17ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Inhibition: A Potential Treatment Option for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

In the face of the clinical challenge posed by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the present need for new therapeutic approaches is genuine. Up to now, no proof existed that 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17ß-HSD1) is a viable target for treating this disease. Synthesis of a rationally designed library of 2,5-disubstituted furan derivatives followed by biological screening led to the discovery of 17ß-HSD1 inhibitor 1, capable of fully inhibiting human NSCLC Calu-1 cell proliferation. Its pharmacological profile renders it eligible for further in vivo studies. The very high selectivity of 1 over 17ß-HSD2 was investigated, revealing a rational approach for the design of selective inhibitors. 17ß-HSD1 and 1 hold promise in fighting NSCLC.

Homology modeling meets site-directed mutagenesis: An ideal combination to elucidate the topology of 17ß-HSD2.

17ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ß-HSD2) catalyzes the conversion of highly active estrogens and androgens into their less active forms using NAD+ as cofactor. Substrate and cofactor specificities of 17ß-HSD2 have been reported and potent 17ß-HSD2 inhibitors have been discovered in a ligand-based approach. However, the molecular basis and the amino acids involved in the enzymatic functionality are poorly understood, as no crystal structure of the membrane-associated 17ß-HSD2 exists. The functional properties of only few amino acids are known. The lack of topological information impedes structure-based drug design studies and limits the design of biochemical experiments. The aim of this work was the determination of the 17ß-HSD2 topology. For this, the first homology model of 17ß-HSD2 in complex with NAD+ and 17ß-estradiol was built, using a multi-fragment "patchwork" approach. To confirm the quality of the model, fifteen selected amino acids were exchanged one by one using site directed mutagenesis. The mutants' functional behavior demonstrated that the generated model was of very good quality and allowed the identification of several key amino acids involved in either ligand or internal structure stabilization. The final model is an optimal basis for further experiments like, for example, lead optimization.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Characterization of Orally Active 17ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 Inhibitors Targeting the Prevention of Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is predominantly treated with drugs that inhibit further bone resorption due to estrogen deficiency. Yet, osteoporosis drugs that not only inhibit bone resorption but also stimulate bone formation, such as potentially inhibitors of 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ß-HSD2), may be more efficacious in the treatment of osteoporosis. Blockade of 17ß-HSD2 is thought to increase intracellular estradiol and testosterone in bone, thereby inhibiting bone resorption by osteoclasts and stimulating bone formation by osteoblasts, respectively. We here describe the design, synthesis, and biological characterization of a novel bicyclic-substituted hydroxyphenylmethanone 17ß-HSD2 inhibitor (compound 24). Compound 24 is a nanomolar potent inhibitor of human 17ß-HSD2 (IC50 of 6.1 nM) and rodent 17ß-HSD2 with low in vitro cellular toxicity, devoid of detectable estrogen receptor α affinity, displays high aqueous solubility and in vitro metabolic stability, and has an excellent oral pharmacokinetic profile for testing in a rat osteoporosis model. Administration of 24 in a rat osteoporosis model demonstrates its bone-sparing efficacy.

Effects of 17ß-HSD2 inhibition in bones on osteoporosis based on an animal rat model.

Hormone replacement therapy is a viable option to protect bone from postmenopausal osteoporosis. Systemically elevated estrogen levels, however, are disadvantageous because of the risk of harmful side effects in other organs. The rationale of the study presented here is to target a key enzyme in estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) metabolism to increase E2 levels in an organ-specific manner, thereby avoiding the disadvantages of systemically increased E2 levels. The 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17ß-HSD2), which is e.g. expressed in bone, catalyzes the oxidation of E2 and T into estrone (E1) and androstenedione. We postulate that inhibiting 17ß-HSD2 should lead to elevated E2 and T levels in organs expressing the enzyme. Therefore, we can use the benefits of E2 directly, or those of T following aromatization into E2, in the bone without affecting systemic levels. We tested for the first time, the novel and potent 17ß-HSD2 inhibitor, compound 24 (C24), to explore the therapeutic potential of a 17ß-HSD2 inhibition in an ovariectomy (ovx)-induced rat model of bone loss. We tested the inhibitor alone and, together with low dose estrogen supplementation to model estrogen levels in the postmenopausal situation. Female mature Wistar-Hannover rats were treated for 8 weeks with doses of 2, 10, 50 mg C24 per kg body weight per day alone or in the presence of estradiol benzoate (E2B) supplementation to alleviate ovx-induced bone loss. Ovx placebo and sham operated animals served as negative and positive controls. The experiment was evaluated regarding aspects of efficacy and safety: Bone was analyzed to evaluate bone protective effects, and uterus for potential, unwanted E2-mediated side effects. We observed a good bioavailability of C24 as very high plasma concentrations were measured, up to a group mean of 15,412 nM for the ovx C24-high group. Histomorphometrical analyses and in vivo &ex vivo µCT revealed significant bone protective effects for the lowest inhibitor concentration used. Irrespective of the plasma concentration, no proliferative effects in the uterus could be observed. These results support our approach of intracellular targeting key enzymes of E2 and T metabolism to increase E2 and T levels in an organ specific manner.

Mutational and structural studies uncover crucial amino acids determining activity and stability of 17ß-HSD14.

17ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 14 (17ß-HSD14) catalyzes the conversion of highly active estrogens and androgens into their less active oxidized forms in presence of NAD+ as cofactor. The crystal structure of 17ß-HSD14 has been determined, however, the role of individual amino acids likely involved in the enzymatic function remains poorly understood. Objective of this study was to further characterize the enzyme by site-directed mutagenesis considering five amino acids next to the catalytic center. The tools used for the characterization of the enzyme variants are X-ray crystallography and enzyme kinetics. Lys158 was confirmed to belong to the catalytic triad. Tyr253', located on the C-terminal loop of the adjacent monomer, enters into the active site of the neighboring monomer and interacts with the catalytic Tyr154. Therefore, Tyr253' helps to tie the two monomers together. Cys255, located at the interface between both monomers, can form a disulfide bridge with the Cys255' from the adjacent monomer. In contrast to the contact provided by Tyr253, the latter interaction is not crucial for dimer formation. His93 and Gln148 are located at the rim of the substrate binding pocket. His93 does not interact directly with the ligand in the active site. However, it influences the turnover of the enzyme. The Gln148 restricts in size the access tunnel of the substrate to the binding pocket.

Targeted Endocrine Therapy: Design, Synthesis, and Proof-of-Principle of 17ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 Inhibitors in Bone Fracture Healing.

Current therapies of steroid hormone-dependent diseases predominantly alter steroid hormone concentrations (or their actions) in plasma, in target and nontarget tissues alike, rather than in target organs only. Targeted therapy through the inhibition of steroidogenic enzymes may pose an attractive alternative with much less side effects. Here, we describe the design of a nanomolar potent 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ß-HSD2) inhibitor (compound 15) and successful targeted intracrine therapy in a mouse bone fracture model. Blockade of 17ß-HSD2 in bone is thought to increase intracellular estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T), which thereby inhibits bone resorption by osteoclasts and stimulates bone formation by osteoblasts, respectively. Administration of compound 15 in the mouse fracture model strongly increases the mechanical stability of the healing fractured bone because of a larger periosteal callus with newly formed bone without changing the plasma E2 and T concentrations. Steroidogenic 17ß-HSD2 inhibition thus enables targeted intracrine therapy.

Highly Potent 17ß-HSD2 Inhibitors with a Promising Pharmacokinetic Profile for Targeted Osteoporosis Therapy.

Intracellular elevation of E2 levels in bone by inhibition of 17ß hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ß-HSD2) without affecting systemic E2 levels is an attractive approach for a targeted therapy against osteoporosis, a disease which is characterized by loss of bone mineral density. Previously identified inhibitor A shows high potency on human and mouse 17ß-HSD2, but poor pharmacokinetic properties when applied perorally in mice. A combinatorial chemistry approach was utilized to synthesize truncated derivatives of A, leading to highly potent compounds with activities in the low nanomolar to picomolar range. Compound 33, comparable to A in terms of inhibitor potency against both human and mouse enzymes, displays high in vitro metabolic stability in human and mouse liver S9 fraction as well as low toxicity and moderate hepatic CYP inhibition. Thus, compound 33 showed a highly improved peroral pharmacokinetic profile in comparison to A, making 33 a promising candidate for further development.

Structure-based design and profiling of novel 17ß-HSD14 inhibitors.

The human enzyme 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 14 (17ß-HSD14) oxidizes the hydroxyl group at position 17 of estradiol and 5-androstenediol using NAD+ as cofactor. However, the physiological role of the enzyme remains unclear. We recently described the first class of nonsteroidal inhibitors for this enzyme with compound 1 showing a high 17ß-HSD14 inhibitory activity. Its crystal structure was used as starting point for a structure-based optimization in this study. The goal was to develop a promising chemical probe to further investigate the enzyme. The newly designed compounds revealed mostly very high inhibition of the enzyme and for seven of them the crystal structures of the corresponding inhibitor-enzyme complexes were resolved. The crystal structures disclosed that a small change in the substitution pattern of the compounds resulted in an alternative binding mode for one inhibitor. The profiling of a set of the most potent inhibitors identified 13 (Ki = 9 nM) with a good selectivity profile toward three 17ß-HSDs and the estrogen receptor alpha. This inhibitor displayed no cytotoxicity, good solubility, and auspicious predicted bioavailability. Overall, 13 is a highly interesting 17ß-HSD14 inhibitor, which might be used as chemical probe for further investigation of the target enzyme.

First Structure-Activity Relationship of 17ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 14 Nonsteroidal Inhibitors and Crystal Structures in Complex with the Enzyme.

17ß-HSD14 belongs to the SDR family and oxidizes the hydroxyl group at position 17 of estradiol and 5-androstenediol using NAD+ as cofactor. The goal of this study was to identify and optimize 17ß-HSD14 nonsteroidal inhibitors as well as to disclose their structure-activity relationship. In a first screen, a library of 17ß-HSD1 and 17ß-HSD2 inhibitors, selected with respect to scaffold diversity, was tested for 17ß-HSD14 inhibition. The most interesting hit was taken as starting point for chemical modification applying a ligand-based approach. The designed compounds were synthesized and tested for 17ß-HSD14 inhibitory activity. The two best inhibitors identified in this study have a very high affinity to the enzyme with a Ki equal to 7 nM. The strong affinity of these inhibitors to the enzyme active site could be explained by crystallographic structure analysis, which highlighted the role of an extended H-bonding network in the stabilization process. The selectivity of the most potent compounds with respect to 17ß-HSD1 and 17ß-HSD2 is also addressed.

New Insights into Human 17ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 14: First Crystal Structures in Complex with a Steroidal Ligand and with a Potent Nonsteroidal Inhibitor.

17ß-HSD14 is a SDR enzyme able to oxidize estradiol and 5-androstenediol using NAD(+). We determined the crystal structure of this human enzyme as the holo form and as ternary complexes with estrone and with the first potent, nonsteroidal inhibitor. The structures reveal a conical, rather large and lipophilic binding site and are the starting point for structure-based inhibitor design. The two natural variants (S205 and T205) were characterized and adopt a similar structure.

Addressing cytotoxicity of 1,4-biphenyl amide derivatives: Discovery of new potent and selective 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 inhibitors.

Four different classes of new 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ß-HSD2) inhibitors were synthesized, in order to lower the cytotoxicity exhibited by the lead compound A, via disrupting the linearity and the aromaticity of the biphenyl moiety. Compounds 3, 4, 7a and 8 displayed comparable or better inhibitory activity and selectivity, as well as a lower cytotoxic effect, compared to the reference compound A. The best compound 4 (IC50=160nM, selectivity factor=168, LD50≈25µM) turned out as new lead compound for inhibition of 17ß-HSD2.

17ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 Inhibition: Discovery of Selective and Metabolically Stable Compounds Inhibiting Both the Human Enzyme and Its Murine Ortholog.

Design and synthesis of a new class of inhibitors for the treatment of osteoporosis and its comparative h17ß-HSD2 and m17ß-HSD2 SAR study are described. 17a is the first compound to show strong inhibition of both h17ß-HSD2 and m17ß-HSD2, intracellular activity, metabolic stability, selectivity toward h17ß-HSD1, m17ß-HSD1 and estrogen receptors α and ß as well as appropriate physicochemical properties for oral bioavailability. These properties make it eligible for pre-clinical animal studies, prior to human studies.

Metabolic stability optimization and metabolite identification of 2,5-thiophene amide 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 inhibitors.

17ß-HSD2 is a promising new target for the treatment of osteoporosis. In this paper, a rational strategy to overcome the metabolic liability in the 2,5-thiophene amide class of 17ß-HSD2 inhibitors is described, and the biological activity of the new inhibitors. Applying different strategies, as lowering the cLogP or modifying the structures of the molecules, compounds 27, 31 and 35 with strongly improved metabolic stability were obtained. For understanding biotransformation in the 2,5-thiophene amide class the main metabolic pathways of three properly selected compounds were elucidated.

Novel, potent and selective 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 inhibitors as potential therapeutics for osteoporosis with dual human and mouse activities.

17ß-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ß-HSD2) is responsible for the oxidation of the highly active estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) into the less potent estrone (E1) and Δ(4)-androstene-3,17-dione (Δ(4)-AD), respectively. As 17ß-HSD2 is present in bones and as estradiol and testosterone are able to induce bone formation and repress bone resorption, inhibition of this enzyme could be a new promising approach for the treatment of osteoporosis. Herein, we describe the design, the synthesis and the biological evaluation of 24 new 17ß-HSD2 inhibitors in the 5-substituted thiophene-2-carboxamide class. Structure-activity and structure-selectivity relationships have been explored by variation of the sulfur atom position in the central core, exchange of the thiophene by a thiazole, substitution of the amide group with a larger moiety, exchange of the N-methylamide group with bioisosteres like N-methylsulfonamide, N-methylthioamide and ketone, and substitutions at positions 2 and 3 of the thiophene core with alkyl and phenyl groups leading to 2,3,5-trisubstituted thiophene derivatives. The compounds were evaluated on human and mouse enzymes. From this study, a novel highly potent and selective compound in both human and mouse 17ß-HSD2 enzymes was identified, compound 21 (IC50(h17ß-HSD2) = 235 nM, selectivity factor toward h17ß-HSD1 = 95, IC50 (m17ß-HSD2) = 54 nM). This new compound 21 could be used for an in vivo proof of principle to demonstrate the true therapeutic efficacy of 17ß-HSD2 inhibitors in osteoporosis. New structural insights into the active sites of the human and mouse enzymes were gained.

Novel N-methylsulfonamide and retro-N-methylsulfonamide derivatives as 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ß-HSD2) inhibitors with good ADME-related physicochemical parameters.

Under physiological conditions healthy bones are maintained by a well tightened balance between osteoclast (OCs) and osteoblast (OBs) activity. Disruption of this balance leads to osteoporosis characterized by decline in bone function and skeletal rigidity. Inhibition of 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ß-HSD2) could help maintaining the appropriate bone mass density by increasing the level of estradiol and testosterone in bone. Herein, we described the synthesis, the physicochemical properties and the biological evaluation of novel N-methylsulfonamide and retro-N-methylsulfonamide derivatives as 17ß-HSD2 inhibitors showing high potency (compound 10f, IC50 = 23 nM), with a good selectivity toward 17ß-HSD1 (the isoenzyme responsible of the reverse reaction), and a likely good in vitro ADME profile. It was also shown that the acidity of the phenolic hydroxy correlates with the inhibitory potency, suggesting pKa as a predictive parameter for the activity of this class of inhibitors.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of thieno[3,2-d]- pyrimidinones, thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidines and quinazolinones: conformationally restricted 17b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17b-HSD2) inhibitors.

In this study, a series of conformationally restricted thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidinones, thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidines and quinazolinones was designed and synthesized with the goal of improving the biological activity as 17b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 inhibitors of the corresponding amidothiophene derivatives. Two moderately active compounds were discovered and this allowed the identification of the biologically active open conformer as well as the extension of the enzyme binding site characterisation.

Direct antiproliferative effect of nonsteroidal 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitors in vitro.

Inhibition of the local formation of estrogens seems to be an attractive strategy for pharmacological intervention in hormone-dependent disorders. The direct antiproliferative properties of ten nonsteroidal 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17ß-HSD1) inhibitors were investigated on human cancer cell lines of gynecological origin. The mechanism of the antiproliferative action was approximated by cell cycle analysis, fluorescent microscopy, BrdU assay, determination of caspase-3 activity and quantification of the expression of cell cycle regulators at mRNA level. Treatment of HeLa cells with some of the compounds resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of the G1-S transition and an increase in the apoptotic population. The most effective agents increased the expression of tumor suppressors p21 and p53, while CDK2 and Rb were down-regulated. The reported anticancer actions of the tested compounds are independent of the 17ß-HSD1-inhibiting capacity. These results indicate that it is possible to combine direct antiproliferative activity and 17ß-HSD1 inhibition resulting in novel agents with dual mode of action.

Structural optimization of 2,5-thiophene amides as highly potent and selective 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 inhibitors for the treatment of osteoporosis.

Inhibition of 17ß-HSD2 is an attractive mechanism for the treatment of osteoporosis. We report here the optimization of human 17ß-HSD2 inhibitors in the 2,5-thiophene amide class by varying the size of the linker (n equals 0 and 2) between the amide moiety and the phenyl group. While none of the phenethylamides (n = 2) were active, most of the anilides (n = 0) turned out to moderately or strongly inhibit 17ß-HSD2. The four most active compounds showed an IC50 of around 60 nM and a very good selectivity toward 17ß-HSD1, 17ß-HSD4, 17ß-HSD5, 11ß-HSD1, 11ß-HSD2 and the estrogen receptors α and ß. The investigated compounds inhibited monkey 17ß-HSD2 moderately, and one of them showed good inhibitory activity on mouse 17ß-HSD2. SAR studies allowed a first characterization of the human 17ß-HSD2 active site, which is predicted to be considerably larger than that of 17ß-HSD1.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of phenyl substituted 1H-1,2,4-triazoles as non-steroidal inhibitors of 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2.

A series of disubstituted-1H-1,2,4-triazole derivatives was synthesized with the aim of developing new non-steroidal inhibitors of 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17ßHSD2) - a novel and attractive target for the treatment of osteoporosis. 17ßHSD2 catalyzes the oxidation of the highly active estrogen 17ß-estradiol (E2) and androgen testosterone (T) into the weak estrone and androstenedione, respectively. Inhibition of this enzyme will locally in the bone lead to an increase in E2 and T levels, two key players in the maintenance of the balance between bone resorption and bone formation. In this study, a new class of 17ßHSD2 inhibitors with a 1H-1,2,4-triazole scaffold was identified; the three best compounds 8b, 8f, and 13a showed moderate 17ßHSD2 inhibitory activity and a good selectivity toward 17ßHSD1. They could be a useful tool to map the unexplored enzyme active site.

Lead optimization of 17ß-HSD1 inhibitors of the (hydroxyphenyl)naphthol sulfonamide type for the treatment of endometriosis.

The reduction of estrone to estradiol, the most potent estrogen in human, is catalyzed by 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17ß-HSD1). A promising approach for the treatment of estrogen-dependent diseases is the reduction of intracellular estradiol formation by inhibition of 17ß-HSD1. For the species-specific optimization of the (hydroxyphenyl)naphthols, a combinatorial approach was applied and enhanced by a focused synthesis that resulted in the aromatic-substituted (hydroxyphenyl)naphthol sulfonamides. Rigidification of 12 led to the 4-indolylsulfonamide 30, which is a highly active and selective human 17ß-HSD1 inhibitor, as well as a highly potent and selective inhibitor of 17ß-HSD1 from Callithrix jacchus. It shows no affinity to the estrogen receptors α and ß and good intracellular activity (T47D). Thus, compound 30 shows good properties for further ADMET studies and might be a candidate for the in vivo proof of concept in C. jacchus.