A combinatorial approach increases SMN level in SMA model mice.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by reduced expression of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. Current disease-modifying therapies increase SMN levels and dramatically improve survival and motor function of SMA patients. Nevertheless, current treatments are not cures and autopsy data suggest that SMN induction is variable. Our group and others have shown that combinatorial approaches that target different modalities can improve outcomes in rodent models of SMA. Here we explore if slowing SMN protein degradation and correcting SMN splicing defects could synergistically increase SMN production and improve the SMA phenotype in model mice. We show that co-administering ML372, which inhibits SMN ubiquitination, with an SMN-modifying antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) increases SMN production in SMA cells and model mice. In addition, we observed improved spinal cord, neuromuscular junction and muscle pathology when ML372 and the ASO were administered in combination. Importantly, the combinatorial approach resulted in increased motor function and extended survival of SMA mice. Our results demonstrate that a combination of treatment modalities synergistically increases SMN levels and improves pathophysiology of SMA model mice over individual treatment.

iPS-derived neural stem cells for disease modeling and evaluation of therapeutics for mucopolysaccharidosis type II.

Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II), also known as Hunter syndrome, is a rare, lysosomal disorder caused by mutations in a gene encoding iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS). IDS deficiency results in an accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and secondary accumulations of other lipids in lysosomes. Symptoms of MPS II include a variety of soft and hard tissue problems, developmental delay, and deterioration of multiple organs. Enzyme replacement therapy is an approved treatment for MPS II, but fails to improve neuronal symptoms. Cell-based neuronal models of MPS II disease are needed for compound screening and drug development for the treatment of the neuronal symptoms in MPS II. In this study, three induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines were generated from three MPS II patient-derived dermal fibroblast cell lines that were differentiated into neural stem cells and neurons. The disease phenotypes were measured using immunofluorescence staining and Nile red dye staining. In addition, the therapeutic effects of recombinant human IDS enzyme, delta-tocopherol (DT), and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) were determined in the MPS II disease cells. Finally, the neural stem cells from two of the MPS II iPSC lines exhibited typical disease features including a deficiency of IDS activity, abnormal glycosaminoglycan storage, and secondary lipid accumulation. Enzyme replacement therapy partially rescued the disease phenotypes in these cells. DT showed a significant effect in reducing the secondary accumulation of lipids in the MPS II neural stem cells. In contrast, HPBCD displayed limited or no effect in these cells. Our data indicate that these MPS II cells can be used as a cell-based disease model to study disease pathogenesis, evaluate drug efficacy, and screen compounds for drug development.

Therapeutic effects of a small molecule agonist of the relaxin receptor ML290 in liver fibrosis.

Fibrosis is an underlying cause of cirrhosis and hepatic failure resulting in end stage liver disease with limited pharmacological options. The beneficial effects of relaxin peptide treatment were demonstrated in clinically relevant animal models of liver fibrosis. However, the use of relaxin is problematic because of a short half-life. The aim of this study was to test the therapeutic effects of recently identified small molecule agonists of the human relaxin receptor, relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1). The lead compound of this series, ML290, was selected based on its effects on the expression of fibrosis-related genes in primary human stellate cells. RNA sequencing analysis of TGF-ß1-activated LX-2 cells showed that ML290 treatment primarily affected extracellular matrix remodeling and cytokine signaling, with expression profiles indicating an antifibrotic effect of ML290. ML290 treatment in human liver organoids with LPS-induced fibrotic phenotype resulted in a significant reduction of type I collagen. The pharmacokinetics of ML290 in mice demonstrated its high stability in vivo, as evidenced by the sustained concentrations of compound in the liver. In mice expressing human RXFP1 gene treated with carbon tetrachloride, ML290 significantly reduced collagen content, α-smooth muscle actin expression, and cell proliferation around portal ducts. In conclusion, ML290 demonstrated antifibrotic effects in liver fibrosis.-Kaftanovskaya, E. M., Ng, H. H., Soula, M., Rivas, B., Myhr, C., Ho, B. A., Cervantes, B. A., Shupe, T. D., Devarasetty, M., Hu, X., Xu, X., Patnaik, S., Wilson, K. J., Barnaeva, E., Ferrer, M., Southall, N. T., Marugan, J. J., Bishop, C. E., Agoulnik, I. U., Agoulnik, A. I. Therapeutic effects of a small molecule agonist of the relaxin receptor ML290 in liver fibrosis.

Preclinical Pharmacological Development of Chlorcyclizine Derivatives for the Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a small, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus that infects more than an estimated 70 million people worldwide. Untreated, persistent HCV infection often results in chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, or liver failure, with progression to hepatocellular carcinoma. Current anti-HCV regimens comprising direct acting antivirals (DAAs) can provide curative treatment; however, due to high costs there remains a need for effective, shorter-duration, and affordable treatments. Recently, we disclosed anti-HCV activity of the cheap antihistamine chlorcyclizine, targeting viral entry. Following our hit-to-lead optimization campaign, we report evaluation of preclinical in vitro absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion properties, and in vivo pharmacokinetic profiles of lead compounds. This led to selection of a new lead compound and evaluation of efficacy in chimeric mice engrafted with primary human hepatocytes infected with HCV. Further development and incorporation of this compound into DAA regimens has the potential to improve treatment efficacy, affordability, and accessibility.

Discovery of a Positive Allosteric Modulator of the Thyrotropin Receptor: Potentiation of Thyrotropin-Mediated Preosteoblast Differentiation In Vitro.

Recently, we showed that TSH-enhanced differentiation of a human preosteoblast-like cell model involved a ß-arrestin 1 (ß-Arr 1)-mediated pathway. To study this pathway in more detail, we sought to discover a small molecule ligand that was functionally selective toward human TSH receptor (TSHR) activation of ß-Arr 1. High-throughput screening using a cell line stably expressing mutated TSHRs and mutated ß-Arr 1 (DiscoverX1 cells) led to the discovery of agonists that stimulated translocation of ß-Arr 1 to the TSHR, but did not activate Gs-mediated signaling pathways, i.e., cAMP production. D3-ßArr (NCGC00379308) was selected. In DiscoverX1 cells, D3-ßArr stimulated ß-Arr 1 translocation with a 5.1-fold greater efficacy than TSH and therefore potentiated the effect of TSH in stimulating ß-Arr 1 translocation. In human U2OS-TSHR cells expressing wild-type TSHRs, which is a model of human preosteoblast-like cells, TSH upregulated the osteoblast-specific genes osteopontin (OPN) and alkaline phosphatase (ALPL). D3-ßArr alone had only a weak effect to upregulate these bone markers, but D3-ßArr potentiated TSH-induced upregulation of ALPL and OPN mRNA levels 1.6-fold and 5.5-fold, respectively, at the maximum dose of ligands. Furthermore, the positive allosteric modulator effect of D3-ßArr resulted in an increase of TSH-induced secretion of OPN protein. In summary, we have discovered the first small molecule positive allosteric modulator of TSHR. As D3-ßArr potentiates the effect of TSH to enhance differentiation of a human preosteoblast in an in vitro model, it will allow a novel experimental approach for probing the role of TSH-induced ß-Arr 1 signaling in osteoblast differentiation.

Efficacy and Mechanism of Action of Low Dose Emetine against Human Cytomegalovirus.

Infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a threat for pregnant women and immunocompromised hosts. Although limited drugs are available, development of new agents against HCMV is desired. Through screening of the LOPAC library, we identified emetine as HCMV inhibitor. Additional studies confirmed its anti-HCMV activities in human foreskin fibroblasts: EC50-40±1.72 nM, CC50-8±0.56 µM, and selectivity index of 200. HCMV inhibition occurred after virus entry, but before DNA replication, and resulted in decreased expression of viral proteins. Synergistic virus inhibition was achieved when emetine was combined with ganciclovir. In a mouse CMV (MCMV) model, emetine was well-tolerated, displayed long half-life, preferential distribution to tissues over plasma, and effectively suppressed MCMV. Since the in vitro anti-HCMV activity of emetine decreased significantly in low-density cells, a mechanism involving cell cycle regulation was suspected. HCMV inhibition by emetine depended on ribosomal processing S14 (RPS14) binding to MDM2, leading to disruption of HCMV-induced MDM2-p53 and MDM2-IE2 interactions. Irrespective of cell density, emetine induced RPS14 translocation into the nucleus during infection. In infected high-density cells, MDM2 was available for interaction with RPS14, resulting in disruption of MDM2-p53 interaction. However, in low-density cells the pre-existing interaction of MDM2-p53 could not be disrupted, and RPS14 could not interact with MDM2. In high-density cells the interaction of MDM2-RPS14 resulted in ubiquitination and degradation of RPS14, which was not observed in low-density cells. In infected-only or in non-infected emetine-treated cells, RPS14 failed to translocate into the nucleus, hence could not interact with MDM2, and was not ubiquitinated. HCMV replicated similarly in RPS14 knockdown or control cells, but emetine did not inhibit virus replication in the former cell line. The interaction of MDM2-p53 was maintained in infected RPS14 knockdown cells despite emetine treatment, confirming a unique mechanism by which emetine exploits RPS14 to disrupt MDM2-p53 interaction. Summarized, emetine may represent a promising candidate for HCMV therapy alone or in combination with ganciclovir through a novel host-dependent mechanism.

Activation of ß-Glucocerebrosidase Reduces Pathological α-Synuclein and Restores Lysosomal Function in Parkinson's Patient Midbrain Neurons.

UNLABELLED: Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) within Lewy body inclusions in the nervous system. There are currently no disease-modifying therapies capable of reducing α-syn inclusions in PD. Recent data has indicated that loss-of-function mutations in the GBA1 gene that encodes lysosomal ß-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) represent an important risk factor for PD, and can lead to α-syn accumulation. Here we use a small-molecule modulator of GCase to determine whether GCase activation within lysosomes can reduce α-syn levels and ameliorate downstream toxicity. Using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons from synucleinopathy patients with different PD-linked mutations, we find that a non-inhibitory small molecule modulator of GCase specifically enhanced activity within lysosomal compartments. This resulted in reduction of GCase substrates and clearance of pathological α-syn, regardless of the disease causing mutations. Importantly, the reduction of α-syn was sufficient to reverse downstream cellular pathologies induced by α-syn, including perturbations in hydrolase maturation and lysosomal dysfunction. These results indicate that enhancement of a single lysosomal hydrolase, GCase, can effectively reduce α-syn and provide therapeutic benefit in human midbrain neurons. This suggests that GCase activators may prove beneficial as treatments for PD and related synucleinopathies. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The presence of Lewy body inclusions comprised of fibrillar α-syn within affected regions of PD brain has been firmly documented, however no treatments exist that are capable of clearing Lewy bodies. Here, we used a mechanistic-based approach to examine the effect of GCase activation on α-syn clearance in human midbrain DA models that naturally accumulate α-syn through genetic mutations. Small molecule-mediated activation of GCase was effective at reducing α-syn inclusions in neurons, as well as associated downstream toxicity, demonstrating a therapeutic effect. Our work provides an example of how human iPSC-derived midbrain models could be used for testing potential treatments for neurodegenerative disorders, and identifies GCase as a critical therapeutic convergence point for a wide range of synucleinopathies.

Mutation of Asn-475 in the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus nsP2 Cysteine Protease Leads to a Self-Inhibited State.

The alphaviral nsP2 cysteine protease of the Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is a validated antiviral drug target. Clan CN proteases contain a cysteine protease domain that is intimately packed with an S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent RNA methyltransferase (SAM MTase) domain. Within a cleft formed at the interface of these two domains, the peptide substrate is thought to bind. The nucleophilic cysteine can be found within a conserved motif, 475NVCWAK480, which differs from that of papain (22CGSCWAFS29). Mutation of the motif residue, N475, to alanine unexpectedly produced a self-inhibited state in which the N-terminal residues flipped into the substrate-binding cleft. Notably, the N-terminal segment was not hydrolyzed-consistent with a catalytically incompetent state. The N475A mutation resulted in a 70-fold decrease in kcat/Km. A side chain-substrate interaction was predicted by the structure; the S701A mutation led to a 17-fold increase in Km. An Asn at the n-2 position relative to the Cys was also found in the coronaviral papain-like proteases/deubiquitinases (PLpro) of the SARS and MERS viruses, and in several papain-like human ubiquitin specific proteases (USP). The large conformational change in the N475A variant suggests that Asn-475 plays an important role in stabilizing the N-terminal residues and in orienting the carbonyl during nucleophilic attack but does not directly hydrogen bond the oxyanion. The state trapped in crystallo is an unusual result of site-directed mutagenesis but reveals the role of this highly conserved Asn and identifies key substrate-binding contacts that may be exploited by peptide-like inhibitors.

Structural Insights into the Activation of Human Relaxin Family Peptide Receptor 1 by Small-Molecule Agonists.

The GPCR relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1) mediates the action of relaxin peptide hormone, including its tissue remodeling and antifibrotic effects. The peptide has a short half-life in plasma, limiting its therapeutic utility. However, small-molecule agonists of human RXFP1 can overcome this limitation and may provide a useful therapeutic approach, especially for chronic diseases such as heart failure and fibrosis. The first small-molecule agonists of RXFP1 were recently identified from a high-throughput screening, using a homogeneous cell-based cAMP assay. Optimization of the hit compounds resulted in a series of highly potent and RXFP1 selective agonists with low cytotoxicity, and excellent in vitro ADME and pharmacokinetic properties. Here, we undertook extensive site-directed mutagenesis studies in combination with computational modeling analysis to probe the molecular basis of the small-molecule binding to RXFP1. The results showed that the agonists bind to an allosteric site of RXFP1 in a manner that closely interacts with the seventh transmembrane domain (TM7) and the third extracellular loop (ECL3). Several residues were determined to play an important role in the agonist binding and receptor activation, including a hydrophobic region at TM7 consisting of W664, F668, and L670. The G659/T660 motif within ECL3 is crucial to the observed species selectivity of the agonists for RXFP1. The receptor binding and activation effects by the small molecule ML290 were compared with the cognate ligand, relaxin, providing valuable insights on the structural basis and molecular mechanism of receptor activation and selectivity for RXFP1.

Lomofungin and dilomofungin: inhibitors of MBNL1-CUG RNA binding with distinct cellular effects.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a dominantly inherited neuromuscular disorder resulting from expression of RNA containing an expanded CUG repeat (CUG(exp)). The pathogenic RNA is retained in nuclear foci. Poly-(CUG) binding proteins in the Muscleblind-like (MBNL) family are sequestered in foci, causing misregulated alternative splicing of specific pre-mRNAs. Inhibitors of MBNL1-CUG(exp) binding have been shown to restore splicing regulation and correct phenotypes in DM1 models. We therefore conducted a high-throughput screen to identify novel inhibitors of MBNL1-(CUG)12 binding. The most active compound was lomofungin, a natural antimicrobial agent. We found that lomofungin undergoes spontaneous dimerization in DMSO, producing dilomofungin, whose inhibition of MBNL1-(CUG)12 binding was 17-fold more potent than lomofungin itself. However, while dilomofungin displayed the desired binding characteristics in vitro, when applied to cells it produced a large increase of CUG(exp) RNA in nuclear foci, owing to reduced turnover of the CUG(exp) transcript. By comparison, the monomer did not induce CUG(exp) accumulation in cells and was more effective at rescuing a CUG(exp)-induced splicing defect. These results support the feasibility of high-throughput screens to identify compounds targeting toxic RNA, but also demonstrate that ligands for repetitive sequences may have unexpected effects on RNA decay.

Discovery and characterization of a G protein-biased agonist that inhibits ß-arrestin recruitment to the D2 dopamine receptor.

A high-throughput screening campaign was conducted to interrogate a 380,000+ small-molecule library for novel D2 dopamine receptor modulators using a calcium mobilization assay. Active agonist compounds from the primary screen were examined for orthogonal D2 dopamine receptor signaling activities including cAMP modulation and ß-arrestin recruitment. Although the majority of the subsequently confirmed hits activated all signaling pathways tested, several compounds showed a diminished ability to stimulate ß-arrestin recruitment. One such compound (MLS1547; 5-chloro-7-[(4-pyridin-2-ylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl]quinolin-8-ol) is a highly efficacious agonist at D2 receptor-mediated G protein-linked signaling, but does not recruit ß-arrestin as demonstrated using two different assays. This compound does, however, antagonize dopamine-stimulated ß-arrestin recruitment to the D2 receptor. In an effort to investigate the chemical scaffold of MLS1547 further, we characterized a set of 24 analogs of MLS1547 with respect to their ability to inhibit cAMP accumulation or stimulate ß-arrestin recruitment. A number of the analogs were similar to MLS1547 in that they displayed agonist activity for inhibiting cAMP accumulation, but did not stimulate ß-arrestin recruitment (i.e., they were highly biased). In contrast, other analogs displayed various degrees of G protein signaling bias. These results provided the basis to use pharmacophore modeling and molecular docking analyses to build a preliminary structure-activity relationship of the functionally selective properties of this series of compounds. In summary, we have identified and characterized a novel G protein-biased agonist of the D2 dopamine receptor and identified structural features that may contribute to its biased signaling properties.

Discovery of novel antigiardiasis drug candidates.

Giardiasis is a severe intestinal parasitic disease caused by Giardia lamblia, which inflicts many people in poor regions and is the most common parasitic infection in the United States. Current standard care drugs are associated with undesirable side effects, treatment failures, and an increasing incidence of drug resistance. As follow-up to a high-throughput screening of an approved drug library, which identified compounds lethal to G. lamblia trophozoites, we have determined the minimum lethal concentrations of 28 drugs and advanced 10 of them to in vivo studies in mice. The results were compared to treatment with the standard care drug, metronidazole, in order to identify drugs with equal or better anti-Giardia activities. Three drugs, fumagillin, carbadox, and tioxidazole, were identified. These compounds were also potent against metronidazole-resistant human G. lamblia isolates (assemblages A and B), as determined in in vitro assays. Of these three compounds, fumagillin is currently an orphan drug used within the European Union to treat microsporidiosis in immunocompromised individuals, whereas carbadox and tioxidazole are used in veterinary medicine. A dose-dependent study of fumagillin in a giardiasis mouse model revealed that the effective dose of fumagillin was ∼ 100-fold lower than the metronidazole dose. Therefore, fumagillin may be advanced to further studies as an alternative treatment for giardiasis when metronidazole fails.

An Orally Efficacious Thyrotropin Receptor Ligand Inhibits Growth and Metastatic Activity of Thyroid Cancers.

CONTEXT: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (or thyrotropin) receptor (TSHR) could be a selective target for small molecule ligands to treat thyroid cancer (TC). OBJECTIVE: We report a novel, orally efficacious ligand for TSHR that exhibits proliferation inhibitory activity against human TC in vitro and in vivo, and inhibition of metastasis in vivo. DESIGN: A35 (NCATS-SM4420; NCGC00241808) was selected from a sub-library of >200 TSHR ligands. Cell proliferation assays including BrdU incorporation and WST-1, along with molecular docking studies were done. In vivo activity of A35 was assessed in TC cell-derived xenograft (CDX) models with immunocompromised (NSG) mice. FFPE sections of tumor and lung tissues were observed for the extent of cell death and metastasis. RESULTS: A35 was shown to stimulate cAMP production in some cell types by activating TSHR but not in TC cells, MDA-T32 and MDA-T85. A35 inhibited proliferation of MDA-T32 & MDA-T85 in vitro and in vivo, and pulmonary metastasis of MDA-T85F1 in mice. In vitro, A35 inhibition of proliferation was reduced by a selective TSHR antagonist. Inhibition of CDX tumor growth without decreases in mouse weights and liver function showed A35 to be efficacious without apparent toxicity. Lastly, A35 reduced levels of Ki67 in the tumors and metastatic markers in lung tissues. CONCLUSION: We conclude that A35 is a TSHR-selective inhibitor of TC cell proliferation and metastasis, and suggest that A35 may be a promising lead drug candidate for the treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer in humans.

Overcoming brain-derived therapeutic resistance in HER2+ breast cancer brain metastasis.

Brain metastasis of HER2+ breast cancer occurs in about 50% of all women with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer and confers poor prognosis for patients. Despite effective HER2-targeted treatments of peripheral HER2+ breast cancer with Trastuzumab +/-HER2 inhibitors, limited brain permeability renders these treatments inefficient for HER2+ breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM). The scarcity of suitable patient-derived in-vivo models for HER2+ BCBM has compromised the study of molecular mechanisms that promote growth and therapeutic resistance in brain metastasis. We have generated and characterized new HER2+ BCBM cells (BCBM94) isolated from a patient HER2+ brain metastasis. Repeated hematogenic xenografting of BCBM94 consistently generated BCBM in mice. The clinically used receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (RTKi) Lapatinib blocked phosphorylation of all ErbB1-4 receptors and induced the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in BCBM94. Neuregulin-1 (NRG1), a ligand for ErbB3 and ErbB4 that is abundantly expressed in the brain, was able to rescue Lapatinib-induced apoptosis and clonogenic ability in BCBM94 and in HER2+ BT474. ErbB3 was essential to mediate the NRG1-induced survival pathway that involved PI3K-AKT signalling and the phosphorylation of BAD at serine 136 to prevent apoptosis. High throughput RTKi screening identified the brain penetrable Poziotinib as highly potent compound to reduce cell viability in HER2+ BCBM in the presence of NRG1. Successful in-vivo ablation of BCBM94- and BT474-derived HER2+ brain tumors was achieved upon two weeks of treatment with Poziotinib. MRI revealed BCBM remission upon poziotinib, but not with Lapatinib treatment. In conclusion, we have established a new patient-derived HER2+ BCBM in-vivo model and identified Poziotinib as highly efficacious RTKi with excellent brain penetrability that abrogated HER2+ BCBM brain tumors in our mouse models.

Development of quantitative high-throughput screening assays to identify, validate, and optimize small-molecule stabilizers of misfolded ß-glucocerebrosidase with therapeutic potential for Gaucher disease and Parkinson's disease.

Glucocerebrosidase (GCase) is implicated in both a rare, monogenic disorder (Gaucher disease, GD) and a common, multifactorial condition (Parkinson's disease); hence, it is an urgent therapeutic target. To identify correctors of severe protein misfolding and trafficking obstruction manifested by the pathogenic L444P-variant of GCase, we developed a suite of quantitative, high-throughput, cell-based assays. First, we labeled GCase with a small pro-luminescent HiBiT peptide reporter tag, enabling quantitation of protein stabilization in cells while faithfully maintaining target biology. TALEN-based gene editing allowed for stable integration of a single HiBiT-GBA1 transgene into an intragenic safe-harbor locus in GBA1-knockout H4 (neuroglioma) cells. This GD cell model was amenable to lead discovery via titration-based quantitative high-throughput screening and lead optimization via structure-activity relationships. A primary screen of 10,779 compounds from the NCATS bioactive collections identified 140 stabilizers of HiBiT-GCase-L444P, including both pharmacological chaperones (ambroxol and non-inhibitory chaperone NCGC326) and proteostasis regulators (panobinostat, trans-ISRIB, and pladienolide B). Two complementary high-content imaging-based assays were deployed to triage hits: the fluorescence-quenched substrate LysoFix-GBA captured functional lysosomal GCase activity, while an immunofluorescence assay featuring antibody hGCase-1/23 provided direct visualization of GCase lysosomal translocation. NCGC326 was active in both secondary assays and completely reversed pathological glucosylsphingosine accumulation. Finally, we tested the concept of combination therapy, by demonstrating synergistic actions of NCGC326 with proteostasis regulators in enhancing GCase-L444P levels. Looking forward, these physiologically-relevant assays can facilitate the identification, pharmacological validation, and medicinal chemistry optimization of new chemical matter targeting GCase, ultimately leading to a viable therapeutic for two protein-misfolding diseases.

Prophylactic treatment with the c-Abl inhibitor, neurotinib, diminishes neuronal damage and the convulsive state in pilocarpine-induced mice.

The molecular mechanisms underlying seizure generation remain elusive, yet they are crucial for developing effective treatments for epilepsy. The current study shows that inhibiting c-Abl tyrosine kinase prevents apoptosis, reduces dendritic spine loss, and maintains N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit 2B (NR2B) phosphorylated in in vitro models of excitotoxicity. Pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) in mice promotes c-Abl phosphorylation, and disrupting c-Abl activity leads to fewer seizures, increases latency toward SE, and improved animal survival. Currently, clinically used c-Abl inhibitors are non-selective and have poor brain penetration. The allosteric c-Abl inhibitor, neurotinib, used here has favorable potency, selectivity, pharmacokinetics, and vastly improved brain penetration. Neurotinib-administered mice have fewer seizures and improved survival following pilocarpine-SE induction. Our findings reveal c-Abl kinase activation as a key factor in ictogenesis and highlight the impact of its inhibition in preventing the insurgence of epileptic-like seizures in rodents and humans.

δ-Tocopherol reduces lipid accumulation in Niemann-Pick type C1 and Wolman cholesterol storage disorders.

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) and Wolman disease are two members of a family of storage disorders caused by mutations of genes encoding lysosomal proteins. Deficiency in function of either the NPC1 or NPC2 protein in NPC disease or lysosomal acid lipase in Wolman disease results in defective cellular cholesterol trafficking. Lysosomal accumulation of cholesterol and enlarged lysosomes are shared phenotypic characteristics of both NPC and Wolman cells. Utilizing a phenotypic screen of an approved drug collection, we found that δ-tocopherol effectively reduced lysosomal cholesterol accumulation, decreased lysosomal volume, increased cholesterol efflux, and alleviated pathological phenotypes in both NPC1 and Wolman fibroblasts. Reduction of these abnormalities may be mediated by a δ-tocopherol-induced intracellular Ca(2+) response and subsequent enhancement of lysosomal exocytosis. Consistent with a general mechanism for reduction of lysosomal lipid accumulation, we also found that δ-tocopherol reduces pathological phenotypes in patient fibroblasts from other lysosomal storage diseases, including NPC2, Batten (ceroid lipofuscinosis, neuronal 2, CLN2), Fabry, Farber, Niemann-Pick disease type A, Sanfilippo type B (mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB, MPSIIIB), and Tay-Sachs. Our data suggest that regulated exocytosis may represent a potential therapeutic target for reduction of lysosomal storage in this class of diseases.

In Silico Screening of Inhibitors of the Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Nonstructural Protein 2 Cysteine Protease.

The Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2) cysteine protease (EC 3.4.22.B79) is essential for viral replication. High throughput in silico/in vitro screening using a focused set of known cysteine protease inhibitors identified two epoxysuccinyl prodrugs, E64d and CA074 methyl ester (CA074me) and a reversible oxindole inhibitor. Here, we determined the X-ray crystal structure of the CA074-inhibited nsP2 protease and compared it with our E64d-inhibited structure. We found that the two inhibitors occupy different locations in the protease. We designed hybrid inhibitors with improved potency. Virus yield reduction assays confirmed that the viral titer was reduced by >5 logs with CA074me. Cell-based assays showed reductions in viral replication for CHIKV, VEEV, and WEEV, and weaker inhibition of EEEV by the hybrid inhibitors. The most potent was NCGC00488909-01 which had an EC50 of 1.76 µM in VEEV-Trd-infected cells; the second most potent was NCGC00484087 with an EC50 = 7.90 µM. Other compounds from the NCATS libraries such as the H1 antihistamine oxatomide (>5-log reduction), emetine, amsacrine an intercalator (NCGC0015113), MLS003116111-01, NCGC00247785-13, and MLS00699295-01 were found to effectively reduce VEEV viral replication in plaque assays. Kinetic methods demonstrated time-dependent inhibition by the hybrid inhibitors of the protease with NCGC00488909-01 (Ki = 3 µM) and NCGC00484087 (Ki = 5 µM). Rates of inactivation by CA074 in the presence of 6 mM CaCl2, MnCl2, or MgCl2 were measured with varying concentrations of inhibitor, Mg2+ and Mn2+ slightly enhanced inhibitor binding (3 to 6-fold). CA074 inhibited not only the VEEV nsP2 protease but also that of CHIKV and WEEV.

Phenotype plasticity and altered sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents in aggressive prostate cancer cells.

In 2023, approximately 288,300 new diagnoses of prostate cancer will occur, with 34,700 disease-related deaths. Death from prostate cancer is associated with metastasis, enabled by progression of tumor phenotypes and successful extracapsular extension to reach Batson's venous plexus, a specific route to the spine and brain. Using a mouse-human tumor xenograft model, we isolated an aggressive muscle invasive cell population of prostate cancer, called DU145J7 with a distinct biophysical phenotype, elevated histone H3K27, and increased matrix metalloproteinase 14 expression as compared to the non-aggressive parent cell population called DU145WT. Our goal was to determine the sensitivities to known chemotherapeutic agents of the aggressive cells as compared to the parent population. High-throughput screening was performed with 5,578 compounds, comprising of approved and investigational drugs for oncology. Eleven compounds were selected for additional testing, which revealed that vorinostat, 5-azacitidine, and fimepinostat (epigenetic inhibitors) showed 2.6-to-7.5-fold increases in lethality for the aggressive prostate cancer cell population as compared to the parent, as judged by the concentration of drug to inhibit 50% cell growth (IC50). On the other hand, the DU145J7 cells were 2.2-to-4.0-fold resistant to mitoxantrone, daunorubicin, and gimatecan (topoisomerase inhibitors) as compared to DU145WT. No differences in sensitivities between cell populations were found for docetaxel or pirarubicin. The increased sensitivity of DU145J7 prostate cancer cells to chromatin modifying agents suggests a therapeutic vulnerability occurs after tumor cells invade into and through muscle. Future work will determine which epigenetic modifiers and what combinations will be most effective to eradicate early aggressive tumor populations.