BackgroundRecently, there has been a surge of interest in developing compounds selectively targeting mitochondria for the treatment of neoplasms. The critical role of mitochondria in cellular metabolism and respiration supports this therapeutic rationale. Dysfunction in the processes of energy production and metabolism contributes to attenuation of response to pro-apoptotic stimuli and increased ROS production both of which are implicated in the initiation and progression of most human cancers.Methodology/Principal FindingsA high-throughput MTT-based screen of over 10,000 drug-like small molecules for anti-proliferative activity identified the phosphonium salts TP187, 197 and 421 as having IC50 concentrations in the submicromolar range. TP treatment induced cell cycle arrest independent of p53 status, as determined by analysis of DNA content in propidium iodide stained cells. In a mouse model of human breast cancer, TP-treated mice showed significantly decreased tumor growth compared to vehicle or paclitaxel treated mice. No toxicities or organ damage were observed following TP treatment. Immunohistochemical staining of tissue sections from TP187-treated tumors demonstrated a decrease in cellular proliferation and increased caspase-3 cleavage. The fluorescent properties of analog TP421 were exploited to assess subcellular uptake of TP compounds, demonstrating mitochondrial localization. Following mitochondrial uptake cells exhibited decreased oxygen consumption and concomittant increase in mitochondrial superoxide production. Proteomics analysis of results from a 600 target antibody microarray demonstrated that TP compounds significantly affected signaling pathways relevant to growth and proliferation.Conclusions/SignificanceThrough our continued interest in designing compounds targeting cancer-cell metabolism, the Warburg effect, and mitochondria we recently discovered a series of novel, small-molecule compounds containing a triphenylphosphine moiety that show remarkable activity in a panel of cancer cell lines as well as in a mouse model of human breast cancer. The mechanism of action includes mitochondrial localization causing decreased oxygen consumption, increased superoxide production and attenuated growth factor signaling.

HIV-1 integrase (IN) is a validated therapeutic target for antiviral agents. However, the emergence of viral strains resistant to clinically studied IN inhibitors demands new structure and new mechanism IN inhibitors. Herein, we describe the design and discovery of novel IN inhibitors targeting the catalytic domain as well as its interaction with LEDGF/p75, which is essential for the HIV-1 integration as an IN cofactor. By merging the pharmacophores of salicylate and catechol, the 2,3-dihydroxybenzamide (5a) was identified as a new scaffold to inhibit the strand transfer reaction efficiently. Further structural modifications on the 2,3-dihydroxybenzamide scaffold revealed that the heteroaromatic functionality attached on the carboxamide portion and the piperidin-1-ylsulfonyl substituted at the phenyl ring are beneficial for the activity, resulting in a low micromolar IN inhibitor (5p, IC50 = 5 μM) with more than 40-fold selectivity for the strand transfer over the 3′-processing reaction. More significantly, this active scaffold remarkably inhibited the interaction between IN and LEDGF/p75 cofactor. The prototype example, N-(cyclohexylmethyl)-2,3-dihydroxy-5-(piperidin-1-ylsulfonyl) benzamide (5u) inhibited the IN-LEDGF/p75 interaction with an IC50 value of 8 μM. Based on the molecular modeling, the mechanism of action was hypothesized to involve the chelation of the divalent metal ions inside the IN active site. And the inhibitor of IN-LEDGF/p75 interaction was properly bound to the LEDGF/p75 binding site in IN protein. This work provided a new and efficient approach to evolve novel HIV-1 IN inhibitors from rational integration and optimization of previously reported inhibitors.

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The objective of this work was to evaluate the solution stability of the EC1 domain of E-cadherin under various conditions. The EC1 domain was incubated at various temperatures (4, 37, and 70 °C) and pH values (3.0, 7.0, and 9.0). At pH 9.0 and 37 or 70 °C, a significant loss of EC1 was observed due to precipitation and a hydrolysis reaction. The degradation was suppressed upon addition of DTT, suggesting that the formation of EC1 dimer facilitated the EC1 degradation. At 4 °C and various pH values, the EC1 secondary and tertiary showed changes upon incubation up to 28 days, and DTT prevented any structural changes upon 28 days of incubation. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the dimer of EC1 has higher mobility than does the monomer; this higher mobility of the EC1 dimer may contribute to instability of the EC1 domain.

Introduction: Pilocarpine hydrochloride (pilo) ophthalmic solution has traditionally been used for the treatment of glaucoma, with opportunities to improve the tolerability profile experienced by patients. Pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 1.25% (Vuity TM , Allergan, an AbbVie company) was approved in late 2021 for the treatment of adults with presbyopia. This publication describes the properties of the optimized, proprietary vehicle of this new ophthalmic solution developed with the aim of improving tolerability upon instillation. Methods: An in vitro method determined the time required for the pH of pilo 1.25% in the proprietary vehicle (Optimized Formulation) and a commercially available 1% pilo ophthalmic solution (Generic Formulation) to equilibrate with the pH of simulated tear fluid (STF). In a pilot study, five of the six screened participants received one drop of the Optimized Formulation in one eye and Generic Formulation in the other. Ocular discomfort and vision blur were evaluated for each eye just prior to and at multiple times after drop instillation using visual analog scales (VAS), and adverse events were assessed. Results: The in vitro method showed that the Optimized Formulation achieved faster pH equilibration than the Generic Formulation. The pilot study revealed that the Optimized Formulation demonstrated less ocular discomfort, vision blur, and adverse events compared to the Generic. Conclusion:The in vitro and pilot study of the Optimized Formulation indicated that it rapidly equilibrates to the physiologic pH of the tear film, providing greater comfort and tolerability while also minimizing vision blur. Overall, the proprietary vehicle is expected to improve comfort, result in less vision blur, and provide a well-tolerated alternative method to deliver pilo for the treatment of presbyopia when compared to what is commercially available.