Cyclodextrins in infectious disease therapy: uses beyond drug carriers

Today's cyclodextrin,

This is a great review from Amine Pochet, Priscille Brodin, Ruxandra Gref & Arnaud Machelart about the use of CDs in the fight against infectious diseases, not only as drug delivery systems but also as active agents that modulate host-pathogen interactions.

Recent studies have revealed their ability to modulate immune responses, disrupt microbial membranes, and interfere with quorum sensing, thereby limiting biofilm formation and related antimicrobial resistance.

The focus is on the intrinsic properties of β-cyclodextrins and their derivatives in the context of infectious diseases.

βCD-based compounds possess inherent biological activities that are increasingly being exploited for therapeutic purposes, including host-directed therapies, antimicrobial action, biofilm disruption, and vaccine development.

Beta-cyclodextrins in infectious disease therapy: A review of their function beyond simple drug carriers – ScienceDirect

Hydroxypropyl-Beta Cyclodextrin Barrier Prevents Respiratory Viral Infections: A Preclinical Study

carbohydrates,

Hydroxypropyl-Beta Cyclodextrin Barrier Prevents Respiratory Viral Infections: A Preclinical Study

In this work form University of Southern California blocking viral attachment and entry at the nasal airway using a cyclodextrin-based formulation is presented, so that a preventative therapy can be developed to reduce viral infection at the site of entry. After screening several CDs, hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) and hydroxypropyl gamma-cyclodextrin (HPGCD) were then further evaluated for antiviral effects using SARS-CoV-2 pseudotypes. Intranasal pre-treatment with HPBCD-based formulations reduced viral load and inflammatory signaling in the lung.

In vitro efficacy studies were further conducted using lentiviruses, murine hepatitis virus (MHV), and influenza A virus subtype H1N1. These findings suggest HPBCD may be used as an agnostic barrier against transmissible pathogens, including but not limited to SARS-CoV-2.

IJMS | Free Full-Text | Hydroxypropyl-Beta Cyclodextrin Barrier Prevents Respiratory Viral Infections: A Preclinical Study (mdpi.com)

Cyclodextrin inclusion complexes improving antibacterial drug profiles: an update systematic review

Today's cyclodextrin,

Today’s cyclodextrin:

Improving antibacterial drugs’ physicochemical characteristics and biological activities has been in the focus of CD research for a long time. This extensive review by deals with this topic showing the biological results rvealing the antibacterial effect of the inclusion complexes was extensively improved. Cyclodextrins can enhance the therapeutic effects of antibiotics already existing on the market, natural products and synthetic molecules. Overall, CDs as drug-delivery vehicles have been shown to improve antibiotics solubility, stability, and bioavailability, leading to enhanced antibacterial activity.

Cyclodextrin inclusion complexes improving antibacterial drug profiles: an update systematic review | Future Microbiology (futuremedicine.com)

Metal-binding cyclodextrins: Synthesis and complexation with Zn2+ and Ga3+ cations towards antimicrobial applications

carbohydrates,

The latest paper of our CSO, Milo Malanga resulted from a great collaboration with Marco Agnes, Gábor Benkovics, Georgios Miliotis, Dina Yannakopoulou, and several others, is just out!
We have prepared a family of cyclodextrins substituted with iminodiacetic acid (IDA) on their narrow side, while the wider side is either unmodified or per-2,3-O-methylated. The molecules form strong coordination complexes with Zn2+ or Ga3+ cations in aqueous solution. 50 μΜ of the compounds achieve complete re-sensitization of metallo-β-lactamase-producing Gram-negative clinical bacterial strains resistant to the carbapenems imipenem and meropenem.

Metal-binding cyclodextrins: Synthesis and complexation with Zn2+ and Ga3+ cations towards antimicrobial applications – ScienceDirect

Antibiotics in the clinical pipeline as of December 2022

drug discovery,

Do you think we are putting enough effort in developing novel antibiotics?
The need for new antibacterial drugs to treat the increasing global prevalence of drug-resistant bacterial infections has clearly attracted global attention, with a range of existing and upcoming funding, policy, and legislative initiatives designed to revive antibacterial R&D. Despite the promising early-stage antibacterial pipeline, it is essential to maintain funding for antibacterial R&D and to ensure that plans to address late-stage pipeline issues succeed.

See the full article here:

Antibiotics in the clinical pipeline as of December 2022 | The Journal of Antibiotics (nature.com)

The microbiome and human cancer

carbohydrates, ,

A review in Science Magazine by Greg Sepich-Poore, Ph.D. et al. looked at research that shows how bacteria, viruses and fungi of the microbiome are pervasive among human cancers, are key actors in cancer immunotherapy, and are potentially engineerable to treat metastases. Advances in microbiome research are improving our understanding of immuno-oncology and driving new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Check out the article at the following link.


Carbohydrate derivatives fight against the malaria parasite as anti-plasmodial agents

carbohydrates,

Carbohydrate derivatives fight against the malaria parasite as anti-plasmodial agents.
In this review, the importance of carbohydrate derivatives of different classes of compounds as possible antimalarials with emphasis on mode of action, rational design, and SAR with improved efficacy are discussed. The new candidates with novel modes of action are potent antimalarial drug candidates without any parasitic resistance.

See the full article here!

Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Depletes Membrane Cholesterol and Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Entry into HEK293T-ACEhi Cells

carbohydrates, , ,

Vaccination has drastically decreased mortality due to coronavirus disease 19 (covid19), but not the rate of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Alternative strategies, such as inhibition of virus entry by interference with angiotensin-I-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors could be warranted. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides that are able to deplete cholesterol from membrane lipid rafts, causing ACE2 receptors to relocate to areas devoid of lipid rafts. To explore the possibility of reducing SARS-CoV-2 entry, hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) was tested in a HEK293T-ACE2hi cell line stably overexpressing human ACE2 and Spike-pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 lentiviral particles. Exposure of HEK293T-ACEhi cells to concentrations of HPβCD starting from 2.5 mM to 10 mM showed a concentration-dependent reduction of approximately 50% of the membrane cholesterol content. In addition, incubation of HEK293T-ACEhi cells with HIV-S-CoV-2 pseudotyped particles in the presence of increasing concentrations of HPβCD (from 0.1 to 10 mM) displayed a concentration-dependent effect on SARS-CoV-2 entry efficiency. These data indicate that HPβCD is a candidate for use as a SARS-CoV-2 prophylactic agent.

Silvia Alboni, Valentina Secco, Bianca Papotti, Antonietta Vilella, Maria Pia Adorni, Francesca Zimetti, Laurent Schaeffer, tascedda fabio, Michele Zoli, Pascal Leblanc, Erica Villa

See the full article here: Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Depletes Membrane Cholesterol and Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Entry into HEK293T-ACEhi Cells

Veklury® (remdesivir) formulations inhibit initial membrane-coupled events of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin content

carbohydrates, drug delivery,

It has always been a bit of a mystery that given the antiviral effect of certain cyclodextrin, we can attribute all the antiviral effect of Veklury to remdesivir, which takes 3% of the formulation or maybe SBECD (97% of the formulation) also has some role. Researchers from University of Debrecen explore those questions.
Veklury® and different cholesterol-depleting cyclodextrins (CDs) reduced the binding of the spike receptor binding domain to ACE2 and spike trimer internalization for Wuhan-Hu-1, Delta, and Omicron variants. Correlations of these effects with cholesterol-dependent changes in membrane structure and decreased, lipid raft-dependent ACE2-TMPRSS2 interaction establish that SBECD is not simply a vehicle but also an effector in Veklury® due to its cholesterol-depleting potential.
Gyorgy Panyi, Florina Zakany et al.

See the full article here.