Synthesis and evaluation of multisubstrate bicyclic pyrimidine nucleoside inhibitors of human thymidine phosphorylase.

A series of novel, multisubstrate, bicyclic pyrimidine nucleoside inhibitors of human thymidine phosphorylase (TP) is described. Thymidine phosphorylase has been implicated in angiogenesis and plays a significant role in tumor progression and metastasis. The presence and orientation of the phosphonate moiety (acting as a phosphate mimic) in these derivatives were critical for inhibitory activity. The most active compounds possessed a phosphonate group in an endo orientation. This was consistent with molecular modeling results that showed the endo isomer protein-ligand complex to be lower in energy than the exo complex.

First-in-class pan caspase inhibitor developed for the treatment of liver disease.

A series of oxamyl dipeptides were optimized for pan caspase inhibition, anti-apoptotic cellular activity and in vivo efficacy. This structure-activity relationship study focused on the P4 oxamides and warhead moieties. Primarily on the basis of in vitro data, inhibitors were selected for study in a murine model of alpha-Fas-induced liver injury. IDN-6556 (1) was further profiled in additional in vivo models and pharmacokinetic studies. This first-in-class caspase inhibitor is now the subject of two Phase II clinical trials, evaluating its safety and efficacy for use in liver disease.

Design of novel N-(2,4-dioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-7-yl)-guanidines as thymidine phosphorylase inhibitors, and flexible docking to a homology model.

A novel class of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) inhibitors has been designed based on analogy to the enzyme substrate as well as known inhibitors. Flexible docking studies, using a homology model of human TP, of the designed N-(2,4-dioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-7-yl)-guanidines as well as their synthetic precursors provide insight into the observed experimental trends in binding affinity.

Synthesis of Tricyclic beta-Methylene Spiro Lactones Related to Bakkenolides by Successive Radical Cyclization-High Pressure Diels-Alder Reactions.

The synthesis of some novel bakkenolides and their epi-spiro analogues was achieved by a new approach. Photolysis of allyl 1-(phenylseleno)-2-oxocyclopentanecarboxylates 7-9 afforded the corresponding spiro lactones 10-12 by radical cyclization via group transfer of the phenylseleno group. Selenoxide elimination of 11 and 12 produced the corresponding beta-methylene lactones 14 and 15. Diels-Alder cycloaddition of lactone11 with piperylene failed at ambient pressure, but proceeded in generally good yield in the presence of various Lewis acids at pressures of ca. 16 kbar, to give mixtures of beta-exo, alpha-endo, and beta-endo cycloadducts 19, 21, and 23, respectively. The preponderance of endo products 21 and 23, formed via highly hindered, but more compact, transition states was attributed to the high pressure and resulted in trans-dimethyl configurations of the products. The facial selectivity was dependent upon the Lewis acids, and the greatest alpha:beta ratio was observed with catalysts of the type TiCl(2)(OR)(2). Epimerization of the C-4 methyl group in 21 and 23 to furnish the corresponding cis-dimethyl analogues was achieved via exo-epoxidation, regioselective reduction, oxidation to the corresponding 3-keto derivatives, and base-catalyzed equilibration, thereby affording (+/-)-3,6-dioxobakkenolide-A (39) and its epi-spiro derivative 28, respectively. When the radical cyclization step was performed subsequent to the Diels-Alder cycloaddition by photolysis of perhydrindane 43, only the epi-spiro product 44 was obtained.