Inhibition of serine proteases by a new class of cyclosulfamide-based carbamylating agents.

A new class of carbamylating agents based on the cyclosulfamide scaffold is reported. These compounds were found to be efficient time-dependent inhibitors of human neutrophil elastase (HNE). Exploitation of the three sites of diversity present in the cyclosulfamide scaffold yielded compounds which inhibited HNE but not proteinase 3 (PR 3) or bovine trypsin. The findings reported herein suggest that the introduction of appropriate recognition elements into the cyclosulfamide scaffold may lead to highly selective agents of potential value in the design of activity-based probes suitable for investigating proteases associated with the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

1,2,5-Thiadiazolidin-3-one 1,1-dioxide-based heterocyclic sulfides are potent inhibitors of human tryptase.

We describe herein the design, synthesis, and in vitro biochemical evaluation of a series of potent, time-dependent inhibitors of the mast cell-derived serine protease tryptase. The inhibitors were readily obtained by attaching various heterocyclic thiols, as well as a basic primary specificity residue P(1), to the 1,2,5-thiadiazolidin-3-one 1,1-dioxide scaffold. The inhibitors were found to be devoid of any inhibitory activity toward a neutral (elastase) or cysteine (papain) protease, however they were also fairly efficient inhibitors of bovine trypsin. The differential inhibition observed with trypsin suggests that enzyme selectivity can be optimized by exploiting differences in the S' subsites of the two enzymes. The results described herein demonstrate the versatility of the heterocyclic scaffold in fashioning mechanism-based inhibitors of neutral, basic, and acidic (chymo)trypsin-like serine proteases.

Serendipitous discovery of an unexpected rearrangement leads to two new classes of potential protease inhibitors.

The pathogenesis of a range of human diseases arises from the aberrant activity of proteolytic enzymes. Agents capable of selectively modulating the activity of these enzymes are of potential therapeutic value. Thus, there is a continuing need for the design of scaffolds that can be used in the development of new classes of protease inhibitors. We describe herein the serendipitous discovery of an unexpected rearrangement that leads to the formation of two novel templates that can be used in the design of protease inhibitors.

Potential protease inhibitors based on a functionalized cyclic sulfamide scaffold.

Exploratory studies related to the design and synthesis of functionalized cyclic sulfamides (I) as potential inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes were carried out. The structural motif and three diversity sites embodied in the scaffold render it amenable to combinatorial parallel synthesis and the facile generation of lead discovery prospecting libraries. The scaffold was readily assembled starting with (DL) serine methyl ester, and a series of compounds was generated and screened against human leukocyte elastase. Modification of the P(1) recognition element, believed to be accommodated at the primary specificity site (S(1) subsite) of the enzyme, yielded compounds that inhibited the enzyme by an apparent hyperbolic partial mixed-type inhibition.