Biocompatible metal-organic frameworks as promising platforms to eradicate HIV reservoirs ex vivo in people living with HIV.

The HIV attacks the immune system provoking an infection that is considered a global health challenge. Despite antiretroviral treatments being effective in reducing the plasma viral load in the blood to undetectable levels in people living with HIV (PLWH), the disease is not cured and has become chronic. This happens because of the existence of anatomical and cellular viral reservoirs, mainly located in the lymph nodes and gastrointestinal tract, which are composed of infected CD4+ T cells with a resting memory phenotype and inaccessible to antiretroviral therapy. Herein, a new therapeutic strategy based on nanotechnology is presented. Different combinations of antiretroviral drugs (bictegravir/tenofovir/emtricitabine and nevirapine/tenofovir/emtricitabine) and toll-like receptor agonists were encapsulated into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) PCN-224 and ZIF-8. The encapsulation efficiencies of all the drugs, as well as their release rate from the carriers, were measured. In vitro studies about the cell viability, the hemocompatibility, and the platelet aggregation of the MOFs were carried out. Epifluorescence microscopy assays confirmed the ability of ZIF-8 to target a carboxyfluorescein probe inside HeLa cell lines and PBMCs. These results pave the way for the use of these structures to eliminate latent HIV reservoirs from anatomical compartments through the activation of innate immune cells, and a higher efficacy of the triplet combinations of antiretroviral drugs.

Rescue of functional CFTR channels in cystic fibrosis: a dramatic multivalent effect using iminosugar cluster-based correctors.

Cystic fibrosis is caused by a mutation in the gene for the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein. N-butyl 1-deoxynojirimycin (N-Bu DNJ), a clinical candidate for the treatment of cystic fibrosis, is able to act as a CFTR corrector by overcoming the processing defect of the mutant protein. To explore the potential of multivalency on CFTR correction activity, a library of twelve DNJ click clusters with valencies ranging from 3 to 14 were synthesized. Significantly, the trivalent analogues were found to be up to 225-fold more potent than N-Bu DNJ and up to 1000-fold more potent than the corresponding monovalent models. These results provide the first description of a multivalent effect for correcting protein folding defects in cells and should have application for the treatment of a number of protein folding disorders. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that CFTR correction activity enhancement was not due to a multivalent effect in ER-glucosidase inhibition or to a different mode of action of the multivalent iminosugars.

The multivalent effect in glycosidase inhibition: probing the influence of architectural parameters with cyclodextrin-based iminosugar click clusters.

In contrast to most lectins, glycosidases may appear to be unpromising targets for multivalent binding because they display only a single active site. To explore the potential of multivalency on glycosidase inhibition, unprecedented cyclodextrin-based iminosugar conjugates have been designed and prepared. The synthesis was performed by way of Cu(I) -catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction under microwave activation between propargylated multivalent ß-cyclodextrins and an azide-armed N-alkyl 1-deoxynojirimycin derivative. Evaluation with a panel of glycosidases of this new class of glycomimetic clusters revealed the strongest affinity enhancement observed to date for a multivalent glycosidase inhibitor, with binding enhancement up to four orders of magnitude over the corresponding monovalent ligand for α-mannosidase. These results demonstrate that the multivalency concept extends beyond carbohydrate-lectin recognition processes to glycomimetic-enzyme inhibition.

Regioselective double capping of cyclodextrin scaffolds.

Four different regioselective double capping reactions were applied either to α- or ß-cyclodextrin (CD) scaffolds. The first, which relied on the use of a rigid, bulky dialkylating reagent containing two trityl-like subunits, gave access to an A,B,D,E-tetrafunctionalised ß-CD regioisomer in large scale reactions. Two further capping reactions, involving the dianions PhP(2-) and S(2- , led to the synthesis of new C(1)-symmetrical ß-cyclodextrins in which pairs of neighbouring glucose units are linked by very short spacers. The last double capping reaction described allowed the high-yield preparation of unprecedented α- and ß-cyclodextrins containing two sulfate handles. Proximal capping turned out to be favoured for each of the above difunctional reagents. The structural characterisation of the capped species was achieved by thorough NMR investigations as well as by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Synthesis and biological properties of iron chelators based on a bis-2-(2-hydroxy-phenyl)-thiazole-4-carboxamide or -thiocarboxamide (BHPTC) scaffold.

Bis-2-(2-hydroxy-phenyl)-thiazole-4-carboxamides and -thiocarboxamides (BHPTCs) form a family of gemini hexacoordinated bis-tridentate chelating scaffolds. Four molecules were synthesized and shown to chelate iron(III) efficiently with a 1:1 stoichiometry. A dithioamide BHPTC displayed promising antiproliferative activity in several cancerous cell lines, making this molecule an interesting lead compound for the design of new iron-chelating anticancer drugs. Conversely, diamide BHPTCs had significant cytoprotective activity against iron overload in HepaRG cells in vitro, and were as efficient as and less toxic than deferoxamine B (DFO).

Size-tunable trehalose-based nanocavities: synthesis, structure, and inclusion properties of large-ring cyclotrehalans.

An efficient strategy toward the synthesis of large-ring cyclodextrin (CD) analogs alternating alpha,alpha'-trehalose disaccharide subunits and pseudoamide segments (cyclotrehalans, CTs), involving a bimolecular macrocyclization reaction as the key step, is reported. NMR and molecular modeling confirmed that the eight and ten alpha-d-glucopyranoside subunits in tetrameric and pentameric CT homologues (CT4 and CT5, respectively) are magnetically equivalent, as in the gamma and epsilonCD counterparts. Yet, the orientation of the monosaccharide constituents is reversed in CTs as compared with CDs, the beta-face being directed to the inside of the nanometric cavity while the alpha-face remains in contact with the bulk solvent. Molecular mechanics and dynamics experiments revealed that the cyclooligosaccharide architecture in CT4 and CT5 is relatively flexible, which is in contrast to that previously observed for the first members of the CT series (CT2 and CT3 oligomers). Thus, although in their fully expanded conformation their cavity size is close to that of gammaCD, the higher mobility of the pseudoamide bridges as compared with classical glycosidic linkages endows these hosts with induced fitting capabilities toward smaller guests.

Promoting helicity in carbohydrate-containing foldamers through long-range hydrogen bonds.

A sensor system to probe the propensity of carbohydrates to induce helical structures through long-range hydrogen bonds, based on a C(2)-symmetric xylylene bis(thiourea) arrangement, is reported; the formation of intermolecular complexes with benzoate anion promotes helix uncoiling, the free energy of the process being related to helix stability.

Synthesis, structure, and inclusion capabilities of trehalose-based cyclodextrin analogues (cyclotrehalans).

Concise and efficient strategies toward the synthesis of D2h- and D3h-symmetric cyclodextrin analogues alternating alpha,alpha'-trehalose disaccharide subunits and pseudoamide segments (cyclotrehalans, CTs) are reported. The conformational properties of these cyclooligosaccharides are governed by the rigidity of the alpha,alpha'-trehalose disaccharide repeating unit and the partial double-bond character of the N-(C=X) linkages. In contrast to the typical concave-shaped cavity of cyclodextrins (CDs), CTs feature a convex-shaped hydrophobic cavity in which the beta-face of the monosaccharide subunits is oriented toward the inner side, as supported by NMR and modeling (molecular mechanics and dynamics) studies. In the case of cyclodimeric CTs (CT2s), the existence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds results in collapsed cavities, too small to allow the formation of inclusion complexes with organic molecules. Cyclotrimeric CTs (CT3s) display cavity sizes that are intermediate between those of alphaCD and betaCD, ideally suited for the complexation of complementary guests with ternary symmetry such as adamantane 1-carboxylate (AC). The higher flexibility of the pseudoamide bridges as compared with classical glycosidic linkages endow these glyconanocavities with some conformational adaptability properties, making them better suited than CDs for complexation of angular guests, as seen from comparative inclusion capability experiments against the fluorescent probes 6-p-toluidinonaphthalene-2-sulfonate (TNS; linear) and 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate (ANS; angular).

Probing secondary carbohydrate-protein interactions with highly dense cyclodextrin-centered heteroglycoclusters: the heterocluster effect.

Comparison of the lectin-binding properties for highly dense beta-cyclodextrin-centered homo- and heteroglycoclusters with defined architecture provides evidence for the existence of strong synergic effects (heterocluster effect) on carbohydrate-protein recognition events.

Pseudoamide-type pyrrolidine and pyrrolizidine glycomimetics and their inhibitory activities against glycosidases.

Coupling reaction of (2R,3R,4R,5R)-2,5-hydroxymethyl-3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidine (DMDP) with isothiocyanates afforded the corresponding thiourea adducts, which were transformed into isourea-type bicyclic oxapyrrolizidine glycomimetics by mercury(II) oxide-assisted intramolecular sulfur displacement. Cyclic carbamate and thiocarbamate analogues were also prepared by direct carbonylation or thiocarbonylation of DMDP. Evaluation of the glycosidase inhibitory properties demonstrated that remarkable specificities in enzyme inhibition can be achieved upon modifications on the pseudoaglyconic side chain and on the nature of the sp(2)-hybridized endocyclic ring nitrogen.