Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Madeline F. Long, Rory A. Capstick, Paul K. Spearing, Julie L. Engers, Alison R. Gregro, Sean R. Bollinger, Sichen Chang, Vincent B. Luscombe, Alice L. Rodriguez, Hyekyung P. Cho, Colleen M. Niswender, Thomas M. Bridges, P. Jeffrey Conn, Craig W. Lindsley, Darren W. Engers, Kayla J. Temple
Summary: The Letter details efforts to develop novel tricyclic M-4 PAM scaffolds with improved pharmacological properties. A tie-back strategy was employed to replace the core structure, leading to the discovery of two novel tricyclic cores with low nanomolar potency against the human M-4 receptor.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Manuela Jorg, Elham Khajehali, Emma T. van der Westhuizen, K. H. C. Choy, David M. Shackleford, Andrew B. Tobin, Patrick M. Sexton, Celine Valant, Ben Capuano, Arthur Christopoulos, Peter J. Scammells
Summary: This study investigated the structure-activity relationships of 4-phenylpyridin-2-one and 6-phenylpyrimidin-4-one M(1)muscarinic acetylcholine receptor positive allosteric modulators (PAMs), showing that modifications to the analogues result in nuanced effects on the allosteric properties. The research also found that despite primarily acting as affinity modulators, the PAMs displayed different pharmacological properties across the two cellular assays. The novel PAM7 was identified as a potential lead candidate for further development due to its lower BBB permeability and improved exposure in the periphery compared to lead2.
Article
Cell Biology
Joshua D. Frenster, Hediye Erdjument-Bromage, Gabriele Stephan, Niklas Ravn-Boess, Shuai Wang, Wenke Liu, Devin Bready, Jordan Wilcox, Bjorn Kieslich, Manuel Jankovic, Caroline Wilde, Susanne Horn, Norbert Strater, Ines Liebscher, Torsten Schoneberg, David Fenyo, Thomas A. Neubert, Dimitris G. Placantonakis
Summary: This study identifies PTK7 as an extracellular binding partner of GPR133 in glioblastoma, and shows that PTK7 enhances GPR133 signaling by binding to the N-terminal fragment of GPR133. This interaction is potentially relevant to the pathogenesis of glioblastoma.
Article
Neurosciences
Laura B. Teal, Michael Bubser, Edith Duncan, Robert W. Gould, Craig W. Lindsley, Carrie K. Jones
Summary: Recent evidence suggests that inhibition of the M5 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) may provide a novel non-opioid mechanism for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). In this study, the effects of the M5 negative allosteric modulator (NAM) VU6008667 on oxycodone self-administration and reinstatement behaviors were evaluated. The results showed that VU6008667 decreased oxycodone self-administration and attenuated cue-induced reinstatement of lever pressing, while having minimal effects on other behaviors.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Manuela Jorg, Emma T. van der Westhuizen, Yao Lu, K. H. Christopher Choy, David M. Shackleford, Elham Khajehali, Andrew B. Tobin, David M. Thal, Ben Capuano, Arthur Christopoulos, Celine Valant, Peter J. Scammells
Summary: The synthesis and comprehensive pharmacological evaluation of M4 mAChR PAMs structurally related to 1e, Me-C-c, [11C]MK-6884 and [18F]12 were reported. Small structural changes to the PAMs resulted in significant differences in baseline, potency, and maximum effect measures in cAMP assays compared to the endogenous ligand acetylcholine (ACh). The discovery of novel PAMs with improved allosteric properties, 6k and 6l, and their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier make them more suitable for future preclinical assessment.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Henry S. Lange, Joshua D. Vardigan, Christopher E. Cannon, Vanita Puri, Darrell A. Henze, Jason M. Uslaner
Summary: Alzheimer's disease is a profoundly debilitating neurodegenerative disorder, and Compound 24 has shown potential therapeutic effects in non-human primates, reducing behavioral disturbances and enhancing cognitive function.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Khaled S. Abd-Elrahman, Shaarika Sarasija, Tash-Lynn L. Colson, Stephen S. G. Ferguson
Summary: This study suggests that using M1 mAChR positive allosteric modulator (PAM) VU0486846 can improve cognitive function and reduce Aβ oligomer production in female mice with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This treatment approach could be a viable disease-modifying strategy to slow down the progression of AD in women.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Francis S. Willard, David B. Wainscott, Aaron D. Showalter, Cynthia Stutsman, Wenzhen Ma, Guemalli R. Cardona, Richard W. Zink, Christopher M. Corkins, Qi Chen, Nathan Yumibe, Javier Agejas, Graham R. Cumming, Jose Miguel Minguez, Alma Jimenez, Ana Mateo, Ana M. Castano, Daniel A. Briere, Kyle W. Sloop, Ana B. Bueno
Summary: LSN3318839 is a positive allosteric modulator of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), enhancing the activity of weak metabolite GLP-1(9-36)NH2 and full-length ligand GLP-1(7-36)NH2 through G protein-coupled signaling. Experiments show that the combination of LSN3318839 and GLP-1(9-36)NH2 produces insulin secretion and glucose lowering effects similar to GLP-1(7-36)NH2.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Kaleeckal G. Harikumar, Thomas Coudrat, Aditya J. Desai, Maoqing Dong, Daniela G. Dengler, Sebastian G. B. Furness, Arthur Christopoulos, Denise Wootten, Eduard A. Sergienko, Patrick M. Sexton, Laurence J. Miller
Summary: This study proposes a new strategy for improving obesity treatment by enhancing the action of the CCK receptor, reducing the likelihood of side effects and toxicity. By identifying positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) with minimal intrinsic agonist activity and studying their mechanisms of action, it is possible to correct abnormal signaling in high-cholesterol environments and develop more effective drugs. The research focuses on compound 1, a weak partial agonist with PAM activity, which enhances CCK signaling without inducing receptor internalization, providing a potential avenue for developing targeted therapies for metabolic regulation.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Tehila Mizrachi, Oshrit Marsha, Karen Brusin, Yael Ben-David, Ganesh A. Thakur, Adi Vaknin-Dembinsky, Millet Treinin, Talma Brenner
Summary: GAT107, an ago-PAM of alpha 7 nAChR, can significantly reduce disease severity and neuroinflammation in EAE by activating the receptor, leading to decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine production and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. It also alters the expression of immune cell markers and directly activates alpha 7 nAChR in immune cells of MS patients and healthy donors.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Melanie Bourque, Marc Morissette, Francois Conquet, Delphine Charvin, Therese Di Paolo
Summary: Overactivity of the corticostriatal glutamatergic pathway is found in Parkinson's disease (PD). Stimulation of presynaptic metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors 4 inhibits glutamate release and normalizes neuronal activity in the basal ganglia. mGlu4 receptors in glial cells can also modulate glial function, making them a potential target for neuroprotection. In this study, the positive allosteric modulator of mGlu4 receptors, foliglurax, showed neuroprotective effects in the MPTP mouse model of PD.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Liang Yang, Xiao Zhu, David B. Finlay, Hayley Green, Michelle Glass, Stephen B. Duffull
Summary: A unified mathematical model was developed to describe the allosteric modulation of CB1 receptor. A hypothetical transitional state, CP55940-CB1-Org27569, was identified as the key factor in explaining the modulation effect of Org27569. This model reveals a novel mechanism of allosteric modulation.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Simon Lind, Dagny Olofsson Hoffmann, Huamei Forsman, Claes Dahlgren
Summary: By studying the effects of the FFA2R ligand GLPG0974 on neutrophil activation, we discovered that GLPG0974 acts as an antagonist, agonist, and positive modulator of FFA2R. It affects NADPH-oxidase activity and alters receptor-downstream signaling induced by the co-agonistic PAMs.
CELLULAR SIGNALLING
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Heng Zhang, Jia-Jia Lin, Ya-Kai Xie, Xiu-Zu Song, Jia-Yi Sun, Bei-Lei Zhang, Yun-Kun Qi, Zhen-Zhong Xu, Fan Yang
Summary: The authors have engineered a peptide called s-RhTx as a positive allosteric modulator of the TRPV1 channel. It enhances the activity of TRPV1, allowing for reversible elimination of pain-sensing nerve terminals, providing long-lasting analgesia without affecting mice body temperature.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Javier Garcia-Carceles, Henar Vazquez-Villa, Jose Brea, David Ladron de Guevara-Miranda, Giovanni Cincilla, Melchor Sanchez-Martinez, Anabel Sanchez-Merino, Sergio Algar, Maria Teresa de los Frailes, Richard S. Roberts, Juan A. Ballesteros, Fernando Rodriguez de Fonseca, Bellinda Benhamu, Maria Loza, Maria L. Lopez-Rodriguez
Summary: The development of tolerance caused by dopamine replacement and therapeutic drawbacks of dopaminergic receptors activation highlight the urgent need for a safe and effective treatment for Parkinson's disease. Compound 26, a new synthetic compound designed as a selective modulator of D-1 receptor, demonstrates dose-dependent increase in dopamine's maximal effect in human and mouse D-1 receptors, while being inactive in the absence of dopamine. It shows subtype selectivity and low binding competition with orthosteric ligands. Compound 26 enhances cocaine-induced locomotion and L-DOPA recovery of locomotor activity in reserpinized mice, suggesting its potential as a positive allosteric modulator for Parkinson's disease.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Shibin Zhao, Julian Maceren, Mia Chung, Samantha Stone, Raphael Geiben, Melissa L. Boby, Bradley S. Sherborne, Derek S. Tan
Summary: Antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health, with Gram-negative bacteria presenting unique challenges due to their low permeability and efflux pumps. Limited understanding of the chemical rules for overcoming these barriers hinders antibacterial drug discovery. Efforts to address this issue, such as screening compound libraries and using cheminformatic analysis, have led to the design of sulfamidoadenosines with diverse substituents, showing potential utility in accumulation in Escherichia coli.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Jichun Li, Qing Li, Shuai Xia, Jiahuang Tu, Longbo Zheng, Qian Wang, Shibo Jiang, Chao Wang
Summary: This study successfully developed a short peptide mimetic as a MERS-CoV fusion inhibitor by reproducing the key recognition features of the HR2 helix. The resulting 23-mer lipopeptide showed comparable inhibitory effect to the 36-mer HR2 peptide HR2P-M2. This has important implications for developing short peptide-based antiviral agents to treat MERS-CoV infection.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Krista Jaunsleine, Linda Supe, Jana Spura, Sten van Beek, Anna Sandstrom, Jessica Olsen, Carina Halleskog, Tore Bengtsson, Ilga Mutule, Benjamin Pelcman
Summary: Beta(2)-adrenergic receptor agonists can stimulate glucose uptake by skeletal muscle cells and are therefore potential treatments for type 2 diabetes. The chirality of compounds has a significant impact on the activity of these agonists. This study found that certain synthesized compounds showed higher glucose uptake activity. These findings provide important information for the design of novel beta(2)AR agonists for T2D treatment.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Xin Xu, Jia Chen, Guan Wang, Xiaojuan Zhang, Qiang Li, Xiaobo Zhou, Fengying Guo, Min Li
Summary: The study focuses on EZH2, a promising therapeutic target for various types of cancers. Researchers designed and synthesized a series of novel derivatives aiming to enhance the EZH2 inhibition activity. Among them, compound 28 displayed potent EZH2 inhibition activity and showed high anti-proliferative effects in lymphoma cell lines and xenograft mouse models. The study suggests that compound 28 has potential as a therapeutic candidate for EZH2-associated cancers.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Wei Zhang, Wei Liu, Ya-Dong Zhao, Li-Zi Xing, Ji Xu, Rui-Jun Li, Yun-Xiao Zhang
Summary: This study developed a series of aromatic amide derivatives based on Rhein and investigated their inhibitory activity against alpha-Syn aggregation. Two of these compounds showed promising potential in treating Parkinson's disease by stabilizing alpha-Syn's conformation and disassembling alpha-Syn oligomers and fibrils.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Mani Sharma, S. S. S. S. Sudha Ambadipudi, Neeraj Kumar Chouhan, V. Lakshma Nayak, Srihari Pabbaraja, Sai Balaji Andugulapati, Ramakrishna Sistla
Summary: Therapeutically active lipids in drug delivery systems can enhance the safety and efficacy of treatment. The liposome formulation created using synthesized biologically active lipids showed additive anti-cancer effects and reduced tumorigenic potential.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2024)