scio-469 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

Traditional and COX-2 selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) treatment inhibits fracture healing in animal models. This indicates that either the inflammatory phase following a bone fracture is necessary for efficient or sufficient bone regeneration to heal the fracture or COX-2 may have a specific function during bone regeneration unrelated to inflammation. These observations also indicate that NSAID use during fracture healing may be contra-indicated. Thus, identification of different analgesics for fracture pain or other orthopaedic surgical procedures would be of significant clinical benefit. Inhibitors of p38 kinase also have significant analgesic properties. However, p38 kinase is a critical regulator of inflammation. To assess the potential use of p38 kinase inhibition as a therapeutic strategy to manage fracture pain, the analgesic properties of SCIO-469, a p38alpha kinase inhibitor, were assessed in a rat fracture model and compared to other common analgesics. In addition, the effects of SCIO-469 treatment on ultimate fracture healing outcomes were measured by radiography and torsional mechanical testing. The data indicate that SCIO-469 was an effective analgesic. No adverse events related to fracture healing were observed in rats treated with SCIO-469. Immunohistochemistry showed that p38 kinase is activated primarily in the first days following a fracture. These observations suggest that p38alpha kinase inhibition may be an effective therapeutic strategy to manage orthopaedic-related pain. These observations also indicate that COX-2 has a specific function during bone regeneration other than promoting inflammation.

Topics: Analgesics; Animals; Area Under Curve; Biophysics; Disease Models, Animal; Enzyme Inhibitors; Female; Fracture Healing; Fractures, Bone; Indoles; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Pain; Pain Measurement; Radiography; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Time Factors; Torsion, Mechanical; Weight-Bearing

The bone microenvironment plays a critical role in supporting the growth and survival of multiple myeloma as well as in the development of osteolytic bone disease. Signaling through p38alpha mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) mediates synthesis of multiple myeloma cell growth factors, and its inhibition reduces proliferation in vitro. However, it is unclear whether targeting p38alpha MAPK prevents multiple myeloma growth and the development of bone disease in vivo. In this study, we determined whether SCIO-469, a selective p38alpha MAPK inhibitor, inhibits multiple myeloma growth and prevents bone disease in the 5T2MM and 5T33MM models. SCIO-469 decreased constitutive p38alpha MAPK phosphorylation of both 5T2MM and 5T33MM cells in vitro. This was associated with decreased DNA synthesis and an induction of apoptosis when the cells were cultured with bone marrow stromal cells. Treatment of C57Bl/KaLwRij mice bearing 5T33MM cells with SCIO-469 inhibited p38alpha MAPK phosphorylation and was associated with a significant decrease in serum paraprotein, an almost complete reduction in tumor cells in the bone marrow, a decrease in angiogenesis, and a significant increase in disease-free survival. Injection of 5T2MM murine myeloma cells into C57Bl/KaLwRij mice resulted in myeloma bone disease characterized by increased osteoclast occupation of the bone surface, reduced cancellous bone, and the development of osteolytic bone lesions. Treatment of 5T2MM-injected mice with SCIO-469 reduced this development of bone disease. Together, these data show that targeting p38alpha MAPK with SCIO-469 decreases myeloma burden in vivo, in addition to preventing the development of myeloma bone disease.

Topics: Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Indoles; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 14; Multiple Myeloma; Osteoclasts; Osteolysis; Phosphorylation; Protein Kinase Inhibitors