Small molecules that increase the oxygen affinity of human hemoglobin may reduce sickling of red blood cells in patients with sickle cell disease. We screened 38 700 compounds using small molecule microarrays and identified 427 molecules that bind to hemoglobin. We developed a high-throughput assay for evaluating the ability of the 427 small molecules to modulate the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin. We identified a novel allosteric effector of hemoglobin, di(5-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-2-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)disulfide (TD-1). TD-1 induced a greater increase in oxygen affinity of human hemoglobin in solution and in red blood cells than did 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furfural (5-HMF), N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), or diformamidine disulfide. The three-dimensional structure of hemoglobin complexed with TD-1 revealed that monomeric units of TD-1 bound covalently to β-Cys93 and β-Cys112, as well as noncovalently to the central water cavity of the hemoglobin tetramer. The binding of TD-1 to hemoglobin stabilized the relaxed state (R3-state) of hemoglobin. TD-1 increased the oxygen affinity of sickle hemoglobin and inhibited in vitro hypoxia-induced sickling of red blood cells in patients with sickle cell disease without causing hemolysis. Our study indicates that TD-1 represents a novel lead molecule for the treatment of patients with sickle cell disease.

No abstract

The therapeutic management of antibody-mediated autoimmune disease typically involves immunosuppressant and immunomodulatory strategies. However, perturbing the fundamental role of the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) in salvaging IgG from lysosomal degradation provides a novel approach – depleting the body of pathogenic immunoglobulin by preventing IgG binding to FcRn and thereby increasing the rate of IgG catabolism. Herein, we describe the discovery and preclinical evaluation of fully human monoclonal IgG antibody inhibitors of FcRn. Using phage display, we identified several potent inhibitors of human-FcRn in which binding to FcRn is pH-independent, with over 1000-fold higher affinity for human-FcRn than human IgG-Fc at pH 7.4. FcRn antagonism in vivo using a human-FcRn knock-in transgenic mouse model caused enhanced catabolism of exogenously administered human IgG. In non-human primates, we observed reductions in endogenous circulating IgG of >60% with no changes in albumin, IgM, or IgA. FcRn antagonism did not disrupt the ability of non-human primates to mount IgM/IgG primary and secondary immune responses. Interestingly, the therapeutic anti-FcRn antibodies had a short serum half-life but caused a prolonged reduction in IgG levels. This may be explained by the high affinity of the antibodies to FcRn at both acidic and neutral pH. These results provide important preclinical proof of concept data in support of FcRn antagonism as a novel approach to the treatment of antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases.

Elevated expression of insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is frequently observed in a variety of human malignancies, including breast, colon, and liver cancer. As IGF-II can deliver a mitogenic signal through both IGF-IR and an alternately spliced form of the insulin receptor (IR-A), neutralizing the biological activity of this growth factor directly is a potential alternative option to IGF-IR-directed agents. Using a Fab-displaying phage library and a biotinylated precursor form of IGF-II (1-104 amino acids) as a target, we isolated Fabs specific for the E-domain COOH-terminal extension form of IGF-II and for mature IGF-II. One of these Fabs that bound to both forms of IGF-II was reformatted into a full-length IgG, expressed, purified, and subjected to further analysis. This antibody (DX-2647) displayed a very high affinity for IGF-II/IGF-IIE (K D value of 49 and 10 pmol/L, respectively) compared with IGF

High-throughput and unbiased binding assays have proven useful in probe discovery for a myriad of biomolecules, including targets of unknown structure or function and historically challenging target classes. Over the past decade, a number of novel formats for executing large-scale binding assays have been developed and used successfully in probe discovery campaigns. Here we review the use of one such format, the small-molecule microarray (SMM), as a tool for discovering protein-small molecule interactions. This review will briefly highlight selected recent probe discoveries using SMMs as well as novel uses of SMMs in profiling applications.

Genome-wide association studies and genetic linkage studies have created a growing list of proteins related to disease. Small molecules can serve as useful probes of function for these proteins in a cellular setting or may serve as leads for therapeutic development. High-throughput and general binding assays may provide a path for discovering small molecules that target proteins for which little is known about structure or function or for which conventional functional assays have failed. One such binding assay involves small-molecule microarrays (SMMs) containing compounds that have been arrayed and immobilized onto a solid support. The SMMs can be incubated with a protein target of interest and protein-small molecule interactions may be detected using a variety of fluorescent readouts. Several suitable methods for manufacturing SMMs exist and different immobilization methods may be more or less preferable for any given application. Here, we describe protocols for covalent capture of small molecules using an isocyanate-coated glass surface and detection of binding using purified protein.

No abstract

The technique of small‐molecule microarray (SMM) screening is based on the ability of small molecules to bind to various soluble proteins. This type of interaction is easily detected by the presence of a fluorescence signal produced by labeled antibodies that specifically recognize a unique sequence (tag) present on the target protein. The fluorescent signal intensity values are determined based on signal‐to‐noise ratios (SNRs). SMM screening is a high‐throughput, unbiased method that can rapidly identify novel direct ligands for various protein targets. This binding‐based assay format is generally applicable to most proteins, but it is especially useful for protein targets that do not possess an enzymatic activity. SMMs enable screening a protein in a purified form or in the context of a cellular lysate, likely providing a more physiologically relevant screening environment. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.