Design and synthesis of novel quinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors targeting AKR1B1.

Inhibition of aldose reductase (AKR1B1) is a promising option for the treatment of diabetic complications. However, most of the developed small molecule inhibitors lack selectivity or suffer from low bioactivity. To address this limitation, a novel series of quinazolin-4(1H)-one derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors of AKR1B1 were designed and synthesized. Aldose reductase inhibitory activities of the novel compounds were characterized by IC50 values ranging from 0.015 to 31.497 µM. Markedly enhanced selectivity of these derivatives was also recorded, which was further supported by docking studies. Of these inhibitors, compound 5g exhibited the highest inhibition activity with selectivity indices reaching 1190.8. The structure-activity relationship highlighted the importance of N1-acetic acid and N3-benzyl groups with electron-withdrawing substituents on the quinazolin-4(1H)-one scaffold for the construction of efficient and selective AKR1B1 inhibitors.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of quinazoline derivatives with covalent reversible warheads as potential FGFR4 inhibitors.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) together with co-receptors modulate the activation of downstream proteins that regulate fundamental processes, and elevated FGFR4 activity is associated with Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). Hence, FGFR4 is a promising therapeutic target for HCC. Based on BLU9931, we designed and synthesized a series of phenylquinazoline derivatives as novel inhibitors of FGFR4 through the covalent reversible strategy. Among them, a novel compound (C3) showed FGFR4 and cell proliferation inhibitory activity. Cellular mechanism studies demonstrated that compound C3 induced apoptosis via the FGFR4 signaling pathway blockage. Further mechanism study showed that C3 has the reversible covalent binding capacity, could be used as a reference for the development of novel FGFR4 covalent reversible inhibitors.

Development, performance evaluation, and clinical application of a Rapid SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG Test Kit based on automated fluorescence immunoassay.

The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has made a huge impact on health, economies, and societies all over the world. Although reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based nucleic acid detection has been primarily used in the diagnosis of COVID-19, it is time-consuming with limited application scenarios and must be operated by qualified personnel. Antibody test, particularly point-of-care antibody testing, is a suitable complement to nucleic acid test as it provides rapid, portable, and cost-effective detection of infections. In this study, a Rapid Antibody Test Kit was developed based on fluorescence immunochromatography for the sensitive, accurate, and automated detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in human serum, plasma, and whole blood samples within 10 min. The sensitivity, specificity, precision, and stability of the test kit were of good performance. No cross-activity and no interference was observed. In the multiple-center parallel study, 223 samples from hospitalized patients were used to evaluate the clinical specificity of the test. Both SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG achieved a clinical specificity of 98.21%. The clinical sensitivities of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG were 79.54% and 87.45%, respectively, among 733 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) confirmed SARS-CoV-2 samples. For the combined IgM and IgG assays, the sensitivity and specificity were 89.22% and 96.86%, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the combined use of IgM and IgG could serve as a more suitable alternative detection method for patients with COVID-19, and the developed kit is of great public health significance for the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Salvianolic acid B attenuates mitochondrial stress against Aß toxicity in primary cultured mouse neurons.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a featured pathology underlying synaptic injury and neuronal stress in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In recent years, the vicious cycle between mitochondrial deficits and intra-neuronal Redox state imbalance has received considerable attention. In this regard, it is of great interest to determine whether antioxidants could alleviate mitochondrial dysfunction in AD-related conditions. Salvianolic acid B (SalB), a bioactive component of alvia miltiorrhiza Bge, is a potent antioxidant. Here we have determined the protective effect of SalB against Aß-induced mitochondrial abnormalities. Our results showed that the application of SalB substantially alleviated intra-neuronal glutathione (GSH) and lipid oxidation and suppressed excess mitochondrial superoxide generation in Aß-insulted neurons. Moreover, SalB has demonstrated strong protection on mitochondrial bioenergetics against Aß toxicity evidenced by preserved mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production, as well as rescued enzymatic activities of cytochrome C oxidase and F1Fo ATP synthase. In addition, Aß-induced axonal mitochondrial fragmentation and increased dynamin-like protein 1 phosphorylation at Ser 616 were substantially mitigated by SalB. Lastly, the application of SalB restored synaptic density in Aß-exposed neurons. The most parsimonious interpretation of the results is that intra-neuronal oxidative stress promotes mitochondrial dysfunction in AD-relevant pathological settings, and SalB has the potential to be a promising agent for AD therapy.