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e15093 Background: Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) is an attractive anti-cancer drug target due to its promotion of cell growth and proliferation; however, available pan-PI3K inhibitors currently lack specificity, leading to excessive drug toxicity and adverse effects. Selectide-18 is a novel PI3K inhibitor that targets PI3K’s catalytic subunit p110β, resulting in reduced viability of cancer cells. The p110β subunit is the most prominent PI3K subunit in many chemoresistant tumors. Previous research has revealed a unique 18-residue long motif within the C2 domain of p110β. This motif is not found in other catalytic subunits (p110α, p110δ, or p110γ), making it a promising drug target. Selectide-18 is a memetic peptide drug modeled after this motif and has been shown to effectively inhibit p110β binding without affecting other isoforms, separating it from currently available pan-PI3K inhibitors. While Selectide-18 has been successful in inhibiting PI3K in previous studies, it has poor cell permeability due to its large size. Previous findings have revealed functional redundancies among Selectide-18’s residues. This study aims to remove these redundancies and determine the optimal formulation of Selectide-18 through in silico analysis. Methods: An in silico protocol was developed to determine the optimal formulation of Selectide-18. By utilizing the PEP-FOLD server, 455 peptide models were created using 91 unique fragments of the Selectide-18 amino acid sequence ranging in size from 6 to 17 residues. Physical conformation of each model was compared to wild-type Selectide-18 using root-mean-square deviation data collected using PyMOL and UCSF Chimera software. Computational docking through AutoDock Vina was performed to test the binding affinity of each model to the active site of regulatory subunit p85α. The distance between each drug and the active site was measured with UCSF Chimera’s distance function. Finally, ClusPro docking of drug-bound p85α/p110β was compared to wild-type p85α/p110β, as well as non-truncated Selectide-18-bound p85α/p110β. Statistical significance was determined using a Student's t-test. Results: Select truncated models demonstrated physical confirmation (RMSD = 0.024), binding affinity (-8.74 kcal/mol), and simulated inhibitory capabilities comparable to Selectide-18. A specific group of variants comprised of 9 amino acids (9 residue_6K-14Q) had the shortest formulation without significant declines in binding affinity. Conclusions: Selectide-18 is a selective PI3K inhibitor that can be optimized by removing functionally redundant amino acids. A 9-residue variant ranging from amino acids 6Lys to 14Gln showed the most promise and will be used in future studies to reformulate Selectide-18. Being half the size of Selectide-18, this optimized drug is anticipated to have improved cell permeability without sacrificing inhibitory function.

Cumulative Radiation Exposure in Liver Transplant Candidates and Patients Transplanted with Hepatocellular Carcinoma Liver transplant candidates and recipients undergo regular imaging for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) screening and surveillance. Excessive radiation exposure is associated with risks of malignancy and infection. Longitudinal studies on the amount and impact of radiation exposure in patients with liver disease are lackiing.Using baseline values, the mean radiation exposure for non-transplant patients being screened for HCC using ultrasounds every 6 months, alternating between ultrasound and CT every 6 months, or CT every 6 months was 10, 27 and 35 mSv, respectively. For transplant candidates undergoing surveillance for recurrent HCC, the mean radiation exposure was 36 mSv and 15 mSv from abdominal and chest CT scans, respectively. In recipients transplanted for HCC, the mean cumulative radiation exposure 5 years after liver transplantation was 144 mSv. Conclusion: Longitudinal studies are needed to assess the safety and long term impact of radiation exposure. Patients transplanted with HCC represent a particularly high risk group for potential complications.