Aminobenzimidazoles and Structural Isomers as Templates for Dual-Acting Butyrylcholinesterase Inhibitors and hCB2 R Ligands To Combat Neurodegenerative Disorders.

A pharmacophore model for butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors was applied to a human cannabinoid subtype 2 receptor (hCB2 R) agonist and verified it as a first-generation lead for respective dual-acting compounds. The design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of various derivatives led to the identification of aminobenzimidazoles as second-generation leads with micro- or sub-micromolar activities at both targets and excellent selectivity over hCB1 and AChE, respectively. Computational studies of the first- and second-generation lead structures by applying molecular dynamics (MD) on the active hCB2 R model, along with docking and MD on hBChE, has enabled an explanation of their binding profiles at the protein levels and opened the way for further optimization. Dual-acting compounds with "balanced" affinities and excellent selectivities could be obtained that represent leads for treatment of both cognitive and pathophysiological impairment occurring in neurodegenerative disorders.