Targeting ATP-binding site of WRN Helicase: Identification of novel inhibitors through pocket analysis and Molecular Dynamics-Enhanced virtual screening.

WRN helicase is a critical protein involved in maintaining genomic stability, utilizing ATP hydrolysis to dissolve DNA secondary structures. It has been identified as a promising synthetic lethal target for microsatellite instable (MSI) cancers. However, few WRN helicase inhibitors have been discovered, and their potential binding sites remain unexplored. In this study, we analyzed potential binding sites for WRN inhibitors and focused on the ATP-binding site for screening new inhibitors. Through molecular dynamics-enhanced virtual screening, we identified two compounds, h6 and h15, which effectively inhibited WRN's helicase and ATPase activity in vitro. Importantly, these compounds selectively targeted WRN's ATPase activity, setting them apart from other non-homologous proteins with ATPase activity. In comparison to the homologous protein BLM, h6 exhibits some degree of selectivity towards WRN. We also investigated the binding mode of these compounds to WRN's ATP-binding sites. These findings offer a promising strategy for discovering new WRN inhibitors and present two novel scaffolds, which might be potential for the development of MSI cancer treatment.

Discovery of novel selective phosphodiesterase­1 inhibitors for the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia.

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is the most common form of acute leukemia in adults. PDE1 (Phosphodiesterase 1) is a subfamily of the PDE super-enzyme families that can hydrolyze the second messengers cAMP and cGMP simultaneously. Previous research has shown that suppressing the gene expression of PDE1 can trigger apoptosis of human leukemia cells. However, no selective PDE1 inhibitors have been used to explore whether PDE1 is a potential target for treating AML. Based on our previously reported PDE9/PDE1 dual inhibitor 11a, a series of novel pyrazolopyrimidinone derivatives were designed in this study. The lead compound 6c showed an IC50 of 7.5 nM against PDE1, excellent selectivity over other PDEs and good metabolic stability. In AML cells, compound 6c significantly inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis. Further experiments indicated that the apoptosis induced by 6c was through a mitochondria-dependent pathway by decreasing the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and increasing the cleavage of caspase-3, 7, 9, and PARP. All these results suggested that PDE1 might be a novel target for AML.

Identification of Novel Quinolin-2(1H)-ones as Phosphodiesterase 1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Phosphodiesterase 1 (PDE1) is a subfamily of PDE super enzyme families that can hydrolyze cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate simultaneously. Currently, the number of PDE1 inhibitors is relatively few, significantly limiting their application. Herein, a novel series of quinolin-2(1H)-ones were designed rationally, leading to compound 10c with an IC50 of 15 nM against PDE1C, high selectivity across other PDEs, and remarkable safety properties. Furthermore, we used the lead compound 10c as a chemical tool to explore whether PDE1 could work as a novel potential target for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a disease which is a chronic, relapsing disorder of the gastrointestinal tract inflammation lacking effective treatment. Our results showed that administration of 10c exerted significant anti-IBD effects in the dextran sodium sulfate-induced mice model and alleviated the inflammatory response, indicating that PDE1 could work as a potent target for IBD.

Discovery of Dipyridamole Analogues with Enhanced Metabolic Stability for the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Dipyridamole, apart from its well-known antiplatelet and phosphodiesterase inhibitory activities, is a promising old drug for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. However, dipyridamole shows poor pharmacokinetic properties with a half-life (T1/2) of 7 min in rat liver microsomes (RLM). To improve the metabolic stability of dipyridamole, a series of pyrimidopyrimidine derivatives have been designed with the assistance of molecular docking. Among all the twenty-four synthesized compounds, compound (S)-4h showed outstanding metabolic stability (T1/2 = 67 min) in RLM, with an IC50 of 332 nM against PDE5. Furthermore, some interesting structure-activity relationships (SAR) were explained with the assistance of molecular docking.

Structural Modifications of Nimodipine Lead to Novel PDE1 Inhibitors with Anti-pulmonary Fibrosis Effects.

Our previous research demonstrated that phosphodiesterase-1 (PDE1) could work as a potential target against idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Nimodipine, a calcium antagonist commonly used to improve hypertension, was reported to have inhibition against PDE1. Herein, a series of nimodipine analogues were discovered as novel selective and potent PDE1 inhibitors after structural modifications. Compound 2g exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against PDE1C (IC50 = 10 nM), high selectivity over other PDEs except for PDE4, and weak calcium channel antagonistic activity. Administration of compound 2g exhibited remarkable therapeutic effects in a rat model of pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin and prevented myofibroblast differentiation induced by TGF-ß1. The expressions of PDE1B and PDE1C were found to be increased and concentrated in the focus of fibrosis. Compound 2g increased the levels of 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and 3',5'-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in the lungs of rats with pulmonary fibrosis, supporting the fact that the anti-fibrosis effects of 2g were through the regulation of cAMP and cGMP.