N-Thiazolylamide-based free fatty-acid 2 receptor agonists: Discovery, lead optimization and demonstration of off-target effect in a diabetes model.

Free fatty acid-2 (FFA2) receptor is a G-protein coupled receptor of interest in the development of therapeutics in metabolic and inflammatory disease areas. The discovery and optimization of an N-thiazolylamide carboxylic acid FFA2 agonist scaffold is described. Dual key objectives were to i) evaluate the potential of this scaffold for lead optimization in particular with respect to safety de-risking physicochemical properties, i.e. lipophilicity and aromatic content, and ii) to demonstrate the utility of selected lead analogues from this scaffold in a pertinent in vivo model such as oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). As such, a concomitant improvement in bioactivity together with lipophilic ligand efficiency (LLE) and fraction sp3 content (Fsp3) parameters guided these efforts. Compound 10 was advanced into studies in mice on the basis of its optimized profile vs initial lead 1 (ΔLLE = 0.3, ΔFsp3 = 0.24). Although active in OGTT, 10 also displayed similar activity in the FFA2-knockout mice. Given this off-target OGTT effect, we discontinued development of this FFA2 agonist scaffold.

Agonist-induced internalization of CC chemokine receptor 5 as a mechanism to inhibit HIV replication.

The chemokine G protein-coupled receptor CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) is used as an entry gate by CCR5-tropic and dual- or CCR5/CXC chemokine receptor 4-tropic strains of HIV to enter the human host cells. Thus, CCR5 antagonists (i.e., maraviroc) have been proven to be clinically effective by preventing the interaction between viral glycoprotein 120 and CCR5 and thus impeding viral entry into host cells. However, the emergence of HIV strains resistant to CCR5 antagonists has been reported in vitro and in vivo, where the virus has adapted to enter the cells via antagonist-bound CCR5. An alternative strategy that should obviate this mode of viral resistance would entail the ablation of the CCR5 portal for HIV entry from the cell surface through agonist-induced receptor internalization. Although this protective effect has been demonstrated clearly with natural CCR5 ligands, the chemoattractant properties of these chemokines have precluded them from further consideration in terms of drug development. Thus, we sought to explore the possibility of developing novel small molecules and selective CCR5 agonists devoid of eliciting chemotaxis. Indeed, the CCR5 agonists described herein were found to induce profound down-modulation of CCR5 (and not CXC chemokine receptor 4) from the cell surface and its sustained sequestration in the intracellular compartment without inducing chemotaxis in vitro. The bioactivity profile of these novel CCR5 agonists is exemplified by the compound (R)-2-(4-cyanophenyl)-N-(1-(1-(N,1-diphenylmethylsulfonamido)propan-2-yl)piperidin-4-yl)acetamide (ESN-196) that potently inhibits HIV-1 infection in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and macrophages in vitro with potencies comparable to that of maraviroc and moreover demonstrates full activity against a maraviroc-resistant HIV-1 RU570 strain.

Synthesis, structural reassignment, and biological activity of type B MAO inhibitors based on the 5H-indeno[1,2-c]pyridazin-5-one core.

The synthesis and enzyme inhibitor properties of reversible type B monoamine oxidase inhibitors are described. These compounds belong to the 5H-indeno[1,2-c]pyridazine family and possess a hydrophobic benzyloxy or 4,4,4-trifluorobutoxy side chain which, in contrast to a previous assignment, has been unambiguously located at C(8) of the heterocyclic moiety. Investigation of the regioisomeric structures establishes that substitution of the 5H-indeno[1,2-c]pyridazin-5-one core at C(7) vs C(8) dramatically influences the MAO-inhibiting properties of these compounds.

A simple model to predict blood-brain barrier permeation from 3D molecular fields.

We report a four-component partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS) model for the prediction of blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeation using descriptors derived from 3D molecular fields. The 3D fields were transformed by VolSurf into suitable 1D descriptors, which were correlated to the ratio of blood-brain partitioning measured at steady state in rats (log C(brain)/C(blood)). The model so obtained sheds light on molecular properties influencing BBB permeation. It can also be used in the virtual screening of new chemicals.

Exploration of the pharmacophore of 3-alkyl-5-arylimidazolidinediones as new CB(1) cannabinoid receptor ligands and potential antagonists: synthesis, lipophilicity, affinity, and molecular modeling.

A set of 29 3-alkyl 5-arylimidazolidinediones (hydantoins) with affinity for the human cannabinoid CB(1) receptor was studied for their lipophilicity and conformational properties in order to delineate a pharmacophore. These molecules constitute a new template for cannabinoid receptor recognition, since (a) their structure differs from that of classical cannabinoid ligands and (b) antagonism is the mechanism of action of at least three compounds (20, 21, and 23). Indeed, in the [(35)S]-GTP gamma S binding assay using rat cerebellum homogenates, they behave as antagonists without any inverse agonism component. Using a set of selected compounds, experimental lipophilicity was measured by RP-HPLC and calculated by a fragmental method (CLOGP) and a conformation-dependent method (CLIP based on the molecular lipophilicity potential). These approaches revealed two models which differentiate the binding mode of nonpolar and polar hydantoins and which could explain, at least for compounds 20, 21, and 23, the mechanism of action of this new family of cannabinoid ligands.

(E)-8-(3-Chlorostyryl)-1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, a caffeine derivative acting both as antagonist of adenosine A2A receptors and as inhibitor of MAO-B.

In the crystal structure of (E)-8-(3-chlorostyryl)-1,3,7-trimethylxanthine (CSC) [systematic name: (E)-8-(3-chlorostyryl)-1,3,7-trimethyl-3,7-dihydro-1H-purine-2,6-dione], C16H15ClN4O2, the xanthine ring and the lateral styryl chain are coplanar. The crystal packing involves mainly parallel stacking of these planar molecules. The electrostatic potential calculated on the crystal structure conformation confirms the pharmacophore elements associated with MAO-B inhibition.

Three 5H-indeno[1,2-c]pyridazin-5-one derivatives, potent type-B monoamine oxidase inhibitors.

The structures of three compounds, namely 7-methoxy-2-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-9H-indeno[1,2-c]pyridazin-9-one, C19H11F3N2O2, (Id), 6-methoxy-2-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-9H-indeno[1,2-c]pyridazin-9-one, C19H11F3N2O2, (IId), and 2-methyl-6-(4,4,4-trifluorobutoxy)-9H-indeno[1,2-c]pyridazin-9-one, C16H13F3N2O2, (IIf), which are potent reversible type-B monoamine oxidase (MAO-B) inhibitors, are presented and discussed. Compounds (Id) and (IId) crystallize in a nearly planar conformation. The crystal structures are stabilized by weak C-H...O hydrogen bonds. The packing is dominated by pi-pi stacking interactions between the heterocyclic central moieties of centrosymmetrically related molecules. In compound (IIf), the trifluoroethyl termination is almost perpendicular to the plane of the ring.

Analysis of conserved active site residues in monoamine oxidase A and B and their three-dimensional molecular modeling.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a key enzyme responsible for the degradation of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and phenylethylamine. It is an outer membrane mitochondrial enzyme existing in two isoforms, A and B. We have recently generated 14 site-directed mutants of human MAO A and B, and we found that four key amino acids, Lys-305, Trp-397, Tyr-407, and Tyr-444, in MAO A and their corresponding amino acids in MAO B, Lys-296, Trp-388, Tyr-398, and Tyr-435, play important roles in MAO catalytic activity. Based on the polyamine oxidase three-dimensional crystal structure, it is suggested that Lys-305, Trp-397, and Tyr-407 in MAO A and Lys-296, Trp-388, and Tyr-398 in MAO B may be involved in the non-covalent binding to FAD. Tyr-407 and Tyr-444 in MAO A (Tyr-398 and Tyr-435 in MAO B) may form an aromatic sandwich that stabilizes the substrate binding. Asp-132 in MAO A (Asp-123 in MAO B) located at the entrance of the U-shaped substrate-binding site has no effect on MAO A nor MAO B catalytic activity. The similar impact of analogous mutants in MAO A and MAO B suggests that these amino acids have the same function in both isoenzymes. Three-dimensional modeling of MAO A and B using polyamine oxidase as template suggests that the overall tertiary structure and the active sites of MAO A and B may be similar.

Rational approaches towards reversible inhibition of type B monoamine oxidase. Design and evaluation of a novel 5H-Indeno[1,2-c]pyridazin-5-one derivative.

The stereoelectronic properties of several potent reversible monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors were studied with a view to develop a pharmacophore model for reversible MAO-B inhibition. This study suggested that important specific H-bond and hydrophobic interactions are required for potent and selective MAO-B inhibition. These requirements were applied in the design and synthesis of a novel reversible and selective MAO-B inhibitor, 3-methyl-8-(4,4,4-trifluoro-butoxy)indeno[1,2-c]pyridazin-5-one, that is ca. 7000 times more selective as an inhibitor for MAO-B than for MAO-A, with K(i(MAO-B)) in the low nanomolar range.