Transient replication of a hepatitis C virus genotype 1b replicon chimera encoding NS5A-5B from genotype 3a.

Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a pathogen of global significance, experimental therapies in current clinical development include highly efficacious all-oral combinations of HCV direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). If approved for use, these new treatment regimens will impact dramatically upon our capacity to eradicate HCV in the majority of virus-infected patients. However, recent data from late-stage clinical evaluations demonstrated that individuals infected with HCV genotype (GT) 3 responded less well to all-oral DAA combinations than patients infected with other HCV GTs. In light of these observations, the present study sought to expand the number of molecular tools available to investigate small molecule-mediated inhibition of HCV GT3 NS5A and NS5B proteins in preclinical tissue-culture systems. Accordingly, a novel subgenomic HCV replicon chimera was created by utilizing a GT1b backbone modified to produce NS5A and NS5B proteins from a consensus sequence generated from HCV GT3a genomic sequences deposited online at the European Hepatitis C Virus database. This approach avoided the need to isolate and amplify HCV genomes from sera derived from HCV-infected patients. The replicon chimera, together with a version engineered to express NS5A encoding a Y93H mutation, demonstrated levels of replication in transient assays robust enough to assess accurate antiviral activities of inhibitors representing different HCV DAA classes. Thus, the replicon chimera represents a new simple molecular tool suitable for drug discovery programmes aimed at investigating, understanding, and improving GT3a activities of HCV DAAs targeting NS5A or NS5B.

Aliskiren displays long-lasting interactions with human renin.

Aliskiren is a selective renin inhibitor recently approved for use in hypertension. Efficacy duration appears longer than what would be expected based on its circulating half-life. The aim was therefore to characterize the kinetics of the interaction between aliskiren and renin. The interaction was evaluated in three assays and compared with two other renin inhibitors including remikiren. First, the inhibition of recombinant human renin was assessed by monitoring the cleavage of fluorescent substrate. Second, human plasma renin activity (PRA) was monitored by measuring generated angiotensin I over 1 h in the presence or absence of inhibitor. Finally, the affinity, association and dissociation rate constants were determined by using a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor assay. Aliskiren and remikiren were found to be equipotent inhibitors of recombinant renin activity (K(i) ≤ 0.04 nM) while compound 1 displayed a K (i) value of 1 nM. PRA was efficiently inhibited by both aliskiren and remikiren with IC50 values of 0.2-0.3 nM. Remikiren and aliskiren also displayed long-lasting interactions with immobilized renin having k (off) values of 0.18 and 0.11 × 10⁻³ s⁻¹ respectively. These dissociation rate constants corresponded to residence times of 1.5 and 2.5 h, respectively, while compound 1 had a residence time lasting only 3 min. It is therefore concluded that the long-lasting interaction between aliskiren and human renin may contribute to the 24 h anti-hypertensive effect seen in clinical trials and possibly also to target-mediated drug disposition.

Design and synthesis of potent macrocyclic renin inhibitors.

Two types of P1-P3-linked macrocyclic renin inhibitors containing the hydroxyethylene isostere (HE) scaffold just outside the macrocyclic ring have been synthesized. An aromatic or aliphatic substituent (P3sp) was introduced in the macrocyclic ring aiming at the S3 subpocket (S3sp) in order to optimize the potency. A 5-6-fold improvement in both the K(i) and the human plasma renin activity (HPRA)IC(50) was observed when moving from the starting linear peptidomimetic compound 1 to the most potent macrocycle 42 (K(i) = 3.3 nM and HPRA IC(50) = 7 nM). Truncation of the prime side of 42 led to 8-10-fold loss of inhibitory activity in macrocycle 43 (K(i) = 34 nM and HPRA IC(50) = 56 nM). All macrocycles were epimeric mixtures in regard to the P3sp substituent and X-ray crystallographic data of the representative renin macrocycle 43 complex showed that only the S-isomer buried the substituent into the S3sp. Inhibitory selectivity over cathepsin D (Cat-D) and BACE-1 was also investigated for all the macrocycles and showed that truncation of the prime side increased selectivity of inhibition in favor of renin.