Neuroinflammation, body temperature and behavioural changes in CD1 male mice undergoing acute restraint stress: An exploratory study.

Background: Animal models used to study pathologies requiring rehabilitation therapy, such as cardiovascular and neurologic disorders or oncologic disease, must be as refined and translationally relevant as possible. Sometimes, however, experimental procedures such as those involving restraint may generate undesired effects which may act as a source of bias. However, the extent to which potentially confounding effects derive from such routine procedures is currently unknown.

CyTOF Mass Cytometry for Click Proliferation Assays.

Novel cell analyzers, including polychromatic flow cytometers and isotopical cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF) mass cytometers, enable simultaneous measurement of virtually bondless characteristics at the single-cell level. BrdU assays for quantifying cellular proliferation are common but have several limitations, including the need for a DNA denaturation step and inability to simultaneously resolve multiple parameters and phenotypic complexity. Click chemistry reactions have become popular in the past decade, as they can resolve these issues.

FOXM1 expression is significantly associated with chemotherapy resistance and adverse prognosis in non-serous epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a spectrum of different diseases, which makes their treatment a challenge. Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) is an oncogene aberrantly expressed in many solid cancers including serous EOC, but its role in non-serous EOCs remains undefined. We examined FOXM1 expression and its correlation to prognosis across the three major EOC subtypes, and its role in tumorigenesis and chemo-resistance in vitro.

A Novel High-Content Immunofluorescence Assay as a Tool to Identify at the Single Cell Level γ-Globin Inducing Compounds.

The identification of drugs capable of reactivating γ-globin to ameliorate β-thalassemia and Sickle Cell anemia is still a challenge, as available γ-globin inducers still have limited clinical indications. High-throughput screenings (HTS) aimed to identify new potentially therapeutic drugs require suitable first-step-screening methods combining the possibility to detect variation in the γ/β globin ratio with the robustness of a cell line. We took advantage of a K562 cell line variant expressing β-globin (β-K562) to set up a new multiplexed high-content immunofluorescence assay for the quantification of γ- and β-globin content at single-cell level.

Cell Proliferation Method: Click Chemistry Based on BrdU Coupling for Multiplex Antibody Staining.

Determination of incorporation of the thymidine analog 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) into DNA is a widely used method to analyze the cell cycle. However, DNA denaturation is required for BrdU detection with the consequence that most protein epitopes are destroyed and their immunocytochemical detection for multiplex analysis is not possible. A novel assay is presented for identifying cells in active S-phase that does not require the DNA denaturation step but nevertheless detects BrdU.

Application of click chemistry conditions for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine determination through Fenton and related reactions.

Mixtures of ascorbate and copper used in certain click chemistry experimental conditions act as oxidizing agents, catalyzing the formation of reactive oxygen species through Fenton and related reactions. Hydroxyl radicals act as chemical nucleases, introducing DNA strand breaks that can be exploited for BrdU immunostaining in place of acid denaturation. This procedure is readily applicable to high content analysis and flow cytometry assays, and provides results comparable to click chemistry EdU cycloaddition and classical BrdU immunodetection.

From "Click" to "Fenton" chemistry for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine determination.

Ascorbic acid (AA) and copper have been increasingly employed in flow cytometry (FCM) and high content analysis (HCA) since the introduction of "click chemistry" as a non-destructive alternative to classical 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunodetection for DNA synthesis and proliferation assays. Mixtures of ascorbate and catalytic copper, under certain experimental conditions, act as oxidizing agent, catalyzing the formation of reactive hydroxyl radicals through hydrogen peroxides decomposition via Fenton reaction. We developed a procedure for BrdU incorporation detection based on the use of AA and cupric ions as DNA damaging agents.

Highly multiplexed phenotypic imaging for cell proliferation studies.

The application of multiplexed imaging technologies in phenotypic drug discovery (PDD) enables profiling of complex cellular perturbations in response to drug treatment. High-content analysis (HCA) is among the most pursued approaches in PDD, with a proven capability to identify compounds with a given cellular mechanism of action (MOA), as well as to unveil unexpected drug cellular activities. The ability of fluorescent image-based cytometric techniques to dissect the phenotypic heterogeneity of cell populations depends on the degree of multiplexing achievable.

NMS-P937, an orally available, specific small-molecule polo-like kinase 1 inhibitor with antitumor activity in solid and hematologic malignancies.

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a serine/threonine protein kinase considered to be the master player of cell-cycle regulation during mitosis. It is indeed involved in centrosome maturation, bipolar spindle formation, chromosome separation, and cytokinesis. PLK1 is overexpressed in a variety of human tumors and its overexpression often correlates with poor prognosis.

5-(2-amino-pyrimidin-4-yl)-1H-pyrrole and 2-(2-amino-pyrimidin-4-yl)-1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridin-4-one derivatives as new classes of selective and orally available Polo-like kinase 1 inhibitors.

The discovery and characterization of two new chemical classes of potent and selective Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitors is reported. For the most interesting compounds, we discuss the biological activities, crystal structures and preliminary pharmacokinetic parameters. The more advanced compounds inhibit PLK1 in the enzymatic assay at the nM level and exhibit good activity in cell proliferation on A2780 cells.

Transcriptional analysis of the Aurora inhibitor Danusertib leading to biomarker identification in TP53 wild type cells.

Aurora kinases represent an appealing target for anticancer therapies and several Aurora inhibitors are in clinical development, including the potent pan-Aurora inhibitor Danusertib. Treatment with Aurora inhibitors has been shown to induce diverse biological responses in different tumor cells, in part depending on TP53 status. To characterize the effects of Danusertib at the transcriptional level we carried out gene expression profiling of wt and TP53 mutant tumor cells showing differential cell cycle response upon drug treatment.

Miniaturizing bromodeoxyuridine incorporation enables the usage of flow cytometry for cell cycle analysis of adherent tissue culture cells for high throughput screening.

Analysis of cell cycle progression by 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation is commonly used for evaluating the mode of action of anticancer drugs, but usually requires a high number of cells and large amounts of monoclonal antibodies. In addition, manual sample handling is not suitable for high throughput. To circumvent these limitations, we have developed a miniaturized method to measure BrdU incorporation into DNA directly in 96-wells plates.

Phosphorylation of TCTP as a marker for polo-like kinase-1 activity in vivo.

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is the master regulator of mitosis and a target for anticancer therapy. To develop a marker of PLK1 activity in cells and tumour tissues, this study focused on translational controlled tumour protein (TCTP) and identified serine 46 as a site phosphorylated by PLK1 in vitro. Using an antibody raised against phospho-TCTP-Ser46, it was demonstrated that phosphorylation at this site correlates with PLK1 level and kinase activity in cells.

Targeting the mitotic checkpoint for cancer therapy with NMS-P715, an inhibitor of MPS1 kinase.

MPS1 kinase is a key regulator of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), a mitotic mechanism specifically required for proper chromosomal alignment and segregation. It has been found aberrantly overexpressed in a wide range of human tumors and is necessary for tumoral cell proliferation. Here we report the identification and characterization of NMS-P715, a selective and orally bioavailable MPS1 small-molecule inhibitor, which selectively reduces cancer cell proliferation, leaving normal cells almost unaffected.

In vivo imaging of early stage apoptosis by measuring real-time caspase-3/7 activation.

In vivo imaging of apoptosis in a preclinical setting in anticancer drug development could provide remarkable advantages in terms of translational medicine. So far, several imaging technologies with different probes have been used to achieve this goal. Here we describe a bioluminescence imaging approach that uses a new formulation of Z-DEVD-aminoluciferin, a caspase 3/7 substrate, to monitor in vivo apoptosis in tumor cells engineered to express luciferase.

Thieno[3,2-c]pyrazoles: a novel class of Aurora inhibitors with favorable antitumor activity.

A novel series of 3-amino-1H-thieno[3,2-c]pyrazole derivatives demonstrating high potency in inhibiting Aurora kinases was developed. Here we describe the synthesis and a preliminary structure-activity relationship, which led to the discovery of a representative compound (38), which showed low nanomolar inhibitory activity in the anti-proliferation assay and was able to block the cell cycle in HCT-116 cell line. This compound demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetic properties and good efficacy in the HL-60 xenograft tumor model.

Identification of 4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-h]quinazoline derivatives as a new class of orally and selective Polo-like kinase 1 inhibitors.

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is a fundamental regulator of mitotic progression whose overexpression is often associated with oncogenesis and therefore is recognized as an attractive therapeutic target in the treatment of proliferative diseases. Here we discuss the structure-activity relationship of the 4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-h]quinazoline class of compounds that emerged from a high throughput screening (HTS) campaign as potent inhibitors of Plk1 kinase. Furthermore, we describe the discovery of 49, 8-{[2-methoxy-5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)phenyl]amino}-1-methyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-h]quinazoline-3-carboxamide, as a highly potent and specific ATP mimetic inhibitor of Plk1 (IC(50) = 0.

Identification of Myb-binding protein 1A (MYBBP1A) as a novel substrate for aurora B kinase.

Aurora kinases are mitotic enzymes involved in centrosome maturation and separation, spindle assembly and stability, and chromosome condensation, segregation, and cytokinesis and represent well known targets for cancer therapy because their deregulation has been linked to tumorigenesis. The availability of suitable markers is of crucial importance to investigate the functions of Auroras and monitor kinase inhibition in in vivo models and in clinical trials. Extending the knowledge on Aurora substrates could help to better understand their biology and could be a source for clinical biomarkers.

Quantitative assessment of the complex dynamics of G1, S, and G2-M checkpoint activities.

Although studies of cell cycle perturbation and growth inhibition are common practice, they are unable to properly measure the activity of cell cycle checkpoints and frequently convey misinterpretation or incomplete pictures of the response to anticancer treatment. A measure of the strength of the treatment response of all checkpoints, with their time and dose dependence, provides a new way to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of the drugs, fully accounting for variation of the cell fates within a cancer cell line. This is achieved with an interdisciplinary approach, joining information from independent experimental platforms and interpreting all data univocally with a simple mathematical model of cell cycle proliferation.

Cell proliferation method: click chemistry based on BrdU coupling for multiplex antibody staining.

Determination of incorporation of the thymidine analog 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) into DNA is a widely used method to analyze the cell cycle (see UNIT 7.7). However, DNA denaturation is required for BrdU detection with the consequence that most protein epitopes are destroyed and their immunocytochemical detection for multiplex analysis is not possible.

A novel method based on click chemistry, which overcomes limitations of cell cycle analysis by classical determination of BrdU incorporation, allowing multiplex antibody staining.

Quantification of BrdU incorporation into DNA is a widely used technique to assess the cell cycle status of cells. DNA denaturation is required for BrdU detection with the drawback that most protein epitopes are destroyed and classical antibody staining techniques for multiplex analysis are not possible. To address this issue we have developed a novel method that overcomes the DNA denaturation step but still allows detection of BrdU.

PHA-739358, a potent inhibitor of Aurora kinases with a selective target inhibition profile relevant to cancer.

PHA-739358 is a small-molecule 3-aminopyrazole derivative with strong activity against Aurora kinases and cross-reactivities with some receptor tyrosine kinases relevant for cancer. PHA-739358 inhibits all Aurora kinase family members and shows a dominant Aurora B kinase inhibition-related cellular phenotype and mechanism of action in cells in vitro and in vivo. p53 status-dependent endoreduplication is observed upon treatment of cells with PHA-739358, and phosphorylation of histone H3 in Ser(10) is inhibited.

1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrazoles: identification of a potent Aurora kinase inhibitor with a favorable antitumor kinase inhibition profile.

The optimization of a series of 5-phenylacetyl 1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrazole derivatives toward the inhibition of Aurora kinases led to the identification of compound 9d. This is a potent inhibitor of Aurora kinases that also shows low nanomolar potency against additional anticancer kinase targets. Based on its high antiproliferative activity on different cancer cell lines, favorable chemico-physical and pharmacokinetic properties, and high efficacy in in vivo tumor models, compound 9d was ultimately selected for further development.

Multiparametric cell cycle analysis by automated microscopy.

Cell cycle analysis using flow cytometry (FC) to measure cellular DNA content is a common procedure in drug mechanism of action studies. Although this technique lends itself readily to cell lines that grow in suspension, adherent cell cultures must be resuspended in a cumbersome and potentially invasive procedure that normally involves trypsinization and mechanical agitation of monolayer cultures. High-content analysis (HCA), an automated microscopy-based technology, is well suited to analysis of monolayer cell cultures but provides intrinsically less accurate determination of cellular DNA content than does FC and thus is not the method of choice for cell cycle analysis.

PHA-680632, a novel Aurora kinase inhibitor with potent antitumoral activity.

Purpose: Aurora kinases play critical roles during mitosis in chromosome segregation and cell division. The aim of this study was to determine the preclinical profile of a novel, highly selective Aurora kinase inhibitor, PHA-680632, as a candidate for anticancer therapy.

Experimental Design: The activity of PHA-680632 was assayed in a biochemical ATP competitive kinase assay.