Medicinal Chemistry Techniques Research Articles

In Vitro Activities of the Rx-01 Oxazolidinones against Hospital and Community Pathogens

Rx-01_423 and Rx-01_667 are two members of the family of oxazolidinones that were designed using a combination of computational and medicinal chemistry and conventional biological techniques. The compounds have a two- to eightfold-improved potency over linezolid against serious gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), multidrug-resistant streptococci, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. This enhanced potency extends to the coverage of linezolid-resistant gram-positive microbes, especially multidrug-resistant enterococci and pneumococci. Compounds from this series expand the spectrum compared with linezolid to include fastidious gram-negative organisms like Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. Like linezolid, the Rx-01 compounds are bacteriostatic against MRSA and enterococci but are generally bactericidal against S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae.

The Use of Three‐Dimensional Shape and Electrostatic Similarity Searching in the Identification of a Melanin‐Concentrating Hormone Receptor 1 Antagonist

To aid in the identification of novel melanin-concentrating hormone receptor 1 (MCHr1) antagonists, a unique virtual library of readily synthesized molecules was designed and assembled based on 323 monomer compounds containing reactive moieties in combination with 30 core molecules having diamine functionality. The resulting library of 3,129,870 molecules was searched using three-dimensional shape similarity measures that were complimented with a novel electrostatic distribution similarity-matching algorithm. One of the top scoring hits in this library was synthesized and characterized for MCHr1 antagonism, where it exhibited at least a threefold improvement in binding affinity and cellular potency relative to the parent MCHr1 ligand. This work demonstrates that the use of shape and electrostatic similarity matching in combination with a well-designed virtual library can be used to augment standard medicinal chemistry techniques.

Acyl sulfonamide anti-proliferatives: benzene substituent structure-activity relationships for a novel class of antitumor agents.

Two closely related diaryl acylsulfonamides were recently reported as potent antitumor agents against a broad spectrum of human tumor xenografts (colon, lung, breast, ovary, and prostate) in nude mice. Especially intriguing was their activity against colorectal cancer xenografts. In this paper, rapid parallel synthesis along with traditional medicinal chemistry techniques were used to quickly delineate the structure-activity relationships of the substitution patterns in both phenyl rings of the acylsufonamide anti-proliferative scaffold. Although the molecular target of the compounds remains unclear, we determined that the vascular endothelial growth factor-dependent human umbilical vein endothelial cells assay in combination with a soft agar disk diffusion assay allowed for optimization of potency in the series. The pharmacokinetic properties and in vivo activity in an HCT116 xenograft model are reported for representative compounds.

Design, synthesis, and development of novel caprolactam anticonvulsants

Epilepsy afflicts 1–2% of the world's population and often goes untreated; nearly 70% of those with a form of epilepsy fail to receive proper treatment. Therefore, there is great demand for the design of novel, effective anticonvulsants to combat epilepsy in its numerous forms. Previously, α-hydroxy-α-phenylcaprolactam was found to have rather potent antiepileptic activity [anti-maximal electroshock (MES) ED 50=63 mg/kg and anti-subcutaneous Metrazol (scMet) ED 50=74 mg/kg] when administered intraperitoneally in mice. We focused our attention on the development of this compound through traditional medicinal chemistry techniques—including the Topliss approach, isosteric replacement, methylene insertion, and rigid analogue approach—in the hopes of determining the effect of caprolactam α-substitution and other structural modifications on anticonvulsant activity. A number of the desired targets were successfully synthesized and submitted to the Anticonvulsant Screening Program of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Phase I results were quite promising for at least three of the compounds: α-ethynyl-α-hydroxycaprolactam ( 10), α-benzyl-α-hydroxycaprolactam ( 11), and α-hydroxy-α-(phenylethynyl)caprolactam ( 13). Phase II results for 11 strongly suggested it as a new structural class for further development, as it exhibited an anti-MES T.I. in excess of 4.0. Further, the potent activity of 13 in all models also pointed to the substituted alkynylcaprolactams as a new anticonvulsant structural class.

Structure-Based Design of Cyclooxygenase-2 Selectivity into Ketoprofen

We have recently described how to achieve COX-2 selectivity from the non-selective inhibitor indomethacin ( 1 ) using a combination of a pharmacophore and computer 3-D models based on the known X-ray crystal structures of cyclooxygenases. In the present study we have focused on the design of COX-2 selective analogues of the NSAID ketoprofen ( 2 ). The design is similarly based on the combined use of the previous pharmacophore together with traditional medicinal chemistry techniques motivated by the comparative modeling of the 3-D structures of 2 docked into the COX active sites. The analysis includes use of the program GRID to detect isoenzyme differences near the active site region and is aimed at suggesting modifications of the basic benzophenone frame of the lead compound 2. The resulting series of compounds bearing this central framework is exemplified by the potent and selective COX-2 inhibitor 17 (LM-1669).

Protein structure--based drug design.

Design cycles will undoubtedly play an increasingly important role in drug discovery in the coming years, as the amount of structural information on protein targets continues to rise. However, the traditional method of drug discovery, based upon random screening and systematic modification of leads by medicinal chemistry techniques, will probably not be abandoned completely because it has a potentially important advantage over more structure-based methods--namely, leads identified in this way are unlikely to show a close resemblance to the natural ligand or substrate. They may, therefore, have advantages in terms of patent novelty, selectivity, or pharmacokinetic profile. However, such leads could then serve as the basis for structure-based, rational modification programs, in which their interactions with target receptors are defined (as we have described) and improved molecules are designed. A final important point to be made about structure-based design in drug discovery is that, while it can be of great use in the initial process of identifying ligands with improved affinity and selectivity in vitro, it can usually say very little about other essential aspects of the drug discovery process, e.g. the need to achieve an adequate pharmacokinetic profile and low toxicity in vivo. This observation reminds us that drug design is a multidisciplinary process, involving molecular biologists, biochemists, pharmacologists, organic chemists, crystallographers, and others. In order to be effective, therefore, structure-based design must be properly integrated into the overall discovery effort.