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Overcoming resistance is one of the most challenging features in current anticancer therapy. Autophagy is a cellular process that confers resistance in some advanced tumors, since it enables cancer cells to adapt to stressful situations, such as anticancer treatments. Hence, the inhibition of this cytoprotective autophagy leads to tumor cells sensitization and death. In this regard, we designed a novel potent anionophore compound that specifically targets lysosomes, called LAI-1 (late-stage autophagy inhibitor-1), and evaluated its role in blocking autophagy and its potential anticancer effects in three lung cancer cell lines from different histological subtypes. Compared to other autophagy inhibitors, such as chloroquine and 3-Methyladenine, the LAI-1 treatment induced more potent anticancer effects in all tested cancer cells. LAI-1 was able to efficiently target and deacidify lysosomes, while acidifying cytoplasmic pH. Consequently, LAI-1 efficiently blocked autophagy, indicated by the increased LC3-II/I ratio and p62/SQSTM1 levels. Moreover, no colocalization was observed between autophagosomes, marked with LC3 or p62/SQSTM1, and lysosomes, stained with LAMP-1, after the LAI-1 treatment, indicating the blockage of autophagolysosome formation. Furthermore, LAI-1 induced cell death by activating apoptosis (enhancing the cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP) or necrosis, depending on the cancer cell line. Finally, LAI-1 sensitized cancer cells to the first-line chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. Altogether, LAI-1 is a new late-stage autophagy inhibitor that causes lysosomal dysfunction and the blockage of autophagolysosome formation, as well as potently induces cancer cell death and sensitization to conventional treatments at lower concentrations than other known autophagy inhibitors, appearing as a potential new therapeutic approach to overcome cancer resistance., This research was supported by Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León (grant BU067P20), MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 (grant PID2020-117610RB-I00) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant PI18/00441), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. ERDF, a way to build Europe. P.F., D.A.-C. and I.C.-B. thank Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León, European Social Fund and ERDF for their predoctoral (D.A.-C.) and postdoctoral (P.F. and I.C.-B.) contracts. C.B.-G. thanks the University of Barcelona for a predoctoral fellowship.

Bicarbonate plays a central role in human physiology from cellular respiration to pH homeostasis. However, so far, the measurement of bicarbonate concentration changes in living cells has only been possible by measuring intracellular pH changes. In this article, we report the development of a genetically encoded pH-independent fluorescence-based single-use sensory cellular test system for monitoring intracellular bicarbonate concentration changes in living cells. We describe the usefulness of the developed biosensor in characterizing the bicarbonate transport activities of anionophores&mdash, small molecules capable of facilitating the membrane permeation of this anion. We also demonstrate the ability of the bicarbonate sensory cellular test system to measure intracellular bicarbonate concentration changes in response to activation and specific inhibition of wild-type human CFTR protein when co-expressed with the bicarbonate sensing and reporting units in living cells. A valuable benefit of the bicarbonate sensory cellular test system could be the screening of novel anionophore library compounds for bicarbonate transport activity with efficiencies close to the natural anion channel CFTR, which is not functional in the respiratory epithelia of cystic fibrosis patients.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease characterized by the lack of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein expressed in epithelial cells. The resulting defective chloride and bicarbonate secretion and imbalance of the transepithelial homeostasis lead to abnormal airway surface liquid (ASL) composition and properties. The reduced ASL volume impairs ciliary beating with the consequent accumulation of sticky mucus. This situation prevents the normal mucociliary clearance, favouring the survival and proliferation of bacteria and contributing to the genesis of CF lung disease. Here, we have explored the potential of small molecules capable of facilitating the transmembrane transport of chloride and bicarbonate in order to replace the defective transport activity elicited by CFTR in CF airway epithelia. Primary human bronchial epithelial cells obtained from CF and non-CF patients were differentiated into a mucociliated epithelia in order to assess the effects of our compounds on some key properties of ASL. The treatment of these functional models with non-toxic doses of the synthetic anionophores improved the periciliary fluid composition, reducing the fluid re-absorption, correcting the ASL pH and reducing the viscosity of the mucus, thus representing promising drug candidates for CF therapy.

L’éclosion de bactéries résistantes aux antibiotiques constitue un problème sérieux auquel fait face notre système de santé. L’une des stratégies récemment proposées afin de s’attaquer efficacement et irréversiblement à ces microorganismes multi-résistants est de cibler directement leur membrane via l’action de molécules induisant un débalancement électrolytique de part et d’autre de cette dernière. Parallèlement, ces mêmes agents peuvent aussi avoir des applications dans le traitement de maladies originant des dysfonctions du transport ionique, comme la fibrose kystique. À cet égard, nous présentons dans cette thèse différents sels d’imidazolium et benzimidazolium N,N-disubstitués possédant un potentiel à la fois antimicrobien et ionophore. Notre approche se résume d’abord en un volet mécanistique où une série de modifications structurelles ont été apportées à des sels d’imidazolium et benzimidazolium afin d’observer comment ces changements modulent l’efficacité du transport d’anions dans la membrane artificielle d’un liposome. Nous avons à ce titre pu conclure que l’espèce formée de deux bras aromatiques phényléthynylbenzyl, disposées symétriquement de part et d’autre d’un cation imidazolium, induisait le meilleur transport des anions chlorures, au travers d’une membrane de liposomes, à des concentrations de l’ordre du micromolaire. En outre, les monocations imidazolium et benzimidazolium flanqués d’un contre-anion bis(trifluorométhylsulfonyl)amide ont conduit à une activité ionophore plus rapide. Qui plus est, en s’appuyant sur ces résultats, nous avons présenté le premier exemple, à notre connaissance, d’un transporteur d’anions et de cations, contenant le cation benzimidazolium et capable d’agir aussi bien dans des liposomes que dans des bactéries. Dans un second temps, les meilleurs agents ionophores ont été étudiés dans les membranes plus complexes des bactéries et des globules rouges humains pour vérifier leur effet bactéricide et leur innocuité. Le design de nos transporteurs formés d’un espaceur luthidine a ainsi permis d’obtenir un agent antimicrobien efficace dans des bactéries gram positives et négatives (B. thuringiensis et E. coli) avec une toxicité limitée de l’ordre de 10% sur les globules rouges humains à ses concentrations bactéricides., The emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria is a serious problem that our health system faces. One recently proposed strategy to effectively and irreversibly kill these multi-resistant microorganisms is to directly target the integrity of their membrane, using small molecules able to induce an electrolyte imbalance. Moreover, the same molecules may find applications in the treatement od diseases originating from the dysfunction of ion transport, such as cystic fibrosis. Herein we present different imidazolium and benzimidazolium salts N,N-disubstituted with both antimicrobial and ionophoric potential. We first performed mechanistic studies where different structural changes have been made to the imidazolium and benzimidazolium salts to observe how these modifications modulate the efficiency of the anion transport in artificial membrane liposomes. We were able to conclude that the species formed of two aromatic arms phenylethynylbenzyl arranged symmetrically on either side of an imidazolium cation, induced a better transport of chloride anions, through a membrane of liposomes at the micromolar range. In addition, monocations imidazolium and benzimidazolium flanked with an bis(trifluorométhylsulfonyl)amide anion led to faster ionophore activity. Moreover, based on these results we presented the first example, to our knowledge, for an anions and cations benzimidazolium-based transporter, acting as well in liposomes as in bacteria. Secondly, the best anionophore agents were analyzed in more complex bacterias and human red blood cells membranes to study their bactericidal potential and innocuity. Among all the benzimidazolium salts studied, we identified one compound, which presents interesting antibacterial properties as a result of its ability to induce an electrolytic imbalance and to disrupt the integrity and the potential of the bacterial membranes. At the same time this antibacterial agent presented a low toxicity to human cells in bacteriostatic range concentrations.

En la presente tesis se han sintetizado moléculas sencillas con capacidad para realizar la función que en la naturaleza realizan proteínas de membrana, esto es facilitar el transporte de aniones a través de membranas lipídicas, lo cual es un objetivo de gran relevancia por las potenciales aplicaciones que presentan estos compuestos en el tratamiento de enfermedades derivadas del funcionamiento anómalo de estas proteínas, como por ejemplo la fibrosis quística. Por otra parte la intervención en el equilibrio y concentraciones naturales de los distintos aniones en el medio intra- y extracelular puede producir una respuesta biológica que puede ser de interés para desencadenar la apoptosis o muerte celular programada de células tumorales. Los compuestos sintetizados han sido completamente caracterizados y su habilidad para mover aniones a través de la bicapa lipídica ha sido estudiada en modelos de vesículas mediante diferentes técnicas, tales como espectrometría y potenciometría, concluyendo que la lipofilia de las moléculas es un parámetro de especial relevancia a la hora de desarrollar buenos transportadores.