10 research outputs found
Destruxin E Decreases Beta-Amyloid Generation by Reducing Colocalization of Beta-Amyloid-Cleaving Enzyme 1 and Beta-Amyloid Protein Precursor
Alzheimer-disease-associated beta-amyloid (A beta) is produced by sequential endoproteolysis of beta-amyloid protein precursor (beta APP): the extracellular portion is shed by cleavage in the juxtamembrane region by beta-amyloid-cleaving enzyme (BACE)/beta-secretase, after which it is cleaved by presenilin (PS)/gamma-secretase near the middle of the transmembrane domain. Thus, inhibition of either of the secretases reduces A beta generation and is a fundamental strategy for the development of drugs to prevent Alzheimer disease. However, it is not clear how small compounds reduce A beta production without inhibition of the secretases. Such compounds are expected to avoid some of the side effects of secretase inhibitors. Here, we report that destruxin E (Dx-E), a natural cyclic hexadepsipeptide, reduces A beta generation without affecting BACE or PS/gamma-secretase activity. In agreement with this, Dx-E did not inhibit Notch signaling. We found that Dx-E decreases colocalization of BACE1 and beta APP, which reduces beta-cleavage of beta APP. Therefore, the data demonstrate that Dx-E represents a novel A beta-reducing process which could have fewer side effects than secretase inhibitors. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base
A Case of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Associated with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
A case of abdominal aortic aneurysm associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is reported. A 45-year-old woman with a 18-year history of SLE was admitted with severe lumbago radiating to the bilateral inguinal region. CT and DSA showed a dumbbell shaped true aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. An aorto-biiliac Y shaped graft replacement was performed. SLE is rarely associated with aneurysm of the great arteries. We could find only 4 reports of abdominal aneurysm associated with SLE. Common features were the young age of the patient, the long term of the systemic disease, and administration of corticosteroid therapy for a relatively long period of time. We speculate that atherosclerosis, hypertension, and corticosteroid may all work in concert, possibly together with aortic wall involvement or vasculitic damage, to produce the rare abdominal aneurysm in SLE
Immune response and protective efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike protein vaccine S-268019-b in mice
Abstract Vaccines that efficiently target severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), are the best means for controlling viral spread. This study evaluated the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine S-268019-b, which comprises the recombinant full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S-910823 (antigen) and A-910823 (adjuvant). In addition to eliciting both Th1-type and Th2-type cellular immune responses, two doses of S-910823 plus A-910823 induced anti-spike protein IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. In a SARS-CoV-2 challenge test, S-910823 plus A-910823 mitigated SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced weight loss and death and inhibited viral replication in mouse lungs. S-910823 plus A-910823 promoted cytokine and chemokine at the injection site and immune cell accumulation in the draining lymph nodes. This led to the formation of germinal centers and the induction of memory B cells, antibody-secreting cells, and memory T cells. These findings provide fundamental property of S-268019-b, especially importance of A-910823 to elicit humoral and cellular immune responses
Discovery of Imidazo[1,2‑<i>b</i>]pyridazine Derivatives: Selective and Orally Available Mps1 (TTK) Kinase Inhibitors Exhibiting Remarkable Antiproliferative Activity
Monopolar
spindle 1 (Mps1) is an attractive oncology target due
to its high expression level in cancer cells as well as the correlation
of its expression levels with histological grades of cancers. An imidazoÂ[1,2-<i>a</i>]Âpyrazine <b>10a</b> was identified during an HTS
campaign. Although <b>10a</b> exhibited good biochemical activity,
its moderate cellular as well as antiproliferative activities needed
to be improved. The cocrystal structure of an analogue of <b>10a</b> guided our lead optimization to introduce substituents at the 6-position
of the scaffold, giving the 6-aryl substituted <b>21b</b> which
had improved cellular activity but no oral bioavailability in rat.
Property-based optimization at the 6-position and a scaffold change
led to the discovery of the imidazoÂ[1,2-<i>b</i>]Âpyridazine-based <b>27f</b>, an extremely potent (cellular Mps1 IC<sub>50</sub> =
0.70 nM, A549 IC<sub>50</sub> = 6.0 nM), selective Mps1 inhibitor
over 192 kinases, which could be orally administered and was active
in vivo. This <b>27f</b> demonstrated remarkable antiproliferative
activity in the nanomolar range against various tissue cancer cell
lines
Indazole-Based Potent and Cell-Active Mps1 Kinase Inhibitors: Rational Design from Pan-Kinase Inhibitor Anthrapyrazolone (SP600125)
Monopolar spindle 1 (Mps1) is essential
for centrosome duplication, the spindle assembly check point, and
the maintenance of chromosomal instability. Mps1 is highly expressed
in cancer cells, and its expression levels correlate with the histological
grades of cancers. Thus, selective Mps1 inhibitors offer an attractive
opportunity for the development of novel cancer therapies. To design
novel Mps1 inhibitors, we utilized the pan-kinase inhibitor anthrapyrazolone
(<b>4</b>, SP600125) and its crystal structure bound to JNK1.
Our design efforts led to the identification of indazole-based lead <b>6</b> with an Mps1 IC<sub>50</sub> value of 498 nM. Optimization
of the 3- and 6-positions on the indazole core of <b>6</b> resulted
in <b>23c</b> with improved Mps1 activity (IC<sub>50</sub> =
3.06 nM). Finally, application of structure-based design using the
X-ray structure of <b>23d</b> bound to Mps1 culminated in the
discovery of <b>32a</b> and <b>32b</b> with improved potency
for cellular Mps1 and A549 lung cancer cells. Moreover, <b>32a</b> and <b>32b</b> exhibited reasonable selectivities over 120
and 166 kinases, respectively
Diaminopyridine-Based Potent and Selective Mps1 Kinase Inhibitors Binding to an Unusual Flipped-Peptide Conformation
Monopolar spindle 1 (Mps1) is an attractive cancer drug
target
due to the important role that it plays in centrosome duplication,
the spindle assembly checkpoint, and the maintenance of chromosomal
stability. A design based on JNK inhibitors with an aminopyridine
scaffold and subsequent modifications identified diaminopyridine <b>9</b> with an IC<sub>50</sub> of 37 nM. The X-ray structure of <b>9</b> revealed that the Cys604 carbonyl group of the hinge region
flips to form a hydrogen bond with the aniline NH group in <b>9</b>. Further optimization of <b>9</b> led to <b>12</b> with
improved cellular activity, suitable pharmacokinetic profiles, and
good in vivo efficacy in the mouse A549 xenograft model. Moreover, <b>12</b> displayed excellent selectivity over 95 kinases, indicating
the contribution of its unusual flipped-peptide conformation to its
selectivity