1
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Kollár L, Grabrijan K, Hrast Rambaher M, Bozovičar K, Imre T, Ferenczy GG, Gobec S, Keserű GM. Boronic acid inhibitors of penicillin-binding protein 1b: serine and lysine labelling agents. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2305833. [PMID: 38410950 PMCID: PMC10901194 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2024.2305833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) contribute to bacterial cell wall biosynthesis and are targets of antibacterial agents. Here, we investigated PBP1b inhibition by boronic acid derivatives. Chemical starting points were identified by structure-based virtual screening and aliphatic boronic acids were selected for further investigations. Structure-activity relationship studies focusing on the branching of the boron-connecting carbon and quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical simulations showed that reaction barrier free energies are compatible with fast reversible covalent binding and small or missing reaction free energies limit the inhibitory activity of the investigated boronic acid derivatives. Therefore, covalent labelling of the lysine residue of the catalytic dyad was also investigated. Compounds with a carbonyl warhead and an appropriately positioned boronic acid moiety were shown to inhibit and covalently label PBP1b. Reversible covalent labelling of the catalytic lysine by imine formation and the stabilisation of the imine by dative N-B bond is a new strategy for PBP1b inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levente Kollár
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | | | - Tímea Imre
- MS Metabolomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - György G Ferenczy
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
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2
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Prašnikar M, Proj M, Bjelošević Žiberna M, Lebar B, Knez B, Kržišnik N, Roškar R, Gobec S, Grabnar I, Žula A, Ahlin Grabnar P. The search for novel proline analogs for viscosity reduction and stabilization of highly concentrated monoclonal antibody solutions. Int J Pharm 2024; 655:124055. [PMID: 38554741 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Administration of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is currently focused on subcutaneous injection associated with increased patient adherence and reduced treatment cost, leading to sustainable healthcare. The main bottleneck is low volume that can be injected, requiring highly concentrated mAb solutions. The latter results in increased solution viscosity with pronounced mAb aggregation propensity because of intensive protein-protein interactions. Small molecule excipients have been proposed to restrict the protein-protein interactions, contributing to reduced viscosity. The aim of the study was to discover novel compounds that reduce the viscosity of highly concentrated mAb solution. First, the chemical space of proline analogs was explored and 35 compounds were determined. Viscosity measurements revealed that 18 proline analogs reduced the mAb solution viscosity similar to or more than proline. The compounds forming both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions with mAb reduced the viscosity of the formulation more efficiently without detrimentally effecting mAb physical stability. A correlation between the level of interaction and viscosity-reducing effect was confirmed with molecular dynamic simulations. Structure rigidity of the compounds and aromaticity contributed to their viscosity-reducing effect, dependent on molecule size. The study results highlight the novel proline analogs as an effective approach in viscosity reduction in development of biopharmaceuticals for subcutaneous administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Prašnikar
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matic Proj
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Blaž Lebar
- Biologics Drug Product, Technical Research and Development, Global Drug Development, Novartis, Slovenia
| | - Benjamin Knez
- Biologics Drug Product, Technical Research and Development, Global Drug Development, Novartis, Slovenia
| | - Nika Kržišnik
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Robert Roškar
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Iztok Grabnar
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Aleš Žula
- Biologics Drug Product, Technical Research and Development, Global Drug Development, Novartis, Slovenia
| | - Pegi Ahlin Grabnar
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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3
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Strašek Benedik N, Dolšak A, Švajger U, Sosič I, Gobec S, Sova M. Structural Optimization and Biological Evaluation of Isoxazolo[5,4 -d]pyrimidines as Selective Toll-Like Receptor 7 Agonists. ACS Omega 2024; 9:2362-2382. [PMID: 38250345 PMCID: PMC10795023 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are components of innate immunity that play a crucial role in several diseases, including chronic inflammatory and infectious diseases, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. In particular, TLR7 has been identified as a key player in the innate immune response against viral infections and small-molecule TLR7 agonists have shown potential for vaccine therapy, for treatment of asthma and allergies, and as anticancer drugs. Inspired by our previous discovery of selective TLR7 agonists, our goal was to develop and introduce a new chemotype of TLR7 agonists by replacing the quinazoline ring with a new heterocycle isoxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidine. Here, we report design, optimized synthesis, and structure-activity relationship studies of a novel class of TLR7 agonists based on the 6-(trifluoromethyl)isoxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidine-4-amine scaffold that demonstrate high selectivity and low micromolar potencies. The best-in-class agonist 21a, with an EC50 value of 7.8 μM, also proved to be noncytotoxic and induced secretion of cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-12p70, IL-8, and TNF-α, indicating its potential to modulate the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nika Strašek Benedik
- Faculty
of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Ana Dolšak
- Faculty
of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Urban Švajger
- Faculty
of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
- Blood
Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Šlajmerjeva 6, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Izidor Sosič
- Faculty
of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty
of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Matej Sova
- Faculty
of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
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4
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Mihalovits LM, Kollár L, Bajusz D, Knez D, Bozovičar K, Imre T, Ferenczy GG, Gobec S, Keserű GM. Molecular Mechanism of Labelling Functional Cysteines by Heterocyclic Thiones. Chemphyschem 2024; 25:e202300596. [PMID: 37888491 DOI: 10.1002/cphc.202300596] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Heterocyclic thiones have recently been identified as reversible covalent warheads, consistent with their mild electrophilic nature. Little is known so far about their mechanism of action in labelling nucleophilic sidechains, especially cysteines. The vast number of tractable cysteines promotes a wide range of target proteins to examine; however, our focus was put on functional cysteines. We chose the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 harboring Cys145 at the active site that is a structurally characterized and clinically validated target of covalent inhibitors. We screened an in-house, cysteine-targeting covalent inhibitor library which resulted in several covalent fragment hits with benzoxazole, benzothiazole and benzimidazole cores. Thione derivatives and Michael acceptors were selected for further investigations with the objective of exploring the mechanism of inhibition of the thiones and using the thoroughly characterized Michael acceptors for benchmarking our studies. Classical and hybrid quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) molecular dynamics simulations were carried out that revealed a new mechanism of covalent cysteine labelling by thione derivatives, which was supported by QM and free energy calculations and by a wide range of experimental results. Our study shows that the molecular recognition step plays a crucial role in the overall binding of both sets of molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levente M Mihalovits
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Levente Kollár
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3., 1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dávid Bajusz
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Damijan Knez
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Krištof Bozovičar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tímea Imre
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
- MS Metabolomics Research Group, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - György G Ferenczy
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, HUN-REN Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3., 1111, Budapest, Hungary
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5
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Rambaher MH, Zdovc I, Glavač NK, Gobec S, Frlan R. Mur ligase F as a new target for the flavonoids quercitrin, myricetin, and (-)-epicatechin. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2023; 37:721-733. [PMID: 37796382 PMCID: PMC10618370 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-023-00535-z] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
MurC, D, E, and F are ATP-dependent ligases involved in the stepwise assembly of the tetrapeptide stem of forming peptidoglycan. As highly conserved targets found exclusively in bacterial cells, they are of significant interest for antibacterial drug discovery. In this study, we employed a computer-aided molecular design approach to identify potential inhibitors of MurF. A biochemical inhibition assay was conducted, screening twenty-four flavonoids and related compounds against MurC-F, resulting in the identification of quercitrin, myricetin, and (-)-epicatechin as MurF inhibitors with IC50 values of 143 µM, 139 µM, and 92 µM, respectively. Notably, (-)-epicatechin demonstrated mixed type inhibition with ATP and uncompetitive inhibition with D-Ala-D-Ala dipeptide and UM3DAP substrates. Furthermore, in silico analysis using Sitemap and subsequent docking analysis using Glide revealed two plausible binding sites for (-)-epicatechin. The study also investigated the crucial structural features required for activity, with a particular focus on the substitution pattern and hydroxyl group positions, which were found to be important for the activity. The study highlights the significance of computational approaches in targeting essential enzymes involved in bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Hrast Rambaher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irena Zdovc
- Veterinary Faculty, Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ul. 60, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nina Kočevar Glavač
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Rok Frlan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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6
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Proj M, Hrast M, Bajc G, Frlan R, Meden A, Butala M, Gobec S. Discovery of a fragment hit compound targeting D-Ala:D-Ala ligase of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:387-397. [PMID: 36446617 PMCID: PMC9718554 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2149745] [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] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial resistance is an increasing threat to healthcare systems, highlighting the need for discovering new antibacterial agents. An established technique, fragment-based drug discovery, was used to target a bacterial enzyme Ddl involved in the biosynthesis of peptidoglycan. We assembled general and focused fragment libraries that were screened in a biochemical inhibition assay. Screening revealed a new fragment-hit inhibitor of DdlB with a Ki value of 20.7 ± 4.5 µM. Binding to the enzyme was confirmed by an orthogonal biophysical method, surface plasmon resonance, making the hit a promising starting point for fragment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Bajc
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rok Frlan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anže Meden
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matej Butala
- Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia,CONTACT Stanislav Gobec Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, 1000Ljubljana, Slovenia
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7
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Grošelj U, Gršič M, Meden A, Knez D, Jukič M, Svete J, Gobec S. Synthesis and Cholinesterase Inhibitory Activity of Selected Indole-Based Compounds. Acta Chim Slov 2023; 70:545-559. [PMID: 38124635 DOI: 10.17344/acsi.2023.8460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthesis and anticholinesterase activity of 18 previously unpublished indole- and tryptophan-derived compounds are disclosed. These sp3-rich compounds containing an indole structural unit exhibit selective submicromolar inhibition of human butyrylcholinesterase (hBChE). The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were confirmed by 1H and 13C NMR, IR spectroscopy, and high-resolution mass spectrometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uroš Grošelj
- a. University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Večna pot 113, SI-1000 Ljubljana.
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8
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Frlan R, Hrast M, Gobec S. Inhibition of MurA Enzyme from Escherichia coli by Flavonoids and Their Synthetic Analogues. ACS Omega 2023; 8:33006-33016. [PMID: 37720776 PMCID: PMC10500568 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c04813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
MurA catalyzes the first step of peptidoglycan (PG) biosynthesis and is a validated target for the development of new antimicrobial agents. In this study, a library of 49 plant flavonoids and their synthetic derivatives were evaluated for their inhibitory properties against MurA fromEscherichia coli. The compounds were tested with and without preincubation and with the addition of DTT to understand the mechanism of inhibition. Thirteen compounds were identified as reversible, time-dependent inhibitors, with inhibition levels ranging from 480 nM to 57 μM, and ampelopsin as the most potent compound. To investigate the major pharmacophore elements responsible for the activity, 2D-QSAR and docking analyzes were performed. The results showed that the catechol moiety and an additional aromatic system were the most important features contributing to the activity of the compounds. However, most of the compounds did not show antibacterial activity againstE. coli andStaphylococcus aureusstrains, suggesting that their inhibitory activity against MurA may not be strong enough to induce antibacterial effects. Nevertheless, our results suggest that flavonoids are a promising starting point to develop new inhibitors of MurA and show great potential for further steps in drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rok Frlan
- The Department of Pharmaceutical
Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Faculty
of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Hrast
- The Department of Pharmaceutical
Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Faculty
of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- The Department of Pharmaceutical
Chemistry, University of Ljubljana, Faculty
of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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9
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Krajnc A, Gobec S. Conjugates of monocyclic β-lactams and siderophore mimetics: a patent evaluation (WO2023023393). Expert Opin Ther Pat 2023; 33:471-476. [PMID: 37902072 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2023.2262135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION β-Lactams, which include monobactams, remain the most important class of antibiotics worldwide. Aztreonam, the only monobactam in clinical use, has remarkable activity against many Gram-negative bacteria, but limited activity against some of the most problematic multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, such as MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii co-expressing extended-spectrum- and metallo-β-lactamases, which can inactivate aztreonam by hydrolysis. AREAS COVERED Structurally novel siderophore-conjugated aztreonam derivatives with improved antibacterial properties against several high-priority pathogens are claimed. This invention reports that sidechain extension of aztreonam is tolerated; the coupling of its aminothiazoloxime carboxylic acid part with a siderophore mimetic significantly improved the antibacterial activity against several problematic strains, including MDR A. baumannii isolates with carbapenemase/cephalosporinase activity. EXPERT OPINION Finding new strategies to tackle bacterial resistance to β-lactam antibiotics is critical. Considering that β lactams are validated and safe drugs, this research may stimulate the field to develop new ideas in the arena of antimicrobial drug discovery, particularly with respect to siderophore mimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alen Krajnc
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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10
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Milan Bonotto R, Mitrović A, Sosič I, Martinez-Orellana P, Dattola F, Gobec S, Kos J, Marcello A. Cathepsin inhibitors nitroxoline and its derivatives inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection. Antiviral Res 2023:105655. [PMID: 37355023 PMCID: PMC10287183 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
The severity of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the recurring (re)emergence of viruses prompted the development of new therapeutic approaches that target viral and host factors crucial for viral infection. Among them, host peptidases cathepsins B and L have been described as essential enzymes during SARS-CoV-2 entry. In this study, we evaluated the effect of potent selective cathepsin inhibitors as antiviral agents. We demonstrated that selective cathepsin B inhibitors, such as the antimicrobial agent nitroxoline and its derivatives, impair SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. Antiviral activity observed at early stage of virus entry was cell-type dependent and correlated well with the intracellular content and enzymatic function of cathepsins B or L. Furthermore, tested inhibitors were effective against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 D614 as well as against the more recent BA.1_4 (Omicron). Taken together, our results highlight the important role of host cysteine cathepsin B in SARS-CoV-2 virus entry and show that cathepsin-specific inhibitors, such as nitroxoline and its derivatives, could be used to treat COVID-19. Finally, these results also suggest that nitroxoline has potential to be further explored as repurposed drug in antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafaela Milan Bonotto
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, 99, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ana Mitrović
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Izidor Sosič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Pamela Martinez-Orellana
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, 99, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Federica Dattola
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, 99, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janko Kos
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Alessandro Marcello
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Padriciano, 99, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
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11
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Ábrányi-Balogh P, Keeley A, Ferenczy GG, Petri L, Imre T, Grabrijan K, Hrast M, Knez D, Ilaš J, Gobec S, Keserű GM. Next-Generation Heterocyclic Electrophiles as Small-Molecule Covalent MurA Inhibitors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15121484. [PMID: 36558935 PMCID: PMC9781958 DOI: 10.3390/ph15121484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterocyclic electrophiles as small covalent fragments showed promising inhibitory activity on the antibacterial target MurA (UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1-carboxyvinyltransferase, EC:2.5.1.7). Here, we report the second generation of heterocyclic electrophiles: the quaternized analogue of the heterocyclic covalent fragment library with improved reactivity and MurA inhibitory potency. Quantum chemical reaction barrier calculations, GSH (L-glutathione) reactivity assay, and thrombin counter screen were also used to demonstrate and explain the improved reactivity and selectivity of the N-methylated heterocycles and to compare the two generations of heterocyclic electrophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Aaron Keeley
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - György G. Ferenczy
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Petri
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tímea Imre
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
- MS Metabolomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katarina Grabrijan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janez Ilaš
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - György M. Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence:
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Proj M, Hrast M, Knez D, Bozovičar K, Grabrijan K, Meden A, Gobec S, Frlan R. Fragment-Sized Thiazoles in Fragment-Based Drug Discovery Campaigns: Friend or Foe? ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1905-1910. [DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Krištof Bozovičar
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Katarina Grabrijan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Anže Meden
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | - Rok Frlan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Askerceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
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Senjor E, Mitrović A, Juki M, Proj M, Perišić Nanut M, Gobec S, Kos J. Preventing cystatin F proteolytic activation by cathepsin V increases cytotoxicity of effector immune cells. Eur J Cancer 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/s0959-8049(22)01129-7] [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: 11/28/2022]
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14
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Grabrijan K, Hrast M, Proj M, Dolšak A, Zdovc I, Imre T, Petri L, Ábrányi-Balogh P, Keserű GM, Gobec S. Covalent inhibitors of bacterial peptidoglycan biosynthesis enzyme MurA with chloroacetamide warhead. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 243:114752. [PMID: 36126388 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114752] [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: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
MurA (UDP-N-acetylglucosamine enolpyruvyl transferase) catalyzes the first committed step in the cytoplasmic part of peptidoglycan biosynthesis and is a validated target enzyme for antibacterial drug discovery; the inhibitor fosfomycin has been used clinically for decades. Like fosfomycin, most MurA inhibitors are small heterocyclic compounds that inhibit the enzyme by forming a covalent bond with the active site cysteine. The reactive chloroacetamide group was selected from a series of suitable electrophilic thiol-reactive warheads. The predominantly one-step synthesis led to the construction of the final library of 47 fragment-sized chloroacetamide compounds. Several new E. coli MurA inhibitors were identified, with the most potent compound having an IC50 value in the low micromolar range. The electrophilic reactivity of all chloroacetamide fragments in our library was evaluated by a high-throughput spectrophotometric assay using the reduced Ellman reagent as a surrogate for the cysteine thiol. LC-MS/MS experiments confirmed the covalent binding of the most potent inhibitor to Cys115 of the digested MurA enzyme. The covalent binding was further investigated by a biochemical time-dependent assay and a dilution assay, which confirmed the irreversible and time-dependent mode of action. The efficacy of chloroacetamide derivatives against MurA does not correlate with their thiol reactivity, making the active fragments valuable starting points for fragment-based development of new antibacterial agents targeting MurA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Grabrijan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Ana Dolšak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Irena Zdovc
- Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Tímea Imre
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; MS Proteomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - László Petri
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Budapest University of Technology, Szt. Gellért tér 4., H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Budapest University of Technology, Szt. Gellért tér 4., H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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15
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Knez D, Gobec S, Hrast M. Screening of Big Pharma’s Library against Various in-house Biological Targets. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27144484. [PMID: 35889355 PMCID: PMC9320114 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Open innovation initiatives provide opportunities for collaboration and sharing of knowledge and experience between industry, academia, and government institutions. Through open innovation, Merck is offering a Mini Library of 80 carefully selected compounds from previous research and development projects to a broader scientific community for testing in academic drug discovery projects. These compounds are predominantly drug-like and cover a broad range of molecular targets. They could potentially interact with other enzymes, receptors, transporters, and ion channels of interest. The Mini Library was tested on seven in-house enzymes (bacterial MurA, MurC ligase, and DdlB enzyme, human MAO-A/B, human BChE, and murine AChE), and several hits were identified. A follow-up series of structural analogues provided by Merck gave a more detailed insight into the accessibility and the quality of the hit compounds. For example, sartan derivatives were moderate inhibitors of MurC, whereas bisarylureas were potent, selective, nanomolar inhibitors of hMAO-B. Importantly, 3-n-butyl-substituted indoles were identified as low nanomolar selective inhibitors of hBChE. All in all, the hit derivatives provide new starting points for the further exploration of the chemical space of high-quality enzyme inhibitors.
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16
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Proj M, Bozovičar K, Hrast M, Frlan R, Gobec S. DNA-encoded library screening on two validated enzymes of the peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 73:128915. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128915] [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] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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17
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Jukič M, Auger R, Folcher V, Proj M, Barreteau H, Gobec S, Touzé T. Towards discovery of inhibitors of the undecaprenyl-pyrophosphate phosphatase BacA by virtual high-throughput screening. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:2360-2371. [PMID: 35664230 PMCID: PMC9127117 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BacA is an important conserved bacterial protein and a promising drug target. We identified the first small molecule inhibitors of BacA via ensemble docking. Novel inhibitors possess 5-sulfamoyl-2-thenoic acid scaffold. Hit compounds display IC50s from 42 to 374 μM and antibacterial activity on E. coli. Reported compounds are a valuable starting point for new antibacterial drug design.
Increasing resistance to common antibiotics is becoming a major challenge that requires the development of new antibacterial agents. Peptidoglycan is an essential heteropolymer of the bacterial envelope that ensures the integrity and shape of all bacteria and is also an important target for antibiotics. The biosynthesis of peptidoglycan depends on a lipid carrier, undecaprenyl phosphate. As a byproduct of peptidoglycan polymerization, the lipid carrier is released as undecaprenyl pyrophosphate, which must be recycled to allow new polymerization cycles. To this end, it undergoes a dephosphorylation process catalyzed by the membrane phosphatase BacA, which is specific and highly conserved in bacteria. In the present study, we identified small molecules displaying inhibitory potency towards BacA. We began by preparing a commercial compound library, followed by high-throughput virtual screening by ensemble docking using the 3D structure of BacA and molecular dynamics snapshots to account for the flexibility of the protein. Of 83 compounds computationally selected and tested in a biochemical assay, one sulfamoylthiophene molecule showed significant inhibition of the undecaprenyl pyrophosphate dephosphorylation activity catalyzed by BacA. Subsequently, an additional 33 scaffold analogs were selected and acquired, of which 6 compounds exhibited BacA inhibition. The IC50 values of these compounds ranged from 42 to 366 μM. In addition, significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli was observed in TolC/PAP2-depleted strains. We believe that the overall strategy followed in this study and the identified class of inhibitors provide a solid foundation for the further development of potent BacA-targeted inhibitors and the discovery of novel antibacterial compounds.
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18
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Proj M, De Jonghe S, Van Loy T, Jukič M, Meden A, Ciber L, Podlipnik Č, Grošelj U, Konc J, Schols D, Gobec S. A Set of Experimentally Validated Decoys for the Human CC Chemokine Receptor 7 (CCR7) Obtained by Virtual Screening. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:855653. [PMID: 35370691 PMCID: PMC8972196 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.855653] [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] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a state-of-the-art virtual screening workflow aiming at the identification of novel CC chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) antagonists. Although CCR7 is associated with a variety of human diseases, such as immunological disorders, inflammatory diseases, and cancer, this target is underexplored in drug discovery and there are no potent and selective CCR7 small molecule antagonists available today. Therefore, computer-aided ligand-based, structure-based, and joint virtual screening campaigns were performed. Hits from these virtual screenings were tested in a CCL19-induced calcium signaling assay. After careful evaluation, none of the in silico hits were confirmed to have an antagonistic effect on CCR7. Hence, we report here a valuable set of 287 inactive compounds that can be used as experimentally validated decoys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matic Proj
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Steven De Jonghe
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tom Van Loy
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marko Jukič
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.,Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Anže Meden
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Luka Ciber
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Črtomir Podlipnik
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Uroš Grošelj
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janez Konc
- National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Dominique Schols
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Konc J, Lešnik S, Škrlj B, Sova M, Proj M, Knez D, Gobec S, Janežič D. ProBiS-Dock: A Hybrid Multitemplate Homology Flexible Docking Algorithm Enabled by Protein Binding Site Comparison. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:1573-1584. [PMID: 35289616 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c01176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The protein data bank (PDB) is a rich source of protein ligand structures, but ligands are not explicitly used in current docking algorithms. We have developed ProBiS-Dock, a docking algorithm complementary to the ProBiS-Dock Database (J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2021, 61, 4097-4107) that treats small molecules and proteins as fully flexible entities and allows conformational changes in both after ligand binding. A new scoring function is described that consists of a binding site-specific scoring function (ProBiS-Score) and a general statistical scoring function. ProBiS-Dock enables rapid docking of small molecules to proteins and has been successfully validated in silico against standard benchmarks. It enables rapid search for new active ligands by leveraging existing knowledge in the PDB. The potential of the software for drug development has been confirmed in vitro by the discovery of new inhibitors of human indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1, an enzyme that is an attractive target for cancer therapy and catalyzes the first rate-determining step of l-tryptophan metabolism via the kynurenine pathway. The software is freely available to academic users at http://insilab.org/probisdock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janez Konc
- National Institute of Chemistry, Theory Department, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Samo Lešnik
- National Institute of Chemistry, Theory Department, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Blaž Škrlj
- National Institute of Chemistry, Theory Department, Hajdrihova 19, SI-1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Jozef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova cesta 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matej Sova
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, The Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Dušanka Janežič
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, Glagoljaška ulica 8, SI-6000 Koper, Slovenia
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20
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Proj M, Knez D, Sosič I, Gobec S. Redox active or thiol reactive? Optimization of rapid screens to identify less evident nuisance compounds. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:1733-1742. [PMID: 35301150 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Compounds that exhibit assay interference or undesirable mechanisms of bioactivity are routinely encountered in assays at various stages of drug discovery. We observed that assays for the investigation of thiol-reactive and redox-active compounds have not been collected in a comprehensive review. Here, we review these assays and subject them to experimental optimization to improve their reliability. We demonstrate the usefulness of our assay cascade by assaying a library of bioactive compounds, chemical probes, and a set of approved drugs. These high-throughput assays should complement the array of wet-lab and in silico assays during the initial stages of hit discovery campaigns to pursue only hit compounds with tractable mechanisms of action. Teaser: We provide an overview of assays to detect redox active and thiol reactive compounds and the robust protocols for identification of nuisance compounds during early stages of drug discovery programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matic Proj
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Askerceva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Askerceva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Izidor Sosič
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Askerceva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Askerceva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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21
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Majc B, Habič A, Novak M, Rotter A, Porčnik A, Mlakar J, Župunski V, Fonović UP, Knez D, Zidar N, Gobec S, Kos J, Turnšek TL, Pišlar A, Breznik B. Upregulation of Cathepsin X in Glioblastoma: Interplay with γ-Enolase and the Effects of Selective Cathepsin X Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23031784. [PMID: 35163706 PMCID: PMC8836869 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23031784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and deadly primary brain tumor in adults. Understanding GBM pathobiology and discovering novel therapeutic targets are critical to finding efficient treatments. Upregulation of the lysosomal cysteine carboxypeptidase cathepsin X has been linked to immune dysfunction and neurodegenerative diseases, but its role in cancer and particularly in GBM progression in patients is unknown. In this study, cathepsin X expression and activity were found to be upregulated in human GBM tissues compared to low-grade gliomas and nontumor brain tissues. Cathepsin X was localized in GBM cells as well as in tumor-associated macrophages and microglia. Subsequently, potent irreversible (AMS36) and reversible (Z7) selective cathepsin X inhibitors were tested in vitro. Selective cathepsin X inhibitors decreased the viability of patient-derived GBM cells as well as macrophages and microglia that were cultured in conditioned media of GBM cells. We next examined the expression pattern of neuron-specific enzyme γ-enolase, which is the target of cathepsin X. We found that there was a correlation between high proteolytic activity of cathepsin X and C-terminal cleavage of γ-enolase and that cathepsin X and γ-enolase were colocalized in GBM tissues, preferentially in GBM-associated macrophages and microglia. Taken together, our results on patient-derived material suggest that cathepsin X is involved in GBM progression and is a potential target for therapeutic approaches against GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernarda Majc
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 111 Večna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.M.); (A.H.); (M.N.); (A.R.); (T.L.T.)
- Jozef Stefan International Postgraduate School, 39 Jamova cesta, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anamarija Habič
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 111 Večna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.M.); (A.H.); (M.N.); (A.R.); (T.L.T.)
- Jozef Stefan International Postgraduate School, 39 Jamova cesta, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Metka Novak
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 111 Večna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.M.); (A.H.); (M.N.); (A.R.); (T.L.T.)
| | - Ana Rotter
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 111 Večna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.M.); (A.H.); (M.N.); (A.R.); (T.L.T.)
| | - Andrej Porčnik
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, 7 Zaloška cesta, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Jernej Mlakar
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 2 Korytkova ulica, 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia;
| | - Vera Župunski
- Chair of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 113 Večna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Urša Pečar Fonović
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, 7 Aškerčeva cesta, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (U.P.F.); (D.K.); (N.Z.); (S.G.); (J.K.)
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, 7 Aškerčeva cesta, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (U.P.F.); (D.K.); (N.Z.); (S.G.); (J.K.)
| | - Nace Zidar
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, 7 Aškerčeva cesta, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (U.P.F.); (D.K.); (N.Z.); (S.G.); (J.K.)
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, 7 Aškerčeva cesta, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (U.P.F.); (D.K.); (N.Z.); (S.G.); (J.K.)
| | - Janko Kos
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, 7 Aškerčeva cesta, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (U.P.F.); (D.K.); (N.Z.); (S.G.); (J.K.)
| | - Tamara Lah Turnšek
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 111 Večna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.M.); (A.H.); (M.N.); (A.R.); (T.L.T.)
- Chair of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, 113 Večna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Anja Pišlar
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, 7 Aškerčeva cesta, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (U.P.F.); (D.K.); (N.Z.); (S.G.); (J.K.)
- Correspondence: (B.B.); Tel.: +386-(0)59-232-870; (A.P.), Tel.: +386-(0)14-169-526
| | - Barbara Breznik
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 111 Večna pot, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (B.M.); (A.H.); (M.N.); (A.R.); (T.L.T.)
- Correspondence: (B.B.); Tel.: +386-(0)59-232-870; (A.P.), Tel.: +386-(0)14-169-526
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22
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Gajic M, Knez D, Sosič I, Mravljak J, Meden A, Košak U, Leitzbach L, George S, Hofmann B, Zivkovic A, Steinhilber D, Stark H, Gobec S, Smelcerovic A, Anderluh M. Repurposing of 8-Hydroxyquinoline-based Butyrylcholinesterase and Cathepsin B Ligands as Potent Non-peptidic Deoxyribonuclease I Inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202100694. [PMID: 34994078 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A library of 31 butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and cathepsin B (CatB) inhibitors, was screened in vitro for inhibition of deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I). Compounds 22, 8 and 7 are among the most potent synthetic non-peptide DNase I inhibitors reported up to date. Three 8-hydroxyquinoline analogues inhibited both DNase I and BChE with IC50 values below 35 µM and 50 nM, respectively, while 2 nitroxoline derivatives inhibited DNase I and Cat B endopeptidase activity with IC50 values below 60 µM and 20 µM, respectively. Selected derivatives were screened for various co-target binding affinities at dopamine D2 and D3, histamine H3 and H4 receptors and inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase. Compound 8 bound to the H3 receptor and is highlighted as the most promising multifunctional ligand with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile and one of the most potent non-peptide DNase I inhibitors. The present study demonstrates that 8-hydroxyquinoline is a structural fragment critical for DNase I inhibition in the presented series of compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Damijan Knez
- University of Ljubljana, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, SLOVENIA
| | - Izidor Sosič
- University of Ljubljana, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, SLOVENIA
| | - Janez Mravljak
- University of Ljubljana, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, SLOVENIA
| | - Anže Meden
- University of Ljubljana, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, SLOVENIA
| | - Urban Košak
- University of Ljubljana, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, SLOVENIA
| | - Luisa Leitzbach
- Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Institute for Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Sven George
- Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Bettina Hofmann
- Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Aleksandra Zivkovic
- Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Dieter Steinhilber
- Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Holger Stark
- Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, GERMANY
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, SLOVENIA
| | | | - Marko Anderluh
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Askerceva cesta 7, 1000, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
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Mitrović A, Završnik J, Mikhaylov G, Knez D, Pečar Fonović U, Matjan Štefin P, Butinar M, Gobec S, Turk B, Kos J. Evaluation of novel cathepsin-X inhibitors in vitro and in vivo and their ability to improve cathepsin-B-directed antitumor therapy. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:34. [PMID: 34989869 PMCID: PMC8738504 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-04117-w] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
New therapeutic targets that could improve current antitumor therapy and overcome cancer resistance are urgently needed. Promising candidates are lysosomal cysteine cathepsins, proteolytical enzymes involved in various critical steps during cancer progression. Among them, cathepsin X, which acts solely as a carboxypeptidase, has received much attention. Our results indicate that the triazole-based selective reversible inhibitor of cathepsin X named Z9 (1-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxin-6-yl)-2-((4-isopropyl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio)ethan-1-one) significantly reduces tumor progression, both in vitro in cell-based functional assays and in vivo in two independent tumor mouse models: the FVB/PyMT transgenic and MMTV-PyMT orthotopic breast cancer mouse models. One of the mechanisms by which cathepsin X contributes to cancer progression is the compensation of cathepsin-B activity loss. Our results confirm that cathepsin-B inhibition is compensated by an increase in cathepsin X activity and protein levels. Furthermore, the simultaneous inhibition of both cathepsins B and X with potent, selective, reversible inhibitors exerted a synergistic effect in impairing processes of tumor progression in in vitro cell-based assays of tumor cell migration and spheroid growth. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Z9 impairs tumor progression both in vitro and in vivo and can be used in combination with other peptidase inhibitors as an innovative approach to overcome resistance to antipeptidase therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Mitrović
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana,, Slovenia.
| | - Janja Završnik
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Georgy Mikhaylov
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Petra Matjan Štefin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Miha Butinar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Boris Turk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janko Kos
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana,, Slovenia.,Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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24
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Mitrović A, Senjor E, Jukić M, Bolčina L, Prunk M, Proj M, Nanut MP, Gobec S, Kos J. New inhibitors of cathepsin V impair tumor cell proliferation and elastin degradation and increase immune cell cytotoxicity. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:4667-4687. [PMID: 36147668 PMCID: PMC9459403 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.08.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of novel potent inhibitors of lysosomal cysteine peptidase cathepsin V. New inhibitors of cathepsin V demonstrated antitumor activity. They impair tumor cell proliferation and elastase degradation and increase immune cell cytotoxicity. Cathepsin V inhibitor impaired conversion of immunosuppressive factor cystatin F to its active monomeric form.
Cathepsin V is a human lysosomal cysteine peptidase with specific functions during pathological processes and is as such a promising therapeutic target. Peptidase inhibitors represent powerful pharmacological tools for regulating excessive proteolytic activity in various diseases. Cathepsin V is highly related to cathepsin L but differs in tissue distribution, binding site morphology, substrate specificity, and function. To validate its therapeutic potential and extend the number of potent and selective cathepsin V inhibitors, we used virtual high-throughput screening of commercially available compound libraries followed by an evaluation of kinetic properties to identify novel potent and selective cathepsin V inhibitors. We identified the ureido methylpiperidine carboxylate derivative, compound 7, as a reversible, selective, and potent inhibitor of cathepsin V. It also exhibited the most preferable characteristics for further evaluation with in vitro functional assays that simulate the processes in which cathepsin V is known to play an important role. Compound 7 exerted significant effects on cell proliferation, elastin degradation, and immune cell cytotoxicity. The latter was increased because compound 7 impaired conversion of immunosuppressive factor cystatin F to its active monomeric form. Taken together, our results present novel potent inhibitors of cathepsin V and provide new hit compounds for detailed development and optimization. Further, we demonstrate that cathepsin V is a potential target for new approaches to cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Mitrović
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Corresponding author at: Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Emanuela Senjor
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marko Jukić
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lara Bolčina
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mateja Prunk
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Milica Perišić Nanut
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janko Kos
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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25
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Knez D, Hrast M, Frlan R, Pišlar A, Žakelj S, Kos J, Gobec S. Indoles and 1-(3-(benzyloxy)benzyl)piperazines: Reversible and selective monoamine oxidase B inhibitors identified by screening an in-house compound library. Bioorg Chem 2021; 119:105581. [PMID: 34990933 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105581] [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: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The therapeutic indications for monoamine oxidases A and B (MAO-A and MAO-B) inhibitors that have emerged from biological studies on animal and cellular models of neurological and oncological diseases have focused drug discovery projects upon identifying reversible MAO inhibitors. Screening of our in-house academic compound library identified two hit compounds that inhibit MAO-B with IC50 values in micromolar range. Two series of indole (23 analogues) and 3-(benzyloxy)benzyl)piperazine (16 analogues) MAO-B inhibitors were derived from hits, and screened for their structure-activity relationships. Both series yielded low micromolar selective inhibitors of human MAO-B, namely indole 2 (IC50 = 12.63 ± 1.21 µM) and piperazine 39 (IC50 = 19.25 ± 4.89 µM), which is comparable to selective MAO-B inhibitor isatin (IC50 = 6.10 ± 2.81 µM), yet less potent in comparison to safinamide (IC50 = 0.029 ± 0.002 µM). Selective MAO-B inhibitors 2, 14, 38 and 39 exhibited favourable permeation of the blood-brain barrier and low cytotoxicity in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damijan Knez
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Martina Hrast
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rok Frlan
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Anja Pišlar
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simon Žakelj
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janko Kos
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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26
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Kamecki F, Knez D, Carvalho D, Marcucci C, Rademacher M, Higgs J, Žakelj S, Marcos A, de Tezanos Pinto F, Abin-Carriquiry JA, Gobec S, Colettis N, Marder M. Multitarget 2'-hydroxychalcones as potential drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and their comorbidities. Neuropharmacology 2021; 201:108837. [PMID: 34653442 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108837] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The complex nature of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) calls for multidirectional treatment. Restoring neurotransmitter levels by combined inhibition of cholinesterases (ChEs) and monoamine oxidases (MAOs, MAO-A and MAO-B), in conjunction with strategies to counteract amyloid β (Aβ) aggregation, may constitute a therapeutically strong multi-target approach for the treatment of NDDs. Chalcones are a subgroup of flavonoids with a broad spectrum of biological activity. We report here the synthesis of 2'-hydroxychalcones as MAO-A and MAO-B inhibitors. Compounds 5c (IC50 = 0.031 ± 0.001 μM), 5a (IC50 = 0.084 ± 0.003 μM), 2c (IC50 = 0.095 ± 0.019 μM) and 2a (IC50 = 0.111 ± 0.006 μM) were the most potent, selective and reversible inhibitors of human (h)MAO-B isoform. hMAO-B inhibitors 1a, 2a and 5a also inhibited murine MAO-B in vivo in mouse brain homogenates. Molecular modelling rationalised the binding mode of 2'-hydroxychalcones in the active site of hMAO-B. Additionally, several derivatives inhibited murine acetylcholinesterase (mAChE) (IC50 values from 4.37 ± 0.83 μM to 15.17 ± 6.03 μM) and reduced the aggregation propensity of Aβ. Moreover, some derivatives bound to the benzodiazepine binding site (BDZ-bs) of the γ-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptors (1a and 2a with Ki = 4.9 ± 1.1 μM and 5.0 ± 1.1 μM, respectively), and exerted sedative and/or anxiolytic like effects on mice. The biological results reported here on 2'-hydroxychalcones provide an extension to previous studies on chalcone scaffold and show them as a potential treatment strategy for NDDs and their associated comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola Kamecki
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas Prof. Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Damijan Knez
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Diego Carvalho
- Department of Neurochemistry, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Carolina Marcucci
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas Prof. Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Marina Rademacher
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas Prof. Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Josefina Higgs
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas Prof. Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Simon Žakelj
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Alejandra Marcos
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas Prof. Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Felicitas de Tezanos Pinto
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas Prof. Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Juan Andrés Abin-Carriquiry
- Department of Neurochemistry, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, 11600, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Natalia Colettis
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas Prof. Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Mariel Marder
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas Prof. Dr. Alejandro C. Paladini, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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27
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Kollár L, Gobec M, Proj M, Smrdel L, Knez D, Imre T, Gömöry Á, Petri L, Ábrányi-Balogh P, Csányi D, Ferenczy GG, Gobec S, Sosič I, Keserű GM. Fragment-Sized and Bidentate (Immuno)Proteasome Inhibitors Derived from Cysteine and Threonine Targeting Warheads. Cells 2021; 10:3431. [PMID: 34943940 PMCID: PMC8700061 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123431] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Constitutive- and immunoproteasomes are part of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which is responsible for the protein homeostasis. Selective inhibition of the immunoproteasome offers opportunities for the treatment of numerous diseases, including inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and hematologic malignancies. Although several inhibitors have been reported, selective nonpeptidic inhibitors are sparse. Here, we describe two series of compounds that target both proteasomes. First, benzoxazole-2-carbonitriles as fragment-sized covalent immunoproteasome inhibitors are reported. Systematic substituent scans around the fragment core of benzoxazole-2-carbonitrile led to compounds with single digit micromolar inhibition of the β5i subunit. Experimental and computational reactivity studies revealed that the substituents do not affect the covalent reactivity of the carbonitrile warhead, but mainly influence the non-covalent recognition. Considering the small size of the inhibitors, this finding emphasizes the importance of the non-covalent recognition step in the covalent mechanism of action. As a follow-up series, bidentate inhibitors are disclosed, in which electrophilic heterocyclic fragments, i.e., 2-vinylthiazole, benzoxazole-2-carbonitrile, and benzimidazole-2-carbonitrile were linked to threonine-targeting (R)-boroleucine moieties. These compounds were designed to bind both the Thr1 and β5i-subunit-specific residue Cys48. However, inhibitory activities against (immuno)proteasome subunits showed that bidentate compounds inhibit the β5, β5i, β1, and β1i subunits with submicromolar to low-micromolar IC50 values. Inhibitory assays against unrelated enzymes showed that compounds from both series are selective for proteasomes. The presented nonpeptidic and covalent derivatives are suitable hit compounds for the development of either β5i-selective immunoproteasome inhibitors or compounds targeting multiple subunits of both proteasomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levente Kollár
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (L.K.); (L.P.); (P.Á.-B.); (D.C.); (G.G.F.)
| | - Martina Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.G.); (M.P.); (L.S.); (D.K.); (S.G.)
| | - Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.G.); (M.P.); (L.S.); (D.K.); (S.G.)
| | - Lara Smrdel
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.G.); (M.P.); (L.S.); (D.K.); (S.G.)
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.G.); (M.P.); (L.S.); (D.K.); (S.G.)
| | - Tímea Imre
- MS Metabolomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Ágnes Gömöry
- MS Proteomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - László Petri
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (L.K.); (L.P.); (P.Á.-B.); (D.C.); (G.G.F.)
| | - Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (L.K.); (L.P.); (P.Á.-B.); (D.C.); (G.G.F.)
| | - Dorottya Csányi
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (L.K.); (L.P.); (P.Á.-B.); (D.C.); (G.G.F.)
| | - György G. Ferenczy
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (L.K.); (L.P.); (P.Á.-B.); (D.C.); (G.G.F.)
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.G.); (M.P.); (L.S.); (D.K.); (S.G.)
| | - Izidor Sosič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (M.G.); (M.P.); (L.S.); (D.K.); (S.G.)
| | - György M. Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar Tudósok Krt. 2, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; (L.K.); (L.P.); (P.Á.-B.); (D.C.); (G.G.F.)
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28
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Wichur T, Godyń J, Góral I, Latacz G, Bucki A, Siwek A, Głuch-Lutwin M, Mordyl B, Śniecikowska J, Walczak M, Knez D, Jukič M, Sałat K, Gobec S, Kołaczkowski M, Malawska B, Brazzolotto X, Więckowska A. Development and crystallography-aided SAR studies of multifunctional BuChE inhibitors and 5-HT 6R antagonists with β-amyloid anti-aggregation properties. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 225:113792. [PMID: 34530376 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The lack of an effective treatment makes Alzheimer's disease a serious healthcare problem and a challenge for medicinal chemists. Herein we report interdisciplinary research on novel multifunctional ligands targeting proteins and processes involved in the development of the disease: BuChE, 5-HT6 receptors and β-amyloid aggregation. Structure-activity relationship analyses supported by crystallography and docking studies led to the identification of a fused-type multifunctional ligand 50, with remarkable and balanced potencies against BuChE (IC50 = 90 nM) and 5-HT6R (Ki = 4.8 nM), and inhibitory activity against Aβ aggregation (53% at 10 μM). In in vitro ADME-Tox and in vivo pharmacokinetic studies compound 50 showed good stability in the mouse liver microsomes, favourable safety profile and brain permeability with the brain to plasma ratio of 6.79 after p.o. administration in mice, thus being a promising candidate for in vivo pharmacology studies and a solid foundation for further research on effective anti-AD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Wichur
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Justyna Godyń
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Izabella Góral
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Gniewomir Latacz
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Adam Bucki
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Agata Siwek
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Monika Głuch-Lutwin
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Barbara Mordyl
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Śniecikowska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Maria Walczak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Damijan Knez
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marko Jukič
- University of Maribor, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Kinga Sałat
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marcin Kołaczkowski
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Barbara Malawska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Xavier Brazzolotto
- Département de Toxicologie et Risques Chimiques, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 91223, Brétigny sur Orge, France
| | - Anna Więckowska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland.
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29
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Dolšak A, Šribar D, Scheffler A, Grabowski M, Švajger U, Gobec S, Holze J, Weindl G, Wolber G, Sova M. Further hit optimization of 6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2-amine based TLR8 modulators: Synthesis, biological evaluation and structure-activity relationships. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 225:113809. [PMID: 34488023 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) is an endosomal TLR that has an important role in the innate human immune system, which is involved in numerous pathological conditions. Excessive activation of TLR8 can lead to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, which highlights the need for development of TLR8 modulators. However, only a few small-molecule modulators that selectively target TLR8 have been developed. Here, we report the synthesis and systematic investigation of the structure-activity relationships of a series of novel TLR8 negative modulators based on previously reported 6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidin-2-amine derivatives. Four compounds showed low-micromolar concentration-dependent inhibition of TLR8-mediated signaling in HEK293 cells. These data confirm that the 6-trifluoromethyl group and two other substituents on positions 2 and 4 are important structural elements of pyrimidine-based TLR8 modulators. Substitution of the main scaffold at position 2 with a methylsulfonyl group or para hydroxy/hydroxymethyl substituted benzylamine is essential for potent negative modulation of TLR8. Our best-in-class TLR8-selective modulator 53 with IC50 value of 6.2 μM represents a promising small-molecule chemical probe for further optimization to a lead compound with potent immunomodulatory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Dolšak
- Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva c. 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Dora Šribar
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexander Scheffler
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Maria Grabowski
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Urban Švajger
- Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Šlajmerjeva 6, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva c. 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janine Holze
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121, Bonn, Germany
| | - Günther Weindl
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, Pharmaceutical Institute, University of Bonn, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 3, 53121, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 2+4, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Matej Sova
- Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva c. 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Wichur T, Pasieka A, Godyń J, Panek D, Góral I, Latacz G, Honkisz-Orzechowska E, Bucki A, Siwek A, Głuch-Lutwin M, Knez D, Brazzolotto X, Gobec S, Kołaczkowski M, Sabate R, Malawska B, Więckowska A. Discovery of 1-(phenylsulfonyl)-1H-indole-based multifunctional ligands targeting cholinesterases and 5-HT 6 receptor with anti-aggregation properties against amyloid-beta and tau. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 225:113783. [PMID: 34461507 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Multifunctional ligands as an essential variant of polypharmacology are promising candidates for the treatment of multi-factorial diseases like Alzheimer's disease. Based on clinical evidence and following the paradigm of multifunctional ligands we have rationally designed and synthesized a series of compounds targeting processes involved in the development of the disease. The biological evaluation led to the discovery of two compounds with favorable pharmacological characteristics and ADMET profile. Compounds 17 and 35 are 5-HT6R antagonists (Ki = 13 nM and Ki = 15 nM respectively) and cholinesterase inhibitors with distinct mechanisms of enzyme inhibition. Compound 17, a tacrine derivative is a reversible inhibitor of acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (IC50 = 8 nM and IC50 = 24 nM respectively), while compound 35 with rivastigmine-derived phenyl N-ethyl-N-methylcarbamate fragment is a selective, pseudo-irreversible inhibitor of butyrylcholinesterase (IC50 = 455 nM). Both compounds inhibit aggregation of amyloid β in vitro (75% for compound 17 and 68% for 35 at 10 μM) moreover, compound 35 is a potent tau aggregation inhibitor in cellulo (79%). In ADMET in vitro studies both compounds showed acceptable metabolic stability on mouse liver microsomes (28% and 60% for compound 17 and 35 respectively), no or little effect on CYP3A4 and 2D6 up to a concentration of 10 μM and lack of toxicity on HepG2 cell line (IC50 values of 80 and 21 μM, for 17 and 35 respectively). Based on the pharmacological characteristics and favorable pharmacokinetic properties, we propose compounds 17 and 35 as an excellent starting point for further optimization and in-depth biological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Wichur
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Pasieka
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Justyna Godyń
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Dawid Panek
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Izabella Góral
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Gniewomir Latacz
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Adam Bucki
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Agata Siwek
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Monika Głuch-Lutwin
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Damijan Knez
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Xavier Brazzolotto
- Département de Toxicologie et Risques Chimiques, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 91223 Brétigny sur Orge, France
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marcin Kołaczkowski
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Raimon Sabate
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Barbara Malawska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
| | - Anna Więckowska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland.
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Juhás M, Pallabothula VSK, Grabrijan K, Šimovičová M, Janďourek O, Konečná K, Bárta P, Paterová P, Gobec S, Sosič I, Zitko J. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of substituted 3-amino-N-(thiazol-2-yl)pyrazine-2-carboxamides as inhibitors of mycobacterial methionine aminopeptidase 1. Bioorg Chem 2021; 118:105489. [PMID: 34826708 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the number one cause of deaths due to a single infectious agent worldwide. The treatment of TB is lengthy and often complicated by the increasing drug resistance. New compounds with new mechanisms of action are therefore needed. We present the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of pyrazine-based inhibitors of a prominent antimycobacterial drug target - mycobacterial methionine aminopeptidase 1 (MtMetAP1). The inhibitory activities of the presented compounds were evaluated against the MtMetAP1a isoform, and all derivatives were tested against a broad spectrum of myco(bacteria) and fungi. The cytotoxicity of the compounds was also investigated using Hep G2 cell lines. Overall, high inhibition of the isolated enzyme was observed for 3-substituted N-(thiazol-2-yl)pyrazine-2-carboxamides, particularly when the substituent was represented by 2-substituted benzamide. The extent of inhibition was strongly dependent on the used metal cofactor. The highest inhibition was seen in the presence of Ni2+. Several compounds also showed mediocre in vitro potency against Mtb (both Mtb H37Ra and H37Rv). Despite the structural similarities of bacterial and fungal MetAP1 to mycobacterial MtMetAP1, title compounds did not exert antibacterial nor antifungal activity. The reasons behind the higher activity of 2-substituted benzamido derivatives, as well as the correlation of enzyme inhibition with the in vitro growth inhibition activity is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Juhás
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Vinod S K Pallabothula
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Katarina Grabrijan
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Martina Šimovičová
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Ondřej Janďourek
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Klára Konečná
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Bárta
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavla Paterová
- University Hospital Hradec Králové, Department of Clinical Microbiology, Sokolská 581, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Izidor Sosič
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Jan Zitko
- Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Akademika Heyrovského 1203, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic.
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Mazej T, Knez D, Meden A, Gobec S, Sova M. 4-Phenethyl-1-Propargylpiperidine-Derived Dual Inhibitors of Butyrylcholinesterase and Monoamine Oxidase B. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26144118. [PMID: 34299393 PMCID: PMC8305717 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26144118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy is encouraged for the development of novel modulators targeting multiple pathways in the neurodegenerative cascade typical for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Based on the structure of an in-house irreversible monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitor, we aimed to introduce a carbamate moiety on the aromatic ring to impart cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition, and to furnish multifunctional ligands targeting two enzymes that are intricately involved in AD pathobiology. In this study, we synthesized three dual hMAO-B/hBChE inhibitors 13–15, with compound 15 exhibiting balanced, low micromolar inhibition of hMAO-B (IC50 of 4.3 µM) and hBChE (IC50 of 8.5 µM). The docking studies and time-dependent inhibition of hBChE confirmed the initial expectation that the introduced carbamate moiety is responsible for covalent inhibition. Therefore, dual-acting compound 15 represents an excellent starting point for further optimization of balanced MTDLs
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Kollár L, Frenczy GG, Proj M, Gobec M, Gobec S, Sosič I, Keserű G. Virtual Screening and Biochemical Testing of Borocycles as Immunoproteasome Inhibitors. Period Polytech Chem Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.3311/ppch.17202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition of the immunoproteasome (iCP) offers new opportunities in the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Inspired by the success of boronic acids as proteasome inhibitors we have complied a virtual library of commercially available 5- and 6-membered borocycles and performed a structure based virtual screening against the chymotrypsin-like (β5i) subunit of the iCP. The top scored docking poses were visually inspected to select compounds for experimental testing. Six compounds with 5-membered ring and another six compounds with 6-membered ring were subjected to biochemical tests. All compounds exhibited detectable inhibitory activity at 100 µM concentration and these are the first reported cyclic boronic acid inhibitors of the iCP. Structural variations including the ring size and the substitution of the borocyles and the substitution pattern of the attached aromatic ring resulted in no major variation of the inhibitory activity. We propose that the evaluation of larger cycling boronic acid libraries is needed to fully elucidate the potential of these structures.
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Šterman A, Košmrlj J, Žigart N, Gobec S, Sosič I, Časar Z. Catalytic Approach to Diverse α‐Aminoboronic Acid Derivatives by Iridium‐Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Trifluoroborate‐Iminiums. Adv Synth Catal 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/adsc.202001350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Šterman
- University of Ljubljana Faculty of Pharmacy Aškerčeva cesta 7 SI-1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Janez Košmrlj
- University of Ljubljana Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology Večna pot 113 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Nina Žigart
- Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d. Sandoz Development Center Slovenia Verovškova ulica 57 1526 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana Faculty of Pharmacy Aškerčeva cesta 7 SI-1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Izidor Sosič
- University of Ljubljana Faculty of Pharmacy Aškerčeva cesta 7 SI-1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Zdenko Časar
- University of Ljubljana Faculty of Pharmacy Aškerčeva cesta 7 SI-1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
- Lek Pharmaceuticals d.d. Sandoz Development Center Slovenia Verovškova ulica 57 1526 Ljubljana Slovenia
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35
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Rejc L, Gómez-Vallejo V, Joya A, Moreno O, Egimendia A, Castellnou P, Ríos-Anglada X, Cossío U, Baz Z, Passannante R, Tobalina-Larrea I, Ramos-Cabrer P, Giralt A, Sastre M, Capetillo-Zarate E, Košak U, Knez D, Gobec S, Marder M, Martin A, Llop J. Longitudinal evaluation of a novel BChE PET tracer as an early in vivo biomarker in the brain of a mouse model for Alzheimer disease. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:6542-6559. [PMID: 33995675 PMCID: PMC8120209 DOI: 10.7150/thno.54589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: The increase in butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity in the brain of Alzheimer disease (AD) patients and animal models of AD position this enzyme as a potential biomarker of the disease. However, the information on the ability of BChE to serve as AD biomarker is contradicting, also due to scarce longitudinal studies of BChE activity abundance. Here, we report 11C-labeling, in vivo stability, biodistribution, and longitudinal study on BChE abundance in the brains of control and 5xFAD (AD model) animals, using a potent BChE selective inhibitor, [11C]4, and positron emission tomography (PET) in combination with computerised tomography (CT). We correlate the results with in vivo amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition, longitudinally assessed by [18F]florbetaben-PET imaging. Methods: [11C]4 was radiolabelled through 11C-methylation. Metabolism studies were performed on blood and brain samples of female wild type (WT) mice. Biodistribution studies were performed in female WT mice using dynamic PET-CT imaging. Specific binding was demonstrated by ex vivo and in vivo PET imaging blocking studies in female WT and 5xFAD mice at the age of 7 months. Longitudinal PET imaging of BChE was conducted in female 5xFAD mice at 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 months of age and compared to age-matched control animals. Additionally, Aβ plaque distribution was assessed in the same mice using [18F]florbetaben at the ages of 2, 5, 7 and 11 months. The results were validated by ex vivo staining of BChE at 4, 8, and 12 months and Aβ at 12 months on brain samples. Results: [11C]4 was produced in sufficient radiochemical yield and molar activity for the use in PET imaging. Metabolism and biodistribution studies confirmed sufficient stability in vivo, the ability of [11C]4 to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) and rapid washout from the brain. Blocking studies confirmed specificity of the binding. Longitudinal PET studies showed increased levels of BChE in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, striatum, thalamus, cerebellum and brain stem in aged AD mice compared to WT littermates. [18F]Florbetaben-PET imaging showed similar trend of Aβ plaques accumulation in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus of AD animals as the one observed for BChE at ages 4 to 8 months. Contrarily to the results obtained by ex vivo staining, lower abundance of BChE was observed in vivo at 10 and 12 months than at 8 months of age. Conclusions: The BChE inhibitor [11C]4 crosses the BBB and is quickly washed out of the brain of WT mice. Comparison between AD and WT mice shows accumulation of the radiotracer in the AD-affected areas of the brain over time during the early disease progression. The results correspond well with Aβ accumulation, suggesting that BChE is a promising early biomarker for incipient AD.
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Kollár L, Gobec M, Szilágyi B, Proj M, Knez D, Ábrányi-Balogh P, Petri L, Imre T, Bajusz D, Ferenczy GG, Gobec S, Keserű GM, Sosič I. Discovery of selective fragment-sized immunoproteasome inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 219:113455. [PMID: 33894528 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Proteasomes contribute to maintaining protein homeostasis and their inhibition is beneficial in certain types of cancer and in autoimmune diseases. However, the inhibition of the proteasomes in healthy cells leads to unwanted side-effects and significant effort has been made to identify inhibitors specific for the immunoproteasome, especially to treat diseases which manifest increased levels and activity of this proteasome isoform. Here, we report our efforts to discover fragment-sized inhibitors of the human immunoproteasome. The screening of an in-house library of structurally diverse fragments resulted in the identification of benzo[d]oxazole-2(3H)-thiones, benzo[d]thiazole-2(3H)-thiones, benzo[d]imidazole-2(3H)-thiones, and 1-methylbenzo[d]imidazole-2(3H)-thiones (with a general term benzoXazole-2(3H)-thiones) as inhibitors of the chymotrypsin-like (β5i) subunit of the immunoproteasome. A subsequent structure-activity relationship study provided us with an insight regarding growing vectors. Binding to the β5i subunit was shown and selectivity against the β5 subunit of the constitutive proteasome was determined. Thorough characterization of these compounds suggested that they inhibit the immunoproteasome by forming a disulfide bond with the Cys48 available specifically in the β5i active site. To obtain fragments with biologically more tractable covalent interactions, we performed a warhead scan, which yielded benzoXazole-2-carbonitriles as promising starting points for the development of selective immunoproteasome inhibitors with non-peptidic scaffolds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levente Kollár
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Martina Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Bence Szilágyi
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Matic Proj
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Petri
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tímea Imre
- MS Metabolomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dávid Bajusz
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - György G Ferenczy
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt. 2, H-1117, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Izidor Sosič
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Bolje A, Gobec S. Analytical Techniques for Structural Characterization of Proteins in Solid Pharmaceutical Forms: An Overview. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13040534. [PMID: 33920461 PMCID: PMC8070348 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13040534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic proteins as biopharmaceuticals have emerged as a very important class of drugs for the treatment of many diseases. However, they are less stable compared to conventional pharmaceuticals. Their long-term stability in solid forms, which is critical for product performance, depends heavily on the retention of the native protein structure during the lyophilization (freeze-drying) process and, thereafter, in the solid state. Indeed, the biological function of proteins is directly related to the tertiary and secondary structure. Besides physical stability and biological activity, conformational stability (three-dimensional structure) is another important aspect when dealing with protein pharmaceuticals. Moreover, denaturation as loss of higher order structure is often a precursor to aggregation or chemical instability. Careful study of the physical and chemical properties of proteins in the dried state is therefore critical during biopharmaceutical drug development to deliver a final drug product with built-in quality that is safe, high-quality, efficient, and affordable for patients. This review provides an overview of common analytical techniques suitable for characterizing pharmaceutical protein powders, providing structural, and conformational information, as well as insights into dynamics. Such information can be very useful in formulation development, where selecting the best formulation for the drug can be quite a challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aljoša Bolje
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (S.G.); Tel.: +386-147-69500 (A.B.); +386-147-69585 (S.G.)
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Correspondence: (A.B.); (S.G.); Tel.: +386-147-69500 (A.B.); +386-147-69585 (S.G.)
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Pirc K, Hodnik V, Snoj T, Lenarčič T, Caserman S, Podobnik M, Böhm H, Albert I, Kotar A, Plavec J, Borišek J, Damuzzo M, Magistrato A, Brus B, Sosič I, Gobec S, Nürnberger T, Anderluh G. Nep1-like proteins as a target for plant pathogen control. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009477. [PMID: 33857257 PMCID: PMC8078777 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of efficient methods to control the major diseases of crops most important to agriculture leads to huge economic losses and seriously threatens global food security. Many of the most important microbial plant pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes, secrete necrosis- and ethylene-inducing peptide 1 (Nep1)-like proteins (NLPs), which critically contribute to the virulence and spread of the disease. NLPs are cytotoxic to eudicot plants, as they disturb the plant plasma membrane by binding to specific plant membrane sphingolipid receptors. Their pivotal role in plant infection and broad taxonomic distribution makes NLPs a promising target for the development of novel phytopharmaceutical compounds. To identify compounds that bind to NLPs from the oomycetes Pythium aphanidermatum and Phytophthora parasitica, a library of 587 small molecules, most of which are commercially unavailable, was screened by surface plasmon resonance. Importantly, compounds that exhibited the highest affinity to NLPs were also found to inhibit NLP-mediated necrosis in tobacco leaves and Phytophthora infestans growth on potato leaves. Saturation transfer difference-nuclear magnetic resonance and molecular modelling of the most promising compound, anthranilic acid derivative, confirmed stable binding to the NLP protein, which resulted in decreased necrotic activity and reduced ion leakage from tobacco leaves. We, therefore, confirmed that NLPs are an appealing target for the development of novel phytopharmaceutical agents and strategies, which aim to directly interfere with the function of these major microbial virulence factors. The compounds identified in this study represent lead structures for further optimization and antimicrobial product development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Pirc
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Vesna Hodnik
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tina Snoj
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tea Lenarčič
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simon Caserman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Marjetka Podobnik
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Hannah Böhm
- Center of Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Isabell Albert
- Center of Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anita Kotar
- Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janez Plavec
- Slovenian NMR Center, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jure Borišek
- Theory Department, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Damuzzo
- CNR-IOM-Democritos at International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandra Magistrato
- CNR-IOM-Democritos at International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Boris Brus
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Izidor Sosič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Thorsten Nürnberger
- Center of Plant Molecular Biology (ZMBP), Eberhard-Karls-University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Gregor Anderluh
- Department of Molecular Biology and Nanobiotechnology, National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Pasieka A, Panek D, Jończyk J, Godyń J, Szałaj N, Latacz G, Tabor J, Mezeiova E, Chantegreil F, Dias J, Knez D, Lu J, Pi R, Korabecny J, Brazzolotto X, Gobec S, Höfner G, Wanner K, Więckowska A, Malawska B. Discovery of multifunctional anti-Alzheimer's agents with a unique mechanism of action including inhibition of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase and γ-aminobutyric acid transporters. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 218:113397. [PMID: 33838585 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [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: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Looking for an effective anti-Alzheimer's agent is very challenging; however, a multifunctional ligand strategy may be a promising solution for the treatment of this complex disease. We herein present the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel hydroxyethylamine derivatives displaying unique, multiple properties that have not been previously reported. The original mechanism of action combines inhibitory activity against disease-modifying targets: β-secretase enzyme (BACE1) and amyloid β (Aβ) aggregation, along with an effect on targets associated with symptom relief - inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) and γ-aminobutyric acid transporters (GATs). Among the obtained molecules, compound 36 exhibited the most balanced and broad activity profile (eeAChE IC50 = 2.86 μM; eqBuChE IC50 = 60 nM; hBuChE IC50 = 20 nM; hBACE1 IC50 = 5.9 μM; inhibition of Aβ aggregation = 57.9% at 10 μM; mGAT1 IC50 = 10.96 μM; and mGAT2 IC50 = 19.05 μM). Moreover, we also identified 31 as the most potent mGAT4 and hGAT3 inhibitor (IC50 = 5.01 μM and IC50 = 2.95 μM, respectively), with high selectivity over other subtypes. Compounds 36 and 31 represent new anti-Alzheimer agents that can ameliorate cognitive decline and modify the progress of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Pasieka
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Dawid Panek
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jakub Jończyk
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Justyna Godyń
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Natalia Szałaj
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Gniewomir Latacz
- Department of Technology and Biotechnology of Drugs, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Julia Tabor
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Eva Mezeiova
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Fabien Chantegreil
- Département de Toxicologie et Risques Chimiques, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 91223, Brétigny sur Orge, France
| | - José Dias
- Département de Toxicologie et Risques Chimiques, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 91223, Brétigny sur Orge, France
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Junfeng Lu
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Rongbiao Pi
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jan Korabecny
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Xavier Brazzolotto
- Département de Toxicologie et Risques Chimiques, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, 91223, Brétigny sur Orge, France
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Georg Höfner
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr, 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Klaus Wanner
- Department of Pharmacy - Center for Drug Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstr, 5-13, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Więckowska
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland
| | - Barbara Malawska
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Kraków, Poland.
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Hrast M, Frlan R, Knez D, Zdovc I, Barreteau H, Gobec S. Mur ligases inhibitors with azastilbene scaffold: Expanding the structure-activity relationship. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 40:127966. [PMID: 33744441 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.127966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [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: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance represents one of the biggest public health challenges in the last few years. Mur ligases (MurC-MurF) are involved in the synthesis of UDP-N-acetylmuramyl-pentapeptide, the main building block of bacterial peptidoglycan polymer. They are essential for the survival of bacteria and therefore important antibacterial targets. We report herein the synthesis and structure-activity relationships of Mur ligases inhibitors with an azastilbene scaffold. Several compounds showed promising inhibitory potencies against multiple ligases and one compound also possessed moderate antibacterial activity. These results represent a solid ground for further development and optimization of structurally novel antimicrobial agents to combat the rising bacterial resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Rok Frlan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Irena Zdovc
- Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva ulica 60, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Hélène Barreteau
- Bacterial Cell Envelopes and Antibiotics Group, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette cedex, France
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Dolšak A, Bratkovič T, Mlinarič L, Ogorevc E, Švajger U, Gobec S, Sova M. Novel Selective IDO1 Inhibitors with Isoxazolo[5,4- d]pyrimidin-4(5 H)-one Scaffold. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14030265. [PMID: 33804161 PMCID: PMC8001472 DOI: 10.3390/ph14030265] [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] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a promising target in immunomodulation of several pathological conditions, especially cancers. Here we present the synthesis of a series of IDO1 inhibitors with the novel isoxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-4(5H)-one scaffold. A focused library was prepared using a 6- or 7-step synthetic procedure to allow a systematic investigation of the structure-activity relationships of the described scaffold. Chemistry-driven modifications lead us to the discovery of our best-in-class inhibitors possessing p-trifluoromethyl (23), p-cyclohexyl (32), or p-methoxycarbonyl (20, 39) substituted aniline moieties with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. In addition to hIDO1, compounds were tested for their inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 and tryptophan dioxygenase, and found to be selective for hIDO1. Our results thus demonstrate a successful study on IDO1-selective isoxazolo[5,4-d]pyrimidin-4(5H)-one inhibitors, defining promising chemical probes with a novel scaffold for further development of potent small-molecule immunomodulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Dolšak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.D.); (T.B.); (L.M.); (E.O.); (U.Š.); (S.G.)
| | - Tomaž Bratkovič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.D.); (T.B.); (L.M.); (E.O.); (U.Š.); (S.G.)
| | - Larisa Mlinarič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.D.); (T.B.); (L.M.); (E.O.); (U.Š.); (S.G.)
| | - Eva Ogorevc
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.D.); (T.B.); (L.M.); (E.O.); (U.Š.); (S.G.)
| | - Urban Švajger
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.D.); (T.B.); (L.M.); (E.O.); (U.Š.); (S.G.)
- Blood Transfusion Centre of Slovenia, Šlajmerjeva 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.D.); (T.B.); (L.M.); (E.O.); (U.Š.); (S.G.)
| | - Matej Sova
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.D.); (T.B.); (L.M.); (E.O.); (U.Š.); (S.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +386-1-476-9577
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Gentzsch C, Chen X, Spatz P, Košak U, Knez D, Nose N, Gobec S, Higuchi T, Decker M. Synthesis and Initial Characterization of a Reversible, Selective 18F-Labeled Radiotracer for Human Butyrylcholinesterase. Mol Imaging Biol 2021; 23:505-515. [PMID: 33660167 PMCID: PMC8277621 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-021-01584-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE A neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain, which are observed in a significant number of cognitively normal, older adults as well. In AD, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) becomes associated with Aβ aggregates, making it a promising target for imaging probes to support diagnosis of AD. In this study, we present the synthesis, radiochemistry, in vitro and preliminary ex and in vivo investigations of a selective, reversible BChE inhibitor as PET-tracer for evaluation as an AD diagnostic. PROCEDURES Radiolabeling of the inhibitor was achieved by fluorination of a respective tosylated precursor using K[18F]. IC50 values of the fluorinated compound were obtained in a colorimetric assay using recombinant, human (h) BChE. Dissociation constants were determined by measuring hBChE activity in the presence of different concentrations of inhibitor. RESULTS Radiofluorination of the tosylate precursor gave the desired radiotracer in an average radiochemical yield of 20 ± 3 %. Identity and > 95.5 % radiochemical purity were confirmed by HPLC and TLC autoradiography. The inhibitory potency determined in Ellman's assay gave an IC50 value of 118.3 ± 19.6 nM. Dissociation constants measured in kinetic experiments revealed lower affinity of the inhibitor for binding to the acylated enzyme (K2 = 68.0 nM) in comparison to the free enzyme (K1 = 32.9 nM). CONCLUSIONS The reversibly acting, selective radiotracer is synthetically easily accessible and retains promising activity and binding potential on hBChE. Radiosynthesis with 18F labeling of tosylates was feasible in a reasonable time frame and good radiochemical yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Gentzsch
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Xinyu Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Augsburg, Stenglinstraße 2, 86156, Augsburg, Germany.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Straße 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.,Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital of Würzburg, Am Schwarzenberg 15, 97078, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Spatz
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Straße 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Urban Košak
- Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Naoko Nose
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Chair of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Takahiro Higuchi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Straße 6, 97080, Würzburg, Germany. .,Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University Hospital of Würzburg, Am Schwarzenberg 15, 97078, Würzburg, Germany. .,Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 2-5-1 Shikata-cho, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan.
| | - Michael Decker
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Food Chemistry, Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
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Kamecki F, Marcucci C, Ferreira-Gomes M, Sabatier L, Knez D, Gobec S, Monti JLE, Rademacher M, Marcos A, de Tezanos Pinto F, Gavernet L, Colettis N, Marder M. 2’-Hydroxy-4’,5’-dimethyl-4-dimethylaminochalcone, a novel fluorescent flavonoid with capacity to detect aluminium in cells and modulate Alzheimer’s disease targets. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2021.113137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Scarpino A, Petri L, Knez D, Imre T, Ábrányi-Balogh P, Ferenczy GG, Gobec S, Keserű GM. WIDOCK: a reactive docking protocol for virtual screening of covalent inhibitors. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2021; 35:223-244. [PMID: 33458809 PMCID: PMC7904743 DOI: 10.1007/s10822-020-00371-5] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Here we present WIDOCK, a virtual screening protocol that supports the selection of diverse electrophiles as covalent inhibitors by incorporating ligand reactivity towards cysteine residues into AutoDock4. WIDOCK applies the reactive docking method (Backus et al. in Nature 534:570–574, 2016) and extends it into a virtual screening tool by introducing facile experimental or computational parametrization and a ligand focused evaluation scheme together with a retrospective and prospective validation against various therapeutically relevant targets. Parameters accounting for ligand reactivity are derived from experimental reaction kinetic data or alternatively from computed reaction barriers. The performance of this docking protocol was first evaluated by investigating compound series with diverse warhead chemotypes against KRASG12C, MurA and cathepsin B. In addition, WIDOCK was challenged on larger electrophilic libraries screened against OTUB2 and NUDT7. These retrospective analyses showed high sensitivity in retrieving experimental actives, by also leading to superior ROC curves, AUC values and better enrichments than the standard covalent docking tool available in AutoDock4 when compound collections with diverse warheads were investigated. Finally, we applied WIDOCK for the prospective identification of covalent human MAO-A inhibitors acting via a new mechanism by binding to Cys323. The inhibitory activity of several predicted compounds was experimentally confirmed and the labelling of Cys323 was proved by subsequent MS/MS measurements. These findings demonstrate the usefulness of WIDOCK as a warhead-sensitive, covalent virtual screening protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scarpino
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Petri
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tímea Imre
- MS Metabolomic Research Laboratory, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - György G Ferenczy
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.
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Schiffrer ES, Proj M, Gobec M, Rejc L, Šterman A, Mravljak J, Gobec S, Sosič I. Synthesis and Biochemical Evaluation of Warhead-Decorated Psoralens as (Immuno)Proteasome Inhibitors. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26020356. [PMID: 33445542 PMCID: PMC7826781 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26020356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The immunoproteasome is a multicatalytic protease that is predominantly expressed in cells of hematopoietic origin. Its elevated expression has been associated with autoimmune diseases, various types of cancer, and inflammatory diseases. Selective inhibition of its catalytic activities is therefore a viable approach for the treatment of these diseases. However, the development of immunoproteasome-selective inhibitors with non-peptidic scaffolds remains a challenging task. We previously reported 7H-furo[3,2-g]chromen-7-one (psoralen)-based compounds with an oxathiazolone warhead as selective inhibitors of the chymotrypsin-like (β5i) subunit of immunoproteasome. Here, we describe the influence of the electrophilic warhead variations at position 3 of the psoralen core on the inhibitory potencies. Despite mapping the chemical space with different warheads, all compounds showed decreased inhibition of the β5i subunit of immunoproteasome in comparison to the parent oxathiazolone-based compound. Although suboptimal, these results provide crucial information about structure–activity relationships that will serve as guidance for the further design of (immuno)proteasome inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Shannon Schiffrer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (E.S.S.); (M.P.); (M.G.); (A.Š.); (J.M.); (S.G.)
| | - Matic Proj
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (E.S.S.); (M.P.); (M.G.); (A.Š.); (J.M.); (S.G.)
| | - Martina Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (E.S.S.); (M.P.); (M.G.); (A.Š.); (J.M.); (S.G.)
| | - Luka Rejc
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Večna pot 113, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Andrej Šterman
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (E.S.S.); (M.P.); (M.G.); (A.Š.); (J.M.); (S.G.)
| | - Janez Mravljak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (E.S.S.); (M.P.); (M.G.); (A.Š.); (J.M.); (S.G.)
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (E.S.S.); (M.P.); (M.G.); (A.Š.); (J.M.); (S.G.)
| | - Izidor Sosič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva cesta 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (E.S.S.); (M.P.); (M.G.); (A.Š.); (J.M.); (S.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +386-1-4769-569
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Monocyclic beta-lactams are four-membered cyclic amides with various structural modifications of the nucleus that determine their chemical reactivity and target specificity. Their historical use is based on their antibacterial activity, but they have recently appeared in other areas as well. AREAS COVERED This review summarizes the relevant patent development on monocyclic beta-lactams in various therapeutic areas over the last 10 years. The majority of patents describe compounds with antibacterial activity, while there are some recent patents describing the neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anticoagulant and antihyperlipidemic effects of 2-azetidinones. EXPERT OPINION Monocyclic beta-lactams can be considered safe and nontoxic drugs, as they have been used in the clinic for almost half of the century. Recently, monocyclic beta-lactams have been increasingly recognized for their non-antibiotic activity, which has led to some promising new clinical candidates in the field of neurodegenerative diseases and coagulation therapy. With regard to their antibacterial activity, there is still room for improvement of their activity and broadening of their spectrum of action, especially in Gram-positive bacteria and on drug-insensitive penicillin-binding proteins, and in increasing their beta-lactamase stability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nika Strašek
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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47
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Van de Walle T, Briand M, Mitrović A, Sosič I, Gobec S, Kos J, Persoons L, Daelemans D, De Jonghe S, Ubiparip Z, Desmet T, Van Hecke K, Mangelinckx S, D'hooghe M. Synthesis of Novel Nitroxoline Analogs with Potent Cathepsin B Exopeptidase Inhibitory Activity. ChemMedChem 2020; 15:2477-2490. [PMID: 32744405 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Nitroxoline, a well-known antimicrobial agent, has been identified in several independent studies, and on different molecular targets, as a promising candidate to be repurposed for cancer treatment. One specific target of interest concerns cathepsin B, a lysosomal peptidase involved in the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), leading to tumor invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. However, dedicated optimization of the nitroxoline core is needed to actually deliver a nitroxoline-based antitumor drug candidate. Within that context, 34 novel nitroxoline analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their relative cathepsin B inhibitory activity, their antiproliferative properties and their antimicrobial activity. More than twenty analogs were shown to exert a similar or even slightly higher cathepsin B inhibitory activity compared to nitroxoline. The implemented modifications of the nitroxoline scaffold and the resulting SAR information can form an eligible basis for further optimization toward more potent cathepsin B inhibitors in the quest for a clinical nitroxoline-based antitumor agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Van de Walle
- SynbioC Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marina Briand
- SynbioC Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ana Mitrović
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Izidor Sosič
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janko Kos
- Department of Biotechnology, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Leentje Persoons
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dirk Daelemans
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Steven De Jonghe
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Zorica Ubiparip
- Centre for Synthetic Biology (CSB), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tom Desmet
- Centre for Synthetic Biology (CSB), Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristof Van Hecke
- Xstruct, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281-S3, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sven Mangelinckx
- SynbioC Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Matthias D'hooghe
- SynbioC Research Group, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
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48
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Pajk S, Knez D, Košak U, Zorović M, Brazzolotto X, Coquelle N, Nachon F, Colletier JP, Živin M, Stojan J, Gobec S. Development of potent reversible selective inhibitors of butyrylcholinesterase as fluorescent probes. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2020; 35:498-505. [PMID: 31914836 PMCID: PMC6968640 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2019.1710502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is an attractive target for drugs designed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in its advanced stages. It also potentially represents a biomarker for progression of this disease. Based on the crystal structure of previously described highly potent, reversible, and selective BChE inhibitors, we have developed the fluorescent probes that are selective towards human BChE. The most promising probes also maintain their inhibition of BChE in the low nanomolar range with high selectivity over acetylcholinesterase. Kinetic studies of probes reveal a reversible mixed inhibition mechanism, with binding of these fluorescent probes to both the free and acylated enzyme. Probes show environment-sensitive emission, and additionally, one of them also shows significant enhancement of fluorescence intensity upon binding to the active site of BChE. Finally, the crystal structures of probes in complex with human BChE are reported, which offer an excellent base for further development of this library of compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stane Pajk
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Urban Košak
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Zorović
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathological Physiology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Xavier Brazzolotto
- Département de Toxicologie et Risques Chimiques, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Brétigny sur Orge, France
| | | | - Florian Nachon
- Département de Toxicologie et Risques Chimiques, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Brétigny sur Orge, France
| | | | - Marko Živin
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathological Physiology, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jure Stojan
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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49
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Dolšak A, Gobec S, Sova M. Indoleamine and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenases as important future therapeutic targets. Pharmacol Ther 2020; 221:107746. [PMID: 33212094 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2020.107746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Conversion of tryptophan to N-formylkynurenine is the first and rate-limiting step of the tryptophan metabolic pathway (i.e., the kynurenine pathway). This conversion is catalyzed by three enzyme isoforms: indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 2 (IDO2), and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO). As this pathway generates numerous metabolites that are involved in various pathological conditions, IDOs and TDO represent important targets for therapeutic intervention. This pathway has especially drawn attention due to its importance in tumor resistance. Over the last decade, a large number of IDO and TDO inhibitors have been developed, many of which have entered clinical trials. Here, detailed structural comparisons of these three enzymes (with emphasis on their active sites), their involvement in cellular signaling, and their role(s) in pathological conditions are discussed. Furthermore, the most important recent inhibitors described in papers and patents and involved in clinical trials are reviewed, with a focus on both selective and multiple inhibitors. A short overview of the biochemical and cellular assays used for inhibitory potency evaluation is also presented. This review summarizes recent advances on IDO and TDO as potential drug targets, and provides the key features and perspectives for further research and development of potent inhibitors of the kynurenine pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Dolšak
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Matej Sova
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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50
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Petri L, Ábrányi-Balogh P, Tímea I, Pálfy G, Perczel A, Knez D, Hrast M, Gobec M, Sosič I, Nyíri K, Vértessy BG, Jänsch N, Desczyk C, Meyer-Almes FJ, Ogris I, Golič Grdadolnik S, Iacovino LG, Binda C, Gobec S, Keserű GM. Assessment of Tractable Cysteines for Covalent Targeting by Screening Covalent Fragments. Chembiochem 2020; 22:743-753. [PMID: 33030752 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Targeted covalent inhibition and the use of irreversible chemical probes are important strategies in chemical biology and drug discovery. To date, the availability and reactivity of cysteine residues amenable for covalent targeting have been evaluated by proteomic and computational tools. Herein, we present a toolbox of fragments containing a 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl core that was equipped with chemically diverse electrophilic warheads showing a range of reactivities. We characterized the library members for their reactivity, aqueous stability and specificity for nucleophilic amino acids. By screening this library against a set of enzymes amenable for covalent inhibition, we showed that this approach experimentally characterized the accessibility and reactivity of targeted cysteines. Interesting covalent fragment hits were obtained for all investigated cysteine-containing enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Petri
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Ábrányi-Balogh
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Imre Tímea
- MS Metabolomics Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gyula Pálfy
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology &, MTA-ELTE Protein Modelling Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - András Perczel
- Laboratory of Structural Chemistry and Biology &, MTA-ELTE Protein Modelling Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Damijan Knez
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Hrast
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Martina Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Izidor Sosič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Kinga Nyíri
- Genome Metabolism Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beáta G Vértessy
- Genome Metabolism Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Applied Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Szt Gellért tér 4, 1111, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Niklas Jänsch
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 12, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Charlotte Desczyk
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 12, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Franz-Josef Meyer-Almes
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 12, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Iza Ogris
- Laboratory for Molecular Structural Dynamics, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simona Golič Grdadolnik
- Laboratory for Molecular Structural Dynamics, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Luca Giacinto Iacovino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudia Binda
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stanislav Gobec
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - György M Keserű
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Group, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Magyar tudósok krt 2, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
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