Development of a Potent and Selective G2A (GPR132) Agonist.

G protein-coupled receptor G2A was postulated to be a promising target for the development of new therapeutics in neuropathic pain, acute myeloid leukemia, and inflammation. However, there is still a lack of potent, selective, and drug-like G2A agonists to be used as a chemical tool or as the starting matter for the development of drugs. In this work, we present the discovery and structure-activity relationship elucidation of a new potent and selective G2A agonist scaffold. Systematic optimization resulted in (3-(pyridin-3-ylmethoxy)benzoyl)-d-phenylalanine (T-10418) exhibiting higher potency than the reference and natural ligand 9-HODE and high selectivity among G protein-coupled receptors. With its favorable activity, a clean selectivity profile, excellent solubility, and high metabolic stability, T-10418 qualifies as a pharmacological tool to investigate the effects of G2A activation.

Synthesis of Pyrazole-Based Macrocycles Leads to a Highly Selective Inhibitor for MST3.

MST1, MST2, MST3, MST4, and YSK1 are conserved members of the mammalian sterile 20-like serine/threonine (MST) family that regulate cellular functions such as proliferation and migration. The MST3 isozyme plays a role in regulating cell growth and apoptosis, and its dysregulation has been linked to high-grade tumors. To date, there are no isoform-selective inhibitors that could be used for validating the role of MST3 in tumorigenesis. We designed a series of 3-aminopyrazole-based macrocycles based on the structure of a promiscuous inhibitor. By varying the moieties targeting the solvent-exposed region and optimizing the linker, macrocycle JA310 (21c) was synthesized. JA310 exhibited high cellular potency for MST3 (EC50 = 106 nM) and excellent kinome-wide selectivity. The crystal structure of the MST3-JA310 complex provided intriguing insights into the binding mode, which is associated with large-scale structural rearrangements. In summary, JA310 demonstrates the utility of macrocyclization for the design of highly selective inhibitors and presents the first chemical probe for MST3.

Structural Fusion of Natural and Synthetic Ligand Features Boosts RXR Agonist Potency.

The retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are ligand-activated transcription factors involved in, for example, differentiation and apoptosis regulation. Currently used reference RXR agonists suffer from insufficient specificity and poor physicochemical properties, and improved tools are needed to capture the unexplored therapeutic potential of RXR. Endogenous vitamin A-derived RXR ligands and the natural product RXR agonist valerenic acid comprise acrylic acid residues with varying substitution patterns to engage the critical ionic contact with the binding site arginine. To mimic and exploit this natural ligand motif, we probed its structural fusion with synthetic RXR modulator scaffolds, which had profound effects on agonist activity and remarkably boosted potency of an oxaprozin-derived RXR agonist chemotype. Bioisosteric replacement of the acrylic acid to overcome its pan-assay interference compounds (PAINS) character enabled the development of a highly optimized RXR agonist chemical probe.

An exploratory study on the effect of mechanical stress on particle formation in monoclonal antibody infusions.

Monoclonal antibody infusions (mAb-i) are administered for the treatment of various diseases. They are often transported over long distances from the compounding site to the site of administration. However, transport studies are typically carried out with the original drug product but not with compounded mAb-i. To address this gap, the impact of mechanical stress on the formation of subvisible/nanoparticles in mAb-i was investigated by dynamic light scattering and flow imaging microscopy. Different mAb-i concentrations were subjected to vibrational orbital shaking and stored at 2-8°C up to 35 days. The screening revealed that pembrolizumab and bevacizumab infusions show the highest propensity for particle formation. Especially bevacizumab at low concentrations exhibited an increase in particle formation. Because of the unknown health risks associated with the long-term application of subvisible particles (SVPs)/nanoparticles in infusion bags, stability studies carried out in the frame of licensing application procedures should also focus on SVP formation in mAb-i. In general, pharmacists should minimize the time of storage and mechanical stress during transport, especially in the case of low-concentrated mAb-i. Moreover, if siliconized syringes are used, they should be washed once with saline solution to minimize particle entry.

Rational Design of a New RXR Agonist Scaffold Enabling Single-Subtype Preference for RXRα, RXRß, and RXRγ.

The three retinoid X receptor subtypes (RXRα, RXRß, RXRγ) exhibit critical regulatory roles in cell proliferation and differentiation, metabolism, and inflammation. Due to their importance in nuclear receptor signaling, RXRs are widely distributed and pan-RXR agonists cause adverse effects, but the three highly conserved RXR ligand binding sites render the development of subtype-selective ligands a major challenge. We have fused elements of known RXR ligands to obtain a new RXR agonist chemotype on which minor structural modifications enabled the development of tools with single-subtype preference for RXRα, RXRß, and RXRγ. Molecular modeling indicated different binding conformations and interaction patterns with the RXR LBDs as factors of preferential binding. In a phenotypic adipocyte differentiation experiment, only the RXRα preferential tool enhanced the adipogenic effects of pioglitazone, suggesting this subtype as particularly relevant in adipogenesis and highlighting the set of subtype-preferential RXR agonist tools as suitable for functional cellular studies.

Discovery of 3-Amino-1H-pyrazole-Based Kinase Inhibitors to Illuminate the Understudied PCTAIRE Family.

The PCTAIRE subfamily belongs to the CDK (cyclin-dependent kinase) family and represents an understudied class of kinases of the dark kinome. They exhibit a highly conserved binding pocket and are activated by cyclin Y binding. CDK16 is targeted to the plasma membrane after binding to N-myristoylated cyclin Y and is highly expressed in post-mitotic tissues, such as the brain and testis. Dysregulation is associated with several diseases, including breast, prostate, and cervical cancer. Here, we used the N-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyrimidin-4-amine moiety from the promiscuous inhibitor 1 to target CDK16, by varying different residues. Further optimization steps led to 43d, which exhibited high cellular potency for CDK16 (EC50 = 33 nM) and the other members of the PCTAIRE and PFTAIRE family with 20-120 nM and 50-180 nM, respectively. A DSF screen against a representative panel of approximately 100 kinases exhibited a selective inhibition over the other kinases. In a viability assessment, 43d decreased the cell count in a dose-dependent manner. A FUCCI cell cycle assay revealed a G2/M phase cell cycle arrest at all tested concentrations for 43d, caused by inhibition of CDK16.

Compilation and evaluation of a fatty acid mimetics screening library.

Focused compound libraries are well-established tools for hit identification in drug discovery and chemical probe development. We present the compilation and application of a focused screening library of fatty acid mimetics (FAMs), which are compounds designed to bind the orthosteric site of proteins that endogenously accommodate natural fatty acids and lipid metabolites. This set complies with chemical properties of FAM and was found suitable for use also in cellular setting. Several hits were retrieved in screening the focused library against diverse fatty acid binding targets including the enzymes soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) and leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H), the nuclear receptors peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and retinoid X receptor α (RXRα), the carrier proteins fatty acid binding protein 4 and 5 (FABP4 and FABP5), as well as the G-protein coupled receptors leukotriene B4 receptor 1 (BLT1) and free-fatty acid receptor 1 (FFAR1). Thus, the focused FAM library is suitable to obtain chemical starting matter for fatty acid binding proteins and provides a valuable extension to available screening collections.

The Transcriptional Repressor Orphan Nuclear Receptor TLX Is Responsive to Xanthines.

The orphan nuclear receptor tailless homologue (TLX) is expressed almost exclusively in neural stem cells acting as an essential factor for their survival and is hence considered as a promising drug target in neurodegeneration. However, few studies have characterized the roles of TLX due to the lack of ligands and limited functional understanding. Here, we identify xanthines including caffeine and istradefylline as TLX modulators that counteract the receptor's intrinsic repressor activity. Mutagenesis of residues lining a cavity within the TLX ligand binding domain altered the activity of these ligands, suggesting direct interactions with helix 5. Using xanthines as tool compounds, we observed a ligand-sensitive recruitment of the co-repressor silencing mediator for retinoid or thyroid-hormone receptors, TLX homodimerization, and heterodimerization with the retinoid X receptor. These protein-protein interactions evolve as factors that modulate the TLX function and suggest an unprecedented role of TLX in directly repressing other nuclear receptors.

The Medicinal Chemistry and Therapeutic Potential of LRH-1 Modulators.

The ligand-activated transcription factor liver receptor homologue 1 (LRH-1, NR5A2) is involved in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis, including cholesterol and glucose balance. Preliminary evidence points to therapeutic potential of LRH-1 modulation in diabetes, hepatic diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, atherosclerosis, and certain cancers, but because of a lack of suitable ligands, pharmacological control of LRH-1 has been insufficiently studied. Despite the availability of considerable structural knowledge on LRH-1, only a few ligand chemotypes have been developed, and potent, selective, and bioavailable tools to explore LRH-1 modulation in vivo are lacking. In view of the therapeutic potential of LRH-1 in prevalent diseases, improved chemical tools are needed to probe the beneficial and adverse effects of pharmacological LRH-1 modulation in sophisticated preclinical models and to further elucidate the receptor's molecular function.

Endogenous vitamin E metabolites mediate allosteric PPARγ activation with unprecedented co-regulatory interactions.

Vitamin E exhibits pharmacological effects beyond established antioxidant activity suggesting involvement of unidentified mechanisms. Here, we characterize endogenously formed tocopherol carboxylates and the vitamin E mimetic garcinoic acid (GA) as activators of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). Co-stimulation of PPARγ with GA and the orthosteric agonist pioglitazone resulted in additive transcriptional activity. In line with this, the PPARγ-GA complex adopted a fully active conformation and interestingly contained two bound GA molecules with one at an allosteric site. A co-regulator interaction scan demonstrated an unanticipated co-factor recruitment profile for GA-bound PPARγ compared with canonical PPARγ agonists and gene expression analysis revealed different effects of GA and pioglitazone on PPAR signaling in hepatocytes. These observations reveal allosteric mechanisms of PPARγ modulation as an alternative avenue to PPARγ targeting and suggest contributions of PPARγ activation by α-13-tocopherolcarboxylate to the pharmacological effects of vitamin E.

Design, Synthesis, and Structure-Activity Relationship Studies of Dual Inhibitors of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase and 5-Lipoxygenase.

Inhibition of multiple enzymes of the arachidonic acid cascade leads to synergistic anti-inflammatory effects. Merging of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) pharmacophores led to the discovery of a dual 5-LOX/sEH inhibitor, which was subsequently optimized in terms of potency toward both targets and metabolic stability. The optimized lead structure displayed cellular activity in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes, oral bioavailability, and target engagement in vivo and demonstrated profound anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic efficiency in a kidney injury model caused by unilateral ureteral obstruction in mice. These results pave the way for investigating the therapeutic potential of dual 5-LOX/sEH inhibitors in other inflammation- and fibrosis-related disease models.

First Structure-Activity Relationship Study of Potent BLT2 Agonists as Potential Wound-Healing Promoters.

The first potent leukotriene B4 (LTB4) receptor type 2 (BLT2) agonists, endogenous 12(S)-hydroxyheptadeca-5Z,8E,10E-trienoic acid (12-HHT), and synthetic CAY10583 (CAY) have been recently described to accelerate wound healing by enhanced keratinocyte migration and indirect stimulation of fibroblast activity in diabetic rats. CAY represents a very valuable starting point for the development of novel wound-healing promoters. In this work, the first structure-activity relationship study for CAY scaffold-based BLT2 agonists is presented. The newly prepared derivatives showed promising in vitro wound-healing activity.

l-Thyroxin and the Nonclassical Thyroid Hormone TETRAC Are Potent Activators of PPARγ.

Thyroid hormones (THs) operate numerous physiological processes through modulation of the nuclear thyroid hormone receptors and several other proteins. We report direct activation of the nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and retinoid X receptor (RXR) by classical and nonclassical THs as another molecular activity of THs. The T4 metabolite TETRAC was the most active TH on PPARγ with nanomolar potency and binding affinity. We demonstrate that TETRAC promotes PPARγ/RXR signaling in cell-free, cellular, and in vivo settings. Simultaneous activation of the heterodimer partners PPARγ and RXR resulted in high dimer activation efficacy. Compared to fatty acids as known natural ligands of PPARγ and RXR, TETRAC differs markedly in its molecular structure and the PPARγ-TETRAC complex revealed a distinctive binding mode of the TH. Our observations suggest a potential connection of TH and PPAR signaling through overlapping ligand recognition and may hold implications for TH and PPAR pharmacology.

A Selective Modulator of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ with an Unprecedented Binding Mode.

The nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ has well-validated therapeutic potential in metabolic, inflammatory, and neurodegenerative pathologies, but its activation is also associated with marked adverse effects and novel modes of PPARγ modulation are required. Here, we report the discovery and profiling of a new PPARγ modulator chemotype endowed with remarkable potency and a distinct binding mode in the orthosteric PPARγ ligand-binding site. Its R-enantiomer evolved as a eutomer regarding PPARγ activation with a high eudysmic ratio. The new PPARγ modulator revealed outstanding selectivity over the PPARα and PPARδ subtypes and did not promote adipogenesis in primary human fibroblasts, discriminating it from established agonists.

Analysis of 4-fluoroamphetamine in cerumen after controlled oral application.

Cerumen was found to be a promising alternative specimen for the detection of drugs. In a pilot study, drugs of abuse were identified at a higher detection rate and a longer detection window in cerumen than in urine. In this study, cerumen from subjects was analyzed after they ingested the designer stimulant 4-fluoroamphetamine (4-FA) in a controlled manner. METHODS: Twelve subjects ingested placebo and 100 mg of 4-FA. Five of them were also given 150 mg of 4-FA in 150 mL Royal Club bitter lemon drink at least after 7 days. Cerumen was sampled using cotton swabs at baseline, 1 h after the ingestion of the drug and at the end of the study day (12 h). After extraction with ethyl acetate followed by solid-phase extraction, the extracts were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In the cerumen of all 12 subjects, 4-FA was detected 12 h after its ingestion; in most subjects, cerumen was detected after 1 h of ingestion, ranging from 0.06 to 13.90 (median 1.52) ng per swab. The detection of 4-FA in cerumen sampled 7 days or more after the first dose suggested a long detection window of cerumen. CONCLUSIONS: Cerumen can be successfully used to detect a single drug ingestion even immediately after the ingestion when a sufficient amount of cerumen is used.

Structure optimization of a new class of PPARγ antagonists.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) modulators have found wide application for the treatment of cancers, metabolic disorders and inflammatory diseases. Contrary to PPARγ agonists, PPARγ antagonists have been much less studied and although they have shown immunomodulatory effects, there is still no therapeutically useful PPARγ antagonist on the market. In contrast to non-competitive, irreversible inhibition caused by 2-chloro-5-nitrobenzanilide (GW9662), the recently described (E)-2-(5-((4-methoxy-2-(trifluoromethyl)quinolin-6-yl)methoxy)-2-((4-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl)oxy)-benzylidene)-hexanoic acid (MTTB, T-10017) is a promising prototype for a new class of PPARγ antagonists. It exhibits competitive antagonism against rosiglitazone mediated activation of PPARγ ligand binding domain (PPARγLBD) in a transactivation assay in HEK293T cells with an IC50 of 4.3 µM against 1 µM rosiglitazone. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of the MTTB scaffold focusing on improving its physicochemical properties. Through this optimization, 34 new derivatives were prepared and characterized. Two new potent compounds (T-10075 and T-10106) with much improved drug-like properties and promising pharmacokinetic profile were identified.

Molecular tuning of farnesoid X receptor partial agonism.

The bile acid-sensing transcription factor farnesoid X receptor (FXR) regulates multiple metabolic processes. Modulation of FXR is desired to overcome several metabolic pathologies but pharmacological administration of full FXR agonists has been plagued by mechanism-based side effects. We have developed a modulator that partially activates FXR in vitro and in mice. Here we report the elucidation of the molecular mechanism that drives partial FXR activation by crystallography- and NMR-based structural biology. Natural and synthetic FXR agonists stabilize formation of an extended helix α11 and the α11-α12 loop upon binding. This strengthens a network of hydrogen bonds, repositions helix α12 and enables co-activator recruitment. Partial agonism in contrast is conferred by a kink in helix α11 that destabilizes the α11-α12 loop, a critical determinant for helix α12 orientation. Thereby, the synthetic partial agonist induces conformational states, capable of recruiting both co-repressors and co-activators leading to an equilibrium of co-activator and co-repressor binding.

Zafirlukast Is a Dual Modulator of Human Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ.

Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 antagonists (CysLT1RA) are frequently used as add-on medication for the treatment of asthma. Recently, these compounds have shown protective effects in cardiovascular diseases. This prompted us to investigate their influence on soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) activities, two targets known to play an important role in CVD and the metabolic syndrome. Montelukast, pranlukast and zafirlukast inhibited human sEH with IC50 values of 1.9, 14.1, and 0.8 µM, respectively. In contrast, only montelukast and zafirlukast activated PPARγ in the reporter gene assay with EC50 values of 1.17 µM (21.9% max. activation) and 2.49 µM (148% max. activation), respectively. PPARα and δ were not affected by any of the compounds. The activation of PPARγ was further investigated in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Analysis of lipid accumulation, mRNA and protein expression of target genes as well as PPARγ phosphorylation revealed that montelukast was not able to induce adipocyte differentiation. In contrast, zafirlukast triggered moderate lipid accumulation compared to rosiglitazone and upregulated PPARγ target genes. In addition, we found that montelukast and zafirlukast display antagonistic activities concerning recruitment of the PPARγ cofactor CBP upon ligand binding suggesting that both compounds act as PPARγ modulators. In addition, zafirlukast impaired the TNFα triggered phosphorylation of PPARγ2 on serine 273. Thus, zafirlukast is a novel dual sEH/PPARγ modulator representing an excellent starting point for the further development of this compound class.

Detection of lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) in henna treated hair.

Hair analysis plays an important role in abstinence control in forensic toxicology. However, hair coloration affects the concentrations of xenobiotics and may lead to false negative results. For instance, henna has been shown to decrease ethyl glucuronide concentrations in hair. For analysis of the main henna ingredient lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone), hair samples were washed, cut into small pieces (less than 5 mm), incubated (20 mg) in water and with internal standard (theophylline) for 24 h at 37 °C. Lawsone was analyzed in the supernatant using liquid chromatography with diode array detection. For quantitative assay, the absorption at 280 nm was found to be linear up to 250 ng/mg hair. The detection limit of lawsone was 2.2 ng/mg, precision and accuracy were better than 6%. Lawsone was only detectable in 12 henna-colored hair samples in concentrations from 27.3 to 253.7 (median 92.6) ng/mg. The analysis of lawsone is recommended in cases of suspected hair coloration where assessment of oxidative treatment was negative (e.g. no increase of 1H-pyrrole-2,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (PTCA) and unobtrusive fluorescence microscopy).