Expansion of a Synthesized Library of N-Benzyl Sulfonamides Derived from an Indole Core to Target Pancreatic Cancer

In an effort to further investigate previously observed activity of indolyl sulfonamides towards pancreatic cancer cell lines, a library of 44 compounds has been synthesized. The biological activity of the compounds has been determined using two different screening assay techniques against 7 pancreatic cancer cell lines and 9 non-pancreatic cancer cell lines. In the first assay, the cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated using a traditional (48 hour compound exposure) method. An in silico investigation was conducted to determine if the compounds might be inducing cell death by inhibiting the S100A2-p53 protein-protein interaction. In the second assay, the potential role of the compounds as metabolic inhibitors of ATP production was evaluated using a rapid screening (1-2 hour compound exposure) method. IC50 values of the hit compounds were obtained and four compounds displayed sub-micromolar potency against PANC-1 cells. The investigation has provided several compounds that display selective in vitro activity toward pancreatic cancer that warrant further development.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of N-alkyl sulfonamides derived from polycyclic hydrocarbon scaffolds using a nitrogen-centered radical approach

Polycyclic hydrocarbons (PH) provide intriguing potential as lipophilic scaffolds within medicinal chemistry, but are currently limited by the availability of synthetic tools for predictable modification of the PH unit. Herein we report the development of new methods for installation of a sulfonamide unit to PH cores. In the first method, a xanthate ester serves as reagent for aminosulfonation using pre-formed imidoiodinane as N-source. An investigation of the reaction mechanism was performed to implicate a process involving a N-centered radical. An additional method for sulfonamide installation is described that involves the use of commercially available reagents and operationally convenient conditions. Using the new synthetic methods, 22 compounds were prepared and screened for biological activity against 6 mammalian cell lines along with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains. Results of the viability assays have identified compounds that exhibit higher potency than other known anticancer agents such as indisulam and ABT-751. Additionally, the physicochemical and drug-likeness properties of the synthesized compounds have been determined experimentally and using in silico predictive tools. The initial exploration into sulfonamide insertion into PH cores has resulted in a number of compounds that warrant further development to produce molecules with therapeutic value.

AD Informer Set: Chemical tools to facilitate Alzheimer's disease drug discovery

Introduction

The portfolio of novel targets to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been enriched by the Accelerating Medicines Partnership Program for Alzheimer's Disease (AMP AD) program.

Methods

Publicly available resources, such as literature and databases, enabled a data-driven effort to identify existing small molecule modulators for many protein products expressed by the genes nominated by AMP AD and suitable positive control compounds to be included in the set. Compounds contained within the set were manually selected and annotated with associated published, predicted, and/or experimental data.

Results

We built an annotated set of 171 small molecule modulators targeting 98 unique proteins that have been nominated by AMP AD consortium members as novel targets for the treatment of AD. The majority of compounds included in the set are inhibitors. These small molecules vary in their quality and should be considered chemical tools that can be used in efforts to validate therapeutic hypotheses, but which will require further optimization. A physical copy of the AD Informer Set can be requested on the Target Enablement to Accelerate Therapy Development for Alzheimer's Disease (TREAT-AD) website.

Discussion

Small molecules that enable target validation are important tools for the translation of novel hypotheses into viable therapeutic strategies for AD.

Use of AD Informer Set compounds to explore validity of novel targets in Alzheimer's disease pathology

Introduction

A chemogenomic set of small molecules with annotated activities and implicated roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) called the AD Informer Set was recently developed and made available to the AD research community: https://treatad.org/data‐tools/ad‐informer‐set/.

Methods

Small subsets of AD Informer Set compounds were selected for AD‐relevant profiling. Nine compounds targeting proteins expressed by six AD‐implicated genes prioritized for study by Target Enablement to Accelerate Therapy Development for Alzheimer's Disease (TREAT‐AD) teams were selected for G‐protein coupled receptor (GPCR), amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau, and pharmacokinetic (PK) studies. Four non‐overlapping compounds were analyzed in microglial cytotoxicity and phagocytosis assays.

Results

The nine compounds targeting CAPN2, EPHX2, MDK, MerTK/FLT3, or SYK proteins were profiled in 46 to 47 primary GPCR binding assays. Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)‐derived neurons were treated with the same nine compounds and secretion of Aβ peptides (Aβ40 and Aβ42) as well as levels of phosphophorylated tau (p‐tau, Thr231) and total tau (t‐tau) peptides measured at two concentrations and two timepoints. Finally, CD1 mice were dosed intravenously to determine preliminary PK and/or brain‐specific penetrance values for these compounds. As a final cell‐based study, a non‐overlapping subset of four compounds was selected based on single‐concentration screening for analysis of both cytotoxicity and phagocytosis in murine and human microglia cells.

Discussion

We have demonstrated the utility of the AD Informer Set in the validation of novel AD hypotheses using biochemical, cellular (primary and immortalized), and in vivo studies. The selectivity for their primary targets versus essential GPCRs in the brain was established for our compounds. Statistical changes in tau, p‐tau, Aβ40, and/or Aβ42 and blood–brain barrier penetrance were observed, solidifying the utility of specific compounds for AD. Single‐concentration phagocytosis results were validated as predictive of dose–response findings. These studies established workflows, validated assays, and illuminated next steps for protein targets and compounds.

Development of a Rapid In Vitro Screening Assay Using Metabolic Inhibitors to Detect Highly Selective Anticancer Agents

Traditional long exposure (24-72 h) cell viability assays for identification of potential drug compounds can fail to identify compounds that are: (a) biologically active but not toxic and (b) inactive without the addition of a synergistic additive. Herein, we report the development of a rapid (1-2 h) compound screening technique using a commercially available cell viability kit (CellTiter-Glo) that has led to the detection of compounds that were not identified as active agents using traditional cytotoxicity screening methods. These compounds, in combination with metabolic inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose, display selectivity toward a pancreatic cancer cell line. An evaluation of 11 mammalian cell lines against 30 novel compounds and two metabolic inhibitors is reported. The inclusion of metabolic inhibitors during an initial screening process, and not simply during mechanistic investigations of a previously identified hit compound, provides a rapid and sensitive tool for identifying drug candidates potentially overlooked by other methods.

PhI(OAc)2 and iodine-mediated synthesis of N-alkyl sulfonamides derived from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon scaffolds and determination of their antibacterial and cytotoxic activities

The development of new approaches toward chemo- and regioselective functionalization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) scaffolds will provide opportunities for the synthesis of novel biologically active small molecules that exploit the high degree of lipophilicity imparted by the PAH unit. Herein, we report a new synthetic method for C-X bond substitution that is speculated to operate via a N-centered radical (NCR) mechanism according to experimental observations. A series of PAH sulfonamides have been synthesized and their biological activity has been evaluated against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains (using a BacTiter-Glo assay) along with a series of mammalian cell lines (using CellTiter-Blue and CellTiter-Glo assays). The viability assays have resulted in the discovery of a number of bactericidal compounds that exhibit potency similar to other well-known antibacterials such as kanamycin and tetracycline, along with the discovery of a luciferase inhibitor. Additionally, the physicochemical and drug-likeness properties of the compounds were determined experimentally and using in silico approaches and the results are presented and discussed within.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration-Certified Food Dyes as Organocatalysts in the Visible Light-Promoted Chlorination of Aromatics and Heteroaromatics

Seven FDA-certified food dyes have been investigated as organocatalysts. As a result, Fast Green FCF and Brilliant Blue FCF have been discovered as catalysts for the chlorination of a wide range of arenes and heteroarenes in moderate to excellent yields and high regioselectivity. Mechanistic investigations of the separate systems indicate that different modes of activation are in operation, with Fast Green FCF being a light-promoted photoredox catalyst that is facilitating a one-electron oxidation of N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS) and Brilliant Blue FCF serving as a chlorine-transfer catalyst in its sulfonphthalein form with 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DCDMH) as stoichiometric chlorine source. Dearomatization of naphthol and indole substrates was observed in some examples using the Brilliant Blue/DCDMH system.

Synthesis and identification of heteroaromatic N-benzyl sulfonamides as potential anticancer agents

Sulfonamides are a crucial class of bioisosteres that are prevalent in a wide range of pharmaceuticals, however, the available methods for their production directly from heteroaryl aldehyde reagents remains surprisingly limited. A new approach for regioselective incorporation of a sulfonamide unit to heteroarene scaffolds has been developed and is reported within. As a result, a variety of primary benzylic N-alkylsulfonamides have been prepared via a two-step (one pot) formation from the in situ reduction of an intermediate N-sulfonyl imine under mild, practical conditions. The compounds have been screened against a variety of cell lines for cytotoxicity effects using a Cell Titer Blue assay. The cell viability investigation identifies a subset of N-benzylic sulfonamides derived from the indole scaffold to be targeted for further development into novel molecules with potential therapeutic value. The most cytotoxic of the compounds prepared, AAL-030, exhibited higher potency than other well-known anticancer agents Indisulam and ABT-751.

Organic Dye-Catalyzed, Visible-Light Photoredox Bromination of Arenes and Heteroarenes Using N-Bromosuccinimide

A variety of arenes and heteroarenes are brominated in good to excellent yields using N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) under mild and practical conditions. According to mechanistic investigations described within, the reaction is speculated to proceed via activation of NBS through a visible-light photoredox pathway utilizing erythrosine B as a photocatalyst. A photo-oxidative approach effectively amplifies the positive polarization on the bromine atom of the NBS reagent. This increase in the electrophilic nature of NBS results in drastically reduced reaction times and diversion from competing light-promoted reactive pathways.

Formation of N-sulfonyl imines from iminoiodinanes by iodine-promoted, N-centered radical sulfonamidation of aldehydes

A light-promoted, non-traditional carbonyl activation via a N-centered radical (NCR) species to produce activated imines using iminoiodinanes is reported.