Multiparametric chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI detects metabolic changes in breast cancer following immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

With metabolic alterations of the tumor microenvironment (TME) contributing to cancer progression, metastatic spread and response to targeted therapies, non-invasive and repetitive imaging of tumor metabolism is of major importance. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether multiparametric chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging (CEST-MRI) allows to detect differences in the metabolic profiles of the TME in murine breast cancer models with divergent degrees of malignancy and to assess their response to immunotherapy.

METHODS

Tumor characteristics of highly malignant 4T1 and low malignant 67NR murine breast cancer models were investigated, and their changes during tumor progression and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment were evaluated. For simultaneous analysis of different metabolites, multiparametric CEST-MRI with calculation of asymmetric magnetization transfer ratio (MTRasym) at 1.2 to 2.0 ppm for glucose-weighted, 2.0 ppm for creatine-weighted and 3.2 to 3.6 ppm for amide proton transfer- (APT-) weighted CEST contrast was conducted. Ex vivo validation of MRI results was achieved by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging with laser postionization and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

During tumor progression, the two tumor models showed divergent trends for all examined CEST contrasts: While glucose- and APT-weighted CEST contrast decreased and creatine-weighted CEST contrast increased over time in the 4T1 model, 67NR tumors exhibited increased glucose- and APT-weighted CEST contrast during disease progression, accompanied by decreased creatine-weighted CEST contrast. Already three days after treatment initiation, CEST contrasts captured response to ICI therapy in both tumor models.

CONCLUSION

Multiparametric CEST-MRI enables non-invasive assessment of metabolic signatures of the TME, allowing both for estimation of the degree of tumor malignancy and for assessment of early response to immune checkpoint inhibition.

Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed Fukuyama Indole Synthesis from 2-Vinylphenyl Isocyanides

Enantioenriched chiral indoles are of high interest for the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Herein, we present an asymmetric Fukuyama indole synthesis through a mild and efficient radical cascade reaction to access 2-fluoroalkylated 3-(α-cyanobenzylated) indoles by stereochemical control with a chiral copper-bisoxazoline complex using 2-vinylphenyl arylisocyanides as radical acceptors and fluoroalkyl iodides as C-radical precursors. Radical addition to the isonitrile moiety, 5-exo-trig cyclization, and Cu-catalyzed stereoselective cyanation provide the targeted indoles with excellent enantioselectivity and good yields. Due to the similar electronic and steric properties of the two aryl substituents to be differentiated, the enantioselective construction of the cyano diaryl methane stereocenter is highly challenging. Mechanistic studies reveal a negative nonlinear effect which allows proposing a model to explain the stereochemical outcome. Scalability and potential utility of the enantioenriched 3-(α-cyanobenzylated) indoles as hubs for chiral tryptamines, indole-3-acetic acid derivatives, and triarylmethanes are demonstrated, and a formal synthesis of a natural product analogue is disclosed.

Regio- and Stereoselective 1,2-Carboboration of Ynamides with Aryldichloroboranes

Catalyst‐free 1,2‐carboboration of ynamides is presented. Readily available aryldichloroboranes react with alkyl‐ or aryl‐substituted ynamides in high yields with complete regio‐ and stereoselectivity to valuable β‐boryl‐β‐alkyl/aryl α‐aryl substituted enamides which belong to the class of trisubstituted alkenylboronates. The 1,2‐carboboration reaction is experimentally easy to conduct, shows high functional group tolerance and broad substrate scope. Gram‐scale reactions and diverse synthetic transformations convincingly demonstrate the synthetic potential of this method. The reaction can also be used to access 1‐boraphenalenes, a class of boron‐doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Carbon Monoxide Coupling Reactions via a Frustrated Lewis Pair-Derived η2-Formyl Borane

The η²-formyl borane system 3 is readily available by carbonylation of the vicinal P/BH frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) 1. It serves as a frustrated C/B Lewis pair toward carbon dioxide or phenylisocyanate. In the presence of B(C₆F₅)₃, it forms the coupling product between two CO-derived units. The resulting compound 13 rearranged to a doubly O-borylated endiolate, with both of the central carbon atoms originating from carbon monoxide. The subsequent treatment with a silane gave a rare macrocyclic silicon endiolate.

Mechanism of the Arene-Limited Nondirected C-H Activation of Arenes with Palladium*

Recently palladium catalysts have been discovered that enable the directing-group-free C-H activation of arenes without requiring an excess of the arene substrate, thereby enabling methods for the late-stage modification of complex organic molecules. The key to success has been the use of two complementary ligands, an N-acyl amino acid and an N-heterocycle. Detailed experimental and computational mechanistic studies on the dual-ligand-enabled C-H activation of arenes have led us to identify the catalytically active species and a transition state model that explains the exceptional activity and selectivity of these catalysts. These findings are expected to be highly useful for further method development using this powerful class of catalysts.

Fe-Catalyzed Anaerobic Mukaiyama-Type Hydration of Alkenes using Nitroarenes

Hydration of alkenes using first row transition metals (Fe, Co, Mn) under oxygen atmosphere (Mukaiyama-type hydration) is highly practical for alkene functionalization in complex synthesis. Different hydration protocols have been developed, however, control of the stereoselectivity remains a challenge. Herein, highly diastereoselective Fe-catalyzed anaerobic Markovnikov-selective hydration of alkenes using nitroarenes as oxygenation reagents is reported. The nitro moiety is not well explored in radical chemistry and nitroarenes are known to suppress free radical processes. Our findings show the potential of cheap nitroarenes as oxygen donors in radical transformations. Secondary and tertiary alcohols were prepared with excellent Markovnikov-selectivity. The method features large functional group tolerance and is also applicable for late-stage chemical functionalization. The anaerobic protocol outperforms existing hydration methodology in terms of reaction efficiency and selectivity.

Photoresponsive host-guest chemistry and relaxation time of fluorinated cyclodextrin and arylazopyrazole-functionalized DOTA metal complexes

Light-responsive modulation of the longitudinal (T1) and transversal relaxation times of a fluorinated cyclodextrin has been achieved by host-guest complexation with arylazopyrazole-modified metal complexes in aqueous solution. This supramolecular concept can potentially be applied to the development of contrast agents for 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Accessing (Multi)Fluorinated Piperidines Using Heterogeneous Hydrogenation

Fluorinated piperidines are desirable motifs for pharmaceutical and agrochemical research. Nevertheless, general synthetic access remains out of reach. Herein, we describe a simple and robust cis-selective hydrogenation of abundant and cheap fluoropyridines to yield a broad scope of (multi)fluorinated piperidines. This protocol enables the chemoselective reduction of fluoropyridines while tolerating other (hetero)aromatic systems using a commercially available heterogenous catalyst. Fluorinated derivatives of important drug compounds are prepared, and a straightforward strategy for the synthesis of enantioenriched fluorinated piperidines is disclosed.

trans-Selective and Switchable Arene Hydrogenation of Phenol Derivatives

A trans-selective arene hydrogenation of abundant phenol derivatives catalyzed by a commercially available heterogeneous palladium catalyst is reported. The described method tolerates a variety of functional groups and provides access to a broad scope of trans-configurated cyclohexanols as potential building blocks for life sciences and beyond in a one-step procedure. The transformation is strategically important because arene hydrogenation preferentially delivers the opposite cis-isomers. The diastereoselectivity of the phenol hydrogenation can be switched to the cis-isomers by employing rhodium-based catalysts. Moreover, a protocol for the chemoselective hydrogenation of phenols to cyclohexanones was developed.

Reductive Cleavage of the CO Molecule by a Reactive Vicinal Frustrated PH/BH Lewis Pair

A dimeric ethylene-bridged PH/BH system reduced carbon monoxide to the -CH₂-O- state. In the presence of B(C₆F₅)₃, the frustrated PH/BH Lewis pair reacted with carbon monoxide by reductive coupling of two CO molecules at the template. Removal of the B(C₆F₅)₃ borane with pyridine liberated one equiv of carbon monoxide to give a cyclic five-membered P(═O)-CH₂-B compound, the product of reductive cleavage of carbon monoxide. It reacted as a borylated Horner P(═O)CH₂B carbon nucleophile with carbon dioxide to give a bicyclic product by P-CH₂ attack on CO₂ combined with internal P═O to boron coordination.

A highly unsaturated six-vertex amido-substituted silicon cluster

Thermal treatment of the bicyclo[1.1.0]tetrasilatetraamide [Si₄{N(SiMe₃)Dipp}₄] 1 resulted in the formation of a highly unsaturated six-vertex silicon cluster [Si₆{N(SiMe₃)Dipp}₄] 2 with only four amine-substituents and two ligand-free silicon atoms.

Thermal treatment of the bicyclo[1.1.0]tetrasilatetraamide [Si₄{N(SiMe₃)Dipp}₄] 1 resulted in the formation of a highly unsaturated six-vertex silicon cluster [Si₆{N(SiMe₃)Dipp}₄] 2 with only four amine-substituents and two ligand-free silicon atoms. In solution, a major and a minor conformer of this cluster are in equilibrium according to multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, lineshape analysis, DFT calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. The bonding situation in the highly unsaturated cluster features lone pair type character at the ligand-free silicon atoms and partial single and double bond character in the upper butterfly-shaped ring of 2. This allows to consider 2 as the silicon analogue of a butalene isomer.

Understanding the Conformational Behavior of Fluorinated Piperidines: The Origin of the Axial-F Preference

Gaining an understanding of the conformational behavior of fluorinated compounds would allow for expansion of the current molecular design toolbox. In order to facilitate drug discovery efforts, a systematic survey of a series of diversely substituted and protected fluorinated piperidine derivatives has been carried out using NMR spectroscopy. Computational investigations reveal that, in addition to established delocalization forces such as charge–dipole interactions and hyperconjugation, solvation and solvent polarity play a major role. This work codifies a new design principle for conformationally rigid molecular scaffolds.

Halogen-directed chemical sialylation: pseudo-stereodivergent access to marine ganglioside epitopes

Sialic acids are conspicuous structural components of the complex gangliosides that regulate cellular processes. Their importance in molecular recognition manifests itself in drug design (e.g. Tamiflu®) and continues to stimulate the development of effective chemical sialylation strategies to complement chemoenzymatic technologies. Stereodivergent approaches that enable the α- or β-anomer to be generated at will are particularly powerful to attenuate hydrogen bond networks and interrogate function. Herein, we demonstrate that site-selective halogenation (F and Br) at C3 of the N-glycolyl units common to marine Neu2,6Glu epitopes enables pseudo-stereodivergent sialylation. α-Selective sialylation results from fluorination, whereas traceless bromine-guided sialylation generates the β-adduct. This concept is validated in the synthesis of HLG-1 and Hp-s1 analogues.

Sialic acids are conspicuous structural components of the complex gangliosides that regulate cellular processes.

Inverting Small Molecule-Protein Recognition by the Fluorine Gauche Effect: Selectivity Regulated by Multiple H→F Bioisosterism

Fluorinated motifs have a venerable history in drug discovery, but as C(sp3 )-F-rich 3D scaffolds appear with increasing frequency, the effect of multiple bioisosteric changes on molecular recognition requires elucidation. Herein we demonstrate that installation of a 1,3,5-stereotriad, in the substrate for a commonly used lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens does not inhibit recognition, but inverts stereoselectivity. This provides facile access to optically active, stereochemically well-defined organofluorine compounds (up to 98 % ee). Whilst orthogonal recognition is observed with fluorine, the trend does not hold for the corresponding chlorinated substrates or mixed halogens. This phenomenon can be placed on a structural basis by considering the stereoelectronic gauche effect inherent to F-C-C-X systems (σ→σ*). Docking reveals that this change in selectivity (H versus F) with a common lipase results from inversion in the orientation of the bound substrate being processed as a consequence of conformation. This contrasts with the stereochemical interpretation of the biogenetic isoprene rule, whereby product divergence from a common starting material is also a consequence of conformation, albeit enforced by two discrete enzymes.

Catalytic protodeboronation of pinacol boronic esters: formal anti-Markovnikov hydromethylation of alkenes

Methane is formally added to alkenes via sequential hydroboration, Matteson-CH₂-homologation and radical protodeboronation.

Pinacol boronic esters are highly valuable building blocks in organic synthesis. In contrast to the many protocols available on the functionalizing deboronation of alkyl boronic esters, protodeboronation is not well developed. Herein we report catalytic protodeboronation of 1°, 2° and 3° alkyl boronic esters utilizing a radical approach. Paired with a Matteson–CH₂–homologation, our protocol allows for formal anti-Markovnikov alkene hydromethylation, a valuable but unknown transformation. The hydromethylation sequence was applied to methoxy protected (–)-Δ8-THC and cholesterol. The protodeboronation was further used in the formal total synthesis of δ-(R)-coniceine and indolizidine 209B.

Synthesis, structural characterisation, and synthetic application of stable seleniranium ions

Stable seleniranium ions were prepared from easily available stable bromiranium ions and diselenides. The solid state structure of the obtained seleniranium ions was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis and their alkene-to-alkene transfer was investigated by NMR techniques. The rapid alkene-to-alkene transfer of the selenium group enabled the application of the seleniranium ion salts as selenenylating agents, which led to very efficient and highly diastereoselective, selenium-induced polyene-type cyclisations of terpene analogues.

The formation of all-cis-(multi)fluorinated piperidines by a dearomatization-hydrogenation process

Piperidines and fluorine substituents are both independently indispensable components in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials. Logically, the incorporation of fluorine atoms into piperidine scaffolds is therefore an area of tremendous potential. However, synthetic approaches towards the formation of these architectures are often impractical. The diastereoselective synthesis of substituted monofluorinated piperidines often requires substrates with pre-defined stereochemistry. That of multifluorinated piperidines is even more challenging, and often needs to be carried out in multistep syntheses. In this report, we describe a straightforward process for the one-pot rhodium-catalysed dearomatization-hydrogenation of fluoropyridine precursors. This strategy enables the formation of a plethora of substituted all-cis-(multi)fluorinated piperidines in a highly diastereoselective fashion through pyridine dearomatization followed by complete saturation of the resulting intermediates by hydrogenation. Fluorinated piperidines with defined axial/equatorial orientation of fluorine substituents were successfully applied in the preparation of commercial drugs analogues. Additionally, fluorinated PipPhos as well as fluorinated ionic liquids were obtained by this dearomatization-hydrogenation process.

Consecutive intermolecular 1,1-carboboration reactions of Me3Si-substituted alkynes with the halogeno-B(C6F5)2 reagents

1-(Trimethylsilyl)propyne 2a reacts with halogenoboranes XB(C₆F₅)₂ (X: Cl, Br) in a 2 : 1 molar ratio under mild conditions by consecutive 1,1-carboboration reactions to give the highly substituted boryldienes 4.

Cooperative Palladium/Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Transfer Hydrocyanation of Alkenes and Alkynes Using 1-Methylcyclohexa-2,5-diene-1-carbonitrile

Catalytic transfer hydrocyanation represents a clean and safe alternative to hydrocyanation processes using toxic HCN gas. Such reactions provide access to pharmaceutically important nitrile derivatives starting with alkenes and alkynes. Herein, an efficient and practical cooperative palladium/Lewis acid-catalyzed transfer hydrocyanation of alkenes and alkynes is presented using 1-methylcyclohexa-2,5-diene-1-carbonitrile as a benign and readily available HCN source. A large set of nitrile derivatives (>50 examples) are prepared from both aliphatic and aromatic alkenes with good to excellent anti-Markovnikov selectivity. A range of aliphatic alkenes engage in selective hydrocyanation to provide the corresponding nitriles. The introduced method is useful for chain walking hydrocyanation of internal alkenes to afford terminal nitriles in good regioselectivities. This protocol is also applicable to late-stage modification of bioactive molecules.

A Frustrated Phosphane-Borane Lewis Pair and Hydrogen: A Kinetics Study

The energy profile of a frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) dihydrogen splitting system was determined by a combined experimental kinetic and DFT study. A trimethylene-bridged phosphane-borane FLP was converted into its endothermic H2 -cleavage product by sequential H(+) /H(-) addition. The system could be handled at low temperature, and the kinetics of the H2 elimination were determined to give a rate constant of kHH,exp (299 K)=(2.87±0.1)×10(-4)  s(-1) in solution. The primary kinetic isotope effects were determined; for example, (kHH /kDD )exp =3.19. The system was accurately analyzed by DFT calculations.

Reversible Carbon Dioxide Binding by Simple Lewis Base Adducts with Electron-Rich Phosphines

For the efficient utilization of carbon dioxide as feedstock in chemical synthesis, low-energy-barrier CO2 activation is a valuable tool. We report a metal-free approach to reversible CO2 binding under mild conditions based on simple Lewis base adducts with electron-rich phosphines. Variable-temperature NMR studies and DFT calculations reveal almost thermoneutral CO2 binding with low-energy barriers or stable CO2 adduct formation depending on the phosphines donor ability. The most basic phosphine forms an air-stable CO2 adduct that was used as phosphine transfer agent, providing a convenient access to transition-metal complexes with highly electron-rich phosphine ligands relevant to catalysis.

Isolation and Structure Elucidation of Fujikurins A-D: Products of the PKS19 Gene Cluster in Fusarium fujikuroi

Fusarium fujikuroi is a member of the Gibberella fujikuroi species complex and well known for the production of gibberellins and mycotoxins including fusarins and fusaric acid. A recent genome sequencing study revealed that the fungus has the genetic potential to produce many more secondary metabolites than have been reported. This paper describes the structure elucidation of the products of the cryptic and silent PKS19 gene cluster that were recently identified (fujikurins A-D). We present the complete NMR data for the structure elucidation of the main compound fujikurin D, which shows tautomeric 1,3-diketo elements. The different tautomeric structures could be confirmed using quantum chemical calculations. Additionally, the structures of the minor compounds fujikurins A-C were elucidated by high-resolution mass spectrometric fragmentation experiments. It emerged that fujikurin A was identical to the bioactive compound CR377 of the taxonomically unclassified Fusarium strain CR377, while fujikurins B-D have not been reported from other fungi.

A critical evaluation of heteronuclear TOCSY (HEHAHA) experiments for 1H,6Li spin pairs

Heteronuclear TOCSY (HEHAHA) experiments for (1) H,(6) Li spin pairs in organolithium compounds with adjacent strongly coupled (1) H,(1) H spin systems showed unexpected cross peak behaviour: for n-butyllithium (1) H,(6) Li cross peaks were completely missing, whereas for the dimer of (Z)-2-lithio-1-(o-lithiophenyl)ethane, a cross peak for remote protons was observed even at very short mixing times. It was assumed that strong magnetization transfer within the proton spin systems was responsible for these results, which prevented unambiguous chemical shift assignments. Selective experiments with the (6) Li,(1) H-HET-PLUSH-TACSY sequence then showed the expected (6) Li,(1) H cross peaks for the transfer via the directly coupled (1) H and (6) Li nuclei. For n-butyllithium transfer to H(Cα) via an unresolved heteronuclear coupling constant below 0.1 Hz is unambiguously observed. Cross peaks in the 2D (6) Li,(1) H-HET-PLUSH-TACSY spectra for the dimer of (Z)-2-lithio-1-(o-lithiophenyl)ethane are readily explained by the measured coupling network and the corresponding active mixing conditions.

Structure elucidation and antimalarial activity of apicidin F: an apicidin-like compound produced by Fusarium fujikuroi

Apicidins are cyclic tetrapeptides with histone deacetylase inhibitory activity. Since their discovery in 1996 a multitude of studies concerning the activity against protozoa and certain cancer cell lines of natural and synthetic apicidin analogues have been published. Until now, the only published natural sources of apicidin are the fungus Fusarium pallidoroseum, later known as F. semitectum and two unspecified Fusarium strains. The biosynthetic origin of apicidins could be associated with a gene cluster, and a biosynthetic pathway has been proposed. Recently, our group was able to identify for the first time an apicidin-like gene cluster in F. fujikuroi that apparently does not lead to the production of any known apicidin analogue. By overexpressing the pathway-specific transcription factor we were able to identify a new apicidin-like compound. The present study provides the complete structure elucidation of the new compound, named apicidin F. Activity evaluation against Plasmodium falciparum showed good in vitro activity with an IC50 value of 0.67 μM.