Isoform-selective inhibitory profile of 2-imidazoline-substituted benzene sulfonamides against a panel of human carbonic anhydrases.

A series of novel benzene sulfonamides (previously evaluated as selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors) has been profiled against human carbonic anhydrases I, II, IV and VII in an attempt to observe the manifestation of the well established "tail" approach for designing potent, isoform-selective inhibitors of carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1). The compounds displayed an excellent (pKi 7-8) inhibitory profile against CA II (a cytosolic anti-glaucoma and anti-edema biological target) and CA VII (also a cytosolic target believed to be involved in epilepsy and neuropathic pain) and a marked (1-2 orders of magnitude) selectivity against cytosolic isoform CA I and membrane-bound isoform CA IV. The separation of the CA II and CA IV (both of which are catalytically active isoforms, highly sensitive to sulfonamide-type inhibitors) is particularly remarkable and is adding significantly to the global body of data on the chemical biology of carbonic anhydrases.

Panel docking of small-molecule libraries - Prospects to improve efficiency of lead compound discovery.

Computational docking as a means to prioritise small molecules in drug discovery projects remains a highly popular in silico screening approach. Contemporary docking approaches without experimental parametrisation can reliably differentiate active and inactive chemotypes in a protein binding site, but the absence of a correlation between the score of a predicted binding pose and the biological activity of the molecule presents a clear limitation. Several novel or improved computational approaches have been developed in the recent past to aid in screening and profiling of small-molecule ligands for drug discovery, but also more broadly in developing conceptual relationships between different protein targets by chemical probing. Among those new methodologies is a strategy known as inverse virtual screening, which involves the docking of a compound into different protein structures. In the present article, we review the different computational screening methodologies that employ docking of atomic models, and, by means of a case study, present an approach that expands the inverse virtual screening concept. By computationally screening a reasonably sized library of 1235 compounds against a panel of 48 mostly human kinases, we have been able to identify five groups of putative lead compounds with substantial diversity when compared to each other. One representative of each of the five groups was synthesised, and tested in kinase inhibition assays, yielding two compounds with micro-molar inhibition in five human kinases. This highly economic and cost-effective methodology holds great promise for drug discovery projects, especially in cases where a group of target proteins share high structural similarity in their binding sites.

Potent, orally available, selective COX-2 inhibitors based on 2-imidazoline core.

A novel series of compounds containing a polar, non-flat 2-imidazoline core was designed based on the SAR information available for aromatic azole cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors. While the majority of the compounds prepared using an earlier developed imidazoline N-arylation methodology turned out to be inferior to the known COX-2 inhibitors, one lead compound displayed potency (300 nM) comparable to clinically used Celecoxib and was shown to be more selective. The series represents the first example of selective COX-2 inhibitors built around a distinctly polar core, contradicting an earlier accepted view that a lipophilic scaffold is required for high inhibitor potency. The lead compound demonstrated very good oral bioavailability in mice, slow metabolic degradation, modest distribution into the brain and a remarkable anti-inflammatory efficacy in carrageenan-induced mouse paw edema model. A foundation has therefore been laid for a chemically novel series of COX-2 inhibitors that has a potential for diverse therapeutic applications in inflammatory disease area.

Synthesis of substituted 2-arylindanes from E-(2-stilbenyl)methanols via Lewis acid-mediated cyclization and nucleophililc transfer from trialkylsilyl reagents.

A preparative method for the synthesis of functionalized 2-arylindanes has been developed via the Lewis acid-mediated ring closure of stilbenyl methanols followed by nucleophilic transfer from trialkylsilyl reagents. The reactions gave the corresponding products in moderate to high yields and diastereoselectivity. The solvent as well as the nucleophile played an important role in determining the type(s) of product arising either from nucleophilic addition (indanes) or loss of a proton ß to the indanyl-type carbocations (indenes). Electron-donating groups on the fused aromatic ring (Y and Z = OMe) or the presence of electron-withdrawing groups (NO2) on the nonfused Ar ring facilitate the cyclization. In contrast, the presence of electron-donating groups (OMe) on the nonfused Ar ring impedes the process. In the case of Cl on the nonfused Ar ring, temperature modulates the resonance versus inductive field effects on the overall reaction pathways involving cyclization to form the indanyl-type cation. Quantum chemical calculations supported the intermediacy of the carbocation species and the transfer of hydride from triethylsilane (Nu = H) to the indanyl-type cations to form the trans-1,2-disubstituted indane as the single diastereomer product.

Synthesis, biophysical, and biological studies of wild-type and mutant psalmopeotoxins--anti-malarial cysteine knot peptides from Psalmopoeus cambridgei.

Psalmopeotoxin I and II (PcFK1 and PcFK2), an anti-malarial peptide first extracted from Psalmopoeus cambridgei was synthesized and characterized. Both peptides belong to the Inhibitor Cystine Knot (ICK) superfamily, containing three disulfide bridges. The six cysteine residues are conserved similar to other members of the ICK superfamily, suggesting their critical role for either folding or function. In this study, the peptides were synthesized using Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). The three disulfide bonds of were constructed by regioselective and random oxidative approaches. The resulting disulfide bond patterns were verified by the HPLC-MS analysis of intact peptides and by the disulfide bond mapping using tryptic digestion. Implications of the disulfide bonds on the biophysical and biological properties of PcFKs were studied using three disulfide mutants in which a particular pair of cysteines was replaced with two isosteric serine residues. Structures and biophysical characteristics of all variants were studied using far-UV CD and fluorescence spectroscopy. Biological activities of all variants were evaluated using antiplasmodial assay against the K1 multi-drug-resistant strain of P. falciparum. The experimental results showed that the three disulfide bridges could not be correctly synthesized by the random oxidative strategy. Structural and biophysical analyses revealed that all variants had similar structures to the twisted beta-sheet. However, the studies of disulfide bond removal indicated that each disulfide bond had different effects on both biophysical and biological activities of PcFKs. Correlation of biophysical parameters and biological activities showed that both PcFKs may have different mechanisms of actions for antiplasmodial activity.