Discovery and development of a new class of potent, selective, orally active oxytocin receptor antagonists.

We report a novel chemical class of potent oxytocin receptor antagonists showing a high degree of selectivity against the closely related vasopressin receptors (V1a, V1b, V2). An initial compound, 7, was shown to be active in an animal model of preterm labor when administered by the intravenous but not by the oral route. Stepwise SAR investigations around the different structural elements revealed one position, the arenesulfonyl moiety, to be amenable to structural changes.

Bax channel inhibitors prevent mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis and protect neurons in a model of global brain ischemia.

Ischemic injuries are associated with several pathological conditions, including stroke and myocardial infarction. Several studies have indicated extensive apoptotic cell death in the infarcted area as well as in the penumbra region of the infarcted tissue. Studies with transgenic animals suggest that the mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis pathway is involved in ischemia-related cell death.

A straightforward, one-pot protocol for the preparation of libraries of 2-oxazolines.

A practical protocol for the parallel synthesis of 2-oxazolines using polymer-supported reagents is described. Polymer-supported Mukaiyama reagent is used to couple a carboxylic acid with an amino alcohol, giving a beta-hydroxyamide, which is then cyclized in situ using either polymer-supported sulfonyl chloride resin or polymer-bound 2-fluoropyridinium triflate. Both 2,4-disubstituted and 2,4,5-trisubstituted 2-oxazolines are obtained in high yields and excellent purities after a simple resin filtration and solvent evaporation routine.

Blockade of PI3Kgamma suppresses joint inflammation and damage in mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) have long been considered promising drug targets for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders as well as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. But the lack of specificity, isoform selectivity and poor biopharmaceutical profile of PI3K inhibitors have so far hampered rigorous disease-relevant target validation. Here we describe the identification and development of specific, selective and orally active small-molecule inhibitors of PI3Kgamma (encoded by Pik3cg).

The DRY motif as a molecular switch of the human oxytocin receptor.

The human oxytocin receptor is known to exhibit promiscuous activity by coupling to both Galpha(q) and Galpha(i) G proteins to activate distinct signaling pathways. A single-amino acid substitution within the highly conserved E/DRY motif at the cytosolic extension of helix 3 [i.e.

Design and synthesis of the first generation of novel potent, selective, and in vivo active (benzothiazol-2-yl)acetonitrile inhibitors of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase.

Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNKs) plays a critical role in a wide range of diseases including cell death (apoptosis)-related disorders (neurodegenerative diseases, brain, heart, and renal ischemia, epilepsy) and inflammatory disorders (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases). Screening of our internal compound collection for inhibitors of JNK3 led to the identification of (benzothiazol-2-yl)acetonitrile derivatives as potent and selective JNK1, -2, -3 inhibitors. Starting from initial hit 1 (AS007149), the chemistry and initial structure-activity relationship (SAR) of this novel and unique kinase inhibitor template were explored.

Multi-faceted strategies to combat disease by interference with the chemokine system.

Inappropriate cell recruitment is a hallmark of all autoimmune, allergic and inflammatory diseases. The prevention of inflammation by interfering with cellular recruitment through the neutralization of cytokines and adhesion molecules has proven to be successful in the clinic. Chemokines are important potential targets owing to their central role in the cell recruitment process.

Sap-1/PTPRH activity is regulated by reversible dimerization.

Sap-1/PTPRH, a receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase (RPTP), is a ubiquitously expressed enzyme that is upregulated in human gastrointestinal cancers. Using both chemical cross-linkers and co-immunoprecipitation we show that overexpressed full-length Sap-1 is present as a stable homodimer. Unlike a number of adhesion RPTPs which have tandem catalytic domains that are involved in dimerization, Sap-1 has a single catalytic domain, and we show that this domain is not required for Sap-1 dimerization, which is mediated instead by the large extracellular and transmembrane domains.

Extracellular lysosome-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP-1) mediates autoimmune disease progression in the NOD model of type 1 diabetes.

Treatment (from 5 to 25 weeks of age) with a novel blocking monoclonal antibody, mAb I-10, directed against the plasma membrane (pm) form of LAMP-1, protected against development of autoimmune diabetes in the NOD mouse. A shorter course of treatment, i.e.

The disulfide isomerase Grp58 is a protective factor against prion neurotoxicity.

Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative disorders characterized by extensive neuronal apoptosis and accumulation of misfolded prion protein (PrP(SC)). Recent reports indicate that PrP(SC) induces neuronal apoptosis via activation of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway and activation of the ER resident caspase-12. Here, we investigate the relationship between prion replication and induction of ER stress during different stages of the disease in a murine scrapie model.

Control of death receptor and mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis by c-Jun N-terminal kinase in hippocampal CA1 neurones following global transient ischaemia.

c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family, is activated in response to a number of extracellular stimuli, including inflammatory cytokines, UV irradiation and ischaemia. A large body of evidence supports a role for JNK signalling in stress-induced apoptosis. It has been hypothesized that JNK may contribute to the apoptotic response by regulating the intrinsic cell death pathway involving the mitochondria.

Design, synthesis, and biological activity of novel, potent, and selective (benzoylaminomethyl)thiophene sulfonamide inhibitors of c-Jun-N-terminal kinase.

Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) play a critical role in a wide range of disease states including cell death (apoptosis)-related and inflammatory disorders (epilepsy, brain, heart and renal ischemia, neurodegenerative diseases, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel syndrome). The screening of a compound collection led to the identification of a 2-(benzoylaminomethyl)thiophene sulfonamide (AS004509, compound I) as a potent and selective JNK inhibitor. Chemistry and structure--activity relationship (SAR) studies performed around this novel kinase-inhibiting motif indicated that the left and central parts of the molecule were instrumental to maintaining potency at the enzyme.

Polymer-supported Mukaiyama reagent: a useful coupling reagent for the synthesis of esters and amides.

Polymer-supported N-alkyl-2-chloro pyridinium triflate was synthesized in one step from Wang resin. This reagent proved to be a very effective coupling reagent for the synthesis of esters or amides from carboxylic acids and alcohols or amines (primary and secondary). [reaction: see text]

The X-ray structure of RANTES: heparin-derived disaccharides allows the rational design of chemokine inhibitors.

The biological activity of chemokines requires interactions with cell surface proteoglycans. We have determined the structure of the chemokine RANTES (regulated on activation normal T cell expressed) in the presence of heparin-derived disaccharide analogs by X-ray crystallography. These structures confirm the essential role of the BBXB motif in the interaction between the chemokine and the disaccharide.

Prion replication alters the distribution of synaptophysin and caveolin 1 in neuronal lipid rafts.

The main event in the pathogenesis of prion diseases is the conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into the abnormal, protease-resistant prion protein (PrP(res)). PrP(C) is a GPI-anchored protein located in lipid rafts or detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs). Here we describe the association of PrP with DRMs in neuronal cell bodies and axons during the course of murine scrapie and its relation with the distribution of the PrP-interacting proteins caveolin 1 and synaptophysin.

Interference with heparin binding and oligomerization creates a novel anti-inflammatory strategy targeting the chemokine system.

A hallmark of autoimmunity and other chronic diseases is the overexpression of chemokines resulting in a detrimental local accumulation of proinflammatory immune cells. Chemokines play a pivotal role in cellular recruitment through interactions with both cell surface receptors and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Anti-inflammatory strategies aimed at neutralizing the chemokine system have to-date targeted inhibition of the receptor-ligand interaction with receptor antagonists.

Involvement of phosphoinositide 3-kinase gamma, Rac, and PAK signaling in chemokine-induced macrophage migration.

In macrophages, chemotactic stimuli cause the activation of Rac and PAK, but little is known about the signaling pathways involved and their role in chemotactic gradient sensing. Herein, we report that in macrophages, the chemokine RANTES (regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted)/CCL5 activates the small GTPase Rac and its downstream target PAK2 within seconds. This response depends on Gi activation and largely on the subsequent triggering of phosphoinositide 3-kinase gamma (PI3Kgamma) and Rac.

MAP kinase phosphatase 3 (MKP3) interacts with and is phosphorylated by protein kinase CK2alpha.

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases play a central role in controlling a wide range of cellular functions following their activation by a variety of extracellular stimuli. MAP kinase phosphatases (MKPs) represent a subfamily of dual specificity phosphatases, which negatively regulate MAP kinases. Although ERK2 activity is regulated by its phosphorylation state, MKP3 is regulated by physical interaction with ERK2, independent of its enzymatic activity (Camps, M.

Osteopontin is upregulated during in vivo demyelination and remyelination and enhances myelin formation in vitro.

We have used in vitro oligodendrocyte differentiation and the in vivo remyelination model, the cuprizone model, to identify genes regulating oligodendrocyte function and remyelination. One of the genes we identified, osteopontin (opn), is a secreted glycoprotein with cytokine-like, chemotactic, and anti-apoptotic properties that contains an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) cell adhesion motif-mediating interactions with several integrins. Both microglia and astrocytes in demyelinating brain regions of cuprizone-fed mice expressed OPN protein.

Chemokine inhibition--why, when, where, which and how?

Chemokines are small chemoattractant cytokines that control a wide variety of biological and pathological processes, ranging from immunosurveillance to inflammation, and from viral infection to cancer. Genetic and pharmacological studies have shown that chemokines are responsible for the excessive recruitment of leucocytes to inflammatory sites and damaged tissue. In the present paper, we discuss the rationale behind interfering with the chemokine system and introduce various points for therapeutic intervention using either protein-based or small-molecule inhibitors.

IKK2 inhibitor alleviates kidney and wasting diseases in a murine model of human AIDS.

Wasting and renal diseases are frequent complications of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection and are associated with accelerated disease progression and increased mortality. Transgenic mice expressing HIV1 under control of the CD4 promoter develop an AIDS-like disease and were used in the present work to study HIV1-induced wasting and kidney pathology. In this study, we reported that disease evolution paralleled increases in serum urea and creatinine levels, indicating an early and progressive deterioration of kidney function; meanwhile the wasting syndrome characterized by up-regulation of the ubiquitine-proteasome pathway and increased level of serum 3-methyl-histidine levels occurred at later stages just prior to death.

AS601245 (1,3-benzothiazol-2-yl (2-[[2-(3-pyridinyl) ethyl] amino]-4 pyrimidinyl) acetonitrile): a c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase inhibitor with neuroprotective properties.

Recent evidence suggests that activation of the c-Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) signal transduction pathway may play a role in ischemia-induced cell death. Thus, preventing the activation of JNK, or c-Jun phosphorylation could be neuroprotective. In the current study, we report that a small molecule, AS601245 (1,3-benzothiazol-2-yl (2-[[2-(3-pyridinyl) ethyl] amino]-4 pyrimidinyl) acetonitrile), which has been shown to inhibit the JNK signaling pathway, promotes cell survival after cerebral ischemia.

Mitochondria and the Bcl-2 family proteins in apoptosis signaling pathways.

Two main intracellular apoptosis cascades, the receptor and the mitochondria pathway, have been identified. The mitochondrial pathway is controlled by the Bcl-2 proteins. This protein family contains members with either pro- or anti-apoptotic activity.