Designed Spiroketal Protein Modulation

Spirocyclic Scaffolds in Medicinal Chemistry

Spirocyclic scaffolds are incorporated in various approved drugs and drug candidates. The increasing interest in less planar bioactive compounds has given rise to the development of synthetic methodologies for the preparation of spirocyclic scaffolds. In this Perspective, we summarize the diverse synthetic routes to obtain spirocyclic systems. The impact of spirocycles on potency and selectivity, including the aspect of stereochemistry, is discussed. Furthermore, we examine the changes in physicochemical properties as well as in in vitro and in vivo ADME using selected studies that compare spirocyclic compounds to their nonspirocyclic counterparts. In conclusion, the value of spirocyclic scaffolds in medicinal chemistry is discussed.

Stereoselective Synthesis of 1,6,9-Tri-oxaspiro[4.5]decanes From d-Glucose: Novel Structural Motifs of Spiroacetal Natural Products

Spiroacetals are the central structural core element of numerous natural products and are essential for their biological activity. A typical structural representative of a spiroacetal is the bicyclic 1,6-dioxaspiro[4.5]decane ring system. It represents the complete or partial structure of many biologically potent natural products such as the Paravespula pheromone 1, the antibiotic (+)-monensin A 2, the anticancer agent (−)-berkelic acid 3, the antimitotic ingredient spirastrellolide F, characterized after methylation as (+)-methyl ester 4, and the marine toxin (−)-calyculin A 5. In these compounds, the 1,6-dioxaspiro[4.5]decane ring system is found in either spiro ( R)-6 or ( S) - 6 configuration. The corresponding 1,6,9-trioxaspiro[4.5]decane framework ( S)-7 and ( R)-7 with opposite chirality at the spiro center due to an additional oxygen atom at position 9 in the pyran portion has so far not been found in living organisms or been synthesized. To close this gap and enable structure–activity relationship studies, potentially leading to novel antibiotics and selective anticancer agents, we have developed an efficient and stereocontrolled route to the ( R)- and ( S)-configurated 1,6,9-trioxaspiro[4.5]decane ring system leading to oxa analog motifs of the above natural products.

A New Synthetic Spiroketal: Studies on Antitumor Activity on Murine Melanoma Model In Vivo and Mechanism of Action In Vitro

BACKGROUND

In a previous study, we synthesised a new spiroketal derivative, inspired to natural products, that has shown high antiproliferative activity, potent telomerase inhibition and proapoptotic activity on several human cell lines.

OBJECTIVE

This work focused on the study of in vivo antitumor effect of this synthetic spiroketal on a murine melanoma model. In order to shed additional light on the origin of the antitumor effect, in vitro studies were performed.

METHODS

Spiroketal was administered to B16F10 melanoma mice at a dose of 5 mg/Kg body weight via intraperitoneum at alternate days for 15 days. Tumor volume measures were made every 2 days starting after 12 days from cells injection. The effects of the spiroketal on tumor growth inhibition, apoptosis induction, and cell cycle modification were investigated in vitro on B16 cells. HIF1α gene expression, the inhibition of cells migration and the changes induced in cytoskeleton conformation were evaluated.

RESULTS

Spiroketal displayed proapoptotic activity and high antitumor activity in B16 cells with nanomolar IC50. Moreover it has shown to inhibit cell migration, to strongly reduce the HIF1α expression and to induce strongly deterioration of cytoskeleton structure. A potent dose-dependent antitumor efficacy in syngenic B16/C57BL/6J murine model of melanoma was observed with the suppression of tumor growth by an average of 90% at a dose of 5 mg/kg.

CONCLUSION

The synthesized spiroketal shows high antitumor activity in the B16 cells in vitro at nM concentration and a dose-dependent antitumor efficacy in syngenic B16/C57BL/6J mice. The results suggest that this natural product inspired spiroketal may have a potential application in melanoma therapy.

Bicyclic acetals: biological relevance, scaffold analysis, and applications in diversity-oriented synthesis

The chemoinformatics analysis of fused, spiro, and bridged bicyclic acetals is instrumental for the DOS of natural product-inspired molecular collections.

Recent progress in the isolation, bioactivity, biosynthesis, and total synthesis of natural spiroketals

The isolation, bioactivity, biosynthesis, and total synthesis of natural spiroketals from 2011 to July 2017 have been summarized in this review.

Designed Spiroketal Protein Modulation

Spiroketals are structural motifs found in many biologically active natural products, which has stimulated considerable efforts toward their synthesis and interest in their use as drug lead compounds. Despite this, the use of spiroketals, and especially bisbenzanulated spiroketals, in a structure-based drug discovery setting has not been convincingly demonstrated. Herein, we report the rational design of a bisbenzannulated spiroketal that potently binds to the retinoid X receptor (RXR) thereby inducing partial co-activator recruitment. We solved the crystal structure of the spiroketal-hRXRα-TIF2 ternary complex, and identified a canonical allosteric mechanism as a possible explanation for the partial agonist behavior of our spiroketal. Our co-crystal structure, the first of a designed spiroketal-protein complex, suggests that spiroketals can be designed to selectively target other nuclear receptor subtypes.