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, United States
| | - Xiao Liang
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, United States
| | - Christopher P. Jones
- Biochemistry
and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Stuart F. J. Le Grice
- Cancer
Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick Maryland 21702-1201, United States
| | - Adrian R. Ferré-D’Amaré
- Biochemistry
and Biophysics Center, National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - John S. Schneekloth
- Chemical
Biology Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, United States
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Olatunji FP, Pun M, Herman JW, Romero O, Maniatopoulos M, Latoche JD, Parise RA, Guo J, Beumer JH, Anderson CJ, Berkman CE. Modular Smart Molecules for PSMA-Targeted Chemotherapy. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:1701-1709. [PMID: 35999662 PMCID: PMC9842478 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
New targeted chemotherapeutics are urgently needed to minimize off-target toxicity and reduce the high-mortality rate associated with metastatic prostate cancer. Herein, we report on the modular synthesis, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of two small-molecule-drug conjugates (SMDC) targeted to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) incorporating either: (i) a cathepsin-B-cleavable valine-citrulline (Val-Cit), or (ii) an acid-cleavable phosphoramidate linker. Crucial components used in the design of the conjugates include: (i) CTT1298, a nanomolar affinity ligand that binds irreversibly to PSMA and has proven in past studies to rapidly internalize and shuttle payloads into PSMA-expressing prostate cancer cells, (ii) MMAE, a known potent cytotoxic payload, and (iii) an albumin-binder, proven to improve residence time of drug conjugates. At dose of 0.8 mg/kg (∼250 nmol/kg), the two SMDCs showed significant efficacy in a PSMA(+) PC3-PIP mouse model of human prostate cancer compared with controls, without inducing systemic toxicity. Though localization of the SMDCs was observed in tissues apart from the tumor, release of MMAE was observed predominantly in tumor tissue, at levels that were 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than non-target tissues. Furthermore, SMDC2, which incorporated a novel pH-responsive phosporamidate linker, demonstrated significantly improved efficacy over SMDC1 that has a Val-Cit linker, with a 100% survival over 90 days and 4 out of 8 mice showing complete tumor growth inhibition after 6 weekly doses of 0.8 mg/kg (244 nmol/kg). Our findings demonstrate the potential of irreversible PSMA inhibitors combined with pH-responsive linkers as a way to specifically deliver chemotherapeutic drugs to prostate cancer tumors with minimal toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Pun
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630,Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211,Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211
| | - Jacob W. Herman
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630
| | - Oscar Romero
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630
| | | | - Joseph D. Latoche
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Robert A. Parise
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Jianxia Guo
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Jan H. Beumer
- Cancer Therapeutics Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, PA, 15261.,Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Carolyn J. Anderson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211,Department of Radiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211,Molecular Imaging and Theranostics Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211
| | - Clifford E. Berkman
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, Pullman, WA 99164-4630
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Abstract
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a family of enzymes responsible for regulating DNA transcription by modulating its binding to histone proteins. HDACs are overexpressed in several types of cancers and are recognised as drug targets. Vorinostat, or suberanilohydroxamic acid (SAHA), is an histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor with a hydroxamic acid as a zinc-binding group (ZBG), and it has been FDA approved for the treatment of T-cell lymphoma. In this work, phosphorus-based SAHA analogues were synthesised to assess their zinc-binding effectiveness compared to the hydroxamic acid of SAHA. Specifically, we examined phosphate, phosphoramidate and phosphorothiolate groups as isosteres of the canonical hydroxamic acid motif of conventional HDAC inhibitors. The compounds were screened for binding to HDAC enzymes from HeLa cell lysate. The most potent derivatives were then screened against HDAC3 and HDAC8 isoforms. HDAC inhibition assays demonstrated that these phosphorus-based SAHA analogs exhibited slow binding to HDACs but with greater potency than phosphonate SAHA analogs examined previously. All compounds inhibited HDACs, the most potent having an IC50 of 50 µM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Pun
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Hsin-Hua Wu
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | - Britany N Kesic
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - John W Peters
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Olatunji FP, Savoy EA, Panteah M, Mesbahi N, Abbasi A, Talley CM, Lovingier CL, Caromile LA, Berkman CE. Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen-Targeted Turn-on Probe for Imaging Cargo Release in Prostate Cancer Cells. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:2386-2396. [PMID: 34699177 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The tunable nature of phosphoramidate linkers enables broad applicability as pH-triggered controlled-release platforms, particularly in the context of antibody- and small-molecule-drug conjugates (ADCs and SMDCs), where there remains a need for new linker technology. Herein, we explored in-depth the release of turn-on fluorogenic payloads from a homoserinyl-based phosphoramidate acid-cleavable linker. Kinetics of payload release from the scaffold was observed in buffers representing the pH conditions of systemic circulation, early and late endosomes, and lysosomes. It was found that payload release takes place in two key consecutive steps: (1) P-N bond hydrolysis and (2) spacer immolation. These two steps were found to follow pseudo-first-order kinetics and had opposite dependencies on pH. P-N bond hydrolysis increased with decreasing pH, while spacer immolation was most rapid at physiological pH. Despite the contrasting release kinetics of these two steps, maximal payload release was observed at the mildly acidic pH (5.0-5.5), while minimal payload release occurred at physiological pH. We integrated this phosphoramidate-payload linker system into a PSMA-targeted fluorescent turn-on probe to study the intracellular trafficking and release of a fluorescent payload in PSMA-expressing prostate cancer cells. Results showed excellent turn-on and accumulation of the coumarin payload in the late endosomal and lysosomal compartments of these cells. The release properties of this linker mark it as an attractive alternative in the modular design of ADCs and SMDCs, which demand selective intracellular payload release triggered by the pH changes that accompany intracellular trafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feyisola P Olatunji
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4630, United States
| | - Emily A Savoy
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4630, United States
| | - Mylan Panteah
- UCONN Health-Center for Vascular Biology, Farmington, Connecticut 06030-3501, United States
| | - Nooshin Mesbahi
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4630, United States
| | - Armina Abbasi
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4630, United States
| | - Cresencia M Talley
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4630, United States
| | - Christine L Lovingier
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4630, United States
| | - Leslie A Caromile
- UCONN Health-Center for Vascular Biology, Farmington, Connecticut 06030-3501, United States
| | - Clifford E Berkman
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-4630, United States
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7
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Olatunji FP, Herman JW, Kesic BN, Olabode D, Berkman CE. Corrigendum to "A click-ready pH-triggered phosphoramidate-based linker for controlled release of monomethyl auristatin E" [Tetrahedron Lett. Volume 61, Issue 41, 8 October 2020, 152398]. Tetrahedron Lett 2021; 71. [PMID: 34840354 DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2021.152955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
[This corrects the article PMC7665082.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Feyisola P Olatunji
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 644630, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Jacob W Herman
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 644630, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Brittany N Kesic
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 644630, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Damilola Olabode
- Washington State University, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, PO Box 643113, Pullman, WA 99164-3113, United States
| | - Clifford E Berkman
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 644630, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
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8
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Olatunji FP, Herman JW, Kesic BN, Olabode D, Berkman CE. A click-ready pH-triggered phosphoramidate-based linker for controlled release of monomethyl auristatin E. Tetrahedron Lett 2020; 61:152398. [PMID: 33191958 PMCID: PMC7665082 DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2020.152398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we developed a novel "click"-ready pH-cleavable phosphoramidate linker for controlled-release of monomethyl auristantin E (MMAE) in antibody- and small molecule-drug conjugates application. This water-soluble linker was found to have tremendous stability at physiological pHs while rapidly releasing its payload at acidic pH. The linker can also be tailored to release payloads of diverse functional groups, broadening its applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feyisola P Olatunji
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 644630, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Jacob W Herman
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 644630, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Brittany N Kesic
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 644630, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
| | - Damilola Olabode
- Washington State University, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, PO Box 643113, Pullman, WA 99164-3113, United States
| | - Clifford E Berkman
- Washington State University, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 644630, Pullman, WA 99164-4630, United States
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Olatunji FP, Kesic BN, Choy CJ, Berkman CE. Phosphoramidate derivates as controlled-release prodrugs of l-Dopa. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2019; 29:2571-2574. [PMID: 31400939 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
l-Dopa has continued to be a mainstay in the symptomatic treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, extensive peripheral metabolism, a short systemic circulation half-life and development of motor complications called dyskinesia prevents its long-term utilization as a PD therapeutic. Herein, we report a series of phosphoramidate derivatives of l-Dopa and controlled release of l-Dopa at pH 7.4 and 3. The kinetic data for the release of l-Dopa support our hypothesis that a proximal carboxylic acid can promote the pH-triggered hydrolysis of the phosphoramidate PN bond. As expected, esterification of the proximal carboxylic acid protects the scaffold from rapid release at low pH. This latter observation is particularly noteworthy as it suggests that the phosphoramidate-based l-Dopa-conjugate scaffold can be adapted for oral administration as an ester prodrug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feyisola P Olatunji
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Brittany N Kesic
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Cindy J Choy
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Clifford E Berkman
- Department of Chemistry, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
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