Discovery of 6-(Fluoro-(18)F)-3-(1H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridin-1-yl)isoquinolin-5-amine ([(18)F]-MK-6240): A Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Imaging Agent for Quantification of Neurofibrillary Tangles (NFTs).

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) made up of aggregated tau protein have been identified as the pathologic hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. In vivo detection of NFTs using PET imaging represents a unique opportunity to develop a pharmacodynamic tool to accelerate the discovery of new disease modifying therapeutics targeting tau pathology. Herein, we present the discovery of 6-(fluoro-(18)F)-3-(1H-pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridin-1-yl)isoquinolin-5-amine, 6 ([(18)F]-MK-6240), as a novel PET tracer for detecting NFTs.

PISA, a novel pharmacodynamic assay for assessing poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity in situ.

Introduction: Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) maintains genomic integrity by repairing DNA strand breaks, however over-activation of PARP following neural tissue injury is hypothesized to cause neuronal death. Therefore, PARP inhibitors have potential for limiting neural injury under certain conditions. A reliable method for assessing PARP activity in brain is critical for development of novel inhibitors with CNS activity.

Binding modes of dihydroquinoxalinones in a homology model of bradykinin receptor 1.

We report the first homology model of human bradykinin receptor B1 generated from the crystal structure of bovine rhodopsin as a template. Using an automated docking procedure, two B1 receptor antagonists of the dihydroquinoxalinone structural class were docked into the receptor model. Site-directed mutagenesis data of the amino acid residues in TM1, TM3, TM6, and TM7 were incorporated to place the compounds in the binding site of the homology model of the human B1 bradykinin receptor.

Discovery of a potent, non-peptide bradykinin B1 receptor antagonist.

Bradykinin (BK) plays an important role in the pathophysiological processes accompanying pain and inflammation. Selective bradykinin B1 receptor antagonists have been shown to be anti-nociceptive in animal models and could be novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of pain and inflammation. We have explored chemical modifications in a series of dihydroquinoxalinone sulfonamides to evaluate the effects of various structural changes on biological activity.