A high throughput screening and subsequent hit validation identified compound 1 as an inhibitor of Trypanosoma brucei parasite growth. Extensive structure–activity relationship optimization based on antiparasitic activity led to the highly potent compounds, 1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-3-(4-dimethylamino-3-chlorophenyl)-2-thiohydantoin (68) and 1-(2-chloro-4-fluorobenzyl)-3-(4-dimethylamino-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-thiohydantoin (76), with a T. brucei EC₅₀ of 3 and 2 nM, respectively. This represents >100-fold improvement in potency compared to compound 1. In vivo efficacy experiments of 68 and 76 in an acute mouse model of Human African Trypanosomiasis showed a 100% cure rate after 4 days of oral treatment at 50 mg/kg twice per day.

All newborn screening (NBS) for mucopolysaccharidosis-I (MPS-I) is carried out by the measurement of α-iduronidase (IDUA) enzymatic activity in dried blood spots (DBS). The majority of low enzyme results are due to pseudodeficiencies, and studies from the Mayo Clinic have shown that the false positive rate can be greatly reduced by including a second-tier analysis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in DBS as part of NBS. In the present study, we obtained newborn DBS from 13 patients with severe MPS-I and 2 with attenuated phenotypes. These samples were submitted to four different GAG mass spectrometry analyses in a comparative study: (1) internal disaccharide; (2) endogenous disaccharide; (3) Sensi-Pro; (4) Sensi-Pro Lite (a variation of Sensi-Pro with a simplified workflow). Patients with attenuated MPS-I show less GAG elevation than those with severe disease, and all MPS-I patients were separated from the reference range using all four methods. The minimal differential factor (lowest GAG marker level in MPS-I samples divided by highest level in the reference range of 30 random newborns) was about two for internal disaccharide, Sensi-Pro, and Sensi-Pro Lite methods. The endogenous disaccharide was clearly the best method with a minimal differential of 16-fold. This study supports use of second-tier GAG analysis of newborn DBS, especially the endogenous disaccharide method, as part of NBS to reduce the false positive rate.

All newborn screening (NBS) for mucopolysaccharidosis-I and -II (MPS-I and MPS-II) is carried out via the measurement of α-iduronidase (IDUA) and iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS) enzymatic activity, respectively, in dried blood spots (DBS). The majority of low enzyme results are due to pseudodeficiencies, and data from recent MPS-II population screenings and studies from the Mayo Clinic show that the false positive rate can be dramatically reduced by the inclusion of a second-tier analysis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in DBS as part of NBS. In the present study, which focused on MPS-II, we obtained newborn DBS from 17 patients with severe MPS-II, 1 with attenuated MPS-II, and 6 patients with various IDS pseudodeficiencies. These samples were submitted to two different GAG mass spectrometry analyses in a comparative study: (1) internal disaccharide biomarkers and (2) endogenous biomarkers. For both of these methods, the biomarker levels in six patients with pseudodeficiencies were below the range measured in MPS-II patients. One patient with attenuated MPS-II was not distinguishable from severe disease patients, but all MPS-II patients were distinguishable from the reference range using both methods. The minimal differential factor (lowest GAG marker level in MPS-II samples divided by highest level in the reference range of 60 random newborns) was 3.01-fold for the internal disaccharide method. The endogenous biomarker method demonstrated an improved minimum differential of 5.41-fold. The minimum differential factors between MPS-II patients and patients with pseudodeficiencies for the internal disaccharide and endogenous biomarker methods were 3.77-fold and 2.06-fold, respectively. This study supports use of the second-tier GAG analysis of newborn DBS, especially the endogenous disaccharide method, as part of NBS to reduce the false positive rate.