Development of a high-throughput screening assay for cytoprotective agents in rotenone-induced cell death.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease featured by selective loss of substantia nigra neurons. Rotenone administration in animals induces neurodegeneration accompanied by α-synuclein-positive Lewy body-like inclusions, recapturing typical histopathological features of PD. In an effort to screen for small-molecule agents to reverse rotenone-induced cytotoxicity, we developed and validated a sensitive and robust assay with neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells.

Identification of small-molecule HSF1 amplifiers by high content screening in protection of cells from stress induced injury.

Small molecule amplifiers of heat shock response have shown promising results in rescuing stress related injury through chaperone amplification. Herein, we report the results of a high content target-based primary screening of several known bioactive libraries. Screening resulted in the identification of three potent gedunin derivatives and a sappanone A derivative.

Identification of inhibitors of HSF1 functional activity by high-content target-based screening.

Cancer cells are known to experience a high level of stress and may require constant repair for survival and proliferation. Recent studies showed that inhibition of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), the key regulator for the stress-activated transcription of heat shock protein (HSP), can reduce the tumorigenic potential of cancer cells. Such a "nononcogene addiction" phenomenon makes HSF1 an attractive cancer drug target.

Pyrimido[5,4-e][1,2,4]triazine-5,7(1H,6H)-dione derivatives: their cytoprotection effect from rotenone toxicity and preliminary DMPK properties.

Pyrimido[5,4-e][1,2,4]triazine-5,7(1H,6H)-dione derivatives exhibited potent cytoprotective effect from rotenone toxicity. Lead optimization focused on the CC50/EC50 ratio and DMPK properties led to the overall improvement of the compound profile of this series with high CC50/EC50 ratio (92 for 1f), good metabolic stability in rat microsomes and medium to high aqueous solubility.

Identification of a small molecule SIRT2 inhibitor with selective tumor cytotoxicity.

As a member of the class III histone deacetylases, Sirtuin-2 (SIRT2) is critical in cell cycle regulation which makes it a potential target for cancer therapeutics. In this study, we identified a novel SIRT2 inhibitor, AC-93253, with IC(50) of 6 microM in vitro. The compound is selective, inhibiting SIRT2 7.

Pyrimido[5,4-e][1,2,4]triazine-5,7(1H,6H)-dione derivatives as novel small molecule chaperone amplifiers.

Pyrimido[5,4-e][1,2,4]triazine-5,7(1H,6H)-dione derivatives were investigated as novel small molecule amplifiers of heat shock factor 1 transcriptional activity. Lead optimization led to the discovery of compound 4A-13, which displayed potent HSF1 activity under mild heat stress (EC(50)=2.5microM) and significant cytoprotection in both rotenone (EC(50)=0.

Identification of chaulmoogric acid as a small molecule activator of protein phosphatase 5.

Protein phosphatase 5 (PP5) is an important protein phosphatase that is abundantly expressed in the central nervous system. Recent studies showed that PP5 activity in the neocortex from patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is decreased significantly, suggesting that small molecule PP5 activator may have therapeutic potential for AD. We performed a biochemical screening for PP5 activators with the microsource compound library.

Chloro-oxime derivatives as novel small molecule chaperone amplifiers.

Chloro-oxime derivatives were investigated as novel small molecule chaperone amplifiers. Lead optimization led to the discovery of compounds that displayed potent HSF1 activation activity, significant cytoprotection in MG-132 stress, ER stress and PolyQ stress cell models (EC(50)<10 microM).

High-content image-based screening for small-molecule chaperone amplifiers in heat shock.

Heat shock proteins represent the major elements of the cellular stress response that protects cells from diseases caused by protein misfolding. Small-molecule amplifiers of heat shock proteins have shown promising results in several animal models, demonstrating the potential importance of such compounds for therapeutics. The expression of many heat shock proteins is controlled by HSF1, which forms stress granules in the nucleus when transcriptionally activated.

Ribozyme to proliferating cell nuclear antigen to treat proliferative vitreoretinopathy.

Purpose: A DNA-RNA chimeric ribozyme was developed that targets the mRNA of a cell cycle regulatory protein, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The hypothesis was that inhibition of PCNA, essential in DNA replication, would decrease the proliferation of cells that are involved in formation of granuloma after surgical procedures in the eye. The ability of intravitreous injection of this ribozyme to prevent or inhibit development of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) was tested in a dispase-induced rabbit PVR model.