Background Heart failure is a growing cause of morbidity and mortality. Cardiac PI3-kinase signaling promotes cardiomyocyte survival and function but is paradoxically activated in heart failure, suggesting chronic activation of this pathway may become maladaptive. Here we investigated the downstream PI3-kinase effector, SGK1 (serum- and glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1), in heart failure and its complications. Methods and Results We found that cardiac SGK1 is activated in human and murine heart failure. We investigated the role of SGK1 in the heart using cardiac-specific expression of constitutively-active or dominant-negative SGK1. Cardiac-specific activation of SGK1 in mice increased mortality, cardiac dysfunction, and ventricular arrhythmias. The pro-arrhythmic effects of SGK1 were linked to biochemical and functional changes in the cardiac sodium channel and could be reversed by treatment with ranolazine, a blocker of the late sodium current. Conversely, cardiac-specific inhibition of SGK1 protected mice after hemodynamic stress from fibrosis, heart failure, and sodium channel alterations. Conclusions SGK1 appears both necessary and sufficient for key features of adverse ventricular remodeling and may provide a novel therapeutic target in cardiac disease.

Using structure-guided design, several cell based assays, and microdosed positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, we identified a series of highly potent, selective, and brain-penetrant oxazole-4-carboxamide-based inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). An isotopologue of our first-generation lead, [3H]PF-367, demonstrates selective and specific target engagement in vitro, irrespective of the activation state. We discovered substantial ubiquitous GSK-3-specific radioligand binding in Tg2576 Alzheimer’s disease (AD), suggesting application for these compounds in AD diagnosis and identified [11C]OCM-44 as our lead GSK-3 radiotracer, with optimized brain uptake by PET imaging in nonhuman primates. GSK-3β-isozyme selectivity was assessed to reveal OCM-51, the most potent (IC50 = 0.030 nM) and selective (>10-fold GSK-3β/GSK-3α) GSK-3β inhibitor known to date. Inhibition of CRMP2T514 and tau phosphorylation, as well as favorable therapeutic window against WNT/β-catenin signaling activation, was observed in cells.

CBD-2115 was selected from a library of 148 compounds based on a pyridinyl-indole scaffold as a first-in-class 4R-tau radiotracer. In vitro binding assays showed [ 3 H]CBD-2115 had a K D value of 6.9 nM and a nominal B max of 500 nM in 4R-tau expressing P301L transgenic mouse tissue. In binding assays with human brain tissue homogenates, [ 3 H]CBD-2115 has a higher affinity (4.9 nM) for progressive supranuclear palsy specific 4R-tau deposits than [ 3 H]flortaucipir (45 nM) or [ 3 H]MK-6240 (>50 nM). [ 18 F]CBD-2115 was reliably synthesized (3−11% radiochemical yield with molar activity of 27−111 GBq/μmol and >97% radiochemical purity). Dynamic PET imaging was conducted in mice, rats, and nonhuman primates, and all species showed initial brain uptake of 0.5−0.65 standardized uptake value with fast clearance from normal tissues. [ 3 H]CBD-2115 could be a useful lead radioligand for further research in 4R-tauopathies, and PET radiotracer development will focus on improving brain uptake and binding affinity.