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Yihan Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Yihan Wang.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Bone-targeted pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7-ones: potent inhibitors of Src tyrosine kinase as novel antiresorptive agents.

The design of bone-targeted pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-7-ones as Src tyrosine kinase inhibitors is described. Leveraging SAR from known compounds and using structure-based methods, we were able to rapidly incorporate bone binding components, which maintained, and even increased potency against the target enzyme. Compound 4 displayed a high affinity for hydroxyapatite, a major constituent of bone, and demonstrated antiresoprtive activity in our cell-based assay.

Animals↗

HSP72 inhibits apoptosis-inducing factor release in ATP-depleted renal epithelial cells.

Inhibition of the mitochondrial release and nuclear translocation of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) by heat stress protein (HSP)72 may ameliorate apoptosis in renal epithelial cells exposed to a metabolic inhibitor. To evaluate this hypothesis, cells were transiently exposed to 5 mM sodium cyanide in the absence of medium glucose, a maneuver known to induce apoptosis. ATP depletion for 1-2 h resulted in the progressive accumulation of mitochondrial AIF in the cytosol of samples obtained by selectively permeabilizing the plasma membrane with digitonin. During recovery from ATP depletion, time-dependent nuclear AIF accumulation (but not cytochrome c, an F0F1 ATP synthase subunit, or talin) was observed in isolated nuclei. Nuclear AIF accumulation was associated with peripheral chromatin condensation and DNA degradation. Prior heat stress (HS) significantly reduced AIF leakage into the cytosol, decreased nuclear accumulation of AIF, and inhibited DNA degradation. HS also increased the interaction between AIF and HSP72 detected by immunoprecipitation. In ATP depleted cells, selective overexpression of human HSP72 reduced the leakage of mitochondrial AIF in a dose-dependent manner (r = 0.997). This study suggests that mitochondrial membrane injury and subsequent AIF release contribute to nuclear injury and apoptosis in ATP-depleted renal cells. HSP72, an antiapoptotic protein, inhibits cell injury in part by preventing mitochondrial AIF release and perhaps by decreasing its nuclear accumulation.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

hsp72 inhibits focal adhesion kinase degradation in ATP-depleted renal epithelial cells.

Prior heat stress (HS) or the selective overexpression of hsp72 prevents apoptosis caused by exposure to metabolic inhibitors by protecting the mitochondrial membrane and partially reducing caspase-3 activation. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a tyrosine kinase, exhibits anti-apoptotic properties and is a potential target for degradation by caspase-3. This study tested the hypothesis that hsp72 interacts with FAK, preventing caspase-3-mediated degradation during ATP depletion. ATP depletion (5 mm NaCN and 5 mm 2-deoxy-d-glucose in the absence of medium glucose) caused FAK degradation within 15 min. FAK degradation was completely prevented by a caspase-3-specific inhibitor. HS induced the accumulation of hsp72, increased the interaction between hsp72 and FAK, and significantly inhibited FAK degradation during ATP depletion. Selective overexpression of wild-type hsp72 (but not hsp72DeltaEEVD) reproduced the protective effects of HS on FAK cleavage. Purified hsp72 prevented the degradation of FAK by caspase-3 in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without affecting caspase-3 activity. Interaction between hsp72 and FAK is critical because both exogenous ATP and deletion of the substrate-binding site decreased protection of FAK by hsp72. These data indicate that FAK is an early target of injury in cells exposed to metabolic inhibitors and demonstrate that hsp72 reduces caspase-3-mediated proteolysis of FAK, an anti-apoptotic protein.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Structure-based design of novel nonpeptide inhibitors of the Src SH2 domain:phosphotyrosine mimetics exploiting multifunctional group replacement chemistry.

A series of novel nonpeptide inhibitors of the pp60(c-Src) (Src) SH2 domain is described that exploit multifunctional group replacement of the phenylphosphate moiety of phosphotyrosine (pTyr). Relative to an x-ray structure of citrate complexed to the pTyr binding site of the Src SH2 domain, these nonpeptide ligands illustrate the systematic replacement of the phosphate group by multiple nonhydrolyzable, mono- or dianionic functionalities. Specifically, several phenylalanine (Phe) analogs incorporating key 4' and 3' substituents were synthesized and incorporated into a bicyclic benzamide template previously reported (W. C. Shakespeare et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA, 2000, Vol. 97, pp. 9373-9378). These pTyr mimetics included 4',3'-diphosphono-Phe (Dpp), 4',3'-dicarboxymethyloxy-Phe (Dcp), and 4'-phosphono-3'-carboxymethyloxy-Phe (Cpp). Noteworthy were nonpeptide inhibitors 8-11 that were 5- to 10-fold more potent than the cognate tetrapeptide ligand Ac-pTyr-Glu-Glu-Ile-NH(2) in binding to the Src SH2 domain.

Binding Sites↗

Regulation of bone remodeling and emerging breakthrough drugs for osteoporosis and osteolytic bone metastases.

Major advances have been made in the past 10 years in our understanding of the molecular basis of bone cell formation and bone remodeling. For example, the discovery of osteoprotegerin, the decoy receptor and inhibitor of receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL), and the RANKL/receptor activator of NF-kappaB (RANK) signaling pathway that is essential for osteoclastogenesis, has helped clarify the mechanisms regulating osteoclast formation, activation, and survival. PTH, like most other osteoclast stimulating factors, promotes RANKL production by osteoblast/stromal cells when they are exposed to it continuously, but when given intermittently it stimulates bone formation and reduces fracture risk in postmenopausal women. This anabolic effect is associated with increased expression of insulin-like and fibroblast growth factors and decreased osteoblast apoptosis. Src tyrosine kinase is essential for osteoclast activation and also negatively regulates osteoblast activity. Thus, it is a well-validated therapeutic target for the prevention of postmenopausal and other forms of bone loss. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies of specifically designed, bone targeted, non-peptide Src inhibitors have shown that these compounds inhibit bone resorption and stimulate new bone formation. The design of drugs using structure/function approaches such as this should lead to the development of novel therapeutics that could be used to counteract the negative effects of chronic renal failure on the skeleton.

Animals↗

Novel bone-targeted Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor drug discovery.

Bone-targeted Src tyrosine kinase (STK) inhibitors have recently been developed for the treatment of osteoporosis and cancer-related bone diseases. The concept of bone targeting derives from bisphosphonates, and from the evolution of such molecules in terms of therapeutic efficacy for the treatment of bone disorders. Interestingly, some of the earliest bisphosphonates were recognized for their ability to inhibit calcium carbonate precipitation (scaling) by virtue of their affinity to chelate calcium. This chelating property was subsequently exploited in the development of bisphosphonate analogs as inhibitors of the bone-resorbing cells known as osteoclasts, giving rise to breakthrough medicines, such as Fosamax (for the treatment of osteoporosis) and Zometa (for the treatment of osteoporosis and bone metastases). Relative to these milestone achievements, there is a tremendous opportunity to explore beyond the limited chemical space (functional group diversity) of such bisphosphonates to design novel bone-targeting moieties, which may be used to develop other classes of promising small-molecule drugs affecting different biological pathways. Here, we review studies focused on bone-targeted inhibitors of STK, a key enzyme in osteoclast-dependent bone resorption. Two strategies are described relative to bone-targeted STK inhibitor drug discovery: (i) the development of novel Src homology (SH)-2 inhibitors incorporating non-hydrolyzable phosphotyrosine mimics and exhibiting molecular recognition and bone-targeting properties, leading to the in vivo-effective lead compound AP-22408; and (ii) the development of novel ATP-based Src kinase inhibitors incorporating bone-targeting moieties, leading to the in vivo-effective lead compound AP-23236. In summary, AP-22408 and AP-23236, which differ mechanistically by virtue of blocking Src-dependent non-catalytic or catalytic activities in osteoclasts, exemplify ARIAD Pharmaceuticals' structure-based design of novel bone-targeted lead compounds, successfully achieving in vivo proof-of-concept and providing the framework for the next-generation molecules that have further advanced, in terms of preclinical studies, for the treatment of osteoporosis and related bone diseases, including osteolytic bone metastases.

Animals↗

SRC homology-2 inhibitors: peptidomimetic and nonpeptide.

The structural and functional characterization of Src homology-2 (SH2) domains and their relationship to catalytic proteins (e.g., kinases, phosphatases, and lipases) or non-catalytic proteins (e.g., upstream adapters, and downstream transcription factors) has significantly impacted our understanding of signal transduction pathways and the identification of promising therapeutic targets for drug discovery. Such SH2-containing proteins are known to be intimately involved in the regulation of a number of cellular processes, including growth, mitogenesis, motility, metabolism, and gene transcription. Molecular recognition and biochemical selectivity exists for various SH2 domains based on their binding to phosphotyrosine (pTyr) and contiguous C-terminal amino acids of cognate protein 'partners' in a sequence-dependent manner (i.e., -pTyr-AA(1)-AA(2)-AA(3)-) which result in the formation of signal transduction protein complexes in cells. In recent years, drug discovery efforts have advanced peptidomimetic and nonpeptide inhibitors of such protein-protein interactions based on mimicking pTyr-containing peptide ligands as well as SH2 structure-based de novo design of nonpeptide templates that can capture key binding sites on the target protein. Noteworthy are peptidomimetic and nonpeptide inhibitors of Src, Lck, Grb2, PI-3K, and Zap70 from pioneering efforts that led to the first examples of cellularly and in vivo active SH2 inhibitors. This mini-review highlights key achievements in SH2 inhibitor drug discovery with an emphasis on peptidomimetic and nonpeptide lead compounds in terms of structure-based design, key chemical and biological properties, and proof-of-concept studies relative to further defining the role(s) of SH2 domains in signal transduction processes, cellular functions, and in vivo disease models.

Molecular Conformation↗