Aminopeptidase N Inhibitors as Pointers for Overcoming Antitumor Treatment Resistance.

Aminopeptidase N (APN), also known as CD13 antigen or membrane alanyl aminopeptidase, belongs to the M1 family of the MA clan of zinc metallopeptidases. In cancer cells, the inhibition of aminopeptidases including APN causes the phenomenon termed the amino acid deprivation response (AADR), a stress response characterized by the upregulation of amino acid transporters and synthetic enzymes and activation of stress-related pathways such as nuclear factor kB (NFkB) and other pro-apoptotic regulators, which leads to cancer cell death by apoptosis. Recently, APN inhibition has been shown to augment DR4-induced tumor cell death and thus overcome resistance to cancer treatment with DR4-ligand TRAIL, which is available as a recombinant soluble form dulanermin. This implies that APN inhibitors could serve as potential weapons for overcoming cancer treatment resistance. In this study, a series of basically substituted acetamidophenones and the semicarbazones and thiosemicarbazones derived from them were prepared, for which APN inhibitory activity was determined. In addition, a selective anti-proliferative activity against cancer cells expressing APN was demonstrated. Our semicarbazones and thiosemicarbazones are the first compounds of these structural types of Schiff bases that were reported to inhibit not only a zinc-dependent aminopeptidase of the M1 family but also a metalloenzyme.

Protein and Small-Molecule Leucopoiesis and Thrombopoiesis Stimulators.

Pluripotent stem cells of the bone marrow are stimulated by different cytokines to proliferation and differentiation into various types of blood cells. These cytokines are mostly glycoproteins. Erythropoietin stimulates stem cells to the formation of erythrocytes while colony-stimulating factors cause the formation of different types of white blood cells. Stem cell factors play an important role in the maintenance and survival of blood cells of all types. Thrombopoietin stimulates stem cells to proliferation and formation of blood platelets. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is probably the most important drug in use. It stimulates stem cells to the formation of neutrophile granulocytes. It is often used in recombinant forms such as filgrastim in the treatment of neutropenia in cancer chemotherapy or AIDS. Its pegylated conjugates such as pegfilgrastim are also available. Its activity can be supported by plerixafor, a small molecule - bicyclam derivative acting as an indirect agonist of stem cells factor. It acts as an antagonist of CXCR4 receptor activation of which brakes hematopoiesis. The treatment of conditions accompanied by thrombocytopenia such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is currently not performed by thrombopoietin but synthetic agonists of its receptor are preferred. Romiplostim is a peptibody. It consists of a protein part interacting with the thrombopoietin receptor which is, however, different from thrombopoietin, and of Fc fragment of immunoglobulin G1. In contrast, small molecule thrombopoietin receptor agonists represented by eltrombopag can be given orally unlike all of the above.