1
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Zhang Y, Miao D, Liu S, Hao X. Revealing the binding mechanism of BACE1 inhibitors through molecular dynamics simulations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38375603 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2024.2319676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder, and the Beta-Site Amyloid Precursor Protein Cleaving Enzyme 1 (BACE1) is a key therapeutic target in its treatment. This study employs molecular dynamics simulations and binding energy analysis to investigate the binding interactions between BACE1 and four selected small molecules: CNP520, D9W, NB641, and NB360. The binding model analysis indicates that the binding of BACE1 with four molecules are stable, except the loop regions show significant fluctuation. The binding free energy analyses reveal that NB360 exhibits the highest binding affinity with BACE1, surpassing other molecules (CNP520, D9W, and NB641). Detailed energy component assessments highlight the critical roles of electrostatic interactions and van der Waals forces in the binding process. Furthermore, residue contribution analysis identifies key amino acids influencing the binding process across all systems. Hydrogen bond analysis reveals a limited number of bonds between BACE1 and each small molecule, highlighting the importance of structural modifications to enable more stable hydrogen bonds. This research provides valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of potential Alzheimer's disease therapeutics, guiding the way for improved drug design and the development of effective treatments targeting BACE1.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Zhang
- School of Mathematics & Physics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, China
| | - Dongqiang Miao
- School of Mathematics & Physics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, China
| | - Senchen Liu
- School of Mathematics & Physics, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, China
| | - Xiafei Hao
- Medical College, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan, China
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2
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Taoka BM, Wu WL, Hao J, Dolmaski M, Wang H, Levorse D, Orth P, Hyde LA, Smith B, Michener MS, Kennedy ME, Parker EM, Cumming JN. Design and discovery of C2-fluoroalkyl iminothiazine dioxides as BACE inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 56:128463. [PMID: 34838652 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This paper describes the structure-activity-relationships of novel fluoroalkyl substituents at the C2 position of iminothiazine dioxide beta secretase inhibitors. Key discoveries include reduced amidine basicity and its effect on Pgp, cell potency, and efficacy in various preclinical in vivo efficacy animal models. Findings from these structure-activity-relationships are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon M Taoka
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Wen-Lian Wu
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Jinsong Hao
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Martin Dolmaski
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Hongwu Wang
- Department of Computational and Structural Chemistry, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Dorthy Levorse
- Department of Preclinical Development, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave., Rahway, NJ 07065, USA
| | - Peter Orth
- Department of Computational and Structural Chemistry, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Lynn A Hyde
- Department of Neuroscience, Safety and Laboratory Animal Research, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Brad Smith
- Department of Safety and Laboratory Animal Research MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Maria S Michener
- Department of Safety and Laboratory Animal Research MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, PA 19486, USA
| | - Matthew E Kennedy
- Department of Neuroscience, Safety and Laboratory Animal Research, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Eric M Parker
- Department of Neuroscience, Safety and Laboratory Animal Research, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Jared N Cumming
- Department of Discovery Chemistry, MRL, Merck & Co. Inc., 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
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3
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Rombouts FJR, Hsiao CC, Bache S, De Cleyn M, Heckmann P, Leenaerts J, Martinéz-Lamenca C, Van Brandt S, Peschiulli A, Vos A, Gijsen HJM. Modulating physicochemical properties of tetrahydropyridine-2-amine BACE1 inhibitors with electron-withdrawing groups: A systematic study. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 228:114028. [PMID: 34920170 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.114028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A common challenge for medicinal chemists is to reduce the pKa of strongly basic groups' conjugate acids into a range that preserves the desired effects, usually potency and/or solubility, but avoids undesired effects like high volume of distribution (Vd), limited membrane permeation, and off-target binding to, notably, the hERG channel and monoamine receptors. We faced this challenge with a 3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-2-amine scaffold harboring an amidine, a key structural component of potential inhibitors of BACE1, the rate-limiting enzyme in the production of Aβ species that make up amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease. In our endeavor to balance potency with desirable properties to achieve brain penetration, we introduced a diverse set of groups in beta position of the amidine that modulate logD, PSA and pKa. Given the synthetic challenge to prepare these highly functionalized warheads, we first developed a design flow including predicted physicochemical parameters which allowed us to select only the most promising candidates for synthesis. For this we evaluated a set of commercial packages to predict physicochemical properties, which can guide medicinal chemists in their endeavors to modulate pKa values of amidine and amine bases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chien-Chi Hsiao
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Solène Bache
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Michel De Cleyn
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Pauline Heckmann
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jos Leenaerts
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Sven Van Brandt
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Aldo Peschiulli
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ann Vos
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Harrie J M Gijsen
- Janssen Research & Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, B-2340, Beerse, Belgium
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4
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Machauer R, Lueoend R, Hurth K, Veenstra SJ, Rueeger H, Voegtle M, Tintelnot-Blomley M, Rondeau JM, Jacobson LH, Laue G, Beltz K, Neumann U. Discovery of Umibecestat (CNP520): A Potent, Selective, and Efficacious β-Secretase (BACE1) Inhibitor for the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease. J Med Chem 2021; 64:15262-15279. [PMID: 34648711 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
After identification of lead compound 6, 5-amino-1,4-oxazine BACE1 inhibitors were optimized in order to improve potency, brain penetration, and metabolic stability. Insertion of a methyl and a trifluoromethyl group at the 6-position of the 5-amino-1,4-oxazine led to 8 (NB-360), an inhibitor with a pKa of 7.1, a very low P-glycoprotein efflux ratio, and excellent pharmacological profile, enabling high central nervous system penetration and exposure. Fur color changes observed with NB-360 in efficacy studies in preclinical animal models triggered further optimization of the series. Herein, we describe the steps leading to the discovery of 3-chloro-5-trifluoromethyl-pyridine-2-carboxylic acid [6-((3R,6R)-5-amino-3,6-dimethyl-6-trifluoromethyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-[1,4]oxazin-3-yl)-5-fluoro-pyridin-2-yl]amide 15 (CNP520, umibecestat), an inhibitor with superior BACE1/BACE2 selectivity and pharmacokinetics. CNP520 reduced significantly Aβ levels in mice and rats in acute and chronic treatment regimens without any side effects and thus qualified for Alzheimer's disease prevention studies in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Machauer
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Lueoend
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Konstanze Hurth
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Siem J Veenstra
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Heinrich Rueeger
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Markus Voegtle
- Global Discovery Chemistry, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Jean-Michel Rondeau
- Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, Structural Biology Platform, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Laura H Jacobson
- Department of Neuroscience, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Grit Laue
- Pharmacokinetic-Sciences, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karen Beltz
- Pharmacokinetic-Sciences, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ulf Neumann
- Department of Neuroscience, Novartis Pharma AG, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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5
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Privat C, Granadino-Roldán JM, Bonet J, Santos Tomas M, Perez JJ, Rubio-Martinez J. Fragment dissolved molecular dynamics: a systematic and efficient method to locate binding sites. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:3123-3134. [PMID: 33491698 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp05471b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Diverse computational methods to support fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) are available in the literature. Despite their demonstrated efficacy in supporting FBDD campaigns, they exhibit some drawbacks such as protein denaturation or ligand aggregation that have not yet been clearly overcome in the framework of biomolecular simulations. In the present work, we discuss a systematic semi-automatic novel computational procedure, designed to surpass these difficulties. The method, named fragment dissolved Molecular Dynamics (fdMD), utilizes simulation boxes of solvated small fragments, adding a repulsive Lennard-Jones potential term to avoid aggregation, which can be easily used to solvate the targets of interest. This method has the advantage of solvating the target with a low number of ligands, thus preventing the denaturation of the target, while simultaneously generating a database of ligand-solvated boxes that can be used in further studies. A number of scripts are made available to analyze the results and obtain the descriptors proposed as a means to trustfully discard spurious binding sites. To test our method, four test cases of different complexity have been solvated with ligand boxes and four molecular dynamics runs of 200 ns length have been run for each system, which have been extended up to 1 μs when needed. The reported results point out that the selected number of replicas are enough to identify the correct binding sites irrespective of the initial structure, even in the case of proteins having several close binding sites for the same ligand. We also propose a set of descriptors to analyze the results, among which the average MMGBSA and the average KDEEP energies have emerged as the most robust ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristian Privat
- Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Química Física, Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and the Institut de Quimica Teorica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Martí i Franqués 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - José M Granadino-Roldán
- Departamento de Química Física y Analítica, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad de Jaén, Campus "Las Lagunillas" s/n, 23071, Jaén, Spain
| | - Jordi Bonet
- Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Química Física, Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and the Institut de Quimica Teorica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Martí i Franqués 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Maria Santos Tomas
- Department of Architecture Technology, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Av. Diagonal 649, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan J Perez
- Deparment of Chemical Engineering, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Av. Diagonal 647, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jaime Rubio-Martinez
- Departament de Ciència dels Materials i Química Física, Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and the Institut de Quimica Teorica i Computacional (IQTCUB), Martí i Franqués 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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6
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Rueeger H, Lueoend R, Machauer R, Veenstra SJ, Holzer P, Hurth K, Voegtle M, Frederiksen M, Rondeau JM, Tintelnot-Blomley M, Jacobson LH, Staufenbiel M, Laue G, Neumann U. Synthesis of the Potent, Selective, and Efficacious β-Secretase (BACE1) Inhibitor NB-360. J Med Chem 2021; 64:4677-4696. [PMID: 33844524 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Starting from lead compound 4, the 1,4-oxazine headgroup was optimized to improve potency and brain penetration. Focusing at the 6-position of the 5-amino-1,4-oxazine, the insertion of a Me and a CF3 group delivered an excellent pharmacological profile with a pKa of 7.1 and a very low P-gp efflux ratio enabling high central nervous system (CNS) penetration and exposure. Various synthetic routes to access BACE1 inhibitors bearing a 5-amino-6-methyl-6-(trifluoromethyl)-1,4-oxazine headgroup were investigated. Subsequent optimization of the P3 fragment provided the highly potent N-(3-((3R,6R)-5-amino-3,6-dimethyl-6-(trifluoromethyl)-3,6-dihydro-2H-1,4-oxazin-3-yl)-4-fluorophenyl)-5-cyano-3-methylpicolinamide 54 (NB-360), able to reduce significantly Aβ levels in mice, rats, and dogs in acute and chronic treatment regimens.
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7
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Zinad DS, Mahal A, Mohapatra RK, Sarangi AK, Pratama MRF. Medicinal chemistry of oxazines as promising agents in drug discovery. Chem Biol Drug Des 2019; 95:16-47. [DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dhafer S. Zinad
- Applied Science Department University of Technology Baghdad Iraq
| | - Ahmed Mahal
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany South China Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou China
- Guangzhou HC Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Guangzhou China
| | - Ranjan K. Mohapatra
- Department of Chemistry Government College of Engineering Keonjhar Odisha India
| | - Ashish K. Sarangi
- Department of Chemistry Government College of Engineering Keonjhar Odisha India
| | - Mohammad Rizki Fadhil Pratama
- Department of Pharmacy Faculty of Health Sciences Muhammadiyah University of Palangkaraya Palangka Raya Indonesia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Faculty of Pharmacy Airlangga University Surabaya Indonesia
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8
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Neumann U, Machauer R, Shimshek DR. The β-secretase (BACE) inhibitor NB-360 in preclinical models: From amyloid-β reduction to downstream disease-relevant effects. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:3435-3446. [PMID: 30657591 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of β-secretase 1 (BACE-1; also known as β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme-1) is a current approach to fight the amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, and a number of BACE-1 inhibitors are being tested in clinical trials. The BACE-1 inhibitor NB-360, although not a clinical compound, turned out to be a valuable pharmacological tool to investigate the effects of BACE-1 inhibition on the deposition of different Aβ species in amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice. Furthermore, chronic animal studies with NB-360 revealed relationships between BACE-1 inhibition, Aβ deposition, and Aβ-related downstream effects on neuroinflammation, neuronal function, and markers of neurodegeneration. NB-360 effects on the processing of physiological BACE-1 substrates as well as on nonenzymatic BACE-1 functions have been investigated, complementing studies in BACE-1 knockout mice. Because NB-360 is also an inhibitor for BACE-2, nonclinical studies in adult animals revealed physiological effects of BACE-2 inhibition. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed section on Therapeutics for Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease: New Directions for Precision Medicine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.18/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf Neumann
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Novartis Campus, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Machauer
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Novartis Campus, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Derya R Shimshek
- Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Novartis Campus, Basel, Switzerland
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