Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors- based drugs are effective to control Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and promote the sensibility for rifampicin in MDR strain

BACKGROUND Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem, which has been aggravated by the alarming growth of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Therefore, the development of a safer and more effective treatment is needed. OBJECTIVES The aim of this work was repositioning and evaluate histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibitors- based drugs with potential antimycobacterial activity. METHODS Using an in silico pharmacological repositioning strategy, three molecules that bind to the catalytic site of histone deacetylase were selected. Pneumocytes type II and macrophages were infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and treated with pre-selected HDAC inhibitors (HDACi). Subsequently, the ability of each of these molecules to directly promote the elimination of M. tuberculosis was evaluated by colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL. We assessed the expression of antimicrobial peptides and respiratory burst using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) FINDINGS Aminoacetanilide (ACE), N-Boc-1,2-phenylenediamine (N-BOC), 1,3-Diphenylurea (DFU), reduce bacillary loads in macrophages and increase the production of β-defensin-2, LL-37, superoxide dismutase (SOD) 3 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). While only the use of ACE in type II pneumocytes decreases the bacterial load through increasing LL-37 expression. Furthermore, the use of ACE and rifampicin inhibited the survival of intracellular multi-drug resistance M. tuberculosis. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our data support the usefulness of in silico approaches for drug repositioning to provide a potential adjunctive therapy for TB.

Antimicrobial activity of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in bacteria and fungi: a systematic review / Atividade antimicrobiana de inibidores seletivos de recaptação de serotonina em bactérias e fungos: uma revisão sistemática

Objective: this systematic review aims to compile literature data on the antimicrobial action of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). Methods: To this end, the articles in this review were searched in the PubMed database between the years 2010 to 2020, using terms found in MESH as descriptors. The PRISMA flow diagram was used to analyze the process flow of the research. Later, inclusion and exclusion criteria and eligibility for data extraction and statistical analysis were applied. Results: Thus, of 252 articles found, 13 were used for this systematic review. The period in which there were more publications was in 2016-2017. All articles demonstrated the antimicrobial activity of ISRS, such as sertraline, fluoxetine, and paroxetine, in addition to their synergistic activity with some antifungals and antibacterial. Conclusion: With this, it could be concluded that the repositioning of non-antibiotic drugs that have antimicrobial activity is a promising alternative for the scientific community and, in the future, in clinical practice

Objetivo: compilar dados da literatura sobre a ação antimicrobiana dos Inibidores Seletivos de Recaptação de Serotonina (ISRS). Métodos: os artigos desta revisão foram pesquisados na base de dados PubMed, entre os anos de 2010 a 2020, utilizando, como descritores, termos encontrados no MESH. O fluxograma PRISMA foi utilizado para analisar o fluxo do processo da pesquisa. Posteriormente, foram aplicados os critérios de inclusão e exclusão e de elegibilidade para extração de dados e análise estatística. Resultados: dos 252 artigos encontrados, 13 foram utilizados para esta revisão sistemática. O período em que houve mais publicações foi em 2016-2017. Todos os artigos demonstraram a atividade antimicrobiana do ISRS, como sertralina, fluoxetina e paroxetina, além de sua atividade sinérgica com alguns antifúngicos e antibacterianos. Conclusão: o reposicionamento de medicamentos não antibióticos que possuam atividade antimicrobiana é uma alternativa promissora para a comunidade científica e, futuramente, na prática clínica.

Artificial Intelligence Supports Research Progress in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Rare Diseases / 罕见病研究

It is noteworthy that only 5% of more than 7000 described rare diseases are treated. In the era of big data, there is ever-increasing data for understanding biomedicine. The need for efficient and rapid data collection, analyses and characterization methods is pressing. Rare diseases can particularly benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) application. AI, with an emphasis on machine learning, creates a path for such efforts and is being applied to diagnosis and treatment. AI has demonstrated its potential to learn and analyze data from different sources with results in prediction。Presently, there are AI-driven technologies applied for rare diseases and this review aims to summarize these advances. Moreover, this review scrutinizes the limitation and identifies the pitfalls of AI applications in the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases.

Identification of anthelmintic parbendazole as a therapeutic molecule for HNSCC through connectivity map-based drug repositioning

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common human cancers; however, its outcome of pharmacotherapy is always very limited. Herein, we performed a batch query in the connectivity map (cMap) based on bioinformatics, queried out 35 compounds with therapeutic potential, and screened out parbendazole as a most promising compound, which had an excellent inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HNSCC cell lines. In addition, tubulin was identified as a primary target of parbendazole, and the direct binding between them was further verified. Parbendazole was further proved as an effective tubulin polymerization inhibitor, which can block the cell cycle, cause apoptosis and prevent cell migration, and it exhibited reasonable therapeutic effect and low toxicity in the in vivo and in vitro anti-tumor evaluation. Our study repositioned an anthelmintic parbendazole to treat HNSCC, which revealed a therapeutic utility and provided a new treatment option for human cancers.

Drug Repositioning for COVID-19 / Reposicionamiento de medicamentos para COVID-19

Abstract Drug repositioning is a strategy that identifies new uses of approved drugs to treat conditions different from their original purpose. With the advance of COVID-19 and the pandemic declaration; It has become the closest alternative to reduce the advance of the virus. Antimalarial, antiviral drugs, antibiotics, glucocorticoids, monoclonal antibodies, among others, are being studied; their findings, although preliminary, could establish a starting point in the search for a solution. In this review, we present a selection of drugs, of different classes and with potential activity against COVID-19, whose trials are ongoing; and as proofs of concept, double blind, add-on event-driven, would allow proposing research that generates results in less time and preserving quality criteria for drug development and approval by regulatory agencies.

Resumen El drug repositioning, es una estrategia que identifica nuevos usos de medicamentos aprobados, para tratar condiciones diferentes a las de su propósito original. Con el avance del COVID-19 y la declaración de pandemia; se ha convertido en la alternativa más cercana para frenar el avance del virus. Fármacos antimalariales, antivirales, antibióticos, glucocorticoides, anticuerpos monoclonales entre otros están siendo estudiados; sus hallazgos, aunque preliminares, podrían establecer un punto de partida en la búsqueda de la solución. En este artículo, se presenta una selección de fármacos, de distinta clase y con potencial actividad para combatir al COVID-19, cuyos ensayos se encuentran en curso; y como las prueba de concepto, double blind, add-on event-driven, permitirían proponer investigaciones que generen resultados en menor tiempo y conservando los criterios de calidad para el desarrollo de medicamentos y su aprobación por las agencias reguladoras.

Synergistic effect of sertraline and disulfiram against multidrug resistant bacteria as a new alternative to drug repositioning

The repositioning of approved drugs is atopic of interest for the academy and the pharmaceutical industry. The synergistic combination of these drugs can be successful in the treatment of infections caused by resistant bacteria. This study aimed to assess the in vitro synergistic antibacterial activity of sertraline and disulfiram and their interaction with ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim. We determined the minimum inhibitory concentration, the minimum bactericidal concentration and the fractional inhibitory concentration index. Eighteen bacterial strains were used, being nine American Type Culture Collection reference strains and nine multidrug resistant clinical isolates. Synergy was detected between sertraline and disulfiram against a strain of Staphylococcus aureusATCC 25923 and a clinical isolate of S. aureus. When associated to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and ciprofloxacin, sertraline and disulfiram showed eight synergistic events, which occurred against three different standard strains and two multidrug resistant clinical isolates. When the minimum bactericidal concentration was determined, the bactericidal activity of sertraline was enhanced with disulfiram. Our results suggest that these drugs, widely used to treat depression and chronic alcoholism, have antibacterial potential individually, in association, and combined with antimicrobials, what makes their repositioning a promising therapeutic alternative for the effective treatment of infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria.

Clinical trials on drug repositioning for COVID-19 treatment / Ensayos clínicos de reposicionamiento de medicamentos para el tratamiento de la COVID-19 / Ensaios clínicos de reposicionamento de medicamentos para o tratamento do COVID-19

ABSTRACT The World Health Organization (WHO) was informed on December 2019 about a coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province (China). Subsequently, on March 12, 2020, 125,048 cases and 4,614 deaths were reported. Coronavirus is an enveloped RNA virus, from the genus Betacoronavirus, that is distributed in birds, humans, and other mammals. WHO has named the novel coronavirus disease as COVID-19. More than 80 clinical trials have been launched to test coronavirus treatment, including some drug repurposing or repositioning for COVID-19. Hence, we performed a search in March 2020 of the clinicaltrials.gov database. The eligibility criteria for the retrieved studies were: contain a clinicaltrials.gov base identifier number; describe the number of participants and the period for the study; describe the participants' clinical conditions; and utilize interventions with medicines already studied or approved for any other disease in patients infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV). It is essential to emphasize that this article only captured trials listed in the clinicaltrials.gov database. We identified 24 clinical trials, involving more than 20 medicines, such as human immunoglobulin, interferons, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, arbidol, remdesivir, favipiravir, lopinavir, ritonavir, oseltamivir, methylprednisolone, bevacizumab, and traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). Although drug repurposing has some limitations, repositioning clinical trials may represent an attractive strategy because they facilitate the discovery of new classes of medicines; they have lower costs and take less time to reach the market; and there are existing pharmaceutical supply chains for formulation and distribution.(AU)

RESUMEN En diciembre de 2019 fue informado a la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) un brote de neumonía por coronavirus en Wuhan, provincia de Hubei, China. Al 12 de marzo de 2020, se habían notificado 125 048 casos y 4 614 muertes. El coronavirus es un virus ARN envuelto del género Betacoronavirus distribuido en aves, seres humanos y otros mamíferos. La OMS ha denominado a la nueva enfermedad por coronavirus COVID-19. Se han puesto en marcha más de 80 ensayos clínicos para evaluar un tratamiento para el coronavirus, que incluyen algunos ensayos de reposicionamiento de medicamentos para la COVID-19. En marzo de 2020 se llevó a cabo una búsqueda de los ensayos clínicos registrados en la base de datos clinicaltrials.gov. Los criterios de elegibilidad para los estudios recuperados fueron tener un número de identificación de la base de datos clinicaltrials.gov; describir el número de participantes y el período del estudio; describir las condiciones clínicas de los participantes; y emplear intervenciones con medicamentos ya estudiados o aprobados para cualquier otra enfermedad en pacientes infectados con el nuevo coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV). Es esencial destacar que este artículo solo recoge los ensayos que figuran en la base de datos clinicaltrials. gov. Se identificaron 24 ensayos clínicos relacionados con más de 20 medicamentos, como inmunoglobulina humana, interferones, cloroquina, hidroxicloroquina, arbidol, remdesivir, favipiravir, lopinavir, ritonavir, oseltamivir, metilprednisolona, bevacizumab y medicina tradicional china. Aunque el reposicionamiento de medicamentos tiene algunas limitaciones, el reposicionamiento de los ensayos clínicos puede representar una estrategia atractiva porque facilita el descubrimiento de nuevas clases de medicamentos; estos tienen costos más bajos y tardan menos en llegar al mercado; y existen cadenas de suministro farmacéutico que apoyan la formulación y la distribución.(AU)

RESUMO A Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) foi informada, em dezembro de 2019, sobre um surto de pneumonia por coronavírus em Wuhan, província de Hubei (China). Posteriormente, em 12 de março de 2020, 125 048 casos e 4 614 mortes haviam sido registrados. O coronavírus é um vírus RNA envelopado do gênero Betacoronavírus, distribuído em aves e em humanos e outros mamíferos. A OMS designou a nova doença por coronavírus como COVID-19. Mais de 80 ensaios clínicos foram iniciados para testar tratamentos para o coronavírus, incluindo alguns de reposicionamento de medicamentos para o COVID-19. Assim, em março de 2020 realizou-se uma busca na base de dados clinicaltrials.gov. Os critérios de elegibilidade para os estudos recuperados foram: conter o número identificador da base de dados clinicaltrials.gov; descrever o número de participantes e o período do estudo; descrever as condições clínicas dos participantes; e utilizar intervenções para tratamento de doentes infectados com o novo coronavírus SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) com medicamentos já estudados ou aprovados para qualquer outra doença. É essencial salientar que este artigo apenas capturou ensaios listados na base de dados clinicaltrials.gov. Foram identificados 24 ensaios clínicos envolvendo mais de 20 medicamentos, tais como imunoglobulina humana, interferons, cloroquina, hidroxicloroquina, arbidol, remdesivir, favipiravir, lopinavir, ritonavir, oseltamivir, metilprednisolona, bevacizumabe e medicamentos chineses tradicionais. Embora o reposicionamento de medicamentos tenha algumas limitações, os ensaios clínicos de reposicionamento podem representar uma estratégia atraente, porque facilitam a descoberta de novas classes de medicamentos, têm custos mais baixos, levam menos tempo para chegar ao mercado e se beneficiam de cadeias de fornecimento farmacêutico já existentes para formulação e distribuição.(AU)

Dos distúrbios psiquiátricos à antibioticoterapia: reposicionamento da clorpromazina como agente antibacteriano / From psychiatric disorders to antibiotic therapy: repositioning of chlorpromazine as an antibacterial agent

RESUMO O alarmante aumento na taxa de resistência aos antibióticos põe em check à eficácia da terapia antibacteriana futura. Em contrapartida, as indústrias farmacêuticas negligenciam os investimentos em pesquisa e desenvolvimento de novos fármacos antimicrobianos em virtude de questões financeiras, legais e farmacológicas. Assim sendo, o reposicionamento de agentes disponíveis clinicamente torna-se uma promissora ferramenta para tentar driblar o desinteresse das indústrias. O fármaco antipsicótico clorpromazina (CPZ) destaca-se por possuir uma ampla faixa de atividade antibacteriana, a qual cobre desde patógenos Gram-positivos e Gram-negativos, até as mico-bactérias. A atividade antibacteriana é independente do perfil de susceptibilidade do microrganismo, sendo ela mantida mesmo em cepas altamente resistentes aos antibióticos. Alguns estudos mostram que mesmo nas concentrações clinicamente disponíveis no plasma (entre 0,1-0,5 (g/mL), a CPZ é capaz de matar Staphylococcus aureus e Mycobacterium tuberculosis dentro dos macrófagos. Em adição, estudos clínicos têm revelado os benefícios do uso da CPZ na terapia de suporte para pacientes com infecções em curso. Em conclusão, a CPZ pode eventualmente ser direcionada ao arsenal terapêutico antimicrobiano, especialmente no manejo das infecções causadas por microrganismos intracelulares com fenótipo multirresistente.

SUMMARY The substantial increase in the antibiotic resistance brings on an alarm to the future of the antibiotic therapy. However, the pharmaceutical industry has been neglecting its investments in new drug research and development, mainly because of the pharmacologic, financial and legal factors. Therefore, the drug repositioning of clinic available agents become a promising tool to bypass the lack of interest of the pharmaceutical industry. A drug used to treat psychoses, the Chlorpromazine (CPZ), stands out as a large spectrum antibiotic, which covers Gram-positive and Gram -negative bacteria, and also mycobacteria. Its antibacterial activity is not related to microorganism susceptibility profile, and it could be maintained even on strains highly resistant to the conventional antibiotics. Studies point out that even on serum concentrations clinically available, the CPZ can eliminate Staphylococcus aureus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis inside of macrophages. In addition, clinical trials have revealed its benefits on support therapy for patients suffering from active infections. As a result, the CPZ could be used as an optional antibiotic therapy, especially in case of infections due to intracellular microorganisms with multidrug resistance phenotype.

Current state and outlook for drug repositioning anticipated in the field of ovarian cancer / 부인종양

Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer and the eighth most common cause of cancer mortality in women. Although standard chemotherapy is the established treatment for ovarian cancer, the prognosis remains poor, and it is highly anticipated that new drugs will be developed. New drugs, such as humanized anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibodies and poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, are expected to improve clinical outcomes of ovarian cancer. However, long-term, costly research is required to develop such new drugs, and soaring national healthcare costs are becoming a concern worldwide. In this social context, drug repositioning, wherein existing drugs are used to develop drugs with new indications for other diseases, has recently gained attention. Because trials have already confirmed the safety in humans and the pharmacokinetics of such drugs, the development period is shorter than the conventional development of a new drug, thereby reducing costs. This review discusses the available basic experimental and clinical data on drugs used for other types of cancer for which drug repositioning is anticipated to repurpose the drug for the treatment of ovarian cancer. These include statins, which are used to treat dyslipidemia; bisphosphonate, which is used to treat osteoporosis; metformin, which is used to treat diabetes; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; ivermectin, an antiparasitic agent; and itraconazole, an anti-fungal agent. These drugs will play an important role in future drug repositioning strategies for ovarian cancer. Furthermore, drug repositioning is anticipated to extend not only to ovarian cancer treatment but also to ovarian cancer prevention.

Screening of drugs for hepatocellular carcinoma prevention based on drug repositioning and network pharmacology / 第二军医大学学报

ObjectiveTo screen novel drugs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prevention based on drug repositioning strategy. Methods We collected the gene expression profiles of tissue samples representing the stepwise carcinogenic process covering 4 stages: Cirrhosis, low-grade dysplastic nodule (LGDN), high-grade dysplastic nodule (HGDN) and early HCC, and identified the gene signatures between two consecutive stages. We also collected the gene expression data of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines HepG2 treated by 3 927 drugs and small molecules. The similarity between disease expressions and the drug gene expressions was calculated using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) algorithm, and drugs negatively correlated with the disease signatures were selected. Finally, we constructed the activated sub-network and performed pathway enrichment analysis to explore the underlying mechanisms of these drugs. Results We screened out the drugs that could prevent HCC during different stages, and found that importazole, picotamide and paclitaxel exhibited preventive potentials at all stages from cirrhosis to early HCC. The genes affected by these 3 drugs showed inverse expression pattern during HCC development, and pathways such as cancer-related pathway, p53 signaling pathway, focal adhesion and retinol metabolism pathway were enriched. Conclusion Preventive drugs for HCC have been screened through drug repositioning strategy, and our results indicated that antiplatelet therapy may play a role in the prevention of HCC, which provides information for further study.

Guanabenz Acetate Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress–Related Cell Death in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

BACKGROUND: Development of chemotherapeutics for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been lagging. Screening of candidate therapeutic agents by using patient-derived preclinical models may facilitate drug discovery for HCC patients. METHODS: Four primary cultured HCC cells from surgically resected tumor tissues and six HCC cell lines were used for high-throughput screening of 252 drugs from the Prestwick Chemical Library. The efficacy and mechanisms of action of the candidate anti-cancer drug were analyzed via cell viability, cell cycle assays, and western blotting. RESULTS: Guanabenz acetate, which has been used as an antihypertensive drug, was screened as a candidate anti-cancer agent for HCC through a drug sensitivity assay by using the primary cultured HCC cells and HCC cell lines. Guanabenz acetate reduced HCC cell viability through apoptosis and autophagy. This occurred via inhibition of growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible protein 34, increased phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α, increased activating transcription factor 4, and cell cycle arrest. CONCLUSIONS: Guanabenz acetate induces endoplasmic reticulum stress–related cell death in HCC and may be repositioned as an anti-cancer therapeutic agent for HCC patients.

A review of computational drug repurposing

Although sciences and technology have progressed rapidly, de novo drug development has been a costly and time-consuming process over the past decades. In view of these circumstances, ‘drug repurposing’ (or ‘drug repositioning’) has appeared as an alternative tool to accelerate drug development process by seeking new indications for already approved drugs rather than discovering de novo drug compounds, nowadays accounting for 30% of newly marked drugs in the U.S. In the meantime, the explosive and large-scale growth of molecular, genomic and phenotypic data of pharmacological compounds is enabling the development of new area of drug repurposing called computational drug repurposing. This review provides an overview of recent progress in the area of computational drug repurposing. First, it summarizes available repositioning strategies, followed by computational methods commonly used. Then, it describes validation techniques for repurposing studies. Finally, it concludes by discussing the remaining challenges in computational repurposing.

In silico repositioning of new drugs against Schistosoma mansoni

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasites of the genus Schistosoma. In Brazil only Schistosoma mansoni causes this disease. The World Health Organization estimated in 2012 approximately 249 million people at risk of acquiring this disease around the world. The main strategy to control this disease is praziquantel treatment of individuals living in endemic areas. The drug praziquantel is used on a large scale in the treatment of schistosomiasis and currently there are reported cases of resistance, indicating the need to discover new drugs. In silico drug repositioning is a time and cost reducing strategy in the search for anti-Schistosoma agents. This work used bioinformatic tools to identify potential schistosomicidal drugs. A list was compiled of S. mansoni potential targets that are part of essential processes in the database TDR and the targets that are part of the tegument were obtained in the scientific literature. The file with S. mansoni targets contained 1,376 targets, and of these only 61 targets associated with 399 drugs had homology with drug targets. After removal of duplicate drugs, drugs found in previous studies and after the analysis of the conservation of the binding site, only 28 S. mansoni targets associated with 102 drugs had 60% or more of the active site conserved. Some of the drugs had activity and are interesting to validate this study such as: artemether, lumefantrine, meloxicam. Among the drugs found 18 drugs were selected to be tested in prospective experimental assays according to the following criteria: low toxicity in vivo, off-patent status, and logP <5.0.

Terapias alternativas e combinadas para o tratamento da Leishmaniose Cutânea Americana: uma abordagem experimental in vitro e in vivo

A leishmaniose é uma doença tropical causada por protozoários do gêneroLeishmania que afeta 12 milhões de pessoas em 98 países. Seu tratamentoconta com um restrito arsenal terapêutico e exige a administração defármacos tóxicos por longos períodos. Na busca por novas terapias, oreposicionamento de fármacos e a associação terapêutica têm sidoaplicados com sucesso para doenças negligenciadas. O presente estudoteve como objetivo a avaliação in vitro, ex vivo e in vivo do potencial antiLeishmania(Leishmania) amazonensis dos fármacos amitriptilina, econazol,sertralina e triclosan, bem como o estudo de associações terapêuticas invitro e/ou ex vivo e mecanismo de ação in vitro dos fármacos amitriptilina etriclosan. Os resultados demonstraram que todos os fármacos estudados apresentaram atividade contra formas promastigotas e amastigotasintracelulares de L. (L.) amazonensis, com valores de Concentração Efetiva50% que variam de 1,50 a 51,48 µM. Os resultados obtidos a partir das associações entre os fármacos estudados e fármacos padrões foram classificados como aditivos ou indiferentes. Por meio da investigação domecanismo de ação leishmanicida, foi possível concluir que a mitocôndria é uma organela alvo do fármaco amitriptilina, enquanto que o fármaco triclosaninduz danos à membrana plasmática parasitária. Quando tratados comeconazol por via oral (10 mg/kg/dia por 28 dias consecutivos) ou triclosanpor via tópica (creme 1% por 14 dias consecutivos), houve uma redução de75 a 89% da carga parasitária dos camundongos infectados com L. (L.) amazonensis. Os resultados obtidos contribuem para a investigação de novas alternativas para o tratamento da leishmaniose cutânea e sugerem que novos estudos utilizando associação ou coadministração dessesfármacos com fármacos padrões podem ser promissores em modelosanimais.

Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease caused by protozoa of the genusLeishmania that affects 12 million people in 98 countries. There is a limitedtherapeutic arsenal and the treatment requires the administration of toxicdrugs for long periods. In the search for new therapies, the drug repositioningand therapeutic association have been successfully applied to neglecteddiseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate in vitro, ex vivo andin vivo anti-Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis potential of the drugsamitriptyline, econazole, sertraline and triclosan, as well as the study of invitro and / or ex vivo therapeutic associations and mechanism of action of thedrugs amitriptyline and triclosan. The results showed that all studied drugshave activity against L. (L.) amazonensis promastigotes and intracellularamastigotes, with 50% Effective Concentration values ranging from 1.50 to51.48 μM. The results obtained from the combination between the studieddrugs and standard drugs were classified as additives or indifferent. Throughthe investigation of the leishmanicial mechanism of action, it was possible toconclude that the mitochondria is a target organelle of the drug amitriptyline,whereas the drug triclosan induces damage to the parasitic plasmamembrane. When treated with oral econazole (10 mg/kg/day for 28consecutive days) or triclosan topically (1% cream for 14 consecutive days),there was a 75 - 89% reduction in the parasite load of the mice infected withL. (L.) amazonensis. The results obtained contribute to the investigation ofnew alternatives for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis and suggestthat new studies using association or coadministration of these drugs withstandard drugs may be promising in animal models.

Efficacy of sertraline against Trypanosoma cruzi: an in vitro and in silico study

Drug repurposing has been an interesting and cost-effective approach, especially for neglected diseases, such as Chagas disease. Methods: In this work, we studied the activity of the antidepressant drug sertraline against Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes and intracellular amastigotes of the Y and Tulahuen strains, and investigated its action mode using cell biology and in silico approaches. Results: Sertraline demonstrated in vitro efficacy against intracellular amastigotes of both T. cruzi strains inside different host cells, including cardiomyocytes, with IC50 values between 1 to 10 µM, and activity against bloodstream trypomastigotes, with IC50 of 14 µM. Considering the mammalian cytotoxicity, the drug resulted in a selectivity index of 17.8. Sertraline induced a change in the mitochondrial integrity of T. cruzi, resulting in a decrease in ATP levels, but not affecting reactive oxygen levels or plasma membrane permeability. In silico approaches using chemogenomic target fishing, homology modeling and molecular docking suggested the enzyme isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 of T. cruzi (TcIDH2) as a potential target for sertraline. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that sertraline had a lethal effect on different forms and strains of T. cruzi, by affecting the bioenergetic metabolism of the parasite. These findings provide a starting point for future experimental assays and may contribute to the development of new compounds.(AU)

Identification of neprilysin as a potential target of arteannuin using computational drug repositioning

ABSTRACT The discovery of arteannuin (qinghaosu) in the 20th Century was a major advance for medicine. Besides functioning as a malaria therapy, arteannuin is a pharmacological agent in a range of other diseases, but its mechanism of action remains obscure. In this study, the reverse docking server PharmMapper was used to identify potential targets of arteannuin. The results were checked using the chemical-protein interactome servers DRAR-CPI and DDI-CPI, and verified by AutoDock Vina. The results showed that neprilysin (also known as CD10), a common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia antigen, was the top disease-related target of arteannuin. The chemical-protein interactome and docking results agreed with those of PharmMapper, further implicating neprilysin as a potential target. Although experimental verification is required, this study provides guidance for future pharmacological investigations into novel clinical applications for arteannuin.

Steps and tools for drug repositioning by text mining / 中华医学图书情报杂志

Text mining provides a new approach for drug repositioning, and the emerging databases and their corresponding tools provide more and more convenience for drug repositioning by text mining.The methods and tools for studying drug repositioning by text mining and their successful application examples were thus described in this paper in order to provide reference for the researchers interested in this field.

Reposicionamento de fármacos no câncer de boca: Identificação de possíveis agentes / Drug repositioning for oral cancer: Identifying candidate therapeutic agents

O objetivo deste estudo foi o de identificar compostos seletivamente tóxicos ao carcinoma espinocelular de boca in vitro por meio do reposicionamento de fármacos. Material e Métodos: Por meio de um escaneamento baseado na viabilidade celular de 1.280 fármacos, nós selecionamos três princípios ativos (luteolin, metixene hydrochloride e nitazoxanide) letais às células de câncer de boca SCC-25 e pouco tóxicos às células de queratinócitos cutâneos imortalizados HaCaT. Os fármacos candidatos foram investigados quanto à sua dose- e tempo-resposta bem como comparados e combinados à agentes quimioterápicos padrão por meio do ensaio por colorimetria com brometo de tiazolil azul de tetrazolio (MTT). O impacto dos fármacos na motilidade do SCC-25 e do HaCaT foi verificado pelo ensaio de migração celular e seus mecanismos de ação também foram explorados por meio da verificação dos níveis das proteínas fosforiladas pelo western blotting. Todos os experimentos foram realizados em triplicata e, pelo menos, três vezes independentes. O teste t de student foi utilizado para confrontar as variáveis e nível de significância de 5% foi estabelecido para todos os testes. Resultados: O flavonoide natural luteolin exerceu citotoxicidade potente contra as células de câncer de boca in vitro, apresentando baixa toxicidade ao HaCaT e alta eficiência quando comparado a quimioterápicos como a cisplatina e o AG1478. Do ponto de vista molecular, a luteolin ativou a via de sinalização do dano do DNA e, combinada com um inibidor do Chk, apresentou efeitos potencializados. Além disso, nós demonstramos que a nitazoxanide e o metixene hydrochloride são capazes de destruir células SCC-25 porém não as HaCaT de maneira proporcional à dose e ao tempo de tratamento. As combinações entre os três fármacos hit e com a cisplatina ou o AG1478 potencializaram seus efeitos contra as células malignas. Conclusões: O presente estudo traz a luteolin, o metixene hydrochloride e a nitazoxanide como...

Here we aimed at identifying and reposition approved drugs that could be selectively toxic towards oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Materials and Methods: Through a cell-based drug screening of 1,280 chemical molecules, we selected 3 compounds (luteolin, metixene hydrochloride, and nitazoxanide) lethal to oral cancer SCC-25 cells, while sparing immortalized keratinocyte HaCaT cells. The drugs were then further challenged for their time- and dose-responses, as well as their comparison and combination to standard chemotherapeutic agents by colorimetric assay 1-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-diphenylformazan, Thiazolyl blue formazan (MTT). The impact on SCC-25 and HaCaT motility as well as the mode of action of the drugs was then further explored by scratching assay and western blotting, respectively. All the experiments were performed in triplicated and, at least, three independent times. Students t test was performed to verify the differences among the variables and the level of significance was set at 5%. Results: The natural flavonoid luteolin was a potent cytotoxic agent against oral cancer cells in vitro, presenting low toxicity against HaCaT cells and high efficiency as compared to standard-of-care, such as cisplatin and AG1478. From a molecular standpoint, luteolin coopted the DNA-damage pathway and could be efficiently combined with Chk pharmacological inhibitor. Moreover, we demonstrated that nitazoxanide and metixene hydrochloride kill the SCC-25 but not the HaCaT cells in a dose- and time-dependent. The combinations among the three drugs hit and with cisplatin and AG1478 improved their effect against the malignant cells. Conclusions: Luteolin, metixene hydrochloride, and nitazoxanide emerge as strong cytotoxic and/or adjuvant therapy in oral cancer, as these compounds present higher efficiency and lower toxicity against oral cancer cells in vitro than conventional chemotherapeutic agents...

Reposicionamento de fármacos no câncer de boca: Identificação de possíveis agentes / Drug repositioning for oral cancer: Identifying candidate therapeutic agents

Objetivos: O objetivo deste estudo foi o de identificar compostos seletivamente tóxicos ao carcinoma espinocelular de boca in vitro por meio do reposicionamento de fármacos. Material e Métodos: Por meio de um escaneamento baseado na viabilidade celular de 1.280 fármacos, nós selecionamos três princípios ativos (luteolin, metixene hydrochloride e nitazoxanide) letais às células de câncer de boca SCC-25 e pouco tóxicos às células de queratinócitos cutâneos imortalizados HaCaT. Os fármacos candidatos foram investigados quanto à sua dose- e tempo-resposta bem como comparados e combinados à agentes quimioterápicos padrão por meio do ensaio por colorimetria com brometo de tiazolil azul de tetrazolio (MTT). O impacto dos fármacos na motilidade do SCC-25 e do HaCaT foi verificado pelo ensaio de migração celular e seus mecanismos de ação também foram explorados por meio da verificação dos níveis das proteínas fosforiladas pelo western blotting. Todos os experimentos foram realizados em triplicata e, pelo menos, três vezes independentes. O teste t de student foi utilizado para confrontar as variáveis e nível de significância de 5% foi estabelecido para todos os testes. Resultados: O flavonoide natural luteolin exerceu citotoxicidade potente contra as células de câncer de boca in vitro, apresentando baixa toxicidade ao HaCaT e alta eficiência quando comparado a quimioterápicos como a cisplatina e o AG1478. Do ponto de vista molecular, a luteolin ativou a via de sinalização do dano do DNA e, combinada com um inibidor do Chk, apresentou efeitos potencializados. Além disso, nós demonstramos que a nitazoxanide e o metixene hydrochloride são capazes de destruir células SCC-25 porém não as HaCaT de maneira proporcional à dose e ao tempo de tratamento. As combinações entre os três fármacos hit e com a cisplatina ou o AG1478 potencializaram seus efeitos contra as células malignas. Conclusões: O presente estudo traz a luteolin, o metixene hydrochloride e a nitazoxanide como...

Objectives: Here we aimed at identifying and reposition approved drugs that could be selectively toxic towards oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. Materials and Methods: Through a cell-based drug screening of 1,280 chemical molecules, we selected 3 compounds (luteolin, metixene hydrochloride, and nitazoxanide) lethal to oral cancer SCC-25 cells, while sparing immortalized keratinocyte HaCaT cells. The drugs were then further challenged for their time- and dose-responses, as well as their comparison and combination to standard chemotherapeutic agents by colorimetric assay 1-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-3,5-diphenylformazan, Thiazolyl blue formazan (MTT). The impact on SCC-25 and HaCaT motility as well as the mode of action of the drugs was then further explored by scratching assay and western blotting, respectively. All the experiments were performed in triplicated and, at least, three independent times. Students t test was performed to verify the differences among the variables and the level of significance was set at 5%. Results: The natural flavonoid luteolin was a potent cytotoxic agent against oral cancer cells in vitro, presenting low toxicity against HaCaT cells and high efficiency as compared to standard-of-care, such as cisplatin and AG1478. From a molecular standpoint, luteolin coopted the DNA-damage pathway and could be efficiently combined with Chk pharmacological inhibitor. Moreover, we demonstrated that nitazoxanide and metixene hydrochloride kill the SCC-25 but not the HaCaT cells in a dose- and time-dependent. The combinations among the three drugs hit and with cisplatin and AG1478 improved their effect against the malignant cells. Conclusions: Luteolin, metixene hydrochloride, and nitazoxanide emerge as strong cytotoxic and/or adjuvant therapy in oral cancer, as these compounds present higher efficiency and lower toxicity against oral cancer cells in vitro than conventional chemotherapeutic agents.

Mining drug-disease relationships:a recommendation system / 中国药理学通报

Aim Drug repositioning is to find new indications for existing drugs,however,potential drug-disease relationships are often hidden in millions of unknown relationship.With the analyzing of medical big data,we predict the potential drug-dis-ease relationships.Methods Based on the assumption that similar drugs tend to have similar indications,we applied a rec-ommendation-based strategy to drug repositioning.First,we col-lected the information of known drug-disease therapeutic effect, side effect,drug characters and disease characters;second,we calculated the drug-drug similarity measurements and disease-disease similarity measurements;last,we used a collaborative filtering (CF)method to predict unknown drug-disease relation-ships based on the known drug-disease relationships by integra-ting the similarity measurements,and built a ranking list of pre-diction results.Results The experiments demonstrated that a-mong the TOP 500 of the list,1 2.8% were supported by clinical experiments or review,and 20% were supported by model or-ganism or cell experiments.Conclusion Compared to the clas-sification model and random sampling results,the CF model can effectively reduce the false positives.