Nonantibiotic macrolides restore airway macrophage phagocytic function with potential anti-inflammatory effects in chronic lung diseases.

We reported defective efferocytosis associated with cigarette smoking and/or airway inflammation in chronic lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, severe asthma, and childhood bronchiectasis. We also showed defects in phagocytosis of nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), a common colonizer of the lower airway in these diseases. These defects could be substantially overcome with low-dose azithromycin; however, chronic use may induce bacterial resistance. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate two novel macrolides-2'-desoxy-9-(S)-erythromycylamine (GS-459755) and azithromycin-based 2'-desoxy molecule (GS-560660)-with significantly diminished antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Moraxella catarrhalis, and H. influenzae We tested their effects on efferocytosis, phagocytosis of NTHi, cell viability, receptors involved in recognition of apoptotic cells and/or NTHi (flow cytometry), secreted and cleaved intracellular IL-1ß (cytometric bead array, immunofluorescence/confocal microscopy), and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) using primary alveolar macrophages and THP-1 macrophages ± 10% cigarette smoke extract. Dose-response experiments showed optimal prophagocytic effects of GS-459755 and GS-560660 at concentrations of 0.5-1 µg/ml compared with our findings with azithromycin. Both macrolides significantly improved phagocytosis of apoptotic cells and NTHi (e.g., increases in efferocytosis and phagocytosis of NTHi: GS-459755, 23 and 22.5%, P = 0.043; GS-560660, 23.5 and 22%, P = 0.043, respectively). Macrophage viability remained >85% following 24 h exposure to either macrolide at concentrations up to 20 µg/ml. Secreted and intracellular-cleaved IL-1ß was decreased with both macrolides with no significant changes in recognition molecules c-mer proto-oncogene tyrosine kinase; scavenger receptor class A, member 1; Toll-like receptor 2/4; or CD36. Particulate cytoplasmic immunofluorescence of NLRP3 inflammasome was also reduced significantly. We conclude that GS-459755 and GS-560660 may be useful for reducing airway inflammation in chronic lung diseases without inducing bacterial resistance.

Selectivity switch between FAK and Pyk2: Macrocyclization of FAK inhibitors improves Pyk2 potency.

Herein, we describe the synthesis of Pyk2 inhibitors via macrocyclization of FAK and dual Pyk2-FAK inhibitors. We identified macrocycle 25a as a highly potent Pyk2 inhibitor (IC50=0.7nM), with ∼175-fold improvement in Pyk2 potency as compared to its acyclic counterpart. In many cases, macrocyclization improved Pyk2 potency while weakening FAK potency, thereby improving the Pyk2/FAK selectivity ratio for this structural class of inhibitors. Various macrocyclic linkers were studied in an attempt to optimize Pyk2 selectivity. We observed macrocyclic atropisomerism during the synthesis of 19-membered macrocycles 10a-d, and successfully obtained crystallographic evidence of one atropisomer (10a-AtropB) preferentially bound to Pyk2.

Clinical drug interaction profile of idelalisib in healthy subjects.

Idelalisib, a potent phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase delta (PI3Kδ) inhibitor, is metabolized primarily by aldehyde oxidase to form GS-563117 and to a lesser extent by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A and uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase 1A4. In vitro, idelalisib inhibits P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and organic anion transporting polypeptides 1B1 and 1B3, and GS-563117 is a time-dependent CYP3A inhibitor. This study enrolled 24 healthy subjects and evaluated (1) the effect of idelalisib on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of digoxin, a P-gp probe substrate, rosuvastatin, a breast cancer resistance protein, and OATP1B1/OATP1B3 substrate, and midazolam, a CYP3A substrate; and (2) the effect of a strong inducer, rifampin, on idelalisib PK. On treatment, the most common clinical adverse events (AEs) were headache and pyrexia. Grade 3 transaminase increases were observed in 5 of 24 subjects and were reversible. Two subjects had serious AEs after treatment completion (grade 3 pyrexia and/or drug-induced liver injury). Idelalisib coadministration did not affect digoxin and rosuvastatin PK. Coadministration with idelalisib increased plasma exposures of midazolam (138% and 437% for maximum observed plasma concentration [Cmax ] and area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 extrapolated to infinity [AUCinf ], respectively), consistent with the in vitro finding of CYP3A inhibition by GS-563117. Rifampin caused a substantial decrease in idelalisib (58% and 75%, Cmax and AUCinf , respectively) and GS-563117 exposures, indicating an enhanced contribution of CYP3A to idelalisib metabolism under a strongly induced state.

Nonantibiotic macrolides prevent human neutrophil elastase-induced mucus stasis and airway surface liquid volume depletion.

Mucus clearance is an important component of the lung's innate defense system. A failure of this system brought on by mucus dehydration is common to both cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Mucus clearance rates are regulated by the volume of airway surface liquid (ASL) and by ciliary beat frequency (CBF). Chronic treatment with macrolide antibiotics is known to be beneficial to both CF and COPD patients. However, chronic macrolide usage may induce bacterial resistance. We have developed a novel macrolide, 2'-desoxy-9-(S)-erythromycylamine (GS-459755), that has significantly diminished antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Haemophilus influenzae. Since neutrophilia frequently occurs in chronic lung disease and human neutrophil elastase (HNE) induces mucus stasis by activating the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), we tested the ability of GS-459755 to protect against HNE-induced mucus stasis. GS-459755 had no effect on HNE activity. However, GS-459755 pretreatment protected against HNE-induced ASL volume depletion in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). The effect of GS-459755 on ASL volume was dose dependent (IC50 ~3.9 µM) and comparable to the antibacterial macrolide azithromycin (IC50 ~2.4 µM). Macrolides had no significant effect on CBF or on transepithelial water permeability. However, the amiloride-sensitive transepithelial voltage, a marker of ENaC activity, was diminished by macrolide pretreatment. We conclude that GS-459755 may limit HNE-induced activation of ENaC and may be useful for the treatment of mucus dehydration in CF and COPD without inducing bacterial resistance.

Identification of 3-(acylamino)azepan-2-ones as stable broad-spectrum chemokine inhibitors resistant to metabolism in vivo.

3-(acylamino)glutarimides, a class of broad spectrum chemokine inhibitors, are rapidly hydrolyzed in serum, despite being stable in aqueous solution. Synthesis and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the proposed N-acyl-glutamate and -glutamine metabolites establish the enzyme-catalyzed breakdown pathways. In vitro assays suggest that despite their short half-life in vivo, the parent acylamino-glutarimides, not the ring-opened hydrolysis products, are the source of the antiinflammatory activity. Identification of this metabolic pathway has led to the development of 3-(acylamino)azepan-2-ones that are also broad spectrum chemokine inhibitors and act as stable, orally available powerful antiinflammatory agents in vivo with doses of 1 mg/kg.

Single-chain Fv-streptavidin substantially improved therapeutic index in multistep targeting directed at disialoganglioside GD2.

UNLABELLED: Multistep targeting can improve the therapeutic index of antibody-based targeting, particularly relevant to pediatric tumors where acute toxicity and late effects of treatment are major concerns. Neuroblastoma is uniquely suited for such investigations because of its abundance of surface ganglioside GD2. METHODS: 5F11scFv (scFv = single-chain variable fragment) was constructed from the variable regions of the heavy (V(H)) and kappa-light (V(L)) chain complementary DNA (cDNA) of anti-GD2 IgM hybridoma 5F11 and ligated to full-length streptavidin cDNA for expression in Escherichia coli. Purified 5F11-scFv-streptavidin (5F11-scFv-SA) was a homotetramer and showed comparable avidity to 5F11 IgM and a 30-fold improvement over monomeric scFv. Biodistribution of 5F11-scFv-SA was studied in nude mice xenografted with neuroblastoma LAN-1. Twenty-four hours after intravenous injection of 300-900 microg 5F11-scFv-SA, 150-450 microg of a thiogalactoside-containing clearing agent, (Gal-NAc)(16)-alpha-S-C(5)H(10)-NH-LC-N-Me-biotin (molecular weight, 8652), were administered intravenously, followed by approximately 2.5 microg (1.85-3.7 MBq) (111)In-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid-biotin ((111)In-DOTA-biotin) intravenously 4 h later and clocked as time 0. RESULTS: Tumor uptake (percentage of injected dose per gram [%ID/g]) at 2 h was 7 %ID/g and decayed with a half-life of 72 h, whereas blood %ID/g rapidly decreased to <1/500 of that of tumor after the first 24 h. The tumor-to-nontumor (T/NT) ratio at 72 h was high (median, 106; range, 3.4 [kidney] to 1660 [blood]). When the area under the radioactivity curve was computed, the T/NT organ ratio was favorable (4.8 for kidney and 162 for blood). When human and murine tumors were surveyed, the T/NT ratio of (111)In-DOTA-biotin uptake correlated with their levels of GD2 expression as assayed by flow cytometry. Biotinylated polypeptides (bovine serum albumin and vasointestinal peptides) achieved selective tumor targeting when the multistep strategy was applied. CONCLUSION: Improvement in the T/NT ratio using pretargeting strategy may increase the efficacy and safety of scFv-based approaches in cancer therapy. Additionally, since biotinylated polypeptides can be rendered tumor selective, a large repertoire of agents can potentially be explored.