Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Mostrar: 20 | 50 | 100
Resultados 1 - 20 de 60
Filtrar
Más filtros

Bases de datos
País/Región como asunto
Tipo del documento
Intervalo de año de publicación
1.
Blood ; 2024 Aug 16.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39158066

RESUMEN

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an incurable malignancy characterised by altered expression of coding and non-coding genes promoting tumour growth and drug resistance. Although the crucial role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in MM is clearly established, the function of the non-coding RNAome, which might allow the design of novel therapeutics, is largely unknown. We performed an unbiased CRISPR-Cas9 loss-of-function screen of 671 lncRNAs in MM cells and their Bortezomib (BZB)-resistant derivative. To rank functionally and clinically relevant candidates, we designed and used a bioinformatic prioritisation pipeline combining functional data from cellular screens with prognostic and transcriptional data from MM patients. With this approach, we unveiled and prioritised 8 onco-lncRNAs essential for MM cell fitness, associated with high expression and poor prognosis in MM patients. The previously uncharacterised RP11-350G8.5 emerged as the most promising target, irrespective of BZB resistance. We i) demonstrated the anti-tumoral effect obtained by RP11-350G8.5 inhibition in vitro and in vivo; ii) highlighted a modulation of the unfolded protein response and the induction of immunogenic cell death triggered by the RP11-350G8.5 knock-out, via RNA-sequencing and molecular studies; iii) characterised its cytoplasmic homing through RNA-FISH; iv) predicted its 2D structure and identified 2 G-quadruplex and 3 hairpin-forming regions by biophysical assays, including Thioflavin T, 1H-NMR and circular dichroism to pave the way to the development of novel targeted therapeutics. Overall we provided innovative insights about unexplored lncRNAs in MM and identified RP11-350G8.5 as an oncogenic target for treatment-naïve and BZB-resistant MM patients.

2.
Haematologica ; 2024 Jun 20.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38899342

RESUMEN

Hematological cancers are among the most common cancers in adults and children. Despite significant improvements in therapies, many patients still succumb to the disease. Therefore, novel therapies are needed. The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) family regulates actin assembly in conjunction with the Arp2/3 complex, a ubiquitous nucleation factor. WASp is expressed exclusively in hematopoietic cells and exists in two allosteric conformations: autoinhibited or activated. Here, we describe the development of EG-011, a first-in-class small molecule activator of the WASp auto-inhibited form. EG-011 possesses in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity as a single agent in lymphoma, leukemia, and multiple myeloma, including models of secondary resistance to PI3K, BTK, and proteasome inhibitors. The in vitro activity was confirmed in a lymphoma xenograft. Actin polymerization and WASp binding was demonstrated using multiple techniques. Transcriptome analysis highlighted homology with drugs-inducing actin polymerization.

3.
Bioorg Chem ; 140: 106794, 2023 11.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37659146

RESUMEN

Designing and discovering compounds for dual-target inhibitors is challenging to synthesize new, safer, and more efficient drugs than single-target drugs, especially to treat multifactorial diseases such as cancer. The simultaneous regulation of multiple targets might represent an alternative synthetic approach to optimize patient compliance and tolerance, minimizing the risk of target-based drug resistance due to the modulation of a few targets. To this end, we conceived for the first time the design and synthesis of dual-ligands σR/HDACi to evaluate possible employment as innovative candidates to address this complex disease. Among all synthesized compounds screened for several tumoral cell lines, compound 6 (Kiσ1R = 38 ± 3.7; Kiσ2R = 2917 ± 769 and HDACs IC50 = 0.59 µM) is the most promising candidate as an antiproliferative agent with an IC50 of 0.9 µM on the HCT116 cell line and no significant toxicity to normal cells. Studies of molecular docking, which confirmed the affinity over σ1R and a pan-HDACs inhibitory behavior, support a possible balanced affinity and activity between both targets.


Asunto(s)
Sistemas de Liberación de Medicamentos , Humanos , Ligandos , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , Línea Celular Tumoral , Células HCT116
4.
Arch Pharm (Weinheim) ; 356(8): e2300134, 2023 08.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37309243

RESUMEN

Nowadays, RNA is an attractive target for the design of new small molecules with different pharmacological activities. Among several RNA molecules, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are extensively reported to be involved in cancer pathogenesis. In particular, the overexpression of lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) plays an important role in the development of multiple myeloma (MM). Starting from the crystallographic structure of the triple-helical stability element at the 3'-end of MALAT1, we performed a structure-based virtual screening of a large commercial database, previously filtered according to the drug-like properties. After a thermodynamic analysis, we selected five compounds for the in vitro assays. Compound M5, characterized by a diazaindene scaffold, emerged as the most promising molecule enabling the destabilization of the MALAT1 triplex structure and antiproliferative activity on in vitro models of MM. M5 is proposed as a lead compound to be further optimized for improving its affinity toward MALAT1.


Asunto(s)
ARN Largo no Codificante , ARN Largo no Codificante/genética , ARN Largo no Codificante/química , Relación Estructura-Actividad
5.
J Transl Med ; 20(1): 482, 2022 10 22.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36273153

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: DNA ligases are crucial for DNA repair and cell replication since they catalyze the final steps in which DNA breaks are joined. DNA Ligase III (LIG3) exerts a pivotal role in Alternative-Non-Homologous End Joining Repair (Alt-NHEJ), an error-prone DNA repair pathway often up-regulated in genomically unstable cancer, such as Multiple Myeloma (MM). Based on the three-dimensional (3D) LIG3 structure, we performed a computational screening to identify LIG3-targeting natural compounds as potential candidates to counteract Alt-NHEJ activity in MM. METHODS: Virtual screening was conducted by interrogating the Phenol Explorer database. Validation of binding to LIG3 recombinant protein was performed by Saturation Transfer Difference (STD)-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. Cell viability was analyzed by Cell Titer-Glo assay; apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometric analysis following Annexin V-7AAD staining. Alt-NHEJ repair modulation was evaluated using plasmid re-joining assay and Cytoscan HD. DNA Damage Response protein levels were analyzed by Western blot of whole and fractionated protein extracts and immunofluorescence analysis. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number was determined by qPCR. In vivo activity was evaluated in NOD-SCID mice subcutaneously engrafted with MM cells. RESULTS: Here, we provide evidence that a natural flavonoid Rhamnetin (RHM), selected by a computational approach, counteracts LIG3 activity and killed Alt-NHEJ-dependent MM cells. Indeed, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) showed binding of RHM to LIG3 protein and functional experiments revealed that RHM interferes with LIG3-driven nuclear and mitochondrial DNA repair, leading to significant anti-MM activity in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings provide proof of concept that RHM targets LIG3 addiction in MM and may represent therefore a novel promising anti-tumor natural agent to be investigated in an early clinical setting.


Asunto(s)
ADN Ligasa (ATP) , Reparación del ADN , Flavonoides , Mieloma Múltiple , Animales , Ratones , Anexina A5/genética , Anexina A5/metabolismo , ADN Ligasa (ATP)/genética , ADN Ligasa (ATP)/metabolismo , ADN Ligasas/química , ADN Ligasas/genética , ADN Ligasas/metabolismo , Reparación del ADN/efectos de los fármacos , Reparación del ADN/genética , ADN Mitocondrial/efectos de los fármacos , ADN Mitocondrial/genética , ADN Mitocondrial/metabolismo , Flavonoides/farmacología , Flavonoides/uso terapéutico , Ratones Endogámicos NOD , Ratones SCID , Mieloma Múltiple/tratamiento farmacológico , Mieloma Múltiple/genética , Mieloma Múltiple/metabolismo , Fenoles , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo
6.
Int J Mol Sci ; 23(18)2022 Sep 06.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36142133

RESUMEN

Microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs) are effective drugs for cancer treatment. A novel diaryl [1,2]oxazole class of compounds binding the colchicine site was synthesized as cis-restricted-combretastatin-A-4-analogue and then chemically modified to have improved solubility and a wider therapeutic index as compared to vinca alkaloids and taxanes. On these bases, a new class of tricyclic compounds, containing the [1,2]oxazole ring and an isoindole moiety, has been synthetized, among which SIX2G emerged as improved MTA. Several findings highlighted the ability of some chemotherapeutics to induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), which is defined by the cell surface translocation of Calreticulin (CALR) via dissociation of the PP1/GADD34 complex. In this regard, we computationally predicted the ability of SIX2G to induce CALR exposure by interacting with the PP1 RVxF domain. We then assessed both the potential cytotoxic and immunogenic activity of SIX2G on in vitro models of multiple myeloma (MM), which is an incurable hematological malignancy characterized by an immunosuppressive milieu. We found that the treatment with SIX2G inhibited cell viability by inducing G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, we observed the increase of hallmarks of ICD such as CALR exposure, ATP release and phospho-eIF2α protein level. Through co-culture experiments with immune cells, we demonstrated the increase of (i) CD86 maturation marker on dendritic cells, (ii) CD69 activation marker on cytotoxic T cells, and (iii) phagocytosis of tumor cells following treatment with SIX2G, confirming the onset of an immunogenic cascade. In conclusion, our findings provide a framework for further development of SIX2G as a new potential anti-MM agent.


Asunto(s)
Antineoplásicos , Mieloma Múltiple , Alcaloides de la Vinca , Humanos , Adenosina Trifosfato/metabolismo , Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Antineoplásicos/uso terapéutico , Calreticulina/metabolismo , Línea Celular Tumoral , Colchicina/farmacología , Muerte Celular Inmunogénica , Isoindoles/farmacología , Microtúbulos/metabolismo , Mieloma Múltiple/tratamiento farmacológico , Oxazoles/farmacología , Taxoides/farmacología , Alcaloides de la Vinca/farmacología , Pemetrexed/farmacología , Pemetrexed/uso terapéutico
7.
Bioorg Chem ; 116: 105301, 2021 11.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34492558

RESUMEN

A combination of several pharmacophores in one molecule has been successfully used for multi-target-directed ligands (MTDL) design. New propargylamine substituted derivatives combined with salicylic and cinnamic scaffolds were designed and synthesized as potential cholinesterases and monoamine oxidases (MAOs) inhibitors. They were evaluated invitro for inhibition of acetyl- (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) using Ellman's method. All the compounds act as dual inhibitors. Most of the derivatives are stronger inhibitors of AChE, the best activity showed 5-bromo-N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)salicylamide 1e (IC50 = 8.05 µM). Carbamates (4-bromo-2-[(prop-2-yn-1-yl)carbamoyl]phenyl ethyl(methyl)carbamate 2d and 2,4-dibromo-6-[(prop-2-yn-1-yl)carbamoyl]phenyl ethyl(methyl)carbamate 2e were selective and the most active for BuChE (25.10 and 26.09 µM). 4-Bromo-2-[(prop-2-yn-1-ylimino)methyl]phenol 4a was the most potent inhibitor of MAOs (IC50 of 3.95 and ≈10 µM for MAO-B and MAO-A, respectively) along with a balanced inhibition of both cholinesterases being a real MTDL. The mechanism of action was proposed, and binding modes of the hits were studied by molecular docking on human enzymes. Some of the derivatives also exhibited antioxidant properties. Insilico prediction of physicochemical parameters affirm that the molecules would be active after oral administration and able to reach brain tissue.


Asunto(s)
Antioxidantes/farmacología , Inhibidores de la Colinesterasa/farmacología , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , Inhibidores de la Monoaminooxidasa/farmacología , Pargilina/análogos & derivados , Propilaminas/farmacología , Animales , Antioxidantes/síntesis química , Antioxidantes/química , Butirilcolinesterasa/metabolismo , Células Cultivadas , Inhibidores de la Colinesterasa/síntesis química , Inhibidores de la Colinesterasa/química , Colinesterasas/metabolismo , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Electrophorus , Hepatocitos/efectos de los fármacos , Hepatocitos/metabolismo , Caballos , Humanos , Masculino , Estructura Molecular , Monoaminooxidasa/metabolismo , Inhibidores de la Monoaminooxidasa/síntesis química , Inhibidores de la Monoaminooxidasa/química , Pargilina/síntesis química , Pargilina/química , Pargilina/farmacología , Propilaminas/síntesis química , Propilaminas/química , Ratas , Ratas Wistar , Especies Reactivas de Oxígeno/metabolismo , Relación Estructura-Actividad
8.
Neuroimage ; 216: 116128, 2020 08 01.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31473349

RESUMEN

Spatial demonstratives are powerful linguistic tools used to establish joint attention. Identifying the meaning of semantically underspecified expressions like "this one" hinges on the integration of linguistic and visual cues, attentional orienting and pragmatic inference. This synergy between language and extralinguistic cognition is pivotal to language comprehension in general, but especially prominent in demonstratives. In this study, we aimed to elucidate which neural architectures enable this intertwining between language and extralinguistic cognition using a naturalistic fMRI paradigm. In our experiment, 28 participants listened to a specially crafted dialogical narrative with a controlled number of spatial demonstratives. A fast multiband-EPI acquisition sequence (TR = 388 m s) combined with finite impulse response (FIR) modelling of the hemodynamic response was used to capture signal changes at word-level resolution. We found that spatial demonstratives bilaterally engage a network of parietal areas, including the supramarginal gyrus, the angular gyrus, and precuneus, implicated in information integration and visuospatial processing. Moreover, demonstratives recruit frontal regions, including the right FEF, implicated in attentional orienting and reference frames shifts. Finally, using multivariate similarity analyses, we provide evidence for a general involvement of the dorsal ("where") stream in the processing of spatial expressions, as opposed to ventral pathways encoding object semantics. Overall, our results suggest that language processing relies on a distributed architecture, recruiting neural resources for perception, attention, and extra-linguistic aspects of cognition in a dynamic and context-dependent fashion.


Asunto(s)
Lenguaje , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Percepción Espacial/fisiología , Vías Visuales/diagnóstico por imagen , Vías Visuales/fisiología , Estimulación Acústica/métodos , Adulto , Atención/fisiología , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Lóbulo Parietal/diagnóstico por imagen , Lóbulo Parietal/fisiología , Desempeño Psicomotor/fisiología
9.
Int J Mol Sci ; 21(23)2020 Nov 30.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33266221

RESUMEN

Food-drug interaction is an infrequently considered aspect in clinical practice. Usually, drugs are taken together with meals and what follows may adversely affect pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, and hence, the therapeutic effects. In this study, a computational protocol was proposed to explain the different assimilations of two µ-receptors agonists, eluxadoline and loperamide, with a peculiar pharmacokinetic profile. Compared to loperamide, eluxadoline is absorbed less after the intake of a fatty meal, and the LogP values do not explain this event. Firstly, keeping in mind the different pH in the intestinal tract, the protonation states of both compounds were calculated. Then, all structures were subjected to a conformational search by using MonteCarlo and Molecular Dynamics methods, with solvation terms mimicking the water and weak polar solvent (octanol). Both computational results showed that eluxadoline has less conformational freedom in octanol, unlike loperamide, which exhibits constant behavior in both solvents. Therefore, we hypothesize that fatty meal causes the "closure" of the eluxadoline molecule to prevent the exposure of the polar groups and their interaction with water, necessary for the drug absorption. Based on our results, this work could be a reasonable "case study", useful for future investigation of the drug pharmacokinetic profile.


Asunto(s)
Dieta Alta en Grasa , Grasas de la Dieta , Grasas/química , Interacciones Alimento-Droga , Imidazoles/química , Comidas , Fenilalanina/análogos & derivados , Humanos , Imidazoles/farmacología , Modelos Moleculares , Conformación Molecular , Método de Montecarlo , Fenilalanina/química , Fenilalanina/farmacología , Electricidad Estática , Relación Estructura-Actividad
10.
Molecules ; 25(9)2020 May 06.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32384767

RESUMEN

Essential oils (EOs) are popular in aromatherapy, a branch of alternative medicine that claims their curative effects. Moreover, several studies reported EOs as potential anti-cancer agents by inducing apoptosis in different cancer cell models. In this study, we have considered EOs as a potential resource of new kinase inhibitors with a polypharmacological profile. On the other hand, computational methods offer the possibility to predict the theoretical activity profile of ligands, discovering dangerous off-targets and/or synergistic effects due to the potential multi-target action. With this aim, we performed a Structure-Based Virtual Screening (SBVS) against X-ray models of several protein kinases selected from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) by using a chemoinformatics database of EOs. By evaluating theoretical binding affinity, 13 molecules were detected among EOs as new potential kinase inhibitors with a multi-target profile. The two compounds with higher percentages in the EOs were studied more in depth by means Induced Fit Docking (IFD) protocol, in order to better predict their binding modes taking into account also structural changes in the receptor. Finally, given its good binding affinity towards five different kinases, cinnamyl cinnamate was biologically tested on different cell lines with the aim to verify the antiproliferative activity. Thus, this work represents a starting point for the optimization of the most promising EOs structure as kinase inhibitors with multi-target features.


Asunto(s)
Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Aceites Volátiles/química , Inhibidores de Proteínas Quinasas/farmacología , Proteínas Quinasas/química , Línea Celular Tumoral , Supervivencia Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Cinamatos/farmacología , Receptores ErbB/química , Humanos , Ligandos , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , Aceites Volátiles/análisis , Polifarmacología , Proteínas Tirosina Quinasas/química , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas B-raf/química , Piruvato Deshidrogenasa Quinasa Acetil-Transferidora/química , Proteínas Tirosina Quinasas Receptoras/química , Relación Estructura-Actividad
11.
Molecules ; 25(23)2020 Nov 25.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33255661

RESUMEN

Mushrooms can be considered a valuable source of natural bioactive compounds with potential polypharmacological effects due to their proven antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, and antioxidant activities. In order to identify new potential anticancer compounds, an in-house chemical database of molecules extracted from both edible and non-edible fungal species was employed in a virtual screening against the isoform 7 of the Histone deacetylase (HDAC). This target is known to be implicated in different cancer processes, and in particular in both breast and ovarian tumors. In this work, we proposed the ibotenic acid as lead compound for the development of novel HDAC7 inhibitors, due to its antiproliferative activity in human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). These promising results represent the starting point for the discovery and the optimization of new HDAC7 inhibitors and highlight the interesting opportunity to apply the "drug repositioning" paradigm also to natural compounds deriving from mushrooms.


Asunto(s)
Antineoplásicos/química , Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Productos Biológicos/química , Productos Biológicos/farmacología , Hongos/química , Inhibidores de Histona Desacetilasas/química , Inhibidores de Histona Desacetilasas/farmacología , Antineoplásicos/aislamiento & purificación , Sitios de Unión , Productos Biológicos/aislamiento & purificación , Línea Celular Tumoral , Reposicionamiento de Medicamentos , Inhibidores de Histona Desacetilasas/aislamiento & purificación , Histona Desacetilasas , Humanos , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , Simulación de Dinámica Molecular , Estructura Molecular , Unión Proteica , Relación Estructura-Actividad
12.
J Psycholinguist Res ; 48(4): 843-858, 2019 Aug.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30863915

RESUMEN

We investigated biases in the organization of imagery by asking participants to make stick-figure drawings of sentences containing a man, a woman and a transitive action (e.g. she kisses that guy). Previous findings show that prominent features of meaning and sentence structure are placed to the left in drawings, according to reading direction (e.g. Stroustrup and Wallentin in Lang Cogn 10(2):193-207, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2017.19 ). Five hundred thirty participants listened to sentences in Danish and made eight drawings each. We replicated three findings: (1) that the first mentioned element is placed to the left more often, (2) that the agent in the sentence is placed to the left, and (3) that the grammatical subject is placed to the left of the object. We further tested hypotheses related to deixis and gender stereotypes. By adding demonstratives (e.g. Danish equivalents of this and that), that have been found to indicate attentional prominence, we tested the hypothesis that this is also translated into a left-ward bias in the produced drawings. We were unable to find support for this hypothesis. Analyses of gender biases tested the presence of a gender identification and a gender stereotype effect. According to the identification hypothesis, participants should attribute prominence to their own gender and draw it to the left, and according to the stereotype effect participants should be more prone to draw the male character to the left, regardless of own gender. We were not able to find significant support for either of the two gender effects. The combination of replications and null-findings suggest that the left-ward bias in the drawing experiment might be narrowly tied to left-to-right distribution in written language and less to overall prominence. No effect of handedness was observed.


Asunto(s)
Lenguaje , Lingüística , Lectura , Adolescente , Dinamarca , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino
13.
Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj ; 1861(5 Pt B): 1329-1340, 2017 May.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28025082

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Recent findings demonstrated that, in mammalian cells, telomere DNA (Tel) is transcribed into telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), which is involved in fundamental biological processes, thus representing a promising anticancer target. For this reason, the discovery of dual (as well as selective) Tel/TERRA G-quadruplex (G4) binders could represent an innovative strategy to enhance telomerase inhibition. METHODS: Initially, docking simulations of known Tel and TERRA active ligands were performed on the 3D coordinates of bimolecular G4 Tel DNA (Tel2) and TERRA (TERRA2). Structure-based pharmacophore models were generated on the best complexes and employed for the virtual screening of ~257,000 natural compounds. The 20 best candidates were submitted to biophysical assays, which included circular dichroism and mass spectrometry at different K+ concentrations. RESULTS: Three hits were here identified and characterized by biophysical assays. Compound 7 acts as dual Tel2/TERRA2 G4-ligand at physiological KCl concentration, while hits 15 and 17 show preferential thermal stabilization for Tel2 DNA. The different molecular recognition against the two targets was also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: Our successful results pave the way to further lead optimization to achieve both increased selectivity and stabilizing effect against TERRA and Tel DNA G4s. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: The current study combines for the first time molecular modelling and biophysical assays applied to bimolecular DNA and RNA G4s, leading to the identification of innovative ligand chemical scaffolds with a promising anticancer profile. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "G-quadruplex" Guest Editor: Dr. Concetta Giancola and Dr. Daniela Montesarchio.


Asunto(s)
Antineoplásicos/metabolismo , ADN/metabolismo , Diseño de Fármacos , G-Cuádruplex , Guanosina/metabolismo , ARN/metabolismo , Telomerasa/metabolismo , Antineoplásicos/química , Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Sitios de Unión , Dicroismo Circular , ADN/química , ADN/efectos de los fármacos , ADN/genética , G-Cuádruplex/efectos de los fármacos , Guanosina/química , Ensayos Analíticos de Alto Rendimiento , Ligandos , Simulación del Acoplamiento Molecular , Desnaturalización de Ácido Nucleico , Potasio/química , ARN/química , ARN/efectos de los fármacos , ARN/genética , Estabilidad del ARN , Espectrometría de Masa por Ionización de Electrospray , Relación Estructura-Actividad , Telomerasa/química , Telomerasa/efectos de los fármacos , Telomerasa/genética , Temperatura
14.
Molecules ; 22(9)2017 Sep 19.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32961649

RESUMEN

Mushrooms are widely-consumed fungi which contain natural compounds that can be used both for their nutritive and medicinal properties, i.e., taking advantage of their antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, anti-allergic, immunomodulation, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherogenic, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects. Currently, scientific interest in natural compounds extracted from the fungal species is increasing because these compounds are also known to have pharmacological/biological activity. Unfortunately, however, their mechanisms of action are often unknown, not well understood or have not been investigated in their entirety. Given the poly-pharmacological properties of bioactive fungal compounds, it was decided to carry out a multi-targeted approach to predict possible interactions occurring among bioactive natural fungal extracts and several macromolecular targets that are therapeutically interesting, i.e., proteins, enzymes and nucleic acids. A chemical database of compounds extracted from both edible and no-edible mushrooms was created. This database was virtually screened against 43 macromolecular targets downloaded from the Protein Data Bank website. The aim of this work is to provide a molecular description of the main interactions involving ligand/multi-target recognition in order to understand the polypharmacological profile of the most interesting fungal extracts and to suggest a design strategy of new multi-target agents.

15.
Molecules ; 20(1): 206-23, 2014 Dec 24.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25547724

RESUMEN

Several ligands can bind to the non-canonical G-quadruplex DNA structures thereby stabilizing them. These molecules can act as effective anticancer agents by stabilizing the telomeric regions of DNA or by regulating oncogene expression. In order to better interact with the quartets of G-quadruplex structures, G-binders are generally characterized by a large aromatic core involved in π-π stacking. Some natural flexible cyclic molecules from Traditional Chinese Medicine have shown high binding affinity with G-quadruplex, such as berbamine and many other alkaloids. Using the structural information available on G-quadruplex structures, we performed a high throughput in silico screening of commercially available alkaloid derivative databases by means of a structure-based approach based on docking and molecular dynamics simulations against the human telomeric sequence d[AG3(T2AG3)3] and the c-myc promoter structure. We identified 69 best hits reporting an improved theoretical binding affinity with respect to the active set. Among them, a berberine derivative, already known to remarkably inhibit telomerase activity, was related to a better theoretical affinity versus c-myc.


Asunto(s)
Alcaloides/farmacología , G-Cuádruplex , Genes myc , Telomerasa/genética , Alcaloides/química , Humanos , Simulación de Dinámica Molecular , Estructura Molecular
16.
Pharmaceuticals (Basel) ; 17(5)2024 May 10.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38794190

RESUMEN

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are crucial in gene transcription, removing acetyl groups from histones. They also influence the deacetylation of non-histone proteins, contributing to the regulation of various biological processes. Thus, HDACs play pivotal roles in various diseases, including cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and inflammatory conditions, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets. This paper reviews the structure and function of the four classes of human HDACs. While four HDAC inhibitors are currently available for treating hematological malignancies, numerous others are undergoing clinical trials. However, their non-selective toxicity necessitates ongoing research into safer and more efficient class-selective or isoform-selective inhibitors. Computational methods have aided the discovery of HDAC inhibitors with the desired potency and/or selectivity. These methods include ligand-based approaches, such as scaffold hopping, pharmacophore modeling, three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationships, and structure-based virtual screening (molecular docking). Moreover, recent developments in the field of molecular dynamics simulations, combined with Poisson-Boltzmann/molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area techniques, have improved the prediction of ligand binding affinity. In this review, we delve into the ways in which these methods have contributed to designing and identifying HDAC inhibitors.

17.
Foods ; 13(12)2024 Jun 08.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38928752

RESUMEN

"Morzeddhu" in the local dialect of Catanzaro ("Morzello" in Italian) is an official typical dish of the capital of the Calabria region. It is a peasant dish, almost unknown at an international level, that labels, in an extraordinary way, the culinary identity of Catanzaro, a city founded around the X century. After America's discovery, its preparation was optimized and definitively fixed. Its recipe is strictly based on a cow's "fifth quarter" combined with spicy and typical Mediterranean vegetables. Remarkably, no pork meat is used, and when all traditional ingredients are included in the complex and quite long preparation of this special dish, it can deserve the title of "Illustrissimo". This review provides a scientific description of Illustrissimo, emphasizing its unique properties and connection to the circular economy, food security, and the Mediterranean diet. We also highlight its unique quality compared to other alternatives through an analysis of their nutritional facts and bioactive compounds. Nutritionally, offal and fifth quarter components are a rich source of high-quality protein, with lower levels of total fat and saturated fatty acids compared to other meat cuts. In essence, this dish offers a great example of a high-quality yet affordable meal, aligning perfectly with a Mediterranean diet.

19.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38441079

RESUMEN

Disrupted language in psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia, can manifest as false contents and formal deviations, often described as thought disorder. These features play a critical role in the social dysfunction associated with psychosis, but we continue to lack insights regarding how and why these symptoms develop. Natural language generation (NLG) is a field of computer science that focuses on generating human-like language for various applications. The theory that psychosis is related to the evolution of language in humans suggests that NLG systems that are sufficiently evolved to generate human-like language may also exhibit psychosis-like features. In this conceptual review, we propose using NLG systems that are at various stages of development as in silico tools to study linguistic features of psychosis. We argue that a program of in silico experimental research on the network architecture, function, learning rules, and training of NLG systems can help us understand better why thought disorder occurs in patients. This will allow us to gain a better understanding of the relationship between language and psychosis and potentially pave the way for new therapeutic approaches to address this vexing challenge.


Asunto(s)
Trastornos Psicóticos , Humanos , Lenguaje , Lingüística , Aprendizaje
20.
Cognition ; 236: 105422, 2023 07.
Artículo en Inglés | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36871399

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Language development is a highly interactive activity. However, most research on linguistic environment has focused on the quantity and complexity of linguistic input to children, with current models showing that complexity facilitates language in both typically developing (TD) and autistic children. AIMS: After reviewing existing work on caregiver engagement of children's utterances, we aim to operationalize such engagement with automated measures of linguistic alignment, thereby providing scalable tools to assess caregivers' active reuse of their children's language. By assessing the presence of alignment, its sensitivity to the child's individual differences and how well it predicts language development beyond current models across the two groups, we showcase the usefulness of the approach and provide initial empirical foundations for further conceptual and empirical investigations. METHODS: We measure lexical, syntactic and semantic types of caregiver alignment in a longitudinal corpus involving 32 adult-autistic child and 35 adult-TD child dyads, with children between 2 and 5 years of age. We assess the extent to which caregivers repeat their children's words, syntax, and semantics, and whether these repetitions predict language development beyond more standard predictors. RESULTS: Caregivers tend to re-use their child's language in a way that is related to the child's individual, primarily linguistic, differences. Caregivers' alignment provides unique information improving our ability to predict future language development in both typical and autistic children. CONCLUSIONS: We provide evidence that language development also relies on interactive conversational processes, previously understudied. We share carefully detailed methods, and open-source scripts so as to systematically extend our approach to new contexts and languages.


Asunto(s)
Trastorno Autístico , Cuidadores , Humanos , Niño , Procesamiento de Lenguaje Natural , Desarrollo del Lenguaje , Lingüística
SELECCIÓN DE REFERENCIAS
DETALLE DE LA BÚSQUEDA