Discovery of selective urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) inhibitors as a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis.

We report here the design and synthesis of a novel series of benzylamines that are potent and selective inhibitors of uPA with promising oral availability in rat. Further evaluation of one representative (ZK824859) of the new structural class showed that this compound lowered clinical scores when dosed in either acute or chronic mouse EAE models, suggesting that uPA inhibitors of this type could be useful for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Beneficial role of the GPR30 agonist G-1 in an animal model of multiple sclerosis.

The beneficial effects of estrogens in multiple sclerosis are thought to be mediated exclusively by the classical nuclear estrogen receptors ERalpha and ERbeta. However, recently many reports revealed that estrogens are able to mediate rapid signals through a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), known as GPR30. In the present study, we set out to explore whether effects mediated through this receptor were anti-inflammatory and could account for some of the beneficial effects of estrogen. We demonstrate that GPR30 is expressed in both human and mouse immune cells. Furthermore a GPR30-selective agonist, G-1, previously described by us, inhibits the production of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner in human primary macrophages and in a murine macrophage cell line. These effects are likely mediated solely through the estrogen-specific receptor GPR30 since the agonist G-1 displayed an IC(50) far greater than 10 microM on the classical nuclear estrogen receptors as well as a panel of 25 other GPCRs. Finally, we show that the agonist G-1 is able to reduce the severity of disease in both active and passive EAE models of multiple sclerosis in SJL mice and that this effect is concomitant with a G-1-mediated decrease in proinflammatory cytokines, including IFN-gamma and IL-17, in immune cells harvested from these mice. The effect of G-1 appears indirect, as the GPR30 agonist did not directly influence IFN-gamma or IL-17 production by purified T cells. These data indicate that G-1 may represent a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of chronic autoimmune, inflammatory diseases.

Identification of orally bioavailable, non-amidine inhibitors of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator (uPA).

In this Letter we report the synthesis and evaluation of a series of non-amidine inhibitors of Urokinase Plasminogen Activator (uPA). Starting from compound 1, a significant change provided compounds in which the amidine, binding in the S1 pocket, was replaced with a primary amine. Further modifications led to the identification of potent, selective, and orally bioavailable uPA inhibitors.

A new class of chiral organogermanes derived from C2-symmetric dithiols: synthesis, characterization and stereoselective free radical reactions.

A new class of dithiostannanes and dithiogermanes have been prepared from 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-dithiol and 3,3'-bis(trimethylsilyl)-1,1'-binaphtho-2,2'-dithiol. While reduction of 4-butyl-4-chloro-3,5-dithia-4-stanna-cyclohepta[2,1-a;3,4-a']dinaphthalene to the corresponding tin hydride was unsuccessful, 4-tert-butyl-3,5-dithia-4-germa-cyclohepta[2,1-a;3,4-a']dinaphthalene and 4-tert-butyl-2,6-bis(trimethylsilyl)-3,5-dithia-4-germa-cyclohepta[2,1-a;3,4-a']dinaphthalene were obtained by reduction of the parent germanium chlorides with NaBH(4) and LiBH(4), respectively. Kinetic constants for hydrogen transfer to a primary alkyl radical were measured for both germanium hydrides. Reduction of alpha-halo carbonyl compounds by these germanium hydrides occurs with moderate ee values (up to 42%), while hydrogermylation of methyl methacrylate occurs with low selectivity (<3/1) for the former hydride but high selectivity (>10/1) for the latter.