Large Subunit of the Human Herpes Simplex Virus Terminase as a Promising Target in Design of Anti-Herpesvirus Agents.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is an extremely widespread pathogen characterized by recurrent infections. HSV-1 most commonly causes painful blisters or sores around the mouth or on the genitals, but it can also cause keratitis or, rarely, encephalitis. First-line and second-line antiviral drugs used to treat HSV infections, acyclovir and related compounds, as well as foscarnet and cidofovir, selectively inhibit herpesvirus DNA polymerase (DNA-pol). It has been previously found that (S)-4-[6-(purin-6-yl)aminohexanoyl]-7,8-difluoro-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-[1,4]benzoxazine (compound 1) exhibits selective anti-herpesvirus activity against HSV-1 in cell culture, including acyclovir-resistant mutants, so we consider it as a lead compound. In this work, the selection of HSV-1 clones resistant to the lead compound was carried out. High-throughput sequencing of resistant clones and reference HSV-1/L2 parent strain was performed to identify the genetic determinants of the virus's resistance to the lead compound. We identified a candidate mutation presumably associated with resistance to the virus, namely the T321I mutation in the UL15 gene encoding the large terminase subunit. Molecular modeling was used to evaluate the affinity and dynamics of the lead compound binding to the putative terminase binding site. The results obtained suggest that the lead compound, by binding to pUL15, affects the terminase complex. pUL15, which is directly involved in the processing and packaging of viral DNA, is one of the crucial components of the HSV terminase complex. The loss of its functional activity leads to disruption of the formation of mature virions, so it represents a promising drug target. The discovery of anti-herpesvirus agents that affect biotargets other than DNA polymerase will expand our possibilities of targeting HSV infections, including those resistant to baseline drugs.

Synthesis and Assessment of Antiplatelet and Antithrombotic Activity of 4-Amino-Substituted 5-Oxoproline Amides and Peptides.

Venous thromboembolism is a serious problem because it significantly increases the risk of developing vascular complications in elderly patients with obesity or immobilization, cancer, and many other diseases. Thus, there is a need to study new therapeutic strategies, including new medicinal agents for the efficient and safe correction of thrombus disorders. In this work, we have synthesized a number of new amides and peptides of 4-amino-5-oxoprolines and studied their antiplatelet and antithrombotic activity in experiments in vitro and in vivo. It has been found that the newly obtained compounds slow down the process of thrombus formation in a model of arterial and venous thrombosis, without affecting plasma hemostasis parameters. (2S,4S)-4-Amino-1-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-oxoprolyl-(S)-phenylalanine proved to be the most efficient among the studied derivatives. The results obtained indicate the advisability of further studies on 5-oxoproline derivatives in order to design pharmaceutical agents for the prevention and treatment of the consequences of thrombosis.

Synthesis of Charge-Compensated nido-Carboranyl Derivatives of Sulfur-Containing Amino Acids and Biotin.

A new group of charge-compensated nido-carboranyl derivatives of sulfur-containing amino acids and biotin has been synthesized in which the boron atom in position 9 or 10 of carborane is attached to a positively charged sulfur atom. The possibilities of obtaining symmetrical B(10)-substituted and asymmetric B(9)-substituted nido-carboranes were studied. Using the example of (S)-methionine and D-biotin derivatives, water-soluble S-substituted charge-compensated nido-carboranes with free functional groups were prepared. The results obtained open up prospects for the development of potential boron delivery agents for BNCT as well as new bioactive compounds containing a negatively charged nido-carboranyl fragment bearing a positive charge on the sulfur atom associated with the boron cluster.

Synthesis of Novel Carborane-Containing Derivatives of RGD Peptide.

Short peptides containing the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) fragment can selectively bind to integrins on the surface of tumor cells and are attractive transport molecules for the targeted delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents to tumors (for example, glioblastoma). We have demonstrated the possibility of obtaining the N- and C-protected RGD peptide containing 3-amino-closo-carborane and a glutaric acid residue as a linker fragment. The resulting carboranyl derivatives of the protected RGD peptide are of interest as starting compounds in the synthesis of unprotected or selectively protected peptides, as well as building blocks for preparation of boron-containing derivatives of the RGD peptide of a more complex structure.

Synthesis and Cytotoxic Activity of the Derivatives of N-(Purin-6-yl)aminopolymethylene Carboxylic Acids and Related Compounds.

Testing a number of N-[omega-(purin-6-yl)aminoalkanoyl] derivatives of 7,8-difluoro-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-[1,4]benzoxazine in a panel of nine tumor cell lines has shown that the studied compounds exhibit high cytotoxic activity, especially against 4T1 murine mammary carcinoma, COLO201 human colorectal adenocarcinoma, SNU-1 human gastric carcinoma, and HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Synthesis and study of structural analogs of these compounds made it possible to find that the presence of both a difluorobenzoxazine fragment and a purine residue bound via a linker of a certain length is crucial for the manifestation of the cytotoxic activity of this group of compounds. The study of the effect of the most promising compound on the cell cycle of the human tumor cell lines, the most sensitive and least sensitive to cytotoxic action (MDA-MB-231 breast adenocarcinoma and COLO201 colorectal adenocarcinoma, respectively), allows us to conclude that this compound is an inhibitor of DNA biosynthesis. The found group of purine conjugates may be of interest in the design of new antitumor agents.

Carborane-Containing Folic Acid bis-Amides: Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation of Novel Promising Agents for Boron Delivery to Tumour Cells.

The design of highly selective low-toxic, low-molecular weight agents for boron delivery to tumour cells is of decisive importance for the development of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), a modern efficient combined method for cancer treatment. In this work, we developed a simple method for the preparation of new closo- and nido-carborane-containing folic acid bis-amides containing 18-20 boron atoms per molecule. Folic acid derivatives containing nido-carborane residues were characterised by high water solubility, low cytotoxicity, and demonstrated a good ability to deliver boron to tumour cells in in vitro experiments (up to 7.0 µg B/106 cells in the case of U87 MG human glioblastoma cells). The results obtained demonstrate the high potential of folic acid-nido-carborane conjugates as boron delivery agents to tumour cells for application in BNCT.

Effect of the Silica-Magnetite Nanocomposite Coating Functionalization on the Doxorubicin Sorption/Desorption.

A series of new composite materials based on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles coated with SiO2 (or aminated SiO2) were synthesized. It has been shown that the use of N-(phosphonomethyl)iminodiacetic acid (PMIDA) to stabilize nanoparticles before silanization ensures the increased content of a SiO2 phase in the Fe3O4@SiO2 nanocomposites (NCs) in comparison with materials obtained under similar conditions, but without PMIDA. It has been demonstrated for the first time that the presence of PMIDA on the surface of NCs increases the level of Dox loading due to specific binding, while surface modification with 3-aminopropylsilane, on the contrary, significantly reduces the sorption capacity of materials. These regularities were in accordance with the results of quantum chemical calculations. It has been shown that the energies of Dox binding to the functional groups of NCs are in good agreement with the experimental data on the Dox sorption on these NCs. The mechanisms of Dox binding to the surface of NCs were proposed: simultaneous coordination of Dox on the PMIDA molecule and silanol groups at the NC surface leads to a synergistic effect in Dox binding. The synthesized NCs exhibited pH-dependent Dox release, as well as dose-dependent cytotoxicity in in vitro experiments. The cytotoxic effects of the studied materials correspond to their calculated IC50 values. NCs with a SiO2 shell obtained using PMIDA exhibited the highest effect. At the same time, the presence of PMIDA in NCs makes it possible to increase the Dox loading, as well as to reduce its desorption rate, which may be useful in the design of drug delivery vehicles with a prolonged action. We believe that the data obtained can be further used to develop stimuli-responsive materials for targeted cancer chemotherapy.

Magnetic-Responsive Doxorubicin-Containing Materials Based on Fe3O4 Nanoparticles with a SiO2/PEG Shell and Study of Their Effects on Cancer Cell Lines.

Novel nanocomposite materials based on Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) coated with silica and covalently modified by [(3-triethoxysilyl)propyl]succinic acid-polyethylene glycol (PEG 3000) conjugate, which provides a high level of doxorubicin (Dox) loading, were obtained. The efficiency of Dox desorption from the surface of nanomaterials under the action of an alternating magnetic field (AMF) in acidic and neutral media was evaluated. Their high cytotoxicity against tumor cells, as well as the drug release upon application of AMF, which leads to an increase in the cytotoxic effect, was demonstrated.

Synthesis of Pyrimidine Conjugates with 4-(6-Amino-hexanoyl)-7,8-difluoro-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-[1,4]benzoxazine and Evaluation of Their Antiviral Activity.

A series of pyrimidine conjugates containing a fragment of racemic 7,8-difluoro-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-[1,4]benzoxazine and its (S)-enantiomer attached via a 6-aminohexanoyl fragment were synthesized by the reaction of nucleophilic substitution of chlorine in various chloropyrimidines. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by 1H, 19F, and 13C NMR spectral data. Enantiomeric purity of optically active derivatives was confirmed by chiral HPLC. Antiviral evaluation of the synthesized compounds has shown that the replacement of purine with a pyrimidine fragment leads to a decrease in the anti-herpesvirus activity compared to the lead compound, purine conjugate. The studied compounds did not exhibit significant activity against influenza A (H1N1) virus.

N-Aminoacyl-3-amino-nido-carboranes as a Group of Boron-Containing Derivatives of Natural Amino Acids.

A new group of nido-carboranyl derivatives of natural (S)-amino acids containing from 9 to 18 boron atoms was obtained in good yields as a result of acylation of 3-amino-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane followed by deboronation. The proposed approach is convenient and based on the use of readily available reagents and is suitable for the synthesis of enantiopure nido-carboranyl derivatives of amino acids with various side chains, including water-soluble boron-containing amino acids (17 examples).

Acylative kinetic resolution of racemic methyl-substituted cyclic alkylamines with 2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl (R)-2-phenoxypropanoate.

The diastereoselective acylation of a number of racemic methyl-substituted cyclic alkylamines with active esters of 2-phenoxypropanoic acid was studied in detail. The ester of (R)-2-phenoxypropanoic acid and N-hydroxysuccinimide was found to be the most selective agent. The highest stereoselectivity was observed in the kinetic resolution of racemic 2-methylpiperidine in toluene at -40 °C (selectivity factor s = 73) with the predominant formation of (R,R)-amide (93.7% de). To explain the observed stereoselectivity, DFT modelling of the transition states in the reactions of the title acylating agent with 2-methylpiperidine and 2-methylpyrrolidine was performed. The calculated values were in good agreement with experimental data. It has been demonstrated that the acylation proceeds via a concerted mechanism, in which the addition of an amine occurs simultaneously with the elimination of the hydroxysuccinimide fragment. The high stereoselectivity of the (R,R)-amide formation is largely ensured by the lower steric hindrances in the transition states as compared to the formation of (R,S)-amide.

Stereochemical aspects in the synthesis of novel N-(purin-6-yl)dipeptides as potential antimycobacterial agents.

The synthesis of purine conjugates with natural amino acids is one of the promising directions in search for novel therapeutic agents, including antimycobacterial agents. The purpose of this study was to synthesize N-(purin-6-yl)dipeptides containing the terminal fragment of (S)-glutamic acid. To obtain the target compounds, two synthetic routes were tested. The first of them is based on coupling of N-(purin-6-yl)-(S)-amino acids to dimethyl (S)-glutamate in the presence of carbodiimide coupling agent followed by the removal of ester groups. However, it turned out that this coupling process was accompanied by racemization of the chiral center of N-(purin-6-yl)-α-amino acids and in all cases led to mixtures of (S,S)- and (R,S)-diastereomers (6:4). Individual (S,S)-diastereomers were obtained using an alternative approach based on the nucleophilic substitution of chlorine in 6-chloropurine or 2-amino-6-chloropurine with corresponding dipeptides as nucleophiles. The enantiomeric purity of the target compounds was confirmed by chiral HPLC. To test the assumption that racemization of the chiral center of N-(purin-6-yl)-α-amino acids occurs with the participation of nitrogen atoms of the imidazole ring via the stage of formation of a chirally labile intermediate, we obtained such structural analogs of N-(purin-6-yl)-(S)-alanine as N-(9-benzylpurin-6-yl)-(S)-alanine and N-(7-deazapurin-6-yl)-(S)-alanine. It was found that coupling of these compounds to dimethyl (S)-glutamate was also accompanied by racemization. This indicates that the imidazole fragment does not play a crucial role in this process. When testing the antimycobacterial activity of some of the obtained compounds, conjugates with moderate activity against the laboratory Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain (MIC 3.1-6.25 µg/mL) were identified.

Enzymatic synthesis of novel purine nucleosides bearing a chiral benzoxazine fragment.

A series of ribo- and deoxyribonucleosides bearing 2-aminopurine as a nucleobase with 7,8-difluoro- 3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-[1,4]benzoxazine (conjugated directly or through an aminohexanoyl spacer) was synthesized using an enzymatic transglycosylation reaction. Nucleosides 3-6 were resistant to deamination under action of adenosine deaminase (ADA) Escherichia coli and ADA from calf intestine. The antiviral activity of the modified nucleosides was evaluated against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1, strain L2). It has been shown that at sub-toxic concentrations, nucleoside (S)-4-[2-amino-9-(ß-D-ribofuranosyl)-purin-6-yl]-7,8-difluoro-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-[1,4]benzoxazine exhibit significant antiviral activity (SI > 32) on the model of HSV-1 in vitro, including an acyclovir-resistant virus strain (HSV-1, strain L2/R).

Synthesis and antimycobacterial activity of N-(2-aminopurin-6-yl) and N-(purin-6-yl) amino acids and dipeptides.

Synthetic routes to novel N-(purin-6-yl)- and N-(2-aminopurin-6-yl) conjugates with amino acids and glycine-containing dipeptides were developed. In vitro testing of 42 new and known compounds made it possible to reveal a series of N-(purin-6-yl)- and N-(2-aminopurin-6-yl) conjugates exhibiting significant antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium terrae, and multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis strain isolated from tuberculosis patients in the Ural region (Russia). N-(2-Aminopurin-6-yl)- and N-(purin-6-yl)-glycyl-(S)-glutamic acids were the most active compounds.