Facile synthesis of 4-substituted-4-aminopiperidine derivatives, the key building block of piperazine-based CCR5 antagonists

Synthesis of 1- and 4-substituted piperazin-2-ones via Jocic-type reactions with N-substituted diamines

Enantiomerically-enriched trichloromethyl-containing alcohols are transformed regioselectively into enantiomerically-enriched 1-substituted piperazinones by modified Jocic reactions.

Identification of a novel series of orexin receptor antagonists with a distinct effect on sleep architecture for the treatment of insomnia

Dual orexin receptor (OXR) antagonists (DORAs) such as almorexant, 1 (SB-649868), or suvorexant have shown promise for the treatment of insomnias and sleep disorders in several recent clinical trials in volunteers and primary insomnia patients. The relative contribution of antagonism of OX1R and OX2R for sleep induction is still a matter of debate. We therefore initiated a drug discovery project with the aim of creating both OX2R selective antagonists and DORAs. Here we report that the OX2R selective antagonist 26 induced sleep in mice primarily by increasing NREM sleep, whereas the DORA suvorexant induced sleep largely by increasing REM sleep. Thus, OX2R selective antagonists may also be beneficial for the treatment of insomnia.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel piperazine derivatives as CCR5 antagonists

By using a fragment-assembly strategy and bioisosteric-replacement principle, a series of novel piperazine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their cellular target-effector fusion activities and in vitro antiviral activities against HIV-1. Preliminary structure-activity relationships (SARs) of target compounds were concluded in this study, and five compounds were found to exhibited medium to potent CCR5 fusion activities with IC(50) values in low micromolar level. Among evaluated compounds, 23 h was found to be a CCR5 antagonist with an IC(50) value of 6.29 µM and an anti-HIV-1 inhibitor with an IC(50) value of 0.44 µM.

Efficient synthesis and identification of novel propane-1,3-diamino bridged CCR5 antagonists with variation on the basic center carrier

By employing pharmacophore-based design and the privileged fragments reassembly, a series of piperidine-/tropane-/piperazine-bridged CCR5 antagonists were designed and synthesized via an efficient convergent synthesis strategy, with focus on the optimal choice of the basic center carrier structure. Significantly, the 4-amino-4-methylpiperidine bridged 1-acyl-1,3-propanediamine compounds were identified as a new class of nanomolar CCR5 antagonists, providing an efficient approach and novel scaffolds for further development of potent CCR5 inhibitors.

Forward- and reverse-synthesis of piperazinopiperidine amide analogs: a general access to structurally diverse 4-piperazinopiperidine-based CCR5 antagonists

Piperazinopiperidine amide analogs are among the most promising CCR5 antagonists. As an effective extension of a previously-reported methodology to synthesize such compounds, forward- and reverse-syntheses were successfully developed in which the convergent synthesis of the piperazinopiperidine nucleus, with a building block of 4-substituent-4-aminopiperidine, served as a common key step. The two-way approach affords a comprehensive access to the piperazinopiperidine templated library with variation on the pharmacophore sites. Thus, a SAR study of our synthesized piperazinopiperidine-based CCR5 antagonists was conducted with respect to the structure and configuration of the substituent on the piperazine ring. The S-configuration of the benzylic-substituent is vital for the CCR5 binding, and the bulky or aryl substituent on the 2-position in the piperazine ring is detrimental to the activity. By using the forward-synthesis approach, the best compound in the chiral piperazine-based CCR5 antagonist series, Sch-D (Vicriviroc), was conveniently synthesized in an excellent yield.

How can (-)-epigallocatechin gallate from green tea prevent HIV-1 infection? Mechanistic insights from computational modeling and the implication for rational design of anti-HIV-1 entry inhibitors

Possible inhibitors preventing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) entry into the cells are recognized as hopeful next-generation anti-HIV-1 drugs. It is highly desirable to develop a potent inhibitor blocking binding of glycoprotein CD4 of the cell with glycoprotein gp120 of HIV-1, because the gp120-CD4 binding is the initial step of HIV-1 entry into the cells. It has been recently reported that (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from green tea is an inhibitor blocking gp120-CD4 binding. But the inhibitory mechanism remains unknown. For understanding the inhibitory mechanism, extensive molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, and binding free-energy calculations have been performed in this study to predict the most favorable structures of CD4-EGCG, gp120-CD4, and gp120-CD4-EGCG binding complexes in water. The results reveal that EGCG binds with CD4 in such a way that the calculated binding affinity of gp120 with the CD4-EGCG complex is negligible. So, the favorable binding of EGCG with CD4 can effectively block gp120-CD4 binding. The calculated CD4-EGCG binding affinity (DeltaG(bind) = -5.5 kcal/mol, K(d) = 94 microM) is in excellent agreement with available experimental data suggesting IC(50) approximately 100 microM for EGCG-blocking CD4-gp120 binding. These results and insights provide a rational basis for future design of novel, more potent inhibitors to block gp120-CD4 binding.

5-((4-Aminopiperidin-1-yl)methyl)pyrrolotriazine dual inhibitors of EGFR and HER2 protein tyrosine kinases

Pyrrolotriazine dual EGFR/HER2 kinase inhibitors with a 5-((4-aminopiperidin-1-yl)methyl) solubilizing group were found to be superior to analogs with previously reported C-5 solubilizing groups. New synthetic methodology was developed for the parallel synthesis of C-4 analogs with the new solubilizing group. Interesting new leads were evaluated in tumor xenograft models and the C-4 aminofluorobenzylindazole, 1c, was found to exhibit the best antitumor activity. It is hypothesized that this solubilizing group extends into the ribose-phosphate portion of the ATP binding pocket and enhances the binding affinity of the inhibitor.

A review of melanocortin receptor small molecule ligands

The melanocortin system (MC) is implicated in the regulation of a variety of physiological pathways including pigmentation, steroid function, energy homeostasis, food intake, obesity, cardiovascular, sexual function, and normal gland regulation. The melanocortin system consists of five receptors identified to date (MC1-5R), melanocortin agonists derived from the pro-opiomelanocortin prohormone (POMC) and two naturally existing antagonists. Melanocortin receptor ligand structure-activity studies have been performed since the 1960s, primarily focused on the pigmentation aspect of physiology. During the 1990s, the melanocortin-4 receptor was identified to play a significant physiological role in the regulation of both food intake and obesity. Subsequently, a concerted drug design effort has focused on the design and discovery of melanocortin receptor small molecules. Herein, we present an overview of melanocortin receptor heterocyclic small molecules.