Usuki Toyonobu

Jamaicamide B was isolated from the cyanobacterium Moorea producens in Jamaica and shows neurotoxicity. Herein we report the first total synthesis and structural confirmation of the marine natural product (9R)-jamaicamide B.

Abstract Umifenovir is a broad‐spectrum antiviral agent used to treat influenza in China and Russia, and it has been studied as an antiviral agent for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). We have previously reported the synthesis of novel umifenovir analogues and their biological evaluation with a focus on their inhibitory activity against the binding of the spike glycoprotein (S‐protein) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and the angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor; however, no strong inhibitory activity was observed from these analogues. In the present study, an additional set of umifenovir analogues was synthesized with replacement of the substituents at the 2‐, 3‐, and 4‐positions of the indole, and a cell‐based assay using SARS‐CoV‐2 (B.1.1) was performed to examine the antiviral activity of the analogues. We found that one of the newly synthesized umifenovir analogues exhibited antiviral activity and reduced the viral load to 0.06 % as compared to the control when it was assessed in the presence of nafamostat and marimastat, which inhibit cell‐surface viral entry. In contrast, when this analogue was evaluated without the addition of nafamostat or marimastat, it exhibited less antiviral activity, suggesting that the umifenovir analogue would exert antiviral activity mainly by inhibiting endosome‐mediated viral entry.

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a cerebrovascular disease which is characterized by the chronic progression of steno-occlusive changes at the terminal portion of internal carotid arteries and the development of "moyamoya vessels." Dysregulation of the extracellular matrix is regarded as a key pathophysiology underlying unique vascular remodeling. Here, we measured the concentration of elastin crosslinkers desmosine and isodesmosine in the plasma of MMD patients. We aimed to reveal its diagnostic values of desmosines in the progression of steno-occlusive lesions. The concentrations of plasma desmosines were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The temporal profiles of steno-occlusive lesions on magnetic resonance angiography were retrospectively evaluated, and the correlation between the progression of steno-occlusive changes in intracranial arteries and plasma desmosines concentrations was further analyzed. Plasma desmosines were significantly higher in MMD patients with disease progression compared to MMD patients without disease progression. Also, the incidence of disease progression was higher in MMD patients with plasma desmosines levels over limit of quantitation (LOQ) than those with plasma desmosines levels below LOQ. In conclusion, plasma desmosines could be potential biomarkers to predict the progression of steno-occlusive changes in MMD patients.