Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)are used to relieve and refuel anti-tumor immunity by blocking the interaction,transcription,and translation of co-inhibitory immune checkpoints or degrading co-inhibitory immune chec...Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)are used to relieve and refuel anti-tumor immunity by blocking the interaction,transcription,and translation of co-inhibitory immune checkpoints or degrading co-inhibitory immune checkpoints.Thousands of small molecule drugs or biological materials,especially antibody-based ICIs,are actively being studied and antibodies are currently widely used.Limitations,such as anti-tumor efficacy,poor membrane permeability,and unneglected tolerance issues of antibody-based ICIs,remain evident but are thought to be overcome by small molecule drugs.Recent structural studies have broadened the scope of candidate immune checkpoint molecules,as well as innovative chemical inhibitors.By way of comparison,small molecule drug-based ICIs represent superior oral bioavailability and favorable pharmacokinetic features.Several ongoing clinical trials are exploring the synergetic effect of ICIs and other therapeutic strategies based on multiple ICI functions,including immune regulation,anti-angiogenesis,and cell cycle regulation.In this review we summarized the current progression of small molecule ICIs and the mechanism underlying immune checkpoint proteins,which will lay the foundation for further exploration.展开更多
The rivalry between T cells and tumor cells somewhat mimics the scene of 'Tom and Jerry,' an animated series in which Tom (a house cat) rarely succeeds in catching Jerry (a mouse), mainly because of Jerry’s c...The rivalry between T cells and tumor cells somewhat mimics the scene of 'Tom and Jerry,' an animated series in which Tom (a house cat) rarely succeeds in catching Jerry (a mouse), mainly because of Jerry’s cleverness and cunning abilities. In a way, tumor cells are like Jerry, in terms of their crafty and sneaky features.展开更多
Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a group of chronic diseases that includes ulcerative colitis,Crohn’s disease,and indeterminate colitis.Patients with IBD require prolonged treatment and high utilization of healthcar...Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a group of chronic diseases that includes ulcerative colitis,Crohn’s disease,and indeterminate colitis.Patients with IBD require prolonged treatment and high utilization of healthcare resources for proper management.The treatment of patients with IBD is focused on achieving therapeutic goals including clinical,biochemical,and endoscopic variables that result in improvement of the quality of life and prevention of disability.Advanced IBD treatment includes tumor necrosis factor inhibitors,integrin antagonist,antagonist of the p40 subunit of interleukin 12/23,and small molecule drugs.However,despite the multiple treatments available,about 40%of patients are refractory to therapy and present with persistent symptoms that have a great impact on their quality of life,with hospitalization and surgery being necessary in many cases.Dual therapy,a strategy sometimes applicable to refractory IBD patients,includes the combination of two biologics or a biologic in combination with a small molecule drug.There are two distinct scenarios in IBD patients in which this approach can be used:(1)Refractory active luminal disease without extraintestinal manifestations;and(2)patients with IBD in remission,but with active extraintestinal manifestations or immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.This review provides a summary of the results(clinical response and remission)of different combinations of advanced drugs in patients with IBD,both in adults and in the pediatric population.In addition,the safety profile of different combinations of dual therapy is analyzed.The use of newer combinations,including recently approved treatments,the application of new biomarkers and artificial intelligence,and clinical trials to establish effectiveness during long-term followup,are needed to establish new strategies for the use of advanced treatments in patients with refractory IBD.展开更多
Abnormal expression or mutations in Ras proteins has been found in up to 30% of cancer cell types, making them excellent protein models to probe structure-function relationships of cell-signaling processes that mediat...Abnormal expression or mutations in Ras proteins has been found in up to 30% of cancer cell types, making them excellent protein models to probe structure-function relationships of cell-signaling processes that mediate cell transformtion. Yet, there has been very little development of therapies to help tackle Ras-related diseased states. The development of small molecules to target Ras proteins to potentially inhibit abnormal Ras-stimulated cell signaling has been conceptualized and some progress has been made over the last 16 or so years. Here, we briefly review studies characterizing Ras protein-small molecule interactions to show the importance and potential that these small molecules may have for Ras-related drug discovery. We summarize recent results, highlighting small molecules that can be directly targeted to Ras using Structure-Based Drug Design (SBDD) and Fragment-Based Lead Discovery (FBLD) methods. The inactivation of Ras oncogenic signaling in vitro by small molecules is currently an attractive hurdle to try to and leap over in order to attack the oncogenic state. In this regard, important features of previously characterized properties of small molecule Ras targets, as well as a current understanding of conformational and dynamics changes seen for Ras-related mutants, relative to wild type, must be taken into account as newer small molecule design strategies towards Ras are developed.展开更多
Although COVID‑19 no longer constitutes a“public health emergency of international concern”,which still has being spreading around the world at a low level.Small molecule drugs are the main antiviral treatment for n...Although COVID‑19 no longer constitutes a“public health emergency of international concern”,which still has being spreading around the world at a low level.Small molecule drugs are the main antiviral treatment for novel coronavirus recommended in China.Although a variety of small‑molecule antiviral drugs against COVID‑19 have been listed in China,there is no specific drug recommendation for special populations.Society of Bacterial Infection and Resistance of Chinese Medical Association,together with the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease,and the National Center for Respiratory Medicine,organized domestic experts in various fields such as respiratory,virology,infection,critical care,emergency medicine and pharmacy to release Expert Consensus on the Clinical Application of Oral Small‑Molecule Antiviral Drugs against COVID‑19.The main content of this consensus includes the introduction of seven small‑molecule antiviral drugs against COVID‑19,focusing on the drug recommendations for 14 special groups such as the elderly,patients with complicated chronic diseases,tumor patients,pregnant women,and children,and providing suggestions for clinicians to standardize drug use.展开更多
Small molecule drugs play a pivotal role in the arsenal of anticancer pharmacological agents. Nonetheless, their small size poses a challenge when directly visualizing their localization, distribution, mechanism of ac...Small molecule drugs play a pivotal role in the arsenal of anticancer pharmacological agents. Nonetheless, their small size poses a challenge when directly visualizing their localization, distribution, mechanism of action (MOA), and target engagement at the subcellular level in real time. We propose a strategy for developing triple-functioning drug beacons that seamlessly integrate therapeutically relevant bioactivity, precise subcellular localization, and direct visualization capabilities within a single molecular entity. As a proof of concept, we have meticulously designed and constructed a boronic acid fluorescence drug beacon using coumarin–hemicyanine (CHB). Our CHB design includes three pivotal features: a boronic acid moiety that binds both adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP), thus depleting their levels and disrupting the energy supply within mitochondria;a positively charged component that targets the drug beacon to mitochondria;and a sizeable conjugated luminophore that emits fluorescence, facilitating the application of structured illumination microscopy (SIM). Our study indicates the exceptional responsiveness of our proof-of-concept drug beacon to ADP and ATP, its efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth, and its ability to facilitate the tracking of ADP and ATP distribution around the mitochondrial cristae. Furthermore, our investigation reveals that the micro-dynamics of CHB induce mitochondrial dysfunction by causing damage to the mitochondrial cristae and mitochondrial DNA. Altogether, our findings highlight the potential of SIM in conjunction with visual drug design as a potent tool for monitoring the in situ MOA of small molecule anticancer compounds. This approach represents a crucial advancement in addressing a current challenge within the field of small molecule drug discovery and validation.展开更多
Target discovery,involving target identification and validation,is the prerequisite for drug discovery and screening.Novel methodologies and technologies for the precise discovery and confirmation of drug targets are ...Target discovery,involving target identification and validation,is the prerequisite for drug discovery and screening.Novel methodologies and technologies for the precise discovery and confirmation of drug targets are powerful tools in understanding the disease,looking for a drug and elucidating the mechanism of drug treatment.Among the common target identification and confirmation methods,the modified method is time-consuming and laborious,which may reduce or change the activity of natural products.The unmodified methods developed in recent years without chemical modification have gradually become an important means of studying drug targets.A wide range of unmodified approaches have been reported,introducing and analyzing the recent emerging methodologies and technologies.This review highlights the advantages and limitations of these methods for the application of drug target discovery and presents an overview of their contributions to the target discovery of small molecule drugs.The application and future development trends of methodologies in target discovery are also prospected to provide a reference for drug target research.展开更多
Cytochrome P450(CYP)enzymes function to catalyze a wide range of reactions,many of which are critically important for drug response.Members of the human cytochrome P4503A(CYP3A)family are particularly important in dru...Cytochrome P450(CYP)enzymes function to catalyze a wide range of reactions,many of which are critically important for drug response.Members of the human cytochrome P4503A(CYP3A)family are particularly important in drug clearance,and they collectively metabolize more than half of all currently prescribed medications.The ability of these enzymes to bind a large and structurally diverse set of compounds increases the chances of their modulating or facilitating drug metabolism in unfavorable ways.Emerging evidence suggests that individual enzymes in the CYP3A family play discrete and important roles in catalysis and disease progression.Here we review the similarities and differences among CYP3A enzymes with regard to substrate recognition,metabolism,modulation by small molecules,and biological consequence,highlighting some of those with clinical significance.We also present structural perspectives to further characterize the basis of these comparisons.展开更多
Objective:To construct the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network,andidentify more reliable therapeutic targets and potential drugs in ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.Methods:Two datasets were downloaded from t...Objective:To construct the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network,andidentify more reliable therapeutic targets and potential drugs in ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.Methods:Two datasets were downloaded from the GEO,and the differently expressed analysis were conducted by R software limma package.Functional enrichment analysis was performed using R software.The targets of differently expressed miRNAs were predicted by FunRich software,and the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed by Cytoscape software.The cMAP and TCMSP databases were used to predict small molecule drugs and traditional Chinese medicine respectively.Results:A total of 79 differently expressed miRNAs and 8865 differently expressed mRNAs were identified.Then the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed.Among DE miRNAs in the network,hsa-miR-520e,hsa-miR-199b-5p,hsa-miR-140-5p may be the most significant due to their large number of connecting nodes in ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.The integrated differently genes were mainly concentrated in protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum,ferroptosis and other signalingpathways.In addition,10 kinds of small molecule drugs and 6 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine were screened as therapeutic agents for ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.Conclusion:hsa-miR-520e,hsa-miR-199b-5p,hsa-miR-140-5p can be used as therapeutic targets forulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer may be related to the protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum/ferroptosis signaling pathway,and it is predicted that 10 kinds of small molecule drugs,such asIsoflupredone,and 4 traditional Chinese medicines,such as Baiqucai(Celandine),Guanhuangbai(Cortex phellodendri amurensis),Huangbai(Phellodendron amurense)and Bajiaolian(Dysosma Versipellis),can be used as therapeutic drugs forulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.82203539 and 92259102)Provincial Cooperation Project of Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province(Grant No.2023YFSY0043)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2023YFC3402100).
文摘Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)are used to relieve and refuel anti-tumor immunity by blocking the interaction,transcription,and translation of co-inhibitory immune checkpoints or degrading co-inhibitory immune checkpoints.Thousands of small molecule drugs or biological materials,especially antibody-based ICIs,are actively being studied and antibodies are currently widely used.Limitations,such as anti-tumor efficacy,poor membrane permeability,and unneglected tolerance issues of antibody-based ICIs,remain evident but are thought to be overcome by small molecule drugs.Recent structural studies have broadened the scope of candidate immune checkpoint molecules,as well as innovative chemical inhibitors.By way of comparison,small molecule drug-based ICIs represent superior oral bioavailability and favorable pharmacokinetic features.Several ongoing clinical trials are exploring the synergetic effect of ICIs and other therapeutic strategies based on multiple ICI functions,including immune regulation,anti-angiogenesis,and cell cycle regulation.In this review we summarized the current progression of small molecule ICIs and the mechanism underlying immune checkpoint proteins,which will lay the foundation for further exploration.
文摘The rivalry between T cells and tumor cells somewhat mimics the scene of 'Tom and Jerry,' an animated series in which Tom (a house cat) rarely succeeds in catching Jerry (a mouse), mainly because of Jerry’s cleverness and cunning abilities. In a way, tumor cells are like Jerry, in terms of their crafty and sneaky features.
文摘Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is a group of chronic diseases that includes ulcerative colitis,Crohn’s disease,and indeterminate colitis.Patients with IBD require prolonged treatment and high utilization of healthcare resources for proper management.The treatment of patients with IBD is focused on achieving therapeutic goals including clinical,biochemical,and endoscopic variables that result in improvement of the quality of life and prevention of disability.Advanced IBD treatment includes tumor necrosis factor inhibitors,integrin antagonist,antagonist of the p40 subunit of interleukin 12/23,and small molecule drugs.However,despite the multiple treatments available,about 40%of patients are refractory to therapy and present with persistent symptoms that have a great impact on their quality of life,with hospitalization and surgery being necessary in many cases.Dual therapy,a strategy sometimes applicable to refractory IBD patients,includes the combination of two biologics or a biologic in combination with a small molecule drug.There are two distinct scenarios in IBD patients in which this approach can be used:(1)Refractory active luminal disease without extraintestinal manifestations;and(2)patients with IBD in remission,but with active extraintestinal manifestations or immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.This review provides a summary of the results(clinical response and remission)of different combinations of advanced drugs in patients with IBD,both in adults and in the pediatric population.In addition,the safety profile of different combinations of dual therapy is analyzed.The use of newer combinations,including recently approved treatments,the application of new biomarkers and artificial intelligence,and clinical trials to establish effectiveness during long-term followup,are needed to establish new strategies for the use of advanced treatments in patients with refractory IBD.
文摘Abnormal expression or mutations in Ras proteins has been found in up to 30% of cancer cell types, making them excellent protein models to probe structure-function relationships of cell-signaling processes that mediate cell transformtion. Yet, there has been very little development of therapies to help tackle Ras-related diseased states. The development of small molecules to target Ras proteins to potentially inhibit abnormal Ras-stimulated cell signaling has been conceptualized and some progress has been made over the last 16 or so years. Here, we briefly review studies characterizing Ras protein-small molecule interactions to show the importance and potential that these small molecules may have for Ras-related drug discovery. We summarize recent results, highlighting small molecules that can be directly targeted to Ras using Structure-Based Drug Design (SBDD) and Fragment-Based Lead Discovery (FBLD) methods. The inactivation of Ras oncogenic signaling in vitro by small molecules is currently an attractive hurdle to try to and leap over in order to attack the oncogenic state. In this regard, important features of previously characterized properties of small molecule Ras targets, as well as a current understanding of conformational and dynamics changes seen for Ras-related mutants, relative to wild type, must be taken into account as newer small molecule design strategies towards Ras are developed.
基金Emergency Key Program of Guangzhou Laboratory(EKPG21-06)the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund(0022/2021/A1)+1 种基金the Young Top Talent of Science and Technology Innovation Department of Guangdong Province(2021TQ060189)National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Interdisciplinary Innovation Team Project(ZYYCXTU-D-202201).
文摘Although COVID‑19 no longer constitutes a“public health emergency of international concern”,which still has being spreading around the world at a low level.Small molecule drugs are the main antiviral treatment for novel coronavirus recommended in China.Although a variety of small‑molecule antiviral drugs against COVID‑19 have been listed in China,there is no specific drug recommendation for special populations.Society of Bacterial Infection and Resistance of Chinese Medical Association,together with the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease,and the National Center for Respiratory Medicine,organized domestic experts in various fields such as respiratory,virology,infection,critical care,emergency medicine and pharmacy to release Expert Consensus on the Clinical Application of Oral Small‑Molecule Antiviral Drugs against COVID‑19.The main content of this consensus includes the introduction of seven small‑molecule antiviral drugs against COVID‑19,focusing on the drug recommendations for 14 special groups such as the elderly,patients with complicated chronic diseases,tumor patients,pregnant women,and children,and providing suggestions for clinicians to standardize drug use.
基金This work was financially supported by the Shandong Province Key R&D Program(Major Technological Innovation Project)(2021CXGC010501,China)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.22107059,22007060)+5 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(ZR2021QH057,ZR2022QH304,ZR2020QB166,China)Innovation Team of Shandong Higher School Youth Innovation Technology Program(2021KJ035,China)Taishan Scholars Program(TSQN202211221,China)Shandong Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars(ZR2022YQ66,China)Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program of China Association for Science and Technology(CACM-2023-QNRC1-02)Academic Promotion Programme of Shandong First Medical University(No.2019LJ003,China)。
文摘Small molecule drugs play a pivotal role in the arsenal of anticancer pharmacological agents. Nonetheless, their small size poses a challenge when directly visualizing their localization, distribution, mechanism of action (MOA), and target engagement at the subcellular level in real time. We propose a strategy for developing triple-functioning drug beacons that seamlessly integrate therapeutically relevant bioactivity, precise subcellular localization, and direct visualization capabilities within a single molecular entity. As a proof of concept, we have meticulously designed and constructed a boronic acid fluorescence drug beacon using coumarin–hemicyanine (CHB). Our CHB design includes three pivotal features: a boronic acid moiety that binds both adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP), thus depleting their levels and disrupting the energy supply within mitochondria;a positively charged component that targets the drug beacon to mitochondria;and a sizeable conjugated luminophore that emits fluorescence, facilitating the application of structured illumination microscopy (SIM). Our study indicates the exceptional responsiveness of our proof-of-concept drug beacon to ADP and ATP, its efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth, and its ability to facilitate the tracking of ADP and ATP distribution around the mitochondrial cristae. Furthermore, our investigation reveals that the micro-dynamics of CHB induce mitochondrial dysfunction by causing damage to the mitochondrial cristae and mitochondrial DNA. Altogether, our findings highlight the potential of SIM in conjunction with visual drug design as a potent tool for monitoring the in situ MOA of small molecule anticancer compounds. This approach represents a crucial advancement in addressing a current challenge within the field of small molecule drug discovery and validation.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31870946)the Funding of Double First-rate discipline construction(No.CPU2018GF07)+1 种基金the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutionsthe Open Project Program of MOE Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance(No.DQCP20/21MS01).
文摘Target discovery,involving target identification and validation,is the prerequisite for drug discovery and screening.Novel methodologies and technologies for the precise discovery and confirmation of drug targets are powerful tools in understanding the disease,looking for a drug and elucidating the mechanism of drug treatment.Among the common target identification and confirmation methods,the modified method is time-consuming and laborious,which may reduce or change the activity of natural products.The unmodified methods developed in recent years without chemical modification have gradually become an important means of studying drug targets.A wide range of unmodified approaches have been reported,introducing and analyzing the recent emerging methodologies and technologies.This review highlights the advantages and limitations of these methods for the application of drug target discovery and presents an overview of their contributions to the target discovery of small molecule drugs.The application and future development trends of methodologies in target discovery are also prospected to provide a reference for drug target research.
基金supported,in part,by ALSAC and by the National Institutes of Health grants R35-GM118041 and P30-CA21765.
文摘Cytochrome P450(CYP)enzymes function to catalyze a wide range of reactions,many of which are critically important for drug response.Members of the human cytochrome P4503A(CYP3A)family are particularly important in drug clearance,and they collectively metabolize more than half of all currently prescribed medications.The ability of these enzymes to bind a large and structurally diverse set of compounds increases the chances of their modulating or facilitating drug metabolism in unfavorable ways.Emerging evidence suggests that individual enzymes in the CYP3A family play discrete and important roles in catalysis and disease progression.Here we review the similarities and differences among CYP3A enzymes with regard to substrate recognition,metabolism,modulation by small molecules,and biological consequence,highlighting some of those with clinical significance.We also present structural perspectives to further characterize the basis of these comparisons.
文摘Objective:To construct the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network,andidentify more reliable therapeutic targets and potential drugs in ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.Methods:Two datasets were downloaded from the GEO,and the differently expressed analysis were conducted by R software limma package.Functional enrichment analysis was performed using R software.The targets of differently expressed miRNAs were predicted by FunRich software,and the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed by Cytoscape software.The cMAP and TCMSP databases were used to predict small molecule drugs and traditional Chinese medicine respectively.Results:A total of 79 differently expressed miRNAs and 8865 differently expressed mRNAs were identified.Then the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed.Among DE miRNAs in the network,hsa-miR-520e,hsa-miR-199b-5p,hsa-miR-140-5p may be the most significant due to their large number of connecting nodes in ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.The integrated differently genes were mainly concentrated in protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum,ferroptosis and other signalingpathways.In addition,10 kinds of small molecule drugs and 6 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine were screened as therapeutic agents for ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.Conclusion:hsa-miR-520e,hsa-miR-199b-5p,hsa-miR-140-5p can be used as therapeutic targets forulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer may be related to the protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum/ferroptosis signaling pathway,and it is predicted that 10 kinds of small molecule drugs,such asIsoflupredone,and 4 traditional Chinese medicines,such as Baiqucai(Celandine),Guanhuangbai(Cortex phellodendri amurensis),Huangbai(Phellodendron amurense)and Bajiaolian(Dysosma Versipellis),can be used as therapeutic drugs forulcerative colitis associated colorectal cancer.
