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Hamdy J, Emadeldin N, Hamed MM, Frakolaki E, Katsamakas S, Vassilaki N, Zoidis G, Hirsch AKH, Abdel-Halim M, Abadi AH. Design and Synthesis of Novel Bis-Imidazolyl Phenyl Butadiyne Derivatives as HCV NS5A Inhibitors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:632. [PMID: 35631457 PMCID: PMC9146377 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In today’s global plan to completely eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV), the essential list of medications used for HCV treatment are direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), as interferon-sparing regimens have become the standard-of-care (SOC) treatment. HCV nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitors are a very common component of these regimens. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved NS5A inhibitors, although very potent, do not have the same potency against all eight genotypes of HCV. Therefore, this study aims to synthesize NS5A inhibitor analogues with high potency pan-genotypic activity and high metabolic stability. Starting from an NS5A inhibitor scaffold previously identified by our research group, we made several modifications. Two series of compounds were created to test the effect of changing the length and spatial conformation (para-para vs. meta-meta-positioned bis-imidazole-proline-carbamate), replacing amide groups in the linker with imidazole groups, as well as different end-cap compositions and sizes. The frontrunner inhibits genotype 1b (Con1) replicon, with an EC50 value in the picomolar range, and showed high genotypic coverage with nanomolar range EC50 values against four more genotypes. This together with its high metabolic stability (t½ > 120 min) makes it a potential preclinical candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehad Hamdy
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| | - Nouran Emadeldin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| | - Mostafa M. Hamed
- Drug Design and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)—Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (M.M.H.); (A.K.H.H.)
| | - Efseveia Frakolaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (E.F.); (N.V.)
| | - Sotirios Katsamakas
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece;
| | - Niki Vassilaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (E.F.); (N.V.)
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis-Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece;
| | - Anna K. H. Hirsch
- Drug Design and Optimization, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)—Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany; (M.M.H.); (A.K.H.H.)
- Department of Pharmacy, Saarland University, Campus E8.1, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Mohammad Abdel-Halim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
| | - Ashraf H. Abadi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt; (J.H.); (N.E.)
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Recent advancement in small molecules as HCV inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 60:116699. [PMID: 35278819 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has caused a considerable threat to human health. To date, no treatments are without side effects. The proteins and RNA associated with HCV have specific functions during the viral life cycle. The vulnerabilities to virus are associated with those proteins or RNA. Thus, targeting these proteins and RNA is an efficient strategy to develop anti-HCV therapeutics. The treatment for HCV-infected patients has been greatly improved after the approval of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). However, the cost of DAAs is unusually high, which adds to the economic burden on patients with chronic liver diseases. So far, many efforts have been devoted to the development of small molecules as novel HCV inhibitors. Investigations on the inhibitory activities of these small molecules have involved the target identification and the mechanism of action. In this mini-review, these small molecules divided into four kinds were elaborated, which focused on their targets and structural features. Furthermore, we raised the current challenges and promising prospects. This mini-review may facilitate the development of small molecules with improved activities targeting HCV based on the chemical scaffolds of HCV inhibitors.
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Kazmierski WM, Miriyala N, Johnson DK, Baskaran S. The Discovery of Conformationally Constrained Bicyclic Peptidomimetics as Potent Hepatitis C NS5A Inhibitors. ACS Med Chem Lett 2021; 12:1649-1655. [PMID: 34790290 PMCID: PMC8591741 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
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HCV NS5A inhibitors are the backbone
of directly acting antiviral
treatments against the hepatitis C virus (HCV). While these therapies
are generally highly curative, they are less effective in some specific
HCV patient populations. In the search for broader-acting HCV NS5A
inhibitors that address these needs, we explored conformational restrictions
imposed by the [7,5]-azabicyclic lactam moiety incorporated into daclatasvir
(1) and related HCV NS5A inhibitors. Unexpectedly, compound 5 was identified as a potent HCV genotype 1a and 1b inhibitor.
Molecular modeling of 5 bound to HCV genotype 1a suggested
that the use of the conformationally restricted lactam moiety might
have resulted in reorientation of its N-terminal carbamate to expose
a new interaction with the NS5A pocket located between amino acids
P97 and Y93, which was not easily accessible to 1. The
results also suggest new chemistry directions that exploit the interactions
with the P97–Y93 site toward new and potentially improved HCV
NS5A inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wieslaw M. Kazmierski
- GlaxoSmithKline, 5 Moore Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-3398, United States
| | - Nagaraju Miriyala
- GlaxoSmithKline, 5 Moore Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-3398, United States
| | - David K. Johnson
- Computational Chemical Biology Core and Molecular Graphics and Modeling Laboratory, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Sam Baskaran
- GlaxoSmithKline, 5 Moore Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709-3398, United States
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Mousa MHA, Ahmed NS, Schwedtmann K, Frakolaki E, Vassilaki N, Zoidis G, Weigand JJ, Abadi AH. Design and Synthesis of Novel Symmetric Fluorene-2,7-Diamine Derivatives as Potent Hepatitis C Virus Inhibitors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14040292. [PMID: 33806139 PMCID: PMC8064491 DOI: 10.3390/ph14040292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an international challenge. Since the discovery of NS5A direct-acting antivirals, researchers turned their attention to pursue novel NS5A inhibitors with optimized design and structure. Herein we explore highly potent hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A inhibitors; the novel analogs share a common symmetrical prolinamide 2,7-diaminofluorene scaffold. Modification of the 2,7-diaminofluorene backbone included the use of (S)-prolinamide or its isostere (S,R)-piperidine-3-caboxamide, both bearing different amino acid residues with terminal carbamate groups. Compound 26 exhibited potent inhibitory activity against HCV genotype (GT) 1b (effective concentration (EC50) = 36 pM and a selectivity index of >2.78 × 106). Compound 26 showed high selectivity on GT 1b versus GT 4a. Interestingly, it showed a significant antiviral effect against GT 3a (EC50 = 1.2 nM). The structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis revealed that picomolar inhibitory activity was attained with the use of S-prolinamide capped with R- isoleucine or R-phenylglycine residues bearing a terminal alkyl carbamate group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai H. A. Mousa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt;
| | - Nermin S. Ahmed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt;
- Correspondence: (N.S.A.); (A.H.A.); Tel.: +202-27590700 (ext. 3429) (N.S.A.); +202-27590700 (ext. 3400) (A.H.A.); Fax: +202-27581041 (N.S.A. & A.H.A.)
| | - Kai Schwedtmann
- Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany; (K.S.); (J.J.W.)
| | - Efseveia Frakolaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece; (E.F.); (N.V.)
| | - Niki Vassilaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 11521 Athens, Greece; (E.F.); (N.V.)
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece;
| | - Jan J. Weigand
- Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany; (K.S.); (J.J.W.)
| | - Ashraf H. Abadi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt;
- Correspondence: (N.S.A.); (A.H.A.); Tel.: +202-27590700 (ext. 3429) (N.S.A.); +202-27590700 (ext. 3400) (A.H.A.); Fax: +202-27581041 (N.S.A. & A.H.A.)
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Abdel Karim SE, Youssef YH, Abdel-Halim M, Frakolaki E, Vassilaki N, Zoidis G, Ahmed NS, Abadi AH. Symmetric benzidine derivatives as anti-HCV agents: Insight into the nature, stereochemistry of the capping amino acid and the size of the terminal capping carbamates. Bioorg Chem 2020; 102:104089. [PMID: 32717691 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Novel symmetric molecules, bearing a benzidine prolinamide core, two terminal carbamate caps of variable sizes and nature, including natural and unnatural amino acids were developed. Several terminal N-carbamate substituents of the core structure, ranging from linear methyl, ethyl and butyl groups to branching isobutyl group; and an aromatic substituent were also synthesized. Series 1 has hydrophobic AA residues, namely S and R phenylglycine and a terminal carbamate capping group, whereas Series 2 bears sulphur containing amino acids, specifically S and R methionine and the natural R methylcysteine. The novel compounds were tested for their inhibitory activity (EC50) and their cytotoxicity (CC50), using an HCV 1b (Con1) reporter replicon cell line. Compound 4 with the unnatural capping residue, bearing d-Phenylglycine amino acid residue and N-isobutyloxycarbonyl capping group, was the most active within the two series, with EC50 = 0.0067 nM. Moreover, it showed high SI50 > 14788524 and was not cytotoxic at the highest tested concentration (100 μΜ), indicating its safety profile. Compound 4 also inhibited HCV genotypes 2a, 3a and 4a. Compared to the clinically approved NS5A inhibitor Daclatasvir, compound 4 shows higher activity against genotypes 1b and 3a, as well as improved safety profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shereen E Abdel Karim
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Youssef H Youssef
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohammad Abdel-Halim
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Efseveia Frakolaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece
| | - Niki Vassilaki
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Vas. Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece
| | - Grigoris Zoidis
- Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, GR-15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Nermin S Ahmed
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ashraf H Abadi
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, German University in Cairo, 11835 Cairo, Egypt.
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