Investigation of the enhanced antitumour potency of STING agonist after conjugation to polymer nanoparticles.

Intravenously administered cyclic dinucleotides and other STING agonists are hampered by low cellular uptake and poor circulatory half-life. Here we report the covalent conjugation of cyclic dinucleotides to poly(ß-amino ester) nanoparticles through a cathepsin-sensitive linker. This is shown to increase stability and loading, thereby expanding the therapeutic window in multiple syngeneic tumour models, enabling the study of how the long-term fate of the nanoparticles affects the immune response. In a melanoma mouse model, primary tumour clearance depends on the STING signalling by host cells-rather than cancer cells-and immune memory depends on the spleen. The cancer cells act as a depot for the nanoparticles, releasing them over time to activate nearby immune cells to control tumour growth. Collectively, this work highlights the importance of nanoparticle structure and nano-biointeractions in controlling immunotherapy efficacy.

Identification of Novel Carbocyclic Pyrimidine Cyclic Dinucleotide STING Agonists for Antitumor Immunotherapy Using Systemic Intravenous Route.

Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) plays an important role in innate immunity by inducing type I interferon production upon infection with intracellular pathogens. STING activation can promote increased T-cell activation and inflammation in the tumor microenvironment, resulting in antitumor immunity. Natural and synthetic cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) are known to activate STING, and several synthetic CDN molecules are being investigated in the clinic using an intratumoral administration route. Here, we describe the identification of STING agonist 15a, a cyclic dinucleotide structurally diversified from natural ligands with optimized properties for systemic intravenous (iv) administration. Our studies have shown that STING activation by 15a leads to an acute innate immune response as measured by cytokine secretion and adaptive immune response via activation of CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells, which ultimately provides robust antitumor efficacy.

Discovery of TAK-981, a First-in-Class Inhibitor of SUMO-Activating Enzyme for the Treatment of Cancer.

SUMOylation is a reversible post-translational modification that regulates protein function through covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins. The process of SUMOylating proteins involves an enzymatic cascade, the first step of which entails the activation of a SUMO protein through an ATP-dependent process catalyzed by SUMO-activating enzyme (SAE). Here, we describe the identification of TAK-981, a mechanism-based inhibitor of SAE which forms a SUMO-TAK-981 adduct as the inhibitory species within the enzyme catalytic site. Optimization of selectivity against related enzymes as well as enhancement of mean residence time of the adduct were critical to the identification of compounds with potent cellular pathway inhibition and ultimately a prolonged pharmacodynamic effect and efficacy in preclinical tumor models, culminating in the identification of the clinical molecule TAK-981.

Discovery and optimization of pyrazolopyrimidine sulfamates as ATG7 inhibitors.

Autophagy is postulated to be required by cancer cells to survive periods of metabolic and/or hypoxic stress. ATG7 is the E1 enzyme that is required for activation of Ubl conjugation pathways involved in autophagosome formation. This article describes the design and optimization of pyrazolopyrimidine sulfamate compounds as potent and selective inhibitors of ATG7. Cellular levels of the autophagy markers, LC3B and NBR1, are regulated following treatment with these compounds.

Development of a novel noncapillary plasma microsampling device for ultra-low volume of blood collection.

The desire for serial microsampling in mice has led to extensive research in this field within the pharmaceutical industry. The ability to profile a compound's in vivo properties with less material and fewer mice has obvious advantages. A new device and workflow was developed at the Takeda Oncology site to allow scientists to isolate plasma from very low volumes of mouse blood (as low as 20 µl) collected using standard microsampling techniques. A side-by-side in vitro comparison of plasma concentrations was performed using this new device and conventional sampling methods with commercial and in-house molecules. The plasma concentrations of the molecules tested were very consistent between the conventional sampling techniques and this new device/workflow. In addition, several in-life studies have also been conducted to validate this new technique as a primary PK screening tool at the Takeda Boston. The new device is simple to use and very cost effective with the added benefit that no additional training is needed for the animal technicians and the same centrifuge equipment can be employed. This device can be used for blood volumes ranging from 20 to 100 µl enabling studies not just in rat and dog but more importantly in mice.

Bonding as a positive youth development construct: a conceptual review.

The concept of bonding as a positive youth development construct is reviewed in this paper. The goals are fourfold. First, theoretical perspectives of bonding are delineated. Secondly, the relationships among bonding to caregivers, friends, romantic partners, as well as teachers, and adolescents' positive developmental outcomes are reviewed. Thirdly, with theoretical and empirical support, a discussion on how to promote bonding among adolescents is offered. Finally, a critical review on the cultural issues of bonding is provided.

Emotion regulation mediates age differences in emotions.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at testing the proposition of socioemotional selectivity theory whether older people would use more antecedent-focused emotion regulatory strategies like cognitive reappraisal but fewer response-focused strategies like suppression. It also aimed at investigating the mediating role of emotion regulation on the relationship between age and emotions. METHOD: The sample consisted of 654 younger and older adults aged between 18 and 64. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Results showed that age was significantly associated with positive emotions and cognitive reappraisal. No difference was found in negative emotions and suppression between younger and older adults. Cognitive reappraisal partially mediated the effect of age on positive emotions. Findings of this study contribute to our understanding of the underlying mechanism of age variations in emotional experiences.