The XCL1-Mediated DNA Vaccine Targeting Type 1 Conventional Dendritic Cells Combined with Gemcitabine and Anti-PD1 Antibody Induces Potent Antitumor Immunity in a Mouse Lung Cancer Model.

With the advent of cancer immunotherapy, there is a growing interest in vaccine development as a means to activate the cellular immune system against cancer. Despite the promise of DNA vaccines in this regard, their effectiveness is hindered by poor immunogenicity, leading to modest therapeutic outcomes across various cancers. The role of Type 1 conventional dendritic cells (cDC1), capable of cross-presenting vaccine antigens to activate CD8+T cells, emerges as crucial for the antitumor function of DNA vaccines. To address the limitations of DNA vaccines, a promising approach involves targeting antigens to cDC1 through the fusion of XCL1, a ligand specific to the receptor XCR1 on the surface of cDC1. Here, female C57BL/6 mice were selected for tumor inoculation and immunotherapy. Additionally, recognizing the complexity of cancer, this study explored the use of combination therapies, particularly the combination of cDC1-targeted DNA vaccine with the chemotherapy drug Gemcitabine (Gem) and the anti-PD1 antibody in a mouse lung cancer model. The study's findings indicate that fusion antigens with XCL1 effectively enhance both the immunogenicity and antitumor effects of DNA vaccines. Moreover, the combination of the cDC1-targeted DNA vaccine with Gemcitabine and anti-PD1 antibody in the mouse lung cancer model demonstrates an improved antitumor effect, leading to the prolonged survival of mice. In conclusion, this research provides important support for the clinical investigation of cDC1-targeting DNA vaccines in combination with other therapies.

Metformin improved a heterologous prime-boost of dual-targeting cancer vaccines to inhibit tumor growth in a melanoma mouse model.

Therapeutic cancer vaccines, which induce anti-tumor immunity by targeting specific antigens, constitute a promising approach to cancer therapy. Our previous work proposed an optimized heterologous immunization strategy using cancer gene vaccines co-targeting MUC1 and survivin. Administration of a DNA vaccine three times within a week followed by a single recombinant MVA (rMVA) boost was able to efficiently induce anti-tumor immunity and inhibit tumor growth in tumor-bearing mouse models However, the complex immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment always limits infiltration by vaccine-induced T cells. Modifying the immunosuppressive microenvironment of tumors would be a breakthrough in enhancing the therapeutic effects of a cancer vaccine. Recent studies have reported that metformin, a type 2 diabetes drug, may ameliorate the tumor microenvironment, thereby enhancing anti-tumor immunity. Here, we tested whether the combinational therapeutic strategy of cancer vaccines administered with a heterologous prime-boost strategy with metformin enhanced anti-tumor effects in a melanoma mouse model. The results showed that metformin promoted the transition of M2-tumor-associated macrophages (M2-TAM) to M1-TAM, induced more tumor-infiltrating proliferative CD4 and CD8 T cells, and decreased exhausted T cells. This combinational treatment induced anti-tumor immunity from cancer vaccines, ameliorating the tumor microenvironment, showing improved tumor inhibition, and prolonging survival in tumor-bearing mice compared with either a cancer vaccine or metformin alone.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of deuterated indolepropionic acid derivatives as novel long-acting pan PPARα/γ/δ agonists.

Metabolic syndrome is a complex disease with diverse symptoms, but current pharmacological interventions have limited efficacy. Indeglitazar, a pan-agonist targeting the three-peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR), exhibits significant therapeutic effects on both diabetic and fatty liver animal models. However, its short half-life limits the in vivo efficacy, which might be attributed to the ß-oxidation of indolepropionic acid at Indeglitazar. To overcome this metabolic instability, two deuterium atoms were introduced to the α-position of indolepropionic acid to block the ß-oxidation. In this study, several deuterated derivatives were found to sustain PPARs activity and extend the half-life of liver microsomes. In oral glucose tolerance tests, I-1 exhibited the strongest glucose-lowering effect on ob/ob mice in this series. In db/db mice, I-1 reduced lipid levels, liver steatosis and promoted UCP1 expression in white adipose tissue. Mechanistic studies further revealed that I-1 exerts stronger effects than Indeglitazar on the regulation of genes related to lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress. Furthermore, I-1 significantly reduced liver steatosis, hepatocellular ballooning, inflammation, and fibrosis in NASH model induced by HFD + CCl4, and even exerted better therapeutic effect than that of Indeglitazar. With the above attractive efficacy, deuterated derivative I-1 is considered as a promising treatment for metabolic syndrome.

Discovery of the First-in-Class Intestinal Restricted FXR and FABP1 Dual Modulator ZLY28 for the Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

The prevalence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is increasing rapidly worldwide, and NASH has become a serious problem for human health. Recently, the selective activation of the intestinal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) was considered as a more promising strategy for the treatment of NASH with lesser side effects due to reduced systemic exposure. Moreover, the inhibition of intestinal fatty acid binding protein 1 (FABP1) alleviated obesity and NASH by reducing dietary fatty acid uptake. In this study, the first-in-class intestinal restricted FXR and FABP1 dual-target modulator ZLY28 was discovered by comprehensive multiparameter optimization studies. The reduced systemic exposure of ZLY28 might provide better safety by decreasing the on- and off-target side effects in vivo. In NASH mice, ZLY28 exerted robust anti-NASH effects by inhibiting FABP1 and activating the FXR-FGF15 signaling pathway in the ileum. With the above attractive efficacy and preliminary safety profiles, ZLY28 is worthy of further evaluation as a novel anti-NASH agent.

Discovery of a structurally novel, potent, and once-weekly free fatty acid receptor 1 agonist for the treatment of diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a lifelong disease that requires long-term medication to control glucose levels, and thereby long-acting drug has been clinically needed for improving medical adherence. The free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1) was considered as a promising target for several diseases, such as T2DM, pain and fatty liver. However, no once-weekly FFA1 agonist has been reported until now. Herein, we report the successful discovery of ZLY50, the first once-weekly FFA1 agonist with a completely new chemotype, highly agonistic activity and selectivity on FFA1. Moreover, ZLY50 has enough brain exposure to activate FFA1 in brain, and it is the first orally available FFA1 agonist with analgesic activity. Notably, the long-term anti-diabetic and anti-fatty liver effects of ZLY50 (once-weekly) were better than those of HWL-088 (once-daily), a highly potent FFA1 agonist with far stronger glucose-lowering effect than Phase 3 clinical candidate TAK-875. Further mechanism studies suggested that ZLY50 alleviates fatty liver by regulating the expressions of genes related to lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and oxidative stress in liver.

Preclinical Safety and Biodistribution in Mice Following Single-Dose Intramuscular Inoculation of Tumor DNA Vaccine by Electroporation.

The safety, biodistribution, and pharmacokinetics of any new therapeutic tumor DNA vaccine must be evaluated in preclinical studies. We previously developed the DNA vaccine (CpDV-IL2-sPD1/MUC1 and survivin), which showed excellent antitumor effects in a variety of tumor models. In this study, we demonstrate the safety and biodistribution after immunization with naked DNA vaccine (10 mg/kg) by electroporation in a mice model. All mice reached the end of the study with good body conditions. By established and validated QPCR method, we found high-copy plasmid DNA at the injection site (muscle) on day 1 in all eight animals, followed by a downward trend. By day 49, a small amount of plasmid DNA was still detectable, but only in one mouse. On reproductive safety, no plasmids existed in the ovary at any time point. Also, only two of the 16 testis samples could detect a very small amount of DNA on days 7 and 14. The most important thing was that plasmids were cleared from almost all organs (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, stomach, blood, thymus, intestine) on day 49. In summary, the results of our experiments demonstrate that the DNA vaccine delivered by electroporation was shown to be safe and merits further development for cancer treatment.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel dual FFA1 and PPARδ agonists possessing phenoxyacetic acid scaffold.

The free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1/GPR40) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) have been widely considered as promising targets for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) due to their respective roles in promoting insulin secretion and improving insulin sensitivity. Hence, the dual FFA1/PPARδ agonists may exert synergistic effects by simultaneously activating FFA1 and PPARδ. The present study performed systematic exploration around previously reported FFA1 agonist 2-(2-fluoro-4-((2'-methyl-4'-(3-(methylsulfonyl)propoxy)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-yl)methoxy)phenoxy)acetic acid (lead compound), leading to the identification of a novel dual FFA1/PPARδ agonist 2-(2-fluoro-4-((3-(6-methoxynaphthalen-2-yl)benzyl)oxy)phenoxy)acetic acid (the optimal compound), which displayed high selectivity over PPARα and PPARγ. In addition, the docking study provided us with detailed binding modes of the optimal compound in FFA1 and PPARδ. Furthermore, the optimal compound exhibited greater glucose-lowering effects than lead compound, which might attribute to its synergistic effects by simultaneously modulating insulin secretion and resistance. Moreover, the optimal compound has an acceptable safety profile in the acute toxicity study at a high dose of 500 mg/kg Therefore, our results provided a novel dual FFA1/PPARδ agonist with excellent glucose-lowering effects in vivo.

Discovery of a novel and orally active Farnesoid X receptor agonist for the protection of acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity.

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is a leading cause of acute hepatic failure and liver transplantation, while the existing treatments are poorly effective. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective therapeutic drugs for APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a potential target for the treatment of liver disease, and the activation of FXR protects mice against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. Compound 5, a glycine-conjugated derivative of FXR agonist 4, was designed to extend the chemical space of existing FXR agonists. Molecular modeling study indicated that compound 5 formed hydrogen bond network with key residues of FXR. Moreover, compound 5 (10 mg/kg) revealed better protective effects against APAP-induced hepatotoxicity than parent compound 4 (30 mg/kg). Further mechanical research indicated that compound 5 regulated the expressions of genes related to FXR and oxidative stress. These findings suggest that compound 5 is a promising FXR agonist suitable for further research, and it is the first time to verify that the glycine-conjugated derivative five exerted better protective effects than its parent compound.

Discovery of new and highly effective quadruple FFA1 and PPARα/γ/δ agonists as potential anti-fatty liver agents.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common hepatic disease, while no drug was approved until now. The previous study reported that the quadruple FFA1/PPAR-α/γ/δ agonist RLA8 provided better efficacy than obeticholic acid on NASH. In the present study, two design strategies were introduced to explore better quadruple FFA1/PPAR-α/γ/δ agonists with improved metabolic stability. These efforts ultimately resulted in the identification of ZLY18, a quadruple FFA1/PPAR-α/γ/δ agonist with twice higher metabolic half-life than RLA8 in the liver microsome. In the triton-1339W-induced hyperlipidemic model, ZLY18 reversed hyperlipidemia to an almost normal level, which exhibited far stronger lipid-lowering effects than that of RLA8. Moreover, ZLY18 significantly decreased steatosis, hepatocellular ballooning, inflammation and liver fibrosis in NASH model even better than RLA8. Further mechanism studies suggested that ZLY18 exerts stronger effects than RLA8 on the regulation of the gene related to lipid synthesis, oxidative stress, inflammation and fibrosis. In addition, ZLY18 is more effective than pirfenidone in the prevention of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. Besides, ZLY18 has an acceptable safety profile in the acute toxicity study at a high dose of 500 mg/kg. Therefore, ZLY18 represents a novel and highly promising quadruple FFA1/PPAR-α/γ/δ agonist worth of further investigation and development.

Discovery of the first-in-class dual PPARδ/γ partial agonist for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) exert vital function in the regulation of energy metabolism, which were considered as promising targets of metabolic syndrome. Until now, PPARδ/γ dual agonist is rarely reported, and thereby the pharmacologic action of PPARδ/γ dual agonist is still unclear. In this study, we identified a dual PPARδ/γ partial agonist 6 (ZLY06) based on the cyclization strategy of PPARα/δ dual agonist GFT505. ZLY06 revealed excellent pharmacokinetic profiles suitable for oral medication. Moreover, ZLY06 markedly improved glucolipid metabolism without weight gain, and alleviated fatty liver by promoting the ß-oxidation of fatty acid and inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis. In contrast, weight gain and hepatic steatosis were observed in Rosiglitazone, a widely used PPARγ full agonist. All of these results indicated that ZLY06 exhibits potential benefits on metabolic syndrome, while no adverse effects related to PPARγ full agonist.

Design, synthesis, and biological studies of novel 3-benzamidobenzoic acid derivatives as farnesoid X receptor partial agonist.

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a bile acid-activated nuclear receptor, regulates the metabolism of bile acid and lipids as well as maintains the stability of internal environment. FXR was considered as a therapeutic target of liver disorders, such as drug-induced liver injury, fatty liver and cholestasis. The previous reported FXR partial agonist 6 was a suitable lead compound in terms of its high potent and low molecular size, while the docking study of compound 6 suggested a large unoccupied hydrophobic pocket, which might be provided more possibility of structure-activity relationship (SAR) study. In this study, we have performed comprehensive SAR and molecular modeling studies based on lead compound 6. All of these efforts resulted in the identification of a novel series of FXR partial agonists. In this series, compound 41 revealed the best activity and strong interaction with binding pocket of FXR. Moreover, compound 41 protected mice against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity by the regulation of FXR-related gene expression and improving antioxidant capacity. In summary, these results suggest that compound 41 is a promising FXR partial agonist suitable for further investigation.

HWL-088, a new and highly effective FFA1/PPARδ dual agonist, attenuates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by regulating lipid metabolism, inflammation and fibrosis.

OBJECTIVES: Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD), a chronic progressive liver disease, is highly correlated with pathoglycemia, dyslipidemia and oxidative stress. The free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1) agonists have been reported to improve liver steatosis and fibrosis, and the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ) plays a synergistic role with FFA1 in energy metabolism and fibrosis. HWL-088, a PPARδ/FFA1 dual agonist, exerts better glucose-lowering effects than the representative FFA1 agonist TAK-875. However, the ability of HWL-088 to protect NAFLD was unknown. This study aimed to discover a new strategy for the treatment of NAFLD. METHODS: The methionine- and choline-deficient diet (MCD)-induced Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model was constructed to evaluate the effects of HWL-088. KEY FINDINGS: Administration of HWL-088 exerted multiple benefits on glucose control, lipid metabolism and fatty liver. Further mechanism research indicated that HWL-088 promotes lipid metabolism by decreasing lipogenesis and increasing lipolysis. Moreover, HWL-088 attenuates NASH by regulating the expression levels of genes related to inflammation, fibrosis and oxidative stress. CONCLUSIONS: These positive results indicated that PPARδ/FFA1 dual agonist HWL-088 might be a potential candidate to improve multiple pathogenesis of NASH.

Hepatoprotective effects of ZLY16, a dual peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α/δ agonist, in rodent model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic progressive liver disease, covers a series of liver damage encompassing steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis and cirrhosis. However, there are no approved therapies for NAFLD. Herein, we characterize the pharmacological profile of ZLY16 ((E)-2-(4-(3-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]thiophen -5-yl)-3-oxoprop-1-en-1-yl)-2,6-dimethylphenoxy)-2-methylpropanoic acid), a novel highly potent PPARα/δ agonist with relative higher potency on PPARγ. The chronic effects of ZLY16 on NASH development were evaluated in MCD-induced db/db mice. ZLY16 revealed decreased liver injury biomarkers, hepatic steatosis, inflammation, ballooning, and oxidative stress. Further mechanism researches suggested that ZLY16 inhibited liver inflammation and fibrosis by regulating gene expression including COLIA1, TIMP, TGFß, TNFα, and IL6. Moreover, ZLY16 offers more favorable effects in decreasing liver TC and TG accumulation, blocking liver fibrosis and inflammation than GFT505, the most advanced candidate of PPARα/δ agonist for the treatment of NASH. These results indicate that ZLY16 is a highly potent PPARα/δ agonist that provides great protection against NASH development, and may be useful for the treatment of NAFLD/NASH.

Discovery of novel dual PPARα/δ agonists based on benzimidazole scaffold for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Many peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) agonists have been developed for the treatment of metabolic disorders, while several PPARs agonists were discontinued in clinical trials because of PPARγ related side effects. In order to increase the selectivity against PPARγ, we performed a structure-activity relationship study based on PPARα/γ/δ agonist MHY2013. These efforts eventually led to the identification of compound 4, a dual PPARα/δ agonist with considerable potencies on PPARα/δ and high selectivity against PPARγ. In the Western Diet and CCl4-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis model, compound 4 alleviates the hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. These results indicated that dual PPARα/δ agonist 4 might be a promising lead compound for further investigations.