Discovery Of New Therapeutic Drugs Research Articles

The anticancer mechanism of Terpenoid-based drug candi-dates: focus on tumor microenvironment.

Cancer is considered to be the most lethal threat to human life globally. Although, versatile strategies have been established in the field of surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and im-munotherapy against cancer, discovery of new therapeutic drugs from natural products still un-derlays anticancer remedy due to their unique functional mechanisms and potential low side ef-fects. Terpenoids are among the most diversified and enormous natural products which have been proved promising in cancer treatment. Some terpenoids have been through multiple stages of clinical trials and some even approved as anticancer agent, but most of these studies empha-sized the direct effects on tumor cells while paying less attention to their systemic effects on tu-mor microenvironment (TME) Therefore, we recruited the patent drugs and investigated drug candidates of terpenoids in this review and summarized their general anti-tumor mechanisms among which the regulation on TME was highlighted. Finally, the prospect on the drug ability of terpenoids and their potential benefits in immunotherapy were discussed to illuminate fur-ther researches on these natural products. Keywords.

A review: Biological activities of novel cyanopyridine derivatives.

The discovery of new therapeutic drugs is heavily reliant on the structural diversity and pharmacological properties of heterocyclic compounds. Pyridine heterocyclic-related medicines, in particular, have garnered considerable attention due to their wide pharmacological activities and therapeutic effects. Among them, cyanopyridine derivatives have demonstrated diverse pharmacological effects. This review aims to systematically compile and discuss the diverse pharmacological effects of cyanopyridine derivatives. The review is divided into multiple sections, highlighting the biological activities of cyanide derivatives, with emphasis on anticancer, antimicrobial (i.e., antibacterial, insecticidal anticonvulsant, and antiviral activities), anticonvulsant, anti-Alzheimer's, and enzyme inhibitory activities. Furthermore, the review emphasizes the interesting therapeutic potential of cyanopyridine derivatives as kinase inhibitors and cytotoxic agents, which are promising candidates for anticancer drug development. The relationship between structure and activity is also discussed, with molecular docking used to provide insights into the mechanism of action of these compounds.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Adjusting Brain Microenvironment via Mediating Central Nervous System Lymphatic Drainage in Alzheimer's Disease.

Due to its complex pathogenesis and lack of effective therapeutic methods, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become a severe public health problem worldwide. Recent studies have discovered the function of central nervous system lymphatic drainage, which provides a new strategy for the treatment of AD. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been considered as a cure for AD for hundreds of years in China, and its effect on scavenging β-amyloid protein in the brain of AD patients has been confirmed. In this review, the mechanism of central nervous system lymphatic drainage and the regulatory functions of CHM on correlation factors were briefly summarized. The advances in our understanding regarding the treatment of AD via regulating the central lymphatic system with CHM will promote the clinical application of CHM in AD patients and the discovery of new therapeutic drugs.

Comprehensive Analysis of SWI/SNF Inactivation in Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Models.

Simple SummaryMammalian SWI/SNF complexes regulate gene expression by reorganizing the way DNA is packaged into chromatin. SWI/SNF subunits are recurrently altered in tumors at multiple levels, including DNA mutations as well as alteration of the levels of RNA and protein. Cancer cell lines are often used to study SWI/SNF function, but their patterns of SWI/SNF alterations can be complex. Here, we present a comprehensive characterization of DNA mutations and RNA and protein expression of SWI/SNF members in 38 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cell lines. We show that over 85% of our cell lines harbored at least one alteration in one SWI/SNF subunit. In addition, over 75% of our cell lines lacked expression of at least one SWI/SNF subunit at the protein level. Our catalog will help researchers choose an appropriate cell line model to study SWI/SNF function in LUAD.Mammalian SWI/SNF (SWitch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable) complexes are ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers whose subunits have emerged among the most frequently mutated genes in cancer. Studying SWI/SNF function in cancer cell line models has unveiled vulnerabilities in SWI/SNF-mutant tumors that can lead to the discovery of new therapeutic drugs. However, choosing an appropriate cancer cell line model for SWI/SNF functional studies can be challenging because SWI/SNF subunits are frequently altered in cancer by various mechanisms, including genetic alterations and post-transcriptional mechanisms. In this work, we combined genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic approaches to study the mutational status and the expression levels of the SWI/SNF subunits in a panel of 38 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cell lines. We found that the SWI/SNF complex was mutated in more than 76% of our LUAD cell lines and there was a high variability in the expression of the different SWI/SNF subunits. These results underline the importance of the SWI/SNF complex as a tumor suppressor in LUAD and the difficulties in defining altered and unaltered cell models for the SWI/SNF complex. These findings will assist researchers in choosing the most suitable cellular models for their studies of SWI/SNF to bring all of its potential to the development of novel therapeutic applications.

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, AND IN VITRO ANTIMALARIAL ACTIVITY OF DIHYDROXYLATION DERIVATIVES OF TRICLOSAN

Objective: The emergence of malaria as a global health problem over the past few decades, accompanied by the rise of chemoresistant strains ofPlasmodium falciparum, has emphasized the need for the discovery of new therapeutic drugs against this disease. In this study, enantiomericallyenriched (enantioenriched) analogs of triclosan were synthesized and evaluated for antimalarial activity against P. falciparum cultures.Methods: Enantioselective dihydroxylation of the olefin in amide seven was performed efficiently using chiral quinine ligand (DHQ)2PHAL to yieldenantioenriched dihydroxy propionamide derivative (+)-1 in moderate yields. In a similar way, the chiral quinidine ligand (DHQD)2PHAL was used asstereoselectivity agent yielded the desired enantioenriched (−)-1. The enantioenriched products were used for further in vitro assay, and accordingly thepercent enantiomeric excess (% ee) was not determined. The structures of compounds were proven by spectral data (1H NMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectra).Results: The phenol moiety at the C1 position of triclosan was chemically substituted with a methoxy group, in conjunction with an introducedstereocenter in a 2,3-dihydroxy-propionamide group at C2’ position. Unmodified triclosan inhibited the P. falciparum cultures with an IC50 value of27.2 μM. By contrast, the triclosan analogs, compounds (+)-1 and (−)-1, inhibited the P. falciparum cultures with IC50 values of 0.034 and 0.028 μM,respectively.Conclusion: Collectively, our preliminary in vitro results suggest that these triclosan analogs have potent antimalarial activity and represent apromising new treatment strategy on further development.

Modular Characteristics and Mechanism of Action of Herbs for Endometriosis Treatment in Chinese Medicine: A Data Mining and Network Pharmacology-Based Identification.

Endometriosis is a common benign disease in women of reproductive age. It has been defined as a disorder characterized by inflammation, compromised immunity, hormone dependence, and neuroangiogenesis. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of endometriosis have not yet been fully elucidated, and available treatment methods are currently limited. The discovery of new therapeutic drugs and improvements in existing treatment schemes remain the focus of research initiatives. Chinese medicine can improve the symptoms associated with endometriosis. Many Chinese herbal medicines could exert antiendometriosis effects via comprehensive interactions with multiple targets. However, these interactions have not been defined. This study used association rule mining and systems pharmacology to discover a method by which potential antiendometriosis herbs can be investigated. We analyzed various combinations and mechanisms of action of medicinal herbs to establish molecular networks showing interactions with multiple targets. The results showed that endometriosis treatment in Chinese medicine is mainly based on methods of supplementation with blood-activating herbs and strengthening qi. Furthermore, we used network pharmacology to analyze the main herbs that facilitate the decoding of multiscale mechanisms of the herbal compounds. We found that Chinese medicine could affect the development of endometriosis by regulating inflammation, immunity, angiogenesis, and other clusters of processes identified by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. The antiendometriosis effect of Chinese medicine occurs mainly through nervous system–associated pathways, such as the serotonergic synapse, the neurotrophin signaling pathway, and dopaminergic synapse, among others, to reduce pain. Chinese medicine could also regulate VEGF signaling, toll-like reporter signaling, NF-κB signaling, MAPK signaling, PI3K-Akt signaling, and the HIF-1 signaling pathway, among others. Synergies often exist in herb pairs and herbal prescriptions. In conclusion, we identified some important targets, target pairs, and regulatory networks, using bioinformatics and data mining. The combination of data mining and network pharmacology may offer an efficient method for drug discovery and development from herbal medicines.

Carnosic acid inhibits inflammation response and joint destruction on osteoclasts, fibroblast-like synoviocytes, and collagen-induced arthritis rats.

The discovery of new therapeutic drugs with the ability of preventing inflammation and joint destruction with less adverse effects is urgently needed for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Carnosic acid (CA), a major phenolic compound isolated from the leaves of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), has been reported to have antioxidative and antimicrobial properties. However, its effects on RA have not been elucidated. Here, we investigated the effects of CA on osteoclasts and fibroblast-like synoviocytes in vitro and on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in Wistar rats in vivo. Our in vitro and in vivo studies showed that CA suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNFɑ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17 and MMP-3, and downregulated the production of RANKL. More importantly, we observed that CA inhibited osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption in vitro and exerted therapeutic protection against joint destruction in vivo. Further biochemical analysis demonstrated that CA suppressed RANKL-induced activations of NF-κB and MAPKs (JNK and p38) leading to the downregulation of NFATc1. Taken together, our findings provide the convincing evidence that rosemary derived CA is a promising natural compound for the treatment of RA.

Cryptotanshinone reduces psoriatic epidermal hyperplasia via inhibiting the activation of STAT3.

The discovery of new therapeutic drugs with the efficacious and safe ability to prevent epidermal hyperplasia is extremely urgent for psoriasis. Cryptotanshinone (CTS), an active component isolated from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has been reported to have antibacterial and antitumor effects. However, its effects on psoriasis have not been reported. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effects of CTS on imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic-like skin model and explored the underlying mechanisms. Our results revealed that CTS effectively alleviates IMQ-induced epidermal hyperplasia. In vitro studies also indicated that CTS potently inhibits the growth of keratinocytes. We further found that STAT3, a transcription factor for the cell growth, is the key mediator of CTS on the proliferation of keratinocytes. Taken together, our findings indicated that the curative effects of CTS on psoriasis are accomplished mainly through modulating STAT3, which providing evidences to develop CTS as a potential therapeutic agent for patients with psoriasis.

Shank synaptic scaffold proteins: keys to understanding the pathogenesis of autism and other synaptic disorders.

Shank/ProSAP proteins are essential to synaptic formation, development, and function. Mutations in the family of SHANK genes are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as intellectual disability (ID), and schizophrenia. Thus, the term 'Shankopathies' identifies a number of neuronal diseases caused by alteration of Shank protein expression leading to abnormal synaptic development. With this review we want to summarize the major genetic, molecular, behavior and electrophysiological studies that provide new clues into the function of Shanks and pave the way for the discovery of new therapeutic drugs targeted to treat patients with SHANK mutations and also patients affected by other neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Shank/ProSAP proteins are essential to synaptic formation, development, and function. Mutations in the family of SHANK genes are strongly associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as intellectual disability (ID), and schizophrenia (SCZ). With this review we want to summarize the major genetic, molecular, behavior and electrophysiological studies that provide new clues into the function of Shanks and pave the way for the discovery of new therapeutic drugs targeted to treat patients with SHANK mutations.

Therapeutic effect of Cryptotanshinone on collagen-induced arthritis in rats via inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway

The discovery of new therapeutic drugs with the ability of preventing inflammation and joint destruction with less adverse effects is extremely urgent for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Cryptotanshinone (CTS), an active component isolated from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, has been reported to have antibacterial and antitumor effects. However, its effects on RA have not been clearly elucidated. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effect of CTS on type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats and explored the underlying mechanisms. Our results revealed that CTS treatment efficaciously ameliorated inflammation and joint destruction of rats with CIA. Both invivo and invitro studies showed that CTS suppressed the production of proinflammatory cytokines including interleukin 1β, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin 17α production and downregulated the production and activity of matrix metalloproteinase 9. By receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) ligand-induced bone marrow macrophages, we observed that CTS could inhibit osteoclast differentiation, which is critic for joint destruction. Further studies on inflammatory signaling revealed that CTS could inhibit the degradation of inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) α invivo and invitro, prevent the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 induced by lipopolysaccharide in a time- and dose-dependent manner. By electrophoretic mobility shift assay and luciferase reporter assay, we found that CTS distinctively inhibited the NF-κB DNA binding activity and NF-κB-dependent luciferase activity. These results indicate that the therapeutic effect of CTS on CIA is accomplished mainly through the inhibition of NF-κB signaling. Our findings provide the evidence to develop CTS as a potential therapeutic agent for patients with RA.

6-[(1-naphthylmethyl)sulfanyl]-9H-purine induces G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells

Due to the increasing incidence of cancer, a leading cause of death worldwide, discovery of new therapeutic drugs is urgently needed. By screening for agents with low toxicity that selectively target cancer cells, we found that 6-[(1-naphthylmethyl) sulfanyl]-9H-purine (NMMP), a derivative of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), could reduce the viability of five human cancer cell lines. Further study suggested that NMMP inhibition of the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells was associated with G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, and reduced cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4 and cyclin B1/D1 levels. In addition, NMMP induced cell apoptosis, as determined by TUNEL assay. Immunoblot analysis revealed that the expression of cleaved caspase-9 and caspase-3 as well as the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 protein increased significantly. Overall, our results suggest that NMMP exerts anti-tumor activities through induction of G2/M phase arrest and mitochondria-dependent cell apoptosis, implicating its potential therapeutic value for the treatment of cancer.

ATP and the pathogenesis of COPD

Extracellular ATP is a signalling molecule that often serves as a danger signal to alert the immune system of tissue damage. This molecule activates P2 nucleotide receptors, that include the ionotropic P2X receptors and the metabotropic P2Y receptors. Several publications highlight the importance of purinergic signalling in the pathogenesis of chronic airway inflammation. Recently, it has been reported that ATP accumulates in the airways of both animal models and patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD); however, the role and function of ATP in the diseases process of COPD are not well understood. In this perspective, a brief overview is given on the role of ATP and P2 receptors in the pathogenesis of lung emphysema and COPD with a focus on neutrophils as messengers in intercellular communication between epithelial cells and macrophages and the activation of inflammasome pathways. Finding the link between purinergic signalling with inflammasome pathways will be a challenge for the future and could lead to the discovery of new therapeutic drugs for suppressing inflammation in the lungs of COPD patients.

Synthesis and Antimycobacterial Activity of Azetidine‐, Quinazoline‐, and Triazolo‐thiadiazole‐containing Pyrazines

The re-emergence of tuberculosis (TB) as a global health problem over the past few decades, accompanied by the rise of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, emphasizes the need for the discovery of new therapeutic drugs against this disease. The emerging serious problem both in terms of TB control and clinical management prompted us to synthesize a novel series of N-[2-(substituted aryl)-3-chloro-4-oxoazetidin-1-yl]-2-(pyrazin-2-yloxy)acetamide, 6-(substituted aryl)-3-[(pyrazin-2-yloxy)methyl][1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole, and N-[6-({2-[(pyrazin-2-yloxy)acetyl] hydrazino}sulfonyl)-2-methyl-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinazolin-3(2H)yl]-substituted aryl sulfonamides. The compounds were synthesized using the appropriate synthetic route. All synthesized compounds were assayed in vitro for antimycobacterial activity against the H37 Rv strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined for the test compounds as well as for the reference standards. The compound which exhibited good antimycobacterial activity contains the substituents fluorine and methoxy. These electron-withdrawing or -donating substituents amend the lipophilicity of the test compounds which, in turn, alter the permeability across the bacterial cell membrane. Compounds 28, 37, and 43 showed good antimycobacterial activity while compound 51 showed a promising antimycobacterial activity.

Synthesis, antitubercular activity and docking study of novel cyclic azole substituted diphenyl ether derivatives

The re-emergence of tuberculosis (TB) as a global health problem over the past few decades, accompanied by the rise of drug-resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, emphasizes the need for discovery of new therapeutic drugs against this disease. The emerging serious problem both in terms of TB control and clinical management prompted us to synthesize a novel series of heterocyclic o/ m/ p substituted diphenyl ether derivatives and determine their activity against H37Rv strain of Mycobacterium. All 10 compounds inhibited the growth of the H37Rv strain of mycobacterium at concentrations as low as 1 μg/mL. This level of activity was found comparable to the reference drugs rifampicin and isoniazid at the same concentration. Molecular modeling of the binding of the diphenyl ether derivatives on enoyl-ACP reductase, the molecular target site of triclosan, indicated that these compounds fit within the binding domain occupied by triclosan. Hence the diphenyl ether derivatives tested in this study were docked to ENR and the binding of the diphenyl ether derivatives was also estimated using a variety of scoring functions that have been compiled into the single consensus score. As the scores ranged from 47.27% to 65.81%, these bioactive compounds appear to have a novel mechanism of action against M. tuberculosis, and their structural features should be studied further for their potential use as new antitubercular drugs.