Drugs and Drug Candidates最新文献

{"title":"In Vitro Study of the Effects of Five Chemically Modified Tetracycline (CMT) Analogs on Human Epidermal Melanogenesis: Potential as Novel Anti-Melanogenic Agents","authors":"Shilpi Goenka, Lorne M. Golub","doi":"10.3390/ddc2040041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2040041","url":null,"abstract":"Treatment of hyperpigmented skin disorders by novel drug candidates without side effects remains an ongoing area of research. Chemically modified tetracyclines (CMTs) are a group of nonantimicrobial tetracycline drugs that have been shown to possess multiple pharmacological activities. We have previously documented the anti-melanogenic effects of CMT-3 and its 9-amino derivative, CMT-308. Herein, we have extended our analysis to evaluate other CMT analogs, namely CMT-1, CMT-4, CMT-5, CMT-6, and CMT-8, for their impact on melanogenesis using primary human epidermal melanocytes (HEMn-DP cells). CMT analogs were screened using a tetrazolium-based assay to identify nontoxic concentration ranges that were further used to analyze the effects of CMTs on cellular melanin content and morphology (via quantitation of dendricity). Cellular tyrosinase (TYR) activity and levels of melanogenesis proteins, TYR, and microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF) were also evaluated to elucidate the mechanisms underlying their effects on melanogenesis. The findings demonstrated that exposure to CMT-8 resulted in notable cytotoxic effects at concentrations >10 µM; hence, all five analogs were further evaluated and compared at 10 µM. None of the five CMT analogs exhibited any impact on intracellular melanin in HEMn-DP cells at the concentration of 10 µM. However, CMT-1, CMT-4, and CMT-8 robustly suppressed dendricity parameters in HEMn-DP cells, while CMT-5 and CMT-6 showed no effect, suggesting that only a subset of CMT analogs can attenuate melanocyte dendricity. Moreover, the analog CMT-5, which has β-diketone blocked, was ineffective, thus confirming the role of this moiety in suppressing dendrite formation. CMT-1 and CMT-8 did not affect cellular tyrosinase activity, while CMT-4 suppressed TYR activity at 10 µM. The capacity of CMT-4 and CMT-8 to suppress dendricity was partly associated with their ability to downregulate MITF protein levels, while CMT-1 had no effect on MITF but suppressed TYR protein levels. The results of this study indicate that CMT-1, CMT-4, and CMT-8 merit further investigation using in vivo studies as potential drug candidates for the treatment of hyperpigmentation disorders.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135758667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification of Potential Non-Systemic Therapeutics for Hyperammonemia","authors":"Brad Nicklas, Simon Velasquez Morales, Jian Qian, Kyle J. Stephens, David R. Corbin, Mark B. Shiflett, Cory J. Berkland, Alan M. Allgeier","doi":"10.3390/ddc2040040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2040040","url":null,"abstract":"A non-absorbable therapeutic candidate for the treatment of hyperammonemia has been identified and characterized. Conventional approaches to reducing ammonia concentration in the blood and colon include acidifying the colon, inhibiting the bacterial production of ammonia, and activation of the urea cycle. Addressing gaps in the literature around therapeutic ammonia adsorption, this study established assays for ammonia uptake from both NH4OH and NH4Cl solutions as well as interference and selectivity for potassium absorption. Performance was characterized for a large number and variety of materials, spanning zeolites, ion-exchange resins, metallopolymers, metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), and polymeric carboxylic acids. The latter class showed low potassium capacity (poly(acrylic acid): 10 mg/g, poly(maleic-co-acrylic acid): 4 mg/g) and a therapeutically relevant depression of pH in buffered simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) (poly(acrylic acid): −2.01 and poly(maleic-co-acrylic acid): −3.23) compared to lactulose (−3.46), an approved therapeutic for hyperammonemia that works by acidifying the colon. In the polymeric organic acids evaluated, pH depression correlated well with pKa and acid site density. Additionally, this class of candidates should avoid the undesirable side effects of lactulose, such as the potential for hyperglycemia in diabetic patients and incompatible use with galactosemic patients.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"356 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136344443","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bioactive Components of Myracrodruon urundeuva against SARS-CoV-2: A Computational Study","authors":"Sabrina Kelly Silva Alves, Cássio Silva Sousa, Edilanne Katrine Amparo Viana, Hellen Cris Araújo Souza, Maycon Douglas Araújo Souza, Arthur Serejo Neves Ribeiro, Vanessa de Sousa do Vale, Muhammad Torequl Islam, Joabe Lima Araújo, Jefferson Almeida Rocha","doi":"10.3390/ddc2040039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2040039","url":null,"abstract":"SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2) is the causative agent for the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It raises serious biosecurity questions due to its high contagious potential, thereby triggering rapid and efficient responses by the scientific community to take necessary actions against viral infections. Cumulative scientific evidence suggests that natural products remain one of the main sources for pharmaceutical consumption. It is due to their wide chemical diversity that they are able to fight against almost all kinds of diseases and disorders in humans and other animals. Knowing the overall facts, this study was carried out to investigate the chemical interactions between the active constituents of a promising medicinal plant, Myracrodruon urundeuva, and some specific proteins of SARS-CoV-2. For this, we used molecular docking to predict the most appropriate orientation by binding a molecule (a ligand) to its receptor (a protein). The best results were evaluated by screening their pharmacokinetic properties using the online tool pkCSM. Findings suggest that among 44 chemical compounds of M. urundeuva, agathisflavone, which is abundantly present in its leaf, exhibited excellent molecular affinity (−9.3 to −9.7 kcal.mol−1) with three functional proteins, namely, Spike, MPro, and RBD of SARS-CoV-2. In conclusion, M. urundeuva might be a good source of antiviral agents. Further studies are required to elucidate the exact mechanism of action of the bioactive compounds of M. urundeuva acting against SARS-CoV-2.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"28 7 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135579888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preformulation Studies of Novel Menthol Prodrugs with Antiparasitic Activity: Chemical Stability, In Silico, and In Vitro Permeability Assays","authors":"Camila M. Clemente, Renée Onnainty, Nadina Usseglio, Gladys E. Granero, Soledad Ravetti","doi":"10.3390/ddc2030038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2030038","url":null,"abstract":"Based on the demonstrated and reported trypanocidal, leishmanicidal, and antiplasmodial activities of two menthol prodrugs, it was decided to proceed with preformulation studies, which are of key relevance in the drug discovery process. The aim of this study is to examine the stability and permeability of two new menthol prodrugs with antiparasitic activity. To determine the stability of menthol and its prodrugs, the corresponding studies were carried out in buffered solutions at pH values of 1.2, 5.8, and 7.4 at 37 °C. In silico permeability studies were performed using the free PerMM software and then in vitro permeability studies were performed using a biomimetic artificial membrane (BAM). Permeability studies conducted in silico predicted that both menthol and its prodrugs would pass through biological membranes via flip-flop movement. This prediction was subsequently confirmed by in vitro BAM permeability studies, where it was observed that the menthol prodrugs (1c and 1g) exhibited the highest Papp (apparent permeability) value compared to the parent compound. The study reveals that menthol prodrugs exhibit stability at a pH of 5.8 and possess sufficient in vitro permeability values as preformulation parameters.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"204 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135063222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unmasking the Warburg Effect: Unleashing the Power of Enzyme Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy","authors":"Eduardo Angulo-Elizari, Leire Gaviria-Soteras, Irati Zubiri, Sandra Ramos-Inza, Carmen Sanmartin, Daniel Plano","doi":"10.3390/ddc2030037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2030037","url":null,"abstract":"The Warburg effect (or aerobic glycolysis), which was first described in 1926 by Otto Heinrich Warburg, consists of the change in glucose metabolism in cancer cells. In normal cells, glucose metabolism finalizes in the mitochondria through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in the presence of oxygen. However, the Warburg effect describes a change in the glucose metabolism in cancer cells, consuming excess glucose and converting it into lactate independently of the presence of oxygen. During this process, a wide variety of enzymes can modify their expression and activity to contribute to the mechanism of deregulated cancer metabolism. Therefore, the modulation of enzymes regulating aerobic glycolysis is a strategy for cancer treatment. Although numerous enzymes play a role in regulating aerobic glycolysis, hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK), pyruvate kinase (PK), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) are worth mentioning. Numerous modulators of these enzymes have been described in recent years. This review aims to present and group, according to their chemical structure, the most recent emerging molecules targeting the above-mentioned enzymes involved in the Warburg effect in view of the future development of cancer treatments.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135203457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bradykinin-Mediated Angioedema Induced by Commonly Used Cardiovascular Drugs","authors":"Janina Hahn, Jens Greve, Murat Bas, Georg Kojda","doi":"10.3390/ddc2030036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2030036","url":null,"abstract":"ACE inhibitors, sartans, and sacubitril are among the most important drugs for the prevention of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. At the same time, they are known to cause non-allergic bradykinin-mediated angioedema, a potentially fatal swelling of the mucosa and/or submucosa and deeper skin without signs of urticaria or pruritus, occurring mainly in the head and neck region. In contrast with hereditary angioedema, which is also mediated by bradykinin, angioedema triggered by these drugs is by far the most common subtype of non-allergic angioedema. The molecular mechanisms underlying this type of angioedema, which are discussed here, are not yet sufficiently understood. There are a number of approved drugs for the prevention and treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema. These include inhibitors of bradykinin synthesis that act as kallkrein inhibitors, such as the parenterally applied plasma pool, and recombinant C1 esterase inhibitor, ecallantide, lanadelumab, and the orally available berotralstat, as well as the bradykinin receptor type 2 antagonist icatibant. In contrast, no diagnostic tools, guidelines, or treatments have yet been approved for the diagnosis and treatment of acute non-allergic drug-induced angioedema, although it is more common and can take life-threatening courses. Approved specific drugs and a structured diagnostic workflow are needed for this emergency diagnosis.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"35 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136361308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Requiem for Rimonabant: Therapeutic Potential for Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Antagonists after the Fall","authors":"Taryn Bosquez-Berger, G. Szanda, A. Straiker","doi":"10.3390/ddc2030035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2030035","url":null,"abstract":"The endocannabinoid system is found throughout the CNS and the body where it impacts many important physiological processes. Expectations were high that targeting cannabinoid receptors would prove therapeutically beneficial; pharmaceutical companies quickly seized on the appetitive and metabolic effects of cannabinoids to develop a drug for the treatment of weight loss. Alas, the experience with first-in-class cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R) antagonist rimonabant is a now-classic cautionary tale of the perils of drug development and the outcome of rimonabant’s fall from grace dealt a blow to those pursuing therapies involving CB1R antagonists. And this most commercially compelling application of rimonabant has now been partially eclipsed by drugs with different mechanisms of action and greater effect. Still, blocking CB1 receptors causes intriguing metabolic effects, some of which appear to occur outside the CNS. Moreover, recent years have seen a startling change in the legal status of cannabis, accompanied by a popular embrace of ‘all things cannabis’. These changes combined with new pharmacological strategies and diligent medicinal chemistry may yet see the field to some measure of fulfillment of its early promise. Here, we review the story of rimonabant and some of the therapeutic niches and strategies that still hold promise after the fall.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"105 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115541943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Schlesinger Nailed It! Assessing a Key Primary Pharmacodynamic Property of Phages for Phage Therapy: Virion Encounter Rates with Motionless Bacterial Targets","authors":"S. Abedon","doi":"10.3390/ddc2030034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2030034","url":null,"abstract":"Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses of bacteria and have been used as antibacterial agents now for over one-hundred years. The primary pharmacodynamics of therapeutic phages can be summed up as follows: phages at a certain concentration can reach bacteria at a certain rate, attach to bacteria that display appropriate receptors on their surfaces, infect, and (ideally) kill those now-adsorbed bacteria. Here, I consider the rate at which phages reach bacteria, during what can be dubbed as an ‘extracellular search’. This search is driven by diffusion and can be described by what is known as the phage adsorption rate constant. That constant in turn is thought to be derivable from knowledge of bacterial size, virion diffusion rates, and the likelihood of phage adsorption given this diffusion-driven encounter with a bacterium. Here, I consider only the role of bacterial size in encounter rates. In 1932, Schlesinger hypothesized that bacterial size can be described as a function of cell radius (R, or R1), as based on the non-phage-based theorizing of Smoluchowski (1917). The surface area of a cell—what is actually encountered—varies however instead as a function R2. Here, I both provide and review evidence indicating that Schlesinger’s assertion seems to have been correct.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"50 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131600788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis and Antimalarial Evaluation of New 1,3,5-tris[(4-(Substituted-aminomethyl)phenyl)methyl]benzene Derivatives: A Novel Alternative Antiparasitic Scaffold","authors":"Sandra Albenque-Rubio, J. Guillon, A. Cohen, P. Agnamey, Solène Savrimoutou, S. Moreau, J. Mergny, Luisa Ronga, Ioannis Kanavos, S. Moukha, P. Dozolme, P. Sonnet","doi":"10.3390/ddc2030033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2030033","url":null,"abstract":"A series of new 1,3,5-tris[(4-(substituted-aminomethyl)phenyl)methyl]benzene compounds were designed, synthesized, and evaluated in vitro against two parasites (Plasmodium falciparum and Leishmania donovani). The biological results showed antimalarial activity with IC50 values in the sub and μM range. The in vitro cytotoxicity of these new aza polyaromatic derivatives was also evaluated on human HepG2 cells. The 1,3,5-tris[(4-(substituted-aminomethyl)phenyl)methyl]benzene 1m was found as one of the most potent and promising antimalarial candidates with a ratio of cytotoxic to antiprotozoal activities of 83.67 against the P. falciparum CQ-sensitive strain 3D7. In addition, derivative 1r was also identified as the most interesting antimalarial compound with a selectivity index (SI) of 17.28 on the W2 P. falciparum CQ-resistant strain. It was previously described that the telomeres of P. falciparum could be considered as potential targets of these kinds of aza heterocycles; thus, the ability of these new derivatives to stabilize the parasitic telomeric G-quadruplexes was measured through a FRET melting assay.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"127 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127077021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhibitors of Farnesyl Diphosphate Synthase and Squalene Synthase: Potential Source for Anti-Trypanosomatidae Drug Discovery","authors":"B. P. Kamdem, F. Boyom","doi":"10.3390/ddc2030032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ddc2030032","url":null,"abstract":"Trypanosomatids are mainly responsible for leishmaniasis, sleeping sickness, and Chagas disease, which are the most challenging among the neglected tropical diseases due to the problem of drug resistance. Although problems of target deconvolution and polypharmacology are encountered, a target-based approach is a rational method for screening drug candidates targeting a biomolecule that causes infections. The present study aims to summarize the latest information regarding potential inhibitors of squalene synthase and farnesyl phosphate synthase with anti-Trypanosomatidae activity. The information was obtained by referencing textbooks and major scientific databases from their inception until April 2023. Based on in vitro experiments, more than seventy compounds were reported to inhibit squalene synthase and farnesyl diphosphate synthase. Among these compounds, more than 30 were found to be active in vitro against Trypanosomatidae, inferring that these compounds can be used as scaffolds to develop new drugs against trypanosomatid-related infections. Overall, natural and synthetic products can inhibit enzymes that are crucial for the survival and virulence of trypanosomatids. Moreover, in vitro experiments have confirmed the activity of more than half of these inhibitors using cell-based assays. Nevertheless, additional studies on the cytotoxicity, pharmacokinetics, and lead optimization of potent anti-Trypanosomatid compounds should be investigated.","PeriodicalId":131152,"journal":{"name":"Drugs and Drug Candidates","volume":"116 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128033766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}