Human Plasma Protein Binding Research Articles

Trout and Human Plasma Protein Binding of Selected Pharmaceuticals Informs the Fish Plasma Model.

Concerns are increasing that pharmaceuticals released into the environment pose a risk to nontarget organism such as fish. The fish plasma model is a read-across approach that uses human therapeutic blood plasma concentrations for estimating likely effects in fish. However, the fish plasma model neglects differences in plasma protein binding between fish and humans. Because binding data for fish plasma are scarce, the binding of 12 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs; acidic, basic, and neutral) to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and human plasma was measured using solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The plasma/water distribution ratios (D plasma/w ) of neutral and basic APIs were similar for trout and human plasma, differing by no more than a factor of 2.7 for a given API. For the acidic APIs, the D plasma/w values of trout plasma were much lower than for human plasma, by up to a factor of 71 for naproxen. The lower affinity of the acidic APIs to trout plasma compared with human plasma suggests that the bioavailability of these APIs is higher in trout. Read-across approaches like the fish plasma model should account for differences in plasma protein binding to avoid over- or underestimation of effects in fish. For the acidic APIs, the effect ratio of the fish plasma model would increase by a factor of 5 to 60 if the unbound plasma concentrations were used to calculate the effect ratio. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:559-568. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

A Fully Integrated Assay Panel for Early Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics Profiling.

Evaluation and optimization of physicochemical and metabolic properties of compounds are a crucial component of the drug development process. Continuous access to this information during the design-make-test-analysis cycle enables identification of chemical entities with suitable properties for efficient project progression. In this study, we describe an integrated and automated assay panel (DMPK Wave 1) that informs weekly on lipophilicity, solubility, human plasma protein binding, and metabolic stability in rat hepatocytes and human liver microsomes. All assays are running in 96-well format with ultraperformance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (MS)/MS as read-out. A streamlined overall workflow has been developed by optimizing all parts of the process, including shipping of compounds between sites, use of fit-for-purpose equipment and information systems, and technology for compound requesting, data analysis, and reporting. As a result, lead times can be achieved that well match project demands across sites independently of where compounds are synthesized. This robust screening strategy is run on a weekly basis and enables optimization of structure-activity relationships in parallel with DMPK properties to allow efficient and informed decision making.

Evaluation of in vitro absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion and assessment of drug-drug interaction of rucaparib, an orally potent poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor

1. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and drug-drug interaction (DDI) potential of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor rucaparib was characterised in vitro.2. Rucaparib showed moderate cellular permeability, moderate human plasma protein binding (70.2%), and slow metabolism in human liver microsomes (HLMs). In HLMs, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2 and CYP3A contributed to the metabolism of rucaparib to its major metabolite M324 with estimated fractions of metabolism catalysed by CYP (fm,CYP) of 0.27 and 0.64, respectively. Rucaparib reversibly inhibited CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3As (IC50, 3.55, 12.9, 5.42, 41.6, and 17.2–22.9 µM [2 substrates], respectively), but not CYP2B6 or CYP2C8 (>190 µM). No time-dependent inhibition of any CYP was observed. In cultured human hepatocytes, rucaparib showed concentration-dependent induction of CYP1A2 mRNA and downregulation of CYP3A4 and CYP2B6 mRNA. In transfected cells expressing drug transporters, rucaparib was a substrate for P-gp and BCRP, but not for OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OAT1, OAT3, or OCT2. Rucaparib inhibited P-gp and BCRP (IC50, 169 and 55 µM, respectively) and slightly inhibited OATP1B1, OATP1B3, OAT1, and OAT3 (66%, 58%, 58%, and 42% inhibition, respectively) at 300 µM. Rucaparib inhibited OCT1, OCT2, MATE1, and MATE2-K (IC50, 4.3, 31, 0.63, and 0.19 μM, respectively).3. DDI risk assessment using static models suggested potential CYP-related DDIs, with rucaparib as a perpetrator. Caution is advised when co-administering rucaparib with sensitive substrates of MATEs, OCT1, and OCT2.

Biopartitioning micellar chromatography under different conditions: Insight into the retention mechanism and the potential to model biological processes

In the present study, 88 structurally- diverse drugs were investigated by biopartitioning micellar chromatography (BMC) using Brij-35 as surfactant under different chromatographic conditions. It was found that temperature and presence of NaCl have only a minor effect in BMC retention. Correlation of BMC retention factors with octanol-water partitioning required the inclusion of fractions of ionized species as additional parameters, showing that there is a weaker effect of ionization in BMC environment. Compared to Immobilized Artificial Membrane (IAM) Chromatography, BMC retention factors cover a relatively narrow span, two-fold smaller than retention factors on IAM stationary phases as a result of the presence of micelles facilitating elution of lipophilic compounds and the absence of secondary attractive electrostatic interactions in the BMC environment. Similarities/dissimilarities between BMC, octanol-water partitioning and IAM Chromatography were investigated by Linear Free Energy Relationships (LSER). BMC retention factors were used to construct relationships with cell permeability,% Human Oral Absorption (%HOA) and Plasma Protein Binding (%PPB). Linear BMC models were obtained with Caco-2 cell lines and Parallel Artificial Membrane Permeability Assay (PAMPA). For %HOA, a hyperbolic model was established upon incorporation of topological polar surface area (tPSA) as additional parameter. A sigmoidal model was constructed for %PPB and a linear one for the corresponding thermodynamic binding constant logK. In both cases inclusion of the fraction of anionic species with a positive sign was required reflecting the preference of human albumin for acidic drugs.

Determination of protein binding for novel 2-(2-hydroxypropanamido)-5-trifluoromethyl benzoic acid enantiomers to rats, dogs, and humans plasma by UPLC-MS/MS.

R-/S-2-(2-hydroxypropanamido)-5-trifluoromethyl benzoic acid (R-/S-HFBA) is a novel COX inhibitor with remarkable anti-inflammatory and antiplatelet aggregation activities, but no gastrointestinal toxicity. In our previous study, the different pharmacokinetic profiles of the two enantiomers in rats were observed after administration of R-HFBA and S-HFBA. Stereoselective protein binding of the two enantiomers may be a reason for the different pharmacokinetic behaviors. In this study, we developed and validated an UPLC-MS/MS method for determining stereoselective binding of HFBA enantiomers to rat, dog, and human plasma in vitro. Chromatographic separation was achieved by gradient elution with a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. MS/MS detection was operated in positive electrospray using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The method was proved to be linear over the concentration range of 0.005 to 10 μg/mL with a lower limit of quantification of 0.005 μg/mL. The developed method was successfully employed to the plasma protein binding study of HFBA enantiomers. Equilibrium dialysis method was applied to assess drug-plasma protein interactions. The results showed that the enantiomers were both extensively bound to three species plasma and protein binding of R-/S-HFBA was concentration dependent. R-HFBA and S-HFBA showed significant species difference among rat, dog, and human plasma and stereoselective plasma protein binding.

A novel strategy for prediction of human plasma protein binding using machine learning techniques

Plasma protein binding (PPB) is a key player of drug ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination) behaviors, enabling PPB to have significant impact on drug efficacy and toxicity. As drug discovery enters the era of rational drug design, it is desirable to use in silico model to predict PPB so as to achieve rapid initial screening for potential candidate compounds prior to further time-consuming and costly in vitro and in vivo experimental assay. In this study, a global quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model of PPB was built on the basis of a large training set comprising more than 5000 compounds to represent large structural diversity. The uneven distribution of PPB was often rectified by two mathematical transformations of PPB but this led to a decrease in prediction accuracy at the lower binding level. To resolve this problem, we proposed a novel strategy to build models for different binding levels. The best model yielded much lower mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.076 on the test set than published models and the MAE was further reduced to 0.041 ​at the high level of binding (0.8–1). The models also performed excellent in the validation set containing some compounds from traditional Chinese medicine. In addition, the applicability domain was determined to identify new compounds which are appropriate for prediction using our built models. In conclusion, this study developed a novel strategy to construct robust QSAR model for PPB prediction which could be used by chemists to predict the PPB of candidate compounds efficiently and make structural modification in the early stage of drug development.

Unraveling Hepcidin Plasma Protein Binding: Evidence from Peritoneal Equilibration Testing.

Peptide hormone hepcidin regulates systemic iron metabolism and has been described to be partially bound to α2-macroglobulin and albumin in blood. However, the reported degree of hepcidin protein binding varies between <3% and ≈89%. Since protein-binding may influence hormone function and quantification, better insight into the degree of hepcidin protein binding is essential to fully understand the biological behavior of hepcidin and interpretation of its measurement in patients. Here, we used peritoneal dialysis to assess human hepcidin protein binding in a functional human setting for the first time. We measured freely circulating solutes in blood and peritoneal fluid of 14 patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing a peritoneal equilibration test to establish a curve describing the relation between molecular weight and peritoneal clearance. Calculated binding percentages of total cortisol and testosterone confirmed our model. The protein-bound fraction of hepcidin was calculated to be 40% (±23%). We, therefore, conclude that a substantial proportion of hepcidin is freely circulating. Although a large inter-individual variation in hepcidin clearance, besides patient-specific peritoneal transport characteristics, may have affected the accuracy of the determined binding percentage, we describe an important step towards unraveling human hepcidin plasma protein binding in vivo including the caveats that need further research.

Plasma Protein and Lipoprotein Binding of Cis- and Trans-Permethrin and Deltamethrin in Adult Humans and Rats.

The majority of residents of the United States, Canada, and Europe are exposed to pyrethroids, the most commonly used class of insecticides. Surprisingly little is known about key aspects of their pharmacokinetics, including their mode of transport in the systemic circulation. This study tested the hypothesis that pyrethroids are transported by both plasma lipoproteins and proteins, similarly to other highly lipophilic environmental contaminants. Other aims were to characterize the binding of representative type I and II pyrethroids, and to compare their binding to rat versus human plasma. Binding of 14C-labeled cis-permethrin (CIS), trans-permethrin (TRANS) and deltamethrin (DLM) to proteins and lipoproteins was measured by sequential extraction of spiked plasma with isooctane, 2-octanol, and acetonitrile. Binding of DLM, CIS, and TRANS to plasma proteins and lipoproteins was linear from 250 to 750 nM; concentrations present in the plasma of orally dosed rats. Binding of DLM to high-density lipoprotein was twice that to low-density lipoprotein. Binding of DLM, CIS, and TRANS was ∼2-fold greater to proteins than to lipoproteins of rat and human plasma; albumin was primarily responsible for protein binding. Higher total binding of each pyrethroid to human (∼90%) than to rat (∼80%) plasma resulted from higher protein binding in human plasma. This was attributable in part to the higher albumin/protein content of human plasma. Rat albumin exhibited lower pyrethroid binding capacity than did human albumin. The results of this investigation indicate that albumin and lipoproteins play a major role in binding and transport of pyrethroids in the systemic circulation of both rats and humans.

In vitro inhibition of human nucleoside transporters and uptake of azacitidine by an isocitrate dehydrogenase-2 inhibitor enasidenib and its metabolite AGI-16903

1. The present study investigated inhibitory effects of enasidenib and its metabolite AGI-16903 on (a) recombinant human nucleoside transporters (hNTs) in hNT-producing Xenopus laevis oocytes, and (b) azacitidine uptake in a normal B-lymphoblast peripheral blood cell line (PBC) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines.2. Enasidenib inhibited hENT1, hENT2, hENT3, and hENT4 in oocytes with IC50 values of 7, 63, 27, and 76 μM, respectively, but exhibited little inhibition of hCNT1-3. AGI-16903 exhibited little inhibition of any hNT produced in oocytes.3. Azacitidine uptake was more than 2-fold higher in AML cells than in PBC. Enasidenib inhibited azacitidine uptake into OCI-AML2, TF-1 and PBC cells in a concentration-dependent manner with IC50 values of 0.27, 1.7, and 1.0 µM in sodium-containing transport medium, respectively.4. IC50 values shifted approximately 100-fold higher when human plasma was used as the incubation medium (27 µM in OCI-AML2, 162 µM in TF-1, and 129 µM in PBC), likely due to high human plasma protein binding of enasidenib (98.5% bound).5. Although enasidenib inhibits hENTs and azacitidine uptake in vitro, plasma proteins attenuate this inhibitory effect, likely resulting in no meaningful in vivo effects in humans.

Efficacy of Tilorone Dihydrochloride against Ebola Virus Infection.

Tilorone dihydrochloride (tilorone) is a small-molecule, orally bioavailable drug that is used clinically as an antiviral outside the United States. A machine-learning model trained on anti-Ebola virus (EBOV) screening data previously identified tilorone as a potent in vitro EBOV inhibitor, making it a candidate for the treatment of Ebola virus disease (EVD). In the present study, a series of in vitro ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, toxicity) assays demonstrated the drug has excellent solubility, high Caco-2 permeability, was not a P-glycoprotein substrate, and had no inhibitory activity against five human CYP450 enzymes (3A4, 2D6, 2C19, 2C9, and 1A2). Tilorone was shown to have 52% human plasma protein binding with excellent plasma stability and a mouse liver microsome half-life of 48 min. Dose range-finding studies in mice demonstrated a maximum tolerated single dose of 100 mg/kg of body weight. A pharmacokinetics study in mice at 2- and 10-mg/kg dose levels showed that the drug is rapidly absorbed, has dose-dependent increases in maximum concentration of unbound drug in plasma and areas under the concentration-time curve, and has a half-life of approximately 18 h in both males and females, although the exposure was ∼2.5-fold higher in male mice. Tilorone doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg proved efficacious in protecting 90% of mice from a lethal challenge with mouse-adapted with once-daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) dosing for 8 days. A subsequent study showed that 30 mg/kg/day of tilorone given i.p. starting 2 or 24 h postchallenge and continuing through day 7 postinfection was fully protective, indicating promising activity for the treatment of EVD.

Insight into the mode of action and selectivity of PBRM, a covalent steroidal inhibitor of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1

17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17β-HSD1) is involved in the biosynthesis of estradiol, the major bioactive endogenous estrogen in mammals, and constitutes an interesting therapeutic target for estrogen-dependent diseases. A steroidal derivative, 3-{[(16β,17β)-3-(2-bromoethyl)-17-hydroxyestra-1,3,5(10)-trien-16-yl]methyl} benzamide (PBRM), has recently been described as a non-estrogenic, irreversible inhibitor of 17β-HSD1. However, the mode of action of this inhibitor and its selectivity profile have not yet been elucidated. We assessed PBRM potency via in vitro kinetic measurements. The mechanism of enzyme inactivation was also investigated using interspecies (human, mouse, pig and monkey) comparisons via both in vitro assays and in silico analysis. Mouse and human plasma protein binding of PBRM was determined, whereas its selectivity of action was studied using a wide range of potential off-targets (e.g. GPCR, hERG, CYPs, etc.). The affinity constant (Ki=368nM) and the enzyme inactivation rate (kinact=0.087min−1) values for PBRM were determined with purified 17β-HSD1. PBRM was found to be covalently linked to the enzyme. A long delay period (i.e. 3–5days) is required to recover 17β-HSD1 activity following a pretreatment of breast and placenta cell lines with PBRM. Mechanistic analyses showed important interspecies differences of 17β-HSD1 inhibition which support the importance of inactivation for PBRM effect. Evidences of the potency and selectivity of action presented herein for this first non-estrogenic and steroidal covalent irreversible inhibitor of 17β-HSD1 warrant its further development as a potential drug candidate for estrogen-dependent disorders.

Discovery of Novel Pyridone-Conjugated Monosulfactams as Potent and Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics for Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Infections.

Conjugating a siderophore to an antibiotic is a promising strategy to overcome the permeability-mediated resistance of Gram-negative pathogens. On the basis of the structure of BAL30072, novel pyridone-conjugated monosulfactams incorporating diverse substituents into the methylene linker between the 1,3-dihydroxypyridin-4(1H)-one and the aminothiazole oxime were designed and synthesized. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed that a variety of substituents were tolerated, with isopropyl (compound 12c) and methylthiomethyl (compound 16a) showing the best efficacy against multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative pathogens. In addition, compound 12c exhibits a good free fraction rate in an in vitro human plasma protein binding test, along with a low clearance and favorable plasma exposure in vivo. In a murine systemic infection model with MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae, compound 12c shows an ED50 of 10.20 mg/kg. Taken together, the results indicate that compound 12c is a promising drug candidate for the treatment of serious infections caused by MDR Gram-negative pathogens.

Abstract B21: Novel pateamine A analogs to target pro-survival proteins in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Abstract Introduction: Dysregulation of protein translation is a common feature of cancer. Because the great majority of oncoproteins turn-over rapidly, thus have an acute need for mRNA translation compared to housekeeping proteins, protein synthesis is a promising avenue to explore for targeted cancer therapy. The marine natural product pateamine A (PatA) inhibits cap-dependent translation initiation by binding to the eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A). We have previously synthesized a family of PatA-based small molecules. The lead compound, des-methyl, des-amino pateamine A (DMDAPatA), is more stable and easier to synthesize than the parent natural product, and demonstrated anti-cancer activities in both cell lines and animal models. In this study, we extended the investigations of the activities of DMDAPatA in B cell malignancies, focusing on the primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. We propose to target the biological rewiring of the CLL cells, namely the overexpression of short-lived pro-survival proteins that keep these cells from undergoing apoptosis. We hypothesize that a transient inhibition of translation will cause a lethal decrease in those labile pro-survival proteins in CLL cells that will initiate apoptosis. Experimental Procedures: Primary CLL cells were used to screen the PatA analogs for their anti-leukemia activity. Cell viability was analyzed by flow cytometry. Protein translation was measured by tritium labeled leucine incorporation. Protein expression was determined by immunoblotting. Results: Our data showed that DMDAPatA blocked protein synthesis in the CLL cells. This action reduced the short-lived anti-apoptotic proteins Mcl-1 and XIAP, and initiated apoptosis in as short as 4 hr. The levels of the more stable anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL were not affected. This is consistent with the selective activity of translation inhibitors toward proteins with rapid turn-over rates. Since DMDAPatA depleted Mcl-1 without affecting Bcl-2, and the Bcl-2 antagonist ABT-199 inhibits Bcl-2 activity but spares Mcl-1, the combination of DMDAPatA and ABT-199 targeted both arms of apoptosis control and killed CLL cells synergistically. Dose reduction index analysis demonstrated mutual potentiation of ABT-199 and DMDAPatA. However, in the presence of human plasma proteins, DMDAPatA lost its potency substantially. A plasma protein binding analysis showed over 99% binding in human plasma, which may hamper its development as a therapeutic agent. To address this issue, we synthesized a new series of PatA analogues with the goal of improving the physical properties and CLL potency. We found that any alteration on the binding domain of PatA, either on eastern half of the macrolide ring or the side chain, resulted in dramatic loss of activity toward the CLL cells. The scaffolding domain on the western side of the ring was more tolerable to modifications which made it feasible to improvement. We proposed to introduce an amino group at either the C2 (alpha-amino variant) or C3 position (beta-amino variant) of the macrolide ring to lower lipophilicity and reduce binding to plasma proteins. This strategy led to the identification of three new leads with potent inhibition of protein synthesis. They exhibited greater cytotoxic potency toward CLL cells than DMDAPatA and lower human plasma protein binding. They also showed better selectivity towards CLL cells over normal lymphocytes compared to the parental compound PatA, demonstrating improved therapeutic index. Conclusions: We have successfully synthesized three new PatA analogs with potent anti-leukemia activities. These compounds hold promise for application to cancers with the right biological context, such as CLL, in which the leukemia cells are addicted to the sustained expression of short-lived oncoproteins for survival. Citation Format: Rong Chen, Mingzhao Zhu, Yuling Chen, Wesley Skillern, Qun Qin, William G. Wierda, Kenneth G. Hull, Daniel Romo, William Plunkett. Novel pateamine A analogs to target pro-survival proteins in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Translational Control of Cancer: A New Frontier in Cancer Biology and Therapy; 2016 Oct 27-30; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(6 Suppl):Abstract nr B21.

Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Cediranib.

Cediranib potently and selectively inhibits all three vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR-1, -2 and -3), and clinical studies have shown that it is effective in patients with ovarian cancer at a dose of 20mg/day. Cediranib is absorbed moderately slowly; a high-fat meal reduced the cediranib area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) by 24% and maximum plasma concentration (C max) by 33%. Cediranib binds to serum albumin and α1-acid glycoprotein; protein binding in human plasma is approximately 95%. The cediranib AUC and C max increase proportionally with dose from 0.5 to 60mg, and cediranib has linear pharmacokinetics (PK) overtime. Cediranib is metabolized via flavin-containing monooxygenase 1 and 3 (FMO1, FMO3) and uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A4. Cediranib and its metabolites are mainly excreted in faeces (59%), with <1% of unchanged drug being excreted in urine. The apparent oral clearance is moderate and the mean terminal half-life is 22h. Cediranib is a substrate of multidrug resistance-1 (MDR1) protein (also known as P-glycoprotein [P-gp]). Coadministration with ketoconazole, a potent P-gp inhibitor, increases cediranib AUC at steady-state (AUCss) in patients by 21%, while coadministration with rifampicin, a potent inducer of P-gp, decreases cediranib AUCss by 39%. Administration of cediranib with chemotherapies demonstrated minimal PK impact on each other. No dose adjustment is recommended for patients with mild or moderate hepatic or renal impairment, and no dose adjustment is needed on the basis of age and body weight. A pooled analysis at doses of 0.5-60mg showed no significant increase in QTc intervals. Increases in blood pressure and the incidence of diarrhoea were associated with increased cediranib dose and systemic exposure.

Informing the Human Plasma Protein Binding of Environmental Chemicals by Machine Learning in the Pharmaceutical Space: Applicability Domain and Limits of Predictability.

The free fraction of a xenobiotic in plasma (Fub) is an important determinant of chemical adsorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, and toxicity, yet experimental plasma protein binding data are scarce for environmentally relevant chemicals. The presented work explores the merit of utilizing available pharmaceutical data to predict Fub for environmentally relevant chemicals via machine learning techniques. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models were constructed with k nearest neighbors (kNN), support vector machines (SVM), and random forest (RF) machine learning algorithms from a training set of 1045 pharmaceuticals. The models were then evaluated with independent test sets of pharmaceuticals (200 compounds) and environmentally relevant ToxCast chemicals (406 total, in two groups of 238 and 168 compounds). The selection of a minimal feature set of 10-15 2D molecular descriptors allowed for both informative feature interpretation and practical applicability domain assessment via a bounded box of descriptor ranges and principal component analysis. The diverse pharmaceutical and environmental chemical sets exhibit similarities in terms of chemical space (99-82% overlap), as well as comparable bias and variance in constructed learning curves. All the models exhibit significant predictability with mean absolute errors (MAE) in the range of 0.10-0.18Fub. The models performed best for highly bound chemicals (MAE 0.07-0.12), neutrals (MAE 0.11-0.14), and acids (MAE 0.14-0.17). A consensus model had the highest accuracy across both pharmaceuticals (MAE 0.151-0.155) and environmentally relevant chemicals (MAE 0.110-0.131). The inclusion of the majority of the ToxCast test sets within the AD of the consensus model, coupled with high prediction accuracy for these chemicals, indicates the model provides a QSAR for Fub that is broadly applicable to both pharmaceuticals and environmentally relevant chemicals.

Decellularized GGTA1-KO pig heart valves do not bind preformed human xenoantibodies.

Pre-clinical and clinical data have unequivocally demonstrated the usefulness of decellularized heart valve (HV) matrices implanted for HV replacement therapy. However, human donor valves applicable for decellularization are in short supply, which prompts the search for suitable alternatives, such as porcine grafts. Since decellularization might be insufficient to remove all xenoantigens, we analysed the interaction of human preformed antibodies with decellularized porcine HV in vitro to assess potential immune reactions upon implantation. Detergent-decellularized pulmonary HV from German Landrace wild-type (wt) or α1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout (GGTA1-KO) pigs were investigated by inhibition ELISA and GSL I-B4 staining to localize and quantify matrix-bound αGal epitopes, which represent the most prominent xenoantigen. Additionally, preformed human xenoantibodies were affinity purified by perfusing porcine kidneys. Binding of purified human antibodies to decellularized HV was investigated by inhibition ELISA. Furthermore, binding of human plasma proteins to decellularized matrices was determined by western blot. Decellularized human pulmonary artery served as controls. Decellularization of wt HV led to a reduction of αGal epitopes by 70%. Residual epitopes were associated with the subendothelial extracellular matrix. As expected, no αGal epitopes were found on decellularized GGTA1-KO matrix. The strongest binding of preformed human anti-pig antibodies was found on wt matrices, whereas GGTA1-KO matrices bound similar or even fewer xenoantibodies than human controls. These results demonstrate the suitability of GGTA1-KO pigs as donors for decellularized heart valves for human patients. Besides the presence of αGal antibodies on decellularized heart valves, no further preformed xenoantibodies against porcine matrix were detected in tested human sera.

Nitroimidazole carboxamides as antiparasitic agents targeting Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica and Trichomonas vaginalis

Diarrhoeal diseases caused by the intestinal parasites Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica constitute a major global health burden. Nitroimidazoles are first-line drugs for the treatment of giardiasis and amebiasis, with metronidazole 1 being the most commonly used drug worldwide. However, treatment failures in giardiasis occur in up to 20% of cases and development of resistance to metronidazole is of concern. We have re-examined ‘old’ nitroimidazoles as a foundation for the systematic development of next-generation derivatives. Using this approach, derivatisation of the nitroimidazole carboxamide scaffold provided improved antiparasitic agents. Thirty-three novel nitroimidazole carboxamides were synthesised and evaluated for activity against G. lamblia and E. histolytica. Several of the new compounds exhibited potent activity against G. lamblia strains, including metronidazole-resistant strains of G. lamblia (EC50 = 0.1–2.5 μM cf. metronidazole EC50 = 6.1–18 μM). Other compounds showed improved activity against E. histolytica (EC50 = 1.7–5.1 μM cf. metronidazole EC50 = 5.0 μM), potent activity against Trichomonas vaginalis (EC50 = 0.6–1.4 μM cf. metronidazole EC50 = 0.8 μM) and moderate activity against the intestinal bacterial pathogen Clostridium difficile (0.5–2 μg/mL, cf. metronidazole = 0.5 μg/mL). The new compounds had low toxicity against mammalian kidney and liver cells (CC50 > 100 μM), and selected antiparasitic hits were assessed for human plasma protein binding and metabolic stability in liver microsomes to demonstrate their therapeutic potential.

Artificial Neural Network Analysis of Pharmacokinetic and Toxicity Properties of Lead Molecules for Dengue Fever, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Poor pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles are major reasons for the low rate of advancing lead drug candidates into efficacy studies. The In-silico prediction of primary pharmacokinetic and toxicity properties in the drug discovery and development process can be used as guidance in the design of candidates. In-silico parameters can also be used to choose suitable compounds for in-vivo testing thereby reducing the number of animals used in experiments. At the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, a data set has been curated from in-house measurements in the disease areas of Dengue, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Volume of distribution, half-life, total in-vivo clearance, in-vitro human plasma protein binding and in-vivo oral bioavailability have been measured for molecules in the lead optimization stage in each of these three disease areas. Data for the inhibition of the hERG channel using the radio ligand binding dofetilide assay was determined for a set of 300 molecules in these therapeutic areas. Based on this data, Artificial Neural Networks were used to construct In-silico models for each of the properties listed above that can be used to prioritize candidates for lead optimization and to assist in selecting promising molecules for in-vivo pharmacokinetic studies.

Development and validation of a highly sensitive LC-MS/MS method for the determination of acacetin in human plasma and its application to a protein binding study.

A highly sensitive bioanalytical method for the quantification of acacetin in human plasma was developed and comprehensively validated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A minimal volume of human plasma sample (20 μL) was prepared by simple deproteinization with 80 μL of acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was performed using Kinetex C18 column with an isocratic mobile phase consisting of water and acetonitrile (20:80, v/v) containing 0.1% formic acid at a flow rate of 0.3mL/min over a total run time of 2.0min. Mass spectrometric detection was performed using multiple reaction-monitoring modes at the mass/charge transitions m/z 285.22→242.17 for acacetin and m/z 277.59→175.04 for chlorpropamide (internal standard). The calibration curve was linear over the range of 0.1-500ng/mL with a lower limit of quantitation of 0.1ng/mL. The coefficients of variation for both intra- and inter-day validation were less than 11.9%, and the intra- and inter-day accuracy ranged from 96.8 to 108%. Mean recovery of acacetin in human plasma was within the range of 91.5-95.6%. This validated LC-MS/MS method was successfully applied to a human plasma protein binding study that indicated extensive and concentration-independent protein binding of acacetin in human plasma.

Phase I Study of Dose-Adjusted-Teddi-R with Ibrutinib in Untreated and Relapsed/Refractory Primary CNS Lymphoma

Introduction: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare type of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). It closely resembles activated B-cell (ABC) DLBCL and most cases have B cell receptor (BCR) and MyD88 mutations. Ibrutinib is an inhibitor of BTK that targets BCR signaling and is active in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) ABC DLBCL.Methods: Ibrutinib was incorporated into a novel regimen called DA-TEDDI-R (temozolomide, etoposide, doxil, dexamethasone, ibrutinib and rituximab) (with intraventricular cytarabine). DA-TEDDI-R was designed around therapeutic principles for systemic DLBCL and CNS penetration. Methotrexate was excluded due to potential antagonism with ibrutinib based on preliminary in vitro experiments. Untreated or R/R PCNSL patients were eligible and received ibrutinib in cohorts (560-1120 mg/day PO) for 14-days in a "window" prior to cycle 1 of DA-TEDDI-R (with pre and post-brain MRI/FDG-PET), followed by DA-TEDDI-R with ibrutinib (days 1-10) q21 days x 6. Plasma and CSF PKs of ibrutinib and its metabolite PCI-45227 were analyzed. CSF penetration (AUCCSF: AUCPLASMA) was corrected for human plasma protein binding: parent: 97.3%, metabolite: 91%. CSF PKs of TEDDI drugs and molecular analysis of FFPE biopsies are ongoing.Results: Eleven patients have enrolled; 6 were R/R (median 3 (1-5) prior treatments) and 5 were previously untreated. Eleven completed the ibrutinib window and 5 patients completed and 2 remain on DA-TEDDI-R; Ibrutinib dosing was 560 mg in patients 1-6; 700 mg in patients 7-10; and 840 mg in patient 11. No patient had dose limiting toxicity determined on cycle 1 of DA-TEDDI-R. There were 3 on-study deaths: from progressive disease, infection and ventricular arrhythmia. Ibrutinib PK was completed in patients 1-10 (Table). When corrected for protein binding, CSF penetration was 21.4-100% for ibrutinib and 48-120% for its metabolite. CSF concentrations > IC50were maintained for a median of 4 hours and 8.5 hours at the 560 mg and 700 mg doses, respectively. With ibrutinib alone, 7 of 8 evaluable patients achieved partial responses, and 1 patient had a mixed response. After DA-TEDDI-R, all 5 patients achieved complete remission of which 4 (all R/R) are in remission at 1+, 2+, 3+, and 6+ months, and 1 (previously untreated) patient relapsed at 3 months.Conclusions: Ibrutinib is active in PCNSL and achieves meaningful CSF concentrations. DA-TEDDI-R is a novel treatment for PCNSL and leverages molecular and therapeutic principles developed for the curative treatment of ABC DLBCL. Accrual continues.TablePlasma Ibrutinib PKCSF Ibrutinib PKCSF penetrationHours above IC50(0.5nM)Dose 560 mgCmax(nM)Tmax(h)AUC0-10 (nM•h)T½(h)Cmax(nM)Tmax(h)AUC0-last (nM•h)AUCCSF : AUCPlasma (%)AUCCSF :AUCPlasmaCorrected (%)PlasmaCSF15021123210.21.9927.7 (10h)0.623.7244214524714.60.6922.4 (6h)0.521.424237723473.11.2824.4(6hr)1.355.824447212022.61.5445.5 (10hr)2.7100248516226248.52.029.2 (10hr)1.554.9241069914046.30.7123.4 (4hr)1.245244Median1221.54375.51.4251.350244Range75-5021-2202-12322.6-10.20.7-22-42.49.221.4-100242-10Dose 700mg7581123405.311.1248.6 (24)1.7 (10)63 (10)24108411215652.41.63211.9 (10)0.828.11010916428653.80.6943.9(10)0.4516.724310577216485.42.36211.0(10)0.6724.8247Median494216064.61.98211.5(10)0.7426.5248.5Range164-5811-2865-23402.4-5.40.69-11.12-43.9-48.60.45-1.716.7-6310-243-10 DisclosuresStaudt:Pharmacyclics LLC, an AbbVie Company: Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; NIH: Patents & Royalties.