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Cocrystallization is an important method to obtain high-energy and low-sensitivity explosives. Therefore, the synthesis, structures, and properties of cocrystal energetic materials have become a highly active research topic. Studying the physical and chemical properties of cocrystal energetic materials by molecular dynamics is of great significance for the in-depth understanding and design/synthesis of new cocrystal energetic materials. This review introduces the method of molecular dynamics, the cocrystal energetic materials synthesized successfully to date, and the application of molecular dynamics to cocrystal energetic materials. The existing problems and future development directions are discussed. We hope that this review will encourage researchers interested in the field to design and synthesize high-energy and low-sensitive energetic materials with practical application value.

Aberrant activation of FGFR signaling occurs in many cancers, and ATP-competitive FGFR inhibitors have received regulatory approval. Despite demonstrating clinical efficacy, these inhibitors exhibit dose-limiting toxicity, potentially due to a lack of selectivity amongst the FGFR family and are poorly tolerated. Here, we report the discovery and characterization of DGY-09-192, a bivalent degrader that couples the pan-FGFR inhibitor BGJ398 to a CRL2(VHL) E3 ligase recruiting ligand, which preferentially induces FGFR1&2 degradation while largely sparing FGFR3&4. DGY-09-192 exhibited two-digit nanomolar DC(50)s for both wildtype FGFR2 and several FGFR2-fusions, resulting in degradation-dependent antiproliferative activity in representative gastric cancer and cholangiocarcinoma cells. Importantly, DGY-09-192 induced degradation of a clinically relevant FGFR2 fusion protein in a xenograft model. Taken together, we demonstrate that DGY-09-192 has potential as a prototype FGFR degrader.

Cereblon (CRBN) is an E3 ligase adapter protein that can be reprogrammed by imide-class compounds such as thalidomide, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide to induce the degradation of neo-substrate proteins. In order to identify additional small molecule CRBN modulators, we implemented a focused combinatorial library approach where we fused an imide-based CRBN-binding pharmacophore to a heterocyclic scaffold, which could be further elaborated. We screened the library for CRBN-dependent antiproliferative activity in the multiple myeloma cell line MM1.S and identified five hit compounds. Quantitative chemical proteomics of hit compounds revealed that they induced selective degradation of GSPT1, a translation termination factor that is currently being explored as a therapeutic target for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Molecular docking studies with CRBN and GSPT1 followed by analogue synthesis identified a possible hydrogen bond interaction with the central pyrimidine ring as a molecular determinant of hit compounds' selectivity. This study demonstrates that a focused combinatorial library design, phenotypic screening, and chemical proteomics can provide a suitable workflow to efficiently identify novel CRBN modulators.

High-energy low-sensitivity explosives are research objectives in the field of energetic materials, and the formation of cocrystals is an important method to improve the safety of explosives. However, the sensitivity reduction mechanism of cocrystal explosives is still unclear. In this study, CL-20/TNT, CL-20 and TNT crystals were taken as research objects. On the basis of the ReaxFF-lg reactive force field, the propagation process of the wave front in the crystals at different impact velocities was simulated. The molecular dynamics data were used to analyze the molecular structure changes and initial chemical reactions, and to explore the sensitivity reduction mechanism of the CL-20/TNT cocrystal. The results showed that the chemical reaction of the CL-20/TNT cocrystal, compared with the CL-20 single crystal, is different under different impact velocities. At an impact velocity of 2 km/s, polymerization and separation of the component molecules weakened the decomposition of CL-20. At an impact velocity of 3 km/s, the decay rates of CL-20 and TNT in the cocrystal decreased, and the intermediate products were enhanced, such as nitrogen oxides. At an impact velocity of 4 km/s, the cocrystal had little effect on the decay rates of the molecules and formation of CO2, but it enhanced formation of N2 and H2O. This may explain the reason for the impact-sensitivity reduction of the CL-20/TNT cocrystal.

Targeted protein degradation (TPD) uses small molecules to recruit E3 ubiquitin ligases into the proximity of proteins of interest, inducing ubiquitination-dependent degradation. A major bottleneck in the TPD field is the lack of accessible E3 ligase ligands for developing degraders. To expand the E3 ligase toolbox, we sought to convert the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) inhibitor KI696 into a recruitment handle for several targets. While we were able to generate KEAP1-recruiting degraders of BET family and murine focal adhesion kinase (FAK), we discovered that the target scope of KEAP1 was narrow, as targets easily degraded using a cereblon (CRBN)-recruiting degrader were refractory to KEAP1-mediated degradation. Linking the KEAP1-binding ligand to a CRBN-binding ligand resulted in a molecule that induced degradation of KEAP1 but not CRBN. In sum, we characterize tool compounds to explore KEAP1-mediated ubiquitination and delineate the challenges of exploiting new E3 ligases for generating bivalent degraders.

Quinolines and thiazolopyridines were developed as allosteric inhibitors of MALT1, with good cellular potency and exquisite selectivity. Mouse pharmacokinetic (PK) profiling showed these to have low in vivo clearance, and moderate oral exposure. The thiazolopyridines were less lipophilic than the quinolines, and one thiazolopyridine example was active in our hIL10 mouse pharmacodynamic (PD) model upon oral dosing.

Most cancer cells are dependent on a network of deregulated signaling pathways for survival and are insensitive, or rapidly evolve resistance, to selective inhibitors aimed at a single target. For these reasons, drugs that target more than one protein (polypharmacology) can be clinically advantageous. The discovery of useful polypharmacology remains serendipitous and is challenging to characterize and validate. In this study, we developed a non-genetic strategy for the identification of pathways that drive cancer cell proliferation and represent exploitable signaling vulnerabilities. Our approach is based on using a multitargeted kinase inhibitor, SM1-71, as a tool compound to identify combinations of targets whose simultaneous inhibition elicits a potent cytotoxic effect. As a proof of concept, we applied this approach to a KRAS-dependent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line, H23-KRAS(G12C). Using a combination of phenotypic screens, signaling analyses, and kinase inhibitors, we found that dual inhibition of MEK1/2 and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R)/insulin receptor (INSR) is critical for blocking proliferation in cells. Our work supports the value of multitargeted tool compounds with well-validated polypharmacology and target space as tools to discover kinase dependences in cancer. We propose that the strategy described here is complementary to existing genetics-based approaches, generalizable to other systems, and enabling for future mechanistic and translational studies of polypharmacology in the context of signaling vulnerabilities in cancers.

On the basis of the host–guest molecular recognition interaction between β-cyclodextrin and azobenzene, two kinds of supramolecular self-assemblies (Py-CD⊃Azo-C and Py-CD⊃Azo-C3) were constructed. Owing to the azo group on the guest molecule, supramolecular vesicles could reversibly realize disassembly and reassembly under irradiation with UV and visible light. Because of the existence of terpyridine groups on the surfaces of supramolecular vesicles, addition of metal ions triggers the vesicle–vesicle self-assembly from the nanoscale to the microscale.

Targeted protein degradation represents a rapidly growing area in drug discovery and development. Moreover, small molecules that induce the targeted degradation of a given protein also represent an important addition to the chemical probes toolbox as these compounds can achieve selective protein knockdown, thus providing an approach that is orthogonal to genetic knockdowns. In order to develop degradation-inducing chemical probes for studying cereblon (CRBN) biology, we generated six CRBN-CRBN (homo-PROTAC) degraders and six CRBN-VHL (hetero-PROTAC) degraders. From these compounds we identified two potent and selective CRBN degraders (ZXH-4-130 and ZXH-4-137), both of which are CRBN-VHL compounds. We characterized these lead degraders by quantitative proteomics in five cell lines (MM1.S, Kelly, SK-N-DZ, HEK293T, and MOLT-4) and observed high selectivity for CRBN in all cell lines. Furthermore, we directly compared our compounds to current lead CRBN degraders and demonstrated how these probes can be used as chemical knockdown reagents for studying CRBN-dependent processes. Overall, our work provides a roadmap for thorough degrader characterization by combination western and proteomic analysis, as illustrated by the identification of ZXH-4-130 and ZXH-4-137 as CRBN-knockdown tool compounds suitable for cell-based studies.

SRC is a major regulator of many signaling pathways and contributes to cancer development. However, development of a selective SRC inhibitor has been challenging, and FDA-approved SRC inhibitors, dasatinib and bosutinib, are multitargeted kinase inhibitors. Here, we describe our efforts to develop a selective SRC covalent inhibitor by targeting cysteine 277 on the P-loop of SRC. Using a promiscuous covalent kinase inhibitor (CKI) SM1-71 as a starting point, we developed covalent inhibitor 15a, which discriminates SRC from other covalent targets of SM1-71 including TAK1 and FGFR1. As an irreversible covalent inhibitor, compound 15a exhibited sustained inhibition of SRC signaling both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, 15a exhibited potent antiproliferative effects in nonsmall cell lung cancer cell lines harboring SRC activation, thus providing evidence that this approach may be promising for further drug development efforts.

A concise formal synthesis of (+)-phomactin A has been achieved. The key features of this synthetic strategy involve a one-pot Prins/Conia-ene cyclization protocol for the construction of the highly functionalized 1-oxadeclin core (AB ring) and a late-stage direct γ-hydroxylation of enone for the installation of the C ring.

Introduction ABC-DLBCL is characterized by chronic activation of NFκB, which is dependent on the CARD11-BCL10-MALT1 (CBM) complex. MALT1 activates NFκB transcription factors via distinct protease and scaffold functions. Clinical allosteric MALT1 protease inhibitors are in development, however these agents partially preserve NFκB activation via MALT1 scaffold function. In addition, MALT1 protease is critical for regulatory T cell (Treg) function, and its inactivation is associated with increased inflammatory cytokine expression by T-effector cells. However, overt inflammation is not seen with MALT1 knockout. It is therefore possible that MALT1 protease inhibition with preserved scaffold function will lead to autoimmune toxicities. As an alternative strategy, we developed MALT1-directed proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds which consist of a MALT1-binding domain linked to an IMiD-based cereblon (CRBN) binding domain, which induce ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of MALT1. Here we present preliminary studies of a lead compound, PS-II-115, to assess feasibility of this approach for ABC-DLBCL. Results To assess MALT1 protein degradation, OCI-Ly3 cells were treated with DMSO or PS-II-115 10 µM for 24 hours and immunoblots of cell lysates were performed. PS-II-115 induced degradation of MALT1 (degradation ±SEM 73.94 ±9.8% vs DMSO, N = 3). No significant degradation of CRBN neosubstrates IKZF1, IKZF3, or GSPT1 was seen. To assess effects downstream of MALT1, we treated OCI-Ly3 cells with PS-II-115 for 23.5 hours followed by stimulation with PMA/IO for 30 minutes, and immunoblots were performed. We found increased IκB, an inhibitor of NFκB which is degraded following MALT1 scaffold mediated IKK activation, in PS-II-115 treated cells (IkB 206% compared to DMSO), suggesting that MALT1 degradation inhibits MALT1 scaffold-mediated NFκB activation pathways. To measure MALT1 protease inhibition, we used the GloSensor split luciferase method, in which a chimeric protein is cleaved by MALT1 resulting in functional luciferase. Raji cells expressing this construct were treated with DMSO or PS-II-115 for 23.5 hours followed by stimulation with PMA/IO for 30 minutes, and GloSensor assay was performed. PS-II-115 induced dose-dependent inhibition of MALT1 protease activity compared to DMSO (IC 50 1.203 µM, 95% CI 0.374-4.230, N=4). To assess growth inhibition, ABC-DLBCL and GCB-DLBCL cell lines were treated with DMSO or PS-II-115 for 96 hours, and CellTiter Glo assay was performed. GCB-DLBCLs are not dependent on chronic NFκB activation and were expected to be resistant to PS-II-115. PS-II-115 induced growth inhibition of ABC-DLBCL cell lines (OCI-Ly3 IC 50 2.54 µM, OCI-Ly10 IC 50 9.65 µM, TMD8 IC 50 1.87 µM, N=4) more potently than GCB-DLBCL cell lines (OCI-Ly1 IC 50 34.6 µM, OCI-Ly7 IC 50 >50 µM, N=4), suggesting the effect of PS-II-115 is based on MALT1 rather than off-target effects. We then assessed the impact of PS-II-115 on T cell phenotypes. Human T cells were isolated from healthy donors' peripheral blood. Cells were stimulated with CD3/CD28 beads and treated with DMSO, PS-II-115, or an allosteric MALT1 inhibitor for 48 or 96 hours and flow cytometry was performed. We found a significant decrease in CD4+ FOXP3+ CD25+ CD127- Tregs among cells treated with PS-II-115 1 µM or allosteric inhibitor compared to DMSO at 48 hours (PS-II-115 3.89%, allo inh 3.85%, DMSO 9.72% Tregs among CD4+ T cells, P Conclusion We describe a MALT1-directed PROTAC which induces (1) degradation of MALT1 with preservation of other IMiD-associated CRBN neosubstrates, (2) blockade of MALT1 scaffold mediated NFκB activation pathways, (3) MALT1 protease inhibition, (4) selective growth inhibition of ABC-DLBCL cell lines, (5) decrease in Tregs, and (6) decrease in CD4+ TEMRA cells. These results provide proof of principle that MALT1 degradation using a PROTAC compound is a feasible strategy against ABC-DLBCL, and may have distinct effects on T-effector phenotypes compared to MALT1 protease inhibition. Further studies are needed to elucidate immunologic effects of MALT1 degradation and to validate findings in vivo. Disclosures Fontan: Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Current Employment. Gray: Gatekeeper: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Syros: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Petra: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; C4: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Allorion: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Jengu: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; B2S: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Inception: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; EcoCys: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; Soltego: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Research Funding; Takeda: Research Funding; Astellas: Research Funding; Taiho: Research Funding; Janssen: Research Funding; Kinogen: Research Funding; Her2IIc: Research Funding; Deerfield: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding. Melnick: Constellation: Consultancy; Epizyme: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Research Funding; Sanofi: Research Funding; Janssen Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; KDAC Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Summary Mammalian tissues engage in specialized physiology that is regulated through reversible modification of protein cysteine residues by reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS regulate a myriad of biological processes, but the protein targets of ROS modification that drive tissue-specific physiology in vivo are largely unknown. Here, we develop Oximouse, a comprehensive and quantitative mapping of the mouse cysteine redox proteome in vivo. We use Oximouse to establish several paradigms of physiological redox signaling. We define and validate cysteine redox networks within each tissue that are tissue selective and underlie tissue-specific biology. We describe a common mechanism for encoding cysteine redox sensitivity by electrostatic gating. Moreover, we comprehensively identify redox-modified disease networks that remodel in aged mice, establishing a systemic molecular basis for the long-standing proposed links between redox dysregulation and tissue aging. We provide the Oximouse compendium as a framework for understanding mechanisms of redox regulation in physiology and aging.

Potent and selective substrate-based covalent inhibitors of MALT1 protease were developed from the tetrapeptide tool compound Z-VRPR-fmk. To improve cell permeability, we replaced one arginine residue. We further optimized a series of tripeptides and identified compounds that were potent in both a GloSensor reporter assay measuring cellular MALT1 protease activity, and an OCI-Ly3 cell proliferation assay. Example compounds showed good overall selectivity towards cysteine proteases, and one compound was selected for further profiling in ABL-DLBCL cells and xenograft efficacy models.

A water-soluble and emissive Eu-complex (EuL1) bearing a DO3A(Eu3+)–pyridine–aza-crown motif has been prepared and its Cu2+ complex has been demonstrated to be a smart luminescence “off–on” gate for H2S detection in water with a nano-molar detection limit (60 nM). EuL1 binds to Cu2+ ions selectively (KB = 1.2 × 105 M−1) inducing 17-fold luminescence quenching and forming a 1 : 1 stoichiometric complex (EuL1–Cu2+), which responds to H2S selectively with restoration of the original Eu emission of EuL1 followed by a further 40-fold luminescence enhancement, forming a 1 : 1 stoichiometric complex (EuL1–Na2S, KB = 1.5 × 104 M−1). Without Cu2+ ions, EuL1 showed non-specific binding towards H2S with only a 5-fold luminescence enhancement.

Summary Covalent kinase inhibitors, which typically target cysteine residues, represent an important class of clinically relevant compounds. Approximately 215 kinases are known to have potentially targetable cysteines distributed across 18 spatially distinct locations proximal to the ATP-binding pocket. However, only 40 kinases have been covalently targeted, with certain cysteine sites being the primary focus. To address this disparity, we have developed a strategy that combines the use of a multi-targeted acrylamide-modified inhibitor, SM1-71, with a suite of complementary chemoproteomic and cellular approaches to identify additional targetable cysteines. Using this single multi-targeted compound, we successfully identified 23 kinases that are amenable to covalent inhibition including MKNK2, MAP2K1/2/3/4/6/7, GAK, AAK1, BMP2K, MAP3K7, MAPKAPK5, GSK3A/B, MAPK1/3, SRC, YES1, FGFR1, ZAK (MLTK), MAP3K1, LIMK1, and RSK2. The identification of nine of these kinases previously not targeted by a covalent inhibitor increases the number of targetable kinases and highlights opportunities for covalent kinase inhibitor development.

An acid-base switchable [c2]daisy chain rotaxane terminated with two 2,6-diacetylamino pyridine units has been self-assembled with a bis(uracil) linker. The complementary hydrogen-bond recognition patterns, together with lateral van der Waals aggregations, result in the hierarchical formation of unidimensional supramolecular polymers associated in bundles of muscle-like fibers. Microscopic and scattering techniques reveal that the mesoscopic structure of these bundles depends on the extended or contracted states that the rotaxanes show within individual polymer chains. The observed local dynamics span over several length scales because of a combination of supramolecular and mechanical bonds. This work illustrates the possibility to modify the hierarchical mesoscopic structuring of large polymeric systems by the integrated actuation of individual molecular machines.

A new synthetic method for the synthesis of benzothiazoles via PCl3 and DBU promoted cleavage/acylation/cyclization tandem reaction of disulfides and aromatic carboxylic acids has been developed. PCl3 acted as both an acylating reagent and a disulfide cleaving reagent, which promoted disulfides of 2-aminobenzenethiol to react with aromatic carboxylic acid to produce benzothiazole derivatives.

A family of triarylamine-fullerene conjugates has been synthesized and shown to self-assemble upon light stimulation in chlorinated solvents. This light-induced process primarily involves excitation of triarylamine derivatives, which then oxidize and stack with their neutral counterparts to form charge transfer complexes in the form of p-conducting channels, while fullerenes are consequently enforced in coaxial n-conducting columnar arrangements. These supramolecular heterojunctions can be organized over very long distances in micrometric fibers when a controlled amount of photons is provided from a white light source to initiate the process. Surprisingly, when sunlight or UV light is used instead, the nanostructuration leads to monodisperse spherical objects due to the nature of the nucleation-growth process involved in the stacks formation. This control over the supramolecular morphology of organic self-assemblies using the nature of light is of general interest for the design of functional responsive materials.

A versatile and straightforward approach to the total synthesis of the dispirocyclic natural products aculeatins A, B, and D and 6-epi-aculeatin D was developed. The key steps involve a catalytic asymmetric aldol reaction using a titanium(IV) tetraisopropoxide/(S)-[1,1′-binaphthalene]-2,2′-diol system to form a C-2 hydroxy group, a hydroxy-directed­ reduction, and a Weinreb ketone synthesis.

A logic gate based on a bistable [c2] daisy chain rotaxane decorated with lateral triarylamine units is described, giving rise to an INHIBIT logic function using proton concentration and light as inputs, and producing dual color change and supramolecular self-assembly as outputs.

The paracaspase MALT1 plays an essential role in activated B cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (ABC DLBCL) downstream of B cell and TLR pathway genes mutated in these tumors. Although MALT1 is considered a compelling therapeutic target, the development of tractable and specific MALT1 protease inhibitors has thus far been elusive. Here, we developed a target engagement assay that provides a quantitative readout for specific MALT1-inhibitory effects in living cells. This enabled a structure-guided medicinal chemistry effort culminating in the discovery of pharmacologically tractable, irreversible substrate-mimetic compounds that bind the MALT1 active site. We confirmed that MALT1 targeting with compound 3 is effective at suppressing ABC DLBCL cells in vitro and in vivo. We show that a reduction in serum IL-10 levels exquisitely correlates with the drug pharmacokinetics and degree of MALT1 inhibition in vitro and in vivo and could constitute a useful pharmacodynamic biomarker to evaluate these compounds in clinical trials. Compound 3 revealed insights into the biology of MALT1 in ABC DLBCL, such as the role of MALT1 in driving JAK/STAT signaling and suppressing the type I IFN response and MHC class II expression, suggesting that MALT1 inhibition could prime lymphomas for immune recognition by cytotoxic immune cells.

Herein, we report the self-assembly of a mono terpyridine-based building block modified with long alkyl chains, which gives rise to vesicular aggregates in aqueous media. The vesicles are responsive to transition metal ions, and form different kinds of aggregates after metal-ligand coordination. In particular, Ni(ii) shows a unique influence on morphological transitions, whereby vesicles aggregate and fuse upon the addition of Ni(ii) ions. Spectroscopic and morphological studies are highlighted in this work. Furthermore, the formed vesicles could behave as a matrix for encapsulating fluorescent dyes with similar molecular structure via co-assembly, enabling more accurate observation of vesicle aggregation via confocal laser scanning techniques.

A systematic study of the biomimetic pathways to yezo’otogirin C under aerobic and anaerobic conditions has been investigated, and both are found to be feasible pathways to the natural product depending on the physiological conditions. Because of the lower activation energy, the aerobic process would be more favorable when the in vivo oxygen level is high. In the course of this study, a highly efficient synthetic route to (±)-yezo’otogirin C has been established in four steps (31% overall yield) from a readily available compound without using any protecting groups. The natural product and its structural analogues exhibited antitumor activities against several human cancer cell lines and appeared to arrest cell cycles in different phases.

Here, we report a dual stimuli-responsive organogel which can stabilize graphene oxide (GO) in apolar solvents. The gelator 1-octadecyl-ureido-naphthalene (OUN) was synthesized, and it could form organogel in toluene and xylene. The resultant gels can respond to thermal and anion stimuli, bringing about fluorescent changes. Thin nanoribbons are entangled together to form three dimensional networks that can immobilize solvents in gel, providing large superficial area to interact with GO sheets. The addition of GO influences the gel properties, which are studied through rheological, fluorescent, and DSC measurements.

MALT1 is a protease and scaffold protein involved in signal transduction to NF-κB downstream of several receptors including B-cell (BCR) and T-cell receptors (TCR). MALT1 is aberrantly activated in ABC DLBCL by mutations in upstream genes in the BCR and TLR pathways (CD79A/B, CARD11, MYD88) and is critical for proliferation and survival. Recent studies by our lab, and others, identified inhibitors of MALT1 protease activity that revealed MALT1 is therapeutically targetable in ABC DLBCL. MALT1 is also essential for CLL, MCL and certain solid tumors (most notably lung cancer and glioblastoma). A first-in-man clinical trial recently started to evaluate MALT1 protease inhibition in B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. However, chronic inactivation of MALT1 protease activity suppressed T regulatory cells in vivo in protease dead murine models causing fast progressing autoimmune disease and death. Loss of MALT1, on the other hand, has also potent anti-tumoral effects but does not lead to autoimmunity in murine models. These findings prompted us to study alternative MALT1 targeting therapeutic approaches aimed to target its scaffolding activity. We have developed a series of proteolytic targeting chimera (PROTAC) compounds against MALT1. PROTACs are bifunctional compounds that induce selective proteolysis by targeting proteins of interest to E3 ligases for directed proteosomal degradation. Our MALT1 PROTACs are based on an allosteric MALT1 inhibitor that binds reversibly to MALT1 and fused to a Cereblon (CRBN) binding moiety, with the intent of bringing the CRBN E3 ligase complex in close proximity of MALT1 and promoting its ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. We performed structure-activity relationship analysis and studied: 1) three linker attachment points in the MALT1 binding moiety and evaluated their MALT1 enzymatic inhibitory activity and binding to MALT1; 2) the effect of distinct linker length and polarity in MALT1 degradation and, 3) compared the effect of Lenalidomide, Pomalidomide and CC-220, which have increasing CRBN affinities, as alternative CRBN-binding moieties. Six out of eighteen compounds presented higher than 50% MALT1 degradation at 1 μM compared to vehicle treated cells in a MALT1-dependent cell line, OCI-Ly3. The parental allosteric compound, on the other hand, did not affect MALT1 levels compared to vehicle treated cells and was used as a negative control for MALT1 degradation. Compounds that actively degraded MALT1 over 50% preserved selective killing of ABC DLBCL over GCB DLBCL, same as the parental MALT1 inhibitor. GI50 of active compounds in OCI-Ly3 was 2-6 μM while it was greater than 20 μM for the MALT1-independent cell line OCI-Ly1. We chose two of our most effective and selective compounds to validate MALT1 PROTACs mechanism of action. Unlike their parental MALT1 targeting allosteric compound, MALT1 PROTACs effectively degraded MALT1 in a CRBN-dependent manner as shown in a 293T-CRBN knockout cell line or in OCI-Ly3 cells by treatment with 1 μM MLN4924. MLN4924 inhibits NEDD8-activating enzyme which is essential for the CRBN complex to function. Notably, MALT1 PROTACs degraded MALT1 in OCI-Ly1 cells (FC=-2.5) and Raji cells (FC=-1.7), where MALT1 is inactive. MALT1 degradation by PROTACs was not affected by activation in Raji cells, since PMA/ionomycin treatment did not alter the effect of MALT1 PROTACs on MALT1 levels. Therefore, MALT1 PROTACs can degrade MALT1 independent of its activation state. Moreover, unlike MALT1 protease inhibitors, MALT1 PROTACs potently suppress NF-κB activation, which is dependent on MALT1 scaffolding activity, as assessed by WB of phopho and total IκB in ABC DLBCL cell lines. Our data shows that MALT1 PROTACs could be excellent agents for the treatment of ABC DLBCL and other lymphomas, providing an alternative to enzymatic targeting that might prove useful to avoid autoimmunity or overcome resistance mechanisms. Disclosures Gray: Gatekeeper, Syros, Petra, C4, B2S and Soltego.: Equity Ownership; Novartis, Takeda, Astellas, Taiho, Janssen, Kinogen, Voronoi, Her2llc, Deerfield and Sanofi.: Equity Ownership, Research Funding. Melnick:Constellation: Consultancy; Janssen: Research Funding; Epizyme: Consultancy.

The first and protective group-free total synthesis of (±)-yezo'otogirin C has been achieved from 3-methyl-4-prenylcyclohex-2-enone in eight steps with 23% overall yield. The tricyclic core of (±)-yezo'otogirin C was established via a bioinspired oxidative cascade cyclization strategy using Mn(II)/Mn(III) and O2, followed by reduction of the peroxy-bridged intermediate using thiourea in refluxing methanol.

Xanthine oxidase (XOD), which could oxidize hypoxanthine to xanthine and then to uric acid, is a key enzyme in the pathogenesis of hyperuricemia and also a well-known target for the drug development to treat gout. In our study, the total alkaloids of Nelumbinis folium markedly inhibited XOD activity, with IC50 value being 3.313μg/mL. UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS and 3D docking analysis indicated that roemerine was a potential active ingredient. A response surface methodology combined with central composite design experiment was further developed and validated for the optimization of the reaction conditions between the total alkaloids of Nelumbinis folium and XOD, which could be considered as a meaningful research for the development of XOD inhibitor rapidly and sensitively.

TAK1 (transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1) is an essential intracellular mediator of cytokine and growth factor signaling and a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of immune diseases and cancer. Herein we report development of a series of 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidine covalent TAK1 inhibitors that target Cys174 , a residue immediately adjacent to the ‘DFG-motif’ of the kinase activation loop. Co-crystal structures of TAK1 with candidate compounds enabled iterative rounds of structure-based design and biological testing to arrive at optimized compounds. Lead compounds such as 2 and 10 showed greater than 10-fold biochemical selectivity for TAK1 over the closely related kinases MEK1 and ERK1 which possess an equivalently positioned cysteine residue. These compounds are smaller, more easily synthesized, and exhibit a different spectrum of kinase selectivity relative to previously reported macrocyclic natural product TAK1 inhibitors such as 5Z-7-oxozeanol.

Targeted polypharmacology provides an efficient method of treating diseases such as cancer with complex, multigenic causes provided that compounds with advantageous activity profiles can be discovered. Novel covalent TAK1 inhibitors were validated in cellular contexts for their ability to inhibit the TAK1 kinase and for their polypharmacology. Several inhibitors phenocopied reported TAK1 inhibitor 5Z-7-oxozaenol with comparable efficacy and complementary kinase selectivity profiles. Compound 5 exhibited the greatest potency in RAS-mutated and wild-type RAS cell lines from various cancer types. A biotinylated derivative of 5, 27, was used to verify TAK1 binding in cells. The newly described inhibitors constitute useful tools for further development of multi-targeting TAK1-centered inhibitors for cancer and other diseases.

A rapid, sensitive and specific ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was developed to investigate the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of Eclipta prostrata extract. Rats were orally administrated the 70% ethanol extract of E. prostrata, and their plasma as well as various organs were collected. The concentrations of seven main compounds, ecliptasaponin IV, ecliptasaponin A, apigenin, 3'-hydroxybiochanin A, luteolin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside and wedelolactone, were quantified by UPLC-MS/MS through multiple reactions monitoring method. The precisions (RSD) of the analytes were all

A novel responsive europium-based luminescence “off–on” gate for the in situ detection of H2S in water was developed., A water-soluble and emissive Eu-complex (EuL1) bearing a DO3A(Eu3+)–pyridine–aza-crown motif has been prepared and its Cu2+ complex has been demonstrated to be a smart luminescence “off–on” gate for H2S detection in water with a nano-molar detection limit (60 nM). EuL1 binds to Cu2+ ions selectively (KB = 1.2 × 105 M–1) inducing 17-fold luminescence quenching and forming a 1 : 1 stoichiometric complex (EuL1–Cu2+), which responds to H2S selectively with restoration of the original Eu emission of EuL1 followed by a further 40-fold luminescence enhancement, forming a 1 : 1 stoichiometric complex (EuL1–Na2S, KB = 1.5 × 104 M–1). Without Cu2+ ions, EuL1 showed non-specific binding towards H2S with only a 5-fold luminescence enhancement.

An enantioselective synthesis of the ABC-tricyclic furanochroman core of phomactin A has been accomplished by a γ-hydroxylation approach. The C ring was established by γ-hydroxylation of an α-enone. The regioselectivity was optimized by using a strong base with an oxophilic cation (t-BuLi) and a bulky oxygen donor (Davis reagent), which afforded the γ-hydroxylation product selectively in 63% yield.

An enantioselective synthesis of the ABC-tricyclic furanochroman core of phomactin A has been accomplished by a γ-hydroxylation approach. The C ring was established by γ-hydroxylation of an α-enone. The regioselectivity was optimized by using a strong base with an oxophilic cation (t-BuLi) and a bulky oxygen donor (Davis reagent), which afforded the γ-hydroxylation product selectively in 63% yield.