A3 Adenosine Receptors as Modulators of Inflammation: From Medicinal Chemistry to Therapy.

The A3 adenosine receptor (A3 AR) subtype is a novel, promising therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriasis, as well as liver cancer. A3 AR is coupled to inhibition of adenylyl cyclase and regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, leading to modulation of transcription. Furthermore, A3 AR affects functions of almost all immune cells and the proliferation of cancer cells. Numerous A3 AR agonists, partial agonists, antagonists, and allosteric modulators have been reported, and their structure-activity relationships (SARs) have been studied culminating in the development of potent and selective molecules with drug-like characteristics. The efficacy of nucleoside agonists may be suppressed to produce antagonists, by structural modification of the ribose moiety. Diverse classes of heterocycles have been discovered as selective A3 AR blockers, although with large species differences. Thus, as a result of intense basic research efforts, the outlook for development of A3 AR modulators for human therapeutics is encouraging. Two prototypical selective agonists, N6-(3-Iodobenzyl)adenosine-5'-N-methyluronamide (IB-MECA; CF101) and 2-chloro-N6-(3-iodobenzyl)-adenosine-5'-N-methyluronamide (Cl-IB-MECA; CF102), have progressed to advanced clinical trials. They were found safe and well tolerated in all preclinical and human clinical studies and showed promising results, particularly in psoriasis and RA, where the A3 AR is both a promising therapeutic target and a biologically predictive marker, suggesting a personalized medicine approach. Targeting the A3 AR may pave the way for safe and efficacious treatments for patient populations affected by inflammatory diseases, cancer, and other conditions.

Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Clinical Implications of TRPV1 Receptor Antagonists.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is an ion channel expressed on sensory neurons triggering an influx of cations. TRPV1 receptors function as homotetramers responsive to heat, proinflammatory substances, lipoxygenase products, resiniferatoxin, endocannabinoids, protons, and peptide toxins. Its phosphorylation increases sensitivity to both chemical and thermal stimuli, while desensitization involves a calcium-dependent mechanism resulting in receptor dephosphorylation. TRPV1 functions as a sensor of noxious stimuli and may represent a target to avoid pain and injury. TRPV1 activation has been associated to chronic inflammatory pain and peripheral neuropathy. Its expression is also detected in nonneuronal areas such as bladder, lungs, and cochlea where TRPV1 activation is responsible for pathology development of cystitis, asthma, and hearing loss. This review offers a comprehensive overview about TRPV1 receptor in the pathophysiology of chronic pain, epilepsy, cough, bladder disorders, diabetes, obesity, and hearing loss, highlighting how drug development targeting this channel could have a clinical therapeutic potential. Furthermore, it summarizes the advances of medicinal chemistry research leading to the identification of highly selective TRPV1 antagonists and their analysis of structure-activity relationships (SARs) focusing on new strategies to target this channel.

Pyrrolo- and pyrazolo-[3,4-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines as adenosine receptor antagonists.

The discovery and development of adenosine receptor antagonists have represented for years an attractive field of research from the perspective of identifying new drugs for the treatment of widespread disorders such as inflammation, asthma and Parkinson's disease. The present work can be considered as an extension of our structure-activity relationship studies on the pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine (PTP) nucleus, extensively investigated by us as a useful template, in particular, for the identification of A(2A) and A(3) adenosine receptor antagonists. In order to explore the role of the nitrogen at the 7-position, we performed a new synthetic strategy for the preparation of pyrrolo[3,4-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine derivatives which can be considered as 7-deaza analogues of the parent PTPs. We also synthesised a novel series of pyrazolo[3,4-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines as junction isomers of the reference compounds. In both cases we obtained some examples of potent antagonists (K(i) in the low nanomolar range) with variable selectivity profiles in relation to the nature of substituents introduced at the C(5)-, N(8)- and/or N(9)-positions. The pyrrolo-triazolo-pyrimidine derivative 9b appeared to be a potent A(3) adenosine receptor antagonist (K(i)=10 nM) with good selectivity over hA(1) (74-fold) and hA(2A) (20-fold) adenosine receptors combined with low activity at the hA(2B) subtype (IC(50)=906 nM). Moreover, some examples of high-affinity A(1)/A(2A) dual antagonists have been identified in both series. This work constitutes a new and important contribution for the comprehension of the interaction between PTPs and adenosine receptors.

7-Substituted-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine-2,4-dione derivatives as antagonists of the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel: a promising approach for treating pain and inflammation.

The transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel is activated by a series of by-products of oxidative/nitrative stress, produced under inflammatory conditions or in the case of tissue damage, thus generating inflammatory and neuropathic pain and neurogenic inflammatory responses. These findings have identified TRPA1 as an emerging opportunity for the design and synthesis of selective inhibitors as potential analgesic and antiinflammatory agents. Herein we present the synthesis and functional evaluation of a new series of 7-substituted-1,3-dimethyl-1,5-dihydro-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine-2,4-dione derivatives designed as TRPA1 antagonists. A small library of compounds has been built by the introduction of differently substituted N(7)-phenylacetamide or N(7)-[4-(substituted-phenyl)-thiazol-2-yl]-acetamide chains. All the synthesized compounds were assayed to evaluate their ability to block acrolein-mediated activation of native human and rat TRPA1 channels employing a fluorometric calcium imaging assay. Our study led us to the identification of compound 3h which showed considerably improved potency (IC(50)=400nM) against human TRPA1 with regard to some of the most representative antagonists previously reported and integrated in our screening program as reference compounds. In addition, 3h proved to maintain its efficacy toward rTRPA1, which designates it as a possible candidate for future evaluation of in vivo efficacy in rodent animal model of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

Discovery of 1,5-Diphenylpyrazole-3-Carboxamide Derivatives as Potent, Reversible, and Selective Monoacylglycerol Lipase (MAGL) Inhibitors.

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is a serine hydrolase that plays an important role in the degradation of the endocannabinoid neurotransmitter 2-arachidonoylglycerol, which is implicated in many physiological processes. Beyond the possible utilization of MAGL inhibitors as anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, and anticancer agents, their application has encountered obstacles due to the unwanted effects caused by the irreversible inhibition of this enzyme. The possible application of reversible MAGL inhibitors has only recently been explored, mainly due to the deficiency of known compounds possessing efficient reversible inhibitory activities. In this work, we report a new series of reversible MAGL inhibitors. Among them, compound 26 showed to be a potent MAGL inhibitor (IC50 = 0.51 µM, Ki = 412 nM) with a good selectivity versus fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), α/ß-hydrolase domain-containing 6 (ABHD6), and 12 (ABHD12). Interestingly, this compound also possesses antiproliferative activities against two different cancer cell lines and relieves the neuropathic hypersensitivity induced in vivo by oxaliplatin.

Synthesis and structure activity relationship investigation of triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines as CB2 cannabinoid receptor inverse agonists.

CB2 cannabinoid receptor ligands are known to be therapeutically important for the treatment of numerous diseases. Recently, we have identified the heteroaryl-4-oxopyridine/7-oxopyrimidine derivatives as highly potent and selective CB2 receptor ligands, showing that the pharmakodynamics of the new compounds was controlled by the nature of the heterocycle core. In this paper we describe the synthesis and biological evaluation of 7-oxo-4-pentyl-4,7-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxamide derivatives that led to the identification of novel CB2 receptor inverse agonists. Cyclic AMP experiments on CB2 receptors expressed in CHO cells revealed that introduction of structural modifications at position 2 of triazolopyrimidine template changes the functional activity from partial to inverse agonism. The molecular docking analysis of the novel structures is reported.

One-pot reaction to obtain N,N'-disubstituted guanidines of pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine scaffold as human A3 adenosine receptor antagonists.

In this paper we describe an extension SAR study of pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine nucleus as A3AR antagonist. Our initial aim was to replace the phenylcarbamoyl moiety at the 5 position of PTP nucleus with a thiourea functionality to evaluate the contribution of new structural modification against the A3AR. The synthesized 12-25 were not characterized by the predicted side chain but by a 1,3-disubstituted guanidine and are shown to be interesting A3AR antagonists.

Pyrazole phenylcyclohexylcarbamates as inhibitors of human fatty acid amide hydrolases (FAAH).

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitors have gained attention as potential therapeutic targets in the management of neuropathic pain. Here, we report a series of pyrazole phenylcyclohexylcarbamate derivatives standing on the known carbamoyl FAAH inhibitor URB597. Structural modifications led to the recognition of compound 22 that inhibited human recombinant FAAH (hrFAAH) in the low nanomolar range (IC50 = 11 nM). The most active compounds of this series showed significant selectivity toward monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) enzyme. In addition, molecular modeling and reversibility behavior of the new class of FAAH inhibitors are presented in this article.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel 2-((2-(4-(substituted)phenylpiperazin-1-yl)ethyl)amino)-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosines as potent and selective agonists of the A2A adenosine receptor.

Stimulation of A2A adenosine receptors (AR) promotes anti-inflammatory responses in animal models of allergic rhinitis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and rheumatic diseases. Herein we describe the results of a research program aimed at identifying potent and selective agonists of the A2AAR as potential anti-inflammatory agents. The recent crystallographic analysis of A2AAR agonists and antagonists in complex with the receptor provided key information on the structural determinants leading to receptor activation or blocking. In light of this, we designed a new series of 2-((4-aryl(alkyl)piperazin-1-yl)alkylamino)-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosines with high A2AAR affinity, activation potency and selectivity obtained by merging distinctive structural elements of known agonists and antagonists of the investigated target. Docking-based SAR optimization allowed us to identify compound 42 as one of the most potent and selective A2A agonist discovered so far (Ki hA2AAR = 4.8 nM, EC50 hA2AAR = 4.9 nM, Ki hA1AR > 10 000 nM, Ki hA3AR = 1487 nM, EC50 hA2BAR > 10 000 nM).

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel allosteric enhancers of the A1 adenosine receptor based on 2-amino-3-(4'-chlorobenzoyl)-4-substituted-5-arylethynyl thiophene.

A Sonogashira coupling strategy was employed to synthesize a new series of allosteric modulators for the A1 adenosine receptor based on the 2-amino-3-(p-chlorobenzoyl)-4-substituted thiophene skeleton, with a two-carbon (rigid or flexible) linker between the 5-position of the thiophene ring and a (hetero)aryl or alkyl moiety. Among the compounds characterized by the presence of a common phenylacetylene moiety at the 5-position of the thiophene ring, the neopentyl substitution at the 4-position supported a strong activity. In the series of 4-neopentyl derivatives, the presence of an acetylene spacer at the 5-position of the thiophene is optimal for activity, whereas reduction of the acetylene to an ethyl moiety decreased activity, both in functional and binding assays. Derivatives 4e, 4g-h, 4j, 4l, and 4m were the most promising compounds in binding (saturation and competition) and functional cAMP studies, being able to potentiate agonist [(3)H]CCPA binding to the A1 receptor, with 4e as the best compound of the series. The latter compound also retarded the dissociation of another radiolabeled agonist, [(3)H]NECA, from the receptor.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-(alkoxycarbonyl)-3-anilinobenzo[b]thiophenes and thieno[2,3-b]pyridines as new potent anticancer agents.

Two new series of inhibitors of tubulin polymerization based on the 2-(alkoxycarbonyl)-3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyanilino)benzo[b]thiophene and thieno[2,3-b]pyridine molecular skeletons were synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activity on a panel of cancer cell lines, inhibition of tubulin polymerization, cell cycle effects, and in vivo potency. Antiproliferative activity was strongly dependent on the position of the methyl group on the benzene portion of the benzo[b]thiophene nucleus, with the greatest activity observed when the methyl was located at the C-6 position. Also, in the smaller thieno[2,3-b]pyridine series, the introduction of the methyl group at the C-6 position resulted in improvement of antiproliferative activity to the nanomolar level. The most active compounds (4i and 4n) did not induce cell death in normal human lymphocytes, suggesting that the compounds may be selective against cancer cells. Compound 4i significantly inhibited in vivo the growth of a syngeneic hepatocellular carcinoma in Balb/c mice.

Design, synthesis, and pharmacological properties of new heteroarylpyridine/heteroarylpyrimidine derivatives as CB(2) cannabinoid receptor partial agonists.

Recent developments indicate that CB(2) receptor ligands have the potential to become therapeutically important. To explore this potential, it is necessary to develop compounds with high affinity for the CB(2) receptor. Very recently, we have identified the oxazinoquinoline carboxamides as a novel class of CB(2) receptor full agonists. In this paper we describe the medicinal chemistry of a new series of heteroaryl-4-oxopyridine/7-oxopyrimidine derivatives. Some of the reported compounds showed high affinity and potency at the CB(2) receptor while showing only modest affinity for the centrally expressed CB(1) cannabinoid receptor. Moreover, we found that the functionality of these ligands is controlled by the nature of the heteroaryl function condensed with the pyridine ring. In 3,5-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) assays, the novel series show dose-dependent effects on the modulation of forskolin-induced cAMP production, revealing different behaviors as full agonists, partial agonists, and inverse agonists.

Discovery of 7-oxopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxamides as potent and selective CB(2) cannabinoid receptor inverse agonists.

We recently described the medicinal chemistry of a new series of heteroaryl-4-oxopyridine/7-oxopyrimidines as CB2 receptor partial agonists, showing that the functionality of these ligands is controlled by the nature of the heteroaryl function condensed with the pyridine ring. We describe herein the design and synthesis of the 7-oxopyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine-6-carboxamides, structural isomers of our previously reported pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines. All of the new compounds showed high affinity and selectivity for the CB2 receptor in the nanomolar range. In 3,5-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) assays, the novel series shows stimulatory effects on forskolin-induced cAMP production acting as inverse agonists.

Synthesis and biological effects of novel 2-amino-3-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-4-substituted thiophenes as allosteric enhancers of the A1 adenosine receptor.

Allosteric enhancers for the A1 adenosine receptor represent a novel and unique drug design strategy to augment the response to endogenous adenosine in a site- and event-specific manner. We have previously investigated a detailed structure-activity relationship study around a wide series of 2-amino-3-aroyl-4-[(4-arylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl]thiophene derivatives as potent allosteric enhancers of the A1 adenosine receptor. In this manuscript we report our investigation on the influence on allosteric enhancer activity of further substitution at the 4-position of the 2-amino-3-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-thiophene system to explore bulk tolerance by replacement of the arylpiperazine moiety with a series of fused indole nuclei corresponding to 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indole, 1,2,3,4,10,10a-hexahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indole, tetrahydro-γ-carboline, tetrahydroisoquinoline, spiro-1,3-benzodioxolepiperidine, aliphatic tertiary amine, N-alkylaniline, aryl ether and aryl thioether templates. The 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indole derivatives 3a-c and 3e were the most active compounds in binding (saturation and competition) and functional cAMP studies, being able to potentiate agonist [(3)H]CCPA binding to the A1 receptor. This study also shows that it is possible to obtain a good separation between allosteric enhancement and antagonistic activity at the A1 adenosine receptor.

Concise synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-Aroyl-5-amino benzo[b]thiophene derivatives as a novel class of potent antimitotic agents.

The biological importance of microtubules make them an interesting target for the synthesis of antitumor agents. The 2-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)-5-aminobenzo[b]thiophene moiety was identified as a novel scaffold for the preparation of potent inhibitors of microtubule polymerization acting through the colchicine site of tubulin. The position of the methoxy group on the benzo[b]thiophene was important for maximal antiproliferative activity. Structure-activity relationship analysis established that the best activities were obtained with amino and methoxy groups placed at the C-5 and C-7 positions, respectively. Compounds 3c-e showed more potent inhibition of tubulin polymerization than combretastatin A-4 and strong binding to the colchicine site. These compounds also demonstrated substantial antiproliferative activity, with IC50 values ranging from 2.6 to 18 nM in a variety of cancer cell lines. Importantly, compound 3c (50 mg/kg), significantly inhibited the growth of the human osteosarcoma MNNG/HOS xenograft in nude mice.

7-Oxo-[1,4]oxazino[2,3,4-ij]quinoline-6-carboxamides as selective CB(2) cannabinoid receptor ligands: structural investigations around a novel class of full agonists.

Cannabinoid receptor agonists have gained attention as potential therapeutic targets of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Here, we report the identification and optimization of a series of 7-oxo-[1,4]oxazino[2,3,4-ij]quinoline-6-carboxamide derivatives as a novel chemotype of selective cannabinoid CB(2) receptor agonists. Structural modifications led to the identification of several compounds as potent and selective cannabinoid receptor agonists (20, hCB(2)K(i) = 2.5 nM, SI = 166; 21, hCB(2)K(i) = 0.81 nM, SI = 383; 38, hCB(2)K(i) = 15.8 nM, SI > 633; 56, hCB(2)K(i) = 8.12 nM, SI > 1231; (R)-58, hCB(2)K(i) = 9.24 nM, SI > 1082). The effect of a chiral center on the biological activity was also investigated, and it was found that the (R)-enantiomers exhibited greater affinity at the CB(2) receptor than the (S)-enantiomers. In 3,5-cyclic adenosine monophosphate assays, the novel series behaved as agonists, exhibiting functional activity at the human CB(2) receptor.

Discovery and optimization of a series of 2-aryl-4-amino-5-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)thiazoles as novel anticancer agents.

A new series of tubulin polymerization inhibitors based on the 2-aryl/heteroaryl-4-amino-5-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)thiazole scaffold was synthesized and evaluated for growth inhibition activity on a panel of cancer cell lines, cell cycle effects, and in vivo potency. Structure-activity relationships were elucidated with various substitutions at the 2-position of the thiazole skeleton. Hydrophobic moieties, such as phenyl and 3-thienyl, were well tolerated at this position, and variation of the phenyl substituents had remarkable effects on potency. The most active compound (3b) induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway with activation of caspase-3. We also showed that it has potential antivascular activity since it reduced in vitro endothelial cell migration and disrupted capillary-like tube formation at noncytotoxic concentrations. Furthermore, compound 3b significantly reduced the growth of the HT-29 xenograft in a nude mouse model, suggesting that 3b is a promising new antimitotic agent with clinical potential.

Water-soluble pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines as human A3 adenosine receptor antagonists.

A relevant problem of the pyrazolo[4,3-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine nucleus, an attractive scaffold for the preparation of adenosine receptor antagonists, is the low water solubility. We originally functionalized the C(5) position with a salifiable 4-pyridylcarbamoyl moiety that conferred good water solubility at low pH (<4.0) but poor solubility at physiologic pH, indicative of the dissociation of the pyridinium species. Here we replaced the pyridin-4-yl moiety with a 1-(substituted)piperidin-4-yl ring to exploit the higher basicity of this nucleus and for the the possibility to generate stable, water-soluble salts. The hydrochloride salt of the 1-(cyclohexylmethyl)piperidin-4-yl derivative (10, K(i)(hA(3)) = 9.7 nM, IC(50)(hA(3)) = 30 nM, K(i)(hA(1)/hA(3)) = 351, K(i)(hA(2A)/hA(3)) > 515, IC(50)(hA(2B)) > 5 µM) showed a solubility of 8 mg/mL at physiological pH and gave a stable aqueous system suitable for intravenous infusion. Molecular modeling studies were helpful in rationalizing the available structure-activity relationships and the selectivity profile of the new ligands.

Synthesis and evaluation of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles as rigid analogues of combretastatin A-4 with potent antiproliferative and antitumor activity.

Tubulin, the major structural component of microtubules, is a target for the development of anticancer agents. Two series of 1,5-diaryl substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrazoles were concisely synthesized, using a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction, and identified as potent antiproliferative agents and novel tubulin polymerization inhibitors that act at the colchicine site. SAR analysis indicated that compounds with a 4-ethoxyphenyl group at the N-1 or C-5 position of the 1,2,3,4-tetrazole ring exhibited maximal activity. Several of these compounds also had potent activity in inhibiting the growth of multidrug resistant cells overexpressing P-glycoprotein. Active compounds induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway with activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Furthermore, compound 4l significantly reduced in vivo the growth of the HT-29 xenograft in a nude mouse model, suggesting that 4l is a promising new antimitotic agent with clinical potential.