Structure-based design of 7-azaindole-pyrrolidine amides as inhibitors of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I.

Indole-pyrrolidines were identified as inhibitors of 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11ß-HSD1) by high-throughput screening. Optimisation of the initial hit through structure-based design led to 7-azaindole-derivatives, with the best analogues displaying single digit nanomolar IC(50) potency. The modeling hypotheses were confirmed by solving the X-ray co-crystal structure of one of the lead compounds. These compounds were selective against 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (selectivity ratio >200) and exhibited good inhibition of 11ß-HSD1 (IC(50)<1µM) in a cellular model (3T3L1 adipocytes).

Discovery and structure-activity relationships of pentanedioic acid diamides as potent inhibitors of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I.

Benzylamides of pentanedioic acid were identified as inhibitors of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD1) by high-throughput screening. Optimisation to 2-adamantyl amides yielded inhibitors with single digit nanomolar IC(50)s on the 11beta-HSD1 human isoform. The hydroxy adamantyl amide lead compound was selective against 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (selectivity ratio >1000) and displayed good inhibition of 11beta-HSD1 (IC(50)<0.1microM) in a cellular model (3T3L1 adipocytes).

Discovery and structure-guided drug design of inhibitors of 11beta-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase type I based on a spiro-carboxamide scaffold.

Spiro-carboxamides were identified as inhibitors of 11beta-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase type 1 by high-throughput screening. Structure-based drug design was used to optimise the initial hit yielding a sub-nanomolar IC(50) inhibitor (0.5nM) on human 11beta-HSD1 with a high binding efficiency index (BEI of 32.7) which was selective against human 11beta-HSD2 (selectivity ratio>200000).

Identification of a novel 2-oxindole fluorinated derivative as in vivo antitumor agent for prostate cancer acting via AMPK activation.

The key metabolic sensor adenosine monophosphate-dependent kinase (AMPK) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for cancer prevention and treatment. Besides its role in energy homeostasis, AMPK blocks cell cycle, regulates autophagy and suppresses the anabolic processes required for rapid cell growth. AMPK is especially relevant in prostate cancer in which activation of lipogenic pathways correlate with tumor progression and aggressiveness. This study reports the discovery of a new series of 2-oxindole derivatives whose AMPK modulatory ability, as well as the antitumoral profile in prostate cancer cells, was evaluated. One of the assayed compounds, compound 8c, notably activated AMPK in cultured PC-3, DU145 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells. Likewise, compound 8c caused PC-3, DU145 and LNCaP cells viability inhibition. Selective knocking down of α1 or α2 isoforms as well as in vitro assays using human recombinant α1ß1γ1 or α2ß1γ1 AMPK isoforms revealed that compound 8c exhibit preference for AMPKα1. Consistent with efficacy at the cellular level, compound 8c was potent in suppressing the growth of PC-3 xenograft tumors. In conclusion, our results show that a new 2-oxindole fluorinated derivative exerts potent in vivo antitumor actions against prostate cancer cells, indicating a promising clinical therapeutic strategy for the treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer.

Combining the use of solid-supported transition metal catalysis with microwave irradiation in solution-phase parallel library synthesis.

Microwave heating methods have been combined with the use of solid-supported catalysts to produce small solution-phase libraries of medicinally-relevant compounds. Palladium supported on charcoal (Pd/C) has been used to produce libraries of pyrazole compounds for screening in COX II studies via Suzuki cross coupling reactions, while the same catalyst has been used also to produce styryl-based nAChR compounds using analogous chemistry. Although the reaction substrates are very different (aryl vs. vinyl), this catalyst system provided consistently good and reliable results. The use of a polystyrene-supported Ru catalyst for ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reactions was also evaluated to prepare benzolactam structures for evaluation as factor Xa inhibitors.