DHFR Inhibitors: Reading the Past for Discovering Novel Anticancer Agents

Dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors are an important class of drugs, as evidenced by their use as antibacterial, antimalarial, antifungal, and anticancer agents. Progress in understanding the biochemical basis of mechanisms responsible for enzyme selectivity and antiproliferative effects has renewed the interest in antifolates for cancer chemotherapy and prompted the medicinal chemistry community to develop novel and selective human DHFR inhibitors, thus leading to a new generation of DHFR inhibitors. This work summarizes the mechanism of action, chemical, and anticancer profile of the DHFR inhibitors discovered in the last six years. New strategies in DHFR drug discovery are also provided, in order to thoroughly delineate the current landscape for medicinal chemists interested in furthering this study in the anticancer field.

An efficient synthesis of new imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-6-carbohydrazide and pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidine-7-carbohydrazide derivatives via a five-component cascade reaction

A highly efficient and straightforward synthesis of N-fused heterocyclic compounds including N′-(1-(4-nitrophenyl)ethylidene)imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-6-carbohydrazide and N′-(1-(4-nitrophenyl)ethylidene)pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidine-7-carbohydrazide derivatives is successfully achieved via a five-component cascade reaction utilizing cyanoacetohydrazide, 4-nitroacetophenone, 1,1-bis(methylthio)-2-nitroethylene and various diamines in a mixture of water and ethanol. The new efficient domino protocol involving a sequence of N,N-acetal formation, Knoevenagel condensation, Michael reaction, imine–enamine tautomerization and N-cyclization as key steps. The merit of this catalyst free approach is highlighted by its easily available starting materials, operational simplicity, clean reaction profile, the use of environmentally benign solvents and tolerance of a wide variety of functional groups.

An easy synthesis of novel and highly substituted imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines and pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidines using heterocyclic ketene aminals.

Facile synthesis and efficient electrochemiluminescence of a readily accessible pyridopyrimidine

Through a facile one-pot three-component reaction and a subsequent acetylation strategy, a novel greenish-blue fluorescent 4-imino-4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidine-3-carbonitrile (IPPC) was synthesized.

Hexafluoroisopropanol mediated benign synthesis of 2H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones by using a domino protocol

Domino strategy has been used for the synthesis of 2H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones. Four sequential reactions: aza-Michael addition, water elimination, intramolecular acyl substitution, and [1,3]-H shift were observed in this domino protocol. Hexafluoroisopropanol is used as a promotor and recyclable solvent in this cascade process. Availability of inexpensive 2-aminopyridines and wide variety of Michael acceptors such as commercially available acrylates and unactivated Baylis-Hillman adducts makes this methodology a huge reservoir of novel fused N-heterocycles as bioactive and potential therapeutic agents. The reaction mechanism has been proposed and rationalized by density functional theory calculation. Products are obtained up to 95% yield.

Concise synthesis of rare pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones and related nitrogen-rich bicyclic scaffolds with a ring-junction nitrogen

Pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones represent a pharmaceutically interesting class of heterocycles. The structurally related pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-4-ones are associated with a broad range of useful biological properties. Furthermore, quinolizinone-type scaffolds of these sorts with a bridgehead nitrogen are expected to display interesting physico-chemical properties. However, pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones are largely under-represented in current small molecule screening libraries and the physical and biological properties of the pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-one scaffold have been poorly explored (indeed, the same can be said for unsaturated bicyclic compounds with a bridgehead nitrogen in general). Herein, we report the development of a new strategy for the concise synthesis of substituted pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones from readily available starting materials. The synthetic route involved the acylation of the lithium amide bases of 2-aminopyridines with alkynoate esters to form alkynamides, which were then cyclised under thermal conditions. The use of lithium amide anions ensured excellent regioselectivity for the 2-oxo-isomer over the undesired 4-oxo-isomer, which offers a distinct advantage over some existing methods for the synthesis of pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones. Notably, different aminoazines could also be employed in this approach, which enabled access to several very unusual bicyclic systems with higher nitrogen contents. This methodology thus represents an important contribution towards the synthesis of pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones and other rare azabicycles with a ring-junction nitrogen. These heterocycles represent attractive structural templates for drug discovery.

Structural basis for the inhibition of M1 family aminopeptidases by the natural product actinonin: Crystal structure in complex with E. coli aminopeptidase N

Actinonin is a pseudotripeptide that displays a high affinity towards metalloproteases including peptide deformylases (PDFs) and M1 family aminopeptidases. PDF and M1 family aminopeptidases belong to thermolysin-metzincin superfamily. One of the major differences in terms of substrate binding pockets between these families is presence (in M1 aminopeptidases) or absence (in PDFs) of an S1 substrate pocket. The binding mode of actinonin to PDFs has been established previously; however, it is not clear how the actinonin, without a P1 residue, would bind to the M1 aminopeptidases. Here we describe the crystal structure of Escherichia coli aminopeptidase N (ePepN), a model protein of the M1 family aminopeptidases in complex with actinonin. For comparison we have also determined the structure of ePepN in complex with a well-known tetrapeptide inhibitor, amastatin. From the comparison of the actinonin and amastatin ePepN complexes, it is clear that the P1 residue is not critical as long as strong metal chelating head groups, like hydroxamic acid or α-hydroxy ketone, are present. Results from this study will be useful for the design of selective and efficient hydroxamate inhibitors against M1 family aminopeptidases.

Synthesis of highly substituted 4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidines via a one-pot three-component condensation reaction

A one-pot three-component reaction, involving condensation of 2-aminopyridines, aldehydes, and ketones/aldehydes under trifluoromethanesulfonic acid catalysis, provides rapid access to highly substituted novel 4H-pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidines.