Dual-specificity phosphatase 3 deficiency or inhibition limits platelet activation and arterial thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: A limitation of current antiplatelet therapies is their inability to separate thrombotic events from bleeding occurrences. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to platelet activation is important for the development of improved therapies. Recently, protein tyrosine phosphatases have emerged as critical regulators of platelet function. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is the first report implicating the dual-specificity phosphatase 3 (DUSP3) in platelet signaling and thrombosis. This phosphatase is highly expressed in human and mouse platelets. Platelets from DUSP3-deficient mice displayed a selective impairment of aggregation and granule secretion mediated by the collagen receptor glycoprotein VI and the C-type lectin-like receptor 2. DUSP3-deficient mice were more resistant to collagen- and epinephrine-induced thromboembolism compared with wild-type mice and showed severely impaired thrombus formation on ferric chloride-induced carotid artery injury. Intriguingly, bleeding times were not altered in DUSP3-deficient mice. At the molecular level, DUSP3 deficiency impaired Syk tyrosine phosphorylation, subsequently reducing phosphorylation of phospholipase Cγ2 and calcium fluxes. To investigate DUSP3 function in human platelets, a novel small-molecule inhibitor of DUSP3 was developed. This compound specifically inhibited collagen- and C-type lectin-like receptor 2-induced human platelet aggregation, thereby phenocopying the effect of DUSP3 deficiency in murine cells. CONCLUSIONS: DUSP3 plays a selective and essential role in collagen- and C-type lectin-like receptor 2-mediated platelet activation and thrombus formation in vivo. Inhibition of DUSP3 may prove therapeutic for arterial thrombosis. This is the first time a protein tyrosine phosphatase, implicated in platelet signaling, has been targeted with a small-molecule drug.

Discovery and validation of a series of aryl sulfonamides as selective inhibitors of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP).

We report the characterization and optimization of drug-like small molecule inhibitors of tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), an enzyme critical for the regulation of extracellular matrix calcification during bone formation and growth. High-throughput screening (HTS) of a small molecule library led to the identification of arylsulfonamides as potent and selective inhibitors of TNAP. Critical structural requirements for activity were determined, and the compounds were subsequently profiled for in vitro activity and bioavailability parameters including metabolic stability and permeability. The plasma levels following subcutaneous administration of a member of the lead series in rat was determined, demonstrating the potential of these TNAP inhibitors as systemically active therapeutic agents to target various diseases involving soft tissue calcification. A representative member of the series was also characterized in mechanistic and kinetic studies.

Structure-activity relationships of chiral selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (sNRI) with increased oxidative stability.

The synthesis and SAR of a series of chiral heterocyclic ring-constrained norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are described. The best compounds compare favorably with atomoxetine in potency (IC(50)s<10 nM), selectivity against the other monoamine transporters, and inhibition of CYP2D6 (IC(50)s>1 microM). In addition, the compounds are generally more stable than atomoxetine to oxidative metabolism and thus are likely to have lower clearance in humans.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (sNRI) with a heterocyclic ring constraint.

The design, synthesis and SAR of a series of heterocyclic ring-constrained norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are described. As racemates, the best compounds compare favorably with atomoxetine (IC(50)'s<10 nM) in potency at the transporter.