Unraveling the mechanism and the risk behind seizure liability of lead compounds in a neuroscience project.

INTRODUCTION: Several compounds from a neuroscience project induced convulsions in animals, at low exposure levels via a hypothetical off-target mechanism. A set of in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted in order to 1) identify the mechanism behind convulsions; 2) characterize the convulsions, 3) detect premonitory signs that could be monitored clinically, and 4) assess the development of tolerance after repeat dosing. METHODS: Patch clamp assays were conducted on 12 different ion channels (e.g. sodium, potassium, calcium, AMPA, NMDA, GABAA and purinergic receptors) known to be associated with seizures, to identify the off-target culprit. A multiphase study was conducted with UCB-A and UCB-B in Beagle dogs telemetered for video EEG/EMG monitoring to further characterize the convulsive pattern. First, both compounds were administered by intravenous constant infusion (dose: 5 mg/kg/h) over 2 h. Thereafter, the same dogs received a daily oral administration of UCB-A (8 mg/kg/day) for 7 days. RESULTS: Compounds inducing convulsions showed strong inhibitory activity on GABAA channels (IC50 values <10 µM), whereas compounds with partial or no inhibitory effect on these channels did not induce seizures. In EEG experiments, convulsions were preceded by premonitory clinical signs (e.g. tremors, myoclonic jerks) and morphological EEG abnormalities (e.g. sharp waves, spike and wave patterns), confirming their CNS origin. No attenuation of the seizurogenic effects was observed over the 7-day treatment period. DISCUSSION: A well-designed set of experiments including electrophysiological assays on seizure-related ion channels and EEG/EMG assessment in telemetered dogs allowed a proper seizure liability risk assessment, leading to a rapid no go decision for the two most advanced leads.

Repurposing HAMI3379 to Block GPR17 and Promote Rodent and Human Oligodendrocyte Differentiation.

Identification of additional uses for existing drugs is a hot topic in drug discovery and a viable alternative to de novo drug development. HAMI3379 is known as an antagonist of the cysteinyl-leukotriene CysLT2 receptor, and was initially developed to treat cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders. In our study we identified HAMI3379 as an antagonist of the orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR17. HAMI3379 inhibits signaling of recombinant human, rat, and mouse GPR17 across various cellular backgrounds, and of endogenous GPR17 in primary rodent oligodendrocytes. GPR17 blockade by HAMI3379 enhanced maturation of primary rat and mouse oligodendrocytes, but was without effect in oligodendrocytes from GPR17 knockout mice. In human oligodendrocytes prepared from inducible pluripotent stem cells, GPR17 is expressed and its activation impaired oligodendrocyte differentiation. HAMI3379, conversely, efficiently favored human oligodendrocyte differentiation. We propose that HAMI3379 holds promise for pharmacological exploitation of orphan GPR17 to enhance regenerative strategies for the promotion of remyelination in patients.