Current Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 12, Issue 16, 2005

Cyclooxygenase (COX) is widely considered as the molecular target of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). However, due to the harmful side effect frequently observed following chronic use, the development of new anti-inflammatory agents is the matter of many studies. Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) are a family of nuclear proteins mediating the action of a number of cytokines. Among them, STAT1 plays a critical role in the signal transduction pathway of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and growth hormone. STAT1 cascade is one major signalling pathway converting the IFN-gamma signal into gene expression, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), COX, vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM) and intercellular cell adhesion molecules (ICAM), critically involved in different pathologies correlated to the inflammatory process. This review focuses the attention on an alternative approach to the development of novel drugs based on inhibition of STAT1 pathway. In this context, a growing interest has been focused on natural compounds. We have recently reported a several data indicating that green tea extract (GTE), St. John's Wort extract and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) exhibit a specific and strong anti-STAT1 activity which is independent of their acclaimed strong anti-oxidant activity. More recently, GTE has been shown to protect heart damage from ischaemia/reperfusion in rats, suggesting that the protective effect of green tea might be correlated to its anti-STAT1 activity. The present review is aimed at providing data that STAT1 may potentially be claimed as a new molecular target of an anti-inflammatory treatment and that among natural compounds there are a number of anti-STAT1 substances.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a fundamental mechanism in the pathogenesis of several significant toxicities in mammals, especially those associated with the liver, skeletal and cardiac muscle, and the central nervous system. These changes can also occur as part of the natural aging process and have been linked to cellular mechanisms in several human disease states including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, as well as ischemic perfusion injury and the effects of hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus. Our knowledge of the effects of xenobiotics on mitochondrial function has expanded to the point that chemical structure and properties can guide the pharmaceutical scientist in anticipating mitochondrial toxicity. Recognition that maintenance of the mitochondrial membrane potential is essential for normal mitochondrial function has resulted in the development of predictive cell-based or isolated mitochondrial assay systems for detecting these effects with new chemical entities. The homeostatic role of some uncoupling proteins, differences in mitochondrial sensitivity to toxicity, and the pivotal role of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) as the determinant of apoptotic cell death are factors that underlie the adverse effects of some drugs in mammalian systems. In order to preserve mitochondrial integrity in potential target organs during therapeutic regimens, a basic understanding of mitochondrial function and its monitoring in the drug development program are essential. Toward this end, this review focuses on two topics, (1) the specific effects of xenobiotics on mitochondrial structure and function and (2) a summarization of current methods for quantifying these changes in a preclinical toxicology laboratory.

Recent advances in the development of diagnostics and therapeutics in the fields of recombinant biochemistry, solid phase peptide synthesis as well as in galenical research have resulted in highly specific and efficient components. Presently, millions of patients can profit from these new therapeutic modalities. The application of an effective anti-tumor dose of drugs can lead to marked toxicity in patients. Therefore, safe and efficient possibilities to transport these compounds to the target are of outmost importance. The importance of drug delivery is pivotal in the wide area of pharmacological research. However, until now, this issue is still to be solved. The main goal of every drug delivery system is the delivery of a precise amount of a drug at a pre-programmed rate to the desired location in order to achieve the necessary drug concentration in the targeted organ for effective treatment. The key problem still remains the achievement of curative doses in a pharmacologically active state in the desired target while avoiding side effects. Although respectable advances can be recognized in this field, the currently applied mechanisms for the transport of therapeutic molecules across biological membranes still remain far from being efficient. Helper molecules could improve delivery to desired target sites. Presently, a number of efforts are made and a huge spectrum of biochemical, biological, medical, pharmaceutical and physical possibilities are arising. However, the design and development of successful therapies based on this technology still remains a great challenge.

Activation of mast cells and basophils is accompanied by the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that regulate diverse signaling pathways leading to the release of inflammatory mediators and production of a variety of cytokines. Although the functional pathways of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in vivo are not completely understood, some novel metabolic pathways can be envisioned based on recent findings that protein tyrosine phosphatases can be regulated by reversible oxidation. In this review, we describe major sources and targets of reactive oxide and nitrogen species in mast cells and basophils. Direct and indirect regulations of class I and II Cys-based protein tyrosine phosphatases (LMW-PTP, PTEN, PTPPEST, SHP-2, PTP1B, PTPα, PTPε, DEP-1, TC45, SHP-1, HePTP and LAR) are discussed. The combined data highlight the role of redox-regulated protein tyrosine phosphatases as targets in the development of new ways of therapeutic intervention in allergies and inflammatory diseases.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most devastating diseases primarily due to several decades of neglect, and presents a global health threat of escalating proportions. TB is the second leading infectious cause of mortality today behind only HIV/AIDS. The impetus for developing new structural classes of anti-tuberculosis drugs comes from the emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains to commonly used drugs, substantially longer durations of therapy that are needed as a result of resistance, and the resurgence of disease in immunocompromised patients. Recent years have witnessed emergence of many new structural classes of anti-TB agents, which have exhibited promising activities against drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains of the causative organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These analogs ideally should decrease the overall duration of therapy with improved efficacy, and exhibit mechanisms of action different from those of existing drugs to counter the resistant strains of M. tuberculosis. This review provides a comprehensive literature compilation on advances in the new structural classes of anti-TB analogs reported during the past five years. Our discussion and observations are concentrated on chemotherapeutic potential of alphabetically listed twenty-seven new structural classes of anti-tuberculosis agents that include:- acetamides, 5-arylidene-2-thiohydantoins, benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles, benzoic acid hydrazones, benzoxazines, carbohydrates, chalcones, coumarins, deazapteridines, imidazoles, indoloquinazolinones, isothiosemicarbazones, mycobactins, 1,8- naphthyridines, phenazines, purines, pyridines, N-pyridinylsalicylamides, pyrimidines and thymidines, pyrroles, quinolines, quinoxalines, terpenes, thiadiazine thiones, thiolactomycines, toludines, and triazoles.

This review covers the design and development of B cell Toleragens, compounds developed for the treatment of antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases by antigen-specific suppression of autoantibodies. Multivalent forms of B cell epitopes consisting of oligonucleotides, peptides, proteins and polysaccharides are under various stages of development for treating systemic lupus nephritis, antiphospholipid syndrome, and organ rejection associated with xenotransplantation. The design and structure of the multivalent ligands are presented along with relevant biological results. Hapten-polymer conjugates that were used to elucidate the principles of B cell suppression are included. Multivalent ligands for T cell receptors and high affinity IgE receptors, which provide insight into immunoglobulin aggregation and signaling, are also briefly discussed.

Milk proteins are precursors of many different biologically active peptides. These peptides are inactive within the protein sequence, requiring enzymatic proteolysis for release of the bioactive fragment from the proteins precursor. It is evident that activated peptides originating from milk proteins should be taken into account as potential modulators of various regulatory processes in the body. Activated peptides are potential modulators of various regulatory processes in the living system: immunomodulatory peptides stimulate the activities of cells of the immune system and several cytomodulatory peptides inhibit cancer cell growth, antimicrobial peptides kill sensitive microorganisms, angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory peptides exert an hypotensive effect, opioid peptides are opioid receptor ligands which can modulate absorption processes in the intestinal tract, mineral binding peptides may function as carriers for different minerals, especially calcium, antithrombotic peptides inhibit fibrinogen binding to a specific receptor region on the platelet surface and inhibit aggregation of platelets. Moreover, many milk-derived peptides reveal multifunctional properties, i.e. specific peptide sequences having two or more different biological activities have been reported. Bioactive peptides can interact with target sites (e.g. receptors, enzymes) at the luminal side of the intestinal tract, or they could be absorbed and reach any potential site of action in the system to elicit physiological effects. Bioactive peptides encrypted in bovine milk proteins can be produced on an industrial-scale and are claimed to be health enhancing components for functional foods, nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical preparations that are used to reduce risk of disease or to enhance certain physiological functions.

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in the establishment of tolerance/immunity, because they activate naïve T cells (TCs). Therefore, the pharmacological modulation of DCs has become a major field of interest in immunology. A large body of literature has arisen from the studies of DC biology during immunosuppressive drug treatment. Immunosuppressive drugs have improved the therapeutic management of allograft organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases, significantly. There is now strong evidence that, DCs might be the key for antigen specific tolerance induction. Recently, the existence of a population of DCs that migrate to the regional lymph node in the steady state has been identified. Such steady state immature migrating DCs are loaded with tissue antigens and deliver self-antigens towards secondary lymphatic organs and might educate TCs towards self-tolerance. Latest experimental data from rodent solid organ allo-transplantation supports the idea, that DCs might even become regulatory DCs towards foreign antigen specific tolerance induction. Apparently, regulatory donor DCs invade host secondary lymphatic organs where they might eventually educate host TCs towards foreign antigen specific tolerance. Seemingly, it depends on the DC maturation state whether pharmacologically modulated DCs induce antigen specific long-term tolerance in allotransplantation solid organ transplantation. Several authors reported a positive self-limiting feedback loop between tolerogenic DCs and allo-specific regulatory TCs. Thus, the DC-TC network appears as an exceptionally good target for pharmacological manipulations. Here we review how immunosuppressive agents interfere with DC maturation, migration and homeostasis. We are developing a rational to select different drugs for the generation of regulatory DCs, for allo-transplantation clinical settings.