Heparan Sulfate Mimetics Research Articles

Nonsulfated, Cinnamic Acid-Based Lignins are Potent Antagonists of HSV-1 Entry into Cells

In an effort to discover macromolecular mimetics of heparan sulfate (HS), we previously designed sulfated lignins (Raghuraman et al. Biomacromolecules 2007, 8, 1759-1763). To probe the relevance of sulfate groups of HS in viral entry, lignins completely devoid of sulfate moieties, and yet possessing an electrostatic surface equivalent to that of HS, were designed. Two carboxylated lignins based on a 4-hydroxy cinnamic acid scaffold were synthesized using enzymatic oxidative coupling in high yields, fractionated according to their sizes, and tested in cellular assays of herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) infection. The two carboxylated lignins were found to not only inhibit HSV-1 entry into mammalian cells (IC(50) = 8-56 nM), but were more potent than sulfated lignins. In addition, shorter carboxylated lignins were found to be as active as the longer chains, suggesting that structural features, in addition to carboxylate groups, may be important. It can be expected that carboxylated lignins also antagonize the entry of other enveloped viruses, for example, HIV-1, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpes virus, and hepatitis C virus, that utilize HS to gain entry into cells. The results present major opportunities for developing lignin-based antiviral formulations for topical use.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Polysulfated Oligosaccharide Glycosides as Inhibitors of Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth

A series of polysulfated penta- and tetrasaccharide glycosides containing alpha(1-->3)/alpha(1-->2)-linked mannose residues were synthesized as heparan sulfate (HS) mimetics and evaluated for their ability to inhibit angiogenesis. The compounds bound tightly to angiogenic growth factors (FGF-1, FGF-2, and VEGF) and strongly inhibited heparanase activity. In addition, the compounds exhibited potent activity in cell-based and ex vivo assays indicative of angiogenesis, with tetrasaccharides exhibiting activity comparable to that of pentasaccharides. Selected compounds also showed good antitumor activity in vivo in a mouse melanoma (solid tumor) model resistant to the phase III HS mimetic 1 (muparfostat, formerly known as PI-88). The lipophilic modifications also resulted in reduced anticoagulant activity, a common side effect of HS mimetics, and conferred a reasonable pharmacokinetic profile in the rat, as exemplified by the sulfated octyl tetrasaccharide 5. The data support the further investigation of this class of compounds as potential antiangiogenic, anticancer therapeutics.

The PG500 series: novel heparan sulfate mimetics as potent angiogenesis and heparanase inhibitors for cancer therapy

Heparan sulfate mimetics, which we have called the PG500 series, have been developed to target the inhibition of both angiogenesis and heparanase activity. This series extends the technology underpinning PI-88, a mixture of highly sulfated oligosaccharides which reached Phase III clinical development for hepatocellular carcinoma. Advances in the chemistry of the PG500 series provide numerous advantages over PI-88. These new compounds are fully sulfated, single entity oligosaccharides attached to a lipophilic moiety, which have been optimized for drug development. The rational design of these compounds has led to vast improvements in potency compared to PI-88, based on in vitro angiogenesis assays and in vivo tumor models. Based on these and other data, PG545 has been selected as the lead clinical candidate for oncology and is currently undergoing formal preclinical development as a novel treatment for advanced cancer.

Heparanase: Structure, Biological Functions, and Inhibition by Heparin-Derived Mimetics of Heparan Sulfate

Heparanase is an endoglycosidase which cleaves heparan sulfate (HS) and hence participates in degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Heparanase is preferentially expressed in human tumors and its over-expression in tumor cells confers an invasive phenotype in experimental animals. The enzyme also releases angiogenic factors from the ECM and thereby induces an angiogenic response in vivo. Heparanase upregulation correlates with increased tumor vascularity and poor postoperative survival of cancer patients. Heparanase is synthesized as a 65 kDa inactive precursor that undergoes proteolytic cleavage, yielding 8 kDa and 50 kDa protein subunits that heterodimerize to form an active enzyme. Heparanase exhibits also non-enzymatic activities, independent of its involvement in ECM degradation. Among these, are the enhancement of Akt signaling, stimulation of PI3K- and p38-dependent endothelial cell migration, and up regulation of VEGF, all contributing to its potent pro-angiogenic activity. Studies on relationships between structure and heparanase inhibition activity of nonanticogulant heparins systematically differing in their O-sulfation patterns, degrees of N-acetylation, and glycol-splitting of both pre-existing nonsulfated uronic acid residues (prevalently D-glucuronic) and/or those (L-iduronic acid/L-galacturonic acid) generated by graded 2-O-desulfation, have permitted to select effective inhibitors of the enzymatic activity of heparanase. N-acetylated, glycol-split heparins emerged as especially strong inhibitors of heparanase, exerting little or no release of growth factors from ECM. N-acetylated glycol-split species of heparin, as well as heparanase gene silencing inhibit tumor metastasis, angiogenesis and inflammation in experimental animal models. These observations and the unexpected identification of a single functional heparanase, suggest that the enzyme is a promising target for anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory drug development.

PI-88 and Novel Heparan Sulfate Mimetics Inhibit Angiogenesis

The heparan sulfate (HS) mimetic PI-88 is a promising inhibitor of tumor growth and metastasis expected to commence phase III clinical evaluation in 2007 as an adjuvant therapy for postresection hepatocellular carcinoma. Its anticancer properties are attributed to inhibition of angiogenesis via antagonism of the interactions of angiogenic growth factors and their receptors with HS. It is also a potent inhibitor of heparanase, an enzyme that plays a key role in both metastasis and angiogenesis. A series of PI-88 analogs have been prepared with enhanced chemical and biological properties. The new compounds consist of single, defined oligosaccharides with specific modifications designed to improve their pharmacokinetic properties. These analogs all inhibit heparanase and bind to the angiogenic fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF-1), FGF-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor with similar affinity to PI-88. However, compared with PI-88, some of the newly designed compounds are more potent inhibitors of growth factor-induced endothelial cell proliferation and of endothelial tube formation on Matrigel. Representative compounds were also tested for antiangiogenic activity in vivo and were found to reduce significantly blood vessel formation. Moreover, the pharmacokinetic profile of several analogs was also improved, as evidenced primarily by lower clearance in comparison with PI-88. The current data support the development of HS mimetics as potent antiangiogenic anticancer agents.

Prion infection-impaired functional blocks identified by proteomics enlighten the targets and the curing pathways of an anti-prion drug

Prion-induced neurodegeneration results from multiple cellular alterations among which the accumulation of a modified form of the host protein PrP is but a hallmark. Drug treatments need understanding of underlying mechanisms. Proteomics allows getting a comprehensive view of perturbations leading to neuronal death. Heparan sulfate mimetics has proved to be efficient to clear scrapie protein in cultured cells and in animals. To investigate the mechanisms of drug attack, protein profiles of the neuronal cell line GT1 and its chronically Chandler strain infected counterpart were compared, either in steady state cultures or after a 4-day drug treatment. Differentially expressed proteins were associated into functional blocks relevant to neurodegenerative diseases. Protein structure repair and modification, proteolysis, cell shape and energy/oxidation players were affected by infection, in agreement with prion biology. Unexpectedly, novel affected blocks related to translation, nucleus structure and DNA replication were unravelled displaying commonalities with proliferative processes. The drug had a double action in infected cells by reversing protein levels back to normal in some blocks and by heightening survival functions in others. This study emphasizes the interest of a proteomic approach to unravel novel networks involved in prion infection and curing.

The 37‐kDa/67‐kDa Laminin Receptor Acts as a Receptor for Infectious Prions and Is Inhibited by Polysulfated Glycanes

Recently, we showed that the 37-kDa/67-kDa laminin receptor (LRP/LR) acts as the receptor of the cellular prion protein. For the present study, we investigated the binding of the murine scrapie prion protein (moPrP27-30) to baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells, using the Semliki Forest virus system. The enhanced binding of moPrP27-30 to BHK cells expressing moLRP::FLAG was inhibited by the LRP/LR-specific antibody W3, which suggests that LRP/LR acts as a receptor for the scrapie form of the prion protein, PrP(Sc). This finding was confirmed by a parallel study that showed that bovine prions are internalized by human enterocytes via LRP/LR. The heparan sulfate mimetics HM5004 and HM2602 reduced PrP27-30 binding to moLRP-expressing cells to approximately 30% and approximately 20%, respectively, at a concentration of 10 microg/mL, whereas pentosan polysulfate (SP54) and phycarin sulfate (PS3) both reduced the binding to approximately 40% at a concentration of 100 microg/mL. We suggest that the inhibition reported elsewhere of PrP(Sc) synthesis and the incubation times prolonged in rodent models by these sulfated glycans are due to the inhibition of the LRP/LR-dependent binding of prions to the target cells.

Antiviral effect of the heparan sulfate mimetic, PI-88, against dengue and encephalitic flaviviruses

Many viruses, including flaviviruses, display affinity for cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans with biological relevance in virus attachment/entry. This raises the possibility of the application of HS mimetics in antiviral therapy. We have evaluated the antiviral effect of the sulfated polysaccharides, suramin, pentosan polysulfate (PPS) and PI-88, which are currently approved or in trial for clinical use, against dengue virus (DEN) and the encephalitic flaviviruses, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, and Murray Valley encephalitis virus. A flow cytometry-based method for the measurement of inhibition of virus infectivity was developed, which showed the in vitro antiviral activity of the three compounds, albeit with differences in efficiency which were virus-dependent. The 50% effective concentration (EC 50) values for DEN inhibition were in the order: PPS < suramin < PI-88, and for Japanese encephalitis virus, PPS < PI-88 ≤ suramin. Heparin inhibited the DEN infectivity 30-fold more efficiently than the best of the test compounds, which was not the case for encephalitic flaviviruses. The in vitro anti-flaviviral effectiveness of the HS mimetics did not reliably predict their in vivo therapeutic activity. In mouse models for DEN and flaviviral encephalitis, only PI-88 demonstrated a significant beneficial effect in disease outcome.

Nondegradative Sulfation of Polysaccharides. Synthesis and Structure Characterization of Biologically Active Heparan Sulfate Mimetics

Reproducible and nondegradative preparation of sulfated molecules exhibiting diverse biological properties requires caring out sulfation reactions under ready controlled mild conditions. Although, to date, sulfur trioxide is the most used sulfation agent, its highly acid character has brought its use in association with different nitrogen bases as sulfur trioxide−nitrogen base complexes and/or by introduction of basic solvents as pyridine. We have applied sulfur trioxide and other sulfation agents including protocols for the synthesis of biologically active sulfated polysaccharides and demonstrated that these agents provoke cleavage of glycosidic bonds and other acid labile functions as amides, esters and even ethers. These facts prompted us to develop new reaction conditions for a general and nondestructive sulfation protocol. Our approach consists of the introduction of 2-methyl-2-butene as an acid scavenger of neutral character. Application of the method leads to an efficient, reproducible, and controlled synthesis of acid labile dextran derivatives well-known to be active in tissue repair and recently proposed for example as a new therapeutic agent for prion diseases. A novel 1H NMR structural analysis of this kind of macromolecules is presented. This method offers a new advance for more efficient synthesis of biologically active sulfated macromolecules.

Use of Sulfated Linked Cyclitols as Heparan Sulfate Mimetics to Probe the Heparin/Heparan Sulfate Binding Specificity of Proteins

Heparin and heparan sulfate (HS) are structurally diverse glycosaminoglycans (GAG) that are known to interact, via unique structural motifs, with a wide range of functionally distinct proteins and modulate their biological activity. To define the GAG motifs that interact with proteins, we assessed the ability of 15 totally synthetic HS mimetics to interact with 10 functionally diverse proteins that bind heparin/HS. The HS mimetics consisted of cyclitol-based pseudo-sugars coupled by linkers of variable chain length, flexibility, orientation, and hydrophobicity, with variations in sulfation also being introduced into some molecules. Three of the proteins tested, namely hepatocyte growth factor, eotaxin, and elastase, failed to interact with any of the sulfated linked cyclitols. In contrast, each of the remaining seven proteins tested exhibited a unique reactivity pattern with the panel of HS mimetics, with tetrameric cyclitols linked by different length alkyl chains being particularly informative. Thus, compounds with short alkyl spacers (2-3 carbon atoms) effectively blocked the interaction of fibroblast growth factor-1 (FGF-1) and lipoprotein lipase with heparin/HS, whereas longer chain spacers (7-10 carbon atoms) were required for optimal inhibition of FGF-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor binding. This effect was most pronounced with the chemokine, interleukin-8, where alkyl-linked tetrameric cyclitols were essentially inactive unless a spacer of >7 carbon atoms was used. The heparin-inhibitable enzymes heparanase and cathepsin G also displayed characteristic inhibition patterns, cathepsin G interacting promiscuously with most of the sulfated cyclitols but heparanase activity being inhibited most effectively by HS mimetics that structurally resemble a sulfated pentasaccharide. These data indicate that a simple panel of HS mimetics can be used to probe the HS binding specificity of proteins, with the position of anionic groups in the HS mimetics being critical.

Kinetic Study of Early Regenerative Effects of RGTA11, a Heparan Sulfate Mimetic, in Rat Craniotomy Defects

We previously reported that RGTA, a synthetic heparan sulfate mimetic, induces almost complete closure of craniotomy defects one month after surgery in adult rats. RGTA-treated wounds showed features suggesting unusual cell and matrix interactions reminiscent of developmental events. As healing success or failure is determined shortly after wounding, we examined early events in RGTA-treated wounds. Collagen plasters soaked in a solution of RGTA11 (1.5 Microg per piece) or saline (control) were implanted in rat craniotomy defects. Seven control and seven treated rats were killed daily from days 1 to 7 after surgery. The lesions and adjacent tissues were sampled and processed for morphometry. A layer of type III collagen along the dura mater (DM) thickened up to day 5 in RGTA-treated wounds (p < 0.05 vs day 1), but became thinner in control wounds. Alkaline phosphatase-positive osteoprogenitor cells were detected on day 1 in this layer. Their number increased, and they migrated toward the mid-sagittal sinus and to connective tissue adjacent to the sinus, where they aggregated and differentiated into osteoblasts, forming bone nodules on day 6. These features were not seen in control wounds. Angiogenesis was significantly enhanced in RGTA-treated wounds, especially near the sinus. In vitro, bovine bone endothelial (BBE) cell proliferation was inhibited by RGTA11 in a concentration-dependent manner. In contrast, RGTA11 strongly enhanced the effect of fibroblast growth factor-2 on BBE cell proliferation. These results show that RGTA11, possibly by interacting with heparin-binding growth factors, elicits vascular reactions accompanying the recruitment of a large pool of committed osteoprogenitors from the DM. The DM and the sinus appear to be important centers of organization for craniotomy defect healing. RGTA probably creates an environment that starts a program of directing healing towards bone formation and defect closure.

Synthesis of Tailor‐Made Glycoconjugate Mimetics of Heparan Sulfate That Bind IFN‐γ in the Nanomolar Range

We have recently described the preparation of three building blocks for the combinatorial synthesis of heparan sulfate (HS) fragments. Herein we show that one of these building blocks (disaccharide 4) allows the preparation, in high yields and with total alpha stereoselectivity, of tetra-, hexa- and octasaccharides from the heparin (HP) regular region, by using 2+2, 2+4 and 4+4 glycosylation strategies, respectively. These oligosaccharides were processed into sulfated derivatives bearing an allyl moiety in the anomeric position. The UV-promoted conjugation of these compounds with alpha,omega-bis(thio)poly(ethylene glycol) spacers of three different lengths allowed us to prepare nine benzylated glycoconjugates. After final deprotection, the glycoconjugates 1 a-c, 2 a-c and 3 a-c were obtained and their ability to inhibit the interaction between IFN-gamma and HP was tested by using surface plasmon resonance detection. Compound 3 b, containing two HP octasaccharides linked by a 50-A linker was able to inhibit the IFN-gamma/HP interaction with an IC(50) value of approximately 35 nM. In addition, the nine glycoconjugates were perfect tools in the study to ascertain the topology of the IFN-gamma binding site on HS. Compounds 1 a-c, 2 a-c and 3 a-c, by mimicking the alternating sulfated and nonsulfated regions found in HS, thus comprise the first example of a library of synthetic HS mimetics giving access to the "second level of molecular diversity" found in HS.

Application of the Four‐Component Ugi Condensation for the Preparation of Sulfated Glycoconjugate Libraries.

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

Application of the four-component Ugi condensation for the preparation of sulfated glycoconjugate libraries

A focused library of novel, sulfated glycoconjugates was synthesized by utilizing carbohydrate-derived blocks in the four-component Ugi condensation. Library members comprise a sulfated monosaccharide linked by various spacers to either an aromatic or monosulfated moiety, or a second sulfated monosaccharide. The affinities of these heparan sulfate (HS) mimetics for the HS-binding fibroblast growth factors FGF-1 and FGF-2 were measured via a surface plasmon resonance solution affinity assay.

A novel generation of heparan sulfate mimetics for the treatment of prion diseases.

The accumulation of PrP(res), the protease-resistant abnormal form of the host-encoded cellular prion protein, PrP(C), plays a central role in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Human contamination by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has propelled many scientific teams on a highway for anti-prion drug development. This study reports that heparan sulfate mimetics (HMs), developed originally for their effect on tissue regeneration, abolish prion propagation in scrapie-infected GT1 cells. PrP(res) does not reappear for up to 50 days post-treatment. When tested in vivo, one of these compounds, HM2602, hampered PrP(res) accumulation in scrapie- and BSE-infected mice and prolonged significantly the survival time of 263K scrapie-infected hamsters. Interestingly, HM2602 is an apparently less toxic and more potent inhibitor of PrP(res) accumulation than dextran sulfate 500, a molecule known to exhibit anti-prion properties in vivo. Kinetics of PrP(res) disappearance in vitro and unaffected PrP(C) levels during treatment suggest that HMs are able to block the conversion of PrP(C) into PrP(res). It is speculated that HMs act as competitors of endogenous heparan sulfates known to act as co-receptors for the prion protein. Since these molecules are particularly amenable to drug design, their anti-prion potential could be developed further and optimized for the treatment of prion diseases.

Heparan sulfate mimetics modulate calpain activity during rat Soleus muscle regeneration

Skeletal muscle regenerates after injury. Tissue remodelling, which takes place during muscle regeneration, is a complex process involving proteolytic enzymes. It is inferred that micro and milli calpains are involved in the protein turnover and structural adaptation associated with muscle myolysis and reconstruction. Using a whole-crush injured skeletal muscle, we previously have shown that in vivo muscle treatment with synthetic heparan sulfate mimetics, called RGTAs (for ReGeneraTing Agents), greatly accelerates and improves muscle regeneration after crushing. This effect was particularly striking in the case of the slow muscle Soleus that otherwise would be atrophied. Therefore, we used this regeneration model to study milli and micro calpain expressions in the regenerating Soleus muscle and to address the question of a possible effect of RGTAs treatment on calpain levels. Micro and milli calpain contents increased by about five times to culminate at days 7 and 14 after crushing respectively, thus during the phases of fibre reconstruction and reinnervation. After 64 days of regeneration, muscles still displayed higher levels of both calpains than an intact uninjured muscle. Milli calpain detected by immunocytochemistry was shown in the cytoplasm whereas micro calpain was in both nuclei and cytoplasm in small myofibres but appeared almost exclusively in nuclei of more mature fibres. Interestingly, the treatment of muscles with RGTA highly reduced the increase of both milli and micro calpain contents in Soleus regenerating muscles. These results suggest that the improvement of muscle regeneration induced by RGTA may be partly mediated by minimising the consequences of calpain activity.