| 1. |
- Abouzayed, Ayman, 1992-
(författare)
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Theranostic Targeting of GRPR and PSMA in Prostate Cancer
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is based on five original articles that investigated the theranostics of prostate cancer by gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) targeting. GRPR and PSMA are two extensively evaluated prostate cancer cell markers due to their overexpression in the majority of prostate cancer samples. Theranostic targeting of GRPR and PSMA is an attractive strategy to improve the management of prostate cancer patients.Papers I and II focused on the dual targeting of GRPR and PSMA. The effect of linker modification on the affinity for GRPR and PSMA and the pharmacokinetic profile was evaluated. In Paper III, the effect of the GRPR antagonist RM26 conjugation to an albumin-binding domain on the pharmacokinetic profile and its potential use in therapy was investigated. Paper IV focused on developing a GRPR antagonist that was suitable for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using technetium-99m. In Paper V, the GRPR antagonist developed in Paper IV was translated into a phase I clinical trial to assess safety and dosimetry.Modifying the linkers in GRPR and PSMA heterodimers can largely impact the affinity for both targets. This modification influenced the in vivo targeting specificity and biodistribution, with [125I]I-BO530 in Paper I and [111In]In-BQ7812 in Paper II outperforming other analogues. Our findings in Paper III indicated that the conjugation of an albumin-binding domain to RM26 increased the blood concentration of the radiotracer. This increase led to elevated and stable tumour uptake of [111In]In-DOTA-ABD-RM26 after several days of injection. However, [111In]In-DOTA-ABD-RM26 was also increasingly taken up by various healthy organs. The GRPR antagonist [99mTc]Tc-maSSS-PEG2-RM26, studied in Paper IV, showed high specificity and affinity for GRPR. This resulted in elevated GRPR-mediated uptake. Additionally, maSSS-PEG2-RM26 could be radiolabelled via a straightforward radiolabelling protocol. Clinical evaluation of [99mTc]Tc-maSSS-PEG2-RM26 in prostate and breast cancer patients (Paper V) demonstrated the safety and tolerability of the radiotracer, with favourable dosimetry and no side effects.In conclusion, this thesis evaluated different tools for the theranostic targeting of GRPR and PSMA. The findings warrant further investigation to optimise the reported radiotracers.
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| 2. |
- Aboye, Teshome Leta, 1975-
(författare)
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Engineering of the Ultra-stable Cystine Knot Framework of Microproteins : Design, Chemical Synthesis and Structural Studies
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ultra-stable cystine knotted microproteins, in which two disulfides and their connecting backbones form a circle that is penetrated by the third disulfide bonds, have attracted high interest due to their resistance to degradation in vitro and potential for the development of peptide drugs. This thesis gives new insights into engineering of that framework of microproteins, including approaches to their chemical synthesis, backbone engineering, structural and biological evaluations. Synthetic and oxidative folding approaches for bracelet cyclotides, a family of cyclic cystine knotted microproteins, was developed using a model peptide, cycloviolacin O2. Following assembly of the peptide chain, protected peptide was generated by mild cleavage that was subsequently thioesterified and cyclized in solution. The cyclic peptide was oxidatively folded under optimized conditions containing co-solvent and non-ionic detergent affording native cycloviolacin O2 as a major product. To gain further insights into the heterogeneity, efficiency and kinetics of cyclotides’ oxidative folding, the intermediates that accumulate in oxidative refolding pathways of all cyclotide subfamilies: Möbius, bracelet and the hybrid cyclotides were quantitatively determined under four different folding conditions. The results were used for defining major folding pathways, which indicated that Möbius cyclotides might accumulate heterogeneous folding intermediates with one-, two- and three-disulfides, whereas bracelet tend to accumulate a homogenous intermediate with three-disulfides, depending on the buffer systems used. Furthermore, to probe the internal factors contributing to inefficiency of oxidative folding, as well as undesired bioactivities of bracelet cyclotides (e.g., cytotoxic activity), polymer-hybridized cyclotides were designed by replacing non-conserved residues with small isosteric polymers. The designed hybrid analogs in which hybridization involved replacement of loop 3 with isosteric polymers showed improved synthetic and oxidative folding properties. The cytoxicity of a model hybrid designed with replacement of loop 3 and 5 exhibited no cytotoxic activity at concentration of 128-fold relative to that of native peptide. Furthermore, 1D and 2D 1H NMR analysis of this hybrid showed that it had well structured fold.
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| 3. |
- Abrantes, João A.
(författare)
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Pharmacometric Approaches to Improve Dose Individualization Methods in Hemophilia A
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Hemophilia A is a bleeding disorder caused by the lack of functional coagulation factor VIII (FVIII). The overall aim of this thesis was to improve dose individualization of FVIII replacement therapy in hemophilia A using pharmacometric approaches.A population pharmacokinetic (PK) model of FVIII activity following the administration of moroctocog alfa was developed based on data from a large heterogeneous cohort of moderate to severe hemophilia A patients. Body weight, age, neutralizing anti-FVIII inhibitors, race, and analytical assay were found to be significant predictors of FVIII activity PK. In addition, large inter-individual variability (IIV) and inter-occasion variability (IOV) was identified highlighting the need for dose individualization.High magnitudes of IOV are known to impair model-based therapeutic drug monitoring. Using a population PK model of FVIII activity, several approaches to handle IOV in Bayesian forecasting of individual PK parameters were assessed across a wide range of features. Considering IOV in Bayesian forecasting, but ignoring IOV in dose calculation, led to the most precise individualized doses, in particular, when sparse data was used.The dose-exposure-response relationship of FVIII replacement therapy remains unclear. A parametric repeated time-to-categorical event (RTTCE) model was developed to characterize the relationship between the dose of octocog alfa, plasma FVIII activity, bleeding frequency and severity, and covariates, using data from clinical trials. The bleeding hazard was found to decrease throughout time and to be affected by plasma FVIII activity and number of previous bleeds. Unexplained IIV in the bleeding hazard was found to be large.Bayesian forecasting based on the RTTCE model was used to predict the future occurrence of bleeds, and to contrast the predicted outcome using individual i) PK, ii) bleeding, and iii) PK, bleeding and covariate information, from data collected in clinical trials. The results support that individual bleed information can inform the optimization of prophylactic dosing regimens in severe hemophilia A patients.In summary, the pharmacometric approaches presented provide a valuable quantitative framework to improve dose individualization in hemophilia A. Furthermore, enhanced dosing has the potential to reduce bleeding frequency and to lower the high costs associated to treatment.
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| 4. |
- Adeyemi, Ahmed, 1986-
(författare)
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Palladium(0)-Catalyzed Synthesis of Spirocycles and Supercritical Chemistry using a Resistively Heated Flow Reactor
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This doctoral thesis focusses on an effective and selective approach to the synthesis of spirocycles using palladium(0)-catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck reactions. In addition, selective and efficient chemistry was highlighted by the design and evaluation of a novel resistively heated system for continuous flow (CF) synthesis for high-temperature and high-pressure applications.Paper I described the design and evaluation of a novel resistively heated CF system. The design of a low-cost, simple, robust, and effective CF system involving a resistively heated steel reactor capable of delivering 400 °C and 200 bar was reported. The reactor was evaluated with esterification, transesterification and direct carboxylic acid to nitrile conversions using supercritical ethanol, methanol and acetonitrile respectively. Diels-Alder reactions under neat conditions were also carried out at high temperature and pressure.Paper II reported the synthesis of spirooxindoles by a selective application of the palladium(0)-catalyzed Mizoroki-Heck spirocyclization. The precursors for the reaction were synthesized by coupling 2-iodoanilines with esters derived from enantiomerically pure (+)-Vince lactam decorated with the bulky, directing 2,5-dimethylpyrrole protecting group. Ten different spirooxindoles were reported with good yields and high regio- and stereoselectivity. Functionalization of a synthesized spirooxindole was done by a palladium(0)-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation, followed by selective deprotections.In Paper III, ether precursors were synthesized from (+)-Vince lactam, via a Mitsunobu reaction with the corresponding iodophenols. The precursors were later subjected to conditions for intramolecular Mizoroki-Heck reaction. Overall, 12 spiroethers were synthesized in useable yields, regioselectivity up to 98% and with excellent diastereoselectivity (d.e.>98%). Further functionalization to mono-protected rigidified amino acids was also demonstrated.
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| 5. |
- Aerts, Jordan
(författare)
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Capillary electrophoresis mass spectrometry applied to structural proteomics and small molecule analysis
- 2023
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometric (CE–MS) detection offers a separation method without equal in terms of flexibility, utility, and cost efficiency. Here we demonstrate precisely this through the application of several laboratory-built CE–MS instruments for the separation of brain metabolites in non-primates, enantioselective separations of synthetic anesthetic metabolites in fractionated pony urine, application in structural proteomics workflows, and identification of exogenous alkaloid biotransformationproducts in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).We outline a method for quickly and affordably etching austenitic steel tubing, which is widely used in electrospray sources for CE–MS. The stainless steel tapered tip emitters provide robust electrospray with low sheath liquid flow rates and can be easily fabricated in-house, offering flexibility and cost-efficiency when commercial options areunavailable. We contribute a CE–MS method for enantiomer separation, specifically targeting 6-hydroxynorketamine (HNK). By introducing chiral selectors into the separation capillary, the method enables efficient enantiomer separation and offers a newtool to assist with research on HNK as a cure for depression.We explore the feasibility of cold CE–MS in hydrogen deuterium exchange workflows. The utilization of a lab-designed Peltier-cooled CE device achieves deuterium back exchange rates on par with commercial liquid chromatography-based platforms, offering new possibilities for studying protein structures and interactions.We also demonstrate the wide ranging versatility of CE–MS with contributions to the identification of specific tobacco related metabolites in CSF samples during the development of a high throughput mass spectrometry diagnostic tool for Parkinson’sDisease.This thesis showcases the versatility and value of CE–MS in various applications, a true blessing for analytical chemistry.
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| 6. |
- Ahlin, Gustav, 1977-
(författare)
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In vitro and in silico prediction of drug-drug interactions with transport proteins
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Drug transport across cells and cell membranes in the human body is crucial for the pharmacological effect of drugs. Active transport governed by transport proteins plays an important role in this process. A vast number of transport proteins with a wide tissue distribution have been identified during the last 15 years. Several important examples of their role in drug disposition and drug-drug interactions have been described to date. Investigation of drug-drug interactions at the transport protein level are therefore of increasing interest to the academic, industrial and regulatory research communities. The gene expression of transport proteins involved in drug transport was investigated in the jejunum, liver, kidney and colon to better understand their influence on the ADMET properties of drugs. In addition, the gene and protein expression of transport proteins in cell lines, widely used for predictions of drug transport and metabolism, was examined. The substrate and inhibitor heterogeneity of many transport proteins makes it difficult to foresee whether the transport proteins will cause drug-drug interactions. Therefore, in vitro assays for OCT1 and OATP1B1, among the highest expressed transport proteins in human liver, were developed to allow investigation of the inhibitory patterns of these proteins. These assays were used to investigate two data sets, consisting of 191 and 135 registered drugs and drug-like molecules for the inhibition of OCT1 and OATP1B1, respectively. Numerous new inhibitors of the transport proteins were identified in the data sets and the properties governing inhibition were determined. Further, antidepressant drugs and statins displayed strong inhibition of OCT1 and OATP1B1, respectively. The inhibition data was used to develop predictive in silico models for each of the two transport proteins. The highly polymorphic nature of some transport proteins has been shown to affect drug response and may lead to an increased risk of drug-drug interactions, and therefore, the OCT1 in vitro assay was used to study the effect of common genetic variants of OCT1 on drug inhibition and drug-drug interactions. The results indicated that OCT1 variants with reduced function were more susceptible to inhibition. Further, a drug-drug interaction of potential clinical significance in the genetic OCT1 variant M420del was proposed. In summary, gene expression of transport proteins was investigated in human tissues and cell lines. In vitro assays for two of the highest expressed liver transport proteins were used to identify previously unknown SLC transport protein inhibitors and to develop predictive in silico models, which may detect previously known drug-drug interactions and enable new ones to be identified at the transport protein level. In addition, the effect of genetic variation on inhibition of the OCT1 was investigated.
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| 7. |
- Ahnfelt, Emelie
(författare)
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In vitro evaluation of formulations used in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) causes ~ 600,000 deaths annually, making it the second most deadly cancer form. HCC is classified into five stages and for the intermediate HCC treatment, the two most commonly used drug delivery systems (DDSs) are lipiodol-based emulsions and drug-eluting beads. The aims of this thesis were to develop in vitro methods suitable for studying these DDSs. It is important to investigate the release mechanisms and release rates with relevant in vitro methods, as this can improve the understanding of the in vivo performance. Miniaturized in vitro methods with sample reservoirs separated from the release medium by a diffusion barrier were developed and shown to be suitable for studying drug release from particle DDSs (Paper I). In Paper II these methods were further developed and used to study the release of doxorubicin (DOX) from the clinically used drug-eluting beads. DOX release rates were affected by the method set-up and the characteristics of the release medium. The choice of method and volume of release medium could improve the in vivo-likeness of the in vitro release profiles. Applied theoretical models suggested a film-controlled type of DOX release mechanism from the beads when self-aggregation, DOX-bead interaction, and DOX deprotonation were taken into account.A micropipette-assisted microscopy method was used to further improve the understanding of the release mechanism of amphiphilic molecules from the beads (Paper III). A detailed analysis suggested an internal depletion-layer model dependent on molecular self-aggregation for the release. It was further suggested that a simple ion-exchange mechanism is unrealistic in physiological conditions.The important pharmaceutical factors for the emulsion-based formulations were investigated in Paper IV. DOX solubility, lipid phase distribution, and emulsion stability increased when the contrast agent iohexol was added. Also, an increase in release half-life (h) was observed from emulsions with iohexol.The in vitro methods and theoretical models presented in this thesis can be used during development and optimization of future DDSs.
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| 8. |
- Al Haj, Mahmoud
(författare)
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Effects of Dehydration and Blockade of the Renin-Angiotensin System in the One-humped Camel (Camelus dromedarius)
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The one-humped or the dromedarian camel is a pseudo-ruminant mammal, well adapted to the hot and dry climates of the desert. Its ability to withstand torrid heat and extreme desiccation is of paramount importance to its survival. The studies presented in this thesis were designed to investigate and document the effect of dehydration in the presence or absence of angiotensin II (Ang II) AT1 receptor blocker (losartan) on blood constituents, electrolytes, hormones, neurotransmitters as well as liver and kidney enzymes in a subset of dehydrated camels and to compare them with hydrated camels. Additionally, we studied the response of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and revealed for the first time the cardiac storage form of BNP in the camel heart. Dehydration induced significant increments in packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cells (WBC), gamma glutamyl-transferase (GGT), serum sodium, creatinine and urea levels, and a doubling in plasma cortisol and arginine vasopressin (AVP) levels. At the same time dehydration caused significant decrease in body weights, plasma insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and a 50% decrement in ANP and BNP levels. Moreover, dehydration with and without losartan resulted in significant changes in stress hormones and anti-oxidants in plasma, liver and kidney homogenates. Losartan on one hand enhanced the effect of dehydration resulting in significant increases in sodium, creatinine and urea levels. In addition losartan raised the binding affinity of Ang II AT2 receptors in the small intestine with 8-fold and with 16-fold for liver AT1 receptors, indicating that Ang II AT1 and AT2 receptor binding sites were present in camel's small intestine while only AT1 receptor binding sites were found in the camel liver. One the other hand losartan resulted in significant decrease in body weights impaired the rise in anti-diuretic hormone and reduced aldosterone level. Finally, we showed that the proBNP is the storage form of BNP in the camel heart.
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| 9. |
- Al-Tikriti, Yassir
(författare)
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Microgels as drug delivery vehicles : loading and release of amphiphilic drugs
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Polyelectrolyte microgels are used as delivery vehicles for amphiphilic drugs in, e.g., treatments of liver cancer by a method called trans-arterial chemoembolization. The thesis deals with fundamental properties of such delivery systems related to the self-assembling properties of the drug molecules and their interaction with the charged polymer network of the microgel. The main objective was to establish mechanistic models describing the loading and release of drugs under relevant conditions. For that purpose experimental techniques providing thermodynamic, compositional and microstructural information were used to elucidate how the kinetics depend on the stability of the drug self-assemblies and the volume response of the microgels. Micromanipulator-assisted microscopy studies showed that negatively charged microgels phase separated during loading and release of cationic amphiphilic drugs. At intermediate loading levels the drug aggregates and part of the network formed a collapsed phase coexisting with a swollen, drug-lean phase. In particular, during release in a medium of physiological ionic strength, the drug-lean phase formed a depletion layer (shell) surrounding a drug-rich core. Investigations of a series of drugs with different molecular architectures showed that the drug release rate was determined mainly by the stability of the drug aggregates in the core and the diffusive mass transport of drug molecules through the shell. Detailed studies of polyacrylate microgels interacting with amitriptyline hydrochloride showed that swelling of the shell network greatly influenced the release rate. Furthermore, experiments with a specially constructed microscopy cell was used to establish that the collapsed and swollen phases could coexist in equilibrium, and that the swelling of the network in the swollen phase depended on the proportion between them when present in the same microgel. The latter effect was related to the elastic coupling between the phases. Confocal Raman microscopy was employed to demonstrate, for the first time, the related elastic effect, that the concentration of amitriptyline in the swollen phase decreased with increasing proportion of the collapsed phase. Small-angle X-ray scattering showed that the collapsed phase had a disordered microstructure of drug micelles with ellipsoidal shape. The aggregation number increased with increasing concentration of drug in the microgel, most likely by incorporating the uncharged base form. By providing detailed information about thermodynamic properties and microstructures, the results of the thesis provide a basis for rational design of microgel drug delivery systems.
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| 10. |
- Alenius, Malin, 1974-
(författare)
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Treatment Response in Psychotic Patients in a Naturalistic Setting : Classification, Genes, Drugs, Insight and Social Networks
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Many patients with psychotic symptoms respond poorly to treatment. Various approaches have been made to classify these patients according to treatment response. However, existing classifications have been criticized for various reasons and a new classification system is needed. Further, no satisfactory explanation of the poor treatment response has been apparent. The general aim of this thesis was therefore to develop and validate a new classification method of functional remission in a naturalistic population of patients with psychosis and to utilize this classification to investigate the population from genetic, drug treatment, insight and social network points of view. Data for this cross-sectional study of patients (n=123) attending the Psychosis Outpatient Care clinic in the county of Jönköping, Sweden, were obtained from patient interviews, blood samples and information from patient files. The new classification method CANSEPT, which combines the CAN rating scale (CAN), the UKU side effect rating scale (SE) and the patient’s previous treatment history (PT), showed validity in discriminating the patients and was accepted well by the patients. CANSEPT was used to group the patients in the other studies in this thesis. The results indicated that the gene polymorphism ABCB1 3435T, was related to worse significant social and clinical needs for patients on olanzapine, while the polymorphism DRD2 Taq1 A1 was related to a greater risk of significant side effects; especially if male, or taking strong dopamine D2-receptor antagonistic drugs. Drug treatment factors were also related to treatment response; longer duration of untreated prodromal and early psychosis was seen for patients with current significant social and clinical needs and non-adherence to treatment was associated with worse significant side effects. Worse treatment outcomes also appeared to be associated with smaller social network groups, worse insight into illness, poorer knowledge of warning signs and worse coping strategies. In summary, CANSEPT was shown to be a useful valid, multidimensional tool for classification of treatment response. Gene polymorphisms, duration of untreated illness, non-adherence to treatment, social networks and knowledge should be taken into consideration when investigating inadequate treatment response.
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| 11. |
- Alm, Henrik, 1974-
(författare)
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Proteomic Characterization of Induced Developmental Neurotoxicity
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The developing brain goes through a number of developmental periods during which it displays an increased sensitivity to exogenous disturbances. On such period is the so called “Brain growth spurt” (BGS) which in humans takes place starting from the third trimester of pregnancy and throughout the first few years of life. The corresponding period in rats and mice is the first postnatal weeks. Exposure to relatively modest concentrations of the brominated flame retardant PBDE-99 during the second week of life in mice causes a more or less permanent impairment in the ability of the animals to adjust properly to environmental changes at adulthood. This “late response on early exposure” reflects the long-term consequences of disrupting the developing brain during a sensitive time period. The cellular mechanisms underlying the behavioral effects are far from clear. To address the initial damage occurring around the time of exposure, the approach used in this thesis is to use proteomics to analyze the effects of PBDE-99 on protein expression soon (24 hours) after exposure of the neonatal mouse on postnatal day (PND) 10.The thesis comprises the effects on the proteome in three distinct brain parts: cerebral cortex, striatum and the hippocampus. In addition, an in vitro model was developed and used to evaluate the PBDE-99 effects on cultured cerebral cortex cells from embryonic rat brains. Gel-based proteomics (2D-DIGE) coupled to MALDI- or ESI-MS has been used throughout for the proteomics experiments, but other techniques aimed at analyzing both proteins and mRNA have also been used to better characterize the effects. Even if the protein complements expressed by the different brain parts and separated with 2D-DIGE are seemingly similar, the effects are apparently specific for the different brain regions. In hippocampus, PBDE induces effects on proteins involved in metabolism and energy production, while the effects in striatum point towards effects on neuroplasticity. PBDE-99 changes the expression of cytoskeletal proteins in the cerebral cortex 24 hours after exposure. Interestingly, in vitro exposure of cerebral cortex cells to a PBDE-99 concentration in the same order of magnitude as in the in vivo neonatal brain also induces cytoskeletal effects, in the absence of cytotoxicity. This may suggest effects on regulatory aspects of cytoskeletal dynamics such as those involved in neurite sprouting. This thesis also addresses the problems involved in presenting proteomics data. Many of the available methods and approaches for presenting transcriptomics data are not suitable for isoform rich protein data. Modifications of existing methods and the development of a new approach (DEPPS) is also presented. Most importantly, the thesis presents the application and usefulness of proteomics as hypothesis generating techniques in neurotoxicology.
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| 12. |
- Almokhtar, Mokhtar, 1977-
(författare)
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Expression and regulation of steroid metabolizing enzymes in cells of the nervous and skeletal systems : Special focus on vitamin D metabolism
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Little is known about the mechanisms of vitamin D actions in the brain and bone. In this study, the metabolism of vitamin D and its regulation in various cell cultures of the nervous and skeletal systems were examined.Human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells, human primary osteoblasts (hOB) and murine motor neuron-like NSC-34 cells were found to express mRNA for all enzymes required in vitamin D3 metabolism as well as the vitamin D receptor (VDR) that mediates vitamin D actions. Also, production of 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 was found in these cells. Studies on vitamin D metabolism in NSC-34 cells and in primary neuron-enriched cells from rat cerebral cortex indicate formation of a previously unknown major metabolite formed from 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. Evaluation of the NSC-34 cells suggests that this cell line could be a novel model for studies of neuronal vitamin D metabolism and its regulation by endogenous and exogenous compounds.Treatment with glucocorticoids down regulated mRNA expression for the CYP24A1 gene in Saos-2 and hOB cells. Additionally, the glucocorticoid prednisolone showed suppression of CYP24A1-mediated metabolism and CYP24A1 promoter activity in Saos-2 cells. In NSC-34 cells, CYP24A1 mRNA levels were up-regulated by prednisolone, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its synthetic analogues, EB1089 and tacalcitol. Formation of an endogenous glucocorticoid, 11-deoxycortisol, was observed in Saos-2 cells. Effects of glucocorticoids on the vitamin D system in bone cells may contribute to the adverse side effects in long-term treatment with glucocorticoids. Also, there may be a correlation between the administration of corticosteroids and adverse effects in the CNS.Expression and effects of vitamin D on steroidogenic enzymes were studied in primary neuron-enriched rat cortex cells, primary rat astrocytes and human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. These different cell cultures all expressed CYP17A1, whereas only astrocytes expressed 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD). 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 suppressed mRNA levels and enzyme activity of CYP17A1 in SH-SY5Y cells and astrocytes. 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 suppressed enzyme activity and mRNA levels of 3β-HSD in astrocytes. The results suggest that vitamin D-mediated regulation of CYP17A1 and 3β-HSD may play a role in the nervous system.The results presented here contribute to our understanding of vitamin D metabolism and effects of glucocorticoids in the brain and bone.
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| 13. |
- Alogheli, Hiba
(författare)
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Computational Studies of Macrocycles and Molecular Modeling of Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Protease Inhibitors
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Computational tools are utilized in the drug discovery process to discover, design, and optimize new therapeutics. One important approach is structure-based drug design which relies on knowledge about the 3D structure of the biological target. The first part of this work focuses on applying structure-based drug design for binding mode prediction of HCV NS3 protease inhibitors. The NS3 protease is a challenging target from a computational perspective as it contains an extended binding site. Binding mode predictions were performed for various classes of new acyclic and macrocyclic HCV NS3 protease inhibitors and was used in the design of new inhibitors. None of the synthetized inhibitors have been co-crystallized yet, which has made the evaluation of the suggested binding mode predictions challenging.Macrocycles are an interesting compound class in drug discovery due to their unique structural architecture, which can enable access to new chemical space. Macrocycles can successfully modulate difficult therapeutic targets, as exemplified in the development of protease inhibitors. Furthermore they can improve drug-like properties, such as cell permeability and bioavailability. The second part of this thesis focuses on macrocycles from a computational point of view. A data set of 47 clinically relevant macrocycles was compiled and used in these studies. First, two different docking protocols rigid docking of pre-generated conformers and flexible docking in Glide were evaluated and compared. The results showed that flexible docking in Glide was sufficient for docking of macrocycles with respect to accuracy and speed.The aim of the second study was to evaluate and compare the performance of the more general conformational analysis tools, MCMM and MTLMOD, with the recently developed macrocycle-specialized conformational sampling tools, Prime-MCS and MMBS. In most cases, the general conformational analysis tools (with enhanced parameter settings) performed equally well as compared to the macrocycle-specialized conformational sampling techniques. However, MMBS was superior at locating the global energy minimum conformation.Finally, calculation of the conformational energy penalty of protein-bound macrocycles was performed. The macrocycle data set was complemented with linear analogues that are similar either with respect to physicochemical properties or 2D fingerprints. The conformational energy penalties of these linear analogues were calculated and compared to the conformational energy penalties of the macrocycles. The complete data set of macrocycles and non-macrocycles in this study differ from previously published work addressing conformational energy penalties, since it covers a more extended area of chemical space. Furthermore, there was a weak correlation between the calculated conformational energy penalties and the flexibility of the structures.
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| 14. |
- Alskär, Linda C., 1985-
(författare)
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Improved Molecular Understanding of Lipid-Based Formulations : for Enabling Oral Delivery of Poorly Water-Soluble Drugs
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The majority of emerging drug candidates are not suited for conventional oral dosage forms, as they do not dissolve in the aqueous environment of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Consequently, a large number of enabling formulation strategies have emerged. One such strategy is to deliver the drug pre-dissolved in a lipid-based formulation (LBF), thereby bypassing the rate-limiting dissolution step. To date, only about 4% of the marketed oral drugs are delivered as LBFs. The limited use of this strategy is a result of the incomplete understanding of drug solubility in lipid vehicles, the reduced chemical stability of pre-dissolved drug, and the complex interplay between drug and formulation undergoing intestinal lipid processing. Hence, this thesis targeted an improved molecular understanding of lipid-based drug delivery to make an informed formulation development. In the first part of the thesis, drug solubility in LBF excipients and composed formulations was assessed. Through experimental studies of nearly forty compounds in nine excipients drug physicochemical properties related to solubility in these excipients were identified. The obtained data was used to develop in silico tools for prediction of drug solubility in excipients and formulations. The second part of the thesis focused on LBF performance in vitro and in vivo. Factors associated with the type of solid form that is precipitating during digestions was revealed, which provides an initial framework for understanding drug precipitation behaviour under physiological conditions. It was also shown that clinically relevant doses of LBF significantly increases intestinal drug solubilization as a result of GI lipid processing and bile secretion. Moreover, simultaneous assessment of digestion and absorption in vitro provided the same rank order of absorbed drug as the in vivo studies. Coadministration of LBF and drug was shown to be a promising alternative to pre-dissolved drug in the LBF. In summary, this thesis has improved the molecular understanding of factors that govern drug solubility in lipid vehicles and solid form of precipitated drug under digestive conditions. It was also proved that clinically relevant doses of LBFs significantly increase the intestinal drug solubilization, and proof-of-concept was shown for coadministration of LBF with solid drug as an alternative to drug-loaded LBF.
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| 15. |
- Alskär, Oskar
(författare)
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Mechanism-Based Modelling of Clinical and Preclinical Studies of Glucose Homeostasis
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Glucose is an important nutrient and energy source in the body. However, too high concentration in the blood is harmful and may lead to several complications developing over time. It was estimated that 5 million people in the world died from complications related to diabetes during 2015. Several hormones and physiological factors are involved in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. To evaluate different aspects of glucose homeostasis and the effect of interventions, such as pharmacological treatment, glucose tolerance tests can be performed. In a glucose tolerance test glucose is administered either orally or intravenously, blood is sampled frequently and analyzed for different biomarkers. Mechanism-based pharmacometric models is a valuable tool in drug development, which can be applied to increase the knowledge about complex systems such as glucose homeostasis, quantify the effects of drugs, generate more information from clinical trials and contribute to more efficient study design. In this thesis, a new comprehensive mechanism-based pharmacometric model was developed. The model is capable of describing the most important aspects of glucose homeostasis during glucose tolerance test in healthy individuals and patients with type 2 diabetes, over a wide range of oral and intravenous glucose doses. Moreover, it can simultaneously describe regulation of gastric emptying and glucose absorption, regulation of the incretin hormones GLP-1 and GIP, hepatic extraction of insulin and the incretin effect, regulation of glucagon synthesis and regulation of endogenous glucose production. In addition, an interspecies scaling approach was developed by scaling a previously developed clinical glucose insulin model to describe intravenous glucose tolerance tests performed in mice, rats, dogs, pigs and monkeys. In conclusion, the developed mechanism-based models in this thesis increases the knowledge about short term regulation of glucose homeostasis and can be used to investigate combination treatments, drugs with multiple effects, and translation of drug effects between species, leading to improved drug development of new antidiabetic compounds.
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| 16. |
- Alvarsson, Jonathan, 1981-
(författare)
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Ligand-based Methods for Data Management and Modelling
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Drug discovery is a complicated and expensive process in the billion dollar range. One way of making the drug development process more efficient is better information handling, modelling and visualisation. The majority of todays drugs are small molecules, which interact with drug targets to cause an effect. Since the 1980s large amounts of compounds have been systematically tested by robots in so called high-throughput screening. Ligand-based drug discovery is based on modelling drug molecules. In the field known as Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship (QSAR) molecules are described by molecular descriptors which are used for building mathematical models. Based on these models molecular properties can be predicted and using the molecular descriptors molecules can be compared for, e.g., similarity. Bioclipse is a workbench for the life sciences which provides ligand-based tools through a point and click interface. The aims of this thesis were to research, and develop new or improved ligand-based methods and open source software, and to work towards making these tools available for users through the Bioclipse workbench. To this end, a series of molecular signature studies was done and various Bioclipse plugins were developed.An introduction to the field is provided in the thesis summary which is followed by five research papers. Paper I describes the Bioclipse 2 software and the Bioclipse scripting language. In Paper II the laboratory information system Brunn for supporting work with dose-response studies on microtiter plates is described. In Paper III the creation of a molecular fingerprint based on the molecular signature descriptor is presented and the new fingerprints are evaluated for target prediction and found to perform on par with industrial standard commercial molecular fingerprints. In Paper IV the effect of different parameter choices when using the signature fingerprint together with support vector machines (SVM) using the radial basis function (RBF) kernel is explored and reasonable default values are found. In Paper V the performance of SVM based QSAR using large datasets with the molecular signature descriptor is studied, and a QSAR model based on 1.2 million substances is created and made available from the Bioclipse workbench.
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| 17. |
- Alvebratt, Caroline
(författare)
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Advanced Methods for Evaluation of the Performance of Complex Drug Delivery System
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Low oral bioavailability of drugs originating from poor aqueous solubility is a common issue in drug development. Various enabling formulations have been presented to circumvent this limitation, many making use of supersaturation. In these, the drug is delivered to the gastro-intestinal lumen in a high energy state e.g. in amorphous form or a liquid lipid vehicle. Concentrations surpassing the equilibrium solubility of the crystalline drug are achieved, which facilitate increased absorption for dissolution-rate limited compounds. Meanwhile the use of the enabling formulation can be beneficial to increase the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs, in vitro evaluation of these systems remain challenging. Limited methods have also evaluated several different types of enabling formulation in the same experimental setup. The overall aim of this thesis was therefore to develop assays to study the performance of various complex drug delivery systems. In the first part, a small scale dissolution apparatus, the µDiss Profiler, was used to study drug release from drug-loaded mesoporous magnesium carbonate (MMC). A protective filter was developed to minimize particle interference on the UV-measurements, enabling studies of supersaturation from the amorphous carrier. In the second paper, lipids were adsorbed onto the MMC. A modified in vitro lipolysis setup was established and the samples were analyzed with nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A stability study of the lipid-loaded MMC was also performed. The methods developed in the first two projects provided an insight to events occurring in the intestinal lumen. The intestinal absorption has however been shown to be a complex interplay between dissolution-digestion and permeation. In the final two projects, two devices comprising of a donor (luminal) chamber and a receiver (serosal) chamber were studied (the µFLUX and the enabling absorption, ENA, device). The two chambers were separated by a semipermeable membrane (cell-based and/or phospholipid-based). A wide range of enabling formulations were evaluated in the two assays. As the exposure in the donor correlated poorly with the exposure in the receiver compartment, this emphasizes the importance of in vitro methods taking both the dissolution-digestion and permeation into account. The ENA results also predicted the in vivo performance in rats well. To conclude, several models have been established in the thesis to study the in vitro performance of enabling formulations, which will be valuable for screening of appropriate drug delivery systems.
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| 18. |
- Andersson, Hanna, 1979-
(författare)
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Design and Synthesis of Angiotensin IV Peptidomimetics Targeting the Insulin-Regulated Aminopeptidase (IRAP)
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Peptidomimetics derived from the bioactive hexapeptide angiotensin IV (Ang IV, Val1-Tyr2-Ile3-His4-Pro5-Phe6) have been designed and synthesized. These peptidomimetics are aimed at inhibiting the insulin-regulated amino peptidase (IRAP), also known as the AT4 receptor. This membrane-bound zinc-metallopeptidase is currently under investigation regarding its potential as a target for cognitive enhancers. The work presented herein was based on stepwise replacement of the amino acid residues in Ang IV by natural and unnatural amino acids, non-peptidic building blocks, and also on the introduction of conformational constraints. Initially, we focused on the introduction of secondary structure mimetics and backbone mimetics. The C-terminal tripeptide His-Pro-Phe was successfully replaced by a γ-turn mimetic scaffold, 2-(aminomethyl)phenylacetic acid (AMPA), which was coupled via an amide bond to the carboxyl terminus of Val-Tyr-Ile. Substitution of Val-Tyr-Ile, Val-Tyr, Tyr-Ile and Tyr, respectively, by 4-hydroxydiphenylmethane scaffolds comprising a 1,3,5-substituted benzene ring as a central moiety unfortunately rendered peptidomimetics that were less potent than Ang IV. The subsequent approach involved the introduction of conformational constraints into Val-Tyr-Ile-AMPA by replacing Val and Ile by amino acid residues appropriate for disulfide cyclization or ring-closing metathesis. Chemically diverse structures encompassing an N-terminal 13- or 14-membered macrocyclic tripeptide and a C-terminal non-peptidic moiety were developed. Tyr2 and AMPA were modified to acquire further knowledge about the structure-activity relationships and, in addition, to improve the metabolic stability and reduce the polarity. Several of the compounds displayed a high capacity to inhibit IRAP and exhibited Ki values in the low nanomolar range. Hence, the new compounds were more than ten times more potent than the parent peptide Ang IV. Enhanced selectivity over the closely related aminopeptidase N (AP-N) was achieved, as well as improved stability against proteolysis by metallopeptidases present in the assays. However, additional investigations are required to elucidate the bioactive conformation(s) of the relatively flexible N-terminal macrocycles. The compounds presented in this thesis have provided important information on structure-activity relationships regarding the interaction of Ang IV-related pseudopeptides and peptidomimetics with IRAP. The best compounds in the series constitute important starting points for further discovery of Ang IV peptidomimetics suitable as tools in the investigation of IRAP and other potential targets for Ang IV. The literature presents strong support for the hypothesis that drug-like IRAP inhibitors would serve as a new type of future cognitive enhancers with potential use in the treatment of cognitive disorders, e.g. Alzheimer’s disease.
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| 19. |
- Andersson, Helén, 1982-
(författare)
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Experimental Studies of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Vascular Cells and Tissues
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Epidemiological evidence suggest that exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) is a risk factor for diseases that involves the cardiovascular system but we know little about the mechanisms whereby these compounds can cause injury in the vasculature. The aim of this thesis was to characterize the effects and mechanisms of some EDCs in vascular cells and highly vascularized tissues. Elevated exposure to environmental EDCs is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. In vitro studies demonstrated that the environmental EDCs, 1-nitropyrene, PCB126 and bisphenol A, caused distinct changes in primary human endothelial cells. 1‑Nitropyrene induced cell stress and DNA damage, PCB126 caused changes that indicate endothelial dysfunction and vasoconstriction, and BPA induced changes that indicate angiogenesis and vasoconstriction. Further studies demonstrated that long-term exposure of rats to BPA induced changes in rat cardiac tissues in vivo similar to those observed in human endothelial cells in vitro. The type of cellular alterations that were demonstrated is known to play to play a role in cardiovascular disease in humans. These findings suggest that environmental EDCs can cause damage to the human endothelium that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. The beneficial effects of the pharmaceutical EDC tamoxifen in breast cancer treatment are compromised by an increased risk for bleedings, hyperplasia, and cancer in the endometrium. Ex vivo studies identified the glandular and surface epithelia as potential target sites for tamoxifen adduct formation and tamoxifen-induced cell stress the human endometrium. No signs of tamoxifen-induced changes were detected in the blood vessels. The results suggest that bioactivation of tamoxifen and subsequent cell injury in endometrial epithelial cells may play a role for tamoxifen’s side effects in the endometrium. Taken together, this thesis provide evidence that may help understanding how exposure to EDCs can increase the risk for diseases in that involves the cardiovascular system.
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| 20. |
- Andersson, Maria, 1976-
(författare)
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Chemically Induced DNA Damage in Extended-term Cultures of Human Lymphocytes
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Generation of DNA damage is regarded to be an important initial event in the development cancer. Consequently, a battery of tests have been developed to detect different types of genotoxic effects in order to be able to predict the potential genotoxicity and mutagenicity of chemicals, including both pharmaceutical drugs and various types of environmental and occupational agents, as well as dietary factors. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate whether the combination of the comet assay and the extended-term cultures of human lymphocytes (ETC) can be used as an alternative in vitro system to more commonly used transformed mammalian cell lines, and primary cell cultures from humans, when testing the potential genotoxicity of chemicals. Using the comet assay, a panel of reference compounds showed that the ETC were found to detect the DNA-damaging effects with no remarkable difference to what has been reported in other cell types. Moreover, in comparison with a well-established rodent cell line, the mouse lymphoma L5178Y cells, the ETC showed similar sensitivity to the DNA damaging effects of the genotoxic agents hydrogen peroxide and catechol. Although there was an interindividual variation in induced DNA damage and the subsequent repair when using ETC from different blood donors, it did not seem to be of crucial importance for the identification of DNA-damaging agents. The demonstrated difference in sensitivity to catechol-induced DNA damage between freshly isolated peripheral lymphocytes and ETC may very well be due to their different proliferative status but despite this difference, both in vitro systems were able to identify catechol as a DNA-damaging agent at the same concentration.Based on these results, it is proposed that the ETC and the comet assay are a useful combination when testing for the potential DNA damaging effects of chemicals. Representing easily cultivated cells possessing the normal human karyotype, where one blood sample can be used for numerous experiments performed over a long time, extended-term cultures appear to be a useful alternative, both to transformed mammalian cell lines, and primary cell cultures from humans. In fact, the extended-term lymphocytes, with or without S9 and/or lesion specific DNA repair enzymes, should be used more frequently when screening for the potential genotoxicity of chemicals.
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| 21. |
- Andersson, Martin, 1978-
(författare)
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Phase Phenomena in Polymer Networks : Empirical Studies on the Influence of Hydrophobicity, Charge Density and Crosslinks on Macroion-Induced Phase Transitions in Polyelectrolyte Gels
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The thesis concerns polyelectrolyte gels in contact with oppositely charged proteins and surfactant micelles, and includes of four papers (I-IV). In paper I confocal Raman spectroscopy was introduced as a method to trace micelles and investigate the structure of gel-surfactant complexes, in phase separated gel spheres. In paper II, the binding of surfactants to microspheres (~50-100 µm) was investigated by means of a micromanipulator-assisted microscopy method. The two surfactants were found to display qualitative difference respect to degree of swelling, surfactant distribution in the gels, and the difference is discussed in terms of absence/presence of hydrophobic attraction to the polyelectrolyte gel network. Kinetics of volume change in gels were analyzed. Aggregation numbers of micelles in polystyrenesulfonate (PSS) solutions, obtained from fluorescence quenching measurements, are presented. In paper III, phase behaviour, protein assembly and diffusion, was studied in PSS gel microspheres. Interpretation of results was aided by measurements of osmotic swelling of individual gel networks, and by combining the results with studies of protein diffusion in macroscopic (cm-sized) gel spheres. Complexes formed were further analyzed with small angle x-ray spectroscopy. In paper IV phase behaviour of mixed ionic/nonionic surfactant micelles is investigated in cm-sized gel spheres. The coexistence of three phases, the formation of dense shells in the bulk of the gels and other phenomena are described for the first time, and the results are presented along with discussion on the charge-density of spherical micelles and of network induced hysteresis effects in gels. The composition and microstructure of phases are investigated by confocal Raman spectroscopy and small-angle x-ray scattering respectively. The results are interpreted with aid of highly detailed theoretical model calculations.
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| 22. |
- Andersson, Sara B. E., 1987-
(författare)
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Novel and refined small-scale approaches to determine the intrinsic dissolution rate of drugs
- 2021
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Many drugs are administered as crystalline particles compressed into tablets and taken orally. When the tablet reaches the gastrointestinal tract, it disintegrates and the drug particles dissolve in the gastrointestinal fluid. The dissolved molecules are absorbed across the intestinal membranes into the bloodstream to reach their target sites. Only dissolved molecules can be absorbed, and if a drug has low solubility and/or dissolution rate in gastrointestinal fluid, the drug absorption might be insufficient. Hence, knowing the solubility and dissolution behaviour of a potential drug candidate is necessary early in the drug development process. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate and refine different approaches for measuring and determining dissolution rate, as well as to develop novel in vitro small-scale dissolution methods. First, interlaboratory variability in determination of intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR) and apparent solubility (Sapp) was investigated using a miniaturized dissolution instrument. To minimize the interlaboratory variability, standardized protocols for both the experimental design and the data analyses were required, and a flow chart for performing standardized powder and disc IDR measurements was established. Next, as an alternative to the powder and disc methods, carefully dispersed suspensions were used to determine the IDR, and rapid and more controlled IDR measurements were obtained using suspensions with dispersed primary particles. From the suspension measurements, an IDR/Sapp ratio of the compounds were determined. This ratio can potentially be used to identify whether a compound is likely to show dissolution rate-limited absorption and hence is sensitive to particle size reduction. The final experiments used a single particle dissolution approach to determine the IDR at four different fluid velocities. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were used to theoretically investigate the flow conditions and dissolution rates. Single particle dissolution measurements under well-defined conditions gave high-quality dissolution data. An IDR was determined within 5-60 minutes using particles with initial diameters of 37.5-104.6 μm. The single particle dissolution experiments were used to determine the thickness of the effective hydrodynamic boundary layer (heff). The heff values were also assessed by CFD simulations, and a good concordance between experimental and simulated heff values was obtained. The approaches presented in this thesis can be used to derive qualified knowledge about the dissolution properties of drugs with several potential applications in drug development, such as profiling of solid drugs, informed formulation decisions, assisting the modelling of drug dissolution and providing improved understanding of the in vivo-dissolution behaviour
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| 23. |
- Ansari, Shaquib Rahman, 1993-
(författare)
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From design to application: Iron oxide nanoparticles for imaging and therapeutics in inflammatory and infectious diseases
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are a promising advancement in nanomedicine, demonstrating remarkable potential in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications. They can be magnetized in a magnetic field and do not show permanent magnetization, allowing precise localization within the body. Under an alternating magnetic field, SPIONs generate heat, which can be used for magnetic hyperthermia therapy against cancer or to trigger drug release. Diagnostically, they are widely used as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is an emerging preclinical diagnostic technique using SPIONs as tracers.Despite these promising applications, the clinical utility of SPIONs is hindered by challenges related to scalable and reproducible manufacturing. Focused efforts are also needed to improve MPI resolution. Moreover, the application of magnetic hyperthermia for treating inflammatory and infectious conditions remains relatively underexplored. Therefore, the primary objective of this thesis was to develop SPIONs tailored for imaging and therapy of inflammatory and infectious diseases through scalable manufacturing techniques. The first part of the study involved a systematic review to examine the most pertinent research on use of SPIONs for diagnosing and treating chronic inflammatory diseases. MRI was identified as the predominant application of SPIONs. However, there was limited exploration of MPI and magnetic hyperthermia for imaging and treating inflammatory diseases, respectively.In the second project, a risk-based pharmaceutical quality by design approach was used to optimize SPIONs for magnetic hyperthermia. The effect of nanoparticle properties on MPI performance was systematically investigated in the third project. Additionally, these projects established flame spray pyrolysis as a scalable and reproducible technique, for synthesizing nanoparticles with complex stoichiometry for magnetic hyperthermia and MPI.In final part of the study, SPIONs were incorporated into composites by scalable techniques, to improve the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases. SPIONs were incorporated in tablets with an anti-inflammatory drug, celecoxib. The drug solubility improved significantly through magnetic hyperthermia-induced in situ amorphization. SPIONs were also incorporated into microfibers, and heat dissipation from magnetic microfibers was used with doxycycline against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This resulted in substantial reduction in bacterial growth compared to using the drug alone.This thesis introduced systematic exploration of SPION properties and their functional performance, established a scalable synthesis technique for their production, and developed novel systems for wider adaptation of SPIONs in biomedical applications.
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| 24. |
- Arefalk, Anna, 1974-
(författare)
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New Methods for the Synthesis of 3-Substituted 1-Indanones : A Palladium-Catalyzed Approach
- 2005
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In medicinal chemistry, there is a constant need for new preparative methods, both to make the synthesis process more effective, and to increase the accessibility to a wide variety of compounds. A number of different approaches can be used to attain these goals. Transition metal catalysis is generally performed under mild conditions, providing both regio- and chemoselective reactions. Thus, it offers an attractive means of preparation of complex drug candidates. Two additional methodologies used to increase the preparative efficiency are one-pot protocols and controlled microwave heating. One-pot and multi-component reactions are less time consuming than step-by-step reactions, and microwave heating has been used to considerably shorten the reaction times. This thesis describes a new palladium-catalyzed, one-pot reaction producing racemic acetal-protected 3-hydroxy-1-indanones from ethylene glycol vinyl ether and triflates of salicylic aldehydes. The triflates were prepared using controlled microwave heating. The reaction sequence starts with a regioselective internal Heck coupling, followed by an annulation cascade. By including secondary amines in the reaction mixture, the reaction was further developed into a three-component reaction delivering racemic acetal-protected 3-amino-1-indanones. This new method was utilized for the synthesis of primary, secondary and tertiary aminoindanones. Finally, by using enantiopure t-butyl sulfinyl imines, derived from salicylic aldehyde triflates and ethylene glycol vinyl ether as starting materials in a closely related type of palladium coupling–annulation sequence, a stereoselective protocol providing enantiomerically pure 3-amino-1-indanones was developed. To demonstrate an application in medicinal chemistry, the enantiopure 3-amino-1-indanones were incorporated as P2 and/or P2´ substituents into active HIV-1 protease inhibitors.
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| 25. |
- Arvela, Riina K
(författare)
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Palladium-Catalysed Carbon–Carbon Coupling Reactions : Focusing on Microwave Heating, Low Catalyst Concentrations, Aqueous Conditions, Regioselectivity and Medicinal Chemistry Applications
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- It is widely accepted that palladium is one of the most useful catalysts in organic chemistry, and many palladium(0)-catalysed carbon–carbon bond-forming reactions have been developed over the years. In addition, the ever-growing need for more environmentally benign processes in the chemical industry has driven scientists to look for greener options while developing new methodologies for organic synthesis. This thesis describes a series of studies on Suzuki and Heck coupling reactions in water and the application of palladium(0) catalysis to the development of new HIV-1 integrase inhibitors. The previously described 'transition-metal-free Suzuki-type coupling' reaction was shown to take place due to sub-ppm levels of palladium contaminants present in the commercially available sodium carbonate base. Based on this finding, a new, microwave-assisted Suzuki protocol utilizing ppb/ppm levels of palladium in water was developed. This methodology was adapted to terminal Heck coupling, although the scope of the protocol was found to be rather limited. Finally, both Suzuki and Heck reaction processes were successfully scaled up to 100 mmol using an automated batch stop-flow microwave apparatus. As the methodologies utilizing ultralow palladium concentrations were not applicable to aryl chlorides, attention was shifted towards palladium on carbon. This simple catalyst, together with microwave heating employing simultaneous cooling, was found to be beneficial in the Suzuki coupling of aryl chlorides with phenylboronic acid in water. Ligand-controlled internal arylation of ethylene glycol vinyl ether with aryl halides was shown to be possible in water alone without any additives. Reactions were run under air, using conventional heating and the products formed were isolated as aryl methyl ketones in good to excellent yields. The electron-rich (dippp)2Pd complex was shown to be beneficial for the microwave-assisted internal arylation of some aryl chlorides. Furthermore, the active role of the hydroxyl group of ethylene glycol vinyl ether in the formation of a cationic intermediate leading to internal Heck coupling product was elucidated. Finally, to demonstrate the usefulness of palladium(0) catalysis in the development of new pharmaceutical entities, a series of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors was synthesised and evaluated in strand transfer assays and in vitro. Based on the results and docking studies performed, valuable information related to the structure–activity relationship was obtained.
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| 26. |
- Arvidsson McShane, Staffan, 1990-
(författare)
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Confidence Predictions in Pharmaceutical Sciences
- 2023
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The main focus of this thesis has been on Quantitative Structure Activity Relationship (QSAR) modeling using methods producing valid measures of uncertainty. The goal of QSAR is to prospectively predict the outcome from assays, such as ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion), toxicity and on- and off-target interactions, for novel compounds. QSAR modeling offers an appealing alternative to laboratory work, which is both costly and time-consuming, and can be applied earlier in the development process as candidate drugs can be tested in silico without requiring to synthesize them first. A common theme across the presented papers is the application of conformal and probabilistic prediction models, which are used in order to associate predictions with a level of their reliability – a desirable property that is essential in the stage of decision making. In Paper I we studied approaches on how to utilize biological assay data from legacy systems, in order to improve predictive models. This is otherwise problematic since mixing data from separate systems will cause issues for most machine learning algorithms. We demonstrated that old data could be used to augment the proper training set of a conformal predictor to yield more efficient predictions while preserving model calibration. In Paper II we studied a new approach of predicting metabolic transformations of small molecules based on transformations encoded in SMIRKS format. In this work use used the probabilistic Cross-Venn-ABERS predictor which overall worked well, but had difficulty in modeling the minority class of imbalanced datasets. In Paper III we studied metabolomics data from patients diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and found a set of 15 discriminatory metabolites that could be used to classify patients from a validation cohort into one of two sub types of the disease with high accuracy. We further demonstrated that conformal prediction could be useful for tracking the progression of the disease for individual patients, which we exemplified using data from a clinical trial. In Paper IV we introduced CPSign – a software for cheminformatics modeling using conformal and probabilistic methods. CPSign was compared against other regularly used methods for this task, using 32 benchmark datasets, demonstrating that CPSign produces predictive accuracy on par with the best performing methods.
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| 27. |
- Ax, Anna, 1975-
(författare)
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Cyclic Sulfamide HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors : Design, Synthesis and Modelling
- 2005
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Ten years ago, the first protease inhibitor targeting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was approved for clinical use. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which combined protease and reverse transcriptase inhibitors, quickly became the standard therapy for treating patients infected with HIV and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Nevertheless, last year the AIDS pandemic reached its highest level ever. Many infected patients, mainly in the developing countries, are still without treatment. Among those patients who receive treatment, an increase in drug resistance and new-infection with drug-resistant strains are seen. To come to terms with these problems, new drugs that are efficient against resistant strains and can be produced at low cost are needed.In this study, we have focused our research efforts on cyclic sulfamides active as HIV-1 protease inhibitors. Distinctive to this compound class, as compared to the inhibitors so far approved for clinical use, was the incorporation of a water mimic that displaces the structural water (W301) observed in the X-ray crystal co-complexes. The first part of the study was aimed at understanding the rationale behind the nonsymmetric binding mode that the inhibitor adopted when bound to the enzyme. Symmetric and nonsymmetric inhibitors were synthesized and the structure-activity relationships and preferable binding modes were rationalized with the help of Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA).In the second part of the study, an attempt was made to reduce the size of these inhibitors. As a result, the traditional P1/P1' substituents were removed, while the P2/P2' substituents were elongated in an attempt to reach between the binding sites. The design hypothesis was shown to be successful and inhibitors possessing nanomolar activity were identified.
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| 28. |
- Axelsson, Linda, 1977-
(författare)
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Development of HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors and Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Aryl Ketones and N-Allylbenzamides
- 2014
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The use of palladium-catalyzed reactions to introduce new carbon-carbon bonds is a fundamental synthetic strategy that has been widely embraced due to its high chemo- and regioselectivity and functional group tolerance. In this context, Pd(0)-catalyzed aminocarbonylations using Mo(CO)6 instead of toxic and gaseous CO and with allylamine as the nucleophile were investigated. The aminocarbonylated product dominated over the Mizoroki-Heck product, and (hetero)aryl iodides, bromides and chlorides gave N-allylbenzamides in good yields.In this thesis improvements to an existing protocol for the Pd(II)-catalyzed synthesis of aryl ketones from five benzoic acids and a variety of nitriles are also presented. Addition of TFA improved the yields and employing THF as solvent enabled the use of solid nitriles, and the aryl ketones were isolated in good yields.The pandemic of HIV infection is one of the greatest public health issues of our time and approximately 35.3 million people worldwide are living with HIV. There are currently many drugs on the market targeting various parts of the viral reproduction cycle, but the problems of resistance warrant the search for new drugs. HIV-1 protease makes the virus mature into infectious particles. In this thesis a new type of HIV-1 protease inhibitor (PI) is presented, based on two of the PIs on the market, atazanavir and indinavir, but it has a tertiary alcohol, as well as a two-carbon tether between the quaternary carbon and the hydrazide β-nitrogen. A total of 25 new inhibitors were designed, synthesized and biologically evaluated, the best compound had an EC50 value of 3 nM.Based on this series a project aimed at synthesizing macrocycles spanning the P1-P3 area was initiated. Macrocycles often tend to have an improved affinity and metabolic profile compared to their linear analogs. Introduction of a handle in the para position of the P1 benzyl group proved difficult, despite efforts to synthesize intermediates containing either a bromo-, hydroxy-, methoxy-, silyl-group protected hydroxy- or an alkyne-group. The lactone intermediate was abandoned in favor of an alternative synthetic route and initial studies were found to be promising. This new approach requires further investigation before the target macrocycles can be synthesized.
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| 29. |
- Ayoun Alsoud, Rami, 1992-
(författare)
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Pharmacometric tools to support translational drug development
- 2024
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The use of model-informed drug development has been shown to save significant costs and improve decision making early in the drug development process. The work in this PhD thesis aimed to employ pharmacometric tools to support translational drug development from the preclinical to the late clinical stages.Pharmacometric modeling was used to characterize the treatment-shortening potential of different anti tuberculosis regimens. The results provided additional evidence in favor of the treatment-shortening capacity of the BPaMZ regimen over BPaL and standard of care, HRZE.Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PKPD) modeling was used to enable the evaluation of the exposure-response of a new anti-tubercular drug, MPL-447, in C3HeB/FeJ mice, thought to be of a translational value in tuberculosis drug development. Model-based evaluation revealed a significant impact of necrotic lesion development in mice on both bacterial growth and sensitivity to treatment with MPL-447, highlighting the significance of accounting for the heterogenous lesion profile in the C3HeB/FeJ mouse model when evaluating drug efficacy.Pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling was employed to perform interspecies PK scaling of the CB 4332 protein using information from three preclinical species. This approach accounted for the impact of immunogenicity and species-related differences in elimination. Simulations predicted the protein plasma concentrations in humans after different dosing regimens and suggested that a 7 mg/kg dose would be required to reach the target at steady-state.Using combined biomarker data, PKPD modeling was employed to simultaneously analyze two tuberculosis efficacy biomarkers. The final biomarker model facilitated the prediction of the relationship between the two biomarkers over time. With this modeling framework, missing biomarker data can be predicted using information from the other biomarker.Several model-based approaches were also explored to evaluate pediatric study power in rare diseases. These approaches were performed analyzing pediatric data alone or combined with the adult data. While Bayesian priors performed well when analyzing pediatric data alone, less technical modeling approaches proved sufficient when pediatric and adult data were combined.In conclusion, the research presented in this thesis has addressed various challenges encountered in translational drug development. The work has contributed to the evaluation of new anti-tubercular drugs and regimens, the assessment of newly proposed animal models, and optimizing the utilization of biomarker information. Furthermore, this thesis has provided insights into the selection of First-in-Human dose for a protein, showcasing the applicability of model-based approaches in this critical decision-making process. The research has contributed to improving analysis approaches for pediatrics in rare diseases.
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| 30. |
- Barclay, Victoria K.H.
(författare)
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Development of LC-MS/MS Methods for the Analysis of Chiral and Achiral Pharmaceuticals and Metabolites in Aqueous Environmental Matrices
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis describes the development of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods for the trace analysis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their metabolites in aqueous environmental matrices. The research was focused on the development of chiral LC-MS/MS methods for the analysis of fluoxetine and metoprolol, as well as their chiral metabolites in environmental water samples. A method was also developed for the achiral compounds, diazepam and nordiazepam. The LC-MS/MS methods were validated by the use of the isotope-labeled compounds. As these isotope-labeled compounds were not found in the wastewater samples, the validation could be assessed at trace level concentrations in the actual matrices in which the analytes were detected. The analytes were extracted from the water samples using solid phase extraction methods. Different types of solid phase extraction sorbents were evaluated. Fluoxetine and norfluoxetine were extracted through the use of a mixed mode polymeric based extraction sorbent. A hydrophilic and lipophilic balanced sorbent was employed for the simultaneous extraction of metoprolol and its metabolites, the base α-hydroxymetoprolol and the acidic metabolite deaminated metoprolol. Moreover, silica based C18 extraction discs were applied for the sample preparation of diazepam and nordiazepam. The chromatographic separations were conducted in reversed phase LC with MS compatible mobile phases. The enantiomers of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine were simultaneously separated using the chiral stationary phase (CSP), α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). The Chiral AGP column was also applied for the separation of the enantiomers of deaminated metoprolol. For the simultaneous separation of the metoprolol enantiomers and the four stereoisomers of α-hydroxymetoprolol, the cellobiohydrolase (CBH) protein based CSP was used. An octadecyl silica based LC column was applied for the separation of diazepam and nordiazepam. The analytes were detected by the use of tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry operating in selective reactive monitoring mode. High resolution MS, employing a quadrupole time-of-flight (QqTOF) mass analyzer, was utilized for the identification of an unknown compound in wastewater samples. The APIs and their metabolites, as well as their respective enantiomers, were quantified in raw and treated wastewater from Uppsala, Sweden along with surface water from the River Fyris in Uppsala.
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| 31. |
- Barmpatsalou, Vicky
(författare)
-
Understanding the gastrointestinal mucus and its impact on drug absorption
- 2023
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The gastrointestinal mucus is a hydrogel lining the luminal side of the gastrointestinal epithelium. Mucus is vital for gut homeostasis because it protects the epithelium from the noxious external environment. However, from a drug delivery perspective, drugs have to permeate through the mucus to reach the epithelium; therefore, mucus might pose a barrier to drug absorption. Most of the information about mucus derives from fundamental studies performed on rodents. However, information from larger preclinical animal species is highly warranted for improving study designs and guiding better interpretation of data from preclinical assessments. Furthermore, improved understanding of the nature of the gastrointestinal mucus would enable the development of in vitro mucus models with increased biorelevance. These could then be implemented in drug absorption assays to improve the (bio)predictability. Well-informed in vitro mucus models would enable quick and less variable screening of drug candidates in the early drug development stages. Finally, these models would contribute to reduction, refinement, and replacement (the 3Rs) of animal usage in the drug development process. This thesis aims to improve our understanding of the nature of gastrointestinal mucus and its impact on drug absorption. For this purpose, mucus from the complete gastrointestinal tract of pigs and dogs was characterized and the diffusion of physicochemically diverse FITC-dextrans through colonic mucus was studied, both ex vivo and in vitro. The characterization of the gastrointestinal mucus focused on properties relevant for drug absorption and revealed the physiological characteristics, composition, and structural profiles from the various gastrointestinal regions. The findings pointed towards substantial differences between small intestinal and colonic mucus in both species and served as the basis for developing artificial colonic mucus models for drug permeation assessments. Porcine and canine artificial mucus models were developed and validated against the respective native secretions in terms of structural properties and demonstrated their potential to capture the key diffusion patterns of FITC-dextrans observed in native colonic mucus. Overall, this work provided insights into key properties of mucus from large preclinical species and validated tools for the assessment of the impact of mucus on drug absorption.
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| 32. |
- Baverel, Paul
(författare)
-
Development and Evaluation of Nonparametric Mixed Effects Models
- 2011
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- A nonparametric population approach is now accessible to a more comprehensive network of modelers given its recent implementation into the popular NONMEM application, previously limited in scope by standard parametric approaches for the analysis of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data. The aim of this thesis was to assess the relative merits and downsides of nonparametric models in a nonlinear mixed effects framework in comparison with a set of parametric models developed in NONMEM based on real datasets and when applied to simple experimental settings, and to develop new diagnostic tools adapted to nonparametric models. Nonparametric models as implemented in NONMEM VI showed better overall simulation properties and predictive performance than standard parametric models, with significantly less bias and imprecision in outcomes of numerical predictive check (NPC) from 25 real data designs. This evaluation was carried on by a simulation study comparing the relative predictive performance of nonparametric and parametric models across three different validation procedures assessed by NPC. The usefulness of a nonparametric estimation step in diagnosing distributional assumption of parameters was then demonstrated through the development and the application of two bootstrapping techniques aiming to estimate imprecision of nonparametric parameter distributions. Finally, a novel covariate modeling approach intended for nonparametric models was developed with good statistical properties for identification of predictive covariates. In conclusion, by relaxing the classical normality assumption in the distribution of model parameters and given the set of diagnostic tools developed, the nonparametric approach in NONMEM constitutes an attractive alternative to the routinely used parametric approach and an improvement for efficient data analysis.
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| 33. |
- Bazov, Igor
(författare)
-
Epigenetic Dysregulations in the Brain of Human Alcoholics : Analysis of Opioid Genes
- 2016
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Neuropeptides are special in their expression profiles restricted to neuronal subpopulations and low tissue mRNA levels. Genetic, epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms that define spatiotemporal expression of the neuropeptide genes have utmost importance for the formation and functions of neural circuits in normal and pathological human brain. This thesis focuses on regulation of transcription of the opioid/nociceptin genes, the largest neuropeptide family, and on identification of adaptive changes in these mechanisms associated with alcoholism as model human pathology. Two epigenetic mechanisms, the common for most cells in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the neuron-subpopulation specific that may orchestrate prodynorphin (PDYN) transcription in the human dlPFC have been uncovered. The first, repressive mechanism may operate through control of DNA methylation/demethylation in a short, nucleosome size promoter CpG island (CGI). The second mechanism may involve USF2, the sequence–specific methylation–sensitive transcription factor which interaction with its target element in the CpG island results in USF2 and PDYN co-expression in the same neurons. The short PDYN promoter CGI may function as a chromatin element that integrates cellular and environmental signals through changes in methylation and transcription factor binding. Alterations in USF2–dependent PDYN transcription are affected by the promoter SNP (rs1997794: T>C) under transition to pathological state, i.e. in the alcoholic brain. This and two other PDYN SNPs that are most significantly associated with alcoholism represent CpG-SNPs, which are differentially methylated in the human dlPFC. The T, low risk allele of the promoter SNP forms a noncanonical AP-1–binding element. JUND and FOSB proteins, which may form homo- or heterodimers have been identified as dominant constituents of AP-1 complex. The C, non-risk variant of the PDYN 3′ UTR SNP (rs2235749 SNP: C>T) demonstrated significantly higher methylation in alcoholics compared to controls. PDYN mRNA and dynorphin levels significantly and positively correlated with methylation of the PDYN 3′ UTR CpG-SNP suggesting its involvement in PDYN regulation. A DNA–binding factor with differential binding affinity for the T allele and methylated and unmethylated C alleles of the PDYN 3′ UTR SNP (the T allele specific binding factor, Ta-BF) has been discovered, which may function as a regulator of PDYN transcription. These findings emphasize the complexity of PDYN regulation that determines its expression in specific neuronal subpopulations and suggest previously unknown integration of epigenetic, transcriptional and genetic mechanisms that orchestrate alcohol–induced molecular adaptations in the human brain. Given the important role of PDYN in addictive behavior, the findings provide a new insight into fundamental molecular mechanisms of human brain disorder. In addition to PDYN in the dlPFC, the PNOC gene in the hippocampus and OPRL1 gene in central amygdala that were downregulated in alcoholics may contribute to impairment of cognitive control over alcohol seeking and taking behaviour.
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| 34. |
- Belfrage, Anna Karin, 1977-
(författare)
-
Design and Synthesis of Hepatitis C Virus NS3 Protease Inhibitors : Targeting Different Genotypes and Drug-Resistant Variants
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Since the first approved hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3 protease inhibitors in 2011, numerous direct acting antivirals (DAAs) have reached late stages of clinical trials. Today, several combination therapies, based on different DAAs, with or without the need of pegylated interferon-α injection, are available for chronic HCV infections. The chemical foundation of the approved and late-stage HCV NS3 protease inhibitors is markedly similar. This could partly explain the cross-resistance that have emerged under the pressure of NS3 protease inhibitors. The first-generation NS3 protease inhibitors were developed to efficiently inhibit genotype 1 of the virus and were less potent against other genotypes.The main focus in this thesis was to design and synthesize a new class of 2(1H)-pyrazinone based HCV NS3 protease inhibitors, structurally dissimilar to the inhibitors evaluated in clinical trials or approved, potentially with a unique resistance profile and with a broad genotypic coverage. Successive modifications were performed around the pyrazinone core structure to clarify the structure-activity relationship; a P3 urea capping group was found valuable for inhibitory potency, as were elongated R6 residues possibly directed towards the S2 pocket. Dissimilar to previously developed inhibitors, the P1’ aryl acyl sulfonamide was not essential for inhibition as shown by equally good inhibitory potency for P1’ truncated inhibitors. In vitro pharmacokinetic (PK) evaluations disclosed a marked influence from the R6 moiety on the overall drug-properties and biochemical evaluation of the inhibitors against drug resistant enzyme variants showed retained inhibitory potency as compared to the wild-type enzyme. Initial evaluation against genotype 3a displayed micro-molar potencies. Lead optimization, with respect to improved PK properties, were also performed on an advanced class of HCV NS3 protease inhibitors, containing a P2 quinazoline substituent in combination with a macro-cyclic proline urea scaffold with nano-molar cell based activities.Moreover, an efficient Pd-catalyzed C-N urea arylation protocol, enabling high yielding introductions of advanced urea substituents to the C3 position of the pyrazinone, and a Pd-catalyzed carbonylation procedure, to obtain acyl sulfinamides, were developed. These methods can be generally applicable in the synthesis of bioactive compounds containing peptidomimetic scaffolds and carboxylic acid bioisosteres.
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| 35. |
- Bender, Brendan, 1967-
(författare)
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Pharmacometric Models for Antibody Drug Conjugates and Taxanes in HER2+ and HER2- Breast Cancer
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In oncology, there is a need to optimize drug treatment for efficient eradication of tumors, minimization of adverse effects (AEs), and prolonging patient survival. Pharmacometric models can be developed to streamline information between drug development phases, describe and quantify response to treatment, and determine dose regimens that balance toxicity and efficacy. In this thesis, data from trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) and taxane drug treatment were used to develop pharmacometric models of pharmacokinetics (PK), AEs, anti-tumor response, and survival, supporting drug development.T-DM1 is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive breast cancer. ADCs are a relatively new class of oncologic agents, and contain multiple drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) moieties in their dose product. The complex distribution of T-DM1 was elucidated through PK models developed using in vitro and in vivo rat and cynomolgus monkey DAR data. Mechanism–based PK/pharmacodynamic (PKPD) models were also developed for T-DM1 that described the AEs thrombocytopenia (TCP) and hepatotoxicity in patients receiving T-DM1. Variable patterns of platelet and transaminase (ALT and AST) response were quantified, including an effect of Asian ethnicity that was related to higher incidences of TCP. Model simulations, comparing dose intensities (DI) and Grade 3/4 incidences between the approved T-DM1 dose (3.6 mg/kg every three weeks) and weekly regimens, determined that 2.4 mg/kg weekly provided the highest DI.Docetaxel and paclitaxel are taxane treatment options for HER2–negative breast cancer. Tumor response data from these treatments were used to develop a mechanism–based model of tumor quiescence and drug–resistance. Subsequently, a parametric survival analysis found that tumor baseline and the model–predicted time to tumor growth (TTG) were predictors of overall survival (OS). This tumor and OS modeling approach can be applied to other anticancer treatments with similar patterns of drug–resistance.Overall, the pharmacometric models developed within this thesis present new modeling approaches and provide understanding on ADC PK and PKPD (TCP and hepatotoxicity), as well as drug–resistance tumor response. These models can inform simulation strategies and clinical study design, and be applied towards dose finding for anticancer drugs in development, especially ADCs.
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| 36. |
- Benediktsdóttir, Andrea, 1990-
(författare)
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Design and synthesis of enzyme inhibitors against Gram-negative bacteria : Targeting protein secretion and lipid A biosynthesis
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The discovery and implementation of antibiotics for clinical use was unquestionably the greatest medical breakthrough of the 20th century. However, the widespread misuse and overuse of these antibiotics, has led to the rapid emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. The 'ESKAPE' pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) represent a critical threat in multidrug-resistant infections. The Gram-negative species (such as E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, and A. baumannii) are especially difficult to combat due to their dual-membrane and efficient efflux pumps, which limit the efficacy of many antibiotics. Despite significant efforts, no new antibiotic class with a new mechanism of action has been approved for Gram-negative pathogens in over five decades. New chemical classes of antibacterial compounds targeting distinct mechanisms within Gram-negative bacteria are therefore urgently called for. The studies outlined in this thesis addresses these challenges by designing and synthesising new antibacterial compounds of three distinct chemical classes, which interact with two unrealized targets, LepB and LpxH, in Gram-negative bacteria, including E. coli and K. pneumoniae. This thesis investigates the effect of macrocyclization of type I signal peptidase (LepB) inhibitors by optimizing previously studied linear lipopeptide boronic acids and esters to address their cytotoxic and hemolytic liabilities while retaining activity. This resulted in the synthesis of first-in-class P2-P1' boronic ester-linked macrocycles with modest improvement of cytotoxicity but at the cost of reduced antibacterial activity (paper I). In another optimization attempt, isosteric modification of LepB inhibitors was explored by introducing the sulfonimidamide motif into oligopeptide boronic esters, displaying potent LepB inhibitors. Prior to the synthesis of these pseudopeptides novel methods were developed to introduce sulfonimidamides into peptides on solid-phase (paper II and paper III). These studies demonstrated the potential of sulfonimidamides to alter the drug properties and which was herein compared to a corresponding sulfonamide. Additionally, the thesis describes how a new series of LpxH inhibitors, meta-sulfonamidobenzamide-based sulfonyl piperazine derivatives, were identified and prepared. This resulted in inhibitors with wild-type activity without causing hemolysis, cell toxicity or inhibition of hERG ion channel (paper IV). In summary, strategies suitable for the synthesis and optimization of new antibacterial compounds targeting two distinct Gram-negative bacterial targets, LepB and LpxH, are described in this thesis. While there was no success in separating toxicity from antibacterial activity of the LepB inhibitors, these results highlight the challenge in this task and contribute to a better understanding of the structure-activity and toxicity relationships of such inhibitors and provide strategies that could be of use in antibacterial drug discovery. The identification of the meta-sulfonamidobenzamide derivatives offer promising LpxH-targeting hits with the potential for further development in future hit-to-lead antibacterial programs.
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| 37. |
- Bengtsson, Jörgen, 1976-
(författare)
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Developmental Aspects of Drug Transport Across the Blood-Brain Barrier
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The developmental aspect of drug transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) was investigated. Microdialysis was used to study unbound morphine BBB transport at different ages in sheep. An in vitro study was performed to find differentially expressed genes in brain capillary-rich fractions of the brain in rats of different ages. Microdialysis and brain-to-plasma ratios were used to study the contribution of breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) to the transport of nitrofurantoin (NTF) across the BBB of rats during development as well as in adult rats and mice. A method of analysing morphine and its metabolites in plasma and microdialysis samples was developed and validated. The in vivo recovery of deuterated morphine, used as a calibrator in microdialysis experiments, was not affected by the presence of morphine in the tissue. A net influx of morphine was observed in premature lambs and adult sheep, in contrast to the efflux seen in other species. This influx decreased with age, indicating that the morphine transport across the BBB changes with age. In contrast, the transport of the morphine metabolite morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) did not change with age. Microarray data indicated that several active transporters are differentially expressed with age. Moreover, the mRNA expression levels of Abcg2 (Bcrp) and Slc22a8 (organic anion transporter 3) changed with age when quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. In contrast, the expression of Abcb1 (P-glycoprotein) and occludin (a tight junction protein) did not change with age. In rats, the brain distribution of NTF decreased with age due to increased protein binding in plasma. The concentration ratio of unbound NTF across the BBB was low in the adult rat, due to intra-brain metabolism and/or efflux by other transporters. Bcrp did not appear to have a significant contribution in the developing rat or in knock-out mice compared to wild-type controls with regard to NTF BBB transport. In conclusion, in vitro studies showed that the expression levels of some genes changed with age, presumably affecting subsequent drug distribution to the brain. Further, in vivo studies showed that distribution across the BBB changed with age for morphine but not for M3G or NTF.
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| 38. |
- Berg, Staffan
(författare)
-
Oral delivery of macromolecules formulated with permeation enhancers
- 2022
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Therapeutic macromolecules including peptides, proteins, and nucleotide-based ones (such as antisense oligonucleotides and RNAs) have great potential as drug candidates. One drawback is that they typically need to be administered parenterally via subcutaneous, intramuscular or intravenous injections. Patients and healthcare professionals, however, generally prefer medicines that are taken orally. Absorption of therapeutic macromolecules after oral administration is unfortunately limited due to their instability in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as their poor permeability across the mucosa, owing to their large and hydrophilic nature.Different formulation approaches can improve the absorption of macromolecules after oral administration. Permeation enhancers are the most studied technology for this purpose, and has resulted in two approved products. Yet despite many years of studying permeation enhancers, the bioavailability in clinical studies remains low and highly variable. Because of this, the use of permeation enhancers is currently limited to potent compounds with wide safety margins and long half-lives. Increasing the bioavailability and reducing variability thereof, would allow a wider range of drug candidates to be delivered using this formulation technology.This thesis aims to improve the understanding of the low and variable absorption of solid dosage forms containing permeation enhancers. It includes studies on the absorption of different macromolecules co-delivered with the permeation enhancer sodium caprate (C10) in three pre-clinical models. To investigate the impact of intestinal C10 concentration, formulations with increasing C10 concentrations were administered to the upper small intestine of rats. C10 was rapidly absorbed and for the proteolytically stable macromolecules, a strong correlation between the C10 concentration and their bioavailability was observed. Furthermore, FITC-dextrans displayed an increase in both the initial rate and duration of absorption. In contrast, only the duration of increased absorption was prolonged for MEDI7219. Histological evaluation of the intestinal mucosa indicated that macromolecule absorption was correlated with erosion of the epithelium. On the basis of these results in rat, solid dosage forms designed to release C10 and peptide in high concentrations were studied in both pig and dog. A dosage form that achieved highly localized release showed promise in decreasing the absorptive variability of a model peptide.
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| 39. |
- Berggren, Sofia, 1973-
(författare)
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Drug Transport and Metabolism in Rat and Human Intestine
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- One of the aims of this thesis was to investigate the involvement of efflux proteins, such as the P-glycoprotein (Pgp), in the drug transport in different regions of the rat and the human intestine. The intestinal extrusion of intracellularly formed CYP3A4 metabolites, including whether this extrusion might be mediated by Pgp, was also studied. The model drugs used were local anaesthetics (LA), which have been evaluated for inflammatory bowel disease, such as ropivacaine, lidocaine and bupivacaine. The intestinal permeability to LAs was found to be high throughout all intestinal regions of the rat and human intestine. Results from the Ussing chamber model indicated only minor efflux involvement as the drug permeability was higher in the serosa to mucosa transport direction than in the opposite direction. However, the involvement of efflux in the absorption of LAs could not be verified using in situ single-pass perfusion of rat jejunum. The extrusion of the ropivacaine metabolite, 2´,6´-pipecoloxylidide (PPX), was polarized to the mucosal reservoir of the Ussing chamber for both rat and human intestinal samples, and was probably not caused by any Pgp involvement. The expression levels of CYP3A4 and efflux transporters were consistent with the enzymes’ activity in human intestine. PPX formation was mediated by CYP3A4 in human intestine, and cyp2c and cyp2d in rat intestine. Species differences were observed, as PPX was formed in rat colon, but not human colon. In conclusion, the permeability of ropivacaine, lidocaine and bupivacaine was not subjected to efflux transport of significance for their intestinal uptake. The transport of ropivacaine metabolites to the mucosal compartment was probably not mediated by Pgp. The Ussing chamber model showed consistent results with those from intestinal microsomes as far as intestinal metabolism is concerned, making it a suitable model for investigations of the interplay of efflux and metabolism.
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| 40. |
- Bergman, Ebba, 1977-
(författare)
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The Hepatobiliary Transport of Rosuvastatin In Vivo
- 2009
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In vivo studies of hepatobiliary disposition are challenging. The hepatobiliary system is complex, as its physiological localization, complex cellular structure with numerous transporters and enzymes, and the interindividual variability in protein expression and biliary flow will all affect the in vivo disposition of a drug under investigation. The research included in this thesis has focused on the involvement of hepatic transport proteins in the hepatobiliary disposition of rosuvastatin. The impact that several transport inhibitors had on the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin was investigated in healthy volunteers and in pigs. The effects were considerable, following inhibition of sinusoidal transport proteins by cyclosporine and rifampicin. These inhibitors significantly reduced the hepatic extraction of rosuvastatin by 50 and 35%, respectively, and the plasma exposure increased by factors of 9.1 and 6.3, respectively. Drug-drug interactions (DDI) resulting in markedly higher plasma exposures are important from a drug safety perspective as increased extrahepatic exposure of statins is associated with an increased risk of severe side-effects, such as myopathy which in rare cases could develop into rhabdomyolysis. The DDI caused by cyclosporine and rifampicin can probably be attributed to inhibition of hepatic uptake transporters. In contrast, inhibition of canalicular transporters by imatinib did not significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin, which suggests that the intracellular concentration of the inhibitor in the hepatocyte was insufficient to affect the transport of rosuvastatin, or that imatinib is not a sufficiently potent inhibitor in vivo. Furthermore, gemfibrozil administered as a single dose into the jejunum in healthy volunteers and pigs did not affect the plasma or biliary pharmacokinetics of rosuvastatin. The previously reported DDI in humans upon repeated dosing with gemfibrozil might be explained by the accumulation of metabolites able to affect the disposition of rosuvastatin. The investigations presented in this thesis conclude that transport proteins are of considerable importance for the hepatobiliary disposition of rosuvastatin in vivo. The Loc-I-Gut catheter can be applied for the investigation of biliary accumulation and to determine bile specific metabolites, however it has limitations when conducting quantitative measurements. In the porcine model, hepatic bile can be collected for up to six hours and enables the determination of the hepatic extraction in vivo.
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| 41. |
- Bergstrand, Martin, 1977-
(författare)
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Application of Mixed-Effect Modeling to Improve Mechanistic Understanding and Predictability of Oral Absorption
- 2011
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Several sophisticated techniques to study in vivo GI transit and regional absorption of pharmaceuticals are available and increasingly used. Examples of such methods are Magnetic Marker Monitoring (MMM) and local drug administration with remotely operated capsules. Another approach is the paracetamol and sulfapyridine double marker method which utilizes observed plasma concentrations of the two substances as markers for GI transit. Common for all of these methods is that they generate multiple types of observations e.g. tablet GI position, drug release and plasma concentrations of one or more substances. This thesis is based on the hypothesis that application of mechanistic nonlinear mixed-effect models could facilitate a better understanding of the interrelationship between such variables and result improved predictions of the processes involved in oral absorption. Mechanistic modeling approaches have been developed for application to data from MMM studies, paracetamol and sulfapyridine double marker studies and for linking in vitro and in vivo drug release. Models for integrating information about tablet GI transit, in vivo drug release and drug plasma concentrations measured in MMM studies was outlined and utilized to describe drug release and absorption properties along the GI tract for felodipine and the investigational drug AZD0837. A mechanistic link between in vitro and in vivo drug release was established by estimation of the mechanical stress in different regions of the GI tract in a unit equivalent to rotation speed in the in vitro experimental setup. The effect of atropine and erythromycin on gastric emptying and small intestinal transit was characterized with a semi-mechanistic model applied to double marker studies in fed and fasting dogs. The work with modeling of in vivo drug absorption has highlighted the need for, and led to, further development of mixed-effect modeling methodology with respect to model diagnostics and the handling of censored observations.
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| 42. |
- Birgner, Carolina, 1978-
(författare)
-
Anabolic androgenic steroids and central monoaminergic systems : Supratherapeutic doses of nandrolone decanoate affect dopamine and serotonin
- 2008
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Supratherapeutic doses of anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) are administered, not only as performance-enhancing drugs in the world of sports, but also in order to modify behaviour. AAS abusers are at risk of developing serious physical and psychological side effects such as dependence and aggressive behaviour. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the impact of supratherapeutic doses of nandrolone decanoate after subchronic administration on dopamine and serotonin pathways involved in drug dependence and aggression, in the male rat brain.Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received intramuscular injections of nandrolone decanoate (3 or 15 mg/kg) or vehicle once daily for 14 days. Nandrolone decanoate pre-exposure abolished the effect of amphetamine on the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) tissue level in the hypothalamus and on the DOPAC/dopamine ratio in the hypothalamus and the hippocampus. A significant decrease of the basal extracellular DOPAC and homovanillic acid (HVA) levels could be detected in the nucleus accumbens, which remained low during the first hour following the amphetamine challenge. Nandrolone decanoate significantly reduced the activity of both monoamine oxidase A and B (MAO-A and -B) in the caudate putamen and amygdala. The gene transcript levels of MAO-B, and the dopamine D1 and D4 receptors were altered in limbic regions. No changes in transcriptional levels could be detected among the serotonin receptor genes examined. However, the density of the serotonin transporter protein was elevated in a range of aggression-related brain regions.Taken together, subchronic administration of nandrolone decanoate causes dopaminergic and serotonergic dysregulations in distinct brain regions. These areas of the brain are involved in the development of drug dependence and expression of impulsive and aggressive behaviours. These results may contribute to explain some of the behavioural changes often reported in AAS abusers, such as polydrug use and impaired impulse control.
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| 43. |
- Bivehed, Erik, 1990-
(författare)
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Evolving the Methodology for Detection of Primary DNA Damage : Development, adaptation and assessment of the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay
- 2023
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is one of the most important molecules in nature. It is the fundamental carrier of evolutionary information and constitutes the genetic blueprint of all living organisms. Being the sole source of information, it is vital for the cell to transmit the correct genetic information from generation to generation. DNA damage is a critical precursor to cancer development, highlighting the need for tests to predict genotoxicity and mutagenicity of various agents, including pharmaceuticals and environmental factors. This thesis focuses on enhancing the single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) for assessing primary DNA damage.The work was concentrated around several fundamental aspects of the methodology where a novel statistical approach, Uppsala Comet Data Analysis Strategy (UCDAS), was developed for data evaluation. A proportional odds model tailored to continuous outcomes was used, accommodating the experimental design's hierarchy, large zero values, and avoiding data transformation. A revisit of the formulation of the electrophoresis medium led to the introduction of a low conductive lithium hydroxide-based solution, enabling higher field strengths, significantly reducing runtimes and increasing sensitivity compared to the conventional comet assay. A lot of work was done on the investigation of the pH's impact on DNA integrity, revealing elevated background DNA damage at higher pH levels. Extended unwinding at pH >13, typical of the most commonly used versions of alkaline comet assays, jeopardizes the integrity of DNA, resulting in greater background DNA damage than at lower pH values. The study underscores pH's significance for DNA stability, highlighting risks associated with extremely alkaline conditions.A new method was developed, the Polymerase Assisted DNA Damage Assay (PADDA), to label and quantify single- and double-strand DNA breaks selectively in comet heads and tails after exposure to established DNA-damaging agents. This approach also allowed detection of DNA damage inside comet heads, an ability lacking in traditional comet assays.In conclusion, this research enhances DNA damage assessment methodologies, introducing new statistical innovations, novel electrophoresis mediums, and a novel technique for the selective detection and quantification of single- and double-strand breaks. These advancements deepen our understanding of DNA damage's complexities and underscore the crucial role of pH in influencing DNA stability and its implications for genotoxicity assessment.
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| 44. |
- Bjugård Nyberg, Henrik, 1984-
(författare)
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Garnishing the smorgasbord of pharmacometric methods
- 2024
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The smorgasbord of methods that we use within the field of pharmacometrics has developed steadily over several decades and is now a well-laid-out buffet. This thesis adds some garnish to the table in the form of small improvements to the handling of certain problems.The first problem tackled by the thesis was the challenge of saddle points and local non-identifiability when estimating pharmacometric model parameters. Substituting the common method of randomly perturbing the initial parameter estimates with one saddle-reset step enhances the accuracy of maximum likelihood estimates by overcoming saddle points parameter values, a common issue in nonlinear mixed-effects models. This algorithm, as implemented in the NONMEM software, was applied to various identifiable and nonidentifiable pharmacometric models, showing improved performance over traditional methods.Part of the thesis was dedicated to the development of a paediatric pharmacokinetic model for ethionamide, a drug used in treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. The resulting model was then used to simulate drug exposure under different dosing regimens, a new dosing regimen for children was proposed. The developed model, and therefore the proposed paediatric dosing regimen, considers factors like maturation of pharmacokinetic pathways and, administration by nasogastric tube, and concurrent rifampicin treatment. The regimen, with some modifications, was adopted in the 2022 update to the World Health Organization operational handbook on tuberculosis.Finally, the thesis explored novel model-integrated evidence (MIE) approaches for bioequivalence (BE) determination. Such methods could offer more robust alternatives to standard BE approached using non-compartmental analysis (NCA). Model-based methods have been shown to be advantageous in sparse data situations, such as is found in studies of ophthalmic formulations, but have suffered from inflated type I error rates. MIE BE approaches using a single model or using model averaging were presented and shown to control type I error at the nominal level while demonstrating increased power in bioequivalence determination.
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| 45. |
- Björnsson, Marcus, 1973-
(författare)
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Pharmacometric Models in Anesthesia and Analgesia
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Modeling is a valuable tool in drug development, to support decision making, improving study design, and aid in regulatory approval and labeling. This thesis describes the development of pharmacometric models for drugs used in anesthesia and analgesia.Models describing the effects on anesthetic depth, measured by the bispectral index (BIS), for a commonly used anesthetic, propofol, and for a novel anesthetic, AZD3043, were developed. The propofol model consisted of two effect-site compartments, and could describe the effects of propofol when the rate of infusion is changed during treatment. AZD3043 had a high clearance and a low volume of distribution, leading to a short half-life. The distribution to the effect site was fast, and together with the short plasma half-life leading to a fast onset and offset of effects. It was also shown that BIS after AZD3043 treatment is related to the probability of unconsciousness similar to propofol.In analgesia studies dropout due to lack of efficacy is common. This dropout is not at random and needs to be taken into consideration in order to avoid bias. A model was developed describing the PK, pain intensity and dropout hazard for placebo, naproxen and a novel analgesic compound, naproxcinod, after removal of a wisdom tooth. The model provides an opportunity to describe the effects of other doses or formulations. Visual predictive checks created by simultaneous simulations of PI and dropout provided a good way of assessing the goodness of fit when there is informative dropout.The performance of non-linear mixed effects models in the presence of informative dropout, with and without including models that describe such informative dropout was investigated by simulations and re-estimations. When a dropout model was not included there was in general more bias. The bias increased with decreasing number of observations per subject, increasing placebo effect and increasing dropout rate. Bias was relatively unaffected by the number of subjects in the study. The bias had, in general, little effect on simulations of the underlying efficacy score, but a dropout model would still be needed in order to make realistic simulations.
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| 46. |
- Boström, Emma, 1975-
(författare)
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Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Oxycodone and Morphine with Emphasis on Blood-Brain Barrier Transport
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oxycodone and morphine was investigated and related to the transport across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in rats. The influence of a P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitor on the plasma pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oxycodone was evaluated. Microdialysis experiments were conducted to evaluate the unbound pharmacokinetics, including the rate and extent of transport across the BBB, of oxycodone and morphine. Mathematical models were used to assess the pharmacokinetics and also the relationship between pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the drugs.Oxycodone clearance, volume of distribution at steady-state, half-life, total brain tissue concentrations and tail-flick latency were all unaffected when a P-gp inhibitor was co-administered with oxycodone as compared to a control group. The lack of differences between the groups indicates that oxycodone BBB transport is not affected by P-gp inhibition. Investigating the unbound concentrations of oxycodone in brain and blood using microdialysis revealed an exciting finding. At steady-state, the unbound concentration in brain was 3 times higher than in blood (i.e. a Kp,uu of 3), indicating that active influx is involved in the BBB transport of oxycodone. In contrast, the Kp,uu of morphine was estimated to 0.56, which is an indication that active efflux mechanisms are involved in the BBB transport of morphine. This means that based on the same unbound concentration in blood, an approximately 6-fold higher unbound concentration of oxycodone compared to morphine will be reached in the brain. Using pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modelling, the unbound brain concentrations of oxycodone and morphine were correlated to the tail-flick latency in vivo. The relative potency of the drugs was found to be concentration dependent with an infliction point of 55 nM.In summary, this thesis emphasise the importance of taking the local brain pharmacokinetics into consideration when investigating the pharmacokinetics and the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships of centrally acting drugs.
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| 47. |
- Botros, Milad, 1951-
(författare)
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Characterization of Substance P (SP) Aminoterminal SP (1-7) Binding in Brain Regions and Spinal Cord of the Male Rat : Studies on the Interaction with Opioid Related Pathways
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Binding sites for substance P(1-7), SP(1-7) have been identified and characterized for the first time in crude membrane fraction from rat CNS using tritiated ([3H]) SP(1-7) as tracer. These putative receptors were investigated in relation to their affinity for tachykinins, opioid peptides and sigma receptor ligands. [3H]-SP(1-7) specifically binds to high affinity binding sites identified as receptor targets for the heptapeptide SP (1-7). Two distinct binding sites were observed in the spinal cord. One site is recognized by high affinity for SP(1-7) with a Kd of 0.5 nM, whereas the other site showed low affinity for the heptapeptide (Kd=12 nM). In the brain, the binding of SP(1-7) fitted a single site binding model with a Kd of 4.4 nM and a Ki of 4.2 nM. Further, using the spinal cord membranes the binding of [3H]-SP (1-7) was weakly displaced by SP and other N-terminal fragments thereof and no or negligible affinity was observed for ligands of the NK-1, NK-2 and NK-3 tachykinin receptors, C-terminal SP(5-11), Tyr-w-MIF-1 or the mu-opioid receptor antagonists naloxone and naloxonazine. On the other hand it was significantly displaced by endomorphin-2, DAMGO, and Try-MIF-1 and exhibit some affinity for MIF-1, ß-casomorphin and endomorphin-1. However, only endomorphin-2, DAMGO and Tyr-MIF-1 showed affinity in the close range of the native peptide SP(1-7). The affinity of endomorphin-2 for the spinal cord site was 10 times lower than that of SP(1-7) but more than 100 times higher than the affinity recorded for endomorphin-1. Tyr-MIF-1 but not Tyr-w-MIF-1 showed similar affinity as endomorphin-2 for SP(1-7) site. All peptides exhibiting high affinity at the SP(1-7) site, have a phenylalanine or a leucine residue in their C-terminal structure.Further, synthetic analogues of SP(1-7) were tested for their affinity for the SP(1-7) receptor in the rat spinal cord. An important finding here was that the receptor-ligand-interaction was favoured by the C-terminal region of SP(1-7). Residues at positions 5-7 appeared crucial for binding to the specific SP(1-7) site. The presence of the amidated Phe7 residue was extremely critical for binding to the SP(1-7) site.The analogue Gln5-Gln6-Phe7-NH2 was almost equipotent with the parent peptide in the SP (1-7) receptor binding assay.Furthermore, the SP(1-7)-amide potently and dose dependently reduced several signs of the reaction to morphine withdrawal and was significantly attenuated by the addition of the sigma agonist SK-10047.In conclusion, the work presented in this thesis has contributed the characterization of the properties of highly selective binding sites for SP(1-7) in the rat spinal cord and VTA. These sites appear to be distinct from the µ-opioid receptor or any of the known neurokinin receptors. The study further indicates that the SP(1-7)-amide mimics the effect of the nativ heptapeptide and that the mechanisms for its action involve a sigma receptor site.
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| 48. |
- Bouchene, Salim, 1984-
(författare)
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Physiologically Based Pharmacometric Models for Colistin and the Immune Response to Bacterial Infection
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Antibiotic treatment failure might be due to bacterial resistance or suboptimal exposure at target site and there is a lack of knowledge on the interaction between antimicrobial pharmacodynamics (PD) and the immune response to bacterial infections. Therefore, it is crucial to develop tools to increase the understanding of drug disposition to better evaluate antibiotic candidates in drug development and to elucidate the role of the immune system in bacterial infections.Colistin is used as salvage therapy against multidrug resistant Gram-negative infections. In this work, a whole-body physiologically based pharmacokinetic model (WBPBPK) was developed to characterize the pharmacokinetics (PK) of colistin and its prodrug colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) in animal and human. The scalability of the model from animal to human was assessed with satisfactory predictive performance for CMS and demonstrating the need for a mechanistic understanding of colistin elimination.The WBPBPK model was applied to investigate the impact of pathophysiological changes commonly observed in critically ill patients on tissue distribution of colistin and to evaluate different dosing strategies.Model predicted concentrations in tissue were used in combination with a semi-mechanistic PKPD model to predict bacterial killing in tissue for two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Finally, a toxicokinetic (TK) model was constructed to describe the time course of E. coli endotoxin concentrations in plasma and the effect on pro-inflammatory cytokine release. The model adequately described the concentration-time profiles of endotoxin and its stimulation of IL-6 and TNF-α production using an indirect response model combined with a transit compartment chain with a tolerance component to endotoxemia.The WBPBPK model developed in this work increased the knowledge on colistin tissue exposure under various conditions and could be used in drug development process to assess antibiotic efficacy or to test new drug combinations. The model describing endotoxin TK and its effect on cytokines is a new tool to be further applied in longitudinal studies to explore the immune response cascade induced by bacterial infections. The methodology applied in this thesis contributes to the development of an integrated modeling framework including physiology, drug distribution, bacterial growth and killing as well as the immune response to infection.
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| 49. |
- Bramer, Tobias, 1974-
(författare)
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Prolonged Drug Release from Gels, using Catanionic Mixtures
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The use of catanionic drug-surfactant mixtures was proven to be an efficient novel method of obtaining prolonged drug release from gels. It was shown that various commonly used drug compounds are able to form catanionic mixtures together with oppositely charged surfactants. These mixtures exhibited interesting phase behaviour, where, among other structures, vesicles and large worm-like or branched micelles were found. The size of these aggregates makes them a potential means of prolonging the drug release from gels, as only monomer drugs in equilibrium with larger aggregates were readily able to diffuse through the gel. When the diffusion coefficient for drug release from the formulation based upon a catanionic mixture was compared to that obtained for the drug substance and gel alone, the coefficient was some 10 to 100 times smaller.The effects of changes in the pH and ionic strength on the catanionic aggregates was also investigated, and this method of prolonging the release was found to be quite resilient to variations in both. Although the phase behaviour was somewhat affected, large micelles and vesicles were still readily found. The drug release was significantly prolonged even under physiological conditions, that is, at a pH of 7.4 and an osmolality corresponding to 0.9% NaCl.Surfactants of low irritancy, capric and lauric acid, may successfully be used instead of the more traditional surfactants, such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS), and prolonged release can still be obtained with ease.Some attempts to deduce the release mechanism from the proposed systems have also been made using transient current measurements, dielectric spectroscopy, and modelling of the release using the regular solution theory. In these studies, the previous assumptions made concerning the mechanism responsible for the release were confirmed to a large extent. Only small amounts of the drug existed in monomer form, and most seemed to form large catanionic aggregates with the oppositely charged surfactant.
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| 50. |
- Brekkan, Ari
(författare)
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Pharmacometric models in the development of biological medicinal products
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Biological medicinal products (BMPs) are a successful class of drugs that are indicated in numerous diseases. Common among them is that complexities associated with their manufacture and analysis lead to a high cost compared to small-molecular weight drugs. If the development cost can be brought down and the use of BMPs optimized, these drugs may reach more patients at more affordable prices. Further, there are a number of knowledge gaps related to the characterization of their disposition, immunogenicity and use which can be filled through the development and application of novel methods for data analysis. In this thesis work, pharmacometric models and methods were developed and applied to aid BMP development and clinical use.Model-based optimal design (OD) methodology was employed to reduce and optimize a published sampling schedule for a monoclonal antibody (mAb) displaying target-mediated drug disposition. Thus, illustrating that current sampling strategies for mAbs can be excessive from an economic and patient burden perspective.A novel hidden-Markov model was developed to characterize anti-drug antibody (ADA) response which can plague many biologics throughout clinical development and post-approval. The developed model accounted for ADA assay inaccuracies by utilizing information from the assay and the pharmacokinetics (PK) of the therapeutic in question and allowed for an objective assessment of immunogenicity.Model-based dose individualization and evaluation of low-dose prophylaxis (LDP) for coagulation factors were investigated in this work to improve treatment and lower costs. Individual doses were found to outperform standard-of-care while LDP was indicated as a viable treatment option in countries with limited coagulation factor access.Biosimilar development is yet another method to reduce the costs of biologics. The development of a PKPD model for a pegylated granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) allowed for model simulations to demonstrate PK sensitivity to small differences in delivered dose between a reference and potential biosimilar product. The sensitivity of the system may be one of the reasons for difficulties associated with the development of biosimilar pegylated GCSFs.In conclusion, the pharmacometric methods developed and applied in this thesis work can be used to improve BMP development.
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