New Synthetic Thrombin Inhibitors: Molecular Design and Experimental Verification

BACKGROUND: The development of new anticoagulants is an important goal for the improvement of thromboses treatments. OBJECTIVES: The design, synthesis and experimental testing of new safe and effective small molecule direct thrombin inhibitors for intravenous administration. METHODS: Computer-aided molecular design of new thrombin inhibitors was performed using our original docking program SOL, which is based on the genetic algorithm of global energy minimization in the framework of a Merck Molecular Force Field. This program takes into account the effects of solvent. The designed molecules with the best scoring functions (calculated binding energies) were synthesized and their thrombin inhibitory activity evaluated experimentally in vitro using a chromogenic substrate in a buffer system and using a thrombin generation test in isolated plasma and in vivo using the newly developed model of hemodilution-induced hypercoagulation in rats. The acute toxicities of the most promising new thrombin inhibitors were evaluated in mice, and their stabilities in aqueous solutions were measured. RESULTS: New compounds that are both effective direct thrombin inhibitors (the best K(I) was <1 nM) and strong anticoagulants in plasma (an IC(50) in the thrombin generation assay of approximately 100 nM) were discovered. These compounds contain one of the following new residues as the basic fragment: isothiuronium, 4-aminopyridinium, or 2-aminothiazolinium. LD(50) values for the best new inhibitors ranged from 166.7 to >1111.1 mg/kg. A plasma-substituting solution supplemented with one of the new inhibitors prevented hypercoagulation in the rat model of hemodilution-induced hypercoagulation. Activities of the best new inhibitors in physiological saline (1 µM solutions) were stable after sterilization by autoclaving, and the inhibitors remained stable at long-term storage over more than 1.5 years at room temperature and at 4°C. CONCLUSIONS: The high efficacy, stability and low acute toxicity reveal that the inhibitors that were developed may be promising for potential medical applications

Study of adsorption of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein by vibrational spectroscopy using terahertz metamaterials

Adhesion of the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is studied by vibrational spectroscopy using terahertz metamaterials. The features of metastructure absorption upon the deposition of histidine, albumin, and the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein films are investigated. An original technique for quantitative assessment of the efficiency of virus adhesion on the metamaterial surfaces are proposed and experimentally tested

CLINICAL AND LABORATORY FEATURES OF ESSENTIAL THROMBOCYTOSIS AND PRIMARY MYELOFIBROSIS DEPENDING ON JAK2 AND CALR1 MUTATION STATUS

Introduction. JAK2V617F mutation is detected in approximately 50 % of patients with essential thrombocytosis (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). In 2013 most of the JAK2 negative patients showed mutations in the CALR gene. Diagnostic value of JAK2 and CALR mutations is high, but their prognostic significance is not sufficiently clear. Data on impact of JAK2 and CALR mutational status on thrombotic complications in ET and myelofibrosis patients are contradictory.The aim of the study was to identify clinical and laboratory features in patients with ET and PMF in accordance with the mutational status of JAK2V617F and CALR gene.Materials and methods. Patients treated in Almazov National Medical Research Center (St. Petersburg), Chuvash Republican Clinical Hospital (Cheboksary), Irkutsk Regional Clinical Hospital (Irkutsk),  Kirov Research Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (Kirov) was included in the retrospective study. CALR mutation (1 and 2 types), MPL W515L/K and JAK2V617F mutation were detected in peripheral blood cells.Results. We identified that 21 % (n = 16) of ET patients had thrombotic complications, and they occurred more often among JAK2V617F positive patients (p &lt;0.05). The median of hemoglobin level in PMF was the lowest in the group of triple negative patients. The level of leukocytes in PMF was higher in the group of triple negative patients than in the group with mutated CALR (p = 0.014).Conclusion. JAK2V617F mutation in ET patients was associated with a high risk of thrombosis. Patients with CALR mutations may have a favorable prognosis regarding to thrombotic complications. Some laboratory features of CALR mutations in ET and PMF patients have been revealed