Hit-to-lead optimization of a benzene sulfonamide series for potential antileishmanial agents

A series of benzene sulphonamides with good potency and selectivity against Leishmania spp. intracellular amastigotes was identified by high-throughput screening. Approximately 200 compounds were synthesized as part of a hit-to-lead optimization program. The potency of the series appears to be strongly dependent on lipophilicity, making the identification of suitable orally available candidates challenging due to poor pharmacokinetics. Despite not identifying a clinical candidate, a likely solvent exposed area was found, best exemplified in compound 29. Ongoing detailed mode-of-action studies may provide an opportunity to use target-based medicinal chemistry to overcome the issues with the current series.

Structure-activity relationship of 4-azaindole-2-piperidine derivatives as agents against Trypanosoma cruzi

The structure-activity relationship of a 4-Azaindole-2-piperidine compound selected from GlaxoSmithKline's recently disclosed open-resource "Chagas box" and possessing moderate activity against Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite responsible for Chagas disease, is presented. Despite considerable medicinal chemistry efforts, a suitably potent and metabolically stable compound could not be identified to advance the series into in vivo studies. This research should be of interest to those in the area of neglected diseases and in particular anti-kinetoplastid drug discovery.

Conformationally Driven Two- and Three-Photon Cascade Processes in the Stereoselective Photorearrangement of Pyrroles

A TBSO group has been shown to exert a high degree of stereocontrol during the two-photon photocycloaddition/rearrangement of N-butenylpyrroles to complex tricyclic aziridines. Moreover, this and other bulky groups have been shown to change the outcome of the reaction, promoting a new two-photon sequence to tricyclic imines and an unprecedented stereoselective three-photon sequence to azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes.