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Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) neurodegeneration in glaucoma has potential links with amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition. Targeting the Aβ pathway was shown to reduce RGC apoptosis and protect RGCs from degeneration. We report exploratory studies on the amyloid Aβ

Ubiquitination is a key enzymatic post-translational modification that influences p53 stability and function. p53 protein regulates the expression of MDM2 (mouse double-minute 2 protein) E3 ligase and MDMX (double-minute 4 protein), through proteasome-based degradation. Exploration of targeting the ubiquitination pathway offers a potentially promising strategy for precision therapy in a variety of cancers. The p53-MDM2-MDMX pathway provides multiple molecular targets for small molecule screening as potential therapies for wild-type p53. As a result of its effect on molecular carcinogenesis, a personalized therapeutic approach based on the wild-type and mutant p53 protein is desirable. We highlighted the implications of p53 mutations in cancer, p53 ubiquitination mechanistic details, targeting p53-MDM2/MDMX interactions, significant discoveries related to MDM2 inhibitor drug development, MDM2 and MDMX dual target inhibitors, and clinical trials with p53-MDM2/MDMX-targeted drugs. We also investigated potential therapeutic repurposing of selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) in targeting p53-MDM2/MDMX interactions. Molecular docking studies of SERMs were performed utilizing the solved structures of the p53/MDM2/MDMX proteins. These studies identified ormeloxifene as a potential dual inhibitor of p53/MDM2/MDMX interaction, suggesting that repurposing SERMs for dual targeting of p53/MDM2 and p53/MDMX interactions is an attractive strategy for targeting wild-type p53 tumors and warrants further preclinical research.

Two mixed-valence cobalt complexes, [CoIICoIII2(mpm)6](ClO4)2 (1) and [CoII2CoIII2(μ3-OMe)2(μ-mpm)4(NO3)4] (2), where mpm is the deprotonated form of R or S α-methyl-2-pyridinemethanol, have been structurally and magnetically characterized. Both complexes crystallize in chiral space groups, where 1 is a trinuclear compound with a linear Co(III)–Co(II)–Co(III) topology and 2 is a tetranuclear cluster with a defect dicubane-type structure that has two missing vertices. In both cases the mpm− ligand bridges adjacent Co ions in a η1:η2:μ manner. The molecular geometries of the complexes reveal the Co ions are octahedral, where the greatest deviation from Oh symmetry is apparent for the HS d7 Co(II) ions. The chirality of 1 and 2 were studied by circular dichroism spectroscopy where opposite Cotton effects are observed for the R- and S-enantiomers of both complexes. Magnetic susceptibility studies reveal the presence of largely quenched first order orbital angular momentum together with weak ion or intermolecular dipole exchange.

Treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major challenge at the moment with no new drugs available to cure this devastating neurodegenerative disorder. In this regard, drug repurposing, which aims to determine novel therapeutic usage for drugs already approved by the regulatory agencies, is a pragmatic approach to discover novel treatment strategies. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a known class of United States Food and Drug Administration approved drugs used in the treatment of depression. We investigated the ability of SSRIs fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline, and escitalopram on Aβ42 aggregation and fibrillogenesis. Remarkably, the aggregation kinetic experiments carried out demonstrate the anti-Aβ42 aggregation activity of SSRIs fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline at all the tested concentrations (1, 10, 50, and 100 μM). Both fluoxetine and paroxetine were identified as the most promising SSRIs, showing 74.8 and 76% inhibition of Aβ42 aggregation at 100 μM. The transmission electron microscopy experiments and dot-blot study also demonstrate the ability of fluoxetine and paroxetine to prevent Aβ42 aggregation and fibrillogenesis, providing further evidence. Investigating the binding interactions of fluoxetine and paroxetine in the Aβ42 oligomer and fibril models derived from the solid-state NMR structure suggests that these SSRIs interact at a region close to the N-terminal (Lys16-Glu22) in the S-shaped cross-β-strand assembly and reduce Aβ42 fibrillogenesis. On the basis of this study, a pharmacophore model is proposed which shows that the minimum structural requirements to design novel Aβ42 aggregation inhibitors include the presence of one ionizable group, one hydrophobic group, two aromatic rings, and two hydrogen bond donor groups. These studies demonstrate that SSRIs have the potential to prevent Aβ42 aggregation by direct binding and could be beneficial to AD patients on SSRIs.

This chapter provides a summary on the recent progress in discovering small molecule therapies aimed at Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In particular, the focus is on hybrid small molecules that exhibit multifunctional properties. A summary on the design, synthetic methods utilized, in vitro and in vivo assays used, and activity data of small molecules based on diverse core templates such as quinones, selenazolones, stilbenes, hydroxyanthraquinones, indoles, coumarins, phenothiazines, phenoselenazines, pyrimidinylthioureas, quinazolines, pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidines, thiazoles, pyridothiazoles, benzyloxyphenylpiperazines, and quinolone-indoles is described. Due to a string of recent clinical trial failures in search of anti-AD drugs, the tide is slowly shifting toward developing multifunctional small molecules as anti-AD agents. From a regulatory perspective, developing multitarget-directed ligands for treating AD would significantly increase the cost and duration in drug discovery and market launch. However, the progress to date on this front holds tremendous promise and hope to find a cure for AD.

Homometallic {NiII4} cubane-like clusters with a rare chiral core have been prepared via the employment of enantiomerically pure 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)pyridine (Hmpm). Comparison with the achiral cubanes derived from the related 2-pyridinemethanol (Hpym) ligand reveals drastic structural changes as a consequence of the transfer of chirality from the ligands to the whole structure. Their magnetic properties have been related to the structural features of their cubane-type cores.

Homometallic {NiII4} cubane-like clusters with a rare chiral core have been prepared via the employment of enantiomerically pure 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)pyridine (Hmpm). Comparison with the achiral cubanes derived from the related 2-pyridinemethanol (Hpym) ligand reveals drastic structural changes as a consequence of the transfer of chirality from the ligands to the whole structure. Their magnetic properties have been related to the structural features of their cubane-type cores.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are reported to exert beneficial effects in Alzheimer's disease. Some PUFAs are known to reduce amyloid-beta (Aβ) toxicity by promoting its degradation and clearance. Studies on the direct interactions of PUFAs with Aβ peptides are limited and contradictory. In this study, we report the interactions of fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), arachidonic acid (ARA), linoleic acid (LNA) and oleic acid (OA) with Aβ peptides by carrying out fluorescence based aggregation kinetic experiments, transmission electron microscopy and molecular docking studies. Our investigations demonstrate that all the fatty acids tested exhibit anti-aggregation properties by preventing both Aβ40 and Aβ42 fibrillogenesis (∼16–84% inhibition). OA and DHA were identified as excellent inhibitors of Aβ40 or Aβ42 fibrillogenesis respectively (∼84% and 81% inhibition at 25 μM). Molecular docking studies conducted, using the dimer and oligomer models of Aβ40 peptide, suggest that these fatty acids interact in the aggregation prone Phe19–Ala21 and the β-turn region (Asp23–Lys28) whereas a similar study with Aβ42 dimer and oligomer models, indicate that the fatty acids were oriented in a hydrophobic region (Gln15, Leu16, Leu17 and Leu34). These results, suggest that DHA, EPA, ALA, ARA, LNA and OA are capable of directly interacting with both Aβ40 and Aβ42 peptides. These studies will have implications in developing potential therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease.