The salt-inducible kinases (SIK) 1-3 are key regulators of pro- versus anti-inflammatory cytokine responses during innate immune activation. The lack of highly SIK-family or SIK isoform-selective inhibitors suitable for repeat, oral dosing has limited the study of the optimal SIK isoform selectivity profile for suppressing inflammation in vivo. To overcome this challenge, we devised a structure-based design strategy for developing potent SIK inhibitors that are highly selective against other kinases by engaging two differentiating features of the SIK catalytic site.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTargeted protein degraders (TPDs), specifically the bifunctional protein degraders discussed in this manuscript, consist of two linked ligands for a protein of interest and an E3 ligase, resulting in molecules that largely violate accepted physicochemical limits (e.g., Lipinski's Rule of Five) for oral bioavailability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAccurate prediction of human clearance (CL) and volume of distribution at steady state (V) for small molecule drug candidates is an essential component of assessing likely efficacious dose and clinical safety margins. In 2021, the IQ Consortium Human PK Prediction Working Group undertook a survey of IQ member companies to understand the current PK prediction methods being used to estimate these parameters across the pharmaceutical industry. The survey revealed a heterogeneity in approaches being used across the industry (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF[4-(4-Methyl-2-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)thiazole-5-yl)pyrimidine-2-amine] (JNJ-2482272), under investigation as an anti-inflammatory agent, was orally administered to rats once daily at 60 mg/kg for 6 consecutive days. Despite high plasma exposure after single administration (C of 7.1 M), JNJ-2482272 had plasma concentrations beneath the lower limit of quantification (3 ng/ml) after 6 consecutive days of dosing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA comprehensive understanding of structure-reactivity relationships is critical to the design and optimization of cysteine-targeted covalent inhibitors. Herein, we report glutathione (GSH) reaction rates for -phenyl acrylamides with varied substitutions at the α- and β-positions of the acrylamide moiety. We find that the GSH reaction rates can generally be understood in terms of the electron donating or withdrawing ability of the substituent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKRAS has emerged as a promising target in the treatment of solid tumors. Covalent inhibitors targeting the mutant cysteine-12 residue have been shown to disrupt signaling by this long-"undruggable" target; however clinically viable inhibitors have yet to be identified. Here, we report efforts to exploit a cryptic pocket (H95/Y96/Q99) we identified in KRAS to identify inhibitors suitable for clinical development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKRAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene in cancer and encodes a key signalling protein in tumours. The KRAS(G12C) mutant has a cysteine residue that has been exploited to design covalent inhibitors that have promising preclinical activity. Here we optimized a series of inhibitors, using novel binding interactions to markedly enhance their potency and selectivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFKRAS regulates many cellular processes including proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Point mutants of KRAS have long been known to be molecular drivers of cancer. , which occurs in approximately 14% of lung adenocarcinomas, 3-5% of colorectal cancers, and low levels in other solid tumors, represents an attractive therapeutic target for covalent inhibitors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe bile salt export pump (BSEP) is expressed at the canalicular domain of hepatocytes, where it mediates the elimination of monovalent bile salts into the bile. Inhibition of BSEP is considered a susceptibility factor for drug-induced liver injury that often goes undetected during nonclinical testing. Although in vitro assays exist for screening BSEP inhibition, a reliable and specific method for confirming Bsep inhibition in vivo would be a valuable follow up to a BSEP screening strategy, helping to put a translatable context around in vitro inhibition data, incorporating processes such as metabolism, protein binding, and other exposure properties that are lacking in most in vitro BSEP models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSuccess in the design of targeted covalent inhibitors depends in part on a knowledge of the factors influencing electrophile reactivity. In an effort to further develop an understanding of structure-reactivity relationships among N-arylacrylamides, we determined glutathione (GSH) reaction rates for a family of N-arylacrylamides independently substituted at ortho-, meta-, and para-positions with 11 different groups common to inhibitor design. We find that substituent effects on reaction rates show a linear Hammett correlation for ortho-, meta-, and para-substitution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Turmeric extract derived curcuminoids (curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin) are currently being evaluated for the treatment of cancer and Alzheimer's dementia. Previous in vitro studies indicate that curcuminoids and piperine (a black pepper derivative that enhances curcuminoid bioavailability) could inhibit human CYP3A, CYP2C9, UGT and SULT dependent drug metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine whether a commercially available curcuminoid/piperine extract alters the pharmacokinetic disposition of probe drugs for these enzymes in human volunteers.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper describes the implementation of a biochemical and biophysical screening strategy to identify and optimize small molecule Akt1 inhibitors that act through a mechanism distinct from that observed for kinase domain ATP-competitive inhibitors. With the aid of an unphosphorylated Akt1 cocrystal structure of 12j solved at 2.25 Å, it was possible to confirm that as a consequence of binding these novel inhibitors, the ATP binding cleft contained a number of hydrophobic residues that occlude ATP binding as expected.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurcuminoid extract and piperine are being evaluated for beneficial effects in Alzheimer's disease, among other intractable disorders. Consequently, we studied the potential for herb-drug interactions involving cytochrome P450 (P450), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT), and sulfotransferase (SULT) enzymes. The curcuminoid extract inhibited SULT > CYP2C19 > CYP2B6 > UGT > CYP2C9 > CYP3A activities with IC(50) values ranging from 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain capillary endothelial cells (BCEC) were cultured as an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and manipulated to investigate how the BBB responds to changes in zinc status. BCEC were grown in minimum essential medium (MEM) with 2% fetal bovine serum and 13% platelet-poor horse serum. A moderate zinc deficiency was imposed by growing the cells in medium containing serums that had previously been dialyzed against EDTA to remove endogenous labile zinc.
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