Design, Synthesis and Anti-Influenza Virus Activity of 4-Tert-Butyl-N-(3-Oxo-1-Thia-4-Azaspiro[4.5]Dec-4-yl)Benzamide Derivatives That Target Hemagglutinin-Mediated FusionÇınar, Alikadıoğlu, Soylu-Eter
et alDrug Dev Res (2025) 86 (2), e70080
Abstract: Hemagglutinin (HA) is a viral glycoprotein that mediates influenza virus entry into the host cell and is considered a relevant viral target. We here report the identification of a class of 4-tert-butylphenyl-substituted spirothiazolidinones as HA-mediated fusion inhibitors with specific activity against influenza A/H3N2 virus. The novel spirocyclic compounds were achieved by using one-pot cyclocondensation method and the chemical structures were characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis. Compound 2c, bearing methyl substitutions at positions 2- and 8- of the spiro ring displayed an EC50 value against influenza A/H3N2 virus of 1.3 μM and an antiviral selectivity index of 30. The fusion-inhibiting effect of compound 2c was revealed in the polykaryon assay which is based on cell-cell fusion when influenza virus H3 HA-transfected cells are exposed to low pH. Computer-aided docking was performed to predict the possible binding pocket in the H3 HA trimer. Resistance data and in silico studies indicated that compound 2c has an overlapping binding pocket in the stem region of H3 HA with the known fusion inhibitors TBHQ and arbidol.© 2025 The Author(s). Drug Development Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
High soluble expression and characterization of human GalNAc transferase T2 and T11 in Escherichia coliWang, Zhang, Shi
et alProtein Expr Purif (2025) 231, 106712
Abstract: The efficient expression of soluble glycosyltransferases from mammalian sources in Escherichia coli (E. coli) remains a significant challenge, often resulting in misfolding and the formation of inclusion bodies. In this study, we investigated strategies to enhance the solubility and catalytic activity of human GalNAc-T2 and GalNAc-T11, two O-glycosyltransferases involved in O-glycosylation of glycoproteins. We found that fusion with maltose-binding protein (MBP) and cellulase catalytic domain (Cel-CD), which led to majority of the fusion proteins being soluble, could increase the solubility of the recombinant proteins. Enzyme activity assays revealed that the fusion glycosyltransferase exhibited significantly higher catalytic efficiency than non-fused enzymes. In addition, the influence of GalNAc-T11 lectin domain on substrate specificity was also determined. The presence of lectin domain had no influence on the recognition of specific substrate and the specific activity of GalNAc-T11. This work offers an efficient approach for the large-scale production of human glycosyltransferases with enhanced bioactivity, highlighting its potential for glycosylation engineering of glycoprotein drugs.Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Real-world evidence provides clinical insights into tissue-agnostic therapeutic approvalsSledge, Yoshino, Xiu
et alNat Commun (2025) 16 (1), 2646
Abstract: The US Food and Drug Administration approves tissue-agnostic therapies to target tumor biomarkers regardless of tumor type. In light of the growing number of such approvals in recent years, a better understanding of their relative clinical benefit across cancer types is required. To address this need, we analyzed tissue-agnostic indications (TMB-High, MSI-High/MMRd, BRAFV600E mutations, and NTRK and RET fusions) in a database of 295,316 molecularly-profiled tumor samples with associated clinical outcomes data. Here, we show that 21.5% of tumors harbored at least one of the tissue-agnostic indications investigated, including 5.4% lacking a cancer-specific indication. Our analysis reveals poor uptake of targeted therapies for rare NTRK fusions, significant differences in pembrolizumab-associated outcomes across tumor types for TMB-High and MSI-High/MMRd, as well as clinical benefits in tumor types and drugs of the same class not investigated in the pivotal clinical trials. These results demonstrate that treatment effects are not necessarily tissue-agnostic, and suggest possible expansion of therapeutic avenues for a given tissue-agnostic indication.© 2025. The Author(s).
Histopathology of C Cells and Medullary Thyroid CarcinomaCameselle-Teijeiro, Sobrinho-Simões
Recent Results Cancer Res (2025) 223, 9-50
Abstract: C cells are the neuroendocrine cell component of the thyroid gland that embryologically arise from the pharyngeal endoderm. Normal C cells are concentrated in the upper two-thirds of both lateral lobes, appear singly or in small groups dispersed in, among or peripherally to the follicles, and are involved in the production of calcitonin. Reactive C-cell hyperplasia should be differentiated from proliferation of atypical C cells (neoplastic C-cell hyperplasia) which is considered an intraepithelial neoplasia of C cells/medullary carcinoma in situ, a precursor lesion associated to familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). MTC typically exhibits a lobular and/or trabecular growth pattern with amyloid deposits; however, due to its great histological variability, immunohistochemical positivity for calcitonin, carcinoembryonic antigen, calcitonin-gene-related peptide, insulinoma-associated protein 1, and/or other markers is necessary to confirm diagnosis. Investigation of germline RET proto-oncogene mutation is mandatory to identify familial MTC. Somatic RET mutations or fusions as well as RAS mutations in cytological and/or biopsy samples may represent therapeutic targets. Mixed medullary and follicular-derived cell carcinoma is a heterogeneous group of tumors which needs to be distinguished from collision tumors.© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.