Bicyclic sigma receptor ligands by stereoselective Dieckmann analogous cyclization of piperazinebutyrate

Recent Advances in the Development of Sigma Receptor Ligands as Cytotoxic Agents: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective

Since their discovery as distinct receptor proteins, the specific physiopathological role of sigma receptors (σRs) has been deeply investigated. It has been reported that these proteins, classified into two subtypes indicated as σ₁ and σ₂, might play a pivotal role in cancer growth, cell proliferation, and tumor aggressiveness. As a result, the development of selective σR ligands with potential antitumor properties attracted significant attention as an emerging theme in cancer research. This perspective deals with the recent advances of σR ligands as novel cytotoxic agents, covering articles published between 2010 and 2020. An up-to-date description of the medicinal chemistry of selective σ₁R and σ₂R ligands with antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities has been provided, including major pharmacophore models and comprehensive structure–activity relationships for each main class of σR ligands.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of conformationally restricted σ(1) receptor ligands with 7,9-diazabicyclo[4.2.2]decane scaffold

The key step in the synthesis of the 7,9-diazabicyclo[4.2.2]decane system was a modified Dieckmann condensation of piperazinebutyrate 11, which makes use of trapping the first cyclized intermediate with TMS-Cl. Reduction of the bicyclic ketone 14 with LiBH(4) at -90 °C provided diastereoselectively (>99 : 1) the syn-configured alcohol 15a, which was converted into the final alcohol and ethers 16a-g. The configuration at the 2-position was established by X-ray structure analysis of methyl and ethyl ethers 15b and 15c. In contrast to bicyclic systems with a three-carbon bridge, inversion of the configuration at the 2-position of the alcohol 15a failed to give the inverted alcohol 19a. However, an unselective reduction of the ketone 24 with L-Selectride led to the diastereomeric alcohols 16a and 25a in the ratio 36 : 64. LiAlH(4) reduction of the tosylate 20 and the alkene 18 yielded the diazabicyclo-decane 26 and -decene 27 without further substituents at the four-carbon bridge. The σ(1) and σ(2) receptor affinities were investigated in receptor binding studies with radioligands. All test compounds showed a lower σ(1) affinity than the corresponding bicyclic derivatives with a three-membered bridge. The reduced σ(1) receptor affinity is attributed to the larger four-membered bridge. This hypothesis is supported by the alkene 27, which represents the most potent σ(1) ligand of this series (K(i) = 7.5 nM). In the alkene 27 the size and flexibility of the bridge is considerably reduced by the double bond. The methyl ether 25b and the unsubstituted derivatives 26 and 27 revealed moderate inhibition of the growth of the human tumor cell lines A-427, 5637 and MCF-7. Again, these compounds are less potent than the analogues with a three-membered bridge. The IC(50)-value of the most potent σ(1) ligand 27 against the small cell lung cancer cell line A-427 (IC(50) = 10 μM) should be emphasized, since this cell line is particularly sensitive to homologues with a three-carbon bridge.