Discovery of selective NaV1.8 inhibitors based on 5-chloro-2-(4,4-difluoroazepan-1-yl)-6-methyl nicotinamide scaffold for the treatment of pain.

The NaV1.8 channel is a genetically validated target for pain and it is mostly expressed in the peripheral nervous system. Based on the disclosed structures of NaV1.8-selective inhibitors, we designed and synthesized a series of compounds by introducing bicyclic aromatic fragments based on the nicotinamide scaffold. In this research, a systematic structure-activity relationship study was carried out. While compound 2c possessed moderate inhibitory activity (IC50 = 50.18 ± 0.04 nM) in HEK293 cells stably expressing human NaV1.8 channels, it showed potent inhibitory activity in DRG neurons and isoform selectivity (>200-fold against human NaV1.1, NaV1.5 and NaV1.7 channels). Moreover, the analgesic potency of compound 2c was identified in a post-surgical mouse model. These data demonstrate that compound 2c can be further evaluated as a non-addictive analgesic agent with reduced cardiac liabilities.

Adjusted degradation of BRD4 S and BRD4 L based on fine structural modifications of the pyrrolopyridone scaffold.

Novel pyrrolopyridone BET degraders were designed and synthesized based on the binding mode between the pyrrolopyridone BET inhibitor with the BRD4 protein. The potent degraders on MV-4-11 cells were discovered through structure-activity relationship study. Modification of warhead on pyrrolopyridone BET degraders significantly regulates BRD4 isoform (long and short) protein degradation, which induces differential cell cycle arrest and apoptosis on MV-4-11 cells. Docking study revealed that the fine structural modification of BET degraders may bind with the BD domain of BRD4 protein to engage various surface areas that bind with CRBN.

Discovery of selective HDAC/BRD4 dual inhibitors as epigenetic probes.

According to the binding mode of ABBV-744 with bromodomains and the cape space of HDAC, the novel selective HDAC/BRD4 dual inhibitors were designed and synthesized by the pharmacophore fusion strategy. Evaluating the biomolecular activities through SARs exploration identified three kinds of selective dual inhibitors 41c (HDAC1/BRD4), 43a (pan-HDAC/BRD4) and 43d (HDAC6/BRD4(BD2)), whose target-related cellular activities in MV-4-11 cells were also confirmed. Significantly, the selective dual inhibitor 41c (HDAC1/BRD4) exhibited synergistic effects against MV-4-11 cells, which strongly induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and the first HDAC6/BRD4(BD2) dual inhibitor was found. This study provides support for selective HDAC/BRD4 dual inhibitors as epigenetic probes based on pyrrolopyridone core for the future biological evaluation in different cancer cell lines.

Novel Class of Colony-Stimulating Factor 1 Receptor Kinase Inhibitors Based on an o-Aminopyridyl Alkynyl Scaffold as Potential Treatment for Inflammatory Disorders.

Colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF-1R) is involved in inflammatory disorders as well as in many types of cancer. Based on high-throughput screening and docking results, we performed a detailed structure-activity-relationship study, leading to the discovery of a new series of compounds with nanomolar IC50 values against CSF-1R without the inhibition of fibroblast growth factor receptors. One of the most promising hits, compound 29, potently inhibited CSF-1R kinase with an IC50 value of 0.7 nM, while it showed no inhibition to the same family member FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3. Compound 29 displayed excellent anti-inflammatory effects against RAW264.7 macrophages indicated by significant inhibition against the activation of the CSF-1R pathway with low cytotoxicity. In addition, compound 29 exhibited strong in vivo anti-inflammatory efficacy alongside favorable drug characteristics. This novel compound 29 may serve as a new drug candidate with promising applications in inflammatory disorders.

Effects of psychological nursing intervention on personality characteristics and quality of life of patients with esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effects of a psychological nursing intervention on personality characteristics and quality of life of esophageal cancer patients. METHODOLOGY: Esophageal cancer patients (n=86) were randomized into either an intervention group (n=45) or a control group (n=41). Patients in the control group were given routine nursing care, and those in the intervention group were provided with psychological nursing interventions in addition to routine nursing care. Personality characteristics, assessed through Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and quality of life, assessed through EORTC QLQ-C30, were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The results showed that personality characteristics were closely related to quality of life. After the psychological nursing intervention, the main factors were neurosis, psychosis or mood instability, and personality stability. However, introverted and extroverted personality characteristics were not associated with quality of life. The psychological nursing intervention was associated with decreased P-scale and E-scale scores of personality characteristics and improved quality of life in each dimension scored. CONCLUSIONS: A psychological nursing intervention can affect the personality characteristics of esophageal cancer patients and improve their quality of life; this approach is worthy of further study and clinical application.