1,3-Disubstituted-1,2,4-triazin-6-ones with potent activity against androgen receptor-dependent prostate cancer cells.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a small, focused library of 1,3-disubstituted-1,2,4-triazin-6-ones for in vitro inhibitory activity against androgen-receptor-dependent (22Rv1) and androgen-receptor independent (PC3) castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells led to highly active compounds with in vitro IC50 values against 22Rv1 cells of <200 nM, and with apparent selectivity for this cell type over PC3 cells. From metabolic/PK evaluations of these compounds, a 3-benzyl-1-(2,4-dichlorobenzyl) derivative had superior properties and showed considerably stronger activity, by nearly an order of magnitude, against AR-dependent LNCaP and C4-2B cells compared to AR-independent DU145 cells. This lead compound decreased AR expression in a dose and time dependent manner and displayed promising therapeutic effects in a 22Rv1 CRPC xenograft mouse model. Computational target prediction and subsequent docking studies suggested three potential known prostate cancer targets: p38a MAPK, TGF-ß1, and HGFR/c-Met, with the latter case of c-Met appearing stronger, owing to close structural similarity of the lead compound to known pyridazin-3-one derivatives with potent c-Met inhibitory activity. RNA-seq analysis showed dramatic reduction of AR signalling pathway and/or target genes by the lead compound, subsequently confirmed by quantitative PCR analysis. The lead compound was highly inhibitory against HGF, the c-Met ligand, which fitted well with the computational target prediction and docking studies. These results suggest that this compound could be a promising starting point for the development of an effective therapy for the treatment of CRPC.

3-Methoxy-2-phenylimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazines highly active against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium marinum.

A series of 3-methoxy-2-phenylimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine derivatives which were highly active against autoluminescent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and Mycobacterium marinum (Mm) in an in vitro assay were identified. SAR analysis showed that the most active compounds, which included a phenyl group bearing fluoro substituent(s) at C2, a methoxy function at C3, and a benzyl-heteroatom moiety at C6, exhibited in vitro MIC90 values generally around 0.63-1.26 µM against Mtb and Mm. However, these compounds were inactive against Mtb in vivo (mice), and investigations revealed very short metabolic half-lives (<10 min) when incubated with mouse liver microsomes. Multiple observations of side products produced from oxidative cleavage of the imidazole moiety during the chemical synthesis work suggested that this is a likely metabolic pathway leading to the lack of observed activity in vivo.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-(Tetrazol-5-yl)sulfonylacetamides as inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium marinum.

A series of 2-(tetrazol-5-yl)sulfonylacetamide derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and Mycobacterium marinum (Mm). The most active compounds exhibited in vitro MIC90 values of 1.25 µg/mL against Mtb, but they were less effective against Mm (MIC90 ≥ 10 µg/mL). Despite the most active compounds having favourable physicochemical properties and one of them having a half-life of ∼3 h when incubated with mouse liver microsomes, two representative highly active compounds showed strong chemical reactivity to cysteine derivatives, as surrogate in vivo sulfur-centred nucleophiles, indicating excessive electrophilicity, and therefore, likely indiscriminate chemical reactivity in vivo, representing an unacceptably high risk of general toxicity, and low likelihood of being therapeutically effective.

1-Benzyloxy-5-phenyltetrazole derivatives highly active against androgen receptor-dependent prostate cancer cells.

A series of 1-benzyloxy-5-phenyltetrazole derivatives and similar compounds were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activity against androgen-receptor-dependent (22Rv1) and androgen-receptor independent (PC3) prostate cancer cells. The most active compounds had in vitro IC50 values against 22Rv1 cells of <50 nM and showed apparent selectivity for this cell type over PC3 cells; however, these active compounds had short half-lives when incubated with mouse liver microsomes and/or when plasma concentration was monitored during in vivo pharmacokinetic studies in mice or rats. Importantly, lead compound 1 exhibited promising inhibitory effects on cell proliferation, expression of AR and its splicing variant AR-v7 as well as AR regulated target genes in 22Rv1 cells, which are so called castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells, and a 22Rv1 CRPC xenograft tumour model in mice. Structural changes which omitted the N-O-benzyl moiety led to dramatic or total loss of activity and S-benzylation of a cysteine derivative, as a surrogate for in vivo S-nucleophiles, by representative highly active compounds, suggested a possible chemical reactivity basis for this "activity cliff" and poor pharmacokinetic profile. However, representative highly active compounds did not inhibit a cysteine protease, indicating that the mode of activity is unlikely to be protein modification by S-benzylation. Despite our efforts to elucidate the mode of action, the mechanism remains unclear.

Crystal structures of two 2,3-di-ethyl-naphtho-[2,3-g]quinoxaline-6,11-dione derivatives.

Two new 5,12-disubstituted 2,3-di-ethyl-naphtho-[2,3-g]quinoxaline-6,11-dione compounds were readily synthesized from the commercial dye quinizarin. For 2,3-diethyl-5,12-di-hydroxy-naphtho-[2,3-g]quinoxaline-6,11-dione, (II), C20H16N2O4, the mol-ecule displays a near planar conformation and both hy-droxy groups participate in intra-molecular O-H⋯O(carbon-yl) hydrogen bonds. In the crystal, π-π ring inter-actions [minimum ring centroid separation = 3.5493 (9) Å] form stacks of co-planar mol-ecules down the c axis, while only minor inter-molecular C-H⋯O inter-actions are present. In contrast, in 2,3-diethyl-5,12-bis-(piperidin-1-yl)naphtho-[2,3-g]quinoxaline-6,11-dione, (IV), C30H34N4O2, which contains two independent, but similar, mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit, the polycyclic cores have a significant twist, with dihedral angles of 29.79 (6) and 29.31 (7)° between the terminal rings and only minor inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions are present. Electron density associated with additional solvent mol-ecules disordered about a fourfold axis was accounted for using the SQUEEZE procedure in PLATON [Spek (2015 ▸). Acta Cryst. C71, 9-18].

Small molecule inhibitors of the LEDGF site of human immunodeficiency virus integrase identified by fragment screening and structure based design.

A fragment-based screen against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) integrase led to a number of compounds that bound to the lens epithelium derived growth factor (LEDGF) binding site of the integrase catalytic core domain. We determined the crystallographic structures of complexes of the HIV integrase catalytic core domain for 10 of these compounds and quantitated the binding by surface plasmon resonance. We demonstrate that the compounds inhibit the interaction of LEDGF with HIV integrase in a proximity AlphaScreen assay, an assay for the LEDGF enhancement of HIV integrase strand transfer and in a cell based assay. The compounds identified represent a potential framework for the development of a new series of HIV integrase inhibitors that do not bind to the catalytic site of the enzyme.

2-Phenylimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine derivatives highly active against Haemonchus contortus.

A series of 2-phenylimidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anthelmintic activity against Haemonchus contortus. The most active compounds had in vitro LD(99) values of 30nM, which is comparable to that of the benchmark commercial nematocide, Ivermectin.

Structural basis for a new mechanism of inhibition of HIV-1 integrase identified by fragment screening and structure-based design.

BACKGROUND: HIV-1 integrase is a clinically validated therapeutic target for the treatment of HIV-1 infection, with one approved therapeutic currently on the market. This enzyme represents an attractive target for the development of new inhibitors to HIV-1 that are effective against the current resistance mutations. METHODS: A fragment-based screening method employing surface plasmon resonance and NMR was initially used to detect interactions between integrase and fragments. The binding sites of the fragments were elucidated by crystallography and the structural information used to design and synthesize improved ligands. RESULTS: The location of binding of fragments to the catalytic core of integrase was found to be in a previously undescribed binding site, adjacent to the mobile loop. Enzyme assays confirmed that formation of enzyme-fragment complexes inhibits the catalytic activity of integrase and the structural data was utilized to further develop these fragments into more potent novel enzyme inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: We have defined a new site in integrase as a valid region for the structure-based design of allosteric integrase inhibitors. Using a structure-based design process we have improved the activity of the initial fragments 45-fold.

Synthesis of (+)-obtusenyne.

An enantioselective synthesis of the halogenated medium-ring ether natural product (+)-obtusenyne is reported which uses the ring expansion of a seven-membered ketene acetal by means of a Claisen rearrangement to construct the core nine-membered oxygen heterocycle. The trans substituents across the ether linkage were established by using a transition-metal-catalyzed intramolecular hydrosilation reaction of an exo-cyclic enol ether. In addition, a formal synthesis of ent-obtusenyne from 2-deoxy-D-ribose is reported. A number of interesting points regarding the chemistry of medium-ring oxygen heterocycles are highlighted.

The use of Tris-lipidation to modify drug cytotoxicity in multidrug resistant cells expressing P-glycoprotein or MRP1.

1. Increasing the lipophilicity is a strategy often used to improve a compound's cellular uptake and retention but this may also convert it into a substrate for an ATP-dependent transporter such as P-glycoprotein or the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP1), which are involved in cellular efflux of drugs. Tris-Lipidation of compounds is a convenient way of modifying drug lipophilicity and generating an array of derivatives with diverse properties. 2. To determine the effect of Tris-Lipidation on a drug's cytoxicity in multidrug resistant cells, various glycyl-Tris-mono- (GTP1), di- (GTP2) and tri-palmitate (GTP3) derivatives were prepared of the cancer chemotherapeutic drugs chlorambucil and methotrexate, and of the anti-HIV drug AZT. The cytotoxicity of these derivatives and their parent compounds was determined in the CEM/VLB(100) cells with increased P-glycoprotein expression, the CEM/E1000 cells that overexpress MRP1 and the parent, drug-sensitive CCRF-CEM cells. 3. Increasing the lipophilicity of AZT increased its cytotoxicity in the sensitive CCRF-CEM parental cell line while decreased cytotoxicity was observed for the methotrexate derivatives. For the chlorambucil derivatives, both increased (GTP1) and decreased (GTP2) cytotoxicity occurred in the CCRF-CEM cells. With the exception of AZT-GTP1, all GTP1 and GTP2 derivatives of chlorambucil, methotrexate and AZT had decreased cytotoxicity in the P-glycoprotein-expressing CEM/VLB(100) cells while chlorambucil-GTP1, methotrexate-GTP2 and methotrexate-GTP3 were the only compounds with decreased cytotoxicity in the MRP1-overexpressing CEM/E1000 cells. 4. The number of palmitate residues, the position of derivatisation and the type of linkage all may affect the P-glycoprotein and MRP1 substrate properties. 5. Tris-Lipidation may therefore provide a useful way of manipulating the pharmacokinetic properties of drugs.

Tris lipidation--a novel drug delivery system that alters biodistribution.

Tris-lipidation uses Tris to produce drug-fatty acyl conjugates. Radiolabelled Tris-fatty acyl conjugates of methotrexate (MTX) were examined in biodistribution studies in BALB/c mice. Following delivery via a variety of routes, the Tris-lipidated compounds demonstrated features in common with other colloid drug delivery systems. Tissues of the reticuloendothelial system localised the drug following intravenous administration, and the compounds showed prolongation at the site of injection into muscle or fatty tissue, subcutaneously or when inhaled. These findings indicate that the Tris-lipidation platform could be classed as an alternative colloid drug delivery system.