IMR Press / FBL / Volume 28 / Issue 10 / DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2810268
Open Access Original Research
Novel Indolyl-Benzimidazole Compounds Promote in vitro Wound Healing and Osteogenic Differentiation of Pluripotent Cells
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1 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
2 Biomedical Sciences Program, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
*Correspondence: perronj@stjohns.edu (Jeanette C. Perron)
§Current affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Current affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
Front. Biosci. (Landmark Ed) 2023, 28(10), 268; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.fbl2810268
Submitted: 13 June 2023 | Revised: 9 August 2023 | Accepted: 20 September 2023 | Published: 27 October 2023
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Increasing or restoring Bone Morphogenetic Protein- (BMP-) signaling through administration of recombinant BMPs (rBMPs) has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy for treating bone fractures or to enhance repair following spinal surgeries. However, direct use of rBMPs has come up against significant obstacles like high cost and incidence of adverse effects. Recently, we reported our findings on the novel indolyl-benzimidazoles, SY-LB-35 and SY-LB-57, that fully activated BMP receptor signaling demonstrating activity profiles that mirrored rBMPs. Here, we explored the potential of these compounds to substitute for rBMPs in processes like wound healing and osteogenesis. Methods: Cell-based assays including cell viability, short- and long-term phosphorylation, protein expression, wound healing and bone differentiation assays were carried out in the pluripotent myoblast C2C12 cell line with select assays performed in multiple cell lines. Several assays included conditions in the presence of a selective inhibitor of type I BMP receptor, Activin-like kinase 2 (ALK2), or inhibitors of BMP-stimulated downstream signaling. All assays were repeated at least 3 times with replicates per condition where indicated. Statistical tests were carried out using Student’s two-tailed, t-test. Results: Sustained activation of non-canonical BMP signaling pathways was observed after 24-hour exposure to SY-LB-35 and SY-LB-57. Moreover, this treatment increased the expression of targets of BMP-mediated transcription such as the Id1 transcription factor. SY-LB-35 and SY-LB-57 promoted substantial increases in cell viability in three distinct cell types and increased the rate of wound closure in scrape-wounded C2C12 cell cultures. Cell viability and wound closure induced by SY-LB compounds required ALK2-, PI3K- and p38-dependent pathways. In contrast, responses to SY-LB compounds were not affected by ERK inhibition. Expression of bone differentiation markers beginning at 4 hours and evidence of calcium deposition detected after 21 days in C2C12 cell cultures exposed to SY-LB-35 and SY-LB-57 demonstrated the osteogenic potential of these compounds. Conclusions: The functional similarities between these novel compounds and rBMPs indicates that SY-LB-35 or SY-LB-57, acting as potent activators of BMP receptor signaling and inducers of osteogenic processes, could potentially replace rBMPs for treating BMP-related pathologies such as bone fracture repair or other wound healing processes.

Keywords
BMP
BMP receptors
indolyl-benzimidazoles
heterocycles
wound healing
bone growth
Figures
Fig. 1.
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