Rational modification, synthesis and biological evaluation of N-substituted phthalazinone derivatives designed to target interleukine-15 protein.

Interleukin (IL)-15 is a pleiotropic cytokine structurally close to IL-2 and sharing with the IL-2Rβ and γc receptor (R) subunits. IL-15 plays important roles in innate and adaptative immunity, supporting the activation and proliferation of NK, NK-T, and CD8 T cells. Over-expression of IL-15 has been shown to participate to the development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and diverse T cell malignancies.