Discovery of PG545: a highly potent and simultaneous inhibitor of angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis.

Increasing the aglycone lipophilicity of a series of polysulfated oligosaccharide glycoside heparan sulfate (HS) mimetics via attachment of a steroid or long chain alkyl group resulted in compounds with significantly improved in vitro and ex vivo antiangiogenic activity. The compounds potently inhibited heparanase and HS-binding angiogenic growth factors and displayed improved antitumor and antimetastatic activity in vivo compared with the earlier series. Preliminary pharmacokinetic analyses also revealed significant increases in half-life following iv dosing, ultimately supporting less frequent dosing regimens in preclinical tumor models compared with other HS mimetics. The compounds also displayed only mild anticoagulant activity, a common side effect usually associated with HS mimetics. These efforts led to the identification of 3ß-cholestanyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-sulfo-α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-2,3,6-tri-O-sulfo-α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-2,3,6-tri-O-sulfo-α-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-2,3,6-tri-O-sulfo-ß-d-glucopyranoside, tridecasodium salt (PG545, 18) as a clinical candidate. Compound 18 was recently evaluated in a phase I clinical trial in cancer patients.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of polysulfated oligosaccharide glycosides as inhibitors of angiogenesis and tumor growth.

A series of polysulfated penta- and tetrasaccharide glycosides containing alpha(1-->3)/alpha(1-->2)-linked mannose residues were synthesized as heparan sulfate (HS) mimetics and evaluated for their ability to inhibit angiogenesis. The compounds bound tightly to angiogenic growth factors (FGF-1, FGF-2, and VEGF) and strongly inhibited heparanase activity. In addition, the compounds exhibited potent activity in cell-based and ex vivo assays indicative of angiogenesis, with tetrasaccharides exhibiting activity comparable to that of pentasaccharides. Selected compounds also showed good antitumor activity in vivo in a mouse melanoma (solid tumor) model resistant to the phase III HS mimetic 1 (muparfostat, formerly known as PI-88). The lipophilic modifications also resulted in reduced anticoagulant activity, a common side effect of HS mimetics, and conferred a reasonable pharmacokinetic profile in the rat, as exemplified by the sulfated octyl tetrasaccharide 5. The data support the further investigation of this class of compounds as potential antiangiogenic, anticancer therapeutics.

A highly lipophilic sulfated tetrasaccharide glycoside related to muparfostat (PI-88) exhibits virucidal activity against herpes simplex virus.

Although sulfated polysaccharides potently inhibit the infectivity of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and human immunodeficiency virus in cultured cells, these compounds fail to show protective effects in humans, most likely due to their poor virucidal activity. Herein we report on sulfated oligosaccharide glycosides related to muparfostat (formerly known as PI-88) and their assessment for anti-HSV activity. Chemical modifications based on the introduction of specific hydrophobic groups at the reducing end of a sulfated oligosaccharide chain enhanced the compound's capability to inhibit the infection of cells by HSV-1 and HSV-2 and abrogated the cell-to-cell transmission of HSV-2. Furthermore, modification with a highly lipophilic cholestanyl group provided a compound with virucidal activity against HSV. This glycoside targeted the viral particle and, to a lesser degree, the cell, and exhibited an antiviral mode of action typical for sulfated polysaccharides and virucides, i.e., interference with the virus attachment to cells and irreversible inactivation of virus infectivity, respectively. The virucidal activity was decreased in the presence of human cervical secretions suggesting that higher doses of this glycoside might be needed for in vivo application. Altogether, the sulfated oligosaccharide-cholestanyl glycoside exhibits potent anti-HSV activity and is, therefore, a good candidate for development as a virucide.

Crown-ether- and porphyrin-attached gel-phase resins in thermodynamically controlled rotaxane assembly.

Results of gel-phase proton high resolution magic angle spinning (HR MAS) NMR spectroscopy are described for a systematic study of the reversible, thermodynamically-controlled assembly of surface-attached neutral rotaxanes and pseudorotaxanes based on a three-component system consisting of a naphthodiimide thread unit, a naphthalene crown shuttle, and metalloporphyrin stoppers. Further to the previous systems based on an immobilised thread unit, we report here on the alternative systems where firstly a crown shuttle unit, and secondly metalloporphyrin stopper units, are attached to polystyrene beads, with the other two rotaxane components supplied in the surrounding solution phases in each case. Variations in concentration, temperature, and the effects of the addition of alkali metal salts are investigated. Within some limitations imposed by the technique itself, these results confirm that for each of the single entities attached in turn to polystyrene beads, rotaxane formation parallels that observed in the analogous solution-phase systems.

Porphyrin-naphthodiimide interactions as a structural motif in foldamers and supramolecular assemblies.

pi-pi Stacking interactions between electron deficient naphthalenediimides (NDI) and electron-rich porphyrins (POR) leading to charge transfer are shown to be prevalent in linked NDI-POR and POR-NDI-POR structures. For flexibly-linked systems, intramolecular interactions lead to S-shaped foldamers in solution, whereas intermolecular association is predominant in more rigid systems. The foldamer structures can be interrupted by competing aromatic solvents, by six-coordination of metallated porphyrin derivatives, by protonation of the free base porphyrin in non-metallated structures, and in facially sterically hindered porphyrins.

Monitoring the thermodynamically-controlled formation of diimide-based resin-attached rotaxanes by gel-phase HR MAS 1H NMR spectroscopy.

The thermodynamically controlled self-assembly of rotaxane and pseudorotaxane systems consisting of (i) a naphthodiimide thread unit terminated at one end with a pyridine ligand, and covalently linked at the other to a gel-phase polystyrene resin support, (ii) a dinaphtho-crown ether shuttle unit, and (iii) a ruthenium carbonyl metalloporphyrin stopper unit, is investigated by high resolution magic angle spinning proton (HR MAS 1H) NMR spectroscopy. The effects of variable concentration of the solution-phase components, the temperature, and added Li+ and Na+ ions are described, and the limitations of the technique are addressed. The dynamic behaviour is compared directly to the solution-phase analogues, where a bulky stopper group is substituted for the polystyrene resin bead.

Synthesis and heparanase inhibitory activity of sulfated mannooligosaccharides related to the antiangiogenic agent PI-88.

A stepwise synthetic route to the mannooligosaccharides from the neutral fraction of Pichia holstii phosphomannan hydrolysate, including a tetrasaccharylamine component, was developed using only two or three readily available d-mannose building blocks. These compounds were sulfonated to give the corresponding sulfated oligosaccharides which are closely related to the constituents of the anticancer agent PI-88. The synthetic approach is well suited to the preparation of analogues as demonstrated by the synthesis of a series of (1-->3)-linked mannooligosaccharides. The inhibitory activity of the sulfated oligosaccharides against heparanase was determined using a Microcon ultrafiltration assay. The tetra- and pentasaccharides were potent competitive inhibitors of heparanase (K(i)=200-280nM) whilst the shorter di- and trisaccharides were partial competitive inhibitors and did not completely inhibit the enzyme even at very high concentrations.

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of a trisaccharide-linked peptide aimed at improved drug-delivery.

The glycosyltransferase enzyme LgtA, derived from the bacterial pathogen Neisseria meningitidis, was utilised in the chemo-enzymatic synthesis of a trisaccharide-linked endomorphin peptide drug candidate.

Flexible self-assembling porphyrin supramolecules.

The design and chemical synthesis of a series of hybrid flexible self-assembling supramolecules utilising both crown ether-naphthalene diimide host-guest chemistry and metalloporphyrin-pyridyl coordination is discussed. The resulting compound structures and dynamics are probed using a variety of techniques, including diffusion ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) and cold-spray ionisation mass spectrometry (CSI-MS).

A self-assembling polymer-bound rotaxane under thermodynamic control.

The thermodynamically controlled self-assembly of a neutral donor-acceptor rotaxane, stoppered via porphyrin coordination and bound to polystyrene beads is described, and the dynamic equilibrium between solid and solution phases has been examined by HR MAS nmr spectroscopy.