Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xiaobo Wang, Jin-Bao Zhang, Kai-Jie He, Fen Wang, Chun-Feng Liu
Summary: Neurodegenerative diseases (NDD), such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, are characterized by neuron loss leading to motor and cognitive decline. Effective treatments for NDD are lacking, but zebrafish models show promise for drug discovery with their high homology to humans. High-throughput platforms in zebrafish research are expected to advance future NDD studies.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Yiwen Hong, Yan Luo
Summary: Zebrafish serves as an ideal model for eye disorders research, with its genetic and embryonic accessibility making it a popular tool for elucidating disease mechanisms and exploring novel drug treatments.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Bo Ren, Cong Guo, Run-Ze Liu, Zhao-Yuan Bian, Rong-Chun Liu, Lan-Fang Huang, Jiang-Jiang Tang
Summary: This study discovered a novel multitarget agent, imidazolylacetophenone oxime ether (IOE), with potential neuroprotective effects against Alzheimer's disease. IOE exhibited anti-neuroinflammatory, antioxidative damage, metal-chelating, and AChE inhibitory properties.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Takuto Shimizu, Emiko Nogami, Yuka Ito, Kazuo Morikawa, Masaki Nagane, Tadashi Yamashita, Tsuyoshi Ogawa, Fuyuki Kametani, Hisashi Yagi, Naomi Hachiya
Summary: Prion disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with no effective therapeutic agents developed so far.
NEUROCHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biology
Surjya Narayan Dash, Lipika Patnaik
Summary: Zebrafish is an ideal model for studying human disease and biological practices in the process of drug development and toxicity evaluation. It has advantages such as cost-effectiveness, external development, easy genetic manipulations, and high-resolution investigation of disease progress. Zebrafish drug screening is suitable for target identification, disease modeling, high-throughput screening, and development of new drugs, with several drugs having their origins in zebrafish. The sophisticated screening methods in zebrafish models are expected to significantly contribute to drug development programs.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xiaorong Liu, Sonia T. Henriques, David J. Craik, Lai Yue Chan
Summary: This article introduces Gomesin, a cationic antimicrobial peptide isolated from the haemocytes of the Brazilian tarantula Acanthoscurria gomesiana and can be chemically produced. Gomesin exhibits a range of biological activities against therapeutically relevant pathogens and has been used for drug design and development. The review provides an overview of the discovery, structure-activity relationships, mechanism of action, biological activity, and potential clinical applications of Gomesin.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dong Hwan Kim, Jaehyeon Kim, Hakmin Lee, Dongyun Lee, So Myoung Im, Ye Eun Kim, Miryeong Yoo, Yong-Pil Cheon, Jason C. Bartz, Young-Jin Son, Eun-Kyoung Choi, Yong-Sun Kim, Jae-Ho Jeon, Hyo Shin Kim, Sungeun Lee, Chongsuk Ryou, Tae-gyu Nam
Summary: Acylthiosemicarbazides are able to inhibit protein aggregation and could be potential therapeutics for prion diseases.
JOURNAL OF ENZYME INHIBITION AND MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Allan H. Pang, Keith D. Green, Nishad Thamban Chandrika, Atefeh Garzan, Ankita Punetha, Selina Y. L. Holbrook, Melisa J. Willby, James E. Posey, Oleg V. Tsodikov, Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova
Summary: Eis acetyltransferase is a clinically significant mechanism of tuberculosis resistance to kanamycin. Inhibitors of Eis have been discovered, which can effectively abolish resistance to kanamycin in highly resistant strains. Additionally, several compounds with toxic effects on mycobacteria have been identified, with a mechanism of toxicity distinct from Eis inhibition.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael E. Meyer, Arpit Doshi, Willma E. Polgar, Nurulain T. Zaveri
Summary: The development of SAR around substituted N-piperidinyl indole-based nociceptin opioid receptor (NOP) ligands led to the discovery of a novel series of 2-substituted N-piperidinyl indoles that provide selective NOP full agonists and bifunctional NOP full agonists-Mu-opioid (MOP) receptor partial agonists. The SAR in this study reveals that 2-substitution on the indole moiety affects the intrinsic activity and opioid receptor selectivity of these compounds compared to the 3-substituted counterparts. Molecular docking of these compounds in NOP homology model and MOP receptor structures provides insights into the observed differences in binding, functional profiles, and selectivity.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Ying Huang, Gen Li, Chong Hong, Xia Zheng, Haiyang Yu, Yan Zhang
Summary: This review discusses the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of steroidal alkaloids in anticancer activities, including various types of alkaloids. Studying SAR can facilitate the design and synthesis of compounds with lead potential.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Antonino N. Fallica, Valeria Sorrenti, Agata G. D'Amico, Loredana Salerno, Giuseppe Romeo, Sebastiano Intagliata, Valeria Consoli, Giuseppe Floresta, Antonio Rescifina, Velia D'Agata, Luca Vanella, Valeria Pittala
Summary: Novel HO-1 inhibitors were designed and synthesized, showing potent anticancer activity against various cancer cells, with compound 7l demonstrating the best performance by reducing cell invasiveness through modulation of HO-1 expression.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Kanandra Taisa Bertoncello, Carla Denise Bonan
Summary: Epilepsy affects about 65 million people worldwide and can lead to cognitive, psychological, behavioral, and social consequences. Despite the availability of numerous antiepileptic drugs, a significant proportion of patients do not respond satisfactorily to treatment, highlighting the importance of researching new therapeutic alternatives. This includes exploring plant-derived bioactive compounds with anticonvulsant properties and utilizing animal models like zebrafish for drug screening to advance epilepsy research.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Jie Yin, Gangyin Zhao, Helen Kalirai, Sarah E. Coupland, Aart G. Jochemsen, Gabriel Forn-Cuni, Annemijn P. A. Wierenga, Martine J. Jager, B. Ewa Snaar-Jagalska, Arwin Groenewoud
Summary: Given the rarity of uveal melanoma and the lack of effective treatments, researchers have developed a method to collect and preserve limited tissue samples from primary tumors and metastases for advanced research and drug screening.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jun Tang, Muhammad Yousaf, Ya-Ping Wu, Qin-qin Li, Yi-Qian Xu, Dong-Mei Liu
Summary: This review summarizes recent research on the regulation of Alzheimer's disease by naturally derived polysaccharides in the past five years. It systematically lists the potential intervention pathways of polysaccharides from different mechanisms and explores the structure-activity relationship, providing references for the intervention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease by polysaccharides.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Review
Cell Biology
Szymon W. Manka, Adam Wenborn, John Collinge, Jonathan D. F. Wadsworth
Summary: Mammalian prions are deadly transmissible pathogens that cause neurodegenerative diseases in humans and animals. There are still important gaps in our understanding of prion biology, including the replication mechanisms, molecular basis of prion strains and inter-species transmission barriers, and the structural definition of neurotoxic PrP species. Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy have made it possible to determine the structures of ex vivo prion fibrils, providing a foundation for understanding prion strain diversity.
CELL AND TISSUE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Megan J. Agajanian, Matthew P. Walker, Alison D. Axtman, Roberta R. Ruela-de-Sousa, D. Stephen Serafin, Alex D. Rabinowitz, David M. Graham, Meagan B. Ryan, Tigist Tamir, Yuko Nakamichi, Melissa V. Gammons, James M. Bennett, Rafael M. Counago, David H. Drewry, Jonathan M. Elkins, Carina Gileadi, Opher Gileadi, Paulo H. Godoi, Nirav Kapadia, Susanne Mueller, Andre S. Santiago, Fiona J. Sorrell, Carrow I. Wells, Oleg Fedorov, Timothy M. Willson, William J. Zuercher, Michael B. Major
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fiona J. Sorrell, Lena Marie Kilian, Jonathan M. Elkins
BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2019)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Sven Verdonck, Szu-Yuan Pu, Fiona J. Sorrell, Jon M. Elkins, Mathy Froeyen, Ling-Jie Gao, Laura I. Prugar, Danielle E. Dorosky, Jennifer M. Brannan, Rina Barouch-Bentov, Stefan Knapp, John M. Dye, Piet Herdewijn, Shirit Einav, Steven De Jonghe
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2019)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Toms, Adam M. Dubis, Erik de Vrieze, Dhani Tracey-White, Andreas Mitsios, Matthew Hayes, Sanne Broekman, Sarah Baxendale, Nattawan Utoomprurkporn, Doris Bamiou, Maria Bitner-Glindzicz, Andrew R. Webster, Erwin Van Wijk, Mariya Moosajee
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Christophe Fromont, Alessio Atzori, Divneet Kaur, Lubna Hashmi, Graziella Greco, Alejandro Cabanillas, Huy Van Nguyen, D. Heulyn Jones, Miguel Garzon, Ana Varela, Brett Stevenson, Greg P. Iacobini, Marc Lenoir, Sundaresan Rajesh, Clare Box, Jitendra Kumar, Paige Grant, Vera Novitskaya, Juliet Morgan, Fiona J. Sorrell, Clara Redondo, Andreas Kramer, C. John Harris, Brendan Leighton, Steven P. Vickers, Sharon C. Cheetham, Colin Kenyon, Anna M. Grabowska, Michael Overduin, Fedor Berditchevski, Chris J. Weston, Stefan Knapp, Peter M. Fischer, Sam Butterworth
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alistair Jones, Melissa Barker-Haliski, Andrei S. Ilie, Murray B. Herd, Sarah Baxendale, Celia J. Holdsworth, John-Paul Ashton, Marysia Placzek, Bodiabaduge A. P. Jayasekera, Christopher J. A. Cowie, Jeremy J. Lambert, Andrew J. Trevelyan, H. Steve White, Anthony G. Marson, Vincent T. Cunliffe, Graeme J. Sills, Alan Morgan
Article
Physiology
King Yee Cheung, Suresh J. Jesuthasan, Sarah Baxendale, Nicholas J. van Hateren, Mar Marzo, Christopher J. Hill, Tanya T. Whitfield
Summary: A rare cell type, olfactory rod cells, were discovered in the developing zebrafish olfactory epithelium, exhibiting unique morphology and expression patterns. These cells may play specific roles in the zebrafish olfactory system.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Developmental Biology
Sarah Baxendale, Anzar Asad, Nahal O. Shahidan, Giselle R. Wiggin, Tanya T. Whitfield
Summary: Adhesion GPCRs are important regulators of developmental processes, with Adgrg6 playing critical roles in zebrafish development and potential implications for human diseases. Recent studies have identified a conserved calcium-binding site within the extracellular region of the Adgrg6 receptor, crucial for its function. Homozygous zebrafish adgrg6 mutants have been effective in identifying candidate molecules for influencing signaling activity and rescuing mutant phenotypes, showing promise for future development as small molecule modulators of the Adgrg6 pathway.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Emma J. Kenyon, Nerissa K. Kirkwood, Sian R. Kitcher, Richard J. Goodyear, Marco Derudas, Daire M. Cantillon, Sarah Baxendale, Antonio de la Vega de Leon, Virginia N. Mahieu, Richard T. Osgood, Charlotte Donald Wilson, James C. Bull, Simon J. Waddell, Tanya T. Whitfield, Simon E. Ward, Corne J. Kros, Guy P. Richardson
Summary: By screening compounds, a series of compounds that protect mammalian hair cells from the ototoxic effects of aminoglycoside antibiotics were identified. These compounds block the MET channel of hair cells, with one compound, UoS-7692, being effective against gentamicin, kanamycin, and tobramycin.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ricardo A. M. Serafim, Fiona J. Sorrell, Benedict-Tilman Berger, Ross J. Collins, Stanley N. S. Vasconcelos, Katlin B. Massirer, Stefan Knapp, James Bennett, Oleg Fedorov, Hitesh Patel, William J. Zuercher, Jonathan M. Elkins
Summary: SLK and STK10 are closely related kinases whose enzymatic activity is linked to cell function and migration. A series of inhibitors targeting SLK and STK10 were identified, with compound 31 showing the most potent and selective inhibition among them after further analysis.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zhuoyao Chen, Jinwei Zhang, Adrian R. Murillo-de-Ozores, Maria Castaneda-Bueno, Francesca D'Amico, Raphael Heilig, Charlotte E. Manning, Fiona J. Sorrell, Vincenzo D'Angiolella, Roman Fischer, Monique P. C. Mulder, Gerardo Gamba, Dario R. Alessi, Alex N. Bullock
Summary: The study reveals that the KLHL3 Kelch domain can accommodate the binding of multiple WNK isoforms and highlights a unique phosphorylatable residue in WNK3, which can disrupt its interaction with KLHL3.
BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Tania Mendonca, Ana A. Jones, Jose M. Pozo, Sarah Baxendale, Tanya T. Whitfield, Alejandro F. Frangi
Summary: Morphogenesis involves the formation of three-dimensional structures from two-dimensional epithelial sheets through cell shape changes. The alignment of single cells along a biological axis can be challenging in epithelia with highly curved surfaces. 'Origami' is a MATLAB-based image analysis pipeline that accurately computes direction vectors along the epithelial apico-basal axis.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lucie Crouzier, Elodie M. Richard, Camille Diez, Hala Alzaeem, Morgane Denus, Nicolas Cubedo, Thomas Delaunay, Emily Glendenning, Sarah Baxendale, Jean-Charles Lievens, Tanya T. Whitfield, Tangui Maurice, Benjamin Delprat
Summary: Researchers report on the phenotypical characterization of two loss-of-function zebrafish mutant lines, highlighting the critical role of wfs1a and wfs1b in cellular function and potential therapeutic approaches for WS.
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Davide Baldera, Sarah Baxendale, Nicholas J. J. van Hateren, Mar Marzo, Emily Glendenning, Fan-Suo Geng, Kazutomo Yokoya, Robert D. D. Knight, Tanya T. T. Whitfield
Summary: Live imaging in the zebrafish embryo using tissue-specific expression of fluorescent proteins can provide valuable insights into sensory organ morphogenesis and cell differentiation mechanisms. This study identifies insertion sites and expression patterns of two enhancer trap lines in the developing zebrafish embryo, shedding light on different aspects of inner ear epithelial cell morphogenesis. The authors also demonstrate the use of Targeted Locus Amplification as a rapid and reliable method to identify insertion sites of randomly inserted transgenes.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Anzar Asad, Nahal O. O. Shahidan, Antonio de la Vega de Leon, Giselle R. R. Wiggin, Tanya T. T. Whitfield, Sarah Baxendale
Summary: Researchers identified 17 compounds that can treat both muscular and myelination defects, of which 3 are new hits. These findings provide important starting material for the development of new drugs for Adgrg6 receptor.
BASIC & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Shuang Mei, Su Jiang, Yuting Wang, Han Jing, Peng Yang, Miao-Miao Niu, Jindong Li, Kai Yuan, Yan Zhang
Summary: This study identifies a dual-targeting peptide, AP-1, that effectively inhibits variants of concern (VOCs) of SARS-CoV-2 without impairing host cell viability. The findings suggest that AP-1 could be a promising broad-spectrum agent for treating emerging VOCs of SARS-CoV-2.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Hyeonjun Lee, Ju Yeon Lee, Hyunsoo Jang, Hye Young Cho, Minhee Kang, Sang Hyun Bae, Suin Kim, Eunji Kim, Jaebong Jang, Jin Young Kim, Young Ho Jeon
Summary: By using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments, we identified new chemical moieties that bind to the target sites of the protein of interest, allowing for reversible binding and protein degradation. This method has the potential to expand the application of PROTAC technology.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Yingying Li, Xiyou Du, Xinru Kong, Yuelin Fang, Zhijing He, Dongzhu Liu, Hang Wu, Jianbo Ji, Xiaoye Yang, Lei Ye, Guangxi Zhai
Summary: This study proposes a novel nanoplatform based on the autophagy cascade to overcome the obstacles in chemo-immunotherapy. The platform combines chemotherapy and starvation therapy to initiate pro-death autophagy and enhance antigen presentation, while also remodeling the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, the study discovers a new therapeutic direction for the respiration inhibitor 3-bromopyruvic acid (3BP) in cancer treatment. Overall, this study offers an opportunity to improve antitumor efficacy and boost immune responses.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Bingsi Wang, Mingxu Ma, Yusen Dai, Pengfei Yu, Liang Ye, Wenyan Wang, Chunjie Sha, Huijie Yang, Yingjie Yang, Yunjing Zhu, Lin Dong, Shujuan Wei, Linlin Wang, Jingwei Tian, Hongbo Wang
Summary: Breast cancer is a common malignant tumor in women, and drug resistance remains a clinical challenge. In this study, a novel compound, G-5b, was developed with potent antagonistic and degradation activities comparable to the current drug fulvestrant. G-5b also showed improved stability and solubility. Mechanistically, G-5b engages the proteasome pathway to degrade ER, inhibiting the ER signaling pathway and inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In animal models, G-5b exhibited superior pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties. Overall, G-5b is a promising long-acting SERD worthy of further investigation and optimization.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Karoline B. Waitman, Larissa C. de Almeida, Marina C. Primi, Jorge A. E. G. Carlos, Claudia Ruiz, Thales Kronenberger, Stefan Laufer, Marcia Ines Goettert, Antti Poso, Sandra V. Vassiliades, Vinicius A. M. de Souza, Monica F. Z. J. Toledo, Neuza M. A. Hassimotto, Michael D. Cameron, Thomas D. Bannister, Leticia Costa-Lotufo, Joa o A. Machado-Neto, Mauricio T. Tavares, Roberto Parise-Filho
Summary: A series of hybrid inhibitors combining pharmacophores of known kinase inhibitors and benzohydroxamate HDAC inhibitors were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activity and pharmacokinetic properties. Compounds 4d-f exhibited promising cytotoxicity against hematological cells and moderate activity against solid tumor models. Compound 4d showed potent inhibition of multiple kinase targets and had stable interactions with HDAC and members of the JAK family. These compounds showed selective cytotoxicity with minimal effects on non-tumorigenic cells and favorable pharmacokinetic profiles.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Michal Sulik, Diana Fontinha, Dietmar Steverding, Szymon Sobczak, Michal Antoszczak, Miguel Prudencio, Adam Huczynski
Summary: This study describes the synthesis of the first-in-class ivermectin derivatives obtained through derivatization of the C13 position, along with the unexpected rearrangement of the macrolide ring. These derivatives show potential for antiparasitic activity and are important for the development of new antiparasitic agents.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Jun Liu, Qiu-Xian Chen, Wen-Fu Wu, Dong Wang, Si -Yu Zhao, Jia-Hao Li, Yi-Qun Chang, Shao-Gao Zeng, Jia-Yi Hu, Yu-Jie Li, Jia-Xin Du, Shu-Meng Jiao, Hai-Chuan Xiao, Qiang Zhang, Jun Xu, Jian-Fu Zhao, Hai -Bo Zhou, Yong-Heng Wang, Jian Zou, Ping-Hua Sun
Summary: A new anti-infective drug strategy has been discovered to attenuate virulence and modulate inflammation caused by drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Compound 5f inhibits biofilm formation, macrophage migration, and inflammatory response induced by P. aeruginosa, showing potential as a novel candidate against drug-resistant infections.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Liuzeng Chen, Ke Wang, Lingyun Wang, Wei Wang, Lifan Wang, Jia Li, Xiaohan Liu, Mengya Wang, Banfeng Ruan
Summary: In this study, a series of novel anti-inflammatory compounds were designed and synthesized based on the natural product pterostilbene skeleton. Among them, compound 8 showed the highest activity and exhibited its effects through inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines by blocking the NF-KB/MAPK signaling pathway. Compound 8 also demonstrated a good relieving effect on acute colitis in mice and showed good safety in acute toxicity experiments.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Si-Min Liang, Gui-Bin Liang, Hui-Ling Wang, Hong Jiang, Xian-Li Ma, Jian-Hua Wei, Ri-Zhen Huang, Ye Zhang
Summary: A series of novel multi-target antitumor agents were designed, synthesized, and evaluated. Some compounds exhibited significant antitumor activity and one compound showed excellent efficacy, limited toxicity, and low resistance. Further mechanism studies revealed that the compound exerted antitumor effects through multiple pathways.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2024)