Synthesis, biological evaluation and SAR of 3-benzoates of ingenol for treatment of actinic keratosis and non-melanoma skin cancer.

Ingenol 3-benzoates were investigated with respect to chemical stability, pro-inflammatory effects, cell death induction and PKCδ activation. A correlation between structure, chemical stability and biological activity was found and compared to ingenol mebutate (ingenol 3-angelate) used for field treatment of actinic keratosis. We also provided further support for involvement of PKCδ for induction of oxidative burst and cytokine release. Molecular modeling and dynamics calculations corroborated the essential interactions between key compounds and C1 domain of PKCδ.

Syntheses, biological evaluation and SAR of ingenol mebutate analogues for treatment of actinic keratosis and non-melanoma skin cancer.

Ingenol mebutate is the active ingredient in Picato® a new drug for the treatment of actinic keratosis. A number of derivatives related to ingenol mebutate were prepared by chemical synthesis from ingenol with the purpose of investigating the SAR and potency in assays relating to pro-inflammatory effects (induction of PMN oxidative burst and keratinocyte cytokine release), the potential of cell death induction, as well as the chemical stability. By modifications of the ingenol scaffold several prerequisites for activity were identified. The chemical stability of the compounds could be linked to an acyl migration mechanism. We were able to find analogues of ingenol mebutate with comparable in vitro properties. Some key features for potent and more stable ingenol derivatives have been identified.

Ingenol Disoxate: A Novel 4-Isoxazolecarboxylate Ester of Ingenol with Improved Properties for Treatment of Actinic Keratosis and Other Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers.

INTRODUCTION: Ingenol mebutate gel (Picato®, LEO Pharma A/S) is approved for the field treatment of actinic keratosis and is characterized by high sustained clearance of actinic lesions. The inherent propensity of ingenol mebutate towards chemical rearrangement necessitates refrigeration of the final product. We sought to identify novel ingenol derivatives with enhanced chemical stability and similar or improved in vitro potency and in vivo efficacy. METHODS: A number of ingenol esters were synthesized with full regiocontrol from ingenol. Chemical stability was determined in aqueous buffer at physiological pH and hydroalcoholic gel at lower pH. Acute cytotoxicity was determined in HeLa or HSC-5 cells. Keratinocyte proliferation, viability and caspase 3/7 activation was measured in primary epidermal keratinocytes. Relative gene expression levels were determined by real-time quantitative PCR. Evaluation of in vivo tumor ablating potential was performed in the murine B16 melanoma mouse model and in the UV-induced skin carcinogenesis model in hairless SKH-1 mice following topical treatment for two consecutive days with test compounds formulated at 0.1% in a hydroalcoholic gel. RESULTS: This work resulted in the identification of ingenol disoxate (LEO 43204) displaying increased stability in a clinically relevant formulation and in aqueous buffer with minimal pH-dependent acyl migration degradation. Ingenol disoxate exhibited a significantly higher cytotoxic potency relative to ingenol mebutate. Likewise, cell growth arrest in normal human keratinocyte was more potently induced by ingenol disoxate, which was accompanied by protein kinase C dependent transcription of markers of keratinocyte differentiation. Most notably, ingenol disoxate possessed a superior antitumor effect in a B16 mouse melanoma model and significantly increased median survival time relative to ingenol mebutate. A significant effect on tumor ablation was also observed in a murine model of ultraviolet irradiation-induced skin carcinogenesis. CONCLUSION: These data illustrate that the favorable in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties driving ingenol mebutate efficacy are either preserved or improved in ingenol disoxate. In combination with improved chemical stability to potentially facilitate storage of the final product at ambient temperatures, these features support further development of ingenol disoxate as a convenient and efficacious treatment modality of non-melanoma skin cancers. FUNDING: LEO Pharma A/S.

Indolin-2-ones with high in vivo efficacy in a model for multiple sclerosis.

The known KDR inhibitor SU5416 and several analogues of the indolin-2-one family were surprisingly found to be highly efficacious in the EAE model, an established model for multiple sclerosis. The high in vivo effect could be correlated to in vitro inhibition of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-2. Activity following po administration was obtained with several analogues and via the use of prodrugs.

Equatorial contra axial polar substituents. The relation of a chemical reaction to stereochemical substituent constants.

The established rates of glycoside hydrolysis reactions were analyzed using free energy relationship plots based on substituent constants that depend on whether the substituent is axial or equatorial. In all cases good correlations were found when assuming either that the transition state had a charged ring-oxygen atom or that it had a charged anomeric carbon atom. The spontaneous hydrolysis of 2,4-dinitrophenyl beta-glycopyranosides and the acidic hydrolysis of methyl beta-D-glycopyranosides were found to give a good correlation, when 100% charge at the ring-oxygen in the transition state of these reactions is assumed. The acidic hydrolysis of methyl alpha-glycopyranosides was found to give good correlations regardless of whether 100% charge at the ring-oxygen or 100% charge at the anomeric carbon was assumed. The findings clearly demonstrate how crucial the stereochemistry of even remote polar substituents is for their electronic effect on chemical reaction.

Rapid and efficient microwave-assisted synthesis of aryl aminobenzophenones using Pd-catalyzed amination.

Substituted aryl aminobenzophenone p38 MAP kinase inhibitors were synthesized in good to excellent yields using palladium-catalyzed aryl amination under conditions of microwave irradiation. Various ligands have been screened, and the reaction conditions were optimized. These coupling reactions are suitable for various anilines and aryl bromides that bear a variety of functional groups. Some leaving groups (iodides, chlorides, triflates, and tosylates) other than bromides have also been investigated. By this method, a large number of aryl aminobenzophenone p38 MAP kinase inhibitors were prepared in short order.

Isofagomine lactams, synthesis and enzyme inhibition.

The synthesis of isofagomine lactams (2-oxoisofagomines) corresponding to the biologically important hexoses is presented. The D-glucose/D-mannose analogue (3S,4R,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-hydroxymethylpiperidin-2-one (9) was synthesised in 9 steps from D-arabinose, the D-galactose analogue (3S,4S,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-hydroxymethylpiperidin-2-one (10) was synthesised in 11 steps from D-arabinose and the L-fucose analogue (3R,4R,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-methylpiperidin-2-one (11) was synthesised in 12 steps from L-arabinose. The three lactams 9-11 were found to be glycosidase inhibitors with micro- to nanomolar inhibition constants. The lactam 10 showed slow onset inhibition of beta-galactosidase from A. Oryzae. The rate constants for this process were determined to be k(on) = 2.55 x 10(4) M-1 s-1 and k(off) = 1.7 x 10(-3) s-1. The activation energies and standard thermodynamic functions were also determined.