NADPH oxidase 1 is a novel pharmacological target for the development of an antiplatelet drug without bleeding side effects.

Growing evidence supports a central role of NADPH oxidases (NOXs) in the regulation of platelets, which are circulating cells involved in both hemostasis and thrombosis. Here, the use of Nox1-/- and Nox1+/+ mice as experimental models of human responses demonstrated a critical role of NOX1 in collagen-dependent platelet activation and pathological arterial thrombosis, as tested in vivo by carotid occlusion assays. In contrast, NOX1 does not affect platelet responses to thrombin and normal hemostasis, as assayed in tail bleeding experiments. Therefore, as NOX1 inhibitors are likely to have antiplatelet effects without associated bleeding risks, the NOX1-selective inhibitor 2-acetylphenothiazine (2APT) and a series of its derivatives generated to increase inhibitory potency and drug bioavailability were tested. Among the 2APT derivatives, 1-(10H-phenothiazin-2-yl)vinyl tert-butyl carbonate (2APT-D6) was selected for its high potency. Both 2APT and 2APT-D6 inhibited collagen-dependent platelet aggregation, adhesion, thrombus formation, superoxide anion generation, and surface activation marker expression, while responses to thrombin or adhesion to fibrinogen were not affected. In vivo administration of 2APT or 2APT-D6 led to the inhibition of mouse platelet aggregation, oxygen radical output, and thrombus formation, and carotid occlusion, while tail hemostasis was unaffected. Differently to in vitro experiments, 2APT-D6 and 2APT displayed similar potency in vivo. In summary, NOX1 inhibition with 2APT or its derivative 2APT-D6 is a viable strategy to control collagen-induced platelet activation and reduce thrombosis without deleterious effects on hemostasis. These compounds should, therefore, be considered for the development of novel antiplatelet drugs to fight cardiovascular diseases in humans.

Sidechain Diversification of Grandifloracin Allows Identification of Analogues with Enhanced Anti-Austerity Activity against Human PANC-1 Pancreatic Cancer Cells.

The natural product (+)-grandifloracin is a potent "anti-austerity" agent, able to suppress the ability of various pancreatic cancer cell lines to tolerate conditions of nutrient deprivation. Such anti-austerity agents represent a promising approach to cancer chemotherapy. Here we report the synthesis and biological evaluation of racemic analogues of grandifloracin bearing diverse sidechains, of which two show enhanced potency in comparison with the natural product. Additionally, several unexpected by-products containing modifications of the grandifloracin core were isolated, identified and similarly evaluated for biological activity.

The enone motif of (+)-grandifloracin is not essential for 'anti-austerity' antiproliferative activity.

We report the synthesis and biological evaluation of three analogues of the natural product (+)-grandifloracin (+)-1. All three analogues exhibit enhanced antiproliferative activity against PANC-1 and HT-29 cells compared to the natural product. The retention of activity in an analogue lacking the enone functional group, 9, implies this structural element is not an essential part of the (+)-grandifloracin pharmacophore.

Multicellular aggregation of maltol-modified cells triggered by Fe(3+) ions.

The synthesis of a maltol-derived hydrazide is described which, once attached to a cell surface, induces rapid multicellular aggregation selectively in the presence of Fe(3+) ions. Heterocellular aggregates are also reported.

Simple pyrazoline and pyrazole "turn on" fluorescent sensors selective for Cd2+ and Zn2+ in MeCN.

An efficient two-step synthesis of pyrazoline ligand is described which is an effective "turn on" fluorescent sensor for Cd(2+) in MeCN. Oxidation to the corresponding pyrazole ligand creates a "turn on" fluorescent sensor now selective for Zn(2+) and able to distinguish it from Cd(2+).

Bi(OTf)3-catalysed prenylation of electron-rich aryl ethers and phenols with isoprene: a direct route to prenylated derivatives.

Electron-rich aryl ethers and phenols react with isoprene (2-methylbuta-1,3-diene) in the presence of catalytic Bi(OTf)(3) at 40 °C to afford the corresponding prenylated or 2,2-dimethylchroman products, respectively, in moderate to good yields. This transformation offers a convenient and expedient entry to prenylated derivatives of electron-rich aromatics that often display enhanced biological activities. The methodology has been employed in the efficient synthesis of a biologically active natural product and related compounds.

Application of Negishi cross-coupling to the synthesis of the cyclic tripeptides OF4949-III and K-13.

Syntheses of the cyclic tripeptides OF4949-III 1 and K-13 2 are reported, in which the key steps are intermolecular and intramolecular Negishi cross-coupling reactions, respectively. In addition, the synthesis of a protected isomer of K-13 25 is reported. The synthesis of K-13 features a tripeptidic organozinc reagent 11, one of the most highly functionalized such reagents to be described. An O-aryltyrosine derivative 15, prepared by S(N)Ar reaction between Boc-tyrosine and 2-fluorobenzaldehyde, followed by Dakin reaction, iodination, and methylation, is used as a common intermediate for all of the syntheses described. The routes to this class of cyclic tripeptide are among the shortest reported to date and demonstrate the high functional group tolerance of the carbon-zinc bond toward peptide derivatives.

Stereoselective synthesis of 2,3-difunctionalised thioesters using nucleophilic epoxidation of 1-arylthio-1-nitroalkenes.

Stereoselective nucleophilic epoxidation of protected 3-amino and 3-hydroxy-substituted 1-arylthio-1-nitroalkenes, followed by intramolecular capture involving the amino and hydroxyl protecting groups, has led to the formation of isomeric oxazolidinones 5 and 7, and a cyclic carbonate 11. Together with the oxazolidinone precursor anti-alpha-bromo thioester 15a, the absolute and relative stereochemistry of these compounds has been determined by X-ray crystallography.

Synthesis of orthogonally protected biaryl amino acid derivatives.

The efficient and direct synthesis of protected biaryl amino acids, including dityrosine (50% overall yield over 3 steps), by Negishi cross-coupling of the serine-derived organozinc reagent 4 with iodo- and di-iodobiaryls, is reported. An improved, although still not perfect, diiodination of 2,2'-biphenol has been achieved using NMe3BnICl2-ZnCl2. Protection of phenolic hydroxyl groups as acetates, rather than benzyl ethers, is required for efficient cross-coupling, and evidence for acetyl migration has been observed during debenzylation of a substituted 2-acetoxy-2'-benzyloxybiaryl. Aromatic C-I to C-Cl conversion has been detected as a minor reaction pathway in the palladium-catalyzed coupling of aryl iodide 3b with organozinc reagent 4.

New routes to beta-cycloalkylalanine derivatives using serine-derived organozinc reagents.

Two distinct routes to beta-cycloalkylalanine derivatives have been developed. The first route employs the reaction of the iodoalanine-derived zinc-copper reagent 2 with cycloalk-1-en-3-yl phosphates, and the second uses the palladium-catalysed coupling of the iodoalanine-derived zinc reagent 1 with cycloalkenyl triflates; in each case, catalytic hydrogenation of the unsaturated product leads to the protected beta-cycloalkylalanine. The latter route allows access to a range of cycloalkyl derivatives, with ring sizes of 5-8. beta-(1-Methyl-1-cyclohexyl)alanine may be prepared using reaction of the zinc-copper reagent 2 with 3-methyl-2-cyclohexenyl chloride, followed by hydrogenation. The corresponding cyclopentyl derivative may be prepared by reaction of the same zinc-copper reagent 2 with diethyl geranylphosphate, followed by ring-closing metathesis and hydrogenation.

A formal total synthesis of eleutherobin using the ring-closing metathesis (RCM) reaction of a densely functionalized diene as the key step: investigation of the unusual kinetically controlled RCM stereochemistry.

Asymmetric oxyallylation reactions and ring-closing metathesis have been used to synthesize compound 3, a key advanced intermediate used in the total synthesis of eleutherobin reported by Danishefsky and co-workers. The aldehyde 6, which is readily prepared from commercially available R-(-)-carvone in six steps in 30 % overall yield on multigram quantities, was converted into the diene 5 utilizing two stereoselective titanium-mediated Hafner-Duthaler oxyallylation reactions. The reactions gave the desired products (8 and 12) in high yields (73 and 83 %, respectively) as single diastereoisomers, with the allylic alcohol already protected as the p-methoxyphenyl (PMP) ether, which previous work has demonstrated actually aids ring-closing metathesis compared to other protective groups and the corresponding free alcohol. Cyclization under forcing conditions, using Grubbs' second-generation catalyst 13, gave the ten-membered carbocycle (E)-14 in 64 % yield. This result is in sharp contrast to similar, but less functionalized, dienes, which have all undergone cyclization to give the Z stereoisomers exclusively. A detailed investigation of this unusual cyclization stereochemistry by computational methods has shown that the E isomer of the ten-membered carbocycle is indeed less thermodynamically stable than the corresponding Z isomer. In fact, the selectivity is believed to be due to the dense functionality around the ruthenacyclobutane intermediate that favors the trans-ruthenacycle, which ultimately leads to the less stable E isomer of the ten-membered carbocycle under kinetic control. During the final synthetic manipulations the double bond of enedione (E)-16 isomerized to the more thermodynamically stable enedione (Z)-4, giving access to the advanced key-intermediate 3, which was spectroscopically and analytically identical to the data reported by Danishefsky and co-workers, and thereby completing the formal synthesis of eleutherobin.