Brain Penetrable Inhibitors of Ceramide Galactosyltransferase for the Treatment of Lysosomal Storage Disorders.

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is a rare, genetic lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of arylsulfatase A enzyme, which results in the accumulation of sulfatide in the lysosomes of the tissues of central and peripheral nervous systems, leading to progressive demyelination and neurodegeneration. Currently there is no cure for this disease, and the only approved therapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplant, has limitations. We proposed substrate reduction therapy (SRT) as a novel approach to treat this disease, by inhibiting ceramide galactosyltransferase enzyme (UGT8).

X-ray crystallographic structure-based design of selective thienopyrazole inhibitors for interleukin-2-inducible tyrosine kinase.

Beginning with a screening hit, unique thienopyrazole-indole inhibitors of Itk (interleukin-2-inducible tyrosine kinase) were designed, synthesized, and crystallized in the target kinase. Although initial compounds were highly active in Itk, they were not selective. Increasing the steric bulk around a tertiary alcohol at the 5-indole position dramatically improved selectivity toward Lyk and Syk, but not Txk.