Molecular Tweezers: Supramolecular Hosts with Broad-Spectrum Biological Applications.

Lysine-selective molecular tweezers (MTs) are supramolecular host molecules displaying a remarkably broad spectrum of biologic activities. MTs act as inhibitors of the self-assembly and toxicity of amyloidogenic proteins using a unique mechanism. They destroy viral membranes and inhibit infection by enveloped viruses, such as HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2, by mechanisms unrelated to their action on protein self-assembly. They also disrupt biofilm of Gram-positive bacteria. The efficacy and safety of MTs have been demonstrated in vitro, in cell culture, and in vivo, suggesting that these versatile compounds are attractive therapeutic candidates for various diseases, infections, and injuries. A lead compound called CLR01 has been shown to inhibit the aggregation of various amyloidogenic proteins, facilitate their clearance in vivo, prevent infection by multiple viruses, display potent anti-biofilm activity, and have a high safety margin in animal models. The inhibitory effect of CLR01 against amyloidogenic proteins is highly specific to abnormal self-assembly of amyloidogenic proteins with no disruption of normal mammalian biologic processes at the doses needed for inhibition. Therapeutic effects of CLR01 have been demonstrated in animal models of proteinopathies, lysosomal-storage diseases, and spinal-cord injury. Here we review the activity and mechanisms of action of these intriguing compounds and discuss future research directions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Molecular tweezers are supramolecular host molecules with broad biological applications, including inhibition of abnormal protein aggregation, facilitation of lysosomal clearance of toxic aggregates, disruption of viral membranes, and interference of biofilm formation by Gram-positive bacteria. This review discusses the molecular and cellular mechanisms of action of the molecular tweezers, including the discovery of distinct mechanisms acting in vitro and in vivo, and the application of these compounds in multiple preclinical disease models.

Anti-amyloid treatment is broadly effective in neuronopathic mucopolysaccharidoses and synergizes with gene therapy in MPS-IIIA.

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are childhood diseases caused by inherited deficiencies in glycosaminoglycan degradation. Most MPSs involve neurodegeneration, which to date is untreatable. Currently, most therapeutic strategies aim at correcting the primary genetic defect. Among these strategies, gene therapy has shown great potential, although its clinical application is challenging. We have shown previously in an MPS-IIIA mouse model that the molecular tweezer (MT) CLR01, a potent, broad-spectrum anti-amyloid small molecule, inhibits secondary amyloid storage, facilitates amyloid clearance, and protects against neurodegeneration. Here, we demonstrate that combining CLR01 with adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapy, targeting both the primary and secondary pathologic storage in MPS-IIIA mice, results in a synergistic effect that improves multiple therapeutic outcomes compared to each monotherapy. Moreover, we demonstrate that CLR01 is effective therapeutically in mouse models of other forms of neuronopathic MPS, MPS-I, and MPS-IIIC. These strongly support developing MTs as an effective treatment option for neuronopathic MPSs, both on their own and in combination with gene therapy, to improve therapeutic efficacy and translation into clinical application.

The Amyloid Inhibitor CLR01 Relieves Autophagy and Ameliorates Neuropathology in a Severe Lysosomal Storage Disease.

Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are inherited disorders caused by lysosomal deficiencies and characterized by dysfunction of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP) often associated with neurodegeneration. No cure is currently available to treat neuropathology in LSDs. By studying a mouse model of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type IIIA, one of the most common and severe forms of LSDs, we found that multiple amyloid proteins including α-synuclein, prion protein (PrP), Tau, and amyloid ß progressively aggregate in the brain. The amyloid deposits mostly build up in neuronal cell bodies concomitantly with neurodegeneration. Treating MPS-IIIA mice with CLR01, a "molecular tweezer" that acts as a broad-spectrum inhibitor of amyloid protein self-assembly reduced lysosomal enlargement and re-activates autophagy flux. Restoration of the ALP was associated with reduced neuroinflammation and amelioration of memory deficits. Together, these data provide evidence that brain deposition of amyloid proteins plays a gain of neurotoxic function in a severe LSD by affecting the ALP and identify CLR01 as new potent drug candidate for MPS-IIIA and likely for other LSDs.

The molecular tweezer CLR01 inhibits aberrant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) self-assembly in vitro and in the G93A-SOD1 mouse model of ALS.

Mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) cause 15-20% of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (fALS) cases. The resulting amino acid substitutions destabilize SOD1's protein structure, leading to its self-assembly into neurotoxic oligomers and aggregates, a process hypothesized to cause the characteristic motor-neuron degeneration in affected individuals. Currently, effective disease-modifying therapy is not available for ALS. Molecular tweezers prevent formation of toxic protein assemblies, yet their protective action has not been tested previously on SOD1 or in the context of ALS. Here, we tested the molecular tweezer CLR01-a broad-spectrum inhibitor of the self-assembly and toxicity of amyloid proteins-as a potential therapeutic agent for ALS. Using recombinant WT and mutant SOD1, we found that CLR01 inhibited the aggregation of all tested SOD1 forms in vitro Next, we examined whether CLR01 could prevent the formation of misfolded SOD1 in the G93A-SOD1 mouse model of ALS and whether such inhibition would have a beneficial therapeutic effect. CLR01 treatment decreased misfolded SOD1 in the spinal cord significantly. However, these histological findings did not correlate with improvement of the disease phenotype. A small, dose-dependent decrease in disease duration was found in CLR01-treated mice, relative to vehicle-treated animals, yet motor function did not improve in any of the treatment groups. These results demonstrate that CLR01 can inhibit SOD1 misfolding and aggregation both in vitro and in vivo, but raise the question whether such inhibition is sufficient for achieving a therapeutic effect. Additional studies in other less aggressive ALS models may be needed to determine the therapeutic potential of this approach.

Supramolecular Mechanism of Viral Envelope Disruption by Molecular Tweezers.

Broad-spectrum antivirals are powerful weapons against dangerous viruses where no specific therapy exists, as in the case of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We discovered that a lysine- and arginine-specific supramolecular ligand (CLR01) destroys enveloped viruses, including HIV, Ebola, and Zika virus, and remodels amyloid fibrils in semen that promote viral infection. Yet, it is unknown how CLR01 exerts these two distinct therapeutic activities. Here, we delineate a novel mechanism of antiviral activity by studying the activity of tweezer variants: the "phosphate tweezer" CLR01, a "carboxylate tweezer" CLR05, and a "phosphate clip" PC. Lysine complexation inside the tweezer cavity is needed to antagonize amyloidogenesis and is only achieved by CLR01. Importantly, CLR01 and CLR05 but not PC form closed inclusion complexes with lipid head groups of viral membranes, thereby altering lipid orientation and increasing surface tension. This process disrupts viral envelopes and diminishes infectivity but leaves cellular membranes intact. Consequently, CLR01 and CLR05 display broad antiviral activity against all enveloped viruses tested, including herpesviruses, Measles virus, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. Based on our mechanistic insights, we potentiated the antiviral, membrane-disrupting activity of CLR01 by introducing aliphatic ester arms into each phosphate group to act as lipid anchors that promote membrane targeting. The most potent ester modifications harbored unbranched C4 units, which engendered tweezers that were approximately one order of magnitude more effective than CLR01 and nontoxic. Thus, we establish the mechanistic basis of viral envelope disruption by specific tweezers and establish a new class of potential broad-spectrum antivirals with enhanced activity.

Molecular Tweezers with Additional Recognition Sites.

A new synthetic access to molecular tweezers with one or two aliphatic phosphate ester groups in the central benzene spacer-unit is presented. Alkynyl ester groups offer the prospect to attach additional functional units by click chemistry and greatly broaden the scope of these tools for chemical biology. We present two alternative strategies: the trichloroacetonitrile method involves activation of only one OH group of each phosphoric acid substituent by way of trichloroacetimidate intermediates and subsequent introduction of an aliphatic ester alcohol moiety. The method is versatile, robust and combines simple workup with high yields. Mono- and disubstituted novel host structures are thus accessible in a convenient way. Alternatively, the phosphoramidite strategy activates the hydroquinone precursor by way of phosphoramidite intermediates and couples the desired ester alcohols followed by mild oxidation to the desired phosphate esters. Each step of the synthesis is carried out at very mild conditions and allows to combine sensitive host candidates and recognition elements. After neutralization of the phosphoric acids to water-soluble tri- and tetra-anions the cavities of the new tweezer derivatives are open to bind lysine and arginine as well as peptidic guests. The concept of introducing clickable alkynyl phosphates to free OH groups may be transferred to other major macrocyclic host classes to introduce additional recognition elements, biomolecules or fluorescence labels.

Inhibition of Huntingtin Exon-1 Aggregation by the Molecular Tweezer CLR01.

Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with the expansion of the polyglutamine tract in the exon-1 domain of the huntingtin protein (htte1). Above a threshold of 37 glutamine residues, htte1 starts to aggregate in a nucleation-dependent manner. A 17-residue N-terminal fragment of htte1 (N17) has been suggested to play a crucial role in modulating the aggregation propensity and toxicity of htte1. Here we identify N17 as a potential target for novel therapeutic intervention using the molecular tweezer CLR01. A combination of biochemical experiments and computer simulations shows that binding of CLR01 induces structural rearrangements within the htte1 monomer and inhibits htte1 aggregation, underpinning the key role of N17 in modulating htte1 toxicity.

Fritz Vögtle (1939-2017).

Fritz Vögtle, Professor Emeritus of Organic Chemistry and former Director of the Kekulé Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Bonn passed away on January 3, 2017. He was significantly involved in the development of supramolecular chemistry as a new and seminal research field, and his outstanding achievements, including dendrimer, catenane, rotaxane, and knot synthesis, brought this area to both national and international attention.

Anthraphane: An Anthracene-Based, Propeller-Shaped D(3h)-Symmetric Hydrocarbon Cyclophane and Its Layered Single Crystal Structures.

The novel hydrocarbon propeller-shaped D3h-symmetric cyclophane (3), "anthraphane", was prepared through a revisited and optimized gram-scale synthesis of the key building block anthracene-1,8-ditriflate 7. Anthraphane has a high tendency to crystallize and single crystals in size ranges of 100-200 µm are easily obtained from different solvents. The crystallization behavior of 3 was extensively studied to unravel packing motifs and determine whether the packing can be steered into a desired direction, so to allow topochemical photopolymerization. SC-XRD shows that anthraphane packs in layers irrespective of the solvent used for crystallization. However, within the layers, intermolecular arrangements and π-π interactions of the anthracene units vary strongly. Four interaction motifs for the anthracene moieties are observed and discussed in detail: two types of exclusively edge-to-face (etf), a mixture of edge-to-face and face-to-face (ftf), and no anthracene-anthracene interaction at all. To elucidate why an exclusive ftf stacking was not observed, electrostatic potential surface (EPS) calculations with the semiempirical PM3 method were performed. They show qualitatively that the anthracene faces bear a strong negative surface potential, which may be the cause for this cyclophane to avoid ftf interactions. This combined crystallographic and computational study provides valuable insights on how to create all-ftf packings.

The Lys-Specific Molecular Tweezer, CLR01, Modulates Aggregation of the Mutant p53 DNA Binding Domain and Inhibits Its Toxicity.

The tumor suppressor p53 plays a unique role as a central hub of numerous cell proliferation and apoptotic pathways, and its malfunction due to mutations is a major cause of various malignancies. Therefore, it serves as an attractive target for developing novel anticancer therapeutics. Because of its intrinsically unstable DNA binding domain, p53 unfolds rapidly at physiological temperature. Certain mutants shift the equilibrium toward the unfolded state and yield high-molecular weight, nonfunctional, and cytotoxic ß-sheet-rich aggregates that share tinctorial and conformational similarities with amyloid deposits found in various protein misfolding diseases. Here, we examined the effect of a novel protein assembly modulator, the lysine (Lys)-specific molecular tweezer, CLR01, on different aggregation stages of misfolded mutant p53 in vitro and on the cytotoxicity of the resulting p53 aggregates in cell culture. We found that CLR01 induced rapid formation of ß-sheet-rich, intermediate-size p53 aggregates yet inhibited further p53 aggregation and reduced the cytotoxicity of the resulting aggregates. Our data suggest that aggregation modulators, such as CLR01, could prevent the formation of toxic p53 aggregates.

Molecular basis for preventing α-synuclein aggregation by a molecular tweezer.

Recent work on α-synuclein has shown that aggregation is controlled kinetically by the rate of reconfiguration of the unstructured chain, such that the faster the reconfiguration, the slower the aggregation. In this work we investigate this relationship by examining α-synuclein in the presence of a small molecular tweezer, CLR01, which binds selectively to Lys side chains. We find strong binding to multiple Lys within the chain as measured by fluorescence and mass-spectrometry and a linear increase in the reconfiguration rate with concentration of the inhibitor. Top-down mass-spectrometric analysis shows that the main binding of CLR01 to α-synuclein occurs at the N-terminal Lys-10/Lys-12. Photo-induced cross-linking of unmodified proteins (PICUP) analysis shows that under the conditions used for the fluorescence analysis, α-synuclein is predominantly monomeric. The results can be successfully modeled using a kinetic scheme in which two aggregation-prone monomers can form an encounter complex that leads to further oligomerization but can also dissociate back to monomers if the reconfiguration rate is sufficiently high. Taken together, the data provide important insights into the preferred binding site of CLR01 on α-synuclein and the mechanism by which the molecular tweezer prevents self-assembly into neurotoxic aggregates by α-synuclein and presumably other amyloidogenic proteins.

Aromatic interactions by molecular tweezers and clips in chemical and biological systems.

Noncovalent interactions involving aromatic rings, such as π-stacking and CH-π, occur throughout a range of fundamental processes including self-assembly and (bio)catalysis. Molecular clips and tweezers possess a central parallel or torus-shaped cavity with a surrounding belt of convergent aromatic rings; hence these structures exploit multiple aromatic interactions in a positively cooperative manner. Both clips and tweezers demonstrate selective binding of cationic or neutral guests that bear acceptor groups. The electrostatic surface potentials (ESP) explain this unexpected behavior: calculated ESPs were highly negative inside the tweezer or clip cavity, providing complementary profiles to the positive ESP plots of their preferred guest molecules. This Account presents more complex systems that use aromatic clips and tweezers to alter the reactivities of included guest species, to distinguish between guest enantiomers, and to interfere with biological processes such as enzymatic activity and protein aggregation. Napthalene tweezers show potential applications in organocatalysis. When pyridinium moieties are bound within the spacious cavity of naphthyl-spaced tweezers, the resulting complex significantly influences the first step of single-electron reductions of (bi)pyridinium salts. In addition, the environment within the tweezer cavity strongly accelerates the Menshutkin reaction (the alkylation of pyridine derivatives). Introduction of phosphonate, phosphate, or sulfate anions into the central aromatic bridge renders clips and tweezers water-soluble. Larger systems form extremely tight intertwined dimers that rely on the nonclassical hydrophobic effect for their stability. Smaller clips and tweezers with a simple benzene bridge remain monomeric in buffered aqueous solution and display a complementary binding profile. While the clips with parallel sidewalls prefer flat aromatic cations such as pyridinium salts, the torus-shaped tweezers bind to basic amino acids lysine and arginine via a threading process. These mutually exclusive binding modes make water-soluble clips and tweezers valuable tools for probing critical biological interactions with positively charged amino acid side chains and cofactors. Molecular clips and tweezers can be employed for the complete inhibition of dehydrogenases. The clip extracts NAD(+) from its Rossman fold, while the tweezer complexes access strategic lysine residues around the active site. Our new enzyme inhibitors recognize the protein surface and thus offer additional targets for medicinal chemistry. Finally, the ability of molecular tweezers to cap critical lysine residues can be used to interfere with the pathology of protein misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, because many of them involve noncovalent interactions with these critical residues during their early stages. When the key protein produces a ß-sheet-rich nucleus, this structure undergoes spontaneous polymerization into highly toxic oligomers, ultimately leading to mature fibrils. The benzene-spaced phosphate tweezer forms a specific complex with lysine residues 16 and 28 in Aß42 and thus prevents the formation of misfolded oligomers rich in ß-sheets. This entirely new process-specific mechanism that prevents pathologic protein aggregation also operates in many other related amyloidogenic proteins.

Synthesis of shape-persistent macrocycles with three 1,8-diazaanthracene units and their packing in the single crystal.

The synthesis of four shape-persistent macrocycles with three 1,8-diazaanthracene units each is reported (2,3 a-3 c). For two of them single crystals could be obtained and the structures in the crystal be solved. The structures reveal that macrocycle 2 self-dimerizes in the solid state; surprisingly it also forms a stable dimer in solution. The reason for this is seen in unusually efficient dispersion interactions as a consequence of the large contact areas in the dimer. All macrocycles are assessed as to their applicability in lateral polymerizations in the single crystal as well as in solution.

Molecular tweezers with varying anions: a comparative study.

Selective binding of the phosphate-substituted molecular tweezer 1a to protein lysine residues was suggested to explain the inhibition of certain enzymes and the aberrant aggregation of amyloid petide Aß42 or α-synuclein, which are assumed to be responsible for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, respectively. In this work we systematically investigated the binding of four water-soluble tweezers 1a-d (substituted by phosphate, methanephosphonate, sulfate, or O-methylenecarboxylate groups) to amino acids and peptides containing lysine or arginine residues by using fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The comparison of the experimental results with theoretical data obtained by a combination of QM/MM and ab initio(1)H NMR shift calculations provides clear evidence that the tweezers 1a-c bind the amino acid or peptide guest molecules by threading the lysine or arginine side chain through the tweezers' cavity, whereas in the case of 1d the guest molecule is preferentially positioned outside the tweezer's cavity. Attractive ionic, CH-π, and hydrophobic interactions are here the major binding forces. The combination of experiment and theory provides deep insight into the host-guest binding modes, a prerequisite to understanding the exciting influence of these tweezers on the aggregation of proteins and the activity of enzymes.

Protection of primary neurons and mouse brain from Alzheimer's pathology by molecular tweezers.

Alzheimer's disease is a devastating cureless neurodegenerative disorder affecting >35 million people worldwide. The disease is caused by toxic oligomers and aggregates of amyloid ß protein and the microtubule-associated protein tau. Recently, the Lys-specific molecular tweezer CLR01 has been shown to inhibit aggregation and toxicity of multiple amyloidogenic proteins, including amyloid ß protein and tau, by disrupting key interactions involved in the assembly process. Following up on these encouraging findings, here, we asked whether CLR01 could protect primary neurons from Alzheimer's disease-associated synaptotoxicity and reduce Alzheimer's disease-like pathology in vivo. Using cell culture and brain slices, we found that CLR01 effectively inhibited synaptotoxicity induced by the 42-residue isoform of amyloid ß protein, including ∼80% inhibition of changes in dendritic spines density and long-term potentiation and complete inhibition of changes in basal synaptic activity. Using a radiolabelled version of the compound, we found that CLR01 crossed the mouse blood-brain barrier at ∼2% of blood levels. Treatment of 15-month-old triple-transgenic mice for 1 month with CLR01 resulted in a decrease in brain amyloid ß protein aggregates, hyperphosphorylated tau and microglia load as observed by immunohistochemistry. Importantly, no signs of toxicity were observed in the treated mice, and CLR01 treatment did not affect the amyloidogenic processing of amyloid ß protein precursor. Examining induction or inhibition of the cytochrome P450 metabolism system by CLR01 revealed minimal interaction. Together, these data suggest that CLR01 is safe for use at concentrations well above those showing efficacy in mice. The efficacy and toxicity results support a process-specific mechanism of action of molecular tweezers and suggest that these are promising compounds for developing disease-modifying therapy for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

Characterization of Molecular Tweezer Binding on α-Synuclein with Native Top-Down Mass Spectrometry and Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Reveals a Mechanism for Aggregation Inhibition.

Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative disease that affects 15 million people worldwide, is characterized by deposition of α-synuclein into Lewy Bodies in brain neurons. Although this disease is prevalent worldwide, a therapy or cure has yet to be found. Several small compounds have been reported to disrupt fibril formation. Among these compounds is a molecular tweezer known as CLR01 that targets lysine and arginine residues. This study aims to characterize how CLR01 interacts with various proteoforms of α-synuclein and how the structure of α-synuclein is subsequently altered. Native mass spectrometry (nMS) measurements of α-synuclein/CLR01 complexes reveal that multiple CLR01 molecules can bind to α-synuclein proteoforms such as α-synuclein phosphorylated at Ser-129 and α-synuclein bound with copper and manganese ions. The binding of one CLR01 molecule shifts the ability for α-synuclein to bind other ligands. Electron capture dissociation (ECD) with Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) top-down (TD) mass spectrometry of α-synuclein/CLR01 complexes pinpoints the locations of the modifications on each proteoform and reveals that CLR01 binds to the N-terminal region of α-synuclein. CLR01 binding compacts the gas-phase structure of α-synuclein, as shown by ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS). These data suggest that when multiple CLR01 molecules bind, the N-terminus of α-synuclein shifts toward a more compact state. This compaction suggests a mechanism for CLR01 halting the formation of oligomers and fibrils involved in many neurodegenerative diseases.

Advanced Molecular Tweezers with Lipid Anchors against SARS-CoV-2 and Other Respiratory Viruses.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 presents a global health emergency. Therapeutic options against SARS-CoV-2 are still very limited but urgently required. Molecular tweezers are supramolecular agents that destabilize the envelope of viruses resulting in a loss of viral infectivity. Here, we show that first-generation tweezers, CLR01 and CLR05, disrupt the SARS-CoV-2 envelope and abrogate viral infectivity. To increase the antiviral activity, a series of 34 advanced molecular tweezers were synthesized by insertion of aliphatic or aromatic ester groups on the phosphate moieties of the parent molecule CLR01. A structure-activity relationship study enabled the identification of tweezers with a markedly enhanced ability to destroy lipid bilayers and to suppress SARS-CoV-2 infection. Selected tweezer derivatives retain activity in airway mucus and inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 wildtype and variants of concern as well as respiratory syncytial, influenza, and measles viruses. Moreover, inhibitory activity of advanced tweezers against respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2 was confirmed in mice. Thus, potentiated tweezers are broad-spectrum antiviral agents with great prospects for clinical development to combat highly pathogenic viruses.

Lysine-specific molecular tweezers are broad-spectrum inhibitors of assembly and toxicity of amyloid proteins.

Amyloidoses are diseases characterized by abnormal protein folding and self-assembly, for which no cure is available. Inhibition or modulation of abnormal protein self-assembly, therefore, is an attractive strategy for prevention and treatment of amyloidoses. We examined Lys-specific molecular tweezers and discovered a lead compound termed CLR01, which is capable of inhibiting the aggregation and toxicity of multiple amyloidogenic proteins by binding to Lys residues and disrupting hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions important for nucleation, oligomerization, and fibril elongation. Importantly, CLR01 shows no toxicity at concentrations substantially higher than those needed for inhibition. We used amyloid ß-protein (Aß) to further explore the binding site(s) of CLR01 and the impact of its binding on the assembly process. Mass spectrometry and solution-state NMR demonstrated binding of CLR01 to the Lys residues in Aß at the earliest stages of assembly. The resulting complexes were indistinguishable in size and morphology from Aß oligomers but were nontoxic and were not recognized by the oligomer-specific antibody A11. Thus, CLR01 binds already at the monomer stage and modulates the assembly reaction into formation of nontoxic structures. The data suggest that molecular tweezers are unique, process-specific inhibitors of aberrant protein aggregation and toxicity, which hold promise for developing disease-modifying therapy for amyloidoses.

Lysine-selective molecular tweezers are cell penetrant and concentrate in lysosomes.

Lysine-selective molecular tweezers are promising drug candidates against proteinopathies, viral infection, and bacterial biofilm. Despite demonstration of their efficacy in multiple cellular and animal models, important questions regarding their mechanism of action, including cell penetrance and intracellular distribution, have not been answered to date. The main impediment to answering these questions has been the low intrinsic fluorescence of the main compound tested to date, called CLR01. Here, we address these questions using new fluorescently labeled molecular tweezers derivatives. We show that these compounds are internalized in neurons and astrocytes, at least partially through dynamin-dependent endocytosis. In addition, we demonstrate that the molecular tweezers concentrate rapidly in acidic compartments, primarily lysosomes. Accumulation of molecular tweezers in lysosomes may occur both through the endosomal-lysosomal pathway and via the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Moreover, by visualizing colocalization of molecular tweezers, lysosomes, and tau aggregates we show that lysosomes likely are the main site for the intracellular anti-amyloid activity of molecular tweezers. These findings have important implications for the mechanism of action of molecular tweezers in vivo, explaining how administration of low doses of the compounds achieves high effective concentrations where they are needed, and supporting the development of these compounds as drugs for currently cureless proteinopathies.