Identification, characterisation and expression analysis of natural killer receptor genes in Chlamydia pecorum infected koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus).

BACKGROUND: Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), an iconic Australian marsupial, are being heavily impacted by the spread of Chlamydia pecorum, an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen. Koalas vary in their response to this pathogen, with some showing no symptoms, while others suffer severe symptoms leading to infertility, blindness or death. Little is known about the pathology of this disease and the immune response against it in this host. Studies have demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cells, key components of the innate immune system, are involved in the immune response to chlamydial infections in humans. These cells can directly lyse cells infected by intracellular pathogens and their ability to recognise these infected cells is mediated through NK receptors on their surface. These are encoded in two regions of the genome, the leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) and the natural killer complex (NKC). These two families evolve rapidly and different repertoires of genes, which have evolved by gene duplication, are seen in different species. METHODS: In this study we aimed to characterise genes belonging to the NK receptor clusters in the koala by searching available koala transcriptomes using a combination of search methods. We developed a qPCR assay to quantify relative expression of four genes, two encoded within the NK receptor cluster (CLEC1B, CLEC4E) and two known to play a role in NK response to Chalmydia in humans (NCR3, PRF1). RESULTS: We found that the NK receptor repertoire of the koala closely resembles that of the Tasmanian devil, with minimal genes in the NKC, but with lineage specific expansions in the LRC. Additional genes important for NK cell activity, NCR3 and PRF1, were also identified and characterised. In a preliminary study to investigate whether these genes are involved in the koala immune response to infection by its chlamydial pathogen, C. pecorum, we investigated the expression of four genes in koalas with active chlamydia infection, those with past infection and those without infection using qPCR. This analysis revealed that one of these four, CLEC4E, may be upregulated in response to chlamydia infection. CONCLUSION: We have characterised genes of the NKC and LRC in koalas and have discovered evidence that one of these genes may be upregulated in koalas with chlamydia, suggesting that these receptors may play a role in the immune response of koalas to chlamydia infection.

Inhibitors of HIV-1 attachment. Part 10. The discovery and structure-activity relationships of 4-azaindole cores.

A series of 4-azaindole oxoacetic acid piperazine benzamides was synthesized and evaluated in an effort to identify an oral HIV-1 attachment inhibitor with the potential to improve upon the pre-clinical profile of BMS-378806 (7), an initial clinical compound. Modifications at the 7-position of the 4-azaindole core modulated potency significantly and SAR showed that certain compounds with a 5-membered ring heteroaryl group at that position were the most potent. Four of the compounds with the best profiles were evaluated in a rat pharmacokinetic model and all had superior oral bioavailability and lower clearance when compared with 7.

Discovery of a Novel Antimicrobial Agent by the Virtual Screening of a Library of Small Molecules.

A virtual screening approach based upon a combination of docking and pharmacophore methods was utilized on a library of 1.4 million molecules to identify novel antimicrobial agents, which may potentially act via inhibition of the caseinolytic protease. Using this method, compound 6 was found to be bactericidal against three staphylococcal species (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)=4-16 µg/mL). Further, subsequent structural optimization of 6 led to the identification of compound 24, which was shown to be the most potent analog within the series (MIC=4 µg/mL) and outperforming the antibiotic controls for two of the staphylococcal species. The newly discovered antimicrobial agent (24) demonstrated excellent in silico ADME properties and was non-toxic when tested on two human skin cell lines. As such, compound 24 has the potential for use as a lead molecule in the development of a novel class of antimicrobial agents.

96-week efficacy and safety of atazanavir, with and without ritonavir, in a HAART regimen in treatment-naive patients.

This study assesses virologic response, safety, tolerability, and changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in antiretroviral (ARV)-naive patients treated with 2 atazanavir (ATV)-based regimens over 96 weeks. Treatment-naive adult patients (n = 200) were randomized to receive either ATV 300 mg with ritonavir (RTV) 100 mg (ATV300/r, n = 95) or ATV 400 mg (ATV400; n = 105). At week 96, 75% of ATV300/r-treated and 70% of ATV400-treated patients achieved viral loads <400 copies/mL (difference estimate [95% confidence interval, CI] = 5.1 [-7.1 to 17.2]). Five and 20 patients, respectively, experienced virologic failure. Adverse event-related discontinuations occurred among 8% receiving ATV300/r and 3% receiving ATV400. Plasma lipid elevations were generally low. Both regimens were well tolerated and associated with sustained improvements in HRQoL. These findings demonstrate long-term efficacy, tolerability, and safety of both ATV300/r and ATV400 in ARV-naive patients through 96 weeks with improvements in HRQoL.

Changes in body composition with ritonavir-boosted and unboosted atazanavir treatment in combination with Lamivudine and Stavudine: a 96-week randomized, controlled study.

This 96-week, open-label, randomized study assessed changes in body composition in treatment-naive patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 who were treated with either atazanavir or ritonavir-boosted atazanavir, in combination with stavudine and lamivudine. Both treatment groups had similar increases in trunk fat, but patients treated with ritonavir-boosted atazanavir had a significantly lower incidence of lipoatrophy.

Circulating cell-free miR-494 and miR-21 are disease response biomarkers associated with interim-positron emission tomography response in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

MicroRNA (miRNA)s are dysregulated in Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), where they reflect the malignant B-cells and the immune infiltrate within the tumor microenvironment. There remains a paucity of data in DLBCL regarding cell-free (c-f) miRNA as disease response biomarkers. Immunosuppressive monocyte/macrophages, which are enriched in DLBCL, are disease response markers in DLBCL, with miRNA key regulators of their immunosuppressive function. Our aim was to determine whether plasma miRNA that reflect the activity of the malignant B-cell and/or immunosuppressive monocytes/macrophages, have value as minimally-invasive disease response biomarkers in DLBCL. Quantification of 99 DLBCL tissues, to select miRNA implicated in immunosuppressive monocytes/macrophage biology, found miR-494 differentially elevated. In a discovery cohort (22 patients), pre-therapy c-f miR-494 and miR-21 but not miR-155 were raised relative to healthy plasma. Both miR-494 and miR-21 levels 3-6 months reduced post immuno-chemotherapy. The validation cohort (56 patients) was from a prospective clinical trial. Interestingly, in sequential samples both miRNAs decreased in patients becoming Positron Emission Tomography/Computerized Tomography (PET/CT)-ve, but not in those remaining interim-PET/CT+. Patient monocytes were phenotypically and functionally immunosuppressive with ex-vivo monocyte depletion enhancing T-cell proliferation in patient but not healthy samples. Pre-therapy monocytes showed an immunosuppressive transcriptome and raised levels of miR-494. MiR-494 was present in all c-f nanoparticle fractions but was most readily detectable in unfractionated plasma. Circulating c-f miR-494 and miR-21 are disease response biomarkers with differential response stratified by interim-PET/CT in patients with DLBCL. Further studies are required to explore their manipulation as potential therapeutic targets.

Long-term safety and efficacy of atazanavir-based therapy in HIV-infected infants, children and adolescents: the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group Protocol 1020A.

BACKGROUND: Atazanavir (ATV) is an attractive option for the treatment of Pediatric HIV infection, based on once-daily dosing and the availability of a formulation appropriate for younger children. Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group 1020A was a phase I/II open label study of ATV (with/without ritonavir [RTV] boosting)-based treatment of HIV-infected children; here we report the long-term safety and virologic and immunologic responses. METHODS: Antiretroviral-naïve and experienced children, ages 91 days to 21 years, with baseline plasma HIV RNA > 5000 copies/mL (cpm) were enrolled at sites in the United States and South Africa. RESULTS: Of 195 children enrolled, 142 (73%) subjects received ATV-based regimens at the final protocol recommended dose; 58% were treatment naive. Overall, at week 24, 84/139 subjects (60.4%) and at week 48, 83/142 (58.5%) had HIV RNA ≤ 400 cpm. At week 48, 69.5% of naïve and 43.3% of experienced subjects had HIV RNA ≤ 400 cpm; median CD4 increase was 196.5 cells/mm. The primary adverse event (AE) was increased serum bilirubin; 9% of subjects had levels ≥ 5.1 times upper limit of normal (ULN) and 1.4% noted jaundice. Three percent of subjects experienced grade 2 or 3 prolongation in PR or QTc intervals. At week 48, there was a 15% increase in total cholesterol (TC), with TC > 199 mg/dL increasing from 1% at baseline to 5.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Use of once-daily ATV, with/without RTV, was safe and well tolerated in children, with acceptable levels of viral suppression and CD4 count increase. The primary AE, as expected, was an increase in bilirubin levels.

Interleukin 17A is an immune marker for chlamydial disease severity and pathogenesis in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus).

The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) is an iconic Australian marsupial species that is facing many threats to its survival. Chlamydia pecorum infections are a significant contributor to this ongoing decline. A major limiting factor in our ability to manage and control chlamydial disease in koalas is a limited understanding of the koala's cell-mediated immune response to infections by this bacterial pathogen. To identify immunological markers associated with chlamydial infection and disease in koalas, we used koala-specific Quantitative Real Time PCR (qrtPCR) assays to profile the cytokine responses of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) collected from 41 koalas with different stages of chlamydial disease. Target cytokines included the principal Th1 (Interferon gamma; IFNγ), Th2 (Interleukin 10; IL10), and pro-inflammatory cytokines (Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha; TNFα). A novel koala-specific IL17A qrtPCR assay was also developed as part of this study to quantitate the gene expression of this Th17 cytokine in koalas. A statistically significant higher IL17A gene expression was observed in animals with current chlamydial disease compared to animals with asymptomatic chlamydial infection. A modest up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNFα and IFNγ, was also observed in these animals with signs of current chlamydial disease. IL10 gene expression was not evident in the majority of animals from both groups. Future longitudinal studies are now required to confirm the role played by cytokines in pathology and/or protection against C. pecorum infection in the koala.

Preliminary characterisation of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-10 responses to Chlamydia pecorum infection in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus).

Debilitating infectious diseases caused by Chlamydia are major contributors to the decline of Australia's iconic native marsupial species, the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). An understanding of koala chlamydial disease pathogenesis and the development of effective strategies to control infections continue to be hindered by an almost complete lack of species-specific immunological reagents. The cell-mediated immune response has been shown to play an influential role in the response to chlamydial infection in other hosts. The objective of this study, hence, was to provide preliminary data on the role of two key cytokines, pro-inflammatory tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and anti-inflammatory interleukin 10 (IL10), in the koala Chlamydia pecorum response. Utilising sequence homology between the cytokine sequences obtained from several recently sequenced marsupial genomes, this report describes the first mRNA sequences of any koala cytokine and the development of koala specific TNFα and IL10 real-time PCR assays to measure the expression of these genes from koala samples. In preliminary studies comparing wild koalas with overt chlamydial disease, previous evidence of C. pecorum infection or no signs of C. pecorum infection, we revealed strong but variable expression of TNFα and IL10 in wild koalas with current signs of chlamydiosis. The description of these assays and the preliminary data on the cell-mediated immune response of koalas to chlamydial infection paves the way for future studies characterising the koala immune response to a range of its pathogens while providing reagents to assist with measuring the efficacy of ongoing attempts to develop a koala chlamydial vaccine.

Molecular characterisation and expression analysis of interferon gamma in response to natural Chlamydia infection in the koala, Phascolarctos cinereus.

Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is a key Th1 cytokine, with a principal role in the immune response against intracellular organisms such as Chlamydia. Along with being responsible for significant morbidity in human populations, Chlamydia is also responsible for wide spread infection and disease in many animal hosts, with reports that many Australian koala subpopulations are endemically infected. An understanding of the role played by IFNγ in koala chlamydial diseases is important for the establishment of better prophylactic and therapeutic approaches against chlamydial infection in this host. A limited number of IFNγ sequences have been published from marsupials and no immune reagents to measure expression have been developed. Through preliminary analysis of the koala transcriptome, we have identified the full coding sequence of the koala IFNγ gene. Transcripts were identified in spleen and lymph node tissue samples. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that koala IFNγ is closely related to other marsupial IFNγ sequences and more distantly related to eutherian mammals. To begin to characterise the role of this important cytokine in the koala's response to chlamydial infection, we developed a quantitative real time PCR assay and applied it to a small cohort of koalas with and without active chlamydial disease, revealing significant differences in expression patterns between the groups. Description of the IFNγ sequence from the koala will not only assist in understanding this species' response to its most important pathogen but will also provide further insight into the evolution of the marsupial immune system.

Inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) attachment. 12. Structure-activity relationships associated with 4-fluoro-6-azaindole derivatives leading to the identification of 1-(4-benzoylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-(4-fluoro-7-[1,2,3]triazol-1-yl-1h-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridin-3-yl)ethane-1,2-dione (BMS-585248).

A series of highly potent HIV-1 attachment inhibitors with 4-fluoro-6-azaindole core heterocycles that target the viral envelope protein gp120 has been prepared. Substitution in the 7-position of the azaindole core with amides (12a,b), C-linked heterocycles (12c-l), and N-linked heterocycles (12m-u) provided compounds with subnanomolar potency in a pseudotype infectivity assay and good pharmacokinetic profiles in vivo. A predictive model was developed from the initial SAR in which the potency of the analogues correlated with the ability of the substituent in the 7-position of the azaindole to adopt a coplanar conformation by either forming internal hydrogen bonds or avoiding repulsive substitution patterns. 1-(4-Benzoylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-(4-fluoro-7-[1,2,3]triazol-1-yl-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridin-3-yl)ethane-1,2-dione (BMS-585248, 12m) exhibited much improved in vitro potency and pharmacokinetic properties than the previous clinical candidate BMS-488043 (1). The predicted low clearance in humans, modest protein binding, and good potency in the presence of 40% human serum for 12m led to its selection for human clinical studies.

Inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) attachment 6. Preclinical and human pharmacokinetic profiling of BMS-663749, a phosphonooxymethyl prodrug of the HIV-1 attachment inhibitor 2-(4-benzoyl-1-piperazinyl)-1-(4,7-dimethoxy-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridin-3-yl)-2-oxoethanone (BMS-488043).

BMS-663749, a phosphonooxymethyl prodrug 4 of the HIV-1 attachment inhibitor 2-(4-benzoyl-1-piperazinyl)-1-(4,7-dimethoxy-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridin-3-yl)-2-oxoethanone (BMS-488043) (2) was prepared and profiled in a variety of preclinical in vitro and in vivo models designed to assess its ability to deliver parent drug following oral administration. The data showed that prodrug 4 had excellent potential to significantly reduce dissolution rate-limited absorption following oral dosing in humans. Clinical studies in normal healthy subjects confirmed the potential of 4, revealing that the prodrug significantly increased both the AUC and C(max) of 2 compared to a solid capsule formulation containing the parent drug upon dose escalation. These data provided guidance for further efforts to obtain an effective HIV-1 attachment inhibitor.

Phosphonooxymethyl prodrugs of the broad spectrum antifungal azole, ravuconazole: synthesis and biological properties.

Synthesis of phosphonooxymethyl derivatives of ravuconazole, 2 (BMS-379224) and 3 (BMS-315801) and their biological evaluation as potential water-soluble prodrugs of ravuconazole are described. The phosphonooxymethyl ether analogue 2 (BMS-379224) and N-phosphonooxymethyl triazolium salt 3 (BMS-315801) were both prepared from ravuconazole (1) and bis-tert-butyl chloromethylphosphate, but under two different conditions. Both derivatives were highly soluble in water and converted to the parent in alkaline phosphatase, and also in vivo (rat). However, BMS-315801 was found to be less stable than BMS-379224 in water at neutral pH. BMS-379224 (2) has proved to be one of the most promising prodrugs of ravuconazole that we tested, and it is currently in clinical evaluation as an intravenous formulation of the broad spectrum antifungal azole, ravuconazole.