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    Azapeptide activity-based probes for the SARS-CoV-2 main protease enable visualization of inhibition in infected cells
    (Cambridge : RSC, 2023) Vanhoutte, Roeland; Barniol-Xicota, Marta; Chiu, Winston; Vangeel, Laura; Jochmans, Dirk; De Jonghe, Steven; Zidane, Hadeer; Barr, Haim M.; London, Nir; Neyts, Johan; Verhelst, Steven H. L.
    The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the vulnerability of the modern, global society. With expected waves of future infections by SARS-CoV-2, treatment options for infected individuals will be crucial in order to decrease mortality and hospitalizations. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease is a validated drug target, for which the first inhibitor has been approved for use in patients. To facilitate future work on this drug target, we designed a solid-phase synthesis route towards azapeptide activity-based probes that are capped with a cysteine-reactive electrophile for covalent modification of the active site of Mpro. This design led to the most potent ABP for Mpro and one of the most potent inhibitors reported thus far. We demonstrate that this ABP can be used to visualize Mpro activity and target engagement by drugs in infected cells.
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    Synthesis, in Vitro Profiling, and in Vivo Evaluation of Benzohomoadamantane-Based Ureas for Visceral Pain: A New Indication for Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitors
    (Washington, DC : ACS, 2022) Codony, Sandra; Entrena, José M.; Calvó-Tusell, Carla; Jora, Beatrice; González-Cano, Rafael; Osuna, Sílvia; Corpas, Rubén; Morisseau, Christophe; Pérez, Belén; Barniol-Xicota, Marta; Griñán-Ferré, Christian; Pérez, Concepción; Rodríguez-Franco, María Isabel; Martínez, Antón L.; Loza, M. Isabel; Pallàs, Mercè; Verhelst, Steven H. L.; Sanfeliu, Coral; Feixas, Ferran; Hammock, Bruce D.; Brea, José; Cobos, Enrique J.; Vázquez, Santiago
    The soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) has been suggested as a pharmacological target for the treatment of several diseases, including pain-related disorders. Herein, we report further medicinal chemistry around new benzohomoadamantane-based sEH inhibitors (sEHI) in order to improve the drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics properties of a previous hit. After an extensive in vitro screening cascade, molecular modeling, and in vivo pharmacokinetics studies, two candidates were evaluated in vivo in a murine model of capsaicin-induced allodynia. The two compounds showed an anti-allodynic effect in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the most potent compound presented robust analgesic efficacy in the cyclophosphamide-induced murine model of cystitis, a well-established model of visceral pain. Overall, these results suggest painful bladder syndrome as a new possible indication for sEHI, opening a new range of applications for them in the visceral pain field.