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The natural capacity of extracellular vesicles (EVs) to transport their payload to recipient cells has raised big interest to repurpose EVs as delivery vehicles for xenobiotics. In the present study, bovine milk-derived EVs (BMEVs) were investigated for their potential to shuttle locked nucleic acid-modified antisense oligonucleotides (LNA ASOs) into the systemic circulation after oral administration. To this end, a broad array of analytical methods including proteomics and lipidomics were used to thoroughly characterize BMEVs. We found that additional purification by density gradients efficiently reduced levels of non-EV associated proteins. The potential of BMEVs to functionally transfer LNA ASOs was tested using advanced in vitro systems (i.e. hPSC-derived neurons and primary human cells). A slight increase in cellular LNA ASO internalization and target gene reduction was observed when LNA ASOs were delivered using BMEVs. When dosed orally in mice, only a small fraction (about 1% of total administered dose) of LNA ASOs was recovered in the peripheral tissues liver and kidney, however, no significant reduction in target gene expression (i.e. functional knockdown) was observed.

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Mpro, also known as 3CLpro, is the main protease of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and, as such, is essential for the viral life cycle. Two studies have each screened and ranked in silico more than one billion chemical compounds in an effort to identify putative inhibitors of Mpro. More than five hundred of the seven thousand top-ranking hits were synthesized by an external supplier and examined with respect to their activity in two biochemical assays: a protease activity assay and a thermal shift assay. Two clusters of chemical compounds with Mpro inhibitory activity were identified. An additional five hundred molecules, analogues of the compounds in the two clusters described above, were also synthesized and characterized in vitro. The study of the analogues revealed that the compounds of the first cluster acted by denaturing Mpro and might denature other proteins as well. In contrast, the compounds of the second cluster targeted Mpro with much greater specificity and enhanced its melting temperature, consistent with the formation of stable Mpro-inhibitor complexes. The most active compounds of the second cluster exhibited IC50 values between 4 and 7 μM and their chemical structure suggests that they could serve as leads for the development of potent Mpro inhibitors.

The finale of the large-scale preparation of 60 g of the highly complex marine natural product, (+)-discodermolide (1), using a hybridized Novartis−Smith−Paterson synthetic route is presented. This contribution, which is the concluding part of a five-part series, highlights a reagent-controlled stereoselective boron enolate aldol reaction between 2 and 3 forming the C7 hydroxyl-bearing stereocenter, selective reduction of 4a to generate the 1,3-anti-diol 5, and a global deprotection and concomitant lactonization leading to (+)-discodermolide (1). A novel procedure for converting the minor epimeric aldol adduct 4b into discodermolide using a five-step sequence is also described. This large-scale synthesis of discodermolide involved 39 steps (26 steps in the longest linear sequence) and several chromatographic purifications and delivered sufficient material for early-stage human clinical trials.

Kilogram-scale syntheses of fragments C1-6 (6) and C9-14 (4) of (+)-discodermolide from common precursor 3 are described. Improved procedures for each step of both fragments were developed by minimizing or eliminating the formation of byproducts that were isolated and characterized in Smith's synthesis.

The synthetic strategy for producing multigram quantities of (+)-discodermolide (1) using a hybridized Novartis−Smith−Paterson synthetic route via common precursor 3 is described. In the first part of this five-part series, we present a multikilogram preparation of α-methyl aldehyde 10 from Roche ester, its syn-aldol reaction with Evans boron enolate, removal of the chiral auxiliary, and the preparation of Weinreb amide 3 (Smith common precursor). The common precursor was produced without any chromatography.

Coupling of C9-14 (4) and C15-21 (5a) fragments to produce the cis-trisubstituted olefin was achieved using Suzuki-type coupling conditions employed by Marshall (5a/tert-BuLi/B-OMe-9-BBN added to 4/Cs2CO3/Pd(dppf)2). The terminal (Z)-diene moiety was attached to aldehyde 10 by using a sequential Nozaki−Hiyama allylation and Peterson olefination sequence; careful monitoring of the disappearance of both diastereomeric β-hydroxysilanes was found to be essential for achieving a high yield. In the oxidation of alcohols 12 and 16 to 13 and 7, respectively, using iodobenzene diacetate and TEMPO, addition of a trace of water was found to be crucial for complete conversion. The C8-9 (Z)-olefin functionality was introduced on to aldehyde 13 using a Still−Gennari HWE reaction. Subsequent carbamate installation at C-19 followed by a reduction/oxidation sequence gave the title fragment C7-24 (7) ready to be coupled with the C1-6 fragment, which is described in Part 2 of this series.

The α-hydroxylation of chiral esters of 3-phenylpropionic acid by MoO5·Py·HMPT was optimized to 98% de and 73% yield by systematic variation of the reaction conditions. The addition of at least 3 equiv. of K(sec-BuO) proved to be essential.

3-Phenylpropionates of chiral alcohols derived from (+)-camphor are oxidized by Mo05· Py·HMPT (MoOPH) with high diastereoselectivity.

Scope and limitations of the diastereoselective α-hydroxylation of chiral ester enolates by MoO5·Py·HMPT were investigated. An improved synthesis of natural(-)-verrucarinolactone ((-)-(2S,3R)-2-hydroxy-3-methyl-pentanolide) is described.

The stereo- and regiochemical course in the [2+4]cycloaddition of the chiral alkylidene malonic ester 1 to selected derivatives of (2E, 4E)-4-methyl-2, 4-hexadien-l-ol (2) and (2E, 4E)-4-methyl-2, 4-hexadien-l-al (12) has been investigated. The results are discussed on the basis of semiquantitative PMO theory.

Scope and limitations of the diastereoselective α-hydroxylation of chiral ester enolates by MoO5·Py·HMPT were investigated. An improved synthesis of natural(-)-verrucarinolactone ((-)-(2S,3R)-2-hydroxy-3-methyl-pentanolide) is described.