Semisynthetic artemisinins and other bioactive peroxides are best known for their powerful antimalarial activities, and they also show substantial activity against schistosomes-another hemoglobin-degrading pathogen. Building on this discovery, we now describe the initial structure-activity relationship (SAR) of antischistosomal ozonide carboxylic acids OZ418 () and OZ165 (). Irrespective of lipophilicity, these ozonide weak acids have relatively low aqueous solubilities and high protein binding values.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBuilding on insights gained from the discovery of the antimalarial ozonide arterolane (OZ277), we now describe the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the antimalarial ozonide artefenomel (OZ439). Primary and secondary amino ozonides had higher metabolic stabilities than tertiary amino ozonides, consistent with their higher pK and lower log D values. For primary amino ozonides, addition of polar functional groups decreased in vivo antimalarial efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report a series of novel inhibitors of protein farnesyltransferase based on the 2-oxotetrahydroquinoline scaffold. We developed an efficient synthesis of these compounds. These compounds show selective inhibtion of the malaria versus human farnesyltransferase and inhibit the growth of the malaria parasite in the low nanomolar range.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSubstituted tetrahydroquinolines (THQs) have been previously identified as inhibitors of mammalian protein farnesyltransferase (PFT). Previously we showed that blocking PFT in the malaria parasite led to cell death and that THQ-based inhibitors are the most potent among several structural classes of PFT inhibitors (PFTIs). We have prepared 266 THQ-based PFTIs and discovered several compounds that inhibit the malarial enzyme in the sub- to low-nanomolar range and that block the growth of the parasite (P.
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