Design, synthesis, and evaluation of antitumor activity of 2-arylmethoxy-4-(2-fluoromethyl-biphenyl-3-ylmethoxy) benzylamine derivatives as PD-1/PD-l1 inhibitors.

A series of novel 2-arylmethoxy-4-(2-fluoromethyl-biphenyl-3-ylmethoxy) benzylamine derivatives was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their antitumor effects as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors both in vitro and in vivo. Firstly, the ability of these compounds to block the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint was assessed using the homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay. Two of the compounds can strongly block the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction, with IC50 values of less than 10 nM, notably, compound HD10 exhibited significant clinical potential by inhibiting the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction with an IC50 value of 3.1 nM. Further microscale thermophoresis (MST) analysis demonstrated that HD10 had strong interaction with PD-L1 protein. Co-crystal structure (2.7 Å) analysis of HD10 in complex with the PD-L1 protein revealed a strong affinity between the compound and the target PD-L1 dimer. This provides a solid theoretical basis for further in vitro and in vivo studies. Next, a typical cell-based experiment demonstrated that HD10 could remarkably prevent the interaction of hPD-1 293 T cells from human recombinant PD-L1 protein, effectively restoring T cell function, and promoting IFN-γ secretion in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, HD10 was effective in suppressing tumor growth (TGI = 57.31 %) in a PD-1/PD-L1 humanized mouse model without obvious toxicity. Flow cytometry, qPCR, and immunohistochemistry data suggested that HD10 inhibits tumor growth by activating the immune system in vivo. Based on these results, it seems likely that HD10 is a promising clinical candidate that should be further investigated.

Substituted Aryl Benzylamines as Potent and Selective Inhibitors of 17ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 3.

17ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (17ß-HSD3) is expressed at high levels in testes and seminal vesicles; it is also present in prostate tissue and involved in gonadal and non-gonadal testosterone biosynthesis. The enzyme is membrane-bound, and a crystal structure is not yet available. Selective aryl benzylamine-based inhibitors were designed and synthesised as potential agents for prostate cancer therapeutics through structure-based design, using a previously built homology model with docking studies. Potent, selective, low nanomolar IC50 17ß-HSD3 inhibitors were discovered using N-(2-([2-(4-chlorophenoxy)phenylamino]methyl)phenyl)acetamide (1). The most potent compounds have IC50 values of approximately 75 nM. Compound 29, N-[2-(1-Acetylpiperidin-4-ylamino)benzyl]-N-[2-(4-chlorophenoxy)phenyl]acetamide, has an IC50 of 76 nM, while compound 30, N-(2-(1-[2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-phenylamino]ethyl)phenyl)acetamide, has an IC50 of 74 nM. Racemic C-allyl derivative 26 (IC50 of 520 nM) was easily formed from 1 in good yield and, to determine binding directionality, its enantiomers were separated by chiral chromatography. Absolute configuration was determined using single crystal X-ray crystallography. Only the S-(+)-enantiomer (32) was active with an IC50 of 370 nM. Binding directionality was predictable through our in silico docking studies, giving confidence to our model. Importantly, all novel inhibitors are selective over the type 2 isozyme of 17ß-HSD2 and show <20% inhibition when tested at 10 µM. Lead compounds from this series are worthy of further optimisation and development as inhibitors of testosterone production by 17ß-HSD3 and as inhibitors of prostate cancer cell growth.

Characterization of Aminobenzylphenols as Protein Disulfide Isomerase Inhibitors in Glioblastoma Cell Lines.

Disulfide bond formation is a critical post-translational modification of newly synthesized polypeptides in the oxidizing environment of the endoplasmic reticulum and is mediated by protein disulfide isomerase (PDIA1). In this study, we report a series of α-aminobenzylphenol analogues as potent PDI inhibitors. The lead compound, AS15, is a covalent nanomolar inhibitor of PDI, and the combination of AS15 analogues with glutathione synthesis inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) leads to synergistic cell growth inhibition. Using nascent RNA sequencing, we show that an AS15 analogue triggers the unfolded protein response in glioblastoma cells. A BODIPY-labeled analogue binds proteins including PDIA1, suggesting that the compounds are cell-permeable and reach the intended target. Taken together, these findings demonstrate an extensive biochemical characterization of a novel series of highly potent reactive small molecules that covalently bind to PDI.

The development of a novel transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) inhibitor that disrupts ligand-receptor interactions.

Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) plays an important role in regulating epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the TGF-ß signaling pathway is a potential target for therapeutic intervention in the development of many diseases, such as fibrosis and cancer. Most currently available inhibitors of TGF-ß signaling function as TGF-ß receptor I (TßR-I) kinase inhibitors, however, such kinase inhibitors often lack specificity. In the present study, we targeted the extracellular protein binding domain of the TGF-ß receptor II (TßR-II) to interfere with the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between TGF-ß and its receptors. One compound, CJJ300, inhibited TGF-ß signaling by disrupting the formation of the TGF-ß-TßR-I-TßR-II signaling complex. Treatment of A549 cells with CJJ300 resulted in the inhibition of downstream signaling events such as the phosphorylation of key factors along the TGF-ß pathway and the induction of EMT markers. Concomitant with these effects, CJJ300 significantly inhibited cell migration. The present study describes for the first time a designed molecule that can regulate TGF-ß-induced signaling and EMT by interfering with the PPIs required for the formation of the TGF-ß signaling complex. Therefore, CJJ300 can be an important lead compound with which to study TGF-ß signaling and to design more potent TGF-ß signaling antagonists.

Isoquinolinequinone N-oxides as anticancer agents effective against drug resistant cell lines.

The isoquinolinequinone (IQQ) pharmacophore is a privileged framework in known cytotoxic natural product families, caulibugulones and mansouramycins. Exploiting both families as a chemical starting point, we report on the structured development of an IQQ N-oxide anticancer framework which exhibits growth inhibition in the nM range across melanoma, ovarian and leukaemia cancer cell lines. A new lead compound (16, R6 = benzyl, R7 = H) exhibits nM GI50 values against 31/57 human tumour cell lines screened as part of the NCI60 panel and shows activity against doxorubicin resistant tumour cell lines. An electrochemical study highlights a correlation between electropositivity of the IQQ N-oxide framework and cytotoxicity. Adduct binding to sulfur based biological nucleophiles glutathione and cysteine was observed in vitro. This new framework possesses significant anticancer potential.

Hitting on the move: Targeting intrinsically disordered protein states of the MDM2-p53 interaction.

Intrinsically disordered proteins are an emerging class of proteins without a folded structure and currently disorder-based drug targeting remains a challenge. p53 is the principal regulator of cell division and growth whereas MDM2 consists its main negative regulator. The MDM2-p53 recognition is a dynamic and multistage process that amongst other, employs the dissociation of a transient α-helical N-terminal ''lid'' segment of MDM2 from the proximity of the p53-complementary interface. Several small molecule inhibitors have been reported to inhibit the formation of the p53-MDM2 complex with the vast majority mimicking the p53 residues Phe19, Trp23 and Leu26. Recently, we have described the transit from the 3-point to 4-point pharmacophore model stabilizing this intrinsically disordered N-terminus by increasing the binding affinity by a factor of 3. Therefore, we performed a thorough SAR analysis, including chiral separation of key compound which was evaluated by FP and 2D NMR. Finally, p53-specific anti-cancer activity towards p53-wild-type cancer cells was observed for several representative compounds.

Discovery of arylbenzylamines as PDE4 inhibitors with potential neuroprotective effect.

Growing evidence confirms the potential of PDE4 inhibitors for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. Our reported PDE4 inhibitors FCPR16 and FCPR03 have displayed neuroprotective effects in SH-SY5Y cells, but have very low oral bioavailability. To access analogues with improved bioavailability, a new series of arylbenzylamine derivatives were designed and synthesized. Preliminary screening results of the series showed that arylbenzylamine derivatives bearing a pyridin-3-amine side chain displayed good inhibitory activities against human PDE4B1 and PDE4D7 isoforms. Moreover, kinetic studies revealed that the most potent compounds 11r and 11s with mid-nanomolar IC50 values partially bind to PDE4B1 (Imax = 93% and 90% respectively). Molecular docking results revealed the possible interactions of compounds 11r and 11s with upstream conserved region 2 (UCR2) of PDE4B1, which illuminate possible reasons for their partial inhibition against PDE4. Using a cell-based model of PD, compounds 11r and 11s were found to alleviate cellular apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells induced by MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium), with this neuroprotective effect being greater than PDE4 inhibitor rolipram. Furthermore, compound 11r displayed nearly sevenfold oral bioavailability (8.20%) than FCPR03 (1.23%).

Discovery and preliminary structure-activity relationship of 1H-indazoles with promising indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) inhibition properties.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1)-mediated kynurenine pathway of tryptophan degradation is identified as an important immune effector pathway in the tumor cells to escape a potentially effective immune response. IDO1 is an attractive target for anticancer therapy and the discovery of IDO1 inhibitors has been intensely ongoing in both academic research laboratories and pharmaceutical organizations. Our study discovered that 1H-indazole was a novel key pharmacophore with potent IDO1 inhibitory activity. A series of new 1H-indazole derivatives were synthesized and determined the enzyme inhibitory activities, and the compound 2g exhibited the highest activity with an IC50 value of 5.3µM. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) analysis of the 1H-indazole derivatives as novel IDO1 inhibitors indicated that the 1H-indazole scaffold is necessary for IDO1 inhibition, and the substituent groups at the both 4-position and 6-position largely affect inhibitory activity. The docking model exhibited that the effective interactions of 1H-indazoles with ferrous ion of heme and key residues of hydrophobic Pocket A and B ensured the IDO1 inhibitory activities. The study suggested that the 1H-indazole was a novel interesting scaffold for IDO inhibition for further development.

Development of multifunctional, heterodimeric isoindoline-1,3-dione derivatives as cholinesterase and ß-amyloid aggregation inhibitors with neuroprotective properties.

The presented study describes the synthesis, pharmacological evaluation (AChE and BuChE inhibition, beta amyloid anti-aggregation effect and neuroprotective effect), molecular modeling and crystallographic studies of a novel series of isoindoline-1,3-dione derivatives. The target compounds were designed as dual binding site acetylcholinesterase inhibitors with an arylalkylamine moiety binding at the catalytic site of the enzyme and connected via an alkyl chain to a heterocyclic fragment, capable of binding at the peripheral anionic site of AChE. Among these molecules, compound 15b was found to be the most potent and selective AChE inhibitor (IC50EeAChE = 0.034 µM). Moreover, compound 13b in addition to AChE inhibition (IC50 EeAChE = 0.219 µM) possesses additional properties, such as the ability to inhibit Aß aggregation (65.96% at 10 µM) and a neuroprotective effect against Aß toxicity at 1 and 3 µM. Compound 13b emerges as a promising multi-target ligand for the further development of the therapy for age-related neurodegenerative disorders.

Design and synthesis of novel thiophenes bearing biologically active aniline, aminopyridine, benzylamine, nicotinamide, pyrimidine and triazolopyrimidine moieties searching for cytotoxic agents.

To discover new bioactive lead compounds for medicinal purposes, herein, (E)-3-(substituted amino)-1-thiophen-2-yl-prop-2-en-1-ones 3-8, aminopyridines 9-11, benzylamine 12, nicotinamide 13, pyrimidines 14, 15, hexanoic acid 16 and triazolopyrimidine 19 were prepared and tested for cytotoxic activity. Results showed that the tested compounds exhibited a remarkable activity, especially compounds 3 and 19 with IC50 values (55.2 and 50.49 microM, respectively) compared to doxorubicin (IC50 = 71.8 microM) as a reference drug.

Novel soluble myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (Mcl-1) inhibitor (E,E)-2-(benzylaminocarbonyl)-3-styrylacrylonitrile (4g) developed using a fragment-based approach.

Based on a known nanomolar Bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3) mimetic 3-thiomorpholin-8-oxo-8H-acenaphtho[1,2-b] pyrrole-9-carbonitrile (S1, MW: 331), we applied a fragment-based approach to obtain BH3 mimetics with improved affinity and improved solubility in a water-ethanol (9:1) cosolvent. After the deconstruction of 1 (S1), we obtained fragment cyanoacetamide (4), which was determined to be a ligand efficiency (LE) hot part. After a rational optimization through fragment evolution beginning with fragment 4, a smaller Mcl-1 inhibitor (E,E)-2-(benzylaminocarbonyl)-3-styrylacrylonitrile (4g, MW: 288) with a 6-fold increase in affinity compared to 1 was obtained, as predicted by our optimization curve and identified by Mcl-1 protein nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

Synthesis and characterization of some new Schiff base complexes of group 13 elements, ab initio studies, cytotoxicity and reaction with hydrogen peroxide.

A novel tetradentate Schiff base, naphthabza-H2=N,N'-bis(naphthylidene)-2-aminobenzylamine, and a series of aluminum(III), gallium(III), and indium(III) complexes with general formula, MLNO3, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, 1H NMR, FT-IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy and thermogravimetric method. The product of the reaction of complexes with hydrogen peroxide was characterized by similar techniques. According to the ab initio calculations aluminum and gallium complexes have five-coordinated structures and indium complex is a six-coordinated one. Also, the growth inhibitory effects of the complexes toward K562 cancer cell line were measured and the results for these complexes are as follows: Al>Ga>In.

Amine linked flavonoid dimers as modulators for P-glycoprotein-based multidrug resistance: structure-activity relationship and mechanism of modulation.

Here we report a great improvement in reversal potency of cancer drug resistance when flavonoid dimers possess a functionally substituted aminopolyethylene glycol linker. The most potent compound, 18, contains a N-benzyl group at the linker. It has many advantages including (1) high potencies in reversing P-glycoprotein (P-gp) mediated resistance in LCC6MDR cells to various anticancer drugs with EC(50) in the nanomolar range, (2) low toxicity and high therapeutic index, and (3) preferential inhibition of P-gp over multidrug resistance protein 1 and breast cancer resistance protein. Compound 18 stimulates P-gp-ATPase activity by 2.7-fold and mediates a dose-dependent inhibition of doxorubicin (DOX) transport activity. Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon plots suggest that 18 is a competitive inhibitor to DOX in binding to P-gp with a K(i) of 0.28-0.34 µM and a Hill coefficient of 1.17. Moreover, the LCC6MDR cell displays about 2.1-fold lower intracellular accumulation of 18 compared to the wild type, suggesting that 18 is a P-gp substrate as well.

Antiproliferative and iron chelating efficiency of the new bis-8-hydroxyquinoline benzylamine chelator S1 in hepatocyte cultures.

If a new generation of iron chelators specifically devoted for cancer chemotherapy emerged these last years, any of them has not yet been approved at this time. Accordingly, there is a need to optimize new chelating molecules for iron chelation therapy and cancer treatment. So, the objective of the present investigation was to characterize the antiproliferative activity and the iron chelating capacity of the iron chelator S1 [bis-N-(8-hydroxyquinoline-5-ylmethyl)benzylamine]. Its effects were compared to O-trensox which binds ferric iron with a very high affinity (pFe(3+)=29.5). For this purpose, primary rat hepatocyte stimulated by EGF and human hepatoma HepaRG cell cultures were used. In these models, the anti-proliferative effect, the inhibition of DNA synthesis and the iron-chelating efficiency of increasing concentrations of S1 and O-trensox (0 up to 200 µM) were investigated. In the two cell culture models, we observed that S1 was about 100 times more efficient than O-trensox and the antiproliferative effect of S1 in HepaRG cells appeared at concentrations as low as 0.1 µM without cytotoxicity. Moreover, the stoichiometry of S1 for iron seemed to be in the range S1/Fe(3+)=1. Using the calcein fluorescence assay, we demonstrated that the affinity of S1 for iron was better than that of O-trensox since it was at least two times more effective to restore the fluorescence of calcein previously quenched by iron. So, the iron chelating efficiency of S1 could explain at least partially its higher anti-proliferative effect compared to O-trensox. Finally, these results suggest that molecules such as S1 may constitute a promising starting point to improve cancer treatment.

Discovery and selectivity-profiling of 4-benzylamino 1-aza-9-oxafluorene derivatives as lead structures for IGF-1R inhibitors.

Recently the insuline-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) emerged as a promising target structure for the development of novel anti-cancer agents. IGF-1R plays a central role in both tumour progression and resistance development against anti-cancer drugs. We discovered 1-aza-9-oxafluorene derivatives as novel lead structures with submicromolar activities against IGF-1R. Structure-activity relationships (SARs) on a series of related receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are discussed in the context of available crystal structures. A preliminary selectivity-profiling is demonstrated for the first compound series. Antiproliferative tumour cell line screening studies yielded one candidate as a promising cytostatic agent without significant toxic effects.

Structure-activity relationship of indoline-2-carboxylic acid N-(substituted)phenylamide derivatives.

Chroman derivatives exhibited potent inhibitory activity of NF-kappaB. For SAR, the chroman scaffold was modified with an indoline moiety. A series of indoline-2-carboxylic acid N-(substituted)phenylamide derivatives were synthesized to explore their inhibitory activities of NF-kappaB and they were also evaluated for cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines. Since intermediates with Boc showed outstanding results, various substituents in place of the Boc group were introduced additionally and these compounds were also evaluated for SAR.

Targeting Alzheimer's disease: Novel indanone hybrids bearing a pharmacophoric fragment of AP2238.

We report on a series of hybrid compounds structurally derived from donepezil and AP2238. This study was aimed at improving the activities of the reference compounds, donepezil and AP2238, and at broadening the range of activities of new derivatives as, due to the multifactorial nature of AD, molecules that modulate the activity of a single protein target are unable to significantly modify the progression of the disease. In particular, the indanone core from donepezil was linked to the phenyl-N-methylbenzylamino moiety from AP2238, through a double bond that was kept to evaluate the role of a lower flexibility in the biological activities. Moreover, SAR studies were performed to evaluate the role of different substituents in position 5 or 6 of the indanone ring in the interaction with the PAS, introducing also alkyl chains of different lengths carrying different amines at one end. Derivatives 21 and 22 proved to be the most active within the series and their potencies against AChE were in the same order of magnitude of the reference compounds. Compounds 15, 21-22, with a 5-carbon alkyl chain bearing an amino moiety at one end, better contacting the PAS, remarkably improved the inhibition of AChE-induced Abeta aggregation with respect to the reference compounds. They also showed activity against self-aggregation of Abeta(42) peptide, the most amyloidogenic form of amyloid produced in AD brains, while the reference compounds resulted completely ineffective.

Highly efficient, enantioselective syntheses of (S)-(+)- and (R)-(-)-dapoxetine starting with 3-phenyl-1-propanol.

A highly efficient, enantioselective sequence has been developed for the synthesis of (S)- and (R)-dapoxetine. The pathways involve the intermediacy of the 6-membered-ring sulfamate esters 4, which were generated by Du Bois asymmetric C-H amination reactions of the prochiral sulfamate 3, catalyzed by the chiral dirhodium(II) complexes. During the course of our research, the absolute configuration of the enantiomer of 4-pheny[1,2,3]oxathiazinane 2,2-dioxide (4r), prepared by the Du Bois asymmetric C-H amination reaction of 3 and the Rh(2)(S-nap)(4) catalyst, is determined to be R and not S as was originally reported.

Novel immunoconjugates comprised of streptonigrin and 17-amino-geldanamycin attached via a dipeptide-p-aminobenzyl-amine linker system.

Cytotoxic agents streptonigrin and 17-amino-geldanamycin were linked to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), forming antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for antigen-mediated targeting to cancer cells. The drugs were conjugated with a linker construct that is labile to lysosomal proteases and incorporates a valine-alanine-p-aminobenzyl (PAB)-amino linkage for direct attachment to the electron-deficient amine functional groups present in both drugs. The resulting ADCs release drug following internalization into antigen-positive cancer cells. The drug linkers were conjugated to mAbs cAC10 (anti-CD30) and h1F6 (anti-CD70) via alkylation of reduced interchain disulfides to give ADCs loaded with 4 drugs/mAb. The streptonigrin ADCs were potent and immunologically specific on a panel of cancer cell lines in vitro and in a Hodgkin lymphoma xenograft model. We conclude that streptonigrin ADCs are candidates for further research, and that the novel linker system used to make them is well-suited for the conjugation of cytotoxic agents containing electron-deficient amine functional groups.

Discovery of a new family of bis-8-hydroxyquinoline substituted benzylamines with pro-apoptotic activity in cancer cells: synthesis, structure-activity relationship, and action mechanism studies.

Bis-8-hydroxyquinoline substituted benzylamines have been synthesized and screened for their antitumor activity on KB3 cell line model. Synthesis of this series of new analogues was accomplished using a one pot specific methodology which allows the synthesis of both bis- and mono-8-hydroxyquinoline substituted benzylamines. Among the synthesized compounds two compounds (4a and 5a), respectively, named JLK 1472 and JLK 1486, were particularly potent on KB3 cell line. Their CC(50) values being, respectively, 2.6 and 1.3 nM. Screened on a panel of cell lines showing various phenotype alterations, both compounds were found inactive on some cell lines such as PC3 (prostate cell line) and SF268 (neuroblastoma cell line) while highly active on other different cell lines. Mechanistic studies reveal that these two analogues did not affect tubulin and microtubules neither they exert a proteasomal inhibition effect. In contrast 4a and 5a activate specifically caspase 3/7 and not caspase 8 and 9, suggesting that their biological target should be located upstream from caspase 3/7. Moreover their cytotoxic effect is potentiated by the pro-apoptotic effects of TRAIL.