Evaluation of Potency and Specificity of Cryptophycin-Loaded Antibody-Drug Conjugates.

An enhanced variant of the antimitotic toxin cryptophycin was conjugated to the anti-Her2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) Trastuzumab upon Michael addition. Either antibodies with freed hinge-region cysteines or THIOMAB formats with engineered cysteines in the mAbs light chain were added to a maleimide derivative of cryptophycin. These Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) showed retained binding to Her2 positive tumor cells and highly efficient cell killing in double-digit pM range on high Her2-expressing SK-BR-3 cells. Two ADCs (DAR 6, DAR 3) showed superior cell killing of the cell lines JIMT-1 and RT112 with medium receptor expression level in comparison with a DAR 6 MMAE ADC serving as reference. The observed cell cytotoxicity is target-dependent since no impact on cell viability was observed for low Her2-expressing MDA-MB468 cells. Particularly the DAR 3 ADC in THIOMAB format exhibiting desirable biophysical properties and high potency emerged as a promising candidate for further in vivo investigations.

Correction: Professor (Dr) Sukh Dev: an iconic scientist with an innate sixth sense who radicalized natural product synthesis & organic chemistry.

Correction for 'Professor (Dr) Sukh Dev: an iconic scientist with an innate sixth sense who radicalized natural product synthesis & organic chemistry' by Harry Kochat et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2024, 22, 5466-5469, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4OB90071E.

Expanding the repertoire of Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) targets with improved tumor selectivity and range of potent payloads through in-silico analysis.

Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as a promising class of targeted cancer therapeutics. Further refinements are essential to unlock their full potential, which is currently limited by a lack of validated targets and payloads. Essential aspects of developing effective ADCs involve the identification of surface antigens, ideally distinguishing target tumor cells from healthy types, uniformly expressed, accompanied by a high potency payload capable of selective targeting. In this study, we integrated transcriptomics, proteomics, immunohistochemistry and cell surface membrane datasets from Human Protein Atlas, Xenabrowser and Gene Expression Omnibus utilizing Lantern Pharma's proprietary AI platform Response Algorithm for Drug positioning and Rescue (RADR®). We used this in combination with evidence based filtering to identify ADC targets with improved tumor selectivity. Our analysis identified a set of 82 targets and a total of 290 target indication combinations for effective tumor targeting. We evaluated the impact of tumor mutations on target expression levels by querying 416 genes in the TCGA mutation database against 22 tumor subtypes. Additionally, we assembled a catalog of compounds to identify potential payloads using the NCI-Developmental Therapeutics Program. Our payload mining strategy classified 729 compounds into three subclasses based on GI50 values spanning from pM to 10 nM range, in combination with sensitivity patterns across 9 different cancer indications. Our results identified a diverse range of both targets and payloads, that can serve to facilitate multiple choices for precise ADC targeting. We propose an initial approach to identify suitable target-indication-payload combinations, serving as a valuable starting point for development of future ADC candidates.

Sphingolipid biosynthetic inhibitor L-Cycloserine prevents oxidative-stress-mediated death in an in vitro model of photoreceptor-derived 661W cells.

Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases. Retinal degeneration causes irreversible death of photoreceptor cells, ultimately leading to vision loss. Under oxidative stress, the synthesis of bioactive sphingolipid ceramide increases, triggering apoptosis in photoreceptor cells and leading to their death. This study investigates the effect of L-Cycloserine, a small molecule inhibitor of ceramide biosynthesis, on sphingolipid metabolism and the protection of photoreceptor-derived 661W cells from oxidative stress. The results demonstrate that treatment with L-Cycloserine, an inhibitor of Serine palmitoyl transferase (SPT), markedly decreases bioactive ceramide and associated sphingolipids in 661W cells. A nontoxic dose of L-Cycloserine can provide substantial protection of 661W cells against H2O2-induced oxidative stress by reversing the increase in ceramide level observed under oxidative stress conditions. Analysis of various antioxidant, apoptotic and sphingolipid pathway genes and proteins also confirms the ability of L-Cycloserine to modulate these pathways. Our findings elucidate the generation of sphingolipid mediators of cell death in retinal cells under oxidative stress and the potential of L-Cycloserine as a therapeutic candidate for targeting ceramide-induced degenerative diseases by inhibiting SPT. The promising therapeutic prospect identified in our findings lays the groundwork for further validation in in-vivo and preclinical models of retinal degeneration.

Targeted Drug Delivery to the Central Nervous System Using Extracellular Vesicles.

The blood brain barrier (BBB) maintains the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS) and protects the brain from toxic substances present in the circulating blood. However, the impermeability of the BBB to drugs is a hurdle for CNS drug development, which hinders the distribution of the most therapeutic molecules into the brain. Therefore, scientists have been striving to develop safe and effective technologies to advance drug penetration into the CNS with higher targeting properties and lower off-targeting side effects. This review will discuss the limitation of artificial nanomedicine in CNS drug delivery and the use of natural extracellular vesicles (EVs), as therapeutic vehicles to achieve targeted delivery to the CNS. Information on clinical trials regarding CNS targeted drug delivery using EVs is very limited. Thus, this review will also briefly highlight the recent clinical studies on targeted drug delivery in the peripheral nervous system to shed light on potential strategies for CNS drug delivery. Different technologies engaged in pre- and post-isolation have been implemented to further utilize and optimize the natural property of EVs. EVs from various sources have also been applied in the engineering of EVs for CNS targeted drug delivery in vitro and in vivo. Here, the future feasibility of those studies in clinic will be discussed.

PLGA Nanoparticle-Based Formulations to Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier for Drug Delivery: From R&D to cGMP.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a natural obstacle for drug delivery into the human brain, hindering treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as acute ischemic stroke, brain tumors, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-associated neurocognitive disorders. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a biocompatible polymer that is used in Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved pharmaceutical products and medical devices. PLGA nanoparticles (NPs) have been reported to improve drug penetration across the BBB both in vitro and in vivo. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), and poloxamer (Pluronic) are widely used as excipients to further improve the stability and effectiveness of PLGA formulations. Peptides and other linkers can be attached on the surface of PLGA to provide targeting delivery. With the newly published guidance from the FDA and the progress of current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) technologies, manufacturing PLGA NP-based drug products can be achieved with higher efficiency, larger quantity, and better quality. The translation from bench to bed is feasible with proper research, concurrent development, quality control, and regulatory assurance.

Challenges in Biomaterial-Based Drug Delivery Approach for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases: Opportunities for Extracellular Vesicles.

Biomaterials have been the subject of numerous studies to pursue potential therapeutic interventions for a wide variety of disorders and diseases. The physical and chemical properties of various materials have been explored to develop natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic materials with distinct advantages for use as drug delivery systems for the central nervous system (CNS) and non-CNS diseases. In this review, an overview of popular biomaterials as drug delivery systems for neurogenerative diseases is provided, balancing the potential and challenges associated with the CNS drug delivery. As an effective drug delivery system, desired properties of biomaterials are discussed, addressing the persistent challenges such as targeted drug delivery, stimuli responsiveness, and controlled drug release in vivo. Finally, we discuss the prospects and limitations of incorporating extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a drug delivery system and their use for biocompatible, stable, and targeted delivery with limited immunogenicity, as well as their ability to be delivered via a non-invasive approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Cysteine specific targeting of the functionally distinct peroxiredoxin and glutaredoxin proteins by the investigational disulfide BNP7787.

Glutaredoxin (Grx), peroxiredoxin (Prx), and thioredoxin (Trx) are redoxin family proteins that catalyze different types of chemical reactions that impact cell growth and survival through functionally distinct intracellular pathways. Much research is focused on understanding the roles of these redoxin proteins in the development and/or progression of human diseases. Grx and Prx are overexpressed in human cancers, including human lung cancers. BNP7787 is a novel investigational agent that has been evaluated in previous clinical studies, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) studies. Herein, data from activity assays, mass spectrometry analyses, and X-ray crystallographic studies indicate that BNP7787 forms mixed disulfides with select cysteine residues on Grx and Prx and modulates their function. Studies of interactions between BNP7787 and Trx have been conducted and reported separately. Despite the fact that Trx, Grx, and Prx are functionally distinct proteins that impact oxidative stress, cell proliferation and disease processes through different intracellular pathways, BNP7787 can modify each protein and appears to modulate function through mechanisms that are unique to each target protein. Tumor cells are often genomically heterogeneous containing subpopulations of cancer cells that often express different tumor-promoting proteins or that have multiple dysregulated signaling pathways modulating cell proliferation and drug resistance. A multi-targeted agent that simultaneously modulates activity of proteins important in mediating cell proliferation by functionally distinct intracellular pathways could have many potentially useful therapeutic applications.

Novel covalent modification of human anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and potentiation of crizotinib-mediated inhibition of ALK activity by BNP7787.

BNP7787 (Tavocept, disodium 2,2'-dithio-bis-ethanesulfonate) is a novel, investigational, water-soluble disulfide that is well-tolerated and nontoxic. In separate randomized multicenter Phase II and Phase III clinical trials in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, treatment with BNP7787 in combination with standard chemotherapy resulted in substantial increases in the overall survival of patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung in the first-line treatment setting. We hypothesized that BNP7787 might interact with and modify human anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). At least seven different variants of ALK fusions with the gene encoding the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) are known to occur in NSCLC. EML4-ALK fusions are thought to account for approximately 3% of NSCLC cases. Herein, we report the covalent modification of the kinase domain of human ALK by a BNP7787-derived mesna moiety and the functional consequences of this modification in ALK assays evaluating kinase activity. The kinase domain of the ALK protein crystallizes as a monomer, and BNP7787-derived mesna-cysteine adducts were observed at Cys 1235 and Cys 1156. The BNP7787-derived mesna adduct at Cys 1156 is located in close proximity to the active site and results in substantial disorder of the P-loop and activation loop (A-loop). Comparison with the P-loop of apo-ALK suggests that the BNP7787-derived mesna adduct at Cys 1156 interferes with the positioning of Phe 1127 into a small pocket now occupied by mesna, resulting in a destabilization of the loop's binding orientation. Additionally, in vitro kinase activity assays indicate that BNP7787 inhibits ALK catalytic activity and potentiates the activity of the ALK-targeted drug crizotinib.

Stabilization of the Karenitecin® lactone by alpha-1 acid glycoprotein.

PURPOSE: Camptothecins contain a lactone ring that is necessary for antitumor activity, and hydrolysis of the lactone ring yields an inactive carboxylate species. Human serum albumin (HSA) and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) are clinically significant plasma proteins thought to have important roles in camptothecin lactone stability. Herein, we examined the effect(s) of HSA and AGP on the lactone stability of Karenitecin, a novel, highly lipophilic camptothecin analog, currently at the phase 3 clinical testing stage. METHODS: An AGP-immobilized protein column was used to develop HPLC methods to evaluate the effect(s) of physiologically relevant HSA and AGP concentrations on the lactone/carboxylate ratio and hydrolysis kinetics of Karenitecin, camptothecin (CPT), and topotecan (TPT). RESULTS: Physiologically relevant concentrations of HSA and AGP substantially slowed Karenitecin lactone hydrolysis. AGP was notably more effective at protecting the Karenitecin lactone from hydrolysis than HSA was in promoting hydrolysis. Additionally, AGP reversed the hydrolysis of partially hydrolyzed Karenitecin lactone. In contrast, HSA and AGP had minimal effects on hydrolysis of the TPT lactone, while the AGP/HSA solutions dramatically accelerated hydrolysis of the CPT lactone. CONCLUSION: AGP strongly enhances the lactone stability of Karenitecin. Since Karenitecin is highly protein-bound in human plasma and exhibits greater lactone stability, relative to other camptothecins, in patient plasma samples, this newly identified role of AGP in promoting lactone stability may have important implications for the design of more effective anticancer agents within the Karentecin™ and camptothecin classes.

BNP7787-mediated modulation of paclitaxel- and cisplatin-induced aberrant microtubule protein polymerization in vitro.

Taxane and platinum drugs are important agents in the treatment of cancer and have shown activity against a variety of tumors, including ovarian, breast, and lung cancer, either as single agents or in combination with other chemotherapy drugs. However, a serious and prevalent side effect of taxane (docetaxel and all formulations/derivatives of paclitaxel) and platinum (cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin) agents is dose-limiting chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). CIPN can result in treatment delays, dose modifications, and, in severe cases, discontinuation of chemotherapy. Consequently, effective treatments for CIPN are needed. Dimesna (BNP7787; Tavocept; disodium 2,2'-dithio-bis-ethanesulfonate) is an investigational drug that is undergoing international clinical development as a treatment that is coadministered with first-line taxane and platinum combination chemotherapy in patients with inoperable advanced primary adenocarcinoma of the lung. BNP7787 is currently being developed with the objective of increasing the survival of cancer patients receiving taxane- and/or cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Additional data indicate that BNP7787 may also protect against common and serious chemotherapy-induced toxicities, including chemotherapy-induced anemia, nausea, emesis, nephrotoxicity, and neuropathy, without interfering with antitumor activity of the chemotherapeutic agent(s). Studies herein show that BNP7787 prevents aberrant microtubule protein (MTP) polymerization that is caused by exposure of MTP to paclitaxel or cisplatin. BNP7787 modulates paclitaxel-induced hyperpolymerization of MTP in a dose-dependent manner, and mesna, an in vivo metabolite of BNP7787, protects against time-dependent cisplatin-induced inactivation of MTP. We propose that interactions between BNP7787 and MTP may play a role in BNP7787-mediated protection against CIPN.

Mechanistic study of BNP7787-mediated cisplatin nephroprotection: modulation of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.

PURPOSE: The mechanisms for cisplatin-induced renal cell injury have been the focus of intense investigation for many years with a view to provide a more effective and convenient form of nephroprotection. BNP7787 (disodium 2,2'-dithio-bis ethane sulfonate; dimesna, Tavocept), is a water-soluble disulfide investigational new drug that is undergoing clinical development for the prevention and mitigation of clinically important chemotherapy-induced toxicities associated with platinum-type chemotherapeutic agents. We hypothesized that part of BNP7787's mechanism of action (MOA) pertaining to the potential prevention of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity involves the inhibition of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) activity, mediated by BNP7787-derived mesna-disulfide heteroconjugates that contain a terminal gamma-glutamate moiety [e.g., mesna-glutathione (MSSGlutathione) and mesna-cysteinyl-glutamate (MSSCE)]. METHODS: Inhibition studies were conducted on human and porcine GGT to determine the effect of mesna-disulfide heteroconjugates on the enzyme's activity in vitro. These studies utilized a fluorimetric assay that monitored the hydrolysis of L-gamma-glutamyl-7-amino-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin (GG-AFC) to AFC. RESULTS: Mesna-disulfide heteroconjugates that contained gamma-glutamyl moieties were potent inhibitors of human and porcine GGT. An in situ-generated mesna-cisplatin conjugate was not a substrate for GGT. CONCLUSIONS: The GGT xenobiotic metabolism pathway is postulated to be a major toxification pathway for cisplatin nephrotoxicity, and BNP7787 may play a novel and critical therapeutic role in the modulation of GGT activity. We further postulate that there are two general mechanisms for BNP7787-mediated nephroprotection against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity involving this pathway. First, the active BNP7787 pharmacophore, mesna, produces an inactive mesna-cisplatin conjugate that is not a substrate for the GGT toxification pathway (GGT xenobiotic metabolism pathway) and, second, BNP7787-derived mesna-disulfide heteroconjugates may serve as selective, potent inhibitors of GGT, possibly resulting in nephroprotection by a novel means.

Analysis of BNP7787 thiol-disulfide exchange reactions in phosphate buffer and human plasma using microscale electrochemical high performance liquid chromatography.

BNP7787 (disodium 2,2'-dithio-bis ethane sulfonate; Tavocept) is a novel water-soluble investigational agent that is undergoing clinical development for prevention and mitigation of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. BNP7787 is a disulfide that undergoes thiol-disulfide exchange reactions in vivo with physiological thiols. Mesna-disulfide heteroconjugates that form as a result of these exchange reactions may play a key role in the protection against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Although several analytical methods have been used to detect thiols and disulfides, they have notable limitations including (i) low sensitivity, (ii) interference by chemical modification by derivatization reagents, and (iii) cumbersome sample preparation. In this paper, a sensitive micro-HPLC-EC method is described that identifies BNP7787 and mesna in plasma and phosphate buffer across a broad concentration range from 500nM to 100microM. This method utilizes a dual electrochemical detector equipped with a wall-jet gold electrode. The approach described here facilitates the identification of BNP7787 and mesna down to nanomolar levels. Although we did not focus on optimizing the approach for other thiol and disulfide compounds, we believe this approach could be optimized and used in the identification of other thiols and disulfides in plasma. The assay requires significantly less sample preparation and does not involve the use of derivatizing agents (i.e., the thiol and disulfide species can be detected directly) and represents an important advance over previous methods. This method was used to detect and quantitate BNP7787 and to monitor and kinetically characterize the interactions of BNP7787 with glutathione, cysteine, cysteinyl-glycine, cysteinyl-glutamate and homocysteine.

New approaches to drug discovery and development: a mechanism-based approach to pharmaceutical research and its application to BNP7787, a novel chemoprotective agent.

Any approach applied to drug discovery and development by the medical community and pharmaceutical industry has a direct impact on the future availability of improved, novel, and curative therapies for patients with cancer. By definition, drug discovery is a complex learning process whereby research efforts are directed toward uncovering and assimilating new knowledge to create and develop a drug for the purpose of providing benefit to a defined patient population. Accordingly, a highly desirable technology or approach to drug discovery should facilitate both effective learning and the application of newly discovered observations that can be exploited for therapeutic benefit. However, some believe that drug discovery is largely accomplished by serendipity and therefore appropriately addressed by screening a large number of compounds. Clearly, this approach has not generated an abundance of new drugs for cancer patients and suggests that a tangibly different approach in drug discovery is warranted. We employ an alternative approach to drug discovery, which is based on the elucidation and exploitation of biological, pharmacological, and biochemical mechanisms that have not been previously recognized or fully understood. Mechanism-based drug discovery involves the combined application of physics-based computer simulations and laboratory experimentation. There is increasing evidence that agreement between simulations based on the laws of physics and experimental observations results in a higher probability that such observations are more accurate and better understood as compared with either approach used alone. Physics-based computer simulation applied to drug discovery is now considered by experts in the field to be one of the ultimate methodologies for drug discovery. However, the ability to perform truly comprehensive physics-based molecular simulations remains limited by several factors, including the enormous computer-processing power that is required to perform the formidable mathematical operations and data processing (e.g. memory bandwidth, data storage and retrieval). Another major consideration is the development of software that can generate an appropriate and increasingly complex physical representation of the atomic arrangements of biological systems. During the past 17 years, we have made tremendous progress in addressing some of these obstacles by developing and optimizing physics-based computer programs for the purpose of obtaining increasingly accurate and precise information and by improving the speed of computation. To perform physics-based simulations that involve complex systems of biological and pharmaceutical interest, we have developed methods that enable us to exceed Moore's law. This has been accomplished by parallel processing as well as other methods that have enabled us to study more complex and relevant molecular systems of interest. This paper provides an overview of our approach to drug discovery and describes a novel drug, currently in clinical development, which has directly resulted from the application of this approach.