CXCR4--A Prognostic and Clinicopathological Biomarker for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: A Meta-Analysis.

Adenocarcinomas of the pancreatic duct (PDAC) are characteristically aggressive tumors that are extremely challenging to treat as curative surgical resection, the definitive treatment, is seldom possible. Regretably, most patients are diagnosed with metastatic disease at the time of initial presentation. In addition, current chemotherapeutic concepts that are used for advanced disease stages show frustrating results. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapeutic molecular targets that are associated with PDAC disease. Recently, the chemokine receptor CXCR4 has been demonstrated to be highly expressed in metastatic PDAC. However, the results of the published data on CXCR4 and its association with clinicopathological variables and prognosis in PDAC seem to be heterogeneous. Consequently, to clarify the relevance of CXCR4 as a biomarker in PDAC we performed a comprehensive literature search by using PubMed and Web of Science databases to identify articles that focused on the expression of CXCR4 in PDAC by using immunohistochemistry. Subsequently, data from nine relevant studies, encompassing 1183 patients were extracted, qualitatively assessed, and entered into a meta-analysis. By using a random effects model, the pooled hazard ratio of the seven studies that reported on patients overall survival revealed a correlation between expression of CXCR4 and poor prognosis (HR 1.49; 95% CI: 1.04-2.14; P = 0.03; I2 = 74%). Although heterogeneity became evident, subgroup analyses confirmed the prognostic value of CXCR4 in PDAC, especially in high-quality studies that performed multivariate analysis. In addition, meta-analysis revealed a strong association of CXCR4 expression with the UICC stage (OR: 3.40; 95% CI: 1.67-6.92; P = 0.0007; I2 = 0%) and metastatic disease (N-status: OR: 2.55; 95% CI: 1.56-4.15; P = 0.0002; I2 = 26%; recurrence to the liver: OR: 2.80; 95% CI: 1.48-5.29; P = 0.001; I2 = 0%). Taken together, our meta-analysis suggests that CXCR4 represents a useful prognostic biomarker in PDAC and might therefore be evaluated as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of metastatic cancer disease of the pancreas.

Freezing the Bioactive Conformation to Boost Potency: The Identification of BAY†85-8501, a Selective and Potent Inhibitor of Human Neutrophil Elastase for Pulmonary Diseases.

Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) is a key protease for matrix degradation. High HNE activity is observed in inflammatory diseases. Accordingly, HNE is a potential target for the treatment of pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), acute lung injury (ALI), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), bronchiectasis (BE), and pulmonary hypertension (PH). HNE inhibitors should reestablish the protease-anti-protease balance. By means of medicinal chemistry a novel dihydropyrimidinone lead-structure class was identified. Further chemical optimization yielded orally active compounds with favorable pharmacokinetics such as the chemical probe BAY-678. While maintaining outstanding target selectivity, picomolar potency was achieved by locking the bioactive conformation of these inhibitors with a strategically positioned methyl sulfone substituent. An induced-fit binding mode allowed tight interactions with the S2 and S1 pockets of HNE. BAY 85-8501 ((4S)-4-[4-cyano-2-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-3,6-dimethyl-2-oxo-1-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carbonitrile) was shown to be efficacious in a rodent animal model related to ALI. BAY 85-8501 is currently being tested in clinical studies for the treatment of pulmonary diseases.

Diastereoselectivity in the Mukaiyama-Michael Reaction Employing alpha-Acyl beta,gamma-Unsaturated Phosphonates.

The unique electronic and structural nature of the alpha-acylphosphonate functional group affords both dimeric and chelated complexes of diethyl crotonyl phosphonate (1; DECP) with stannic chloride (SnCl(4)). The dimeric complex, SnCl(4).(DECP)(2) (5) results from the coordination of two DECP molecules, ligated via the phosphoryl oxygens to the tin atom. The chelated complex, SnCl(4).(DECP) (6), is best represented with both phosphoryl and carbonyl oxygens coordinated to the metal center. Both metal ligated and chelated complexes have unique (13)C (31)P, and (119)Sn NMR spectra. In complex 5, the (13)C NMR resonances attributed to the carbonyl carbons were shifted upfield of free DECP. A monocoordinating Lewis acid, BF(3).OEt(2), produced a similar chemical shift trend in both the (13)C and (31)P NMR spectra of the BF(3).DECP complex. Essentially quantitative yields and moderate diastereomeric excesses favoring anti (or trans) diethyl 6-phenyl-4,5-dimethyl-6-(trimethylsilyloxy)-2-dihydropyranphosphonate (3) and diethyl 5-phenyl-3,4-dimethyl-1,5-dioxopentanephosphonate (4) were obtained from both chelated and dimeric SnCl(4).(DECP)(n) (n = 1, 2) when treated with either diastereomeric (Z)- or (E)-1-phenyl-1-(trimethylsilyloxy)-1-propene 2. Diethyl crotonylphosphonate (1), 3, and 4 were fully characterized.