Abstract:
The present invention relates to compounds comprising a polypeptide and a fluorophore, said said compounds being able to penetrate directly into living cells and to bind to CDK/Cyclin complexes. Compounds according to the invention are therefore able to probe the relative abundance of these protein complexes. The present invention also relates to a method for determining the presence of CDK/Cyclin complexes in cell samples through a ratiometric quantitation strategy using compounds according to the invention. The invention finally relates to the use of said compounds and/or of compositions comprising said compounds for in vitro detecting the presence and/or the level of expression of CDK/Cyclin complexes, for high throughput and high content screening of libraries of compounds and for medical imaging.
Abstract:
The invention relates to the compounds and methods for inhibiting the Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor (CDKI) pathway. More particularly, the invention relates to compounds and methods for inhibiting the CDKI pathway for studies of and intervention in senescence-related and other CDKI -related diseases. The invention provides new compounds having improved solubility and/or potency, and methods for their use. In various aspects, the invention relates to the treatment of cancer. The invention provides methods for chemoprevention and prevention of tumor recurrence or metastasis. The invention further provides diagnostic techniques for treatment for certain cancer types. The invention utilizes specific inhibitors of CDK8/19 and/or measurement of CDK8 levels in a patient.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a fusion protein comprising of 173 amino acid residues of the N terminus of cyclin B1 (including the Destruction Box and Cytoplasmic Retention Signal) fused in-frame with the luciferase reporter gene. Expression of the fusion protein is driven by the cyclin B1 promoter and mimics expression of the endogenous cyclin B1 gene. Following addition of the substrate luciferin, increased levels of the luciferase reporter gene can be used to monitor cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Importantly, this invention may be used in vivo to monitor luciferase expression and G2/M cell cycle arrest in living animals. A broad aspect of the invention provides a method of detecting cell death in a target cell comprising transfecting the target cell with a nucleic acid construct that encodes a cyclinB1-Luciferase fusion protein under conditions favoring expression of the fusion protein; introducing the target cell with a substrate specific for the fusion protein for a period of time sufficient to detect a signal, wherein the generation of a signal indicates that the cell has arrested at the G2/M transition; and detecting a signal.
Abstract:
Provided are methods and compositions for the identification, diagnosis and monitoring of 4E regulon activity and for the discovery of agents that modulate 4E regulon activity. The methods, compositions and agents may be used alone, in combination with or in conjunction with other therapies for the detection and treatment of diseases wherein 4E regulon activity is dysfunctional, including cellular hypertrophy, cancer, and ischemia reperfusion.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a compound of formula (I), or a variant thereof, A - (B)m - C - (D)n- E, wherein m and n are each independently 0 or 1 and A, B, C, D and E are each independently linked to the respective adjacent residue by a linker group independently selected from carboxamide, reduced carboxamide, sulfonamide, imine, semicarbazone, oxime and ethanolamine; A is (i) a natural or unnatural amino acid residue having a side chain comprising at least one H-bond acceptor moiety and at least one H-bond donor moiety, or a derivative thereof; or (ii) R(CO), wherein R is a C1-C24 hydrocarbyl group comprising at least one H-bond acceptor moiety and optionally one or more H-bond donor moieties, and where R optionally contains one or more heteroatoms selected from S, O, and N, and is optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from halogen, OMe, CN, CF3, and NO2; each of B and D is independently an amino acid residue selected from arginine, 4-(guanidinyl)phenylalanine (4-(Gu)Phe), piperidinylglycine (PipGly), piperidinylalanine (PipAla), pyridinylalanine, histamine, N,N-(dimethyl) lysine (DMLys), citrulline, glutamine, serine, lysine, asparagine, isoleucine and alanine, or a derivative thereof; C is NH-X-CO, where X is a C1-C4 alkylene group substituted by a straight-chain or branched C1-C6 alkylene group, said C1-C6 alkylene group optionally containing a H-bond donor or H-bond acceptor moiety; E is (i) a natural or unnatural amino acid residue having an aryl or heteroaryl side chain, or a derivative thereof; or (ii) NHR', where R' is a C1-C24 hydrocarbyl group, optionally containing one or more heteroatoms selected from N, O, and S, and optionally comprising one or more H-bond acceptor or donor moieties; said hydrocarbyl group further comprising a pendent C4-C12 aryl or heteroaryl group, which itself may be optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from a H-bond donor moiety, a H-bond acceptor moiety, a halogen, Me, Et, Pr, CF3, CN and NO2; wherein at least one of A and E is other than a natural or unnatural amino acid residue when A, B, C, D and E are each linked to the respective adjacent residue by a carboxamide group.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a compound of formula (I), or a variant thereof, A - (B) m - C - (D) n - E, wherein m and n are each independently 0 or 1 and A, B, C, D and E are each independently linked to the respective adjacent residue by a linker group independently selected from carboxamide, reduced carboxamide, sulfonamide, imine, semicarbazone, oxime and ethanolamine; A is (i) a natural or unnatural amino acid residue having a side chain comprising at least one H-bond acceptor moiety and at least one H-bond donor moiety, or a derivative thereof; or (ii) R(CO), wherein R is a C 1 -C 24 hydrocarbyl group comprising at least one H-bond acceptor moiety and optionally one or more H-bond donor moieties, and where R optionally contains one or more heteroatoms selected from S, O, and N, and is optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from halogen, OMe, CN, CF 3 , and NO 2 ; each of B and D is independently an amino acid residue selected from arginine, 4-(guanidinyl)phenylalanine (4-(Gu)Phe), piperidinylglycine (PipGly), piperidinylalanine (PipAla), pyridinylalanine, histamine, N,N -(dimethyl) lysine (DMLys), citrulline, glutamine, serine, lysine, asparagine, isoleucine and alanine, or a derivative thereof; C is NH-X-CO, where X is a C 1 -C 4 alkylene group substituted by a straight-chain or branched C 1 -C 6 alkylene group, said C 1 -C 6 alkylene group optionally containing a H-bond donor or H-bond acceptor moiety; E is (i) a natural or unnatural amino acid residue having an aryl or heteroaryl side chain, or a derivative thereof; or (ii) NHR’, where R’ is a C 1 -C 24 hydrocarbyl group, optionally containing one or more heteroatoms selected from N, O, and S, and optionally comprising one or more H-bond acceptor or donor moieties; said hydrocarbyl group further comprising a pendent C 4 -C 12 aryl or heteroaryl group, which itself may be optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from a H-bond donor moiety, a H-bond acceptor moiety, a halogen, Me, Et, i Pr, CF 3 , CN and NO 2 ; wherein at least one of A and E is other than a natural or unnatural amino acid residue when A, B, C, D and E are each linked to the respective adjacent residue by a carboxamide group.
Abstract:
The present invention relates generally to the field of cardiology. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of using inhibitors of cyclin dependent kinase 9 (Cdk9) to treat cardiovascular disease by blunting cardiac hypertrophy.
Abstract:
Biomarkers having expression patterns that correlate with a response of cells to treatment with one or more cdk modulating agents, and uses thereof. Also provided are methods for testing or predicting whether a mammal will respond therapeutically to a method of treating cancer that comprises administering an agent that modulates cdk activity.
Abstract:
This invention provides methods of preventing cellular migration and of treating cardiovascular diseases and tumor metastasis by increasing the intracelllular concentration of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 or C3 exoenzyme or decreasing the intracellular concentration of Rho-kinase, and methods of identifying chemical compounds for use in such treatments.