A high-throughput screening campaign was conducted to identify small molecules with the ability to inhibit the interaction between the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and steroid receptor coactivator 2. These inhibitors represent novel molecular probes for modulating gene regulation mediated by VDR. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) δ agonist GW0742 was among the identified VDR-coactivator inhibitors and has been characterized herein as a pan nuclear receptor antagonist at concentrations of > 12.1 μM. The highest antagonist activity for GW0742 was found for VDR and the androgen receptor. Surprisingly, GW0742 behaved as a PPAR agonist and antagonist, activating transcription at lower concentrations and inhibiting this effect at higher concentrations. A unique spectroscopic property of GW0742 was identified as well. In the presence of rhodamine-derived molecules, GW0742 increased the fluorescence intensity and level of fluorescence polarization at an excitation wavelength of 595 nm and an emission wavelength of 615 nm in a dose-dependent manner. The GW0742-inhibited NR-coactivator binding resulted in a reduced level of expression of five different NR target genes in LNCaP cells in the presence of agonist. Especially VDR target genes CYP24A1, IGFBP-3, and TRPV6 were negatively regulated by GW0742. GW0742 is the first VDR ligand inhibitor lacking the secosteroid structure of VDR ligand antagonists. Nevertheless, the VDR-meditated downstream process of cell differentiation was antagonized by GW0742 in HL-60 cells that were pretreated with the endogenous VDR agonist 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3.

Chromatin and the chromatin modulation machinery not only provide a regulatory matrix for enabling cellular functions such as DNA replication and transcription but also regulate the infectious cycles of many DNA viruses. Elucidation of the components and mechanisms involved in this regulation is providing targets for the development of new antiviral therapies. Initiation of infection by herpes simplex virus (HSV) requires the activity of several cellular chromatin modification enzymes including the histone demethylases LSD1 and the family of JMJD2 proteins that promote transcriptional activation of the initial set of viral genes. Depletion of the JMJD2 members or inhibition of their activity with a new drug results in repression of expression of viral immediate early genes and abrogation of infection. This inhibitor also represses the reactivation of HSV from the latent state in sensory neurons. Like HSV, the β-herpesvirus human cytomegalovirus also requires the activity of LSD1 and the JMJD2s to initiate infection, thus demonstrating the potential of this chromatin-based inhibitor to be useful against a variety of different viruses.

BACKGROUND: The recently approved anti-AIDS drug rilpivirine (TMC278, Edurant) is a nonnucleoside inhibitor (NNRTI) that binds to reverse transcriptase (RT) and allosterically blocks the chemical step of DNA synthesis. In contrast to earlier NNRTIs, rilpivirine retains potency against well-characterized, clinically relevant RT mutants. Many structural analogues of rilpivirine are described in the patent literature, but detailed analyses of their antiviral activities have not been published. This work addresses the ability of several of these analogues to inhibit the replication of wild-type (WT) and drug-resistant HIV-1. RESULTS: We used a combination of structure activity relationships and X-ray crystallography to examine NNRTIs that are structurally related to rilpivirine to determine their ability to inhibit WT RT and several clinically relevant RT mutants. Several analogues showed broad activity with only modest losses of potency when challenged with drug-resistant viruses. Structural analyses (crystallography or modeling) of several analogues whose potencies were reduced by RT mutations provide insight into why these compounds were less effective. CONCLUSIONS: Subtle variations between compounds can lead to profound differences in their activities and resistance profiles. Compounds with larger substitutions replacing the pyrimidine and benzonitrile groups of rilpivirine, which reorient pocket residues, tend to lose more activity against the mutants we tested. These results provide a deeper understanding of how rilpivirine and related compounds interact with the NNRTI binding pocket and should facilitate development of novel inhibitors.

Parasitic diseases continue to have a devastating impact on human populations worldwide. Lack of effective treatments, the high cost of existing ones, and frequent emergence of resistance to these agents provide a strong argument for the development of novel therapies. Here we report the results of a hybrid approach designed to obtain a dual acting molecule that would demonstrate activity against a variety of parasitic targets. The antimalarial drug amodiaquine has been covalently joined with a nitric oxide-releasing furoxan to achieve multiple mechanisms of action. Using in vitro and ex vivo assays, the hybrid molecule shows activity against three parasites - Plasmodium falciparum, Schistosoma mansoni, and Ancylostoma ceylanicum.

Hookworm disease, characterized by severe anemia and cognitive and growth delays, currently affects an estimated 740 million people worldwide. Despite the prevalence of this parasitic disease, few effective drug therapies are in use today, and the heavy reliance upon benzimidazoles highlights the need for the development of novel chemotherapies. Recent work with the trematode parasite Schistosoma mansoni has identified oxadiazole 2-oxides as effective antischistosomal compounds that function by targeting and inhibiting the antioxidant enzyme, thioredoxin glutathione reductase. In this study, a related enzyme, glutathione reductase, from the human hookworm Ancylostoma ceylanicum was identified and characterized, and its in vitro activity in the presence of the oxadiazole 2-oxides was analyzed. Ex vivo worm killing assays were also conducted to establish the relationship between a given compound's effect upon worm survival and inhibition of recombinant glutathione reductase (rAceGR). Finally, the in vivo anthelminthic efficacy of furoxan (Fx) was assessed in the hamster model of hookworm infection. The predicted amino acid sequence of AceGR contained a prototypical glutathione reductase active site sequence, but no thioredoxin reductase consensus sequences, suggesting that the glutathione and thioredoxin pathways of A. ceylanicum are distinct. Although ten of the forty-two oxadiazole 2-oxides tested inhibited rAceGR activity by at least fifty percent, and fifteen compounds were toxic to parasites ex vivo, little overlap existed between these two results. We therefore suggest that AceGR is not the primary target of the oxadiazole 2-oxides in effecting parasite death. Lastly, oral treatment of A. ceylanicuminfected hamsters with furoxan resulted in significantly improved weight gains and reduced intestinal worm burdens compared to vehicle treated controls, supporting continued development of this molecule as a novel anthelminthic.

Elevated cellular reactive species, which can be produced by diabetic serum conditions such as elevated inflammatory cytokines, lipotoxicity or glucotoxicity contribute to islet beta cell dysfunction and cell death. Cellular pathways that result in beta cell oxidative stress are poorly resolved. In this study, stimulation of human donor islets, primary mouse islets or homogeneous beta cell lines with a cocktail of inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-1β, and INFγ) significantly induced NADPH oxidase-1 (NOX-1) gene expression (p<0.05). This pro-inflammatory cytokine cocktail concomitantly induced loss of islet glucose stimulated insulin response (p<0.05), elevated expression of MCP-1 (p<0.01), increased cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induced cell death. Inhibitors of NADPH oxidase, apocynin and diphenyleneiodonium, and a dual selective NOX1/4 inhibitor, blocked ROS generation (p<0.01) and induction of MCP-1 (p<0.05) by pro-inflammatory cytokines in beta cells. It has previously been reported that pro-inflammatory cytokine stimulation induces 12-lipoxygenase (12-LO) expression in human islets. 12-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE), a product of 12-LO activity, stimulated NOX-1 expression in human islets (p<0.05). A novel selective inhibitor of 12-LO blocked induction of NOX-1, production of ROS and pro-caspase 3 cleavage by pro-inflammatory cytokines in INS-1 beta cells (p<0.01). Inhibition was not seen with a structurally related but inactive analog. Importantly, islets from human type 2 diabetic donors have an elevated expression of NOX-1 (p<0.05). This study describes an integrated pathway in beta cells that links beta cell dysfunction induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines with 12-lipoxygenase and NADPH oxidase (NOX-1) activation. Inhibitors of this pathway may provide a new therapeutic strategy to preserve beta cell mass in diabetes.

APE1 is an essential protein that operates in the base excision repair (BER) pathway and is responsible for ≥95% of the total apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease activity in human cells. BER is a major pathway that copes with DNA damage induced by several anticancer agents, including ionizing radiation and temozolomide. Overexpression of APE1 and enhanced AP endonuclease activity have been linked to increased resistance of tumor cells to treatment with monofunctional alkylators, implicating inhibition of APE1 as a valid strategy for cancer therapy. We report herein the results of a focused medicinal chemistry effort around a novel APE1 inhibitor, N-(3-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-6-isopropyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrothieno[2,3-c]pyridin-2-yl)acetamide (3). Compound 3 and related analogues exhibit single-digit micromolar activity against the purified APE1 enzyme and comparable activity in HeLa whole cell extract assays and potentiate the cytotoxicity of the alkylating agents methylmethane sulfonate and temozolomide. Moreover, this class of compounds possesses a generally favorable in vitro ADME profile, along with good exposure levels in plasma and brain following intraperitoneal dosing (30 mg/kg body weight) in mice.

Platelet activation is important in the regulation of hemostasis and thrombosis. Uncontrolled activation of platelets may lead to arterial thrombosis, which is a major cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. After activation, metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA) by 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOX) may play a significant role in regulating the degree and stability of platelet activation because inhibition of 12-LOX significantly attenuates platelet aggregation in response to various agonists. Protein kinase C (PKC) activation is also known to be an important regulator of platelet activity. Using a newly developed selective inhibitor for 12-LOX and a pan-PKC inhibitor, we investigated the role of PKC in 12-LOX-mediated regulation of agonist signaling in the platelet. To determine the role of PKC within the 12-LOX pathway, a number of biochemical endpoints were measured, including platelet aggregation, calcium mobilization, and integrin activation. Inhibition of 12-LOX or PKC resulted in inhibition of dense granule secretion and attenuation of both aggregation and αIIbβ(3) activation. However, activation of PKC downstream of 12-LOX inhibition rescued agonist-induced aggregation and integrin activation. Furthermore, inhibition of 12-LOX had no effect on PKC-mediated aggregation, indicating that 12-LOX is upstream of PKC. These studies support an essential role for PKC downstream of 12-LOX activation in human platelets and suggest 12-LOX as a possible target for antiplatelet therapy.

We report the discovery of novel small molecule inhibitors of platelet-type 12-human lipoxygenase, which display nanomolar activity against the purified enzyme, using a quantitative high-throughput screen (qHTS) on a library of 153607 compounds. These compounds also exhibit excellent specificity, >50-fold selectivity vs the paralogues, 5-human lipoxygenase, reticulocyte 15-human lipoxygenase type-1, and epithelial 15-human lipoxygenase type-2, and >100-fold selectivity vs ovine cyclooxygenase-1 and human cyclooxygenase-2. Kinetic experiments indicate this chemotype is a noncompetitive inhibitor that does not reduce the active site iron. Moreover, chiral HPLC separation of two of the racemic lead molecules revealed a strong preference for the (-)-enantiomers (IC(50) of 0.43 ± 0.04 and 0.38 ± 0.05 μM) compared to the (+)-enantiomers (IC(50) of >25 μM for both), indicating a fine degree of selectivity in the active site due to chiral geometry. In addition, these compounds demonstrate efficacy in cellular models, which underscores their relevance to disease modification.

BACKGROUND: Small molecule modulators of epigenetic processes are currently sought as basic probes for biochemical mechanisms, and as starting points for development of therapeutic agents. N(ε)-Methylation of lysine residues on histone tails is one of a number of post-translational modifications that together enable transcriptional regulation. Histone lysine demethylases antagonize the action of histone methyltransferases in a site- and methylation state-specific manner. N(ε)-Methyllysine demethylases that use 2-oxoglutarate as co-factor are associated with diverse human diseases, including cancer, inflammation and X-linked mental retardation; they are proposed as targets for the therapeutic modulation of transcription. There are few reports on the identification of templates that are amenable to development as potent inhibitors in vivo and large diverse collections have yet to be exploited for the discovery of demethylase inhibitors. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: High-throughput screening of a ∼236,000-member collection of diverse molecules arrayed as dilution series was used to identify inhibitors of the JMJD2 (KDM4) family of 2-oxoglutarate-dependent histone demethylases. Initial screening hits were prioritized by a combination of cheminformatics, counterscreening using a coupled assay enzyme, and orthogonal confirmatory detection of inhibition by mass spectrometric assays. Follow-up studies were carried out on one of the series identified, 8-hydroxyquinolines, which were shown by crystallographic analyses to inhibit by binding to the active site Fe(II) and to modulate demethylation at the H3K9 locus in a cell-based assay. CONCLUSIONS: These studies demonstrate that diverse compound screening can yield novel inhibitors of 2OG dependent histone demethylases and provide starting points for the development of potent and selective agents to interrogate epigenetic regulation.