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Berthiaume AA, Reda SM, Kleist KN, Setti SE, Wu W, Johnston JL, Taylor RW, Stein LR, Moebius HJ, Church KJ. ATH-1105, a small-molecule positive modulator of the neurotrophic HGF system, is neuroprotective, preserves neuromotor function, and extends survival in preclinical models of ALS. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1348157. [PMID: 38389786 PMCID: PMC10881713 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1348157] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder, primarily affects the motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord. Like other neurodegenerative conditions, ongoing pathological processes such as increased inflammation, excitotoxicity, and protein accumulation contribute to neuronal death. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling through the MET receptor promotes pro-survival, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory effects in multiple cell types, including the neurons and support cells of the nervous system. This pleiotropic system is therefore a potential therapeutic target for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS. Here, we test the effects of ATH-1105, a small-molecule positive modulator of the HGF signaling system, in preclinical models of ALS. Methods In vitro, the impact of ATH-1105 on HGF-mediated signaling was assessed via phosphorylation assays for MET, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and protein kinase B (AKT). Neuroprotective effects of ATH-1105 were evaluated in rat primary neuron models including spinal motor neurons, motor neuron-astrocyte cocultures, and motor neuron-human muscle cocultures. The anti-inflammatory effects of ATH-1105 were evaluated in microglia- and macrophage-like cell systems exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In vivo, the impact of daily oral treatment with ATH-1105 was evaluated in Prp-TDP43A315T hemizygous transgenic ALS mice. Results In vitro, ATH-1105 augmented phosphorylation of MET, ERK, and AKT. ATH-1105 attenuated glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity in primary motor neurons and motor neuron- astrocyte cocultures, and had protective effects on motor neurons and neuromuscular junctions in motor neuron-muscle cocultures. ATH-1105 mitigated LPS-induced inflammation in microglia- and macrophage-like cell systems. In vivo, ATH-1105 treatment resulted in improved motor and nerve function, sciatic nerve axon and myelin integrity, and survival in ALS mice. Treatment with ATH-1105 also led to reductions in levels of plasma biomarkers of inflammation and neurodegeneration, along with decreased pathological protein accumulation (phospho-TDP-43) in the sciatic nerve. Additionally, both early intervention (treatment initiation at 1 month of age) and delayed intervention (treatment initiation at 2 months of age) with ATH-1105 produced benefits in this preclinical model of ALS. Discussion The consistent neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects demonstrated by ATH-1105 preclinically provide a compelling rationale for therapeutic interventions that leverage the positive modulation of the HGF pathway as a treatment for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Wei Wu
- Athira Pharma, Inc., Bothell, WA, United States
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias constitute a worldwide health crisis for which the design and development of global solutions is a neuropharmacologic priority. The much-publicized failures of multiple investigational agents for AD over the past 20 years drive the need to rethink our approach to therapeutics development. Herein we present the ABCDE paradigm as a conceptual tool to facilitate the development of safe, effective therapies for AD cure: (A) accessible; (B) blood-brain barrier permeant; (C) cognitive enhancing; (D) disease-modifying; (E) environmentally nontoxic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuri Gupta
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto M5T 0S8, Canada
| | - Donald F. Weaver
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Avenue, Toronto M5T 0S8, Canada
- Departments of Medicine, Chemistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto M55 3H6, Canada
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Laws M, Surani YM, Hasan MM, Chen Y, Jin P, Al-Adhami T, Chowdhury M, Imran A, Psaltis I, Jamshidi S, Nahar KS, Rahman KM. Current Trends and Future Approaches in Small-Molecule Therapeutics for COVID-19. Curr Med Chem 2021; 28:3803-3824. [PMID: 32693756 PMCID: PMC7611096 DOI: 10.2174/0929867327666200721161840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created a global public health emergency. The pandemic is causing substantial morbidity, mortality and significant economic loss. Currently, no approved treatments for COVID-19 are available, and it is likely to takes at least 12-18 months to develop a new vaccine. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new therapeutics that can be progressed to clinical development as soon as possible. Repurposing regulatory agency-approved drugs and experimental drugs with known safety profiles can provide important repositories of compounds that can be fast-tracked to clinical development. Globally, over 500 clinical trials involving repurposed drugs have been registered, and over 150 have been initiated, including some backed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This review is intended as a guide to research into small-molecule therapies to treat COVID-19; it discusses the SARS-CoV-2 infection cycle and identifies promising viral therapeutic targets, reports on a number of promising pre-approved small-molecule drugs with reference to over 150 clinical trials worldwide, and offers a perspective on the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Laws
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Yasmin M. Surani
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Md. Mahbub Hasan
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Yiyuan Chen
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Peiqin Jin
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Taha Al-Adhami
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Madiha Chowdhury
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Aqeel Imran
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Ioannis Psaltis
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Shirin Jamshidi
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Kazi S. Nahar
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Khondaker Miraz Rahman
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, 150 Stamford Street, London, SE1 9NH, UK
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Yadav VK, Huang YJ, George TA, Wei PL, Sumitra MR, Ho CL, Chang TH, Wu ATH, Huang HS. Preclinical Evaluation of the Novel Small-Molecule MSI-N1014 for Treating Drug-Resistant Colon Cancer via the LGR5/β-catenin/miR-142-3p Network and Reducing Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Transformation. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061590. [PMID: 32560222 PMCID: PMC7352915 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer represents one of the most prevalent malignancies globally, with an estimated 140,000 new cases in the United States alone in 2019. Despite advancements in interventions, drug resistance occurs in virtually all patients diagnosed with late stages of colon cancer. Amplified epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling is one of the most prevalent oncogenic drivers in patients and induces increased Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transduction and activator of transcription (STAT) and β-catenin functions, all of which facilitate disease progression. Equally important, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) transformed by cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) further facilitate malignancy by secreting interleukin (IL)-6 and augmenting STAT3 signaling in colon cancer cells and promoting the generation of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). Based on these premises, single-targeted therapeutics have proven ineffective for treating malignant colon cancer, and alternative multiple-targeting agents should be explored. Herein, we synthesized a tetracyclic heterocyclic azathioxanthone, MSI-N1014, and demonstrated its therapeutic potential both in vitro and in vivo. First, we used a co-culture system to demonstrate that colon cancer cells co-cultured with CAFs resulted in heightened 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance and tumor sphere-forming ability and increased side populations, accompanied by elevated expression of cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), β-catenin, leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5), and ATP-binding cassette super-family G member 2 (ABCG2). MSI-N1014 suppressed cell viability, colony formation, and migration in both DLD1 and HCT116 cells. MSI-N1014 treatment led to decreased expressions of oncogenic markers, including mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), EGFR, and IL-6 and stemness markers such as CD44, β-catenin, and LGR5. More importantly, MSI-N1014 treatment suppressed the transformation of CAFs, and was associated with decreased secretion of IL-6 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by CAFs. Furthermore, MSI-N1014 treatment resulted in significantly reduced oncogenic properties, namely the migratory ability, tumor-sphere generation, and resistance against 5-FU. Notably, an increased level of the tumor suppressor, miR-142-3p, whose targets include LGR5, IL-6, and ABCG2, was detected in association with MSI-N1014 treatment. Finally, we demonstrated the therapeutic potential of MSI-N1014 in vivo, where combined treatment with MSI-N1014 and 5-FU led to the lowest tumor growth, followed by MSI-N1014 only, 5-FU, and the vehicle control. Tumor samples from the MSI-N1014 group showed markedly reduced expressions of LGR5, β-catenin, IL-6, and mTOR, but increased expression of the tumor suppressor, miR-142-3p, according to qRT-PCR analysis. Collectively, we present preclinical support for the application of MSI-N1014 in treating 5-FU-resistant colon cancer cells. Further investigation is warranted to translate these findings into clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijesh Kumar Yadav
- The Program for Translational Medicine, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan;
| | - Yan-Jiun Huang
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (Y.-J.H.); (P.-L.W.)
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Thomashire Anita George
- International PhD Program in Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan;
| | - Po-Li Wei
- Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan; (Y.-J.H.); (P.-L.W.)
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Maryam rachmawati Sumitra
- Graduate Institute for Cancer Biology & Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan;
| | - Ching-Liang Ho
- Division of Hematology and Oncology Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan;
| | - Tzu-Hao Chang
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan;
- Clinical Big Data Research Center, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
| | - Alexander T. H. Wu
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
- The Ph.D. Program for Translational Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (A.T.H.W.); (H.-S.H.); Tel.: +886-2-2697-2035 (ext. 112) (A.T.H.W.); +886-2-6638-2736 (ext. 1377) (H.-S.H.)
| | - Hsu-Shan Huang
- Graduate Institute for Cancer Biology & Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Biotechnology Research and Development, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan
- School of Pharmacy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (A.T.H.W.); (H.-S.H.); Tel.: +886-2-2697-2035 (ext. 112) (A.T.H.W.); +886-2-6638-2736 (ext. 1377) (H.-S.H.)
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