Drug repurposing: phosphate prodrugs of anticancer and antiviral FDA-approved nucleosides as novel antimicrobials

Pertusati, Fabrizio ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4532-9101, Pileggi, Elisa, Richards, Jennifer, Wootton, Mandy, Van Leemputte, Thijs, Persoons, Leentje, De Coster, David, Villanueva, Xabier, Daelemans, Dirk, Steenackers, Hans, McGuigan, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8409-710X and Serpi, Michaela ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6162-7910 2020. Drug repurposing: phosphate prodrugs of anticancer and antiviral FDA-approved nucleosides as novel antimicrobials. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 75 (10) , pp. 2864-2878. 10.1093/jac/dkaa268

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Abstract

Objectives Following a drug repurposing approach, we aimed to investigate and compare the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of different classes of phosphate prodrugs (HepDirect, cycloSal, SATE and mix SATE) of antiviral and anticancer FDA-approved nucleoside drugs [zidovudine (AZT), floxouridine (FUDR) and gemcitabine (GEM)] against a variety of pathogenic Gram-positive and -negative bacteria. Methods Ten prodrugs were synthesized and screened for antibacterial activity against seven Gram-negative and two Gram-positive isolates fully susceptible to traditional antibiotics, alongside six Gram-negative and five Gram-positive isolates with resistance mechanisms. Their ability to prevent and eradicate biofilms of different bacterial pathogens in relation to planktonic growth inhibition was also evaluated, together with their effect on proliferation, viability and apoptosis of different eukaryotic cells. Results The prodrugs showed decreased antibacterial activity compared with the parent nucleosides. cycloSal-GEM-monophosphate (MP) prodrugs 20a and 20b were the most active agents against Gram-positive bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus) and retained their activity against antibiotic-resistant isolates. cycloSal-FUDR-MP 21a partially retained good activity against the Gram-positive bacteria E. faecalis, Enterococcus faecium and S. aureus. Most of the prodrugs tested displayed very potent preventive antibiofilm specific activity, but not curative. In terms of cytotoxicity, AZT prodrugs did not affect apoptosis or cell viability at the highest concentration tested, and only weak effects on apoptosis and/or cell viability were observed for GEM and FUDR prodrugs. Conclusions Among the different prodrug approaches, the cycloSal prodrugs appeared the most effective. In particular, cycloSal (17a) and mix SATE (26) AZT prodrugs combine the lowest cytotoxicity with high and broad antibacterial and antibiofilm activity against Gram-negative bacteria.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Pharmacy
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	0305-7453
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	3 August 2020
Date of Acceptance:	15 May 2020
Last Modified:	23 Nov 2024 01:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/133911

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