Targeting the muscarinic M1 receptor with a selective, brain-penetrant antagonist to promote remyelination in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and debilitating neurological disease that results in inflammatory demyelination. While endogenous remyelination helps to recover function, this restorative process tends to become less efficient over time. Currently, intense efforts aimed at the mechanisms that promote remyelination are being considered promising therapeutic approaches. The M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M1R) was previously identified as a negative regulator of oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination. Here, we validate M1R as a target for remyelination by characterizing expression in human and rodent oligodendroglial cells (including those in human MS tissue) using a highly selective M1R probe. As a breakthrough to conventional methodology, we conjugated a fluorophore to a highly M1R selective peptide (MT7) which targets the M1R in the subnanomolar range. This allows for exceptional detection of M1R protein expression in the human CNS. More importantly, we introduce PIPE-307, a brain-penetrant, small-molecule antagonist with favorable drug-like properties that selectively targets M1R. We evaluate PIPE-307 in a series of in vitro and in vivo studies to characterize potency and selectivity for M1R over M2-5R and confirm the sufficiency of blocking this receptor to promote differentiation and remyelination. Further, PIPE-307 displays significant efficacy in the mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model of MS as evaluated by quantifying disability, histology, electron microscopy, and visual evoked potentials. Together, these findings support targeting M1R for remyelination and support further development of PIPE-307 for clinical studies.

Discovery of a brain penetrant small molecule antagonist targeting LPA1 receptors to reduce neuroinflammation and promote remyelination in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease characterized by inflammatory demyelination that disrupts neuronal transmission resulting in neurodegeneration progressive disability. While current treatments focus on immunosuppression to limit inflammation and further myelin loss, no approved therapies effectively promote remyelination to mitigate the progressive disability associated with chronic demyelination. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a pro-inflammatory lipid that is upregulated in MS patient plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). LPA activates the LPA1 receptor, resulting in elevated CNS cytokine and chemokine levels, infiltration of immune cells, and microglial/astrocyte activation. This results in a neuroinflammatory response leading to demyelination and suppressed remyelination. A medicinal chemistry effort identified PIPE-791, an oral, brain-penetrant, LPA1 antagonist. PIPE-791 was characterized in vitro and in vivo and was found to be a potent, selective LPA1 antagonist with slow receptor off-rate kinetics. In vitro, PIPE-791 induced OPC differentiation and promoted remyelination following a demyelinating insult. PIPE-791 further mitigated the macrophage-mediated inhibition of OPC differentiation and inhibited microglial and fibroblast activation. In vivo, the compound readily crossed the blood-brain barrier and blocked LPA1 in the CNS after oral dosing. Direct dosing of PIPE-791 in vivo increased oligodendrocyte number, and in the mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS, we observed that PIPE-791 promoted myelination, reduced neuroinflammation, and restored visual evoked potential latencies (VEP). These findings support targeting LPA1 for remyelination and encourage development of PIPE-791 for treating MS patients with advantages not seen with current immunosuppressive disease modifying therapies.

Aminoalkylation of [1.1.1]Propellane Enables Direct Access to High-Value 3-Alkylbicyclo[1.1.1]pentan-1-amines.

Bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes are effective bioisoteres for aromatic rings, tert-butyl groups, and alkynes. Here we report the first method to synthesize 3-alkylbicyclo[1.1.1]pentan-1-amines directly from [1.1.1]propellane via sequential addition of magnesium amides and alkyl electrophiles. The mild reaction conditions tolerate a variety of important functional groups and enable efficient incorporation of several pharmaceutically relevant amines onto the bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane scaffold. This method's utility is highlighted by its ability to significantly streamline the syntheses of several important bicyclo[1.1.1]pentan-1-amine building blocks.

Theoretical and experimental studies on the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of ketones and the effect of alpha-halo substituents.

The Baeyer-Villiger reactions of acetone and 3-pentanone, including their fluorinated and chlorinated derivatives, with performic acid have been studied by ab initio and DFT calculations. Results are compared with experimental findings for the Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of aliphatic fluoro and chloroketones. According to theoretical results, the first transition state is rate-determining for all substrates even in the presence of acid catalyst. Although the introduction of acid into the reaction pathway leads to a dramatic decrease in the activation energy for the first transition state (TS), once entropy is included in the calculations, the enthalpic gain is lost. Of all substrates examined, pentanone reacts with performic acid via the lowest energy transition state. The second transition state is also lowest for pentanone, illustrating the accelerating effect of the additional alkyl group. Interestingly, there is only a small energetic difference in the transition states leading to migration of the fluorinated substituent versus the alkyl substituent in fluoropentanone and fluoroacetone. These differences match remarkably well with the experimentally obtained ratios of oxidation at the fluorinated and nonfluorinated carbons in a series of aliphatic ketones (calculated, 0.3 kcal/mol, observed, 0.5 kcal/mol), which are reported herein. The migration of the chlorinated substituent is significantly more difficult than that of the alkyl, with a difference in the second transition state of approximately 2.6 kcal/mol.

Regio- and enantiocontrol in the room-temperature hydroboration of vinyl arenes with pinacol borane.

The catalyzed hydroboration of vinyl arenes was carried out using pinacol borane instead of catechol borane, as the former reagent and the product boronates are significantly easier to handle. By careful choice of catalyst, either the branched or the linear product can be obtained in greater than 96% selectivity. Interestingly, common ligands such as BINAP and Josiphos give opposite asymmetric induction with pinacol borane as compared with catechol borane, while P,N-ligands such as Quinap gave the same sense of induction. The hydroboration of 6-methoxynaphthalene proceeded with the greatest regio- (95:5) and enantioselectivity (94:6) of all vinyl arenes examined. The hydroboration product was then employed in a concise synthesis of the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agent, Naproxen.