Dalibor Sames

Fully Synthetic Carbohydrate-Based Vaccines in Biochemically Relapsed Prostate Cancer: Clinical Trial Results With α-N-Acetylgalactosamine-O-Serine/Threonine Conjugate Vaccine

PURPOSE We report the synthesis of a mucin-related O-linked glycopeptide, alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine-O-serine/threonine (Tn), which is highly simplistic in its structure and can induce a relevant humoral response when given in a trimer or clustered (c) formation. We tested for an antitumor effect, in the form of a change in the posttreatment versus pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) slopes, that might serve as a surrogate for effectiveness of vaccines in delaying the time to radiographic progression. METHODS We compared the antibody response to immunization with two conjugates, Tn(c)-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and Tn(c)-palmitic acid (PAM) with the saponin immunologic adjuvant QS21, in a phase I clinical trial in patients with biochemically relapsed prostate cancer. Patients received Tn(c)-KLH vaccine containing either 3, 7, or 15 microg of Tn(c) per vaccination. Ten patients received 100 microg of Tn(c)-PAM. QS21 was included in all vaccines. Five vaccinations were administered subcutaneously during 26 weeks with an additional booster vaccine at week 50. RESULTS Tn(c), when given with the carrier molecule KLH and QS21, stimulated the production of high-titer immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies. Inferior antibody responses were seen with T(c)-PAM. There was no evidence of enhanced immunogenicity with increasing doses of vaccine. An antitumor effect in the form of a decline in posttreatment versus pretreatment PSA slopes was also observed. CONCLUSION A safe synthetic conjugate vaccine in a trimer formation was developed that can break immunologic tolerance by inducing specific humoral responses. It seemed to affect the biochemical progression of the disease as determined by a change in PSA log slope.

C–H Bond Functionalization via Hydride Transfer: Lewis Acid Catalyzed Alkylation Reactions by Direct Intramolecular Coupling of sp3 C–H Bonds and Reactive Alkenyl Oxocarbenium Intermediates

C-H bond functionalization enables strategically new approaches to the synthesis of complex organic molecules including biologically active compounds, research probes and functional organic materials. To address the shortcomings of transition metal catalyzed processes, we have developed a new approach to direct coupling of sp(3) C-H bonds and alkenes based on Lewis acid-promoted hydride transfer. Activation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes and ketones with Lewis acid triggers intramolecular hydride transfer, leading to a zwitterionic intermediate, which in turn undergoes ionic cyclization to afford the cyclic alkylation product. The scope of this method is expanded by the generation of alkenyl-oxocarbenium species as highly activated alkene intermediates capable of abstracting a hydride from unreactive carbon centers, including benzyl-, allyl-, and crotyl-ethers, as well as primary alkyl ethers, at room temperature. The alkenyl acetal and ketal substrates show dramatically faster rates of cyclization, as well as improved chemical yield and diastereoselectivity, compared to the corresponding carbonyl compounds. Furthermore, the use of boron trifluoride etherate as the Lewis acid and ethylene glycol as the organocatalyst provides a highly active catalytic system, presumably via the in situ formation of alkenyl-oxocarbenium intermediates, which eliminates the need for expensive transition metal Lewis acids or the preparation of ketal substrates. This binary catalytic system greatly improves the efficiency of the hydride transfer-initiated alkylation reactions.

C−H Bond Functionalization via Hydride Transfer: Direct Coupling of Unactivated Alkynes and sp3 C−H Bonds Catalyzed by Platinum Tetraiodide

We report a catalytic intramolecular coupling between terminal unactivated alkynes and sp(3) C-H bonds via through-space hydride transfer (HT-cyclization of alkynes). This method enables one-step preparation of complex heterocyclic compounds by alpha-alkenylation of readily available cyclic ethers and amines. We show that PtI(4) is an effective Lewis acid catalyst for the activation of terminal alkynes for hydride attack and subsequent C-C bond formation. In addition, we have shown that the activity of neutral platinum salts (PtX(n)) can be modulated by the halide ligands. This modulation in turn allows for fine-tuning of the platinum center reactivity to match the reactivity and stability of selected substrates and products.

Fluorescent False Neurotransmitters Visualize Dopamine Release from Individual Presynaptic Terminals

Neurotransmission in Living Color Neurotransmission involves the release of small molecular neurotransmitters from one neuron to another across a synapse. Gubernator et al. (p. 1441, published online 7 May) introduce a means to observe neurotransmitter release optically, by the design of fluorescent false neurotransmitters, which act as substrates for the synaptic vesicle monoamine transporter. These endogenous monoamine optical tracers enabled visualization of neurotransmitter uptake and release from individual synaptic terminals and were used to evaluate dopamine neurotransmission in the striatum. The fraction of synaptic vesicles that release neurotransmitter per stimulus was frequency dependent, and a frequency-dependent selection of presynaptic terminals was observed. Optical tracking of neurotransmitter release in the brain reveals multiple synaptic populations that depend on brain activity. The nervous system transmits signals between neurons via neurotransmitter release during synaptic vesicle fusion. In order to observe neurotransmitter uptake and release from individual presynaptic terminals directly, we designed fluorescent false neurotransmitters as substrates for the synaptic vesicle monoamine transporter. Using these probes to image dopamine release in the striatum, we made several observations pertinent to synaptic plasticity. We found that the fraction of synaptic vesicles releasing neurotransmitter per stimulus was dependent on the stimulus frequency. A kinetically distinct “reserve” synaptic vesicle population was not observed under these experimental conditions. A frequency-dependent heterogeneity of presynaptic terminals was revealed that was dependent in part on D2 dopamine receptors, indicating a mechanism for frequency-dependent coding of presynaptic selection.

C–H Bonds as Ubiquitous Functionality: A General Approach to Complex Arylated Imidazoles via Regioselective Sequential Arylation of All Three C–H Bonds and Regioselective N-Alkylation Enabled by SEM-Group Transposition

Imidazoles are an important group of the azole family of heterocycles frequently found in pharmaceuticals, drug candidates, ligands for transition metal catalysts, and other molecular functional materials. Owing to their wide application in academia and industry, new methods and strategies for the generation of functionalized imidazole derivatives are in demand. We here describe a general and comprehensive approach for the synthesis of complex aryl imidazoles, where all three C-H bonds of the imidazole core can be arylated in a regioselective and sequential manner. We report new catalytic methods for selective C5- and C2-arylation of SEM-imidazoles and provide a mechanistic hypothesis for the observed positional selectivity based on electronic properties of C-H bonds and the heterocyclic ring. Importantly, aryl bromides and low-cost aryl chlorides can be used as arene donors under practical laboratory conditions. To circumvent the low reactivity of the C-4 position, we developed the SEM-switch that transfers the SEM-group from N-1 to N-3 nitrogen and thus enables preparation of 4-arylimidazoles and sequential C4-C5-arylation of the imidazole core. Furthermore, selective N3-alkylation followed by the SEM-group deprotection (trans-N-alkylation) allows for regioselective N-alkylation of complex imidazoles. The sequential C-arylation enabled by the SEM-switch allowed us to produce a variety of mono-, di-, and triarylimidazoles using diverse bromo- and chloroarenes. Using our approach, the synthesis of individual compounds or libraries of analogues can begin from either the parent imidazole or a substituted imidazole, providing rapid access to complex imidazole structures.

C–H Arylation of Pyridines: High Regioselectivity as a Consequence of the Electronic Character of C–H Bonds and Heteroarene Ring

We report a new catalytic protocol for highly selective C-H arylation of pyridines containing common and synthetically versatile electron-withdrawing substituents (NO(2), CN, F and Cl). The new protocol expands the scope of catalytic azine functionalization as the excellent regioselectivity at the 3- and 4-positions well complements the existing methods for C-H arylation and Ir-catalyzed borylation, as well as classical functionalization of pyridines. Another important feature of the new method is its flexibility to adapt to challenging substrates by a simple modification of the carboxylic acid ligand or the use of silver salts. The regioselectivity can be rationalized on the basis of the key electronic effects (repulsion between the nitrogen lone pair and polarized C-Pd bond at C2-/C6-positions and acidity of the C-H bond) in combination with steric effects (sensitivity to bulky substituents).

Development of pH-Responsive Fluorescent False Neurotransmitters

We introduce pH-responsive fluorescent false neurotransmitters (pH-responsive FFNs) as novel probes that act as vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT) substrates and ratiometric fluorescent pH sensors. The development of these agents was achieved by systematic molecular design that integrated several structural elements, including the aminoethyl group (VMAT recognition), halogenated hydroxy-coumarin core (ratiometric optical pH sensing in the desired pH range), and N- or C-alkylation (modulation of lipophilicity). Of 14 compounds that were synthesized, the probe Mini202 was selected based on the highest uptake in VMAT2-transfected HEK cells and desirable optical properties. Using Mini202, we measured the pH of catecholamine secretory vesicles in PC-12 cells (pH approximately 5.9) via two-photon fluorescence microscopy. Incubation with methamphetamine led to an increase in vesicular pH (pH approximately 6.4), consistent with a proposed mechanism of action of this psychostimulant, and eventually to redistribution of vesicular content (including Mini202) from vesicles to cytoplasm. Mini202 is sufficiently bright, photostable, and suitable for two-photon microscopy. This probe will enable fundamental neuroscience and neuroendocrine research as well as drug screening efforts.

Convergent total synthesis of a tumour-associated mucin motif

Synthetic glycoconjugates that mimic cell-surface tumour antigens (glycolipids or glycoproteins with unusual carbohydrate structural motifs) have been shown to trigger humoral responses in murine and human immune systems. This raises the exciting possibility of inducing active immunity with fully synthetic carbohydrate vaccines, particularly if vaccine compounds can be synthesized that resemble the surface environment of transformed cells even more closely. Glycopeptides seem particularly suitable for this purpose. In contrast to most glycolipids and thecarbohydrates themselves, glycopeptides bind to major histocompatibility complex molecules, and, in favourable cases, can stimulate T cells and lead to the expression of receptors that recognize the carbohydrate part of a glycopeptide with high specificity. The preparation of glycopeptides and glycoproteins remains, however, a difficult challenge: earlier synthesis methods have been inefficient, and established cloning approaches that allow engineering of global glycopatterns produce only heterogeneous glycoproteins. Here we report an efficient strategy of the synthesis of tumour-associated mucin glycopeptides with clustered trisaccharide glycodomains corresponding to the (2,6)-sialyl T antigen. Our approach involves construction of the complete glycodomain in the first stage, followed by convergent coupling to amino acid residues and subsequent incorporation of the glycosyl amino acid units into a peptide chain. This general strategy allows the assembly of molecules in which selected glycoforms can be incorporated at any desired position of the peptide chain. The resultant fully synthetic O-linked glycopeptide clusters are the closest homogeneous mimics of cell-surface mucins at present available, and so are promising compounds for the development of anticancer vaccines.

Combinatorial approach to the development of fluorescent sensors for nanomolar aqueous copper

Abstract New fluorescent sensors for aqueous copper ions were developed via screening of metal ligand libraries. Identified ionophores were linked to a dansyl fluorophore reporter, affording copper ion sensors based on fluorescence quenching. Simple chemical modification of identified ionophores generated sensors responsive to a broad range of copper ion concentrations (10 nM–35 μM).

C–H Bond Functionalization via Hydride Transfer: Formation of α-Arylated Piperidines and 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinolines via Stereoselective Intramolecular Amination of Benzylic C–H Bonds

We here report a study of the intramolecular amination of sp(3) C-H bonds via the hydride transfer cyclization of N-tosylimines (HT-amination). In this transformation, 5-aryl aldehydes are subjected to N-toluenesulfonamide in the presence of BF(3)·OEt(2) to effect imine formation and HT-cyclization, leading to 2-arylpiperidines and 3-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines in a one-pot procedure. We examined the reactivity of a range of aldehyde substrates as a function of their conformational flexibility. Substrates of higher conformational rigidity were more reactive, giving higher yields of the desired products. However, a single substituent on the alkyl chain linking the N-tosylimine and the benzylic sp(3) C-H bonds was sufficient for HT-cyclization to occur. In addition, an examination of various arenes revealed that the electronic character of the hydridic C-H bonds dramatically affects the efficiency of the reaction. We also found that this transformation is highly stereoselective; 2-substituted aldehydes yield cis-2,5-disubstituted piperidines, while 3-substituted aldehydes afford trans-2,4-disubstituted piperidines. The stereoselectivity is a consequence of thermodynamic control. The pseudoallylic strain between the arene and tosyl group on the piperidine ring is proposed to rationalize the greater stability of the isomer with the aryl ring in the axial position. This preferential placement of the arene is proposed to affect the observed stereoselectivity.