Synthesis and evaluation of novel N1-acylated 5-(4-pyridinyl)indazole derivatives as potent and selective haspin inhibitors.

Protein kinase dysregulation was strongly linked to cancer pathogenesis. Moreover, histone alterations were found to be among the most important post-translational modifications that could contribute to cancer growth and development. In this context, haspin, an atypical serine/threonine kinase, phosphorylates histone H3 at threonine-3 and is notably overexpressed in various common cancer types. Herein, we report novel 5-(4-pyridinyl)indazole derivatives as potent and selective haspin inhibitors. Amide coupling at N1 of the indazole ring with m-hydroxyphenyl acetic acid yielded compound 21 with an IC50 value of 78 nM against haspin. This compound showed a meaningful selectivity over 15 of the most common off-targets, including Clk 1-3 and Dyrk1A, 1B, and 2. The most potent haspin inhibitors 5 and 21 effectively inhibited the growth of the NCI-60 cancer cell lines, further emphasizing the success of our scaffold as a new selective lead for the development of anti-cancer therapeutic agents.

N1-Benzoylated 5-(4-pyridinyl)indazole-based kinase inhibitors: Attaining haspin and Clk4 selectivity via modulation of the benzoyl substituents.

Haspin and Clk4 are both understudied protein kinases (PKs), offering potential targets for the development of new anticancer agents. Thus, the identification of new inhibitors targeting these PKs is of high interest. However, the inhibitors targeting haspin or Clk4 developed to date show a poor selectivity profile over other closely related PKs, increasing the risk of side effects. Herein, we present two newly developed N1-benzyolated 5-(4-pyridinyl)indazole-based inhibitors (18 and 19), derived from a newly identified indazole hit. These inhibitors exhibit an exceptional inhibitory profile toward haspin and/or Clk4. Compound 18 (2-acetyl benzoyl) showed a preference to inhibit Clk4 and haspin over a panel of closely related kinases, with sixfold selectivity for Clk4 (IC50 = 0.088 and 0.542 µM, respectively). Compound 19 (4-acetyl benzoyl) showed high selectivity against haspin over the common off-target kinases (Dyrks and Clks) with an IC50 of 0.155 µM for haspin. Molecular docking studies explained the remarkable selectivity of 18 and 19, elucidating how the new scaffold can be modified to toggle between inhibition of haspin or Clk4, despite the high homology of the ATP-binding sites. Their distinguished profile allows these compounds to be marked as interesting chemical probes to assess the selective inhibition of haspin and/or Clk4.

Development and evaluation of 2,4-disubstituted-5-aryl pyrimidine derivatives as antibacterial agents.

Designing novel candidates as potential antibacterial scaffolds has become crucial due to the lack of new antibiotics entering the market and the persistent rise in multidrug resistance. Here, we describe a new class of potent antibacterial agents based on a 5-aryl-N2,N4-dibutylpyrimidine-2,4-diamine scaffold. Structural optimization focused on the 5-aryl moiety and the bioisosteric replacement of the side chain linker atom. Screening of the synthesized compounds focused on a panel of bacterial strains, including gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains (Newman MSSA, methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant), and the gram-negative Escherichia coli (ΔAcrB strain). Several compounds showed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity with compound 12, bearing a 4-chlorophenyl substituent, being the most potent among this series of compounds. This frontrunner compound revealed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 1 µg/mL against the S. aureus strain (Mu50 methicillin-resistant S. aureus/vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus) and an MIC of 2 µg/mL against other tested strains. The most potent derivatives were further tested against a wider panel of bacteria and evaluated for their cytotoxicity, revealing further potent activities toward Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecium, and Enterococcus faecalis. To explore the mode of action, compound 12 was tested in a macromolecule inhibition assay. The obtained data were supported by the safety profile of compound 12, which possessed an IC50 of 12.3 µg/mL against HepG2 cells. The current results hold good potential for a new class of extended-spectrum antibacterial agents.

An overview of cdc2-like kinase 1 (Clk1) inhibitors and their therapeutic indications.

Over the past decade, Clk1 has been identified as a promising target for the treatment of various diseases, in which deregulated alternative splicing plays a role. First small molecules targeting Clk1 are in clinical trials for the treatment of solid cancer, where variants of oncogenic proteins derived from alternative splicing promote tumor progression. Since many infectious pathogens hi-jack the host cell's splicing machinery to ensure efficient replication, further indications in this area are under investigation, such as Influenza A, HIV-1 virus, and Trypanosoma infections, and more will likely be discovered in the future. In addition, Clk1 was found to contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's disease through causing an imbalance of tau splicing products. Interestingly, homozygous Clk1 knockout mice showed a rather mild phenotype, opposed to what might be expected in view of the profound role of Clk1 in alternative splicing. A major drawback of most Clk1 inhibitors is their insufficient selectivity; in particular, Dyrk kinases and haspin were frequently identified as off-targets, besides the other Clk isoforms. Only few inhibitors were shown to be selective over Dyrk1A and haspin, whereas no Clk1 inhibitor so far achieved selectivity over the Clk4 isoform. In this review, we carefully compiled all Clk1 inhibitors from the scientific literature and summarized their structure-activity relationships (SAR). In addition, we critically discuss the available selectivity data and describe the inhibitor's efficacy in cellular models, if reported. Thus, we provide a comprehensive overview on the current state of Clk1 drug discovery and highlight the most promising chemotypes.

Targeting the binding pocket of the fluorophore 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid in the bacterial enzyme MurA.

8-Anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid (ANS) has been extensively used as a fluorescent probe to detect conformational changes of proteins. It has been cocrystallized with several of the proteins it is used to monitor, including the bacterial cell wall synthesis enzyme MurA. MurA catalyzes the first committed step of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, converting UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) into enolpyruvyl UDP-GlcNAc. It has been reported before that ANS binds to MurA from Enterobacter cloacae without inhibiting the enzyme's activity up to a concentration of 1 mM ANS. In this study, we present evidence that ANS inhibits the activity of several isoforms of MurA with IC50 values of 18, 22, and 31 µM against wild-type Escherichia coli, C115D E. coli, and E. cloacae MurA, respectively. This prompted us to test a larger series of structural analogs of ANS for the inhibition of these MurA enzymes, which led to the discovery of compound 26. This ANS analog showed enhanced inhibition of MurA (WT and C115D MurA from E. coli, and E. cloacae MurA) with IC50 values of 2.7, 10, and 14 µM, respectively. Based on our results, the ANS binding pocket was identified as a novel target site for the development of potential antibiotics.

Nanoparticle Fraught Liposomes: A Platform for Increased Antibiotic Selectivity in Multidrug Resistant Bacteria.

Increasing antibiotic concentrations within bacterial cells while reducing them in mammalian ones would ultimately result in an enhancement of antibacterial actions, overcoming multidrug resistance, all while minimizing toxicity. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been used in numerous occasions to overcome antibiotic resistance, poor drug solubility, and stability. However, the concomitant increase in antibiotic concentration in mammalian cells and the resultant toxicity are usually overlooked. Without compromising bacterial cell fusion, large liposomes (Lip) have been reported to show reduced uptake in mammalian cells. Therefore, in this work, small NP fraught liposomes (NP-Lip) were formulated with the aim of increasing NP uptake and antibiotic delivery in bacterial cells but not in mammalian ones. Small polylactic-co-glycolic acid NPs were therefore loaded with erythromycin (Er), an antibiotic with low membrane permeability that is susceptible to drug efflux, and 3c, a 5-cyanothiazolyl urea derivative with low solubility and stability. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the incorporation of small NPs into large Lip resulted in a reduction in NP uptake by HEK293 cells while increasing it in Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli DH5α, E. coli K12, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), consequently resulting in an enhancement of antibiotic selectivity by fourfold toward E. coli (both strains) and eightfold toward P. aeruginosa. Ocular administration of NP-Lip in a P. aeruginosa keratitis mouse model demonstrated the ability of Er/3c-loaded NP-Lip to result in a complete recovery. More importantly, in comparison to NPs, the ocular administration of NP-Lip showed a reduction in TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels, implying reduced interaction with mammalian cells in vivo. This work therefore clearly demonstrated how tailoring the nano-bio interaction could result in selective drug delivery and a reduction in toxicity.

Novel 2,4-disubstituted quinazoline analogs as antibacterial agents with improved cytotoxicity profile: Modification of the benzenoid part.

Bacterial resistance to currently used antibiotics demands the development of novel antibacterial agents with good safety margins and sufficient efficacy against multi-drug resistant isolates. We have previously described the synthesis of N-butyl-2-(butylthio)quinazolin-4-amine (I) as an optimized hit with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and low cytotoxicity. In addition, we have identified a potential growing vector for this series of compounds. Herein, we describe further hit optimization which includes systematic diversifications of both the benzenoid part and the substituents at position 6 and 7 of compound I. Growing of the molecule beside the core modifications yielded several compounds with remarkable anti(myco)bacterial activity against a panel of pathogenic bacteria, including drug-resistant strains. Compound 12 showed a 2-4 fold improvement in activity than I against S. aureus Newman, S. pneumoniae DSM-20566 and E. faecalis DSM-20478. The compounds also showed a good safety profile towards human HepG2 cells.

From EGFR kinase inhibitors to anti-inflammatory drugs: Optimization and biological evaluation of (4-(phenylamino)quinazolinyl)-phenylthiourea derivatives as novel NF-κB inhibitors.

The transcription factor NF-κB is a pivotal mediator of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Based on our previously published dual EGFR/NF-κB inhibitors, we designed and synthesized new thiourea quinazoline derivatives that retained only the NF-κB inhibitory activity. Several congeners displayed a strong suppression of NF-κB activity in a reporter gene assay, yet low cytotoxicity, and were further evaluated in differentiated macrophage-like THP-1 cells. The compounds exhibited a strong inhibition of IL-6 and, less potently, of TNFα release, which was accompanied by a selective induction of macrophage cell death. The mode of action was investigated with a selected inhibitor, 18, revealing that the translocation of p65/RelA to the nucleus but not its release from the IκB complex was inhibited. Eventually, 18 was identified as the first small molecule inhibitor affecting only the phosphorylation of p65-Ser468 but not of Ser536, which may be causally related to the retention of NF-κB in the cytoplasm. Altogether, our novel NF-κB inhibitors seem applicable for the suppression of cytokine release and the additional selective depletion of activated macrophages in various inflammatory diseases.

Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies of indeno [1, 2-c] pyrazol derivatives as inhibitors of mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase 2 (MDH2).

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a pivotal transcription factor, which is strongly correlated with the induction of angiogenesis, tumor survival, metastasis, and cell proliferation, making it a pivotal therapeutic target for solid tumor therapeutic agents. Herein, a new series of multi-functional chemical probes were designed including principal groups, viz. adamantyl and indene, at various locations of the parent compound LW6. Molecular docking studies were performed on the designed compounds and their relationship with HIF-1α and malate dehydrogenase 2 (MDH2). Inhibition of MDH2 by our compounds was expected to decrease the NADH level. Indeed, treatment of the breast cancer cell line 4T1 led to a strong reduction of the NADH concentration. The greatest reduction in NADH production in mitochondria was observed with (E)-3-(4-((3r, 5r, 7r)-adamantan-1-yl) phenoxy)-N-(5-(piperidine-1-carbonyl)-1, 4-dihydroindeno [1, 2-c] pyrazol-3-yl) acrylamide (18: IC50 = 59 nM), and has the best inhibitory potential under hypoxic conditions (MCF-7: IC50 = 57 nM). This compound also gave one of the highest docking "higher than the score obtained with LW6 in parallel (-31.63 kcal/mol) in the initial docking runs (PDB Code: 4WLO). Other related compounds with good yields were also synthesized from docking results, and all the synthesized compounds (14, 18, 22, 26, 29, 30) were evaluated in vitro on human adenocarcinoma cell lines.

Novel 2,4-disubstituted quinazoline analogs as antibacterial agents with improved cytotoxicity profile: Optimization of the 2,4-substituents.

The emergence of bacterial resistance has triggered a multitude of efforts to develop new antibacterial agents. There are many compounds in literature that were reported as potent antibacterial agents, however, they lacked the required safety to mammalian cells or no clear picture about their toxicity profile was presented. Inspired by discovered hit from our in-house library and by previously reported 2,4-diaminosubstituted quinazolines, we describe the design and synthesis of novel 2,4-disubstituted-thioquinazolines (3-13 and 36), 2-thio-4-amino substituted quinazolines (14-33) and 6-substituted 2,4-diamonsubstituted quinazolines (37-39). The synthesized compounds showed potent antibacterial activity against a panel of Gram-positive, efflux deficient E.coli and Mycobacterium smegmatis. The panel also involved resistant strains including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, in addition to Mycobacterium smegmatis. The newly synthesized compounds revealed MIC values against the tested strains ranging from 1 to 64 µg/mL with a good safety profile. Most of the 2-thio-4-amino substituted-quinazolines showed significant antimycobacterial activity with the variations at position 2 and 4 offering additional antibacterial activity against the different strains. Compared to previously reported 2,4-diaminosubstituted quinazolines, the bioisosteric replacement of the 2-amino with sulfur offered a successful approach to keep the high antibacterial potency while substantially improving safety profile as indicated by the reduced activity on different cell lines and a lack of hemolytic activity.

5-Methoxybenzothiophene-2-Carboxamides as Inhibitors of Clk1/4: Optimization of Selectivity and Cellular Potency.

Clks have been shown by recent studies to be promising targets for cancer therapy, as they are considered key regulators in the process of pre-mRNA splicing, which in turn affects every aspect of tumor biology. In particular, Clk1 and -4 are overexpressed in several human tumors. Most of the potent Clk1 inhibitors reported in the literature are non-selective, mainly showing off-target activity towards Clk2, Dyrk1A and Dyrk1B. Herein, we present new 5-methoxybenzothiophene-2-carboxamide derivatives with unprecedented selectivity. In particular, the introduction of a 3,5-difluoro benzyl extension to the methylated amide led to the discovery of compound 10b (cell-free IC50 = 12.7 nM), which was four times more selective for Clk1 over Clk2 than the previously published flagship compound 1b. Moreover, 10b showed an improved growth inhibitory activity with T24 cells (GI50 = 0.43 µM). Furthermore, a new binding model in the ATP pocket of Clk1 was developed based on the structure-activity relationships derived from new rigidified analogues.

Acetaminophen-induced liver injury is mediated by the ion channel TRPV4.

Overdosing of the analgesic acetaminophen (APAP) is one of the most common causes for acute liver failure in modern countries. Although the exact molecular mechanisms mediating hepatocellular necrosis are still elusive, it is preceded by oxidative stress triggered by excessive levels of the metabolite N-acetyl-para-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI). Here, we describe the role of the redox-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel TRP vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) for APAP-induced hepatoxicity. Both pharmacological inhibition and genetic deletion of TRPV4 ameliorate APAP-induced necrosis in mouse and human hepatocytes in vitro. Liver injury caused by a systemic overdose of APAP is reduced in TRPV4-deficient mice and in wild-type mice treated with a TRPV4 inhibitor. The reduction of hepatotoxicity accomplished by systemic TRPV4 inhibition is comparable to the protective effects of the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine. Although TRPV4 does not modulate intrahepatic levels of glutathione, both its inhibition and genetic deletion attenuate APAP-induced oxidative and nitrosative stress as well as mitochondrial membrane depolarization. NAPQI evokes a calcium influx by activating heterologously expressed TRPV4 channels and endogenous TRPV4 channels in hepatoma cells but not in primary mouse hepatocytes. Taken together, our data suggest that TRPV4 mediates APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and thus may be a suitable target for treatment of this critical side effect.-Echtermeyer, F., Eberhardt, M., Risser, L., Herzog, C., Gueler, F., Khalil, M., Engel, M., Vondran, F., Leffler, A. Acetaminophen-induced liver injury is mediated by the ion channel TRPV4.

Synthesis of novel 1,2-diarylpyrazolidin-3-one-based compounds and their evaluation as broad spectrum antibacterial agents.

There is a continuous need to develop new antibacterial agents with non-traditional mechanisms to combat the nonstop emerging resistance to most of the antibiotics used in clinical settings. We identified novel pyrazolidinone derivatives as antibacterial hits in an in-house library screening and synthesized several derivatives in order to improve the potency and increase the polarity of the discovered hit compounds. The oxime derivative 24 exhibited promising antibacterial activity against E. coli TolC, B. subtilis and S. aureus with MIC values of 4, 10 and 20 µg/mL, respectively. The new lead compound 24 was found to exhibit a weak dual inhibitory activity against both the E. coli MurA and MurB enzymes with IC50 values of 88.1 and 79.5 µM, respectively, which could partially explain its antibacterial effect. A comparison with the previously reported, structurally related pyrazolidinediones suggested that the oxime functionality at position 4 enhanced the activity against MurA and recovered the activity against the MurB enzyme. Compound 24 can serve as a lead for further development of novel and safe antibiotics with potential broad spectrum activity.

Discovery of trisubstituted pyrazolines as a novel scaffold for the development of selective phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors.

Celecoxib, is a selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) inhibitor with a 1,5-diaryl pyrazole scaffold. Celecoxib has a better safety profile compared to other COX2 inhibitors having side effects of systemic hypertension and thromboembolic complications. This may be partly attributed to an off-target activity involving phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibition and the potentiation of NO/cGMP signalling allowing coronary vasodilation and aortic relaxation. Inspired by the structure of celecoxib, we synthesized a chemically diverse series of compounds containing a 1,3,5-trisubstituted pyrazoline scaffold to improve PDE5 inhibitory potency, while eliminating COX2 inhibitory activity. SAR studies for PDE5 inhibition revealed an essential role for a carboxylic acid functionality at the 1-phenyl and the importance of the non-planar pyrazoline core over the planar pyrazole with the 5-phenyl moiety tolerating a range of substituents. These modifications led to new PDE5 inhibitors with approximately 20-fold improved potency to inhibit PDE5 and no COX-2 inhibitory activity compared with celecoxib. PDE isozyme profiling of compound 11 revealed a favorable selectivity profile. These results suggest that trisubstituted pyrazolines provide a promising scaffold for further chemical optimization to identify novel PDE5 inhibitors with potential for less side effects compared with available PDE5 inhibitors used for the treatment of penile erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension.

Extending the use of tadalafil scaffold: Development of novel selective phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors and histone deacetylase inhibitors.

Herein we present the synthesis and characterization of a novel chemical series of tadalafil analogues that display different pharmacological profiles. Compounds that have the 6R, 12aR configuration and terminal carboxylic acid group at the side chain arising from the piperazinedione nitrogen were potent PDE5 inhibitors, with compound 11 having almost equal potency to tadalafil and superior selectivity over PDE11, the most common off-target for tadalafil. Modifying the stereochemistry into 6S, 12aS configuration and adopting the hydroxamic acid moiety as a terminal group gave rise to compounds that only inhibited HDAC. Dual PDE5/HDAC inhibition could be achieved with compounds having 6R, 12aR configuration and hydroxamic acid moiety as a terminal group. The anticancer activity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated against a diverse number of cell lines of different origin. The compounds elicited anticancer activity against cell lines belonging to lymphoproliferative cancer as well as solid tumors. Despite the previous reports suggesting anticancer activity of PDE5 inhibitors, the growth inhibitory activity of the compounds seemed to be solely dependent on HDAC inhibition. Compound 26 (pan HDAC IC50 = 14 nM, PDE5 IC50 = 46 nM) displayed the most potent anticancer activity in the present series and was shown to induce apoptosis in Molt-4 cells. HDAC isoform selectivity testing for compound 26 showed that it is more selective for HDAC6 and 8 over HDAC1 by more than 20-fold.

Ciguatoxins activate specific cold pain pathways to elicit burning pain from cooling.

Ciguatoxins are sodium channel activator toxins that cause ciguatera, the most common form of ichthyosarcotoxism, which presents with peripheral sensory disturbances, including the pathognomonic symptom of cold allodynia which is characterized by intense stabbing and burning pain in response to mild cooling. We show that intraplantar injection of P-CTX-1 elicits cold allodynia in mice by targeting specific unmyelinated and myelinated primary sensory neurons. These include both tetrodotoxin-resistant, TRPA1-expressing peptidergic C-fibres and tetrodotoxin-sensitive A-fibres. P-CTX-1 does not directly open heterologously expressed TRPA1, but when co-expressed with Na(v) channels, sodium channel activation by P-CTX-1 is sufficient to drive TRPA1-dependent calcium influx that is responsible for the development of cold allodynia, as evidenced by a large reduction of excitatory effect of P-CTX-1 on TRPA1-deficient nociceptive C-fibres and of ciguatoxin-induced cold allodynia in TRPA1-null mutant mice. Functional MRI studies revealed that ciguatoxin-induced cold allodynia enhanced the BOLD (Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent) signal, an effect that was blunted in TRPA1-deficient mice, confirming an important role for TRPA1 in the pathogenesis of cold allodynia.

Synthesis and Optimization of New 3,6-Disubstitutedindole Derivatives and Their Evaluation as Anticancer Agents Targeting the MDM2/MDMx Complex.

Twelve derivatives of the general formula 3-substituted-6-chloroindoles were synthesized and tested for their growth inhibitory effects versus p53(+/+) colorectal cancer HCT116 and its p53 knockout isogenic cells; colorectal cancer cell p53(-/-) SW480; the lung cancer cell line p53(-/-) H1299; mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) p53(+/+) and its p53 knockout isogenic cells. The compounds were also evaluated for their ability to induce p53 nuclear translocation and binding to murine double minute 2 (MDM2) and murine double minute 4 (MDM4). Of these, compound 5a was the most active in inhibiting the growth of cells, with selectivity towards the p53(+/+) cell lines, and it showed stronger binding to MDM4 rather than MDM2. The activity profile of compound 5a is strongly similar to that of Nutlin-3.

Screening Dyrk1A inhibitors by MALDI-QqQ mass spectrometry: systematic comparison to established radiometric, luminescence, and LC-UV-MS assays.

Enzyme-catalyzed reactions play key roles in disease pathology, thus making them relevant subjects of therapeutic inhibitor screening experiments. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) assays have been demonstrated to be able to replace established screening approaches. They offer increased sample throughput, but care must be taken to avoid instrumental bias from differences in ionization efficiencies. We compared a MALDI-triple-quadrupole (QqQ) method for the Dyrk1A peptide substrate woodtide to LC-MS, liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (LC-UV), luminescence, and radiometric assays. MALDI measurements were performed on a MALDI-QqQ instrument in the multiple-reaction monitoring mode. Different MALDI conditions were investigated to address whether matrix type, sample support, and MRM- or SIM-based detection conditions can be used to accommodate the molar responses of substrate peptide and its phosphorylated form. UV detection served as a reference method. The impact of MALDI matrix on IC50 values was small, even considering that matrix preparations were used that are known to alleviate response differences. IC50 values determined by MALDI were ca. 2-fold lower than those determined by LC-UV. Although MALDI generated lower ion yields for the phosphorylated peptide than for the peptide substrate, we found that a correction of compound potencies was readily possible using correction factors based on unbiased LC-UV results. A thorough method development delivered a robust assay with excellent performance (Z' > 0.91) that was close to that seen for LC-UV.

New CYP17 hydroxylase inhibitors: synthesis, biological evaluation, QSAR, and molecular docking study of new pregnenolone analogs.

A new series of pregnenonlone analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against cytochrome P450 (CYP17 hydroxylase enzyme). In general, the 5-aryl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)-imino-pregnenolone derivatives 11-15 were more active than the sulfonate 24-31 and the ester 37-41 analogs. Derivative 12 showed optimal activity in this series, with IC50 values of 2.5 µM compared with the standard abiraterone (IC50 = 0.07 µM). However, the analogs 11 and 25 showed a better selectivity profile (81.5 and 82.7% inhibition of hydroxylase, respectively), which may be a useful lead in CYP17 inhibition studies. Molecular docking studies demonstrated quite similar binding patterns of all new pregnenolone derivatives at the active site of CYP17 through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction.