Sébastien Papot

Rotaxane-based propeptides: protection and enzymatic release of a bioactive pentapeptide.

Ring of protection: A [2]rotaxane 1 protects and selectively releases a bioactive pentapeptide. The rotaxane macrocycle provides a defensive shield that very significantly improves the poor stability of the peptide to both individual peptidases and the cocktail of enzymes present in human plasma. Glycosidase-catalyzed cleavage of a carbohydrate ‘stopper’ in the rotaxane triggers release of the parent peptide

The First Generation of β-Galactosidase-Responsive Prodrugs Designed for the Selective Treatment of Solid Tumors in Prodrug Monotherapy†

Massive attack: Galactoside prodrugs have been designed that can be selectively activated by lysosomal β-galactosidase located inside cancer cells expressing a specific tumor-associated receptor. This efficient enzymatic process triggers a potent cytotoxic effect, releasing the potent antimitotic agent MMAE and allowing the destruction of both receptor-positive and surrounding receptor-negative tumor cells.

β-Glucuronidase-responsive prodrugs for selective cancer chemotherapy: an update.

The design of novel antitumor agents allowing the destruction of malignant cells while sparing healthy tissues is one of the major challenges in medicinal chemistry. In this context, the use of non-toxic prodrugs programmed to be selectively activated by beta-glucuronidase present at high concentration in the microenvironment of most solid tumors has attracted considerable attention. This review summarizes the major progresses that have been realized in this field over the past ten years. This includes the new prodrugs that have been designed to target a wide variety of anticancer drugs, the prodrugs employed in the course of a combined therapy, the dendritic glucuronide prodrugs and the concept of β-glucuronidase-responsive albumin binding prodrugs.

NDMA Formation by Chloramination of Ranitidine: Kinetics and Mechanism

The kinetics of decomposition of the pharmaceutical ranitidine (a major precursor of NDMA) during chloramination was investigated and some decomposition byproducts were identified by using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). The reaction between monochloramine and ranitidine followed second order kinetics and was acid-catalyzed. Decomposition of ranitidine formed different byproducts depending on the applied monochloramine concentration. Most identified products were chlorinated and hydroxylated analogues of ranitidine. In excess of monochloramine, nucleophilic substitution between ranitidine and monochloramine led to byproducts that are critical intermediates involved in the formation of NDMA, for example, a carbocation formed from the decomposition of the methylfuran moiety of ranitidine. A complete mechanism is proposed to explain the high formation yield of NDMA from chloramination of ranitidine. These results are of great importance to understand the formation of NDMA by chloramination of tertiary amines.

Design of Self-Immolative Linkers for Tumour-Activated Prodrug Therapy

The main drawback of most cancer chemotherapy is its relatively low ability to target tumour cells versus normal cells. As a consequence, chemotherapy is usually connected with severe side effects due to the toxicity of traditional cytostatic agents towards normal tissues. A few years ago, the site-specific activation of non-toxic prodrugs in tumours has been proposed in order to enhance the selectivity for the killing of cancer cells. Within this framework, most of the prodrugs that have been designed were three part compounds comprising trigger, linker and effector units. The main function of the linker is to release the effector unit after selective trigger activation via a spontaneous chemical breakdown. However, its structure also affects significantly many prodrug properties such as stability, pharmacokinetic, organ distribution, bioavailability or trigger activation. This review, focussed on the linker unit, is an update of our previous article published in 2002. It deals with recent advances in the design of prodrug linkers including new delivery systems such as elongated linkers or self-immolative dendrimers.

Oxidative decarboxylation of diclofenac by manganese oxide bed filter

Diclofenac (DCF) was eliminated by fast chemical oxidation on natural manganese oxide in a column reactor. Identification of transformation by-products of DCF by HPLC-UV-MS(n) gave evidence of decarboxylation, iminoquinone formation and dimerization. The fast oxidation of DCF is also accompanied by a strong adsorption of organic carbon that was explained by the sorption of dimer products on the surface of manganese oxide. Decarboxylation and dimerization increased the hydrophobic interactions with manganese oxide and reduced the presence of potentially toxic by-products in the effluent. The rate of oxidation was first order with respect to DCF and was slowed down by the presence of organic buffer MOPS (3-morpholinopropane-1-sulfonic acid). The first order rate constant in absence of MOPS was extrapolated by considering a surface site-binding model and MOPS as a co-adsorbate. The rate constant was 0.818 min(-1) at pH 7 and 10 mM NaCl corresponding to empty bed residence time of 50 s only for 50% removal of DCF. Rate constants increased when pH decreased from pH 8.0 to 6.5 and when ionic strength increased. Manganese oxide bed filter can be considered as an alternative treatment for polishing waste water effluent or for remediation of contaminated groundwater.

Synthesis and Antitumor Efficacy of a β-Glucuronidase-Responsive Albumin-Binding Prodrug of Doxorubicin

In this paper we describe the synthesis and biological evaluation of the first β-glucuronidase-responsive albumin-binding prodrug designed for the selective delivery of doxorubicin at the tumor site. This prodrug leads to superior antitumor efficacy in mice compared to HMR 1826, a well-known glucuronide prodrug of doxorubicin that cannot bind covalently to circulating albumin. Furthermore, this compound inhibits tumor growth in a manner similar to that of doxorubicin while avoiding side effects induced by the free drug.

A self-immolative dendritic glucuronide prodrug of doxorubicin

The first self-immolative dendritic glucuronide prodrug of doxorubicin was studied with the aim to target β-glucuronidase overexpressed in the microenvironment of numerous tumors. This compound includes a chemical amplifier programmed to release two molecules of doxorubicin after a single enzymatic activation step. Upon β-glucuronidase activation, the dendritic prodrug was twice more toxic than its monomeric counterpart against H661 lung cancer cells.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of glucuronide prodrugs of the histone deacetylase inhibitor CI-994 for application in selective cancer chemotherapy

Two glucuronide prodrugs of the histone deacetylase inhibitor CI-994 were synthesized. These compounds were found to be soluble in aqueous media and stable under physiological conditions. The carbamoyl derivatisation of CI-994 significantly decreased its toxicity towards NCI-H661 lung cancer cells. Prodrug incubation with beta-glucuronidase in the culture media led efficiently to the release of the parent drug and thereby restoring its ability to decrease cell proliferation, to inhibit HDAC and to induce E-Cadherin expression.

Synthesis of indomethacin analogues for evaluation as modulators of MRP activity

Synthesis of a range of indomethacin analogues, required for investigation in combination toxicity assays, bearing both N-benzyl and N-benzoyl groups, is described.