Reactive astrocytes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) change their molecular expression pattern and release toxic factors that contribute to neurodegeneration and microglial activation. We and others identified a dysregulated inflammatory miRNA profile in ALS patients and in mice models suggesting that they represent potential targets for therapeutic intervention. Such cellular miRNAs are known to be released into the secretome and to be carried by small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), which may be harmful to recipient cells. Thus, ALS astrocyte secretome may disrupt cell homeostasis and impact on ALS pathogenesis. Previously, we identified a specific aberrant signature in the cortical brain of symptomatic SOD1-G93A (mSOD1) mice, as well as in astrocytes isolated from the same region of 7-day-old mSOD1 mice, with upregulated S100B/HMGB1/Cx43/vimentin and downregulated GFAP. The presence of downregulated miR-146a on both cases suggests that it can be a promising target for modulation in ALS. Here, we upregulated miR-146a with pre-miR-146a, and tested glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) and dipeptidyl vinyl sulfone (VS) for their immunoregulatory properties. VS was more effective in restoring astrocytic miR-146a, GFAP, S100B, HMGB1, Cx43, and vimentin levels than GUDCA, which only recovered Cx43 and vimentin mRNA. The miR-146a inhibitor generated typical ALS aberrancies in wild type astrocytes that were abolished by VS. Similarly, pre-miR-146a transfection into the mSOD1 astrocytes abrogated aberrant markers and intracellular Ca2+ overload. Such treatment counteracted miR-146a depletion in sEVs and led to secretome-mediated miR-146a enhancement in NSC-34-motor neurons (MNs) and N9-microglia. Secretome from mSOD1 astrocytes increased early/late apoptosis and FGFR3 mRNA in MNs and microglia, but not when derived from pre-miR-146a or VS-treated cells. These last strategies prevented the impairment of axonal transport and synaptic dynamics by the pathological secretome, while also averted microglia activation through either secretome, or their isolated sEVs. Proteomic analysis of the target cells indicated that pre-miR-146a regulates mitochondria and inflammation via paracrine signaling. We demonstrate that replenishment of miR-146a in mSOD1 cortical astrocytes with pre-miR-146a or by VS abrogates their phenotypic aberrancies and paracrine deleterious consequences to MNs and microglia. These results propose miR-146a as a new causal and emerging therapeutic target for astrocyte pathogenic processes in ALS.

Accumulation of mutated superoxide dismutase 1 (mSOD1) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) involves injury to motor neurons (MNs), activation of glial cells and immune unbalance. However, neuroinflammation, besides its detrimental effects, also plays beneficial roles in ALS pathophysiology. Therefore, the targeting of microglia to modulate the release of inflammatory neurotoxic mediators and their exosomal dissemination, while strengthening cell neuroprotective properties, has gained growing interest. We used the N9 microglia cell line to identify phenotype diversity upon the overexpression of wild-type (WT; hSOD1 WT ) and mutated G93A (hSOD1 G93A ) protein. To investigate how each transduced cell respond to an inflammatory stimulus, N9 microglia were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) and dipeptidyl vinyl sulfone (VS), known to exert neuroprotective properties, were tested for their immunoregulatory properties. Reduced Fizz1, IL-10 and TLR4 mRNAs were observed in both transduced cells. However, in contrast with hSOD1 WT -induced decreased of inflammatory markers, microglia transduced with hSOD1 G93A showed upregulation of pro-inflammatory (TNF-α/IL-1β/HMGB1/S100B/iNOS) and membrane receptors (MFG-E8/RAGE). Importantly, their derived exosomes were enriched in HMGB1 and SOD1. When inflammatory-associated miRNAs were evaluated, increased miR-146a in cells with overexpressed hSOD1 WT was not recapitulated in their exosomes, whereas hSOD1 G93A triggered elevated exosomal miR-155/miR-146a, but no changes in cells. LPS stimulus increased M1/M2 associated markers in the naïve microglia, including MFG-E8, miR-155 and miR-146a, whose expression was decreased in both hSOD1 WT and hSOD1 G93A cells treated with LPS. Treatment with GUDCA or VS led to a decrease of TNF-α, IL-1β, HMGB1, S100B and miR-155 in hSOD1 G93A microglia. Only GUDCA was able to increase cellular IL-10, RAGE and TLR4, together with miR-21, while decreased exosomal miR-155 cargo. Conversely, VS reduced MMP-2/MMP-9 activation, as well as upregulated MFG-E8 and miR-146a, while producing miR-21 shuttling into exosomes. The current study supports the powerful role of overexpressed hSOD1 WT in attenuating M1/M2 activation, and that of hSOD1 G93A in switching microglia from the steady state into a reactive phenotype with low responsiveness to stimuli. This work further reveals GUDCA and VS as promising modulators of microglia immune response by eliciting common and compound-specific molecular mechanisms that may promote neuroregeneration.

Rapid microglial activation and associated inflammatory pathways contribute to immune-defense and tissue repair in the central nervous system (CNS). However, persistent activation of these cells will ultimately result in vast production of pro-inflammatory mediators and other neurotoxic factors, which may induce neuronal damage and contribute to chronic neurodegenerative diseases, as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therefore, small molecules with immunomodulatory effects on microglia may be considered as potential tools to counteract their proinflammatory phenotype and neuroimmune dysregulation in such disorders. Indeed, reducing amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced microglia activation is believed to be effective in treating AD. In this study, we investigated whether dipeptidyl vinyl sulfone (VS) was able to attenuate Aβ-mediated inflammatory response using a mouse microglial (N9) cell line and a solution containing a mixture of Aβ aggregates. We show that low levels of VS are able to prevent cell death while reducing microglia phagocytosis upon Aβ treatment. VS also suppressed Aβ-induced expression of inflammatory mediators in microglia, such as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9, as well as high-mobility group box protein-1 (HMGB1), nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3)-inflammasome, and interleukin (IL)-1β. Interestingly, increased expression of the two critical inflammation-related microRNAs (miR)-155 and miR-146a in microglia upon Aβ treatment was also prevented by VS coincubation. Taken together, VS emerges as a potential new therapeutic strategy worthy of further investigation in improved cellular and animal models of AD.

Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) is a serine protease associated with several inflammatory processes such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The precise involvement of HNE in COPD and other inflammatory disease mechanisms has yet to be clarified. Herein we report a copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC, or 'click' chemistry) approach based on the 4-oxo-β-lactam warhead that yielded potent HNE inhibitors containing a triazole moiety. The resulting structure-activity relationships set the basis to develop fluorescent and biotinylated activity-based probes as tools for molecular functional analysis. Attaching the tags to the 4-oxo-β-lactam scaffold did not affect HNE inhibitory activity, as revealed by the IC50 values in the nanomolar range (56-118 nm) displayed by the probes. The nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD)-based probe presented the best binding properties (ligand efficiency (LE)=0.31) combined with an excellent lipophilic ligand efficiency (LLE=4.7). Moreover, the probes showed adequate fluorescence properties, internalization in human neutrophils, and suitable detection of HNE in the presence of a large excess of cell lysate proteins. This allows the development of activity-based probes with promising applications in target validation and identification, as well as diagnostic tools.

Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) is an attractive target for treating chronic and acute inflammatory lung diseases. An optimization campaign of the kojic acid scaffold to develop new potent HNE inhibitors is reported. O3-Pivaloyl derivatives were shown to be the most potent inhibitors with IC5o values down to 80 nM. These compounds presented excellent selectivity and cytotoxicity profiles with suitable ligand efficiency.

Dipeptidyl peptidases 8 and 9 (DPP8/9) have gathered interest as drug targets due to their important roles in biological processes like immunity and tumorigenesis. Elucidation of their distinct individual functions remains an ongoing task and could benefit from the availability of novel, chemically diverse and selective chemical tools. Here, we report the activity‐based protein profiling (ABPP)‐mediated discovery of 4‐oxo‐β‐lactams as potent, non‐substrate‐like nanomolar DPP8/9 inhibitors. X‐ray crystallographic structures revealed different ligand binding modes for DPP8 and DPP9, including an unprecedented targeting of an extended S2′ (eS2′) subsite in DPP8. Biological assays confirmed inhibition at both target and cellular levels. Altogether, our integrated chemical proteomics and structure‐guided small molecule design approach led to novel DPP8/9 inhibitors with alternative molecular inhibition mechanisms, delivering the highest selectivity index reported to date.

Activity‐based protein profiling (ABPP) is an approach used at the interface of chemical biology and proteomics that uses small molecular probes to provide dynamic fingerprints of enzymatic activity in complex proteomes. Malaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium parasites with a significant death burden and for which new therapies are actively being sought. Here, we compile the main achievements from ABPP studies in malaria and highlight the probes used and the different downstream platforms for data analysis. ABPP has excelled at studying Plasmodium cysteine proteases and serine hydrolase families, the targeting of the proteasome and metabolic pathways, and in the deconvolution of targets and mechanisms of known antimalarials. Despite the major impact in the field, many antimalarials and enzymatic families in Plasmodium remain to be studied, which suggests ABPP will be an evergreen technique in the field.

3-Oxo-β-sultams are four-membered ring ambident electrophiles that can react with nucleophiles either at the carbonyl carbon or at the sulfonyl sulfur atoms, and that have been reported to inhibit serine hydrolases via acylation of the active-site serine residue. We have developed a panel of 3-oxo-β-sultam inhibitors and show, through crystallographic data, that they are regioselective sulfonylating electrophiles, covalently binding to the catalytic serine of human and porcine elastases through the sulfur atom. Application of 3-oxo-β-sultam-derived activity-based probes in a human proteome revealed their potential to label disease-related serine hydrolases and proteasome subunits. Activity-based protein profiling applications of 3-oxo-β-sultams should open up new opportunities to investigate these classes of enzymes in complex proteomes and expand the toolbox of available sulfur-based covalent protein modifiers in chemical biology.