Fragment-Based Discovery of Novel Potent Sepiapterin Reductase Inhibitors.

Genome-wide-association studies in chronic low back pain patients identified sepiapterin reductase as a high interest target for developing new analgesics. Here we used F NMR fragment screening for the discovery of novel, ligand-efficient SPR inhibitors. We report the crystal structures of six chemically diverse inhibitors complexed with SPR, identifying relevant interactions and binding modes in the sepiapterin pocket.

Design, synthesis and biological characterization of selective LIMK inhibitors.

Inhibitors of LIM kinases are considered of interest for several indications, including elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), cancer, or infection by HIV-1. LX-7101 (Lexicon Pharmaceuticals) was advanced to Phase-I clinical trials as an IOP-lowering agent for treatment of glaucoma. We here discuss the design, synthesis and evaluation of LIMK inhibitors based on a pyrrolopyrimidine scaffold, which represent close analogs of LX-7101.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel, highly active soft ROCK inhibitors.

ROCK1 and ROCK2 play important roles in numerous cellular functions, including smooth muscle cell contraction, cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration. Consequently, ROCK inhibitors are of interest for treating multiple indications including cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, lung diseases, and eye diseases. However, systemic inhibition of ROCK is expected to result in significant side effects.

Novel Roflumilast analogs as soft PDE4 inhibitors.

PDE4 inhibitors are of high interest for treatment of a wide range of inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Their potential however has not yet been realized due to target-associated side effects, resulting in a low therapeutic window. We herein report the design, synthesis and evaluation of novel PDE4 inhibitors containing a γ-lactone structure.

Artemisinin analogues as potent inhibitors of in vitro hepatitis C virus replication.

We reported previously that Artemisinin (ART), a widely used anti-malarial drug, is an inhibitor of in vitro HCV subgenomic replicon replication. We here demonstrate that ART exerts its antiviral activity also in hepatoma cells infected with full length infectious HCV JFH-1. We identified a number of ART analogues that are up to 10-fold more potent and selective as in vitro inhibitors of HCV replication than ART.

3-[2-(Aminomethyl)-5-[(pyridin-4-yl)carbamoyl]phenyl] benzoates as soft ROCK inhibitors.

Clinical development of ROCK inhibitors has so far been limited by systemic or local ROCK-associated side effects. A soft drug approach, which involves predictable metabolic inactivation of an active compound to a nontoxic metabolite, could represent an attractive way to obtain ROCK inhibitors with improved tolerability. We herein report the design and synthesis of a new series of soft ROCK inhibitors structurally related to the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632.

Anticonvulsant activity of bisabolene sesquiterpenoids of Curcuma longa in zebrafish and mouse seizure models.

Turmeric, obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, is used in South Asia as a traditional medicine for the treatment of epilepsy. To date, in vivo studies on the anticonvulsant activity of turmeric have focused on its principal curcuminoid, curcumin. However, poor absorption and rapid metabolism have limited the therapeutic application of curcumin in humans.

2-(4-Meth-oxy-benz-yl)-4,6-diphenyl-2,5-diaza-bicyclo-[2.2.2]oct-5-en-3-one.

In the crystal structure of the title compound, C(26)H(24)N(2)O(2), weak inter-molecular C-H⋯π inter-actions involving the benzene of the p-methoxy benzyl group and one of the phenyl rings result in the formation of chains consisting of alternating enanti-omers. Weak C-H ⋯O inter-actions with the methoxy O atom lead to the formation of layers, which are inter-linked by further C-H⋯O inter-actions into a three-dimensional assembly.

3-Benzyl-5-bromo-pyrazin-2(1H)-one.

In the title compound, C(11)H(9)BrN(2)O, the mol-ecules are linked into R(2) (2)(8) dimers by paired N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and these dimers are further stacked into columns along the c axis by π-π inter-actions between pyrazinone rings [centroid-centroid distance = 3.544 Å; the dihedral angle between the planes of these rings is 7.51 (16)°].

Synthesis of 2(1H)-pyrazinone phosphonates via an Arbuzov-type reaction.

A simple and catalyst-free method for the synthesis of phosphonated 2(1H)-pyrazinones is described starting from 3,5-dichloropyrazinones. The method also works for 3-bromo- and 3-iodopyrazinones. Classical heating conditions as well as microwave-enhanced reaction conditions were tested.

trans-Chlorido[6-chloro-4-(4-methoxy-benz-yl)-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-pyrazin-2-yl]-bis-(triphenyl-phosphine)palladium(II).

The title compound, [Pd(C(12)H(10)ClN(2)O(2))Cl(C(18)H(15)P)(2)], is the inter-mediate of the reduction of a 3,5-dichloro-pyrazinone [Loosen, Tutonda, Khorasani, Compernolle & Hoornaert (1991 ▶). Tetra-hedron, 47, 9259-9268]. This species is formed by oxidative addition of coordinatively unsaturated Pd(0) to the reactive 3-position of the heterocycle.