Signal transduction modifiers that modulate the lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) pathway have potential as anticancer agents. Herein, we describe metabolically stabilized LPA analogues that reduce cell migration and invasion and cause regression of orthotopic breast tumors in vivo. Two diastereoisomeric α-bromophosphonates (BrP-LPA) were synthesized, and the pharmacology was determined for five LPA G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs). The syn and anti diastereomers of BrP-LPA are pan-LPA GPCR antagonists and are also nanomolar inhibitors of the lysophospholipase D activity of autotaxin, the dominant biosynthetic source of LPA. Computational models correctly predicted the diastereoselectivity of antagonism for three GPCR isoforms. The anti isomer of BrP-LPA was more effective than syn isomer in reducing migration of MDA-MB-231 cells, and the anti isomer was superior in reducing invasion of these cells. Finally, orthotopic breast cancer xenografts were established in nude mice by injection of MB-231 cells in an in situ cross-linkable extracellular matrix. After 2 weeks, mice were treated with the BrP-LPA alone (10 mg/kg), Taxol alone (10 mg/kg), or Taxol followed by BrP-LPA. All treatments significantly reduced tumor burden, and BrP-LPA was superior to Taxol in reducing blood vessel density in tumors. Moreover, both the anti- and syn-BrP-LPA significantly reduced tumors at 3 mg/kg.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a formidable infectious disease that remains a major cause of death worldwide today. Escalating application of genomic techniques has expedited the identification of increasing number of mutations associated with drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Unfortunately the prevalence of bacillary resistance becomes alarming in many parts of the world, with the daunting scenarios of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) and total drug-resistant tuberculosis (TDR-TB), due to number of resistance pathways, alongside some apparently obscure ones. Recent advances in the understanding of the molecular/ genetic basis of drug targets and drug resistance mechanisms have been steadily made. Intriguing findings through whole genome sequencing and other molecular approaches facilitate the further understanding of biology and pathology of M. tuberculosis for the development of new therapeutics to meet the immense challenge of global health.

Postictal cerebrovascular dysfunction is an adverse effect of seizures in newborn piglets. The brain heme oxygenase (HO) provides protection against cerebrovascular dysfunction. We investigated the contribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to seizure-induced vascular damage and the mechanism of HO vasoprotection. In a bicuculline model of seizures, we addressed the hypotheses: (1) seizures increase brain ROS; (2) ROS contribute to cerebral vascular dysfunction; (3) ROS initiate a vasoprotective mechanisms by activating endogenous HO; and (4) HO products have antioxidant properties. As assessed by dihydroethidium oxidation (ox-DHE), seizures increased ROS in cerebral vessels and cortical astrocytes; ox-DHE elevation was prevented by tiron and apocynin. An HO inhibitor, tin protoporphyrin, potentiated, whereas an HO-1 inducer, cobalt protoporphyrin, blocked seizure-induced increase in DHE oxidation. Heme oxygenase products carbon monoxide (CO) (CORM-A1) and bilirubin attenuated ox-DHE elevation during seizures. Antioxidants tiron and bilirubin prevented the loss of postictal cerebrovascular dilations to bradykinin, glutamate, and sodium nitroprusside. Tiron and apocynin abrogated activation of the brain HO during seizures. Overall, these data suggest that long-term adverse cerebrovascular effects of seizures are attributed to oxidative stress. On the other hand, seizure-induced ROS are required for activation of the endogenous antioxidant HO/CO/bilirubin system that alleviates oxidative stress-induced loss of postictal cerebrovascular function in piglets.

Autotaxin (ATX, NPP2) is a member of the nucleotide pyrophosphate phosphodiesterase enzyme family. ATX catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) via a lysophospholipase D activity that leads to the generation of the growth factor-like lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). ATX is highly upregulated in metastatic and chemotherapy-resistant carcinomas and represents a potential target to mediate cancer invasion and metastasis. Here we report the synthesis and pharmacological characterization of inhibitors of ATX based on the 4-tetradecanoylaminobenzyl phosphonic acid scaffold that was previously found to lack sufficient stability in cellular systems. The new 4-substituted benzyl phosphonic acid and 6-substituted naphthalen-2-yl-methyl phosphonic acid analogs blocked ATX with Ki values in the low-micromolar-nanomolar range against FS-3, LPC, and nucleotide substrates through a mixed-mode mechanism of inhibition. None of the compounds tested inhibited the activity of related enzymes (NPP6 and NPP7). In addition, the compounds were evaluated as agonists or antagonists of seven LPA receptor subtypes. Analogs 22 and 30b, the two most potent ATX inhibitors, dose-dependently inhibited the invasion of MM1 hepatoma cells across murine mesothelial and human vascular endothelial monolayers in vitro. The average terminal half-life for compound 22 was 10h ± 5.4h and it caused a long-lasting reduction plasma LPA levels. Compounds 22 and 30b significantly reduced lung metastasis of B16-F10 syngeneic mouse melanoma in a post-inoculation treatment paradigm. The described 4-substituted benzyl phosphonic acids and 6-substituted naphthalen-2-yl-methyl phosphonic acids represent new lead compounds that effectively inhibit the ATX-LPA-LPA receptor axis both in vitro and in vivo.