A Novel Irreversible TEAD Inhibitor, SWTX-143, Blocks Hippo Pathway Transcriptional Output and Causes Tumor Regression in Preclinical Mesothelioma Models.

The Hippo pathway and its downstream effectors, the YAP and TAZ transcriptional coactivators, are deregulated in multiple different types of human cancer and are required for cancer cell phenotypes in vitro and in vivo, while largely dispensable for tissue homeostasis in adult mice. YAP/TAZ and their main partner transcription factors, the TEAD1-4 factors, are therefore promising anticancer targets. Because of frequent YAP/TAZ hyperactivation caused by mutations in the Hippo pathway components NF2 and LATS2, mesothelioma is one of the prime cancer types predicted to be responsive to YAP/TAZ-TEAD inhibitor treatment.

Modifying Rap1-signalling by targeting Pde6δ is neuroprotective in models of Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Neuronal Ca dyshomeostasis and hyperactivity play a central role in Alzheimer's disease pathology and progression. Amyloid-beta together with non-genetic risk-factors of Alzheimer's disease contributes to increased Ca influx and aberrant neuronal activity, which accelerates neurodegeneration in a feed-forward fashion. As such, identifying new targets and drugs to modulate excessive Ca signalling and neuronal hyperactivity, without overly suppressing them, has promising therapeutic potential.

H1PVAT is a novel and potent early-stage inhibitor of poliovirus replication that targets VP1.

A novel small molecule, H1PVAT, was identified as a potent and selective inhibitor of the in vitro replication of all three poliovirus serotypes, whereas no activity was observed against other enteroviruses. Time-of-drug-addition studies revealed that the compound interfered with an early stage of virus replication. Four independently-selected H1PVAT-resistant virus variants uniformly carried the single amino acid substitution I194F in the VP1 capsid protein.

Dihydroxy-pyrimidine and N-methylpyrimidone HIV-integrase inhibitors: improving cell based activity by the quaternarization of a chiral center.

In the context of HIV-integrase, dihydroxypyrimidine and N-methyl pyrimidone inhibitors the cellular activity of this class of compounds has been optimized by the introduction of a simple methyl substituent in the alpha-position of the C-2 side chains. Enhanced passive membrane permeability has been identified as the key factor driving the observed cell-based activity improvement. The rat PK profile of the alpha-methyl derivative 26a was also improved over its des-methyl exact analog.

Covalent inhibition of bacterial quorum sensing.

Chemical coordination of gene expression among bacteria as a function of population density is regulated by a mechanism known as 'quorum sensing' (QS). QS in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an opportunistic pathogen that causes disease in immunocompromised patients, is mediated by binding of the transcriptional activator, LasR, to its ligand, 3-oxo-C(12)-HSL, leading to population-wide secretion of virulence factors and biofilm formation. We have targeted QS in P.