Despite advances in treatment, a significant proportion of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) will relapse with drug-resistant disease. The imipridones, ONC-201 and ONC-212, are effective against a range of different cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and tumors of the brain, breast, and prostate. These drugs induce cell death through activation of the mitochondrial protease, caseinolytic protease (CIpP), and the unfolded protein response (UPR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe mitochondrial ClpP protease is responsible for mitochondrial protein quality control through specific degradation of proteins involved in several metabolic processes. ClpP overexpression is also required in many cancer cells to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS)-damaged proteins and to sustain oncogenesis. Targeting ClpP to dysregulate its function using small-molecule agonists is a recent strategy in cancer therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe recently described the identification of a new class of small-molecule activators of the mitochondrial protease ClpP. These compounds synthesized by Madera Therapeutics showed increased potency of cancer growth inhibition over the related compound ONC201. In this study, we describe chemical optimization and characterization of the next generation of highly potent and selective small-molecule ClpP activators (TR compounds) and demonstrate their efficacy against breast cancer models in vitro and in vivo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite advances in therapy, a significant proportion of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) relapse with drug resistant disease. Novel treatment approaches are required, particularly for high risk disease. The imipridones represent a new class of cancer therapy that has been investigated in pre-clinical and clinical trials against a range of different cancers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn humans, bitter taste is mediated by 25 TAS2Rs. Many compounds, including certain active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, and nutraceuticals, impart their bitter taste (or in part) through TAS2R8 activation. However, effective TAS2R8 blockers that can either suppress or reduce the bitterness of these compounds have not been described.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFONC201 is a first-in-class imipridone molecule currently in clinical trials for the treatment of multiple cancers. Despite enormous clinical potential, the mechanism of action is controversial. To investigate the mechanism of ONC201 and identify compounds with improved potency, we tested a series of novel ONC201 analogues (TR compounds) for effects on cell viability and stress responses in breast and other cancer models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA toxicological evaluation of -(1-((4-amino-2,2-dioxido-1-benzo[][1,2,6]thiadiazin-5-yl)oxy)-2-methylpropan-2-yl)-2,6-dimethylisonicotinamide (S2218; CAS 1622458-34-7), a flavour with modifying properties, was completed for the purpose of assessing its safety for use in food and beverage applications. S2218 exhibited minimal oxidative metabolism , and in rat pharmacokinetic studies, the compound was poorly orally bioavailable and rapidly eliminated. S2218 was not found to be mutagenic in an bacterial reverse mutation assay, and was found to be neither clastogenic nor aneugenic in an mammalian cell micronucleus assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxicological evaluations of two -alkyl benzamide umami flavour compounds, -(heptan-4-yl)benzo[d][1,3]dioxole-5-carboxamide (S807, CAS 745047-51-2) and ()--(1-methoxy-4-methylpentan-2-yl)-3,4-dimethylbenzamide (S9229, CAS 851669-60-8), were completed for the purpose of assessing their safety for use in food and beverage applications. Both S807 and S9229 undergo rapid oxidative metabolism by both rat and human liver microsomes . In pharmacokinetic studies in rats, the systemic exposure to S9229 on oral administration is very low at all doses (% F < 1%), while that of S807 demonstrated a non-linear dose dependence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA toxicological evaluation of a umami flavour compound, 2-(((3-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)thio)methyl)pyridine (S3643; CAS 902136-79-2), was completed for the purpose of assessing its safety for use in food and beverage applications. S3643 undergoes extensive oxidative metabolism with rat microsomes producing the S3643-sulfoxide and 4'-hydroxy-S3643 as the major metabolites. In incubations with human microsomes, the -demethyl-S3643 and S3643-sulfoxide were produced as the major metabolites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA toxicological evaluation of two novel bitter modifying flavour compounds, 3-(1-((3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-yl)methyl)-1-pyrazol-4-yl)-1-(3-hydroxybenzyl)imidazolidine-2,4-dione (S6821, CAS 1119831-25-2) and 3-(1-((3,5-dimethylisoxazol-4-yl)methyl)-1-pyrazol-4-yl)-1-(3-hydroxybenzyl)-5,5-dimethylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (S7958, CAS 1217341-48-4), were completed for the purpose of assessing their safety for use in food and beverage applications. S6821 undergoes oxidative metabolism , and in rat pharmacokinetic studies both S6821 and S7958 are rapidly converted to the corresponding O-sulfate and O-glucuronide conjugates. S6821 was not found to be mutagenic or clastogenic , and did not induce micronuclei in bone marrow polychromatic erythrocytes .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA toxicological evaluation of a novel cooling agent, 2-(4-methylphenoxy)--(1-pyrazol-3-yl)--(2-thienylmethyl) acetamide (S2227; CAS 1374760-95-8), was completed for the purpose of assessing its safety for use in food and beverage applications. S2227 undergoes rapid oxidative metabolism , and in rat and dog pharmacokinetic studies is rapidly converted to its component carboxylic acid and secondary amine. S2227 was not found to be mutagenic or clastogenic , and did not induce micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA toxicological evaluation of 4-amino-5-(3-(isopropylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-3-oxopropoxy)-2-methylquinoline-3-carboxylic acid(S9632; CAS 1359963-68-0), a flavour with modifying properties,was completed for the purpose of assessing its safety for use in food and beverage applications. No Phase I biotransformations of S9632 were observed in rat or human microsomes , and in rat pharmacokinetic studies, the compound was poorly orally bioavailable and rapidly eliminated. S9632 was not found to be mutagenic or clastogenic , and did not induce micronuclei or indicate interactions with the mitotic spindle in an mouse micronucleus assay at oral doses up to 2000 mg/kg.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFood Chem Toxicol
February 2015
A toxicological evaluation of two structurally related flavors with modifying properties, 3-((4-amino-2,2-dioxido-1H- benzo[c][1,2,6]thiadiazin-5-yl)oxy)-2,2-dimethyl-N-propylpropanamide (S6973; CAS 1093200-92-0) and (S)-1-(3-(((4-amino-2,2-dioxido-1H-benzo[c][1,2,6]thiadiazin-5-yl)oxy)methyl)piperidin-1-yl)-3-methylbutan-1-one (S617; CAS 1469426-64-9), was completed for the purpose of assessing their safety for use in food and beverage applications. Both compounds exhibited minimal oxidative metabolism in vitro, and in rat pharmacokinetic studies, were poorly absorbed and rapidly eliminated. Neither compound exhibited genotoxic concerns.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe synthesis, preclinical profile, and in vivo efficacy in rat xenograft models of the novel and selective anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitor 15b (LDK378) are described. In this initial report, preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) are described as well as the rational design strategy employed to overcome the development deficiencies of the first generation ALK inhibitor 4 (TAE684). Compound 15b is currently in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials with substantial antitumor activity being observed in ALK-positive cancer patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurotrophins and their receptors (TRKs) play key roles in the development of the nervous system and the maintenance of the neural network. Accumulating evidence points to their role in malignant transformations, chemotaxis, metastasis, and survival signaling and may contribute to the pathogenesis of a variety of tumors of both neural and non-neural origin. By screening the GNF kinase collection, a series of novel oxindole inhibitors of TRKs were identified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA diet low in carbohydrates helps to reduce the amount of ingested calories and to maintain a healthy weight. With this in mind, food and beverage companies have reformulated a large number of their products, replacing sugar or high fructose corn syrup with several different types of zero-calorie sweeteners to decrease or even totally eliminate their caloric content. A challenge remains, however, with the level of acceptance of some of these products in the market-place.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
March 2010
To identify molecules that could enhance sweetness perception, we undertook the screening of a compound library using a cell-based assay for the human sweet taste receptor and a panel of selected sweeteners. In one of these screens we found a hit, SE-1, which significantly enhanced the activity of sucralose in the assay. At 50 microM, SE-1 increased the sucralose potency by >20-fold.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe discovery, synthesis, and optimization of compound 1 from a high-throughput screening hit to highly potent and selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARdelta) agonists are reported. The synthesis and structure-activity relationship in this series are described in detail. On the basis of a general schematic PPAR pharmacophore model, scaffold 1 was divided into headgroup, linker, and tailgroup and successively optimized for PPAR activation using in vitro PPAR transactivation assays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioorg Med Chem Lett
December 2009
A series of 4-amino-6-benzimidazole-pyrimidines was designed to target lymphocyte-specific tyrosine kinase (Lck), a member of the Src-family kinases (SFKs). These type II inhibitors were optimized using a cellular Lck-dependent proliferation assay and are capable of inhibiting Lck at single-digit nanomolar concentrations. This scaffold is likely to serve a valuable template for developing potent inhibitors of a number of SFKs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA series of 4-amino-6-benzimidazole-pyrimidines was designed to target lymphocyte-specific tyrosine kinase (Lck), a member of the Src kinase family. Highly efficient parallel syntheses were devised to prepare analogues for SAR studies. A number of these 4-amino-6-benzimidazole-pyrimidines exhibited single-digit nanomolar IC(50)s against Lck in biochemical and cellular assays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe lead optimization of a novel series of benzo[a]carbazole-based small molecule agonists of the thrombopoietin (Tpo) receptor is reported. The chemical instability of the dihydro-benzo[a]carbazole lead 2 was successfully addressed in the design and evaluation of compounds which also demonstrated improved potency compared to 2. Members of the scaffold have been identified which are full agonists that demonstrate cellular functional potency <50 nM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA novel series of benzo[a]carbazole-based small molecule agonists of the thrombopoietin (Tpo) receptor is reported. Starting from a 3.4 microM high throughput screen hit, members of this series have been identified which are full agonists with functional potency <50 nM and oral bioavailability in mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA series of nonsteroidal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) ligands based on a 6-indole-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline scaffold are reported. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the pendent indole group identified compound 20 exhibiting good GR binding affinity (K(i)=1.5nM) and 100- to 1000-fold selectivity over MR, PR, and AR while showing activity in an E-selectin repression assay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFModification on a lead series of [1,4]oxazino[3,2-g]quinolin-7-ones at the 2-position led to selective androgen receptor modulators with improved in vivo activity. The most potent analog (-)-33a exhibited full maintenance of levator ani muscle at 3mg/kg and reduced activity on ventral prostate weight in a 2-week orally-dosed and orchidectomized rat maintenance assay.
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