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11 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 11
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of antiparasitic dinitroaniline-ether phospholipid hybrids

Abstract (Expand)

A series of nine novel ether phospholipid-dinitroaniline hybrids were synthesized in an effort to deliver more potent antiparasitic agents with improved safety profile compared to miltefosine. The … compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antiparasitic activity against L. infantum, L.donovani, L. amazonensis, L. major and L. tropica promastigotes, L. infantum and L. donovani intracellular amastigotes, Trypanosoma brucei brucei and against different developmental stages of Trypanosoma cruzi. The nature of the oligomethylene spacer between the dinitroaniline moiety and the phosphate group, the length of the side chain substituent on the dinitroaniline and the choline or homocholine head group were found to affect both the activity and toxicity of the hybrids. The early ADMET profile of the derivatives did not reveal major liabilities. Hybrid 3, bearing an 11-carbon oligomethylene spacer, a butyl side chain and a choline head group, was the most potent analogue of the series. It exhibited a broad spectrum antiparasitic profile against the promastigotes of New and Old World Leishmania spp., against intracellular amastigotes of two L. infantum strains and L. donovani, against T. brucei and against T. cruzi Y strain epimastigotes, intracellular amastigotes and trypomastigotes. The early toxicity studies revealed that hybrid 3 showed a safe toxicological profile while its cytotoxicity concentration (CC50) against THP-1 macrophages being >100 μM. Computational analysis of binding sites and docking indicated that the interaction of hybrid 3 with trypanosomatid α-tubulin may contribute to its mechanism of action. Furthermore, compound 3 was found to interfere with the cell cycle in T. cruzi epimastigotes, while ultrastructural studies using SEM and TEM in T. cruzi showed that compound 3 affects cellular processes that result in changes in the Golgi complex, the mitochondria and the parasite’s plasma membrane. The snapshot pharmacokinetic studies showed low levels of 3 after 24 h following oral administration of 100 mg/Kg, while, its homocholine congener compound 9 presented a better pharmacokinetic profile.

Authors: Marina Roussaki, George E. Magoulas, Theano Fotopoulou, Nuno Santarem, Emile Barrias, Ina Pöhner, Sara Luelmo, Pantelis Afroudakis, Kalliopi Georgikopoulou, Paloma Tejera Nevado, Julia Eick, Eugenia Bifeld, María J. Corral, María Dolores Jiménez-Antón, Bernhard Ellinger, Maria Kuzikov, Irini Fragiadaki, Effie Scoulica, Sheraz Gul, Joachim Clos, Kyriakos C. Prousis, Juan J. Torrado, José María Alunda, Rebecca C. Wade, Wanderley de Souza, Anabela Cordeiro da Silva, Theodora Calogeropoulou

Date Published: 1st Sep 2023

Publication Type: Journal

Virus structure and structure-based antivirals

Abstract (Expand)

Structure-based antiviral developments in the past two years have been dominated by the structure determination and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 proteins and new lead molecules for picornaviruses. The … SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has been targeted successfully with antibodies, nanobodies, and receptor protein mimics effectively blocking receptor binding or fusion. The two most promising non-structural proteins sharing strong structural and functional conservation across virus families are the main protease and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, for which design and reuse of broad range inhibitors already approved for use has been an attractive avenue. For picornaviruses, the increasing recognition of the transient expansion of the capsid as a critical transition towards RNA release has been targeted through a newly identified, apparently widely conserved, druggable, interprotomer pocket preventing viral entry. We summarize some of the key papers in these areas and ponder the practical uses and contributions of molecular modeling alongside empirical structure determination.

Authors: Zlatka Plavec, Ina Pöhner, Antti Poso, Sarah J Butcher

Date Published: 1st Dec 2021

Publication Type: Journal

SARS‐CoV‐2–host proteome interactions for antiviral drug discovery

Abstract (Expand)

Treatment options for COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, remain limited. Understanding viral pathogenesis at the molecular level is critical to develop effective therapy. Some recent studies have explored … SARS-CoV-2–host interactomes and provided great resources for understanding viral replication. However, host proteins that functionally associate with SARS-CoV-2 are localized in the corresponding subnetwork within the comprehensive human interactome. Therefore, constructing a downstream network including all potential viral receptors, host cell proteases, and cofactors is necessary and should be used as an additional criterion for the validation of critical host machineries used for viral processing. This study applied both affinity purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS) and the complementary proximity-based labeling MS method (BioID-MS) on 29 viral ORFs and 18 host proteins with potential roles in viral replication to map the interactions relevant to viral processing. The analysis yields a list of 693 hub proteins sharing interactions with both viral baits and host baits and revealed their biological significance for SARS-CoV-2. Those hub proteins then served as a rational resource for drug repurposing via a virtual screening approach. The overall process resulted in the suggested repurposing of 59 compounds for 15 protein targets. Furthermore, antiviral effects of some candidate drugs were observed in vitro validation using image-based drug screen with infectious SARS-CoV-2. In addition, our results suggest that the antiviral activity of methotrexate could be associated with its inhibitory effect on specific protein-protein interactions.

Authors: Xiaonan Liu, Sini Huuskonen, Tuomo Laitinen, Taras Redchuk, Mariia Bogacheva, Kari Salokas, Ina Pöhner, Tiina Öhman, Arun Kumar Tonduru, Antti Hassinen, Lisa Gawriyski, Salla Keskitalo, Maria K Vartiainen, Vilja Pietiäinen, Antti Poso, Markku Varjosalo

Date Published: 1st Nov 2021

Publication Type: Journal

Enhancement of Benzothiazoles as Pteridine Reductase-1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Trypanosomatidic Infections.

Abstract (Expand)

2-Amino-benzo[ d]thiazole was identified as a new scaffold for the development of improved pteridine reductase-1 (PTR1) inhibitors and anti-trypanosomatidic agents. Molecular docking and crystallography … guided the design and synthesis of 42 new benzothiazoles. The compounds were assessed for Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major PTR1 inhibition and in vitro activity against T. brucei and amastigote Leishmania infantum. We identified several 2-amino-benzo[ d]thiazoles with improved enzymatic activity ( TbPTR1 IC50 = 0.35 muM; LmPTR1 IC50 = 1.9 muM) and low muM antiparasitic activity against T. brucei. The ten most active compounds against TbPTR1 were able to potentiate the antiparasitic activity of methotrexate when evaluated in combination against T. brucei, with a potentiating index between 1.2 and 2.7. The compound library was profiled for early ADME toxicity, and 2-amino- N-benzylbenzo[ d]thiazole-6-carboxamide (4c) was finally identified as a novel potent, safe, and selective anti-trypanocydal agent (EC50 = 7.0 muM). Formulation of 4c with hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin yielded good oral bioavailability, encouraging progression to in vivo studies.

Authors: P. Linciano, C. Pozzi, L. D. Iacono, F. di Pisa, G. Landi, A. Bonucci, S. Gul, M. Kuzikov, B. Ellinger, G. Witt, N. Santarem, C. Baptista, C. Franco, C. B. Moraes, W. Muller, U. Wittig, R. Luciani, A. Sesenna, A. Quotadamo, S. Ferrari, I. Pohner, A. Cordeiro-da-Silva, S. Mangani, L. Costantino, M. P. Costi

Date Published: 25th Apr 2019

Publication Type: Journal

Accelerating Drug Discovery Efforts for Trypanosomatidic Infections Using an Integrated Transnational Academic Drug Discovery Platform.

Abstract (Expand)

According to the World Health Organization, more than 1 billion people are at risk of or are affected by neglected tropical diseases. Examples of such diseases include trypanosomiasis, which causes … sleeping sickness; leishmaniasis; and Chagas disease, all of which are prevalent in Africa, South America, and India. Our aim within the New Medicines for Trypanosomatidic Infections project was to use (1) synthetic and natural product libraries, (2) screening, and (3) a preclinical absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion-toxicity (ADME-Tox) profiling platform to identify compounds that can enter the trypanosomatidic drug discovery value chain. The synthetic compound libraries originated from multiple scaffolds with known antiparasitic activity and natural products from the Hypha Discovery MycoDiverse natural products library. Our focus was first to employ target-based screening to identify inhibitors of the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase 1 ( TbPTR1) and second to use a Trypanosoma brucei phenotypic assay that made use of the T. brucei brucei parasite to identify compounds that inhibited cell growth and caused death. Some of the compounds underwent structure-activity relationship expansion and, when appropriate, were evaluated in a preclinical ADME-Tox assay panel. This preclinical platform has led to the identification of lead-like compounds as well as validated hits in the trypanosomatidic drug discovery value chain.

Authors: C. B. Moraes, G. Witt, M. Kuzikov, B. Ellinger, T. Calogeropoulou, K. C. Prousis, S. Mangani, F. Di Pisa, G. Landi, L. D. Iacono, C. Pozzi, L. H. Freitas-Junior, B. Dos Santos Pascoalino, C. P. Bertolacini, B. Behrens, O. Keminer, J. Leu, M. Wolf, J. Reinshagen, A. Cordeiro-da-Silva, N. Santarem, A. Venturelli, S. Wrigley, D. Karunakaran, B. Kebede, I. Pohner, W. Muller, J. Panecka-Hofman, R. C. Wade, M. Fenske, J. Clos, J. M. Alunda, M. J. Corral, E. Uliassi, M. L. Bolognesi, P. Linciano, A. Quotadamo, S. Ferrari, M. Santucci, C. Borsari, M. P. Costi, S. Gul

Date Published: 21st Feb 2019

Publication Type: Journal

Exploiting the 2-Amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole Scaffold To Inhibit Trypanosoma brucei Pteridine Reductase in Support of Early-Stage Drug Discovery.

Abstract (Expand)

Pteridine reductase-1 (PTR1) is a promising drug target for the treatment of trypanosomiasis. We investigated the potential of a previously identified class of thiadiazole inhibitors of Leishmania major … PTR1 for activity against Trypanosoma brucei (Tb). We solved crystal structures of several TbPTR1-inhibitor complexes to guide the structure-based design of new thiadiazole derivatives. Subsequent synthesis and enzyme- and cell-based assays confirm new, mid-micromolar inhibitors of TbPTR1 with low toxicity. In particular, compound 4m, a biphenyl-thiadiazole-2,5-diamine with IC50 = 16 muM, was able to potentiate the antitrypanosomal activity of the dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor methotrexate (MTX) with a 4.1-fold decrease of the EC50 value. In addition, the antiparasitic activity of the combination of 4m and MTX was reversed by addition of folic acid. By adopting an efficient hit discovery platform, we demonstrate, using the 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole scaffold, how a promising tool for the development of anti-T. brucei agents can be obtained.

Authors: P. Linciano, A. Dawson, I. Pohner, D. M. Costa, M. S. Sa, A. Cordeiro-da-Silva, R. Luciani, S. Gul, G. Witt, B. Ellinger, M. Kuzikov, P. Gribbon, J. Reinshagen, M. Wolf, B. Behrens, V. Hannaert, P. A. M. Michels, E. Nerini, C. Pozzi, F. di Pisa, G. Landi, N. Santarem, S. Ferrari, P. Saxena, S. Lazzari, G. Cannazza, L. H. Freitas-Junior, C. B. Moraes, B. S. Pascoalino, L. M. Alcantara, C. P. Bertolacini, V. Fontana, U. Wittig, W. Muller, R. C. Wade, W. N. Hunter, S. Mangani, L. Costantino, M. P. Costi

Date Published: 30th Sep 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Comparative mapping of on-targets and off-targets for the discovery of anti-trypanosomatid folate pathway inhibitors.

Abstract (Expand)

BACKGROUND: Multi-target approaches are necessary to properly analyze or modify the function of a biochemical pathway or a protein family. An example of such a problem is the repurposing of the known … human anti-cancer drugs, antifolates, as selective anti-parasitic agents. This requires considering a set of experimentally validated protein targets in the folate pathway of major pathogenic trypanosomatid parasites and humans: (i) the primary parasite on-targets: pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) (absent in humans) and bifunctional dihydrofolate reductase-thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS), (ii) the primary off-targets: human DHFR and TS, and (iii) the secondary on-target: human folate receptor beta, a folate/antifolate transporter. METHODS: We computationally compared the structural, dynamic and physico-chemical properties of the targets. We based our analysis on available inhibitory activity and crystallographic data, including a crystal structure of the bifunctional T. cruzi DHFR-TS with tetrahydrofolate bound determined in this work. Due to the low sequence and structural similarity of the targets analyzed, we employed a mapping of binding pockets based on the known common ligands, folate and methotrexate. RESULTS: Our analysis provides a set of practical strategies for the design of selective trypanosomatid folate pathway inhibitors, which are supported by enzyme inhibition measurements and crystallographic structures. CONCLUSIONS: The ligand-based comparative computational mapping of protein binding pockets provides a basis for repurposing of anti-folates and the design of new anti-trypanosmatid agents. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Apart from the target-based discovery of selective compounds, our approach may be also applied for protein engineering or analyzing evolutionary relationships in protein families.

Authors: J. Panecka-Hofman, I. Pohner, F. Spyrakis, T. Zeppelin, F. Di Pisa, L. Dello Iacono, A. Bonucci, A. Quotadamo, A. Venturelli, S. Mangani, M. P. Costi, R. C. Wade

Date Published: 25th Sep 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Application of a simple quantum chemical approach to ligand fragment scoring for Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase 1 inhibition.

Abstract (Expand)

There is a need for improved and generally applicable scoring functions for fragment-based approaches to ligand design. Here, we evaluate the performance of a computationally efficient model for … inhibitory activity estimation, which is composed only of multipole electrostatic energy and dispersion energy terms that approximate long-range ab initio quantum mechanical interaction energies. We find that computed energies correlate well with inhibitory activity for a compound series with varying substituents targeting two subpockets of the binding site of Trypanosoma brucei pteridine reductase 1. For one subpocket, we find that the model is more predictive for inhibitory activity than the ab initio interaction energy calculated at the MP2 level. Furthermore, the model is found to outperform a commonly used empirical scoring method. Finally, we show that the results for the two subpockets can be combined, which suggests that this simple nonempirical scoring function could be applied in fragment-based drug design.

Authors: W. Jedwabny, J. Panecka-Hofman, E. Dyguda-Kazimierowicz, R. C. Wade, W. A. Sokalski

Date Published: 9th Jul 2017

Publication Type: Journal

TRAPP webserver: predicting protein binding site flexibility and detecting transient binding pockets.

Abstract (Expand)

The TRAnsient Pockets in Proteins (TRAPP) webserver provides an automated workflow that allows users to explore the dynamics of a protein binding site and to detect pockets or sub-pockets that may … transiently open due to protein internal motion. These transient or cryptic sub-pockets may be of interest in the design and optimization of small molecular inhibitors for a protein target of interest. The TRAPP workflow consists of the following three modules: (i) TRAPP structure- generation of an ensemble of structures using one or more of four possible molecular simulation methods; (ii) TRAPP analysis-superposition and clustering of the binding site conformations either in an ensemble of structures generated in step (i) or in PDB structures or trajectories uploaded by the user; and (iii) TRAPP pocket-detection, analysis, and visualization of the binding pocket dynamics and characteristics, such as volume, solvent-exposed area or properties of surrounding residues. A standard sequence conservation score per residue or a differential score per residue, for comparing on- and off-targets, can be calculated and displayed on the binding pocket for an uploaded multiple sequence alignment file, and known protein sequence annotations can be displayed simultaneously. The TRAPP webserver is freely available at http://trapp.h-its.org.

Authors: A. Stank, D. B. Kokh, M. Horn, E. Sizikova, R. Neil, J. Panecka, S. Richter, R. C. Wade

Date Published: 3rd Jul 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Chroman-4-One Derivatives Targeting Pteridine Reductase 1 and Showing Anti-Parasitic Activity.

Abstract (Expand)

Flavonoids have previously been identified as antiparasitic agents and pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) inhibitors. Herein, we focus our attention on the chroman-4-one scaffold. Three chroman-4-one analogues … (1-3) of previously published chromen-4-one derivatives were synthesized and biologically evaluated against parasitic enzymes (Trypanosoma brucei PTR1-TbPTR1 and Leishmania major-LmPTR1) and parasites (Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania infantum). A crystal structure of TbPTR1 in complex with compound 1 and the first crystal structures of LmPTR1-flavanone complexes (compounds 1 and 3) were solved. The inhibitory activity of the chroman-4-one and chromen-4-one derivatives was explained by comparison of observed and predicted binding modes of the compounds. Compound 1 showed activity both against the targeted enzymes and the parasites with a selectivity index greater than 7 and a low toxicity. Our results provide a basis for further scaffold optimization and structure-based drug design aimed at the identification of potent anti-trypanosomatidic compounds targeting multiple PTR1 variants.

Authors: F. Di Pisa, G. Landi, L. Dello Iacono, C. Pozzi, C. Borsari, S. Ferrari, M. Santucci, N. Santarem, A. Cordeiro-da-Silva, C. B. Moraes, L. M. Alcantara, V. Fontana, L. H. Freitas-Junior, S. Gul, M. Kuzikov, B. Behrens, I. Pohner, R. C. Wade, M. P. Costi, S. Mangani

Date Published: 8th Mar 2017

Publication Type: Journal

Profiling of Flavonol Derivatives for the Development of Antitrypanosomatidic Drugs.

Abstract (Expand)

Flavonoids represent a potential source of new antitrypanosomatidic leads. Starting from a library of natural products, we combined target-based screening on pteridine reductase 1 with phenotypic … screening on Trypanosoma brucei for hit identification. Flavonols were identified as hits, and a library of 16 derivatives was synthesized. Twelve compounds showed EC50 values against T. brucei below 10 muM. Four X-ray crystal structures and docking studies explained the observed structure-activity relationships. Compound 2 (3,6-dihydroxy-2-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one) was selected for pharmacokinetic studies. Encapsulation of compound 2 in PLGA nanoparticles or cyclodextrins resulted in lower in vitro toxicity when compared to the free compound. Combination studies with methotrexate revealed that compound 13 (3-hydroxy-6-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one) has the highest synergistic effect at concentration of 1.3 muM, 11.7-fold dose reduction index and no toxicity toward host cells. Our results provide the basis for further chemical modifications aimed at identifying novel antitrypanosomatidic agents showing higher potency toward PTR1 and increased metabolic stability.

Authors: C. Borsari, R. Luciani, C. Pozzi, I. Poehner, S. Henrich, M. Trande, A. Cordeiro-da-Silva, N. Santarem, C. Baptista, A. Tait, F. Di Pisa, L. Dello Iacono, G. Landi, S. Gul, M. Wolf, M. Kuzikov, B. Ellinger, J. Reinshagen, G. Witt, P. Gribbon, M. Kohler, O. Keminer, B. Behrens, L. Costantino, P. Tejera Nevado, E. Bifeld, J. Eick, J. Clos, J. Torrado, M. D. Jimenez-Anton, M. J. Corral, J. M. Alunda, F. Pellati, R. C. Wade, S. Ferrari, S. Mangani, M. P. Costi

Date Published: 25th Aug 2016

Publication Type: Journal

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