Fit-for-purpose LC-MS/MS quantification of leukotoxin and leukotoxin diol in mouse plasma without sample pre-concentration.

LC/MS quantification of leukotoxin (LTX) and leukotoxin diol (LTXdiol) in plasma has been previously reported, however large sample volumes are required for achieving stated assay Lower Limit of Quantification (LLOQ). Reported here is a fit-for-purpose LC/MS method that reduces plasma volume from 700 to 25 µL and omits pre-concentration steps. These improvements make for a method with increased utility in mouse studies offering limited sample volumes.

Development of Orally Efficacious Allosteric Inhibitors of TNFα via Fragment-Based Drug Design.

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) is a soluble cytokine that is directly involved in systemic inflammation through the regulation of the intracellular NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. The development of biologic drugs that inhibit TNFα has led to improved clinical outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic autoimmune diseases; however, TNFα has proven to be difficult to drug with small molecules. Herein, we present a two-phase, fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) effort in which we first identified isoquinoline fragments that disrupt TNFα ligand-receptor binding through an allosteric desymmetrization mechanism as observed in high-resolution crystal structures.

Microphysiological systems for ADME-related applications: current status and recommendations for system development and characterization.

Over the last decade, progress has been made on the development of microphysiological systems (MPS) for absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) applications. Central to this progress has been proof of concept data generated by academic and industrial institutions followed by broader characterization studies, which provide evidence for scalability and applicability to drug discovery and development. In this review, we describe some of the advances made for specific tissue MPS and outline the desired functionality for such systems, which are likely to make them applicable for practical use in the pharmaceutical industry.

Prodrugs for colon-restricted delivery: Design, synthesis, and in vivo evaluation of colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitors.

The ability to restrict low molecular weight compounds to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract may enable an enhanced therapeutic index for molecular targets known to be associated with systemic toxicity. Using a triazolopyrazine CSF1R inhibitor scaffold, a broad range of prodrugs were synthesized and evaluated for enhanced delivery to the colon in mice. Subsequently, the preferred cyclodextrin prodrug moiety was appended to a number of CSF1R inhibitory active parent molecules, enabling GI-restricted delivery.