Discovery of orally bioavailable inhibitors of MALT1 with in vivo activity for psoriasis.

We report the design, synthesis, and biological activity of a series of compounds that exhibit potent mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation 1 (MALT1) inhibition. Structural transformation of the substructures of a starting compound gave amidomethyl derivatives and sulfonylguanidine derivatives that exhibited potent inhibition of MALT1. Compound 37 had good oral bioavailability and showed anti-psoriatic activity in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse model after oral administration.

Structure-activity relationship studies of 3-substituted pyrazoles as novel allosteric inhibitors of MALT1 protease.

We report the discovery of a novel series of 1,5-bisphenylpyrazoles as potent MALT1 inhibitors. Structure-activity relationship exploration of a hit compound led to a potent MALT1 inhibitor. Compound 33 showed strong activity against MALT1 (IC50: 0.49 µM), potent cellular activity (NF-κB inhibition and inhibition of IL2 production), and high selectivity against caspase-3, -8, and -9. The results of a kinetics study suggest that compound 33 is a non-competitive inhibitor of MALT1 protein.

Design and synthesis of 1-(1-benzothiophen-7-yl)-1H-pyrazole, a novel series of G protein-coupled receptor 52 (GPR52) agonists.

G-protein-coupled receptor 52 (GPR52) is classified as an orphan Gs-coupled G-protein-coupled receptor. GPR52 cancels dopamine D2 receptor signaling and activates dopamine D1/N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors via intracellular cAMP accumulation. Therefore, GPR52 agonists are expected to alleviate symptoms of psychotic disorders. A novel series of 1-(benzothiophen-7-yl)-1H-pyrazole as GPR52 agonists was designed and synthesized based on compound 1b. Compound 1b has been reported by our group as the first orally active GPR52 agonist, but high lipophilicity and poor aqueous solubility still remained as issues for candidate selection. To resolve these issues, replacement of the benzene ring at the 7-positon of compound 1b with heterocylic rings, such as pyrazole and pyridine, was greatly expected to reduce lipophilicity to levels for which calculated logD values were lower than that of compound 1b. While evaluating the pyrazole derivatives, introduction of a methyl substituent at the 3-position of the pyrazole ring led to increased GPR52 agonistic activity. Moreover, additional methyl substituent at the 5-position of the pyrazole and further introduction of hydroxy group to lower logD led to significant improvement of solubility while maintaining the activity. As a result, we identified 3-methyl-5-hydroxymethyl-1H-pyrazole derivative 17 (GPR52 EC50 = 21 nM, Emax = 103%, logD = 2.21, Solubility at pH 6.8 = 21 µg/mL) with potent GPR52 agonistic activity and good solubility compared to compound 1b. Furthermore, this compound 17 dose-dependently suppressed methamphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion in mice.

Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of 4-azolyl-benzamide derivatives as novel GPR52 agonists.

G protein-coupled receptor 52 (GPR52) agonists are expected to improve the symptoms of psychiatric disorders. During exploration for a novel class of GPR52 agonists with good pharmacokinetic profiles, we synthesized 4-(3-(3-fluoro-5-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl)-5-methyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-2-methylbenzamide (4u; half maximal effective concentration (EC50)=75nM, maximal response (Emax)=122%) starting from a high-throughput screening hit 3 (EC50=470nM, Emax=56%). The structural features of a reported GPR52 agonist were applied to 3, led to design 4-azolylbenzamides as novel GPR52 agonists. A structure-activity relationship study of 4-azolylbenzamide resulted in the design of the 1,2,4-triazole derivative 4u, which demonstrated excellent bioavailability in rats (F=53.8%). Oral administration of 4u (10mg/kg) significantly suppressed methamphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion in mice. Thus, 4u is a promising lead compound for drug discovery research of GPR52 agonists.

Direct Observation and Analysis of the Halo-Amino-Nitro Alkane Functional Group.

Conventional amide synthesis is a mainstay in discipline-spanning applications, and it is a reaction type that historically developed as a singular paradigm when considering the carbon-nitrogen bond-forming step. Umpolung amide synthesis (UmAS) exploits the unique properties of an α-halo nitroalkane in its reaction with an amine to produce an amide. The "umpolung" moniker reflects its paradigm-breaking C-N bond formation on the basis of evidence that the nucleophilic nitronate carbon and electrophilic nitrogen engage to form a tetrahedral intermediate (TI) that is an unprecedented functional group, a 1,1,1-halo-amino-nitro alkane (HANA). Studies probing HANA transience have failed to capture this (presumably) highly reactive intermediate. We report here the direct observation of a HANA, its conversion thermally to an amide functionality, and quantitative analysis of this process using computational techniques. These findings validate the HANA as a functional group common to UmAS and diverted UmAS, opening the door to its targeted use and creative manipulation.

A convergent synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles from acyl hydrazides under semiaqueous conditions.

The 1,3,4-oxadiazole is an aromatic heterocycle valued for its low-lipophilicity in drug development. Substituents at the 2- and/or 5-positions can modulate the heterocycle's electronic and hydrogen bond-accepting capability, while exploiting its use as a carbonyl bioisostere. A new approach to 1,3,4-oxadiazoles is described wherein α-bromo nitroalkanes are coupled to acyl hydrazides to deliver the 2,5-disubstituted oxadiazole directly, avoiding a 1,2-diacyl hydrazide intermediate. Access to new building blocks of oxadiazole-substituted secondary amines is improved by leveraging chiral α-bromo nitroalkane or amino acid hydrazide substrates. The non-dehydrative conditions for oxadiazole synthesis are particularly notable, in contrast to alternatives reliant on highly oxophilic reagents to effect cyclization of unsymmetrical 1,2-diacyl hydrazides. The mild conditions are punctuated by the straightforward removal of co-products by a standard aqueous wash.

1,3,4-Oxadiazole and Heteroaromatic-Fused 1,2,4-Triazole Synthesis using Diverted Umpolung Amide Synthesis.

Umpolung Amide Synthesis (UmAS) has emerged as a superior alternative to conventional amide synthesis methods based on carbonyl electrophiles in a range of situations, particularly when epimerization-prone couplings are prescribed. In an unanticipated development during our most recent studies, it was discovered that diacyl hydrazide products from UmAS were not formed as intermediates when using an acyl hydrazide as the amine acceptor. This resulted in a new preparation of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles from α-bromonitroalkane donors. We hypothesized that a key tetrahedral intermediate in UmAS was diverted toward a more direct pathway to the heterocycle product rather than through formation of the diacyl hydrazide, a typical oxadiazole progenitor. In studies reported here, diversion to 1,2,4-triazole products is described, a behavior hypothesized to also result from an analogous tetrahedral intermediate, but one formed from heteroaromatic hydrazine acceptors.

Stereoselective furan-iminium cation cyclization in the construction of the core structure of manzamine A.

[reaction: see text] A new type of furan-iminium cation cyclization was developed and used to construct the ABC ring of manzamine A. The cyclization proceeded at the 2-position with complete regio- and stereoselectivity to give a spiro-center. The product was efficiently converted to the highly substituted core structure of manzamine A.

Discovery of Benzofuran Derivatives that Collaborate with Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) to Promote Neuroprotection.

A series of benzofuran derivatives with neuroprotective activity in collaboration with IGF-1 was discovered using a newly developed cell-based assay involving primary neural cells prepared from rat hippocampal and cerebral cortical tissues. A structure-activity relationship study identified compound 8 as exhibiting potent activity and brain penetrability. An in vitro pharmacological study demonstrated that although IGF-1 and 8 individually exhibited the neuroprotective effect, the latter acted in collaboration with IGF-1 to enhance neuroprotective activity.

Asymmetric Michael reaction promoted by new chiral phase-transfer catalysts.

A catalytic asymmetric Michael reaction promoted by new chiral quaternary ammonium salts is described. The products are obtained with moderate ee (up to 75% ee), and the enantioselectivity is strongly dependent on both the substituents on the aromatic rings and the ammonium moiety in the catalysts.