Synthesis of Cyclic and Acyclic ortho-Aryloxy Diaryliodonium Salts for Chemoselective Functionalizations.

Two regioselective, high-yielding one-pot routes to oxygen-bridged cyclic diaryliodonium salts and ortho-aryloxy-substituted acyclic diaryliodonium salts are presented. Starting from easily available ortho-iodo diaryl ethers, complete selectivity in formation of either the cyclic or acyclic product could be achieved by varying the reaction conditions. The complimentary reactivities of these novel ortho-oxygenated iodonium salts were demonstrated through a series of chemoselective arylations under metal-catalyzed and metal-free conditions, to deliver a range of novel, ortho-functionalized diaryl ether derivatives.

Development towards a novel screening method for nipecotic acid bioisosteres using molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) as alternative to in vitro cellular uptake assays.

Impaired expression of GABA transporters (GATs) is closely related to the pathogenesis of among others Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. As such, lipophilic nipecotic acid analogs have been extensively studied as GAT1-addressing drugs and radioligands but suffer from limited brain uptake due to the zwitterionic properties of the nipecotic acid moiety. Bioisosteric replacement of the carboxylic acid group is a promising strategy to improve the brain uptake, though it requires knowledge on the binding of these isosteres to GAT1. To screen nipecotic acid isosteres for their affinity to GAT1 in a time- and cost-effective manner, this research aims to develop a molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) that mimics the natural binding site of GAT1 and can act as an alternative screening tool to the current radiometric and mass spectrometry cellular-based assays. To this end, a nipecotic acid MIP was created using the electropolymerization of ortho-phenylenediamine (oPD) by cyclic voltammetry (CV). The optimization of the generated receptor layer was achieved by varying the scan rate (50-250 mV/s) and number of CV cycles (5-12), yielding an optimized MIP with an average imprinting factor of 2.6, a linear range of 1-1000 nm, and a theoretical LOD of 0.05 nm, as analyzed by electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Selectivity studies facilitated the investigation of major binding interactions between the MIP and the substrate, building an experimental model that compares characteristics of various analogs. Results from this model indicate that the substrate carboxylic acid group plays a more important role in binding than an amine group, after comparing the binding of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (average IF of 1.7) and piperidine (average IF of 0.46). The research culminates in a discussion regarding the feasibility of the in vitro model, comparing the synthetic system against the biological performance of GAT1. Thus, evaluating if it is possible to generate a synthetic GAT1 mimic, and if so, provide directions for follow-up research.

Visualizing GABA transporters in vivo: an overview of reported radioligands and future directions.

By clearing GABA from the synaptic cleft, GABA transporters (GATs) play an essential role in inhibitory neurotransmission. Consequently, in vivo visualization of GATs can be a valuable diagnostic tool and biomarker for various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Not surprisingly, in recent years several research attempts to develop a radioligand have been conducted, but so far none have led to suitable radioligands that allow imaging of GATs. Here, we provide an overview of the radioligands that were developed with a focus on GAT1, since this is the most abundant transporter and most of the research concerns this GAT subtype. Initially, we focus on the field of GAT1 inhibitors, after which we discuss the development of GAT1 radioligands based on these inhibitors. We hypothesize that the radioligands developed so far have been unsuccessful due to the zwitterionic nature of their nipecotic acid moiety. To overcome this problem, the use of non-classical GAT inhibitors as basis for GAT1 radioligands or the use of carboxylic acid bioisosteres may be considered. As the latter structural modification has already been used in the field of GAT1 inhibitors, this option seems particularly viable and could lead to the development of more successful GAT1 radioligands in the future.