Discovery and pharmacological evaluation of indole derivatives as potent and selective RORγt inverse agonist for multiple autoimmune conditions.

Targeting nuclear receptor RORγ is recognized to be beneficial in multiple autoimmune disorders. We disclosed new indole analogues as potent RORγ inverse agonists. RO-2 as one of the potent and orally bioavailable compounds was evaluated in various models of autoimmune disorder. It showed potent suppression of downstream markers of RORγt activity in murine and human primary cells, ex vivo PD assay and in multiple animal models of autoimmune diseases. The results indicate the potential of these indole analogues as orally bioavailable small molecule inverse agonists of RORγt, efficacious in various Th17 driven models of autoimmune disorders.

Chiral N-salicylidene vanadyl carboxylate-catalyzed enantioselective aerobic oxidation of alpha-hydroxy esters and amides.

A series of chiral vanadyl carboxylates derived from N-salicylidene-L-alpha-amino acids and vanadyl sulfate has been developed. These configurationally well defined complexes were examined for the kinetic resolution of double- and mono-activated 2 degrees alcohols. The best chiral templates involve the combination of L-tert-leucine and 3,5-di-t-butyl-, 3,5-diphenyl-, or 3,4-dibromo-salicylaldehyde. The resulting vanadyl(V)-methoxide complexes after recrystallization from air-saturated methanol serve as highly enantioselective catalysts for asymmetric aerobic oxidation of alpha-hydroxyl-esters and amides with a diverse array of alpha-, O-, and N-substituents at ambient temperature in toluene. The asymmetric inductions of the oxidation process are in the range of 10 to >100 in terms of selectivity factors (k(rel)) in most instances. The previously undescribed aerobic oxidation protocol is also applicable to the kinetic resolution of C-13 taxol side chain with high selectivity factor (k(rel) = 35). X-ray crystallographic analysis of an adduct between a given vanadyl complex and N-benzyl-mandelamide allows for probing the stereochemical origin of the nearly exclusive asymmetric control in the oxidation process.

Direct atom-efficient esterification between carboxylic acids and alcohols catalyzed by amphoteric, water-tolerant TiO(acac)2.

A diverse array of oxometallic species were examined as catalysts for a test direct condensation of benzoic acid and 2-phenylethanol in 1:1 stoichiometry. Besides group IVB MOCl2-xH2O and TiOX2-xH2O, group VB VOCl2-xTHF and group IVB TiO(acac)2 were found to be the most efficient and water-tolerant catalysts for the test reaction. The new neutral catalytic protocol with the optimal TiO(acac)2 tolerates many stereo/electronic structural variations in both (di)acid (1 degree -3 degrees alkyl and aryl) and (di)alcohol (1 degree, 2 degrees alkyl, and aryl) components with high chemoselectivity.

Diethylene glycol ether-linked 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzamides as triply branched dendritic anchors to CdSe/ZnS core/shell type nanoparticles: potential hydrophilic fluorescent probes.

Functionalized N-2-mercaptoethyl-gallamides bearing three or five hydroxyl units that are tethered with diethylene glycol ether(s) allow for transferring hydrophobically pyridine-capped CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles from an organic to an aqueous layer with intact fluorescent profiles.

Nucleophilic acyl substitutions of anhydrides with protic nucleophiles catalyzed by amphoteric, oxomolybdenum species.

[reaction: see text] Among six different group VIb oxometallic species examined, dioxomolybdenum dichloride and oxomolybdenum tetrachloride were the most efficient catalysts to facilitate nucleophilic acyl substitution (NAS) of anhydrides with a myriad array of alcohols, amines, and thiols in high yields and high chemoselectivity. In contrast to the well-recognized redox chemical behaviors associated with oxomolybdenum(VI) species, the catalytic NAS was unprecedented and tolerates virtually all kinds of functional groups. By using benzoic anhydride as a mediator for in situ generation of an incipient mixed anhydride-MoO(2)Cl(2) adduct with a given functional alkanoic acid, one can achieve oleate, dipeptide, diphenylmethyl, N-Fmoc-alpha-amino, pyruvic, and tert-butylthio ester, N-tert-butylamide, and trityl methacrylate syntheses with appropriate protic nucleophiles. The amphoteric character of the Mo=O unit in oxomolybdenum chlorides was found to be responsible for the catalytic NAS profile as supported by a control NAS reaction of using an authentic adduct-MoOCl(2)(O(2)CBu(t)())(2) between pivalic anhydride and MoO(2)Cl(2) as the catalyst.