Synthesis and biological evaluation of purine derivatives incorporating metal chelating ligands as HIV integrase inhibitors

Repurposing FDA-approved drugs as HIV-1 integrase inhibitors: an in silico investigation

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is a global pandemic that has claimed 33 million lives to-date. One of the most efficacious treatments for naïve or pretreated HIV patients is the HIV integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs). However, given that HIV treatment is life-long, the emergence of HIV strains resistant to INSTIs is an imminent challenge. In this work, we showed two best regression QSAR models that were constructed using a boosted Random Forest algorithm (r² = 0.998, q²_10CV = 0.721, q²_{external_test} = 0.754) and a boosted K* algorithm (r² = 0.987, q²_10CV = 0.721, q²_{external_test} = 0.758) to predict the pIC₅₀ values of INSTIs. Subsequently, the regression QSAR models were deployed against the Drugbank database for drug repositioning. The top-ranked compounds were further evaluated for their target engagement activity using molecular docking studies and accelerated Molecular Dynamics simulation. Lastly, their potential as INSTIs were also evaluated from our literature search. Our study offers the first example of a large-scale regression QSAR modelling effort for discovering highly active INSTIs to combat HIV infection.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Dialkylbiaryl Phosphines in Pd-Catalyzed Amination: A User's Guide

Dialkylbiaryl phosphines are a valuable class of ligand for Pd-catalyzed amination reactions and have been applied in a range of contexts. This review attempts to aid the reader in the selection of the best choice of reaction conditions and ligand of this class for the most commonly encountered and practically important substrate combinations.

(15)N Double-labeled guanosine from inosine through ring-opening-ring-closing and one-pot Pd-catalyzed C-O and C-N cross-coupling reactions

[N,1-(15)N(2)]-Guanosine, or [1,NH(2)-(15)N(2)]-guanosine, and derivatives were prepared from tri-O-acetylinosine, via N-nitration and reaction with (15)NH(2)OH, followed by conversion of the (15)N-labeled 1-hydroxyinosine to the corresponding 2,6-dichloropurine riboside. The sequential one-pot C-O and C-N key couplings of this dichloro derivative with PhCH(2)OH and PhCO(15)NH(2) or (i)PrCO(15)NH(2) was achieved in good overall yields, with Pd(0)-Xantphos as the best choice of five different catalytic systems examined.

Concise syntheses of trifluoromethylated cyclic and acyclic analogues of cADPR

A novel trifluoromethylated analogue of cADPR, 8-CF3-cIDPDE (5) was designed and synthesized via construction of N1,N9-disubstituted hypoxanthine, trifluoromethylation and intramolecular condensation. A series of acyclic analogues of cADPR were also designed and synthesized. These compounds could be useful molecules for studying the structure-activity relationship of cADPR analogues and exploring the cADPR/RyR Ca2+ signalling system.

An Efficient System For the Pd-Catalyzed Cross-Coupling of Amides and Aryl Chlorides

A catalyst based on a new biarylphosphine ligand (3) for the Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of amides and aryl chlorides is described. This system shows the highest turnover frequencies reported to date for these reactions, especially for aryl chloride substrates bearing an ortho substituent. An array of amides and aryl chlorides were successfully reacted in good to excellent yields.

HIV-1 integrase inhibitors: 2005-2006 update

HIV-1 integrase (IN) catalyzes the integration of proviral DNA into the host genome, an essential step for viral replication. Inhibition of IN catalytic activity provides an attractive strategy for antiretroviral drug design. Currently two IN inhibitors, MK-0518 and GS-9137, are in advanced stages of human clinical trials. The IN inhibitors in clinical evaluation demonstrate excellent antiretroviral efficacy alone or in combination regimens as compared to previously used clinical antiretroviral agents in naive and treatment-experienced HIV-1 infected patients. However, the emergence of viral strains resistant to clinically studied IN inhibitors and the dynamic nature of the HIV-1 genome demand a continued effort toward the discovery of novel inhibitors to keep a therapeutic advantage over the virus. Continued efforts in the field have resulted in the discovery of compounds from diverse chemical classes. In this review, we provide a comprehensive report of all IN inhibitors discovered in the years 2005 and 2006.

Design and synthesis of nitrate esters of aromatic heterocyclic compounds as pharmacological preconditioning agents

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) constitutes an endogenous protective mechanism in which one or more brief periods of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion render the myocardium resistant to a subsequent more-sustained ischemic insult. Pharmacological preconditioning represents an ideal alternative of IPC. We now describe the design and synthesis of indole, quinoline, and purine systems with an attached pharmacophoric nitrate ester group. The indole and quinoline derivatives 4 and 5 possess structural features of the nitrate containing K(ATP) channel openers. Purine analogues 11 and 12, substituted at the position 6 by a piperidine moiety and at position 9 by an alkyl nitrate, could combine the effects of the nitrate containing K(ATP) channel openers and those of adenosine. Compound 13 bears the nicotinamide moiety of nicorandil instead of nitrate ester. Compounds 4, 5, and 11 reduced infarction and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) at reperfusion in anesthetized rabbits. Compounds 12 and 13 did not significantly reduce the infarct size. Analogues 4 and 5 increased cGMP and MDA during ischemia, while combined analogue 4 and mitoK(ATP) blocker 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5-HD) abrogated this benefit suggesting an action through mitoK(ATP) channel opening. Treatment with derivative 11 combined with 5-HD as well as treatment with 11 and adenosine receptor blocker 8-(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline (SPT) did not abrogate cardioprotection. Compound 11 is a lead molecule for the synthesis of novel analogues possessing a dual mode of action through cGMP-mitoK(ATP) channel opening-free radicals and through adenosine receptors.

Biaryl phosphane ligands in palladium-catalyzed amination

Palladium-catalyzed amination reactions of aryl halides have undergone rapid development in the last 12 years, largely driven by the implementation of new classes of ligands. Biaryl phosphanes have proven to provide especially active catalysts in this context. This Review discusses the application of these catalysts in C-N cross-coupling reactions in the synthesis of heterocycles and pharmaceuticals, in materials science, and in natural product synthesis.

Strategies for identification of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

HIV-1 integrase, which catalyzes the joining of viral DNA to the host cell DNA, has attracted considerable attention as a target for the design and screening of novel anti-HIV drugs as it is essential for virus replication and the establishment of persistent infection. Progress in the identification of different classes of compounds that block integrase activity has been summarized recently in several excellent reviews. Here, we present a brief overview of integrase inhibition, highlighting some of the unusual properties of this protein and important considerations in searching for potential new inhibitors and their evaluation.