作用于Bcl-2家族抗凋亡亚族蛋白的小分子抑制剂的研究进展

细胞的凋亡是维持机体平衡的重要因素。细胞凋亡由一系列细胞因子调控。Bcl-2蛋白家族是细胞凋亡的关键性调节因子。Bcl-2家族分为抗凋亡和促凋亡两个亚族，他们的相互作用对细胞凋亡信号传导起调控作用。很多肿瘤细胞高表达Bcl-2抗凋亡亚族成员Bcl-2/Bcl-xL。近年来，随着Bcl-2家族各成员的晶体结构相继阐明，人们开始寻找作用于Bcl-2家族抗凋亡亚族蛋白的小分子抑制剂。本文从药物设计角度对该方面的进展作一综述。     

Bcl-2家族蛋白小分子抑制剂的研究进展

Bcl-2家族蛋白是细胞凋亡途径中一种重要的蛋白,在肿瘤的发生及转移中起着重要的作用.由于Bcl-2家族蛋白在多种癌细胞中高度表达,因此,对其干预成为一种新型肿瘤治疗策略,Bcl-2家族蛋白也成为抗肿瘤的热门靶点之一.本文总结了近年来Bcl-2家族蛋白小分子抑制剂的研究进展.     

Bcl-2蛋白的小分子抑制剂

Bcl-2蛋白家族在调节细胞凋亡中发挥重要作用，人类恶性肿瘤细胞高表达Bcl-2和Bcl-XL，而高表达这些抗凋亡分子的细胞对于化疗药物有抗性，因此，以Bcl-2家族蛋白为靶点的小分子抑制剂成为很有潜力的可用于多种肿瘤治疗的药物，通过下调Bcl-2和Bcl-XL的表达直接影响肿瘤细胞的存活及其对化疗药物的抗性。     

Mcl-1蛋白的结构、功能及其抑制剂的研究进展

细胞凋亡与许多人类疾病的发生密切相关,过度凋亡引发神经退行性疾病,而抑制凋亡则与肿瘤等疾病的产生有关.研究表明,Bcl-2蛋白家族在细胞凋亡中发挥重要作用,特别是近几年对Bcl-2蛋白家族成员Mcl-1及其抑制剂研究越来越多.本文介绍了Mcl-1蛋白的结构与功能特点,综述了近几年作为抗肿瘤药物的Mcl-1抑制剂的研究进展.     

基于蛋白结构的Bcl-2抑制剂设计与开发

Bcl-2家族抗凋亡蛋白的过度表达通常与肿瘤的发生有着密切的关系,而细胞凋亡信号均要经Bcl-2蛋白家族传递。因此,针对Bcl-2家族蛋白的结构特征和功能,设计其特异性抑制剂,以诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡,已成为肿瘤治疗的新策略。综述Bcl-2家族蛋白的结构与功能及其活性位点的分布,介绍基于结构的若干Bcl-2抑制剂的设计与开发。     

抗凋亡因子Bcl-2/Bcl-XL蛋白小分子抑制剂研究进展

Bcl-2蛋白家族是细胞凋亡过程中重要的调控因子。Bcl-2、Bcl-XL蛋白的过度表达是肿瘤发生及产生耐药性的重要原因之一,因此其抑制剂的开发已经成为当前抗肿瘤药物研究的热点。本文在简要介绍Bcl-2蛋白家族结构和功能的基础上,对迄今已报道的抗凋亡因子Bcl-2、Bcl-XL蛋白的小分子抑制剂按其结构类型（主要包括BH3类、苯并吡喃类、三联苯及对苯二甲酰胺类、酰胺磺酰胺类、抗霉素类、棉酚类、三酚类、喹唑啉-2(1H)-硫酮类、三吡咯环类及8-氧-8H-苊并[1,2-b]吡咯-9-腈等）进行综述,阐述各类抑制剂的发现、结构修饰、构效关系及活性研究。     

小分子Bcl-2抑制剂的研究与开发

综述细胞凋亡的主要机制、Bcl-xL蛋白结构以及各类小分子Bcl-2抑制剂的研究与开发。高水平表达Bcl-2家族抗凋亡蛋白（如Bcl-2、Bcl-xL等）可导致肿瘤细胞的凋亡过程受阻，并对传统放、化疗产生抵抗性，而下调过表达Bcl-2和Bcl-xL蛋白则可诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡，且逆转肿瘤细胞对治疗的抵抗性或耐药性。因此，作为潜在的癌症治疗策略，以Bcl-2家族蛋白为靶点的小分子抑制剂已成为当今研究热点，X-射线晶体衍射、核磁共振技术、小分子数据库和计算机辅助药物设计等技术也广泛应用于小分子Bcl-2抑制剂的开发。     

蛋白激酶C在吴茱萸碱诱导A375-S2细胞死亡中的作用

目的研究蛋白激酶C(protein kinase C，PKC)在吴茱萸碱(evodiamine)诱导的A375-S2细胞死亡过程中的作用。方法TUNEL法检测吴茱萸碱诱导细胞凋亡的比例。MTT法测定药物对A375-S2细胞的细胞毒作用。Western blotting法分析药物作用后对ERK及其磷酸化蛋白和Bcl-2家族蛋白的影响。结果吴茱萸碱诱导A375-S2细胞的死亡在24 h以前以凋亡为主。PKC抑制剂staurosporine和ERK抑制剂PD98059均能促进吴茱萸碱诱导的A375-S2细胞死亡。吴茱萸碱能够抑制PKC的活力，下调ERK及其磷酸化蛋白的表达水平，并使Bax/Bcl-2表达比例上升。而staurosporine对吴茱萸碱抑制PKC活力，降低ERK及其磷酸化蛋白和Bcl-2的表达有进一步增强的作用。结论在吴茱萸碱诱导的A375-S2细胞死亡中，PKC位于ERK和Bcl-2的上游发挥其调节作用。     

姜黄素抗肿瘤作用机制的研究进展

多种恶性肿瘤细胞中表达细胞凋亡抑制蛋白（IAPs）,如：Survivin、NAIP、XIAP、Livin等,同样表达抗细胞凋亡Bcl-2家族蛋白。IAPS介导的凋亡抑制可能是肿瘤细胞耐药而存活的原因之一;Bcl-2家族蛋白在抗肿瘤凋亡及促其凋亡中发挥作用。姜黄素具有抗炎、抗氧化、抑制血管新生等,可以通过调控蛋白表达及相关信号通路促进细胞凋亡、抗肿瘤作用。     

035 选择性诱导表达Bcl-2的乳腺癌细胞凋亡[英]／Westwell A／／Drug Discov Today.

肿瘤细胞的基本特点之一就是逃避细胞凋亡。Bcl-2家族既有抗凋亡蛋白也有促凋亡蛋白。由于抗凋亡Bcl-2蛋白的高水平表达与许多恶性肿瘤相关，抑制Bcl-2或有关抗凋亡蛋白已经成为诱导肿瘤细胞凋亡或提高这些细胞对化疗敏感性的一种策略。     

Inhibitors of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins: a patent review

INTRODUCTION: The B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins is central to the regulation of apoptosis, which is vital for proper tissue development and cellular homeostasis. Anti-apoptotic proteins, members of the Bcl-2 family, are an important survival factor for many cancers and their overexpression has been associated with tumor initiation, progression, and resistance to current anticancer therapies. Therefore, strategies seeking to antagonize the function of Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic proteins have been extensively studied for developing a novel cancer therapy. AREAS COVERED: This review covers research and patent literature of the last 15 years dealing with the discovery and development of inhibitors of the Bcl-2 protein family. EXPERT OPINION: The feasibility of disrupting protein-protein interactions between anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic proteins, members of the Bcl-2 family, using peptidomimetics and small-molecule inhibitors has been successfully established. Three small-molecule inhibitors have entered human clinical trials, which will allow the evaluation of this potential therapeutic approach in cancer patients. It will be important to gain a better understanding of pan and selective Bcl-2 inhibitors in order to facilitate future drug design efforts.     

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) promotes mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis induced by 7-hydroxystaurosporine and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitors in human leukemia cells that ectopically express Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL

Previous studies have demonstrated that cotreatment with mitogen activated-protein kinase kinase (MEK) 1/2 inhibitors (e.g., PD184352) and the checkpoint abrogator 7-hydroxystaurosporine (UCN-01) dramatically induces apoptosis in a variety of human leukemia and multiple myeloma cell types. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the roles of Bcl-2 family members and the relative contribution of the intrinsic mitochondrial versus the extrinsic receptor-related apoptotic pathways to MEK inhibitors/UCN-01-induced leukemic cell death. Cotreatment of U937 cells with PD184352 and UCN-01 resulted in the activation of procaspase-3, -9, and -8 as well as Bid cleavage. PD184352/UCN-01-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis were both substantially attenuated in cells ectopically expressing Bcl-2, an N-terminal phosphorylation loop-deleted mutant Bcl-2, or Bcl-xL, but not in cells expressing dominant-negative (DN) caspase-8, cytokine response modifier A (cowpox virus-encoded antiapoptotic protein), or DN Fas-associated death domain. Coadministration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) or TNF-alpha substantially increased MEK inhibitors (e.g., PD184352 or U0126)/UCN-01-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, activation of procaspase-8 and Bid, and apoptosis in Bcl-2- and Bcl-xL-overexpressing cells but not in those in which the extrinsic pathway was interrupted. Together, these findings suggest that the MEK inhibitors/UCN-01 regimen primarily induces leukemic cell apoptosis by engaging the intrinsic, mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and that resistance to these events conferred by increased expression of certain antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members can be overcome, at least in part, by coadministration of TRAIL and other agents that activate the extrinsic apoptotic cascade.     

Proteins of the bcl-2 family in apoptosis signalling: from mechanistic insights to therapeutic opportunities

1. Proteins of the Bcl-2 family are central regulators of apoptosis and are thought to act primarily on the mitochondria. 2. Members of the Bcl-2 family possess either anti-apoptotic or pro-apoptotic function. They are characterized by the presence of conserved sequence motifs, known as Bcl-2 homology (BH) domains. Anti-apoptotic members share all four BH domains, designated as BH1-4; the multidomain pro-apoptotic members contain BH1-3 domains, whereas another subgroup of pro-apoptotic members only have a BH3 domain. 3. The BH3-only proteins act as sensors for distinct apoptosis pathways, whereas multidomain pro-apoptotic Bax and Bak are executioners of death orders relayed by the BH3-only proteins. 4. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members appear to function, at least in part, by interacting with and antagonizing pro-apoptotic family members. The BH1-3 domains of BclXL form an elongated hydrophobic groove, which is the docking site for the BH3 domains of pro-apoptotic binding partners. 5. The deregulation of the various Bcl-2 proteins has been implicated in many pathological conditions. 6. Knowledge derived from the understanding of the function and regulation of the Bcl-2 family of proteins has allowed us to contemplate new therapeutic strategies for diseases where apoptosis signalling mechanisms can potentially be manipulated. 7. The anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 members have been targeted successfully using an antisense approach, BH3-peptides and small molecular weight chemicals that are inhibitors of their anti-apoptotic function.     

Discovery of small-molecule inhibitors of Bcl-2 through structure-based computer screening.

Bcl-2 belongs to a growing family of proteins which regulates programmed cell death (apoptosis). Overexpression of Bcl-2 has been observed in 70% of breast cancer, 30-60% of prostate cancer, 80% of B-cell lymphomas, 90% of colorectal adenocarcinomas, and many other forms of cancer. Thereby, Bcl-2 is an attractive new anti-cancer target. Herein, we describe the discovery of novel classes of small-molecule inhibitors targeted at the BH3 binding pocket in Bcl-2. The three-dimensional (3D) structure of Bcl-2 has been modeled on the basis of a high-resolution NMR solution structure of Bcl-X(L), which shares a high sequence homology with Bcl-2. A structure-based computer screening approach has been employed to search the National Cancer Institute 3D database of 206 876 organic compounds to identify potential Bcl-2 small-molecule inhibitors that bind to the BH3 binding site of Bcl-2. These potential Bcl-2 small-molecule inhibitors were first tested in an in vitro binding assay for their potency in inhibition of the binding of a Bak BH3 peptide to Bcl-2. Thirty-five potential inhibitors were tested in this binding assay, and seven of them were found to have a binding affinity (IC(50) value) from 1.6 to 14.0 microM. The anti-proliferative activity of these seven active compounds has been tested using a human myeloid leukemia cell line, HL-60, which expresses the highest level of Bcl-2 protein among all the cancer cell lines examined. Compound 6 was the most potent compound and had an IC(50) value of 4 microM in inhibition of cell growth using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Five other compounds had moderate activity in inhibition of cell growth. Compound 6 was further evaluated for its ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. It was found that 6 induces apoptosis in cancer cells with high Bcl-2 expression and its potency correlates with the Bcl-2 expression level in cancer cells. Furthermore, using NMR methods, we conclusively demonstrated that 6 binds to the BH3 binding site in Bcl-X(L). Our results showed that small-molecule inhibitors of Bcl-2 such as 6 modulate the biological function of Bcl-2, and induce apoptosis in cancer cells with high Bcl-2 expression, while they have little effect on cancer cells with low or undetectable levels of Bcl-2 expression. Therefore, compound 6 can be used as a valuable pharmacological tool to elucidate the function of Bcl-2 and also serves as a novel lead compound for further design and optimization. Our results suggest that the structure-based computer screening strategy employed in the study is effective for identifying novel, structurally diverse, nonpeptide small-molecule inhibitors that target the BH3 binding site of Bcl-2.     

Involvement of caspase on apoptosis in ischemia-induced neuronal cell death: usefulness of caspase inhibitors for stroke therapy

This overviews recent understanding of the mechanisms of apoptosis on ischemia-induced neuronal cell death. Apoptosis is a prominent feature of the developing nervous system. Several lines of evidence suggest that apoptosis is also an important mechanism of cell death in adult brain in acute or chronic diseases such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease. In animal models of stroke, markers of apoptosis such as cytoplasmic and nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation appear in neurons. A variety of physiological and pathological stimuli can activate signal-transduction pathways that result in the sequential proteolytic activation of caspase family members. The activation of caspases can be inhibited by several molecules, including peptide aldehydes (caspase-1 and or caspase-3 inhibitors) and crmA that target the active-site cysteine of caspase family members, Bcl-2, IAP (inhibitor of apoptosis protein) and NAIP (neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein). Once activated, caspase-1 protease can activate the caspase family members and hydrolyze a discrete set of cellular targets. Poly (ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP), which appears to facilitate apoptosis, was recognized as a substrate of activated caspase-3. These results suggest that caspase family, bcl-2 family, IAP family and substrates such PARP contribute to mechanisms of cell death in ischemic brain injury. Inhibition of the caspase family, particularly by non-peptide inhibitors that cross the blood-brain barrier and easily penetrate neurons and glia, could provide novel treatments for stroke and other forms of brain and spinal cord injury in humans.