Quantification of In Vivo Target Engagement Using Microfluidic Activity-Based Protein Profiling.

Accurate measurement of drug-target interactions in vivo is critical for both preclinical development and translation to clinical studies, yet many assays rely on indirect measures such as biomarkers associated with target activity. Activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) is a direct method of quantifying enzyme activity using active site-targeted small-molecule covalent probes that selectively label active but not inhibitor-bound enzymes. Probe-labeled enzymes in complex proteomes are separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and quantified by fluorescence imaging. To accelerate workflows and avoid imaging artifacts that make conventional gels challenging to quantify, we adapted protocols for a commercial LabChip GXII microfluidic instrument to permit electrophoretic separation of probe-labeled proteins in tissue lysates and plasma, and quantification of fluorescence (probe/protein labeling ratio of 1:1). Electrophoretic separation on chips occurred in 40 s per sample, and instrument software automatically identified and quantified peaks, resulting in an overall time savings of 3-5 h per 96-well sample plate. Calculated percent inhibition was not significantly different between the two formats. Chip performance was consistent between chips and sample replicates. Conventional gel imaging was more sensitive but required five times higher sample volume than microfluidic chips. Microfluidic chips produced results comparable to those of gels but with much lower sample consumption, facilitating assay miniaturization for scarce biological samples. The time savings afforded by microfluidic electrophoresis and automatic quantification has allowed us to incorporate microfluidic ABPP early in the drug discovery workflow, enabling routine assessments of tissue distribution and engagement of targets and off-targets in vivo.

Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibition in Human and Rodent Systems Supports Clinical Evaluation of Endocannabinoid Modulators.

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MGLL) is the primary degradative enzyme for the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). The first MGLL inhibitors have recently entered clinical development for the treatment of neurologic disorders. To support this clinical path, we report the pharmacological characterization of the highly potent and selective MGLL inhibitor ABD-1970 [1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropan-2-yl 4-(2-(8-oxa-3-azabicyclo[3.2.1]octan-3-yl)-4-chlorobenzyl)piperazine-1-carboxylate]. We used ABD-1970 to confirm the role of MGLL in human systems and to define the relationship between MGLL target engagement, brain 2-AG concentrations, and efficacy. Because MGLL contributes to arachidonic acid metabolism in a subset of rodent tissues, we further used ABD-1970 to evaluate whether selective MGLL inhibition would affect prostanoid production in several human assays known to be sensitive to cyclooxygenase inhibitors. ABD-1970 robustly elevated brain 2-AG content and displayed antinociceptive and antipruritic activity in a battery of rodent models (ED50 values of 1-2 mg/kg). The antinociceptive effects of ABD-1970 were potentiated when combined with analgesic standards of care and occurred without overt cannabimimetic effects. ABD-1970 also blocked 2-AG hydrolysis in human brain tissue and elevated 2-AG content in human blood without affecting stimulated prostanoid production. These findings support the clinical development of MGLL inhibitors as a differentiated mechanism to treat pain and other neurologic disorders.

Identification of ABX-1431, a Selective Inhibitor of Monoacylglycerol Lipase and Clinical Candidate for Treatment of Neurological Disorders.

The serine hydrolase monoacylglycerol lipase (MGLL) converts the endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonist 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and other monoacylglycerols into fatty acids and glycerol. Genetic or pharmacological inactivation of MGLL leads to elevation in 2-AG in the central nervous system and corresponding reductions in arachidonic acid and eicosanoids, producing antinociceptive, anxiolytic, and antineuroinflammatory effects without inducing the full spectrum of psychoactive effects of direct cannabinoid receptor agonists. Here, we report the optimization of hexafluoroisopropyl carbamate-based irreversible inhibitors of MGLL, culminating in a highly potent, selective, and orally available, CNS-penetrant MGLL inhibitor, 28 (ABX-1431). Activity-based protein profiling experiments verify the exquisite selectivity of 28 for MGLL versus other members of the serine hydrolase class. In vivo, 28 inhibits MGLL activity in rodent brain (ED50 = 0.5-1.4 mg/kg), increases brain 2-AG concentrations, and suppresses pain behavior in the rat formalin pain model. ABX-1431 (28) is currently under evaluation in human clinical trials.