2-(4-Carbonylphenyl)benzoxazole inhibitors of CETP: Attenuation of hERG binding and improved HDLc-raising efficacy

Synthesis of Various 2-Aminobenzoxazoles: The Study of Cyclization and Smiles Rearrangement

This study reports two synthetic approaches leading to 2-aminobenzoxazoles and their N-substituted analogues. Our first synthetic strategy involves a reaction between various o-aminophenols and N-cyano-N-phenyl-p-toluenesulfonamide as a nonhazardous electrophilic cyanating agent in the presence of Lewis acid. The second synthetic approach uses the Smiles rearrangement upon activation of benzoxazole-2-thiol with chloroacetyl chloride. Both developed synthetic protocols are widely applicable, afford the desired aminobenzoxazoles in good to excellent yields, and use nontoxic and inexpensive starting material.

Human ether-à-go-go-related potassium channel: exploring SAR to improve drug design

hERG is best known as a primary anti-target, the inhibition of which is responsible for serious side effects. A renewed interest in hERG as a desired target, especially in oncology, was sparked because of its role in cellular proliferation and apoptosis. In this study, we survey the most recent advances regarding hERG by focusing on SAR in the attempt to elucidate, at a molecular level, off-target and on-target actions of potential hERG binders, which are highly promiscuous and largely varying in structure. Understanding the rationale behind hERG interactions and the molecular determinants of hERG activity is a real challenge and comprehension of this is of the utmost importance to prioritize compounds in early stages of drug discovery and to minimize cardiotoxicity attrition in preclinical and clinical studies.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of isoflavone amide derivatives with antihyperlipidemic and preadipocyte antiproliferative activities

A series of isoflavone amides were designed with isoflavone in place of the scaffold of 2-arylbenzoxazole as cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitors. Twelve new compounds were synthesized, and their inhibitory activities of CETP and preadipocyte proliferation were assayed. The hypolipidemic potency of the most effective compound HY-2c was further tested in vivo by hamster. The results indicate that HY-2c exhibited favorable antihyperlipidemic and preadipocyte antiproliferative activities.

Removal of human ether-à-go-go related gene (hERG) K+ channel affinity through rigidity: a case of clofilium analogues

Cardiotoxicity is a side effect that plagues modern drug design and is very often due to the off-target blockade of the human ether-à-go-go related gene (hERG) potassium channel. To better understand the structural determinants of this blockade, we designed and synthesized a series of 40 derivatives of clofilium, a class III antiarrhythmic agent. These were evaluated in radioligand binding and patch-clamp assays to establish structure-affinity relationships (SAR) for this potassium channel. Efforts were especially focused on studying the influence of the structural rigidity and the nature of the linkers composing the clofilium scaffold. It was shown that introducing triple bonds and oxygen atoms in the n-butyl linker of the molecule greatly reduced affinity without significantly modifying the pKa of the essential basic nitrogen. These findings could prove useful in the first stages of drug discovery as a systematic way of reducing the risk of hERG K(+) channel blockade-induced cardiotoxicity.