Assessing the utility of common arguments used in expert review of in silico predictions as part of ICH M7 assessments.

Expert review of two predictions, made by complementary (quantitative) structure-activity relationship models, to an overall conclusion is a key component of using in silico tools to assess the mutagenic potential of impurities as part of the ICH M7 guideline. In lieu of a specified protocol, numerous publications have presented best practise guides, often indicating the occurrence of common prediction scenarios and the evidence required to resolve them. A semi-automated expert review tool has been implemented in Lhasa Limited's Nexus platform following collation of these common arguments and assignment to the associated prediction scenarios made by Derek Nexus and Sarah Nexus. Using datasets primarily donated by pharmaceutical companies, an automated analysis of the frequency these prediction scenarios occur, and the likelihood of the associated arguments assigning the correct resolution, could then be conducted. This article highlights that a relatively small number of common arguments may be used to accurately resolve many prediction scenarios to a single conclusion. The use of a standardised method of argumentation and assessment of evidence for a given impurity is proposed to improve the efficiency and consistency of expert review as part of an ICH M7 submission.

Fast and versatile microwave-assisted intramolecular Heck reaction in peptide macrocyclization using microwave energy.

We have revisited the intramolecular Heck reaction and investigated the microwave-assisted macrocyclization on preformed peptides using a model series of ring-varying peptides acryloyl-Gly-[Gly](n)-Phe(4-I)NHR; n = 0-4. The method was applied to both solution and solid supported cyclizations. We demonstrate that the intramolecular Heck reaction can be performed in peptides both in solution and solid support using a modified domestic microwave within 1 to 30 minutes in DMF under reflux with moderate yields ranging from 15 to 25% for a scale between 2-45 mg of linear precursors. The approach was applied to the synthesis of a constrained biologically relevant peptidomimetic bearing an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence. These results make the microwave-assisted Heck reaction an attractive renovated approach for peptidomimetics.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of gadolinium cationic lipids as tools for biodistribution studies of gene delivery complexes.

Gadolinium-chelating cationic lipids have been synthesized to obtain lipoplexes with MRI contrast properties. These compounds were designed to follow the biodistribution of synthetic DNA for gene delivery by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. The lipid MCO-I-68 was synthesized, and chelate complexes with gadolinium were formed and characterized in terms of physicochemical and DNA binding properties. The transfection activity of MCO-I-68-Gd/DNA complexes was assayed in vitro on NIH 3T3. Different formulations of the product were tested. When up to 5% of the gadolinium lipid complexes were co-formulated with the cationic lipid RPR120535 used as a reference, the transfection levels were maintained as compared to RPR120535 alone. To date, only a liposomal formulation of a gadolinium-cationic lipid chelate without DNA had been observed using magnetic resonance imaging. In vivo intratumoral administration of MCO-I-68-Gd/DNA lipoplexes to tumor model led to an important increase of the NMR signal. It was demonstrated that the new complexes also acted as transfection carriers when they were formulated from liposomes.