1
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Düchs MJ, Kratzer RF, Vieyra-Garcia P, Strobel B, Schönberger T, Groß P, Aljayyoussi G, Gupta A, Lang I, Klein H, Morilla SM, Hopf S, Park J, Kreuz S, Klugmann M, Igney FH. Riboswitch-controlled IL-12 gene therapy reduces hepatocellular cancer in mice. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1360063. [PMID: 38558809 PMCID: PMC10979303 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1360063] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and solid cancers with liver metastases are indications with high unmet medical need. Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a proinflammatory cytokine with substantial anti-tumor properties, but its therapeutic potential has not been realized due to severe toxicity. Here, we show that orthotopic liver tumors in mice can be treated by targeting hepatocytes via systemic delivery of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors carrying the murine IL-12 gene. Controlled cytokine production was achieved in vivo by using the tetracycline-inducible K19 riboswitch. AAV-mediated expression of IL-12 led to STAT4 phosphorylation, interferon-γ (IFNγ) production, infiltration of T cells and, ultimately, tumor regression. By detailed analyses of efficacy and tolerability in healthy and tumor-bearing animals, we could define a safe and efficacious vector dose. As a potential clinical candidate, we characterized vectors carrying the human IL-12 (huIL-12) gene. In mice, bioactive human IL-12 was expressed in a vector dose-dependent manner and could be induced by tetracycline, suggesting tissue-specific AAV vectors with riboswitch-controlled expression of highly potent proinflammatory cytokines as an attractive approach for vector-based cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias J. Düchs
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Ramona F. Kratzer
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Pablo Vieyra-Garcia
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - Benjamin Strobel
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Tanja Schönberger
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Peter Groß
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Drug Discovery Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Aradhana Gupta
- Nonclinical Drug Safety, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, CT, United States
| | - Isabel Lang
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Holger Klein
- Global Computational Biology and Digital Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Sandra Martinez Morilla
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Ridgefield, CT, United States
| | - Stefan Hopf
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co. KG, Vienna, Austria
| | - John Park
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kreuz
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Matthias Klugmann
- Research Beyond Borders, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Frederik H. Igney
- Cancer Immunology and Immune Modulation, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
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2
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Hegde S, Marriott AE, Pionnier N, Steven A, Bulman C, Gunderson E, Vogel I, Koschel M, Ehrens A, Lustigman S, Voronin D, Tricoche N, Hoerauf A, Hübner MP, Sakanari J, Aljayyoussi G, Gusovsky F, Dagley J, Hong DW, O'Neill P, Ward SA, Taylor MJ, Turner JD. Combinations of the azaquinazoline anti- Wolbachia agent, AWZ1066S, with benzimidazole anthelmintics synergise to mediate sub-seven-day sterilising and curative efficacies in experimental models of filariasis. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1346068. [PMID: 38362501 PMCID: PMC10867176 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1346068] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis are two major neglected tropical diseases that are responsible for causing severe disability in 50 million people worldwide, whilst veterinary filariasis (heartworm) is a potentially lethal parasitic infection of companion animals. There is an urgent need for safe, short-course curative (macrofilaricidal) drugs to eliminate these debilitating parasite infections. We investigated combination treatments of the novel anti-Wolbachia azaquinazoline small molecule, AWZ1066S, with benzimidazole drugs (albendazole or oxfendazole) in up to four different rodent filariasis infection models: Brugia malayi-CB.17 SCID mice, B. malayi-Mongolian gerbils, B. pahangi-Mongolian gerbils, and Litomosoides sigmodontis-Mongolian gerbils. Combination treatments synergised to elicit threshold (>90%) Wolbachia depletion from female worms in 5 days of treatment, using 2-fold lower dose-exposures of AWZ1066S than monotherapy. Short-course lowered dose AWZ1066S-albendazole combination treatments also delivered partial adulticidal activities and/or long-lasting inhibition of embryogenesis, resulting in complete transmission blockade in B. pahangi and L. sigmodontis gerbil models. We determined that short-course AWZ1066S-albendazole co-treatment significantly augmented the depletion of Wolbachia populations within both germline and hypodermal tissues of B. malayi female worms and in hypodermal tissues in male worms, indicating that anti-Wolbachia synergy is not limited to targeting female embryonic tissues. Our data provides pre-clinical proof-of-concept that sub-seven-day combinations of rapid-acting novel anti-Wolbachia agents with benzimidazole anthelmintics are a promising curative and transmission-blocking drug treatment strategy for filarial diseases of medical and veterinary importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shrilakshmi Hegde
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Amy E. Marriott
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Nicolas Pionnier
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Steven
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Bulman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, Unites States
| | - Emma Gunderson
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, Unites States
| | - Ian Vogel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, Unites States
| | - Marianne Koschel
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Ehrens
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sara Lustigman
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, Unites States
| | - Denis Voronin
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, Unites States
| | - Nancy Tricoche
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY, Unites States
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marc P. Hübner
- Department of Immunology and Parasitology, Institute for Medical Microbiology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Judy Sakanari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, Unites States
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jessica Dagley
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Hong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Paul O'Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Steven A. Ward
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Mark J. Taylor
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph D. Turner
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Centre for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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3
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Jeffreys LN, Ardrey A, Hafiz TA, Dyer LA, Warman AJ, Mosallam N, Nixon GL, Fisher NE, Hong WD, Leung SC, Aljayyoussi G, Bibby J, Almeida DV, Converse PJ, Fotouhi N, Berry NG, Nuermberger EL, Upton AM, O'Neill PM, Ward SA, Biagini GA. Identification of 2-Aryl-Quinolone Inhibitors of Cytochrome bd and Chemical Validation of Combination Strategies for Respiratory Inhibitors against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:221-238. [PMID: 36606559 PMCID: PMC9926492 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00283] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis cytochrome bd quinol oxidase (cyt bd), the alternative terminal oxidase of the respiratory chain, has been identified as playing a key role during chronic infection and presents a putative target for the development of novel antitubercular agents. Here, we report confirmation of successful heterologous expression of M. tuberculosis cytochrome bd. The heterologous M. tuberculosis cytochrome bd expression system was used to identify a chemical series of inhibitors based on the 2-aryl-quinolone pharmacophore. Cytochrome bd inhibitors displayed modest efficacy in M. tuberculosis growth suppression assays together with a bacteriostatic phenotype in time-kill curve assays. Significantly, however, inhibitor combinations containing our front-runner cyt bd inhibitor CK-2-63 with either cyt bcc-aa3 inhibitors (e.g., Q203) and/or adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase inhibitors (e.g., bedaquiline) displayed enhanced efficacy with respect to the reduction of mycobacterium oxygen consumption, growth suppression, and in vitro sterilization kinetics. In vivo combinations of Q203 and CK-2-63 resulted in a modest lowering of lung burden compared to treatment with Q203 alone. The reduced efficacy in the in vivo experiments compared to in vitro experiments was shown to be a result of high plasma protein binding and a low unbound drug exposure at the target site. While further development is required to improve the tractability of cyt bd inhibitors for clinical evaluation, these data support the approach of using small-molecule inhibitors to target multiple components of the branched respiratory chain of M. tuberculosis as a combination strategy to improve therapeutic and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) indices related to efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Jeffreys
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, LiverpoolL3 5QA, U.K
| | - Alison Ardrey
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, LiverpoolL3 5QA, U.K
| | - Taghreed A Hafiz
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, LiverpoolL3 5QA, U.K
| | - Lauri-Anne Dyer
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, LiverpoolL3 5QA, U.K
| | - Ashley J Warman
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, LiverpoolL3 5QA, U.K
| | - Nada Mosallam
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Gemma L Nixon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Nicholas E Fisher
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, LiverpoolL3 5QA, U.K
| | - W David Hong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Suet C Leung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, LiverpoolL3 5QA, U.K
| | - Jaclyn Bibby
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Deepak V Almeida
- Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland21205, United States
| | - Paul J Converse
- Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland21205, United States
| | - Nader Fotouhi
- Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, New York, New York10005, United States
| | - Neil G Berry
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Eric L Nuermberger
- Center for Tuberculosis Research, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland21205, United States
| | - Anna M Upton
- Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, New York, New York10005, United States.,Evotec (US) Inc., 303B College Road East, Princeton, New Jersey08540, United States
| | - Paul M O'Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolL69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, LiverpoolL3 5QA, U.K
| | - Giancarlo A Biagini
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, LiverpoolL3 5QA, U.K
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4
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Walz A, Duffey M, Aljayyoussi G, Sax S, Leroy D, Besson D, Burrows JN, Cherkaoui-Rbati MH, Gobeau N, Westwood MA, Siethoff C, Gamo FJ, Mäser P, Wittlin S. The Parasite Reduction Ratio (PRR) Assay Version 2: Standardized Assessment of Plasmodium falciparum Viability after Antimalarial Treatment In Vitro. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16020163. [PMID: 37009844 PMCID: PMC9959027 DOI: 10.3390/ph16020163] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
With artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites emerging in Africa, the need for new antimalarial chemotypes is persistently high. The ideal pharmacodynamic parameters of a candidate drug are a rapid onset of action and a fast rate of parasite killing or clearance. To determine these parameters, it is essential to discriminate viable from nonviable parasites, which is complicated by the fact that viable parasites can be metabolically inactive, whilst dying parasites can still be metabolically active and morphologically unaffected. Standard growth inhibition assays, read out via microscopy or [3H] hypoxanthine incorporation, cannot reliably discriminate between viable and nonviable parasites. Conversely, the in vitro parasite reduction ratio (PRR) assay is able to measure viable parasites with high sensitivity. It provides valuable pharmacodynamic parameters, such as PRR, 99.9% parasite clearance time (PCT99.9%) and lag phase. Here we report the development of the PRR assay version 2 (V2), which comes with a shorter assay duration, optimized quality controls and an objective, automated analysis pipeline that systematically estimates PRR, PCT99.9% and lag time and returns meaningful secondary parameters such as the maximal killing rate of a drug (Emax) at the assayed concentration. These parameters can be fed directly into pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models, hence aiding and standardizing lead selection, optimization, and dose prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annabelle Walz
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maëlle Duffey
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Sibylle Sax
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Didier Leroy
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pascal Mäser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Wittlin
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-61-284-81-36
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5
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Edwards T, Kay GA, Aljayyoussi G, Owen SI, Harland AR, Pierce NS, Calder JDF, Fletcher TE, Adams ER. SARS-CoV-2 viability on sports equipment is limited, and dependent on material composition. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1416. [PMID: 35082404 PMCID: PMC8791971 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05515-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The control of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK has necessitated restrictions on amateur and professional sports due to the perceived infection risk to competitors, via direct person to person transmission, or possibly via the surfaces of sports equipment. The sharing of sports equipment such as tennis balls was therefore banned by some sport's governing bodies. We sought to investigate the potential of sporting equipment as transmission vectors of SARS-CoV-2. Ten different types of sporting equipment, including balls from common sports, were inoculated with 40 μl droplets containing clinically relevant concentrations of live SARS-CoV-2 virus. Materials were then swabbed at time points relevant to sports (1, 5, 15, 30, 90 min). The amount of live SARS-CoV-2 recovered at each time point was enumerated using viral plaque assays, and viral decay and half-life was estimated through fitting linear models to log transformed data from each material. At one minute, SARS-CoV-2 virus was recovered in only seven of the ten types of equipment with the low dose inoculum, one at five minutes and none at 15 min. Retrievable virus dropped significantly for all materials tested using the high dose inoculum with mean recovery of virus falling to 0.74% at 1 min, 0.39% at 15 min and 0.003% at 90 min. Viral recovery, predicted decay, and half-life varied between materials with porous surfaces limiting virus transmission. This study shows that there is an exponential reduction in SARS-CoV-2 recoverable from a range of sports equipment after a short time period, and virus is less transferrable from materials such as a tennis ball, red cricket ball and cricket glove. Given this rapid loss of viral load and the fact that transmission requires a significant inoculum to be transferred from equipment to the mucous membranes of another individual it seems unlikely that sports equipment is a major cause for transmission of SARS-CoV-2. These findings have important policy implications in the context of the pandemic and may promote other infection control measures in sports to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and urge sports equipment manufacturers to identify surfaces that may or may not be likely to retain transferable virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Edwards
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Grant A Kay
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Sophie I Owen
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Andy R Harland
- Wolfson School of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Ashby Road, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK
| | - Nicholas S Pierce
- England and Wales Cricket Board and National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK
| | - James D F Calder
- Fortius Clinic, London, W1U 2EU, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Tom E Fletcher
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Emily R Adams
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
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6
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Jeffreys LN, Pennington SH, Duggan J, Caygill CH, Lopeman RC, Breen AF, Jinks JB, Ardrey A, Donnellan S, Patterson EI, Hughes GL, Hong DW, O'Neill PM, Aljayyoussi G, Owen A, Ward SA, Biagini GA. Remdesivir-ivermectin combination displays synergistic interaction with improved in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2022; 59:106542. [PMID: 35093538 PMCID: PMC8801767 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2022.106542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
A key element for the prevention and management of coronavirus disease 2019 is the development of effective therapeutics. Drug combination strategies offer several advantages over monotherapies. They have the potential to achieve greater efficacy, to increase the therapeutic index of drugs and to reduce the emergence of drug resistance. We assessed the in vitro synergistic interaction between remdesivir and ivermectin, both approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and demonstrated enhanced antiviral activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. Whilst the in vitro synergistic activity reported here does not support the clinical application of this combination treatment strategy due to insufficient exposure of ivermectin in vivo, the data do warrant further investigation. Efforts to define the mechanisms underpinning the observed synergistic action could lead to the development of novel treatment strategies.
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7
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Stachulski AV, Taujanskas J, Pate SL, Rajoli RKR, Aljayyoussi G, Pennington SH, Ward SA, Hong WD, Biagini GA, Owen A, Nixon GL, Leung SC, O’Neill PM. Therapeutic Potential of Nitazoxanide: An Appropriate Choice for Repurposing versus SARS-CoV-2? ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1317-1331. [PMID: 33352056 PMCID: PMC7771247 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The rapidly growing COVID-19 pandemic is the most serious global health crisis since the "Spanish flu" of 1918. There is currently no proven effective drug treatment or prophylaxis for this coronavirus infection. While developing safe and effective vaccines is one of the key focuses, a number of existing antiviral drugs are being evaluated for their potency and efficiency against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in the clinic. Here, we review the significant potential of nitazoxanide (NTZ) as an antiviral agent that can be repurposed as a treatment for COVID-19. Originally, NTZ was developed as an antiparasitic agent especially against Cryptosporidium spp.; it was later shown to possess potent activity against a broad range of both RNA and DNA viruses, including influenza A, hepatitis B and C, and coronaviruses. Recent in vitro assessment of NTZ has confirmed its promising activity against SARS-CoV-2 with an EC50 of 2.12 μM. Here we examine its drug properties, antiviral activity against different viruses, clinical trials outcomes, and mechanisms of antiviral action from the literature in order to highlight the therapeutic potential for the treatment of COVID-19. Furthermore, in preliminary PK/PD analyses using clinical data reported in the literature, comparison of simulated TIZ (active metabolite of NTZ) exposures at two doses with the in vitro potency of NTZ against SARS-CoV-2 gives further support for drug repurposing with potential in combination chemotherapy approaches. The review concludes with details of second generation thiazolides under development that could lead to improved antiviral therapies for future indications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua Taujanskas
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Sophie L. Pate
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Rajith K. R. Rajoli
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology,
Materials Innovation Factory, University of Liverpool,
Liverpool L7 3NY, U.K.
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical
Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine,
Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K.
| | - Shaun H. Pennington
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical
Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine,
Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K.
| | - Stephen A. Ward
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical
Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine,
Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K.
| | - Weiqian David Hong
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Giancarlo A. Biagini
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical
Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine,
Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K.
| | - Andrew Owen
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology,
Materials Innovation Factory, University of Liverpool,
Liverpool L7 3NY, U.K.
| | - Gemma L. Nixon
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Suet C. Leung
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
| | - Paul M. O’Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of
Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K.
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8
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Rajoli RKR, Pertinez H, Arshad U, Box H, Tatham L, Curley P, Neary M, Sharp J, Liptrott NJ, Valentijn A, David C, Rannard SP, Aljayyoussi G, Pennington SH, Hill A, Boffito M, Ward SA, Khoo SH, Bray PG, O'Neill PM, Hong WD, Biagini GA, Owen A. Dose prediction for repurposing nitazoxanide in SARS-CoV-2 treatment or chemoprophylaxis. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 87:2078-2088. [PMID: 33085781 PMCID: PMC8056737 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been declared a global pandemic and urgent treatment and prevention strategies are needed. Nitazoxanide, an anthelmintic drug, has been shown to exhibit in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2. The present study used physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling to inform optimal doses of nitazoxanide capable of maintaining plasma and lung tizoxanide exposures above the reported SARS-CoV-2 EC90 . METHODS A whole-body PBPK model was validated against available pharmacokinetic data for healthy individuals receiving single and multiple doses between 500 and 4000 mg with and without food. The validated model was used to predict doses expected to maintain tizoxanide plasma and lung concentrations above the EC90 in >90% of the simulated population. PopDes was used to estimate an optimal sparse sampling strategy for future clinical trials. RESULTS The PBPK model was successfully validated against the reported human pharmacokinetics. The model predicted optimal doses of 1200 mg QID, 1600 mg TID and 2900 mg BID in the fasted state and 700 mg QID, 900 mg TID and 1400 mg BID when given with food. For BID regimens an optimal sparse sampling strategy of 0.25, 1, 3 and 12 hours post dose was estimated. CONCLUSION The PBPK model predicted tizoxanide concentrations within doses of nitazoxanide already given to humans previously. The reported dosing strategies provide a rational basis for design of clinical trials with nitazoxanide for the treatment or prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A concordant higher dose of nitazoxanide is now planned for investigation in the seamless phase I/IIa AGILE trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajith K. R. Rajoli
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Henry Pertinez
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Usman Arshad
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Helen Box
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Lee Tatham
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Paul Curley
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Megan Neary
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Joanne Sharp
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Neill J. Liptrott
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Anthony Valentijn
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Christopher David
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, and Department of Tropical Disease BiologyLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineLiverpoolUK
| | - Shaun H. Pennington
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, and Department of Tropical Disease BiologyLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineLiverpoolUK
| | - Andrew Hill
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Marta Boffito
- Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust and St Stephen's AIDS Trust 4th FloorChelsea and Westminster HospitalLondonUK
- Jefferiss Research Trust Laboratories, Department of MedicineImperial CollegeLondonUK
| | - Steve A. Ward
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, and Department of Tropical Disease BiologyLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineLiverpoolUK
| | - Saye H. Khoo
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | | | - W. David Hong
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Giancarlo A. Biagini
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, and Department of Tropical Disease BiologyLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineLiverpoolUK
| | - Andrew Owen
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Materials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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9
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Arshad U, Pertinez H, Box H, Tatham L, Rajoli RKR, Curley P, Neary M, Sharp J, Liptrott NJ, Valentijn A, David C, Rannard SP, O’Neill PM, Aljayyoussi G, Pennington SH, Ward SA, Hill A, Back DJ, Khoo SH, Bray PG, Biagini GA, Owen A. Prioritization of Anti-SARS-Cov-2 Drug Repurposing Opportunities Based on Plasma and Target Site Concentrations Derived from their Established Human Pharmacokinetics. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2020; 108:775-790. [PMID: 32438446 PMCID: PMC7280633 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.1909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
There is a rapidly expanding literature on the in vitro antiviral activity of drugs that may be repurposed for therapy or chemoprophylaxis against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, this has not been accompanied by a comprehensive evaluation of the target plasma and lung concentrations of these drugs following approved dosing in humans. Accordingly, concentration 90% (EC90 ) values recalculated from in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity data was expressed as a ratio to the achievable maximum plasma concentration (Cmax ) at an approved dose in humans (Cmax /EC90 ratio). Only 14 of the 56 analyzed drugs achieved a Cmax /EC90 ratio above 1. A more in-depth assessment demonstrated that only nitazoxanide, nelfinavir, tipranavir (ritonavir-boosted), and sulfadoxine achieved plasma concentrations above their reported anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity across their entire approved dosing interval. An unbound lung to plasma tissue partition coefficient (Kp Ulung ) was also simulated to derive a lung Cmax /half-maximal effective concentration (EC50 ) as a better indicator of potential human efficacy. Hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, mefloquine, atazanavir (ritonavir-boosted), tipranavir (ritonavir-boosted), ivermectin, azithromycin, and lopinavir (ritonavir-boosted) were all predicted to achieve lung concentrations over 10-fold higher than their reported EC50 . Nitazoxanide and sulfadoxine also exceeded their reported EC50 by 7.8-fold and 1.5-fold in lung, respectively. This analysis may be used to select potential candidates for further clinical testing, while deprioritizing compounds unlikely to attain target concentrations for antiviral activity. Future studies should focus on EC90 values and discuss findings in the context of achievable exposures in humans, especially within target compartments, such as the lungs, in order to maximize the potential for success of proposed human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Arshad
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Henry Pertinez
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Helen Box
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Lee Tatham
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Rajith K. R. Rajoli
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Paul Curley
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Megan Neary
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Joanne Sharp
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Neill J. Liptrott
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Anthony Valentijn
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Christopher David
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | | | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Department of Tropical Disease BiologyLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineCentre for Drugs and DiagnosticsLiverpoolUK
| | - Shaun H. Pennington
- Department of Tropical Disease BiologyLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineCentre for Drugs and DiagnosticsLiverpoolUK
| | - Stephen A. Ward
- Department of Tropical Disease BiologyLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineCentre for Drugs and DiagnosticsLiverpoolUK
| | - Andrew Hill
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - David J. Back
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Saye H. Khoo
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | - Giancarlo A. Biagini
- Department of Tropical Disease BiologyLiverpool School of Tropical MedicineCentre for Drugs and DiagnosticsLiverpoolUK
| | - Andrew Owen
- Department of Molecular and Clinical PharmacologyMaterials Innovation FactoryUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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10
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Byrne RL, Kay GA, Kontogianni K, Aljayyoussi G, Brown L, Collins AM, Cuevas LE, Ferreira DM, Fraser AJ, Garrod G, Hill H, Hughes GL, Menzies S, Mitsi E, Owen SI, Patterson EI, Williams CT, Hyder-Wright A, Adams ER, Cubas-Atienzar AI. Saliva Alternative to Upper Respiratory Swabs for SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis. Emerg Infect Dis 2020; 26:2770-2771. [PMID: 32917294 PMCID: PMC7588522 DOI: 10.3201/eid2611.203283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PCR of upper respiratory specimens is the diagnostic standard for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. However, saliva sampling is an easy alternative to nasal and throat swabbing. We found similar viral loads in saliva samples and in nasal and throat swab samples from 110 patients with coronavirus disease.
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11
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Smit MR, Ochomo EO, Aljayyoussi G, Kwambai TK, Abong'o BO, Bousema T, Waterhouse D, Bayoh NM, Gimnig JE, Samuels AM, Desai MR, Phillips-Howard PA, Kariuki SK, Wang D, Ward SA, Ter Kuile FO. Human Direct Skin Feeding Versus Membrane Feeding to Assess the Mosquitocidal Efficacy of High-Dose Ivermectin (IVERMAL Trial). Clin Infect Dis 2020; 69:1112-1119. [PMID: 30590537 PMCID: PMC6743833 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy1063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ivermectin is being considered for mass drug administration for malaria, due to its ability to kill mosquitoes feeding on recently treated individuals. In a recent trial, 3-day courses of 300 and 600 mcg/kg/day were shown to kill Anopheles mosquitoes for at least 28 days post-treatment when fed patients' venous blood using membrane feeding assays. Direct skin feeding on humans may lead to higher mosquito mortality, as ivermectin capillary concentrations are higher. We compared mosquito mortality following direct skin and membrane feeding. METHODS We conducted a mosquito feeding study, nested within a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 141 adults with uncomplicated malaria in Kenya, comparing 3 days of ivermectin 300 mcg/kg/day, ivermectin 600 mcg/kg/day, or placebo, all co-administered with 3 days of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine. On post-treatment day 7, direct skin and membrane feeding assays were conducted using laboratory-reared Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto. Mosquito survival was assessed daily for 28 days post-feeding. RESULTS Between July 20, 2015, and May 7, 2016, 69 of 141 patients participated in both direct skin and membrane feeding (placebo, n = 23; 300 mcg/kg/day, n = 24; 600 mcg/kg/day, n = 22). The 14-day post-feeding mortality for mosquitoes fed 7 days post-treatment on blood from pooled patients in both ivermectin arms was similar with direct skin feeding (mosquitoes observed, n = 2941) versus membrane feeding (mosquitoes observed, n = 7380): cumulative mortality (risk ratio 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95-1.03, P = .69) and survival time (hazard ratio 0.96, 95% CI 0.91-1.02, P = .19). Results were consistent by sex, by body mass index, and across the range of ivermectin capillary concentrations studied (0.72-73.9 ng/mL). CONCLUSIONS Direct skin feeding and membrane feeding on day 7 resulted in similar mosquitocidal effects of ivermectin across a wide range of drug concentrations, suggesting that the mosquitocidal effects seen with membrane feeding accurately reflect those of natural biting. Membrane feeding, which is more patient friendly and ethically acceptable, can likely reliably be used to assess ivermectin's mosquitocidal efficacy. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT02511353.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menno R Smit
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
| | - Eric O Ochomo
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu
| | | | - Titus K Kwambai
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.,Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu.,Kenya Ministry of Health, Kisumu County, Kisumu
| | - Bernard O Abong'o
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu
| | - Teun Bousema
- Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nabie M Bayoh
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - John E Gimnig
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Aaron M Samuels
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Meghna R Desai
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, Georgia
| | | | - Simon K Kariuki
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu
| | - Duolao Wang
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
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12
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Aljayyoussi G. The harms of police frisking in times of a pandemic. Lancet 2020; 396:91. [PMID: 32598865 PMCID: PMC7319612 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(20)31453-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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13
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Rajoli RK, Pertinez H, Arshad U, Box H, Tatham L, Curley P, Neary M, Sharp J, Liptrott NJ, Valentijn A, David C, Rannard SP, Aljayyoussi G, Pennington SH, Hill A, Boffito M, Ward SA, Khoo SH, Bray PG, O'Neill PM, Hong WD, Biagini G, Owen A. Dose prediction for repurposing nitazoxanide in SARS-CoV-2 treatment or chemoprophylaxis. medRxiv 2020:2020.05.01.20087130. [PMID: 32511548 PMCID: PMC7274229 DOI: 10.1101/2020.05.01.20087130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation and urgent treatment and prevention strategies are needed. Many clinical trials have been initiated with existing medications, but assessments of the expected plasma and lung exposures at the selected doses have not featured in the prioritisation process. Although no antiviral data is currently available for the major phenolic circulating metabolite of nitazoxanide (known as tizoxanide), the parent ester drug has been shown to exhibit in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2. Nitazoxanide is an anthelmintic drug and its metabolite tizoxanide has been described to have broad antiviral activity against influenza and other coronaviruses. The present study used physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling to inform optimal doses of nitazoxanide capable of maintaining plasma and lung tizoxanide exposures above the reported nitazoxanide 90% effective concentration (EC 90 ) against SARS-CoV-2. METHODS A whole-body PBPK model was constructed for oral administration of nitazoxanide and validated against available tizoxanide pharmacokinetic data for healthy individuals receiving single doses between 500 mg SARS-CoV-2 4000 mg with and without food. Additional validation against multiple-dose pharmacokinetic data when given with food was conducted. The validated model was then used to predict alternative doses expected to maintain tizoxanide plasma and lung concentrations over the reported nitazoxanide EC 90 in >90% of the simulated population. Optimal design software PopDes was used to estimate an optimal sparse sampling strategy for future clinical trials. RESULTS The PBPK model was validated with AAFE values between 1.01 SARS-CoV-2 1.58 and a difference less than 2-fold between observed and simulated values for all the reported clinical doses. The model predicted optimal doses of 1200 mg QID, 1600 mg TID, 2900 mg BID in the fasted state and 700 mg QID, 900 mg TID and 1400 mg BID when given with food, to provide tizoxanide plasma and lung concentrations over the reported in vitro EC 90 of nitazoxanide against SARS-CoV-2. For BID regimens an optimal sparse sampling strategy of 0.25, 1, 3 and 12h post dose was estimated. CONCLUSION The PBPK model predicted that it was possible to achieve plasma and lung tizoxanide concentrations, using proven safe doses of nitazoxanide, that exceed the EC 90 for SARS-CoV-2. The PBPK model describing tizoxanide plasma pharmacokinetics after oral administration of nitazoxanide was successfully validated against clinical data. This dose prediction assumes that the tizoxanide metabolite has activity against SARS-CoV-2 similar to that reported for nitazoxanide, as has been reported for other viruses. The model and the reported dosing strategies provide a rational basis for the design (optimising plasma and lung exposures) of future clinical trials of nitazoxanide in the treatment or prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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14
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El-Betany AM, Kamoun EA, James C, Jangher A, Aljayyoussi G, Griffiths P, McKeown NB, Gumbleton M. Auto-fluorescent PAMAM-based dendritic molecules and their potential application in pharmaceutical sciences. Int J Pharm 2020; 579:119187. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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15
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Taylor MJ, von Geldern TW, Ford L, Hübner MP, Marsh K, Johnston KL, Sjoberg HT, Specht S, Pionnier N, Tyrer HE, Clare RH, Cook DAN, Murphy E, Steven A, Archer J, Bloemker D, Lenz F, Koschel M, Ehrens A, Metuge HM, Chunda VC, Ndongmo Chounna PW, Njouendou AJ, Fombad FF, Carr R, Morton HE, Aljayyoussi G, Hoerauf A, Wanji S, Kempf DJ, Turner JD, Ward SA. Preclinical development of an oral anti- Wolbachia macrolide drug for the treatment of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. Sci Transl Med 2020; 11:11/483/eaau2086. [PMID: 30867321 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aau2086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent global need for a safe macrofilaricide drug to accelerate elimination of the neglected tropical diseases onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. From an anti-infective compound library, the macrolide veterinary antibiotic, tylosin A, was identified as a hit against Wolbachia This bacterial endosymbiont is required for filarial worm viability and fertility and is a validated target for macrofilaricidal drugs. Medicinal chemistry was undertaken to develop tylosin A analogs with improved oral bioavailability. Two analogs, A-1535469 and A-1574083, were selected. Their efficacy was tested against the gold-standard second-generation tetracycline antibiotics, doxycycline and minocycline, in mouse and gerbil infection models of lymphatic filariasis (Brugia malayi and Litomosoides sigmodontis) and onchocerciasis (Onchocerca ochengi). A 1- or 2-week course of oral A-1535469 or A-1574083 provided >90% Wolbachia depletion from nematodes in infected animals, resulting in a block in embryogenesis and depletion of microfilarial worm loads. The two analogs delivered comparative or superior efficacy compared to a 3- to 4-week course of doxycycline or minocycline. A-1574083 (now called ABBV-4083) was selected for further preclinical testing. Cardiovascular studies in dogs and toxicology studies in rats and dogs revealed no adverse effects at doses (50 mg/kg) that achieved plasma concentrations >10-fold above the efficacious concentration. A-1574083 (ABBV-4083) shows potential as an anti-Wolbachia macrolide with an efficacy, pharmacology, and safety profile that is compatible with a short-term oral drug course for treating lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Taylor
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Thomas W von Geldern
- Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development, AbbVie, North Chicago, IL, USA.,Franciscan Institute for World Health, Franciscan University, Steubenville, OH, USA
| | - Louise Ford
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Marc P Hübner
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kennan Marsh
- Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development, AbbVie, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Kelly L Johnston
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Hanna T Sjoberg
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Sabine Specht
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nicolas Pionnier
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Hayley E Tyrer
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Rachel H Clare
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Darren A N Cook
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Emma Murphy
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Andrew Steven
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - John Archer
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Dominique Bloemker
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Franziska Lenz
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marianne Koschel
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Ehrens
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Haelly M Metuge
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon.,Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Valerinne C Chunda
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon.,Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Patrick W Ndongmo Chounna
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon.,Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Abdel J Njouendou
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon.,Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Fanny F Fombad
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon.,Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Robert Carr
- Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development, AbbVie, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Howard E Morton
- Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development, AbbVie, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Research Foundation for Tropical Diseases and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon.,Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Dale J Kempf
- Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development, AbbVie, North Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joseph D Turner
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
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16
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Jin C, Gibani MM, Pennington SH, Liu X, Ardrey A, Aljayyoussi G, Moore M, Angus B, Parry CM, Biagini GA, Feasey NA, Pollard AJ. Treatment responses to Azithromycin and Ciprofloxacin in uncomplicated Salmonella Typhi infection: A comparison of Clinical and Microbiological Data from a Controlled Human Infection Model. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007955. [PMID: 31877141 PMCID: PMC6948818 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The treatment of enteric fever is complicated by the emergence of antimicrobial resistant Salmonella Typhi. Azithromycin is commonly used for first-line treatment of uncomplicated enteric fever, but the response to treatment may be sub-optimal in some patient groups when compared with fluoroquinolones. METHODS We performed an analysis of responses to treatment with azithromycin (500mg once-daily, 14 days) or ciprofloxacin (500mg twice-daily, 14 days) in healthy UK volunteers (18-60 years) enrolled into two Salmonella controlled human infection studies. Study A was a single-centre, open-label, randomised trial. Participants were randomised 1:1 to receive open-label oral ciprofloxacin or azithromycin, stratified by vaccine group (Vi-polysaccharide, Vi-conjugate or control Men-ACWY vaccine). Study B was an observational challenge/re-challenge study, where participants were randomised to challenge with Salmonella Typhi or Salmonella Paratyphi A. Outcome measures included fever clearance time, blood-culture clearance time and a composite measure of prolonged treatment response (persistent fever ≥38.0°C for ≥72 hours, persistently positive S. Typhi blood cultures for ≥72 hours, or change in antibiotic treatment). Both trials are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02324751 and NCT02192008). FINDINGS In 81 participants diagnosed with S. Typhi in two studies, treatment with azithromycin was associated with prolonged bacteraemia (median 90.8 hours [95% CI: 65.9-93.8] vs. 20.1 hours [95% CI: 7.8-24.3], p<0.001) and prolonged fever clearance times <37.5°C (hazard ratio 2.4 [95%CI: 1.2-5.0]; p = 0.02). Results were consistent when studies were analysed independently and in a sub-group of participants with no history of vaccination or previous challenge. A prolonged treatment response was observed significantly more frequently in the azithromycin group (28/52 [54.9%]) compared with the ciprofloxacin group (1/29 [3.5%]; p<0.001). In participants treated with azithromycin, observed systemic plasma concentrations of azithromycin did not exceed the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), whilst predicted intracellular concentrations did exceed the MIC. In participants treated with ciprofloxacin, the observed systemic plasma concentrations and predicted intracellular concentrations of ciprofloxacin exceeded the MIC. INTERPRETATION Azithromycin at a dose of 500mg daily is an effective treatment for fully sensitive strains of S. Typhi but is associated with delayed treatment response and prolonged bacteraemia when compared with ciprofloxacin within the context of a human challenge model. Whilst the cellular accumulation of azithromycin is predicted to be sufficient to treat intracellular S. Typhi, systemic exposure may be sub-optimal for the elimination of extracellular circulating S. Typhi. In an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance, further studies are required to define appropriate azithromycin dosing regimens for enteric fever and to assess novel treatment strategies, including combination therapies. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02324751 and NCT02192008).
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Affiliation(s)
- Celina Jin
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Malick M. Gibani
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shaun H. Pennington
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Xinxue Liu
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alison Ardrey
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Moore
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Brian Angus
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher M. Parry
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagsaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Giancarlo A. Biagini
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas A. Feasey
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Andrew J. Pollard
- Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Aljayyoussi G, Donnellan S, Ward SA, Biagini GA. Intracellular PD Modelling ( PDi) for the Prediction of Clinical Activity of Increased Rifampicin Dosing. Pharmaceutics 2019; 11:pharmaceutics11060278. [PMID: 31200534 PMCID: PMC6630509 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11060278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing rifampicin (RIF) dosages could significantly reduce tuberculosis (TB) treatment durations. Understanding the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) of increasing RIF dosages could inform clinical regimen selection. We used intracellular PD modelling (PDi) to predict clinical outcomes, primarily time to culture conversion, of increasing RIF dosages. PDi modelling utilizes in vitro-derived measurements of intracellular (macrophage) and extracellular Mycobacterium tuberculosis sterilization rates to predict the clinical outcomes of RIF at increasing doses. We evaluated PDi simulations against recent clinical data from a high dose (35 mg/kg per day) RIF phase II clinical trial. PDi-based simulations closely predicted the observed time-to-patient culture conversion status at eight weeks (hazard ratio: 2.04 (predicted) vs. 2.06 (observed)) for high dose RIF-based treatments. However, PDi modelling was less predictive of culture conversion status at 26 weeks for high-dosage RIF (99% predicted vs. 81% observed). PDi-based simulations indicate that increasing RIF beyond 35 mg/kg/day is unlikely to significantly improve culture conversion rates, however, improvements to other clinical outcomes (e.g., relapse rates) cannot be ruled out. This study supports the value of translational PDi-based modelling in predicting culture conversion rates for antitubercular therapies and highlights the potential value of this platform for the improved design of future clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Centre for Drugs & Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
| | - Samantha Donnellan
- Centre for Drugs & Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Centre for Drugs & Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
| | - Giancarlo A Biagini
- Centre for Drugs & Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK.
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18
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Smit MR, Ochomo EO, Waterhouse D, Kwambai TK, Abong'o BO, Bousema T, Bayoh NM, Gimnig JE, Samuels AM, Desai MR, Phillips-Howard PA, Kariuki SK, Wang D, Ter Kuile FO, Ward SA, Aljayyoussi G. Pharmacokinetics-Pharmacodynamics of High-Dose Ivermectin with Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine on Mosquitocidal Activity and QT-Prolongation (IVERMAL). Clin Pharmacol Ther 2018; 105:388-401. [PMID: 30125353 PMCID: PMC6585895 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.1219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
High‐dose ivermectin, co‐administered for 3 days with dihydroartemisinin‐piperaquine (DP), killed mosquitoes feeding on individuals for at least 28 days posttreatment in a recent trial (IVERMAL), whereas 7 days was predicted pretrial. The current study assessed the relationship between ivermectin blood concentrations and the observed mosquitocidal effects against Anopheles gambiae s.s. Three days of ivermectin 0, 300, or 600 mcg/kg/day plus DP was randomly assigned to 141 adults with uncomplicated malaria in Kenya. During 28 days of follow‐up, 1,393 venous and 335 paired capillary plasma samples, 850 mosquito‐cluster mortality rates, and 524 QTcF‐intervals were collected. Using pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling, we show a consistent correlation between predicted ivermectin concentrations and observed mosquitocidal‐effects throughout the 28‐day study duration, without invoking an unidentified mosquitocidal metabolite or drug‐drug interaction. Ivermectin had no effect on piperaquine's PKs or QTcF‐prolongation. The PK/PD model can be used to design new treatment regimens with predicted mosquitocidal effect. This methodology could be used to evaluate effectiveness of other endectocides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menno R Smit
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, UK
| | - Eric O Ochomo
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | - Titus K Kwambai
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, UK.,Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya.,Kenya Ministry of Health (MoH), Kisumu County, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Bernard O Abong'o
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Teun Bousema
- Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center (Radboud), Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), London, UK
| | - Nabie M Bayoh
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - John E Gimnig
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Aaron M Samuels
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Meghna R Desai
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Simon K Kariuki
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Duolao Wang
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Stephen A Ward
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, UK
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O' Neill PM, Stocks PA, Sabbani S, Roberts NL, Amewu RK, Shore ER, Aljayyoussi G, Angulo-Barturén I, Belén M, Jiménez-Díaz, Bazaga SF, Martínez MS, Campo B, Sharma R, Charman SA, Ryan E, Chen G, Shackleford DM, Davies J, Nixon GL, Biagini GA, Ward SA. Synthesis and profiling of benzylmorpholine 1,2,4,5-tetraoxane analogue N205: Towards tetraoxane scaffolds with potential for single dose cure of malaria. Bioorg Med Chem 2018; 26:2996-3005. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2018.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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20
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Smit MR, Ochomo EO, Aljayyoussi G, Kwambai TK, Abong'o BO, Chen T, Bousema T, Slater HC, Waterhouse D, Bayoh NM, Gimnig JE, Samuels AM, Desai MR, Phillips-Howard PA, Kariuki SK, Wang D, Ward SA, Ter Kuile FO. Safety and mosquitocidal efficacy of high-dose ivermectin when co-administered with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine in Kenyan adults with uncomplicated malaria (IVERMAL): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2018; 18:615-626. [PMID: 29602751 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(18)30163-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ivermectin is being considered for mass drug administration for malaria due to its ability to kill mosquitoes feeding on recently treated individuals. However, standard, single doses of 150-200 μg/kg used for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis have a short-lived mosquitocidal effect (<7 days). Because ivermectin is well tolerated up to 2000 μg/kg, we aimed to establish the safety, tolerability, and mosquitocidal efficacy of 3 day courses of high-dose ivermectin, co-administered with a standard malaria treatment. METHODS We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, superiority trial at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (Kisumu, Kenya). Adults (aged 18-50 years) were eligible if they had confirmed symptomatic uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria and agreed to the follow-up schedule. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) using sealed envelopes, stratified by sex and body-mass index (men: <21 vs ≥21 kg/m2; women: <23 vs ≥23 kg/m2), with permuted blocks of three, to receive 3 days of ivermectin 300 μg/kg per day, ivermectin 600 μg/kg per day, or placebo, all co-administered with 3 days of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine. Blood of patients taken on post-treatment days 0, 2 + 4 h, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 was fed to laboratory-reared Anopheles gambiae sensu stricto mosquitoes, and mosquito survival was assessed daily for 28 days after feeding. The primary outcome was 14-day cumulative mortality of mosquitoes fed 7 days after ivermectin treatment (from participants who received at least one dose of study medication). The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02511353. FINDINGS Between July 20, 2015, and May 7, 2016, 741 adults with malaria were assessed for eligibility, of whom 141 were randomly assigned to receive ivermectin 600 μg/kg per day (n=47), ivermectin 300 μg/kg per day (n=48), or placebo (n=46). 128 patients (91%) attended the primary outcome visit 7 days post treatment. Compared with placebo, ivermectin was associated with higher 14 day post-feeding mosquito mortality when fed on blood taken 7 days post treatment (ivermectin 600 μg/kg per day risk ratio [RR] 2·26, 95% CI 1·93-2·65, p<0·0001; hazard ratio [HR] 6·32, 4·61-8·67, p<0·0001; ivermectin 300 μg/kg per day RR 2·18, 1·86-2·57, p<0·0001; HR 4·21, 3·06-5·79, p<0·0001). Mosquito mortality remained significantly increased 28 days post treatment (ivermectin 600 μg/kg per day RR 1·23, 1·01-1·50, p=0·0374; and ivermectin 300 μg/kg per day 1·21, 1·01-1·44, p=0·0337). Five (11%) of 45 patients receiving ivermectin 600 μg/kg per day, two (4%) of 48 patients receiving ivermectin 300 μg/kg per day, and none of 46 patients receiving placebo had one or more treatment-related adverse events. INTERPRETATION Ivermectin at both doses assessed was well tolerated and reduced mosquito survival for at least 28 days after treatment. Ivermectin 300 μg/kg per day for 3 days provided a good balance between efficacy and tolerability, and this drug shows promise as a potential new tool for malaria elimination. FUNDING Malaria Eradication Scientific Alliance (MESA) and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Menno R Smit
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Eric O Ochomo
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | - Titus K Kwambai
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya; Kenya Ministry of Health, Kisumu County, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Bernard O Abong'o
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Tao Chen
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Teun Bousema
- Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Hannah C Slater
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Nabie M Bayoh
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - John E Gimnig
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Aaron M Samuels
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Meghna R Desai
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Center for Global Health, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Simon K Kariuki
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Duolao Wang
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
| | - Steve A Ward
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
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Aljayyoussi G, Tyrer HE, Ford L, Sjoberg H, Pionnier N, Waterhouse D, Davies J, Gamble J, Metuge H, Cook DAN, Steven A, Sharma R, Guimaraes AF, Clare RH, Cassidy A, Johnston KL, Myhill L, Hayward L, Wanji S, Turner JD, Taylor MJ, Ward SA. Author Correction: Short-Course, High-Dose Rifampicin Achieves Wolbachia Depletion Predictive of Curative Outcomes in Preclinical Models of Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1384. [PMID: 29348597 PMCID: PMC5773522 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19723-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML version of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Hayley E Tyrer
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Louise Ford
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Hanna Sjoberg
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Nicolas Pionnier
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - David Waterhouse
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Jill Davies
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Joanne Gamble
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Haelly Metuge
- Research Foundation in Tropical Medicine and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Darren A N Cook
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Andrew Steven
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Raman Sharma
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Ana F Guimaraes
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Rachel H Clare
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Andrew Cassidy
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Kelly L Johnston
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Laura Myhill
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Laura Hayward
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Research Foundation in Tropical Medicine and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Joseph D Turner
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Mark J Taylor
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
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Sharma R, Aljayyoussi G, Tyrer HE, Gamble J, Hayward L, Guimaraes AF, Davies J, Waterhouse D, Cook DAN, Myhill LJ, Clare RH, Cassidy A, Steven A, Johnston KL, Ford L, Turner JD, Ward SA, Taylor MJ. Corrigendum: Minocycline as a re-purposed anti-Wolbachia macrofilaricide: superiority compared with doxycycline regimens in a murine infection model of human lymphatic filariasis. Sci Rep 2018; 8:46934. [PMID: 29308790 PMCID: PMC5757190 DOI: 10.1038/srep46934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep23458.
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Török ME, Aljayyoussi G, Waterhouse D, Chau T, Mai N, Phu NH, Hien TT, Hope W, Farrar JJ, Ward SA. Suboptimal Exposure to Anti-TB Drugs in a TBM/HIV+ Population Is Not Related to Antiretroviral Therapy. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2017; 103:449-457. [PMID: 28160272 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A placebo-controlled trial that compares the outcomes of immediate vs. deferred initiation of antiretroviral therapy in HIV +ve tuberculous meningitis (TBM) patients was conducted in Vietnam in 2011. Here, the pharmacokinetics of rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol were investigated in the presence and absence of anti-HIV treatment in 85 patients. Pharmacokinetic analyses show that HIV therapy has no significant impact on the pharmacokinetics of TB drugs in this cohort. The same population, however, displayed generally low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and systemic exposures to rifampicin compared to previously reported HIV -ve cohorts. Elevated CSF concentrations of pyrazinamide, on the other hand, were strongly and independently correlated with increased mortality and neurological toxicity. The findings suggest that the current standard dosing regimens may put the patient at risk of treatment failure from suboptimal rifampicin exposure, and potentially increasing the risk of adverse central nervous system events that are independently correlated with pyrazinamide CSF exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Török
- University of Cambridge, Department of Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - G Aljayyoussi
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, UK
| | - D Waterhouse
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tth Chau
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hi Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Nth Mai
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hi Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - N H Phu
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hi Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - T T Hien
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hi Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - W Hope
- University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - J J Farrar
- Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Hi Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - S A Ward
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, UK
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Donnellan S, Stone V, Johnston H, Giardiello M, Owen A, Rannard S, Aljayyoussi G, Swift B, Tran L, Watkins C, Stevenson K. Intracellular delivery of nano-formulated antituberculosis drugs enhances bactericidal activity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/jin2.27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Donnellan
- Moredun Research Institute; Pentlands Science Park; Bush Loan Penicuik EH26 0PZ UK
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering; Heriot-Watt University; Riccarton Edinburgh EH14 4AS UK
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; Liverpool L3 5QA UK
| | - Vicki Stone
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering; Heriot-Watt University; Riccarton Edinburgh EH14 4AS UK
| | - Helinor Johnston
- School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering; Heriot-Watt University; Riccarton Edinburgh EH14 4AS UK
| | - Marco Giardiello
- Department of Chemistry; University of Liverpool; Crown Street Liverpool L69 3BX UK
| | - Andrew Owen
- Department of Chemistry; University of Liverpool; Crown Street Liverpool L69 3BX UK
| | - Steve Rannard
- Department of Chemistry; University of Liverpool; Crown Street Liverpool L69 3BX UK
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; Liverpool L3 5QA UK
| | - Benjamin Swift
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science; University of Nottingham; Loughborough LE12 5RD UK
| | - Lang Tran
- Institute of Occupational Medicine; Research Avenue North; Riccarton Edinburgh EH14 4AP UK
| | - Craig Watkins
- Moredun Research Institute; Pentlands Science Park; Bush Loan Penicuik EH26 0PZ UK
| | - Karen Stevenson
- Moredun Research Institute; Pentlands Science Park; Bush Loan Penicuik EH26 0PZ UK
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Morris CJ, Aljayyoussi G, Mansour O, Griffiths P, Gumbleton M. Endocytic Uptake, Transport and Macromolecular Interactions of Anionic PAMAM Dendrimers within Lung Tissue. Pharm Res 2017; 34:2517-2531. [PMID: 28616685 PMCID: PMC5736778 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-017-2190-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers are a promising class of nanocarrier with applications in both small and large molecule drug delivery. Here we report a comprehensive evaluation of the uptake and transport pathways that contribute to the lung disposition of dendrimers. Methods Anionic PAMAM dendrimers and control dextran probes were applied to an isolated perfused rat lung (IPRL) model and lung epithelial monolayers. Endocytosis pathways were examined in primary alveolar epithelial cultures by confocal microscopy. Molecular interactions of dendrimers with protein and lipid lung fluid components were studied using small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Results Dendrimers were absorbed across the intact lung via a passive, size-dependent transport pathway at rates slower than dextrans of similar molecular sizes. SANS investigations of concentration-dependent PAMAM transport in the IPRL confirmed no aggregation of PAMAMs with either albumin or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine lung lining fluid components. Distinct endocytic compartments were identified within primary alveolar epithelial cells and their functionality in the rapid uptake of fluorescent dendrimers and model macromolecular probes was confirmed by co-localisation studies. Conclusions PAMAM dendrimers display favourable lung biocompatibility but modest lung to blood absorption kinetics. These data support the investigation of dendrimer-based carriers for controlled-release drug delivery to the deep lung. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11095-017-2190-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Morris
- School of Pharmacy, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7TJ, UK.
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Redwood Building, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Omar Mansour
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Environmental Science, University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Peter Griffiths
- Department of Pharmaceutical, Chemical and Environmental Science, University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Mark Gumbleton
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Redwood Building, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK.
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Hong WD, Gibbons PD, Leung SC, Amewu R, Stocks PA, Stachulski A, Horta P, Cristiano MLS, Shone AE, Moss D, Ardrey A, Sharma R, Warman AJ, Bedingfield PTP, Fisher NE, Aljayyoussi G, Mead S, Caws M, Berry NG, Ward SA, Biagini GA, O'Neill PM, Nixon GL. Rational Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Heterocyclic Quinolones Targeting the Respiratory Chain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Med Chem 2017; 60:3703-3726. [PMID: 28304162 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A high-throughput screen (HTS) was undertaken against the respiratory chain dehydrogenase component, NADH:menaquinone oxidoreductase (Ndh) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). The 11000 compounds were selected for the HTS based on the known phenothiazine Ndh inhibitors, trifluoperazine and thioridazine. Combined HTS (11000 compounds) and in-house screening of a limited number of quinolones (50 compounds) identified ∼100 hits and four distinct chemotypes, the most promising of which contained the quinolone core. Subsequent Mtb screening of the complete in-house quinolone library (350 compounds) identified a further ∼90 hits across three quinolone subtemplates. Quinolones containing the amine-based side chain were selected as the pharmacophore for further modification, resulting in metabolically stable quinolones effective against multi drug resistant (MDR) Mtb. The lead compound, 42a (MTC420), displays acceptable antituberculosis activity (Mtb IC50 = 525 nM, Mtb Wayne IC50 = 76 nM, and MDR Mtb patient isolates IC50 = 140 nM) and favorable pharmacokinetic and toxicological profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- W David Hong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Peter D Gibbons
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Suet C Leung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Richard Amewu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana , P.O. Box LG56, Legon-Accra, Ghana
| | - Paul A Stocks
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Andrew Stachulski
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Pedro Horta
- CCMAR and Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Algarve , 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Maria L S Cristiano
- CCMAR and Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Algarve , 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
| | - Alison E Shone
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Darren Moss
- School of Pharmacy, Keele University , Keele ST5 5BG, U.K
| | - Alison Ardrey
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Raman Sharma
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Ashley J Warman
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Paul T P Bedingfield
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Nicholas E Fisher
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Sally Mead
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Maxine Caws
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Neil G Berry
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Giancarlo A Biagini
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine , Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K
| | - Paul M O'Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
| | - Gemma L Nixon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool , Liverpool L69 7ZD, U.K
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Aljayyoussi G, Tyrer HE, Ford L, Sjoberg H, Pionnier N, Waterhouse D, Davies J, Gamble J, Metuge H, Cook DAN, Steven A, Sharma R, Guimaraes AF, Clare RH, Cassidy A, Johnston KL, Myhill L, Hayward L, Wanji S, Turner JD, Taylor MJ, Ward SA. Short-Course, High-Dose Rifampicin Achieves Wolbachia Depletion Predictive of Curative Outcomes in Preclinical Models of Lymphatic Filariasis and Onchocerciasis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:210. [PMID: 28303006 PMCID: PMC5428297 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00322-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis are priority neglected tropical diseases targeted for elimination. The only safe drug treatment with substantial curative activity against the filarial nematodes responsible for LF (Brugia malayi, Wuchereria bancrofti) or onchocerciasis (Onchocerca volvulus) is doxycycline. The target of doxycycline is the essential endosymbiont, Wolbachia. Four to six weeks doxycycline therapy achieves >90% depletion of Wolbachia in worm tissues leading to blockade of embryogenesis, adult sterility and premature death 18-24 months post-treatment. Long treatment length and contraindications in children and pregnancy are obstacles to implementing doxycycline as a public health strategy. Here we determine, via preclinical infection models of Brugia malayi or Onchocerca ochengi that elevated exposures of orally-administered rifampicin can lead to Wolbachia depletions from filariae more rapidly than those achieved by doxycycline. Dose escalation of rifampicin achieves >90% Wolbachia depletion in time periods of 7 days in B. malayi and 14 days in O. ochengi. Using pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling and mouse-human bridging analysis, we conclude that clinically relevant dose elevations of rifampicin, which have recently been determined as safe in humans, could be administered as short courses to filariasis target populations with potential to reduce anti-Wolbachia curative therapy times to between one and two weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Hayley E Tyrer
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Louise Ford
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Hanna Sjoberg
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Nicolas Pionnier
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - David Waterhouse
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Jill Davies
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Joanne Gamble
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Haelly Metuge
- Research Foundation in Tropical Medicine and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Darren A N Cook
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Andrew Steven
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Raman Sharma
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Ana F Guimaraes
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Rachel H Clare
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Andrew Cassidy
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Kelly L Johnston
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Laura Myhill
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Laura Hayward
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Research Foundation in Tropical Medicine and the Environment, Buea, Cameroon
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Joseph D Turner
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Mark J Taylor
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
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Smit MR, Ochomo E, Aljayyoussi G, Kwambai T, Abong'o B, Bayoh N, Gimnig J, Samuels A, Desai M, Phillips-Howard PA, Kariuki S, Wang D, Ward S, Ter Kuile FO. Efficacy and Safety of High-Dose Ivermectin for Reducing Malaria Transmission (IVERMAL): Protocol for a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Finding Trial in Western Kenya. JMIR Res Protoc 2016; 5:e213. [PMID: 27856406 PMCID: PMC5133431 DOI: 10.2196/resprot.6617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Innovative approaches are needed to complement existing tools for malaria elimination. Ivermectin is a broad spectrum antiparasitic endectocide clinically used for onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis control at single doses of 150 to 200 mcg/kg. It also shortens the lifespan of mosquitoes that feed on individuals recently treated with ivermectin. However, the effect after a 150 to 200 mcg/kg oral dose is short-lived (6 to 11 days). Modeling suggests higher doses, which prolong the mosquitocidal effects, are needed to make a significant contribution to malaria elimination. Ivermectin has a wide therapeutic index and previous studies have shown doses up to 2000 mcg/kg (ie, 10 times the US Food and Drug Administration approved dose) are well tolerated and safe; the highest dose used for onchocerciasis is a single dose of 800 mcg/kg. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to determine the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of ivermectin doses of 0, 300, and 600 mcg/kg/day for 3 days, when provided with a standard 3-day course of the antimalarial dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP), on mosquito survival. METHODS This is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 3-arm, dose-finding trial in adults with uncomplicated malaria. Monte Carlo simulations based on pharmacokinetic modeling were performed to determine the optimum dosing regimens to be tested. Modeling showed that a 3-day regimen of 600 mcg/kg/day achieved similar median (5 to 95 percentiles) maximum drug concentrations (Cmax) of ivermectin to a single of dose of 800 mcg/kg, while increasing the median time above the lethal concentration 50% (LC50, 16 ng/mL) from 1.9 days (1.0 to 5.7) to 6.8 (3.8 to 13.4) days. The 300 mcg/kg/day dose was chosen at 50% of the higher dose to allow evaluation of the dose response. Mosquito survival will be assessed daily up to 28 days in laboratory-reared Anopheles gambiae s.s. populations fed on patients' blood taken at days 0, 2 (Cmax), 7 (primary outcome), 10, 14, 21, and 28 after the start of treatment. Safety outcomes include QT-prolongation and mydriasis. The trial will be conducted in 6 health facilities in western Kenya and requires a sample size of 141 participants (47 per arm). Sub-studies include (1) rich pharmacokinetics and (2) direct skin versus membrane feeding assays. RESULTS Recruitment started July 20, 2015. Data collection was completed July 2, 2016. Unblinding and analysis will commence once the database has been completed, cleaned, and locked. CONCLUSIONS High-dose ivermectin, if found to be safe and well tolerated, might offer a promising new tool for malaria elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menno R Smit
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Eric Ochomo
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | - Titus Kwambai
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya.,Kisumu County, Kenya Ministry of Health (MoH), Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Bernard Abong'o
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Nabie Bayoh
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - John Gimnig
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Aaron Samuels
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Meghna Desai
- Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Simon Kariuki
- Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Duolao Wang
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Ward
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Feiko O Ter Kuile
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Aljayyoussi G, Kay K, Ward SA, Biagini GA. OptiMal-PK: an internet-based, user-friendly interface for the mathematical-based design of optimized anti-malarial treatment regimens. Malar J 2016; 15:344. [PMID: 27388207 PMCID: PMC4936002 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-016-1401-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The search for highly effective anti-malarial therapies has gathered pace and recent years have seen a number of promising single and combined therapies reach the late stages of development. A key drug development challenge is the need for early assessment of the clinical utility of new drug leads as it is often unclear for developers whether efforts should be focused on efficacy or metabolic stability/exposure or indeed whether the continuation of iterative QSAR (quantitative structure–activity and relationships) cycles of medicinal chemistry and biological testing will translate to improved clinical efficacy. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD)-based measurements available from in vitro studies can be used for such clinical predictions. However, these predictions often require bespoke mathematical PK/PD modelling expertise and are normally performed after candidate development and, therefore, not during the pre-clinical development phase when such decisions need to be made. Methods An internet-based tool has been developed using STELLA® software. The tool simulates multiple differential equations that describe anti-malarial PK/PD relationships where the user can easily input PK/PD parameters. The tool utilizes a simple stop-light system to indicate the efficacy of each combination of parameters. This tool, called OptiMal-PK, additionally allows for the investigation of the effect of drug combinations with known or custom compounds. Results The results of simulations obtained from OptiMal-PK were compared to a previously published and validated mathematical model on which this tool is based. The tool has also been used to simulate the PK/PD relationship for a number of existing anti-malarial drugs in single or combined treatment. Simulations were predictive of the published clinical parasitological clearance activities for these existing therapies. Conclusions OptiMal-PK is designed to be implemented by medicinal chemists and pharmacologists during the pre-clinical anti-malarial drug development phase to explore the impact of different PK/PD parameters upon the predicted clinical activity of any new compound. It can help investigators to identify which pharmacological features of a compound are most important to the clinical performance of a new chemical entity and how partner drugs could potentially improve the activity of existing therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Katherine Kay
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.,State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Giancarlo A Biagini
- Research Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.
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Matthews IP, Gregory CJ, Aljayyoussi G, Morris CJ, McDonald I, Hoogendoorn B, Gumbleton M. Maximal extent of translocation of single-walled carbon nanotubes from lung airways of the rat. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 2013; 35:461-464. [PMID: 23501606 DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2013.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2012] [Revised: 01/31/2013] [Accepted: 02/02/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to examine the extent of pulmonary translocation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) from lung airways of rat. It utilised an ex vivo isolated perfused rat lung (IPRL) model that retains the intact lung architecture while eliminating the confounding issue of systemic pharmacokinetics. Doses (100 μg) of SWCNTs were instilled into the airways of the IPRL and the pulmonary translocation of SWCNTs quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy using CNT-associated nickel as the probe. SWCNT translocation from the airways across an intact pulmonary barrier into what would be the systemic circulation was no greater than 0.05% of the instilled dose over 90 min. Pharmacokinetic simulation incorporating a term for mucociliary clearance would predict over a 14 day an approximate cumulative pulmonary translocation from rat lung of no greater than 0.15% from a 100 μg deposited dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian P Matthews
- Institute of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Heath Park, Cardiff CF14 4YS, United Kingdom.
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Aljayyoussi G, Gumbleton M. A novel cost-effective approach for the efficient radiolabeling of dendritic macromolecules with a β-emitting radiotracer. Tetrahedron Lett 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tetlet.2012.11.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Aljayyoussi G, Abdulkarim M, Griffiths P, Gumbleton M. Pharmaceutical nanoparticles and the mucin biopolymer barrier. Bioimpacts 2012; 2:173-4. [PMID: 23678457 DOI: 10.5681/bi.2012.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Revised: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Mucus in the gastrointestinal tract remains a tenacious barrier that restricts the passage of many orally administered compounds into the GIT's epithelial layer and consequently into the systemic circulation. This results in significant decreases in the oral bioavailability of many therapeutic molecules. Nanoparticles offer an avenue to surpass this mucus barrier. They can be used as drug carriers to improve the bioavailability of many compounds that are restricted by mucus. Nanoparticles achieve penetration of the mucus barrier through a multitude of properties that they possess as their size, charge density, and surface functional groups which can all be tailored to achieve optimal penetration of the thick and fibrous mucus barrier. This article offers a quick review about the use of nanoparticles as drug carriers to increase mucus penetration in the gastro intestinal tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghaith Aljayyoussi
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Cardiff University, CF10 3NB, UK
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Aljayyoussi G, Ford W, McKeown N, Gumbleton M. Differential transport of anionic PAMAM dendrimers across in vitro biological barriers. Drug Discov Today 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2010.09.440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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