RESUMO
Within the university-industry ecosystem, improvement and innovation of technology transfer involve implementing appropriate dynamic capabilities. To answer the question-What are the micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities in university technology transfer?-this study investigates in-depth organizational-level dynamic capabilities in transferring university-based knowledge to business and society. Two qualitative case studies were deployed at organizational entities at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam: the Industry Alliance Office, and the Demonstrator Lab. These two organizations stimulate science- and business-oriented university technology transfer. In this context, the micro-foundations of the dynamic capabilities "sensing", "seizing" and "reconfiguring" are identified and discussed. For "sensing", which is the university's ability to explore the opportunities in the ecosystem, the micro-foundations are "selecting internal competency" and "sensing external partners". For "seizing", which supports universities in managing complementarity with industry and society, micro-foundations include "resource co-allocation" and "collaborative business model". The micro-foundations of "reconfiguring", through which universities maintain evolutionary fitness in the innovation ecosystem, are "strategic renewal", "establishing a university technology transfer-friendly environment", and "asset orchestration". This study provides researchers with a better understanding of how dynamic capabilities facilitate university technology transfer. Industrial practitioners and policymakers can consider the suggestions of the present study when pursuing collaboration with universities.
Assuntos
Ecossistema , Transferência de Tecnologia , Humanos , Universidades , Comércio , IndústriasRESUMO
The pharmaceutical industry is highly reliant on researchers who not only possess the technical knowledge but also the professional skills to collaborate in drug development. To prepare future practitioners to thrive in this interdisciplinary environment, Innovative Training Networks (ITNs) have become increasingly important in doctoral training. In this piece, we explore the benefits of these ITNs in training future practitioners in drug discovery. Through a bibliometric review, we find that the top researchers in fragment-based drug discovery have a high degree of collaboration and mobility across institutes. We then investigate which aspects of the ITN training program enable PhD students to gain these skills. We find that secondments, the short-term stays that students have in partner research institutes, are useful in preparing students to have both broad knowledge of drug discovery and specialization in their field of interest. Aside from imparting technical skills, we find that the collaborative environment in ITNs enables students to communicate better and to work effectively in teams. Doctoral students benefit by being exposed to relevant experiences that they can later apply as they navigate through the complex web of relationships and competencies in the industry. We conclude by recommending best practices to further improve ITNs in the training of future practitioners.
Assuntos
Descoberta de Drogas , HumanosRESUMO
Using the available structural information of the chemokine receptor CXCR4, we present hit finding and hit exploration studies that make use of virtual fragment screening, design, synthesis and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. Fragment 2 was identified as virtual screening hit and used as a starting point for the exploration of 31â¯N-substituted piperidin-4-yl-methanamine derivatives to investigate and improve the interactions with the CXCR4 binding site. Additionally, subtle structural ligand changes lead to distinct interactions with CXCR4 resulting in a full to partial displacement of CXCL12 binding and competitive and/or non-competitive antagonism. Three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) and binding model studies were used to identify important hydrophobic interactions that determine binding affinity and indicate key ligand-receptor interactions.
Assuntos
Metilaminas/farmacologia , Relação Quantitativa Estrutura-Atividade , Receptores CXCR4/antagonistas & inibidores , Sítios de Ligação , Quimiocina CXCL12/metabolismo , Ligantes , Metilaminas/síntese química , Modelos Moleculares , Fragmentos de Peptídeos , Piperidinas/química , Ligação ProteicaRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Chemogenomics focuses on the discovery of new connections between chemical and biological space leading to the discovery of new protein targets and biologically active molecules. G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) are a particularly interesting protein family for chemogenomics studies because there is an overwhelming amount of ligand binding affinity data available. The increasing number of aminergic GPCR crystal structures now for the first time allows the integration of chemogenomics studies with high-resolution structural analyses of GPCR-ligand complexes. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: In this study, we have combined ligand affinity data, receptor mutagenesis studies, and amino acid sequence analyses to high-resolution structural analyses of (hist)aminergic GPCR-ligand interactions. This integrated structural chemogenomics analysis is used to more accurately describe the molecular and structural determinants of ligand affinity and selectivity in different key binding regions of the crystallized aminergic GPCRs, and histamine receptors in particular. KEY RESULTS: Our investigations highlight interesting correlations and differences between ligand similarity and ligand binding site similarity of different aminergic receptors. Apparent discrepancies can be explained by combining detailed analysis of crystallized or predicted protein-ligand binding modes, receptor mutation studies, and ligand structure-selectivity relationships that identify local differences in essential pharmacophore features in the ligand binding sites of different receptors. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: We have performed structural chemogenomics studies that identify links between (hist)aminergic receptor ligands and their binding sites and binding modes. This knowledge can be used to identify structure-selectivity relationships that increase our understanding of ligand binding to (hist)aminergic receptors and hence can be used in future GPCR ligand discovery and design.
Assuntos
Desenho de Fármacos , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/metabolismo , Receptores Histamínicos/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Sítios de Ligação , Cristalização , Humanos , Ligantes , Mutagênese Sítio-Dirigida , Ligação Proteica , Conformação Proteica , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/química , Receptores Histamínicos/química , Análise de Sequência de Proteína , Relação Estrutura-AtividadeRESUMO
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The recently proposed binding mode of 2-aminopyrimidines to the human (h) histamine H4 receptor suggests that the 2-amino group of these ligands interacts with glutamic acid residue E182(5.46) in the transmembrane (TM) helix 5 of this receptor. Interestingly, substituents at the 2-position of this pyrimidine are also in close proximity to the cysteine residue C98(3.36) in TM3. We hypothesized that an ethenyl group at this position will form a covalent bond with C98(3.36) by functioning as a Michael acceptor. A covalent pyrimidine analogue will not only prove this proposed binding mode, but will also provide a valuable tool for H4 receptor research. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: We designed and synthesized VUF14480, and pharmacologically characterized this compound in hH4 receptor radioligand binding, G protein activation and ß-arrestin2 recruitment experiments. The ability of VUF14480 to act as a covalent binder was assessed both chemically and pharmacologically. KEY RESULTS: VUF14480 was shown to be a partial agonist of hH4 receptor-mediated G protein signalling and ß-arrestin2 recruitment. VUF14480 bound covalently to the hH4 receptor with submicromolar affinity. Serine substitution of C98(3.36) prevented this covalent interaction. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: VUF14480 is thought to bind covalently to the hH4 receptor-C98(3.36) residue and partially induce hH4 receptor-mediated G protein activation and ß-arrestin2 recruitment. Moreover, these observations confirm our previously proposed binding mode of 2-aminopyrimidines. VUF14480 will be a useful tool to stabilize the receptor into an active confirmation and further investigate the structure of the active hH4 receptor.
Assuntos
Arrestinas/metabolismo , Agonistas dos Receptores Histamínicos/farmacologia , Pirimidinas/farmacologia , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/agonistas , Compostos de Vinila/farmacologia , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Substituição de Aminoácidos , Desenho de Fármacos , Agonismo Parcial de Drogas , Proteínas de Ligação ao GTP/metabolismo , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Ligantes , Conformação Proteica , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/química , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/metabolismo , Receptores Histamínicos/química , Receptores Histamínicos/metabolismo , Receptores Histamínicos H4 , Transdução de Sinais/efeitos dos fármacos , beta-ArrestinasRESUMO
The actions of a novel, potent 5-HT3 receptor ligand, [2-chloro-(4-methylpiperazine-1-yl)quinoxaline (VUF10166)], were examined at heterologously expressed human 5-HT3A and 5-HT3AB receptors. VUF10166 displaced [³H]granisetron binding to 5-HT3A receptors expressed in human embryonic kidney cells with high affinity (K(i) = 0.04 nM) but was less potent at 5-HT3AB receptors (K(i) = 22 nM). Dissociation of [³H]granisetron in the presence of VUF10166 was best fit with a single time constant (t(1/2) = 53 min) at 5-HT3A receptors, but with two time constants (t(1/2) = 55 and 2.4 min) at 5-HT3AB receptors. Electrophysiological studies in oocytes revealed that VUF10166 inhibited 5-HT-induced responses at 5-HT3A receptors at nanomolar concentrations, but inhibition and recovery were too slow to determine an IC50. At 5-HT3AB receptors, inhibition and recovery were faster, yielding an IC50 of 40 nM. Cysteine substitutions in the complementary (-), but not the principal (+), face of the 5-HT3B subunit produced heteromeric receptors in which the actions of VUF10166 resembled those at homomeric receptors. At 5-HT3A receptors, VUF10166 at higher concentrations also behaved as a partial agonist (EC50 = 5.2 µM; R(max) = 0.24) but did not elicit significant responses at 5-HT3AB receptors at ≤100 µM. Thus, we propose that VUF10166 binds to the common A+A- site of both receptor types and to a second A+B- modulatory site in the heteromeric receptor. The ability of VUF10166 to distinguish between 5-HT3A and 5-HT3AB receptors could help evaluate differences between these receptor types and has potential therapeutic value.
Assuntos
Piperidinas/farmacologia , Quinoxalinas/farmacologia , Receptores 5-HT3 de Serotonina/genética , Receptores 5-HT3 de Serotonina/metabolismo , Animais , Células Cultivadas , Feminino , Granisetron/farmacologia , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Marcação por Isótopo/métodos , Ligantes , Mutação/efeitos dos fármacos , Mutação/genética , Oócitos/efeitos dos fármacos , Oócitos/metabolismo , Ligação Proteica/efeitos dos fármacos , Agonistas do Receptor 5-HT3 de Serotonina/farmacologia , Antagonistas do Receptor 5-HT3 de Serotonina/farmacologia , Xenopus laevis/metabolismoRESUMO
This review will focus on the construction, refinement, and validation of chemokine receptor models for the purpose of structure-based virtual screening and ligand design. The review will present a comparative analysis of ligand binding pockets in chemokine receptors, including a review of the recently released CXCR4 X-ray structures, and their implication on chemokine receptor (homology) modeling. The recommended protein-ligand modeling procedure as well as the use of experimental anchors to steer the modeling procedure is discussed and an overview of several successful structure-based ligand discovery and design studies is provided. This review shows that receptor models, despite structural inaccuracies, can be efficiently used to find novel ligands for chemokine receptors.:
RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The chemokine receptor CXCR3 is a GPCR found predominantly on activated T cells. CXCR3 is activated by three endogenous peptides; CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11. Recently, a small-molecule agonist, VUF10661, has been reported in the literature and synthesized in our laboratory. The aim of the present study was to provide a detailed pharmacological characterization of VUF10661 by comparing its effects with those of CXCL11. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Agonistic properties of VUF10661 were assessed in a chemotaxis assay with murine L1.2 cells transiently transfected with cDNA encoding the human CXCR3 receptor and in binding studies, with [(125)I]-CXCL10 and [(125)I]-CXCL11, on membrane preparations from HEK293 cells stably expressing CXCR3. [(35)S]-GTPγS binding was used to determine its potency to induce CXCR3-mediated G protein activation and BRET-based assays to investigate its effects on intracellular cAMP levels and ß-arrestin recruitment. KEY RESULTS: VUF10661 acted as a partial agonist in CXCR3-mediated chemotaxis, bound to CXCR3 in an allosteric fashion in ligand binding assays and activated G(i) proteins with the same efficacy as CXCL11 in the [(35)S]-GTPγS binding and cAMP assay, while it recruited more ß-arrestin1 and ß-arrestin2 to CXCR3 receptors than the chemokine. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: VUF10661, like CXCL11, activates both G protein-dependent and -independent signalling via the CXCR3 receptor, but probably exerts its effects from an allosteric binding site that is different from that for CXCL11. It could stabilize different receptor and/or ß-arrestin conformations leading to differences in functional output. Such ligand-biased signalling might offer interesting options for the therapeutic use of CXCR3 agonists.
Assuntos
Isoquinolinas/farmacologia , Receptores CXCR3/agonistas , Bibliotecas de Moléculas Pequenas/farmacologia , Regulação Alostérica , Animais , Técnicas de Cultura de Células , Membrana Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Membrana Celular/metabolismo , Quimiocina CXCL10/metabolismo , Quimiocina CXCL11/metabolismo , Quimiotaxia/efeitos dos fármacos , AMP Cíclico/metabolismo , DNA Complementar/genética , Relação Dose-Resposta a Droga , Células HEK293 , Humanos , Isoquinolinas/química , Ligantes , Camundongos , Células Precursoras de Linfócitos B/citologia , Células Precursoras de Linfócitos B/efeitos dos fármacos , Células Precursoras de Linfócitos B/metabolismo , Ligação Proteica , Ensaio Radioligante , Receptores CXCR3/antagonistas & inibidores , Receptores CXCR3/genética , Receptores de Superfície Celular/biossíntese , Bibliotecas de Moléculas Pequenas/química , TransfecçãoRESUMO
The development ofa new drug often takes more than ten years. Until recently, researchers were obliged to carry out experimental research on the efficacy of variants of those molecules of which the effect was known. It took a long time before a structure-activity relationship could be established. Currently, the full effect of the stormy developments in the Life Sciences, including the sequencing of the human genome, has not yet been fully felt in clinical practice. However, in laboratories researching medicinal products, the technology and the strategies being applied are changing drastically. Understanding disease processes and pharmaconprotein interactions at molecular level make it possible to develop biologically active pharmaceuticals using efficient developmental techniques involving crystallography and computer models. At the same time it is becoming clear that more research is necessary in order to understand the pharmacokinetic characteristics and toxicological activity of medicines under development. This second phase in the development of medicinal products too, is being strongly stimulated by the recent changes.
Assuntos
Química Farmacêutica/história , Genoma Humano , Química Farmacêutica/tendências , Descoberta de Drogas/história , História do Século XX , História do Século XXI , Humanos , Países Baixos , Farmacologia/história , Farmacologia/tendências , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Toxicologia/história , Toxicologia/tendênciasRESUMO
Furan-containing congeners of the histamine H(2) receptor antagonist ranitidine were synthesized and tested for improgan-like antinociceptive activity. The most potent ligand of the series, VUF5498, is the most potent improgan-like agent described to date (ED(50)=25 nmol, icv). This compound is approximately equal in potency with morphine. These non-imidazole, improgan-like pain relievers further define the structural requirements for analgesics of this class and are important tools for ongoing mechanism-based studies.
Assuntos
Cimetidina/análogos & derivados , Furanos/química , Nociceptores/metabolismo , Ranitidina/química , Ranitidina/farmacologia , Animais , Cimetidina/química , Cimetidina/farmacologia , Masculino , Estrutura Molecular , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Relação Estrutura-AtividadeRESUMO
G-protein-coupled receptors encoded by herpesviruses such as EBV, HCMV and KSHV are very interesting illustrations of the (patho)physiological importance of constitutive GPCR activity. These viral proteins are expressed on the cell surface of infected cells and often constitutively activate a variety of G-proteins. For some virus-encoded GPCRs, the constitutive activity has been shown to occur in vivo, i.e., in infected cells. In this paper, we will review the occurrence of virus-encoded GPCRs and describe their known signaling properties. Moreover, we will also review the efforts, directed towards the discovery of small molecule antagonist, that so far have been mainly focused on the HCMV-encoded GPCR US28. This virus-encoded receptor might be involved in cardiovascular diseases and cancer and seems an interesting target for drug intervention.
Assuntos
Antivirais/química , Receptores de Quimiocinas/fisiologia , Receptores Acoplados a Proteínas G/fisiologia , Transdução de Sinais/fisiologia , Proteínas Virais/fisiologia , Vírus/metabolismo , Animais , Antivirais/farmacologia , Desenho de Fármacos , Humanos , Vírus/patogenicidadeRESUMO
The SAR of H3 ligands has been difficult to evaluate because of species differences, multiple isoforms and constitutive activity, among other complicating factors. A review is given of the sometimes-conflicting affinity, activity and efficacy data of H3 agonists that has been described in literature to date.