N-Functionalization of ß-aminophosphonates: cytotoxic effects of the new derivatives.

ß-Aminophosphonates obtained by the Michael addition of primary amines to the double bond of diethyl vinylphosphonate proved to be suitable starting materials (amine components) in the Kabachnik-Fields reaction with formaldehyde and dialkyl phosphites or secondary phosphine oxides to afford N-phosphonylmethyl- and N-phosphinoylmethyl-ß-aminophosphonates. On the other hand, the starting aminophosphonates were modified by N-acylation using acid chlorides. The N-acyl products were found to exist in a dynamic equilibrium of two conformers as suggested by the broad NMR signals. At 26 °C, there may be rotation around the N-C axis of the acylamide function. At the same time, low-temperature NMR measurements at -5 °C revealed the presence of two distinct rotamers that could be characterized by 31P, 13C and 1H NMR data. The modified ß-aminophosphonic derivatives were subjected to a comparative structure-activity analysis on MDA-MB-231, PC-3, A431 and Ebc-1 tumor cell lines, and in a few cases, significant activity was detected.

Transdermal Delivery of α-Aminophosphonates as Semisolid Formulations-An In Vitro-Ex Vivo Study.

α-Aminophosphonates are organophosphorus compounds with an obvious similarity with α-amino acids. Owing to their biological and pharmacological characteristics, they have attracted the attention of many medicinal chemists. α-Aminophosphonates are known to exhibit antiviral, antitumor, antimicrobial, antioxidant and antibacterial activities, which can all be important in pathological dermatological conditions. However, their ADMET properties are not well studied. The aim of the current study was to provide preliminary information about the skin penetration of three preselected α-aminophosphonates when applying them as topical cream formulations in static and dynamic diffusion chambers. The results indicate that aminophosphonate 1a, without any substituent in the para position, shows the best release from the formulation and the highest absorption through the excised skin. However, based on our previous study, the in vitro pharmacological potency was higher in the case of para-substituted molecules 1b and 1c. The particle size and rheological studies revealed that the 2% cream of aminophosphonate 1a was the most homogenous formulation. In conclusion, the most promising molecule was 1a, but further experiments are proposed to uncover the possible transporter interactions in the skin, optimize the topical formulations and improve PK/PD profiles in case of transdermal delivery.

New N-acyl- as well as N-phosphonoylmethyl- and N-phosphinoylmethyl-α-amino-benzylphosphonates by acylation and a tandem Kabachnik-Fields protocol.

Diethyl α-benzylamino- and α-amino-benzylphosphonates obtained by the Kabachnik-Fields reaction were useful intermediates in the synthesis of other derivatives. Acylation of α-aminophosphonates with acyl chlorides led to the corresponding N-acyl species existing under a dynamic equilibrium of two conformers. Judging from the broad NMR signals, the sterically most crowded N-benzoyl-N-benzyl derivative suffered a hindered rotation around the N-C axis to the acyl carbon atom at 26 °C. Low temperature NMR measurements at -10 °C showed the presence of two distinct rotamers that were characterized. The other acylated α-amino-benzylphosphonates prepared revealed a less hindered rotation. Single crystal X-ray diffraction of the NH-propionyl species showed a dimer, in which the two molecules were held together by rare intermolecular PO⋯HN bonds. On the other hand, substituted α-benzylamino-benzylphosphonates prepared by phospha-Mannich reactions were employed, as a new approach, in a second Kabachnik-Fields condensation by reaction with formaldehyde and dialkyl phosphites or secondary phosphine oxides to afford novel N-phosphonoylmethyl- and N-phosphinoylmethyl-α-amino-benzylphosphonates. The structure of the new products was confirmed by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. A symmetrical bis derivative was prepared in a diastereoselective manner. A related tris(phosphonoylmethyl)amine species was also synthesized.

Comparative reactivity analysis of small-molecule thiol surrogates.

Targeted covalent inhibitors represent an increasingly popular approach to modulate challenging drug targets. Since covalent and non-covalent interactions are both contributing to the affinity of these compounds, evaluation of their reactivity is a key-step to find feasible warheads. There are well-established HPLC- and NMR-based kinetic assays to tackle this task, however, they use a variety of cysteine-surrogates including cysteamine, cysteine or acetyl-cysteine and GSH. The diverse nature of the thiol sources often makes the results incomparable that prevents compiling a comprehensive knowledge base for the design of covalent inhibitors. To evaluate kinetic measurements from different sources we performed a comparative analysis of the different thiol surrogates against a designed set of electrophilic fragments equipped with a range of warheads. Our study included seven different thiol models and 13 warheads resulting in a reactivity matrix analysed thoroughly. We found that the reactivity profile might be significantly different for various thiol models. Comparing the different warheads, we concluded that - in addition to its human relevance - glutathione (GSH) provided the best estimate of reactivity with highest number of true positives identified.