Synthesis of β-Hydroxy-α,α-difluorosulfonamides from Carbanions of Difluoromethanesulfonamides

The synthesis of β-hydroxy-α,α-difluorosulfonamides was achieved by reacting difluoromethanesulfonamides with KHMDS in the presence of an aldehyde or ketone. The reaction exhibited a dramatic counterion effect with KHMDS or NaHMDS usually giving excellent yields in minutes, while lithium bases gave little or no product. Excellent yields and high diastereomeric ratios were achieved with N^α-benzyl-N^α-phenylfluorenyl (PhF)-protected chiral amino aldehydes derived from amino acids. Following deprotection, a β-hydroxy-α,α-sulfonamide reacted under peptide coupling and Mitsunobu conditions to furnish a peptidomimetic in an excellent overall yield.

Targeting prenylation inhibition through the mevalonate pathway

Protein prenylation is a critical mediator in several diseases including cancer and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Therapeutic intervention has focused primarily on directly targeting the prenyltransferase enzymes, FTase and GGTase I and II. To date, several drugs have advanced to clinical trials and while promising, they have yet to gain approval in a medical setting due to off-target effects and compensatory mechanisms activated by the body which results in drug resistance. While the development of dual inhibitors has mitigated undesirable side effects, potency remains sub-optimal for clinical development. An alternative approach involves antagonizing the upstream mevalonate pathway enzymes, FPPS and GGPPS, which mediate prenylation as well as cholesterol synthesis. The development of these inhibitors presents novel opportunities for dual inhibition of cancer-driven prenylation as well as cholesterol accumulation. Herein, we highlight progress towards the development of inhibitors against the prenylation machinery.

Contrasting reactivity of fluorinated 2,6-heptanediones towards amines and ammonia, leading to cyclohexanediones or 2-oxa-6-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octanes and evaluation of their cytotoxicity

Synthesis and cytotoxic studies of cyclohexanediones and 2-oxa-6-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octanes obtained in reaction of fluorinated 2,6-hetanediones with amines and ammonia respectively.

New tricks for human farnesyltransferase inhibitor: cancer and beyond

Human protein farnesyltransferase (FTase) catalyzes the addition of a C15-farnesyl lipid group to the cysteine residue located in the COOH-terminal tetrapeptide motif of a variety of important substrate proteins, including well-known Ras protein superfamily. The farnesylation of Ras protein is required both for its normal physiological function, and for the transforming capacity of its oncogenic mutants. Over the last several decades, FTase inhibitors (FTIs) were developed to disrupt the farnesylation of oncogenic Ras as anti-cancer agents, and some of them have entered cancer clinical investigation. On the other hand, some substrates of FTase were demonstrated to be related with other human diseases, including Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, chronic hepatitis D, and cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we summarize the roles of FTase in malignant transformation, proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and metastasis of tumor cells, and the recently anticancer clinical research advances of FTIs. The therapeutic prospect of FTIs on several other human diseases is also discussed.

On the discovery of new potent human farnesyltransferase inhibitors: emerging pyroglutamic derivatives

In the current context of lack of emergence of innovative human farnesyltransferase inhibitors, and given all new therapeutic perspectives that open up for such molecules, we have just discovered a new series of powerful inhibitors with IC₅₀values in the nanomolar range.

New indolizine-chalcones as potent inhibitors of human farnesyltransferase: Design, synthesis and biological evaluation

A new family of indolizine-chalcones was designed, synthesized and screened for the inhibitory potential on human farnesyltransferase in vitro to identify potent antitumor agents. The most active compound was phenothiazine 2a, exhibiting an IC50 value in the low nanomolar range, similar to that of known FTI-276, highly potent farnesyltransferase inhibitor. The newly synthesized indolizine-chalcones 2a-d constitute the most efficient inhibitors of farnesyltransferase bearing a phenothiazine unit known to date.