Rapid laser flash photoaffinity labeling of binding sites for a noncompetitive inhibitor of the acetylcholine receptor

Photoaffinity labeling of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo marmorata electric tissue was performed in the presence of cholinergic effectors in the millisecond to second time range by a combination of a stopped-flow apparatus and a high-energy pulse laser. The label applied was [3H]triphenylmethylphosphonium, a lipophilic cation previously shown to be a specific blocker of the acetylcholine receptor ion channel. With the receptor in the resting state most of the label was incorporated into the alpha polypeptide chains. In the presence of agonists and antagonists increasing incorporation into the delta- and (less pronounced) the beta-chain was observed. The time course of this increase had a half-life of about 0.4 s, being slower than receptor activation and channel opening. in the resting, active, and even rapidly desensitized state, the alpha polypeptide chains appear to be the primary targets of the photoaffinity reaction. The action spectrum of the photolabeling has a sharp maximum at lambda = 270 nm and a small-side maximum at lambda = 290 nm. It does not resemble the absorption spectrum of the label and may hint at amino acid side chains as the moieties activated by UV light causing the photolabeling. The effector specificity of the observed slow increase of label incorporation into the delta polypeptide chain was investigated. It does not prove that slow desensitization is the underlying event. The agonists acetylcholine and carbamoylcholine as well as treatment of receptor-rich membranes with phospholipase A2 (but not phospholipase D) triggered labeling of delta, but antagonists such as D-tubocurarine and most conspicuously flaxedil had a similar effect.     

A new colloidal lipidic system for gene therapy

A novel type of liposomal vector for gene therapy is described (Artificial Virus Particles; AVPs). This vector is based on the composition of retroviral envelopes, serum-resistant and non-toxic and smaller than 200 nm in size. The DNA is condensed using low molecular weight branched PEI. Equipment of these particles with a cyclic RGD peptide ligand as targeting device renders them selective for tumor endothelial and melanoma cells expressing high levels of alphavbeta3-integrins, and allows for an efficient delivery of the enclosed genetic material. The specificity of the vector system for melanoma cells could be further improved by using a melanocyte-specific tyrosinase promoter to drive transgene expression.     

Lipophilic drug transfer between liposomal and biological membranes: what does it mean for parenteral and oral drug delivery?

This review presents the current knowledge on the interaction of lipophilic, poorly water soluble drugs with liposomal and biological membranes. The center of attention will be on drugs having the potential to dissolve in a lipid membrane without perturbing them too much. The degree of interaction is described as solubility of a drug in phospholipid membranes and the kinetics of transfer of a lipophilic drug between membranes. Finally, the consequences of these two factors on the design of lipid-based carriers for oral, as well as parenteral use, for lipophilic drugs and lead selection of oral lipophilic drugs is described. Since liposomes serve as model-membranes for natural membranes, the assessment of lipid solubility and transfer kinetics of lipophilic drug using liposome formulations may additionally have predictive value for bioavailability and biodistribution and the pharmacokinetics of lipophilic drugs after parenteral as well as oral administration.     

Fast high-throughput screening of temoporfin-loaded liposomal formulations prepared by ethanol injection method

A new strategy for fast, convenient high-throughput screening of liposomal formulations was developed, utilizing the automation of the so-called ethanol-injection method. This strategy was illustrated by the preparation and screening of the liposomal formulation library of a potent second-generation photosensitizer, temoporfin. Numerous liposomal formulations were efficiently prepared using a pipetting robot, followed by automated size characterization, using a dynamic light scattering plate reader. Incorporation efficiency of temoporfin and zeta potential were also detected in selected cases. To optimize the formulation, different parameters were investigated, including lipid types, lipid concentration in injected ethanol, ratio of ethanol to aqueous solution, ratio of drug to lipid, and the addition of functional phospholipid. Step-by-step small liposomes were prepared with high incorporation efficiency. At last, an optimized formulation was obtained for each lipid in the following condition: 36.4 mg·mL(-1) lipid, 13.1 mg·mL(-1) mPEG(2000)-DSPE, and 1:4 ethanol:buffer ratio. These liposomes were unilamellar spheres, with a diameter of approximately 50?nm, and were very stable for over 20 weeks. The results illustrate this approach to be promising for fast high-throughput screening of liposomal formulations.     

A diaminocyclohexyl analog of SNS-032 with improved permeability and bioavailability properties

The identification of a selective CDK2, 7, 9 inhibitor 4 with improved permeability is described. Compound 4 exhibits comparable CDK selectivity profile to SNS-032, but shows improved permeability and higher bioavailability in mice.     

Tethering identifies fragment that yields potent inhibitors of human caspase-1

Disulfide Tethering was applied to the active site of human caspase-1, resulting in the discovery of a novel, tricyclic molecular fragment that selectively binds in S4. This fragment was developed into a class of potent inhibitors of human caspase-1. Several key analogues determined the optimal distance of the tricycle from the catalytic residues, the relative importance of various features of the tricycle, and the importance of the linker.     

Polymersomes Containing Iron Sulfide (FeS) as Primordial Cell Model

According to Wächtershäuser??s ??Iron-Sulfur-World?? one major requirement for the development of life on the prebiotic Earth is compartmentalization. Vesicles spontaneously formed from amphiphilic components containing a specific set of molecules including sulfide minerals may have lead to the first autotrophic prebiotic units. The iron sulfide minerals may have been formed by geological conversions in the environment of deep-sea volcanos (black smokers), which can be observed even today. Wächtershäuser postulated the evolution of chemical pathways as fundamentals of the origin of life on earth. In contrast to the classical Miller-Urey experiment, depending on external energy sources, the ??Iron-Sulfur-World?? is based on the catalytic and energy reproducing redox system $ FeS + {H_2}S \to FeS{}_2 + {H_2} $ . The energy release out of this redox reaction (?_RG°?=??38 kJ/mol, pH 0) could be the cause for the subsequent synthesis of complex organic molecules and the precondition for the development of more complex units similar to cells known today. Here we show the possibility for precipitating iron sulfide inside vesicles composed of amphiphilic block-copolymers as a model system for a first prebiotic unit. Our findings could be an indication for a chemoautotrophic FeS based origin of life.