Antifungal activity of azole compounds CPA18 and CPA109 against azole-susceptible and -resistant strains of Candida albicans.

Objectives: In this study we investigated the in vitro fungistatic and fungicidal activities of CPA18 and CPA109, two azole compounds with original structural features, alone and in combination with fluconazole against fluconazole-susceptible and -resistant Candida albicans strains.

Methods: Antifungal activities were measured by MIC evaluation and time-kill studies. Azole binding analysis was performed by UV-Vis spectroscopy.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 4-phenylquinazoline-2-carboxamides designed as a novel class of potent ligands of the translocator protein.

A series of novel 4-phenylquinazoline-2-carboxamides (1-58) were designed as aza-isosters of PK11195, the well-known 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) reference ligand, and synthesized by means of a very simple and efficient procedure. A number of these derivatives bind to the TSPO with K(i) values in the nanomolar/subnanomolar range, show selectivity toward the central benzodiazepine receptor (BzR) and exhibit structure-affinity relationships consistent with a previously published pharmacophore/topological model of ligand-TSPO interaction.

New anthranilic acid based antagonists with high affinity and selectivity for the human cholecystokinin receptor 1 (hCCK1-R).

The anthranilic acid diamides represent the most recent class of nonpeptide CCK(1) receptor (CCK(1)-R) antagonists. Herein we describe the second phase of the anthranilic acid C-terminal optimization using nonproteinogenic amino acids containing a phenyl ring in their side chain. The Homo-Phe derivative 2 (VL-0797) enhanced 12-fold the affinity for the rat CCK(1)-R affinity and 15-fold for the human CCK(1)-R relative to the reference compound 12 (VL-0395).

CYP19 (aromatase): exploring the scaffold flexibility for novel selective inhibitors.

Several derivatives out of a series of antifungal agents exhibited a good inhibitory potency against aromatase as well as a fairly good selectivity toward CYP17, even if lacking H-bond accepting substituents. Their common structural feature is a flexible backbone that did not fit into previously reported CYP19 models. Thus, a ligand-based approach was exploited to develop a novel statistically robust, self-consistent and predictive 3D-QSAR model herein proposed as a helpful tool to design new aromatase inhibitors.

5-aryl-imidazo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine derivatives as tricyclic constrained analogues of diazepam and Ro5-4864. Synthesis and binding properties at peripheral and central benzodiazepine receptors.

Four series of 5-aryl-imidazo[2,-c][1,4]benzodiazepine derivatives 1a-f, 2a-f, 3a-f, and 4a-f were synthesized and tested for their affinity at both the peripheral and central benzodiazepine receptors. Among the four series, only N-10 and C-11 sites were changed, mainly [N(CH3)-CO], [N=CH], [NH-CO], [NH-CH2], and in each series the halogen site was varied at the positions C-7, C-2', and C-4'. In particular, 10-methyl-benzodiazepinones 1a and 1b were designed as tricyclic constrained analogues of diazepam and Ro5-4864.