Vitamin D regulates microbiome-dependent cancer immunity.

A role for vitamin D in immune modulation and in cancer has been suggested. In this work, we report that mice with increased availability of vitamin D display greater immune-dependent resistance to transplantable cancers and augmented responses to checkpoint blockade immunotherapies. Similarly, in humans, vitamin D-induced genes correlate with improved responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment as well as with immunity to cancer and increased overall survival. In mice, resistance is attributable to the activity of vitamin D on intestinal epithelial cells, which alters microbiome composition in favor of Bacteroides fragilis, which positively regulates cancer immunity. Our findings indicate a previously unappreciated connection between vitamin D, microbial commensal communities, and immune responses to cancer. Collectively, they highlight vitamin D levels as a potential determinant of cancer immunity and immunotherapy success.

Novel purine analogues regulate IL-1ß release via inhibition of JAK activity in human aortic smooth muscle cells.

Purine analogues bearing a nitrate ester motif were previously discovered as cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory agents, but the anti-inflammatory mechanism remains to be established. We therefore investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of two purine analogues, MK118 bearing a nitrate ester moiety and the methyl-substituted analogue MK196 in Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells (AoSMCs), with emphasis on IL-1ß release. The AoSMCs were stimulated with LPS with or without purine analogue, followed by ELISA, Olink proteomics, Western blot and real time PCR of NLRP3 inflammasome components. Both purine analogues inhibited the release of proteins involved in inflammation, such as TRAIL, CCL4, CSF1 and IL-1ß in AoSMCs, as well as intracellular gene and protein expression of IL-1ß and NLRP3 inflammasome components. MK196, but not MK118, also inhibited the LPS-induced release of IL-7, CXCL10, PD-L1, FLT3L and CCL20. We also showed that MK118 and possibly MK196 act via inhibition of JAKs. In silico studies showed that the purine moiety is a competent hinge binding motif and that the purine-piperazine scaffold is well accommodated in the lipophilic groove of JAK1-3. Both compounds establish interactions with catalytic amino acids in the active site of JAK1-3 and the terminal nitrate ester of MK118 was revealed as a promising pharmacophore. Our data suggest that MK118 and MK196 inhibit the release of proinflammatory proteins in AoSMCs, and targets JAK1-3 activation. Purine analogues also inhibit the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome genes and proteins and may in the future be evaluated for anti-inflammatory aspects on inflammatory diseases.

Chemotherapy-induced COX-2 upregulation by cancer cells defines their inflammatory properties and limits the efficacy of chemoimmunotherapy combinations.

Cytotoxic therapies, besides directly inducing cancer cell death, can stimulate immune-dependent tumor growth control or paradoxically accelerate tumor progression. The underlying mechanisms dictating these opposing outcomes are poorly defined. Here, we show that cytotoxic therapy acutely upregulates cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in cancer cells with pre-existing COX-2 activity. Screening a compound library of 1280 approved drugs, we find that all classes of chemotherapy drugs enhance COX-2 transcription whilst arresting cancer cell proliferation. Genetic manipulation of COX-2 expression or its gene promoter region uncover how augmented COX-2/PGE2 activity post-treatment profoundly alters the inflammatory properties of chemotherapy-treated cancer cells in vivo. Pharmacological COX-2 inhibition boosts the efficacy of the combination of chemotherapy and PD-1 blockade. Crucially, in a poorly immunogenic breast cancer model, only the triple therapy unleashes tumor growth control and significantly reduces relapse and spontaneous metastatic spread in an adjuvant setting. Our findings suggest COX-2/PGE2 upregulation by dying cancer cells acts as a major barrier to cytotoxic therapy-driven tumor immunity and uncover a strategy to improve the outcomes of immunotherapy and chemotherapy combinations.

The Adhesome Network: Key Components Shaping the Tumour Stroma.

Beyond the conventional perception of solid tumours as mere masses of cancer cells, advanced cancer research focuses on the complex contributions of tumour-associated host cells that are known as "tumour microenvironment" (TME). It has been long appreciated that the tumour stroma, composed mainly of blood vessels, cancer-associated fibroblasts and immune cells, together with the extracellular matrix (ECM), define the tumour architecture and influence cancer cell properties. Besides soluble cues, that mediate the crosstalk between tumour and stroma cells, cell adhesion to ECM arises as a crucial determinant in cancer progression. In this review, we discuss how adhesome, the intracellular protein network formed at cell adhesions, regulate the TME and control malignancy. The role of adhesome extends beyond the physical attachment of cells to ECM and the regulation of cytoskeletal remodelling and acts as a signalling and mechanosensing hub, orchestrating cellular responses that shape the tumour milieu.

Design, Synthesis, and in†vitro Evaluation of P2X7 Antagonists.

The P2X7 receptor is a promising target for the treatment of various diseases due to its significant role in inflammation and immune cell signaling. This work describes the design, synthesis, and in vitro evaluation of a series of novel derivatives bearing diverse scaffolds as potent P2X7 antagonists. Our approach was based on structural modifications of reported (adamantan-1-yl)methylbenzamides able to inhibit the receptor activation. The adamantane moieties and the amide bond were replaced, and the replacements were evaluated by a ligand-based pharmacophore model. The antagonistic potency of the synthesized analogues was assessed by two-electrode voltage clamp experiments, using Xenopus laevis oocytes that express the human P2X7 receptor. SAR studies suggested that the replacement of the adamantane ring by an aryl-cyclohexyl moiety afforded the most potent antagonists against the activation of the P2X7 cation channel, with analogue 2-chloro-N-[1-(3-(nitrooxymethyl)phenyl)cyclohexyl)methyl]benzamide (56) exhibiting the best potency with an IC50 value of 0.39 µM.

A novel purine analogue bearing nitrate ester prevents platelet activation by ROCK activity inhibition.

Natural purines like ATP, ADP and adenosine have crucial roles in platelet physiology. This knowledge has been significant in drug development and today ADP receptor antagonists are widely used for prevention of thrombotic events following myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. Recent studies have shown that a purine analogue bearing nitrate ester group (denoted MK128) has anti-inflammatory effects probably due to its ability to donate nitric oxide (NO). However, other pharmacological mechanisms may contribute to the observed effect. The aim of the present study was to establish the anti-platelet activity and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism(s) of the purine analogue MK128. We found that MK128 reduced aggregation and secretion induced by the thrombin receptor agonist SFLLRN and nearly abolished aggregation and secretion induced by thromboxane A2 (TxA2) and collagen receptor agonists. The inhibition took place despite blockage of the NO/cGMP signalling system. Furthermore, interaction between MK128 and platelet purinergic receptors did not explain the observed inhibition. Instead, we found that MK128 concentration-dependently inhibited Rho-associated kinase (ROCK), which led to decreased ROCK-dependent myosin phosphatase target subunit (MYPT)-1 phosphorylation and suppression of platelet functional responses.

Nitrate Esters of Heteroaromatic Compounds as Candida albicans CYP51 Enzyme Inhibitors.

Four heteroaromatic compounds bearing nitrate esters were selected using a virtual-screening procedure as putative sterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) Candida albicans inhibitors. Compounds were examined for their inhibition on C. albicans growth and biofilm formation as well as for their toxicity. NMR spectroscopy studies, in silico docking, and molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate further the selectivity of these compounds to fungal CYP51. All compounds exhibited good antimicrobial properties, indicated with low minimal inhibitory concentrations and ability to inhibit formation of fungal biofilm. Moreover, all of the compounds had the ability to inhibit growth of C. albicans cells. N-(2-Nitrooxyethyl)-1Η-indole-2-carboxamide was the only compound with selectivity on C. albicans CYP51 that did not exhibit cytotoxic effect on cells isolated from liver and should be further investigated for selective application in new leads for the treatment of candidiasis.

Antimicrobial/Antibiofilm Activity and Cytotoxic Studies of ß-Thujaplicin Derivatives.

Natural ß-thujaplicin displays a remarkable array of biological activities for the prevention or treatment of various disorders while its tropolone scaffold inspired the synthesis of new analogs. The main goal of the current study was to evaluate the influence of 4-substituted piperazine moieties at position 7 of the ß-thujaplicin scaffold, on the antimicrobial activity. In order to determine the biological activity of the ß-thujaplicin derivatives, a microdilution method was used against a wide variety of bacteria and fungi. Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO 1 was used for testing antiquorum and antibiofilm effects. Four human tumor cell lines (MCF-7, NCI-H460, HeLa, and HepG2) and a porcine liver derived cell line (PLP2) were used for testing antitumor and cytotoxic activity. The compounds present better antibacterial and antifungal activity in comparison with approved antimicrobials used as control agents. ß-Thujaplicin showed strong antibacterial and antifungal activities against all tested species. Further studies of their antibacterial activity revealed that all compounds presented good antibiofilm and antiquorum effects. Fungi were more susceptible than bacteria to the tested compounds, with the exception of MK150, which possessed the best antibacterial effect. None of the tested compounds, at the GI50 values obtained for the tumor cell lines, have shown toxicity for non-tumor liver cells (PLP2). The prediction of physicochemical properties of the compounds was performed to further explain the structure-activity relationship. Finally, in order to explore a possible mechanism of action of the synthesized compounds, molecular docking studies were performed on CYP51 (14-a lanosterol demethylase), an important component of the fungal cell membrane.

Vitamin E derivatives: a patent review (2010 - 2015).

INTRODUCTION: The vitamin E family consists of four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. α-Tocopherol is the most studied member of this family for its antioxidant and non-antioxidant properties, while tocotrienols have attracted recent research interest. The structural motifs of the vitamin E family and specifically the chroman moiety, are amenable to various modifications in order to improve their bioactivities towards numerous therapeutic targets. AREAS COVERED: This review includes the patent literature from 2010 - 2015 related to vitamin E derivatives and it is focused on 2-, 5- or 6-substituted chroman analogues. The patent search was performed using Reaxys® and esp@cenet. EXPERT OPINION: The chroman moiety of vitamin E is a privileged structure and an essential pharmacophore which inspired organic chemists to synthesize new analogues with improved bioactivities. Modifications at the 2- and 5- positions of the chroman ring resulted in very interesting active compounds in cellular and animal models of diseases related to oxidative stress. More recent publications and patents reported 6-substituted chromans as anticancer agents in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, an emerging interest is observed towards the use of vitamin E analogues incorporated in drug delivery systems and for medical imaging as contrast agents or fluorescent probes.

Therapeutic applications of lipoic acid: a patent review (2011 - 2014).

INTRODUCTION: Lipoic acid (LA), a naturally occurring 1,2-dithiolane analog that plays an essential role in mitochondrial bioenergetic reactions, has gained unprecedented attention as nutritional supplement and as therapeutic agent. Moreover, LA conjugates with other pharmacophores represent a promising approach toward the development of multifunctional drugs. AREAS COVERED: The reviewed patent applications from January 2011 to April 2014 include combinations of LA with other bioactive compounds as well as LA conjugates for the treatment of a wide range of clinical conditions. Additionally, some patents disclose methods to overcome the stability problems of LA. EXPERT OPINION: LA is currently in clinical use for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy, while small clinical trials using combinations of LA with known bioactive agents have been undertaken. The use of the LA is hampered by its instability and its rapid metabolism. Thus, formulations containing LA, in a form ensuring its stability and improving its bioavailability, can have important applications as medicines, nutritional supplements or cosmeceuticals. LA hybrids with other pharmacophores endowed with various activities, possess an enormous potential to promote human health and have been the subject of numerous publications and patent applications. Nevertheless, reliable in vivo data and clinical trials are necessary to prove these beneficial effects.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted isoxazoles and evaluation of their anti-ageing activity.

One-pot uncatalysed microwave-assisted 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions between in situ generated nitrile oxides and alkynes bearing protected antioxidant substituents, were regioselectively afforded 3,5-disubstituted isoxazoles. The yields were moderate, based on the starting aldehydes, while the reaction times were in general shorter than those reported in the literature. The cytoprotective and anti-ageing effect of the final deprotected compounds was evaluated in vitro, on cellular survival following oxidative challenge and in vivo, on organismal longevity using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The activity of the isoxazole analogues depends on the nature and the number of the antioxidant substituents. Analogue 17 bearing a phenolic group and a 6-OH-chroman group is a promising anti-ageing agent, since it increased survival of human primary fibroblasts following treatment with H2O2 and extended C. elegans lifespan.

In vitro inflammatory/anti-inflammatory effects of nitrate esters of purines.

Six purine analogues bearing a nitrate ester group (potential NO donor) were tested on human THP-1 macrophages to investigate their effects on the inflammatory response. Only three analogues increased the basal level of IL-1ß. Two analogues exacerbated the inflammatory response induced by ATP but not that induced by H2O2. Only 6-[4-(6-nitroxyacetyl)piperazin-1-yl]-9H-purine (compound MK128) abolished ATP or H2O2-induced IL-1ß production in the culture medium. Similar results were reproduced on macrophages differentiated from buffy coats and stimulated with LPS. MK128 was the only analogue to release NO and leading to nitrite formation in the culture medium. The EC50 for inhibition of induced IL-1ß production by the cells was estimated to be 10-12µg/ml (about 36µM) and corresponded to the production of around 30µM nitrites in the culture medium. This anti-inflammatory effect of MK128 was mimicked by trinitrin used in 10 fold higher concentrations. Preincubation of cells with NO trapper cPTIO partially abolished the beneficial effect of MK128 while MK137, a ONO2 deprived analogue of MK128, was not able to inhibit induced IL-1ß production and proved to be inflammatory. Moreover, purinergic channel inhibitors (oATP and U73122) inhibited the MK137 inflammatory effect. Finally, MK128 reduced the quantity of p20 caspase-1 produced in the culture medium. We suggest that MK128 inhibits IL-1ß production via NO production and subsequent inflammasome component nitrosylation. On the opposite MK137, deprived from ONO2 group, could act as agonist of purinergic receptors and could thus activate inflammasome.

Synergistic effect of dual-frequency ultrasound irradiation in the one-pot synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted isoxazoles.

Herein is reported a one-pot three-step process for the regioselective synthesis of 3,5-disubstituted isoxazoles based on copper(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition reaction between in situ generated nitrile oxides (from the corresponding aldehydes) and alkynes, using ultrasound irradiation, avoiding toxic reagents and solvents and isolation/purification of intermediates. The combined use of 40 kHz ultrasonic bath and 20 kHz probe in the presence of copper turnings reduced reaction time to 1h and resulted in only one final purification step with increased yields, clearly indicating that there is a dual-frequency synergistic effect. In addition, under metal free conditions, the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition was regioselective giving low to modest yields.

Discovery of 6-[4-(6-nitroxyhexanoyl)piperazin-1-yl)]-9H-purine, as pharmacological post-conditioning agent.

Novel purine analogues bearing nitrate esters were designed and synthesized in an effort to develop compounds triggering endogenous cardioprotective mechanisms such as ischemic preconditioning (IPC) or postconditioning (PostC). The majority of the compounds reduced infarct size compared to the control group in anesthetized rabbits, whereas administration of the most active analogue 16 at a dose of 3.8 µmol/kg resulted on a significant reduction of infarct size, compared to PostC group (13.4 ± 1.9% vs 26.4 ± 2.3%). These findings introduce a novel class of promising pharmacological compounds that could be used as mimics or enhancers of PostC.

Isoxazole substituted chromans against oxidative stress-induced neuronal damage.

We have previously reported that catechol-bearing regioisomers of 5-isoxazolyl-6-hydroxy-chroman display higher in vitro neuroprotective activity, compared to hybrids with other nitrogen heterocycles, but their activity is hampered by cytotoxicity at higher concentrations. In an effort to discover non-cytotoxic isoxazole substituted chromans of high neuroprotective activity, 20 new 3- and 5-substituted (chroman-5-yl)-isoxazoles and (chroman-2-yl)-isoxazoles were synthesized using the copper(I)-catalysed cycloaddition reaction between in situ generated nitrile oxides and terminal acetylenes. An additional aim was to further explore the effect of the isoxazole ring substituents on the neuroprotective activity. The activity of these compounds against oxidative stress-induced death (oxytosis) of neuronal HT22 cells was evaluated and interesting SARs for this group of analogues were derived. The vast majority of new chroman analogues displayed high in vitro neuroprotective activity displaying EC(50) values below 1 µM and lacked cytotoxicity. The position of substituents on the isoxazole ring influences the activity of the regioisomers, with the 3-aryl-5-(chroman-5-yl)-isoxazoles, 17 and 18 and bis-chroman 20 displaying higher neuroprotective activity (EC(50)∼0.3 µM) compared to other (chroman-5-yl) and (chroman-2-yl)-isoxazoles.

Synthesis of a second generation chroman/catechol hybrids and evaluation of their activity in protecting neuronal cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death.

A new generation of chroman/catechol hybrids bearing heterocyclic five-membered rings, such as 1,2,4-oxadiazole 1,3,4-oxadiazole, 1,2,3-triazole, tetrazole and isoxazole, were designed and synthesized. The activity of the new derivatives against oxidative stress induced neuronal damage, was evaluated using glutamate-challenged hippocampal HT22 cells. Compound 3 in which a 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl moiety, is directly attached to the 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring was the most active among the 2-substituted chroman analogues, with EC(50)=254+/-65nM. Concerning the 5-subtituted chroman analogues, isoxazole derivative 29 exhibited the strongest activity (EC(50)=245+/-38nM). However, 29 was cytotoxic at concentrations higher than 1microM, while the triazole analogue 24 (EC(50)=801+/-229nM), was non-toxic at all concentrations tested.

Design and synthesis of antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid hybrids.

The design and synthesis of hybrid molecules encompassing two pharmacophores in one molecular scaffold is a well-established approach to the synthesis of more potent drugs with dual activity. In this chapter, we will present the most important synthetic methodologies we have applied for the preparation of hybrid compounds containing the "universal antioxidant" alpha-lipoic acid. Experimental details for the synthesis and purification techniques of specific examples of molecules will be given. The synthesized molecules combine antioxidant activity with a variety of other biological activities such as protection against reperfusion arrhythmias, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory activity.

Synthesis of tropolone derivatives and evaluation of their in vitro neuroprotective activity.

beta-Thujaplicin (hinokitiol or 2-hydroxy-4-isopropyl-2,4,6-cycloheptatrien-1-one), a natural tropolone, shows numerous activities while its synthetic analogues were found to exhibit anticancer and anti-ischemic activity. However, the ability of tropolone derivatives to protect neuronal cells from oxidative stress-induced cell damage has not been studied so far. As an ongoing effort toward highly effective antioxidants with potential neuroprotective activity, we have synthesized 7-substituted derivatives of beta-thujaplicin and its methoxy analogue. The substituents were heterocycles (piperazine, morpholine) or heteroaromatics (triazoles, pyridine). Only the piperazine derivatives of beta-thujaplicin were able to protect HT22 hippocampal neurons from oxidative stress-induced cell death.

Design and synthesis of novel neuroprotective 1,2-dithiolane/chroman hybrids.

Novel 1,2-dithiolane/chroman hybrids bearing heterocyclic rings such as 1,2,4- and 1,3,4-oxadiazole, 1,2,3-triazole and tetrazole were designed and synthesized. The neuroprotective activity of the new analogues was tested against oxidative stress-induced cell death of glutamate-challenged HT22 hippocampal neurons. Our results show that bioisosteric replacement of amide group in 2-position of the chroman moiety, by 1,3,4-oxadiazole did not affect activity. However, analogue 5 bearing the 1,2,4-oxadiazole moiety showed improved neuroprotective activity. The presence of nitrogen heterocycles strongly influences the neuroprotective activity of 5-substituted chroman derivatives, depending on the nature of heterocycle. Replacement of the amide group of the first generation analogues by 1,2,4-oxadiazole or 1,2,3-triazole resulted in significant improvement of the activity against glutamate induced oxidative stress.

5,7,8-Trimethyl-benzopyran and 5,7,8-trimethyl-1,4-benzoxazine aminoamide derivatives as novel antiarrhythmics against ischemia-reperfusion injury.

6-Hydroxy-5,7,8-trimethyl-benzopyran derivatives and 5,7,8-trimethyl-1,4-benzoxazine analogues substituted by the lidocaine pharmacophore aminoamide functionality at C4 or N4, respectively, were synthesized and evaluated against arrhythmias associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury. The antiarrhythmic effect of substitutents at positions C2 and C6 was examined. Six out of the 11 new derivatives, exhibited arrhythmia scores 1.0-1.3 versus the control (4.5 +/- 1.2), which was also reflected to the % premature beats (0.5-3.9), control (13.7 +/- 3.6). Selected compounds were further studied by a conventional microelectrode method. 2-Diethylamino-1-(5,7,8-trimethyl-2-phenyl-2,3-dihydro-benzo[1,4]oxazin-4-yl)-ethanone (50) and the trolox-inspired 4-(2-diethylamino-acetyl)-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[1,4]oxazine-2-carboxylic acid ethyl ester (62) suppress reperfusion arrhythmias and reduce malondialdehyde (MDA) content, leading to a fast recovery of the heart after ischemia-reperfusion. They exhibit combined class IB and class III antiarrhythmic properties, which constitutes them as promising compounds for further studies because, due to their multichannel "amiodarone like" effect, less proarrhythmic complications can be expected.