2D binary QSAR modeling of LPA3 receptor antagonism

A structurally diverse dataset of 119 compounds was used to develop and validate a 2D binary QSAR model for the LPA3 receptor. The binary QSAR model was generated using an activity threshold of greater than 15% inhibition at 10 μM. The overall accuracy of the model on the training set was 82%. It had accuracies of 55% for active and 91% for inactive compounds, respectively. The model was validated using an external test set of 10 compounds. The accuracy on the external test set was 60% overall, identifying three out of seven actives and all three inactive compounds. This model was combined with similarity searching to rapidly screen libraries and select 14 candidate LPA3 antagonists. Experimental assays confirmed 13 of these (93%) met the 15% inhibition threshold defining actives. The successful application of the model to select candidates for screening demonstrates the power of this binary QSAR model to prioritize compound selection for experimental consideration. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Structure-based drug design identifies novel LPA3 antagonists

Compound 5 ([5-(3-nitrophenoxy)-1,3-dioxo-1,3-dihydro-2-isoindol-2-y1] acetic acid) was identified as a weak selective LPA3 antagonist (IC50 4504 nM) in a virtual screening effort to optimize a dual LPA2 and 3 antagonist. Structure-based drug design techniques were used to prioritize similarity search matches of compound 5. This strategy rapidly identified 10 novel antagonists. The two most efficacious compounds identified inhibit activation of the LPA3 receptor by 200 nM LPA with IC50 values of 752 nM and 299211M. These compounds additionally define changes to our previously reported pharmacophore that will improve its ability to identify more potent and selective LPA3 receptor antagonists. The results of the combined computational and experimental screening are reported. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Combined Mitigation of the Gastrointestinal and Hematopoietic Acute Radiation Syndromes by an LPA(2) Receptor-Specific Nonlipid Agonist

Pharmacological mitigation of injuries caused by high-dose ionizing radiation is an unsolved medical problem. A specific nonlipid agonist of the type 2 G protein coupled receptor for lysophosphatidic acid (LPA(2)) 2-[4-(1,3-dioxo-1H, 3H-benzoisoquinolin-2-yl) butylsulfamoyl] benzoic acid (DBIBB) when administered with a postirradiation delay of up to 72 hr reduced mortality of C57BL/6 mice but not LPA2 knockout mice. DBIBB mitigated the gastrointestinal radiation syndrome, increased intestinal crypt survival and enterocyte proliferation, and reduced apoptosis. DBIBB enhanced DNA repair by augmenting the resolution of gamma-H2AX foci, increased clonogenic survival of irradiated IEC-6 cells, attenuated the radiation-induced death of human CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitors and enhanced the survival of the granulocyte/macrophage lineage. DBIBB also increased the survival of mice suffering from the hematopoietic acute radiation syndrome after total-body irradiation. DBIBB represents a drug candidate capable of mitigating acute radiation syndrome caused by high-dose gamma-radiation to the hematopoietic and gastrointestinal system

Hits of a high-throughput screen identify the hydrophobic pocket of autotaxin/lysophospholipase D as an inhibitory surface.

Autotaxin (ATX), a lysophospholipase D, plays an important role in cancer invasion, metastasis, tumor progression, tumorigenesis, neuropathic pain, fibrotic diseases, cholestatic pruritus, lymphocyte homing, and thrombotic diseases by producing the lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). A high-throughput screen of ATX inhibition using the lysophosphatidylcholine-like substrate fluorogenic substrate 3 (FS-3) and approximately 10,000 compounds from the University of Cincinnati Drug Discovery Center identified several small-molecule inhibitors with IC(5)(0) vales ranging from nanomolar to low micromolar. The pharmacology of the three most potent compounds: 918013 (1; 2,4-dichloro-N-(3-fluorophenyl)-5-(4-morpholinylsulfonyl) benzamide), 931126 (2; 4-oxo-4-{2-[(5-phenoxy-1H-indol-2-yl)carbonyl]hydrazino}-N-(4-phenylbutan-2-yl)bu tanamide), and 966791 (3; N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-[N-(2-furylmethyl)(4-(1,2,3,4-tetraazolyl)phenyl)carbony lamino]-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) acetamide), were further characterized in enzyme, cellular, and whole animal models. Compounds 1 and 2 were competitive inhibitors of ATX-mediated hydrolysis of the lysophospholipase substrate FS-3. In contrast, compound 3 was a competitive inhibitor of both FS-3 and the phosphodiesterase substrate p-nitrophenyl thymidine 5'-monophosphate. Computational docking and mutagenesis suggested that compounds 1 and 2 target the hydrophobic pocket, thereby blocking access to the active site of ATX. The potencies of compounds 1-3 were comparable to each other in each of the assays. All of these compounds significantly reduced invasion of A2058 human melanoma cells in vitro and the colonization of lung metastases by B16-F10 murine melanoma cells in C57BL/6 mice. The compounds had no agonist or antagonist effects on select LPA or sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors, nor did they inhibit nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (NPP) enzymes NPP6 and NPP7. These results identify the molecular surface of the hydrophobic pocket of ATX as a target-binding site for inhibitors of enzymatic activity

Dual activity lysophosphatidic acid receptor pan-antagonist/autotaxin inhibitor reduces breast cancer cell migration in vitro and causes tumor regression in vivo

Signal transduction modifiers that modulate the lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) pathway have potential as anticancer agents. Herein, we describe metabolically stabilized LPA analogues that reduce cell migration and invasion and cause regression of orthotopic breast tumors in vivo. Two diastereoisomeric α-bromophosphonates (BrP-LPA) were synthesized, and the pharmacology was determined for five LPA G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The syn and anti diastereomers of BrP-LPA are pan-LPA GPCR antagonists and are also nanomolar inhibitors of the lysophospholipase D activity of autotaxin, the dominant biosynthetic source of LPA. Computational models correctly predicted the diastereoselectivity of antagonism for three GPCR isoforms. The anti isomer of BrP-LPA was more effective than syn isomer in reducing migration of MDA-MB-231 cells, and the anti isomer was superior in reducing invasion of these cells. Finally, orthotopic breast cancer xenografts were established in nude mice by injection of MB-231 cells in an in situ cross-linkable extracellular matrix. After 2 weeks, mice were treated with the BrP-LPA alone (10 mg/kg), Taxol alone (10 mg/kg), or Taxol followed by BrP-LPA. All treatments significantly reduced tumor burden, and BrP-LPA was superior to Taxol in reducing blood vessel density in tumors. Moreover, both the anti- and syn-BrP-LPA significantly reduced tumors at 3 mg/kg. ©2009 American Association for Cancer Research

Antielastases of the human alveolar structures: Implications for the protease-antiprotease theory of emphysema

of emphysema hold that progressive, chronic destruction of the alveolar structures occurs because there is an imbalance betwveen the proteases and antiproteases in the lower respiratory tract. In this context, proteases, particularly neutrophil elastase, work unimpeded to destroy the alveolar structures. This concept has evolved from consideration of patients with alantitrypsin deficienciy, who have decreased levels of serum al-antitrypsin and who have progressive panaciiar emphysema. To directly assess the antiprotease side of this equation, the lower respiratory tract of nonsmoking individuals with normal serum antiproteases and individuals with PiZ homozygous al-antitrypsin deficiency underwent bronchoalveolar lavage to evaluate the antiprotease screen of their lower respiratory tract. These studies demonstrated that: (a) al-antitrypsin is the major antielastase of the normal human lower respiratory tract; (b) a2-macroglobulin, a large serum antielastase, and the bronchial mucous inhibitor, an antielastase of the central airways, do not contribute to the antielastase protection of the human alveolar structures; (c) individuals with PiZ al-antitrypsin deficiency have little or no al-antitrypsin in their lower respiratory tract and have no alternative antiprotease protection against neutrophil elastase; and (d) the lack of antiprotease protection of the lower respiratory tract of PiZ individuals is a chronic process, suggesting their vulnerability to neutrophil elastase is always present

Hits of a high-throughput screen identify the hydrophobic pocket of autotaxin/lysophospholipase D as an inhibitory surface

Autotaxin (ATX), a lysophospholipase D, plays an important role in cancer invasion, metastasis, tumor progression, tumorigenesis, neuropathic pain, fibrotic diseases, cholestatic pruritus, lymphocyte homing, and thrombotic diseases by producing the lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). A high-throughput screen of ATX inhibition using the lysophosphatidylcholine-like substrate fluorogenic substrate 3 (FS-3) and ~10,000 compounds from the University of Cincinnati Drug Discovery Center identified several small-molecule inhibitors with IC50 vales ranging from nanomolar to low micromolar. The pharmacology of the three most potent compounds: 918013 (1; 2,4-dichloro-N-(3-fluorophenyl)-5-(4- morpholinylsulfonyl) benzamide), 931126 (2; 4-oxo-4-{2-[(5- phenoxy-1H-indol-2-yl)carbonyl]hydrazino}-N-(4-phenylbutan- 2-yl)butanamide), and 966791 (3; N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-[N- (2-furylmethyl)(4-(1,2,3,4-tetraazolyl)phenyl)carbonylamino]-2- (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl) acetamide), were further characterized in enzyme, cellular, and whole animal models. Compounds 1 and 2 were competitive inhibitors of ATX-mediated hydrolysis of the lysophospholipase substrate FS-3. In contrast, compound 3 was a competitive inhibitor of both FS-3 and the phosphodiesterase substrate p-nitrophenyl thymidine 59-monophosphate. Computational docking and mutagenesis suggested that compounds 1 and 2 target the hydrophobic pocket, thereby blocking access to the active site of ATX. The potencies of compounds 1-3 were comparable to each other in each of the assays. All of these compounds significantly reduced invasion of A2058 human melanoma cells in vitro and the colonization of lung metastases by B16-F10 murine melanoma cells in C57BL/6 mice. The compounds had no agonist or antagonist effects on select LPA or sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors, nor did they inhibit nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase (NPP) enzymes NPP6 and NPP7. These results identify the molecular surface of the hydrophobic pocket of ATX as a targetbinding site for inhibitors of enzymatic activity. Copyright © 2013 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

Molecular recognition in the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor family

Computational modeling and its application in ligand screening and ligand receptor interaction studies play important roles in structure-based drug design. A series of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor ligands with varying potencies and receptor selectivities were docked into homology models of the S1P1-5 receptors. These studies provided molecular insights into pharmacological trends both across the receptor family as well as at single receptors. This study identifies ligand recognition features that generalize across the S1P receptor family, features unique to the S1P4 and S1P5 receptors, and suggests significant structural differences of the S1P2 receptor. Docking results reveal a previously unknown sulfur-aromatic interaction between the S1P4 C5.44 sulfur atom and the phenyl ring of benzimidazole as well as π-π interaction between F3.33 of S1P1,4,5 and aromatic ligands. The findings not only confirm the importance of a cation-π interaction between W4.64 and the ammonium of S1P at S1P4 but also predict the same interaction at S1P5. S1P receptor models are validated for pharmacophore development including database mining and new ligand discovery and serve as tools for ligand optimization to improve potency and selectivity. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Targeting the hydrophobic pocket of autotaxin with virtual screening of inhibitors identifies a common aromatic sulfonamide structural motif

Modulation of autotaxin (ATX), the lysophospholipase D enzyme that produces lysophosphatidic acid, with small-molecule inhibitors is a promising strategy for blocking the ATX-lysophosphatidic acid signaling axis. Although discovery campaigns have been successful in identifying ATX inhibitors, many of the reported inhibitors target the catalytic cleft of ATX. A recent study provided evidence for an additional inhibitory surface in the hydrophobic binding pocket of ATX, confirming prior studies that relied on enzyme kinetics and differential inhibition of substrates varying in size. Multiple hits from previous high-throughput screening for ATX inhibitors were obtained with aromatic sulfonamide derivatives interacting with the hydrophobic pocket. Here, we describe the development of a ligand-based strategy and its application in virtual screening, which yielded novel high-potency inhibitors that target the hydrophobic pocket of ATX. Characterization of the structure-activity relationship of these new inhibitors forms the foundation of a new pharmacophore model of the hydrophobic pocket of ATX. © 2013 FEBS

Identification of non-lipid LPA3 antagonists by virtual screening

In the present study, we utilized virtual screening to identify LPA3 antagonists. We have developed a three-point structure-based pharmacophore model based on known LPA3 antagonists. This model was used to mine the NCI database. Docking, pharmacophore development, and database mining produced new, non-lipid leads. Experimental testing of seven computationally selected pharmacophore hits produced one potentiator and three antagonists, one of which displays both LPA3 selectivity and nanomolar potency. Similarity searching in the ChemBridge database using the most promising lead as the search target produced four additional LPA3 antagonists and a potent dual LPA1&2 antagonist. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved