pha-408 and Disease-Models--Animal

When Zika virus emerged as a public health emergency there were no drugs or vaccines approved for its prevention or treatment. We used a high-throughput screen for Zika virus protease inhibitors to identify several inhibitors of Zika virus infection. We expressed the NS2B-NS3 Zika virus protease and conducted a biochemical screen for small-molecule inhibitors. A quantitative structure-activity relationship model was employed to virtually screen ∼138,000 compounds, which increased the identification of active compounds, while decreasing screening time and resources. Candidate inhibitors were validated in several viral infection assays. Small molecules with favorable clinical profiles, especially the five-lipoxygenase-activating protein inhibitor, MK-591, inhibited the Zika virus protease and infection in neural stem cells. Members of the tetracycline family of antibiotics were more potent inhibitors of Zika virus infection than the protease, suggesting they may have multiple mechanisms of action. The most potent tetracycline, methacycline, reduced the amount of Zika virus present in the brain and the severity of Zika virus-induced motor deficits in an immunocompetent mouse model. As Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, the tetracyclines could be quickly translated to the clinic. The compounds identified through our screening paradigm have the potential to be used as prophylactics for patients traveling to endemic regions or for the treatment of the neurological complications of Zika virus infection.

Topics: Animals; Antiviral Agents; Artificial Intelligence; Chlorocebus aethiops; Disease Models, Animal; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; High-Throughput Screening Assays; Immunocompetence; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Methacycline; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Protease Inhibitors; Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship; Small Molecule Libraries; Vero Cells; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection

NF-kappaB activation is clearly linked to the pathogenesis of multiple inflammatory diseases including arthritis. The prominent role of IkappaB kinase-2 (IKK-2) in regulating NF-kappaB signaling in response to proinflammatory stimuli has made IKK-2 a primary anti-inflammation therapeutic target. PHA-408, a potent and selective IKK-2 inhibitor, was identified internally and used for our studies to assess this target. In early in vivo studies, PHA-408 demonstrated efficacy at high doses; however, the correlation between PHA-408 exposure and efficacy could not be established using standard dosing paradigms for the rat disease models. Similar concerns arose from early in vivo safety studies where appropriate NOAEL margins were not achieved. Following a full investigation of the physicochemical properties of the molecule and pharmacokinetic modeling, an oral steady-state delivery strategy was designed to administer PHA-408 to the rat for both efficacy and safety studies. Using this steady-state delivery, a clear dose-response relationship was established between plasma concentrations of PHA-408 and efficacy in the rat arthritis model. The same steady-state delivery approach was used to demonstrate the target safety. In summary, a combination of pharmacokinetic modeling with a steady-state delivery approach allowed us to establish confidence in both the mechanism and safety of the target.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Arthritis, Experimental; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Female; I-kappa B Kinase; Indazoles; Isonicotinic Acids; Male; Models, Biological; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Rats, Wistar; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha