Development of novel 2,4-bispyridyl thiophene-based compounds as highly potent and selective Dyrk1A inhibitors. Part I: Benzamide and benzylamide derivatives

EGCG-like non-competitive inhibitor of DYRK1A rescues cognitive defect in a down syndrome model

Overexpression of the chromosome 21 DYRK1A gene induces morphological defects and cognitive impairments in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and in DS mice models. Aging neurons of specific brain regions of patients with Alzheimer's disease, DS and Pick's disease have increased DYRK1A immunoreactivity suggesting a possible association of DYRK1A with neurofibrillary tangle pathology. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) displays appreciable inhibition of DYRK1A activity and, contrary to all other published inhibitors, EGCG is a non-competitive inhibitor of DYRK1A. Prenatal exposure to green tea polyphenols containing EGCG protects from brain defects induced by overexpression of DYRK1A. In order to produce more robust and possibly more active analogues of the natural compound EGCG, here we synthetized new EGCG-like molecules with several structural modifications to the EGCG skeleton. We replaced the ester boun of EGCG with a more resistant amide bond. We also replaced the oxygen ring by a methylene group. And finally, we positioned a nitrogen atom within this ring. The selected compound was shown to maintain the non-competitive property of EGCG and to correct biochemical and behavioral defects present in a DS mouse model. In addition it showed high stability and specificity.

Novel benzothiazole derivatives as multitargeted-directed ligands for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) are multifactorial with several different pathologic mechanisms. Therefore, it is assumed that multitargeted-directed ligands (MTDLs) which interact with different biological targets relevant to the diseases, might offer an improved therapeutic alternative than using the traditional "one-target, one-molecule" approach. Herein, we describe new benzothiazole-based derivatives as a privileged scaffold for histamine H₃ receptor ligands (H₃R). The most affine compound, the 3-(azepan-1-yl)propyloxy-linked benzothiazole derivative 4b, displayed a K_i value of 0.012 μM. The multitargeting potential of these H₃R ligands towards AChE, BuChE and MAO-B enzymes was evaluated to yield compound 3s (pyrrolidin-1-yl-(6-((5-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentyl)oxy)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)methanone) as the most promising MTDL with a K_i value of 0.036 μM at H₃R and IC₅₀ values of 6.7 µM, 2.35 µM, and 1.6 µM towards AChE, BuChE, and MAO-B, respectively. These findings suggest that compound 3s can be a lead structure for developing new multi-targeting anti-AD agents.

Discovery of novel 5-methoxybenzothiophene hydrazides as metabolically stable Clk1 inhibitors with high potency and unprecedented Clk1 isoenzyme selectivity

Clk1 kinase is a key modulator of the pre-mRNA alternative splicing machinery which has been proposed as a promising target for treatment of various tumour types, Duchenne's muscular dystrophy and viral infections such as HIV-1 and influenza. Most reported Clk1 inhibitors showed significant co-inhibition of Clk2 and Clk4 in particular, which limits their usefulness for deciphering the individual roles of the Clk1 isoform in physiology and disease. Herein, we present a new 5-methoxybenzothiophene scaffold, enabling for the first time selective inhibition of Clk1 even among the isoenzymes. The 3,5-difluorophenyl and 3,5-dichlorophenyl derivatives 26a and 27a (Clk1 IC₅₀ = 1.4 and 1.7 nM, respectively) showed unprecedented selectivity factors of 15 and 8 over Clk4, and selectivity factors of 535 and 84 over Clk2. Furthermore, 26a and 27a exhibited good growth inhibitory activity in T24 cancer cells and long metabolic half-lives of almost 1 and 6.4 h, respectively. The overall favorable profile of our new Clk1 inhibitors suggests that they may be used in in vivo disease models or as probes to unravel the physiological or pathogenic roles of the Clk1 isoenzyme.

Development of (4-Phenylamino)quinazoline Alkylthiourea Derivatives as Novel NF-κB Inhibitors

For many inflammatory diseases, new effective drugs with fewer side effects are needed. While it appears promising to target the activation of the central pro-inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB, many previously discovered agents suffered from cytotoxicity. In this study, new alkylthiourea quinazoline derivatives were developed that selectively inhibit the activation of NF-κB in macrophage-like THP−1 cells while showing low general cytotoxicity. One of the best compounds, 19, strongly inhibited the production of IL-6 (IC50 = 0.84 µM) and, less potently, of TNFα (IC50 = 4.0 µM); in comparison, the reference compound, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), showed IC50s of 1.1 and 11.4 µM, respectively. Interestingly, 19 was found to block the translocation of the NF-κB dimer to the nucleus, although its release from the IκB complex was unaffected. Furthermore, 19 suppressed the phosphorylation of NF-κB-p65 at Ser468 but not at Ser536; however, 19 did not inhibit any kinase involved in NF-κB activation. The only partial suppression of p65 phosphorylation might be associated with fewer side effects. Since several compounds selectively induced cell death in activated macrophage-like THP−1 cells, they might be particularly effective in various inflammatory diseases that are exacerbated by excess activated macrophages, such as arteriosclerosis and autoimmune diseases.

Design and Synthesis of Novel Bis-Imidazolyl Phenyl Butadiyne Derivatives as HCV NS5A Inhibitors

In today’s global plan to completely eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV), the essential list of medications used for HCV treatment are direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), as interferon-sparing regimens have become the standard-of-care (SOC) treatment. HCV nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitors are a very common component of these regimens. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved NS5A inhibitors, although very potent, do not have the same potency against all eight genotypes of HCV. Therefore, this study aims to synthesize NS5A inhibitor analogues with high potency pan-genotypic activity and high metabolic stability. Starting from an NS5A inhibitor scaffold previously identified by our research group, we made several modifications. Two series of compounds were created to test the effect of changing the length and spatial conformation (para-para vs. meta-meta-positioned bis-imidazole-proline-carbamate), replacing amide groups in the linker with imidazole groups, as well as different end-cap compositions and sizes. The frontrunner inhibits genotype 1b (Con1) replicon, with an EC50 value in the picomolar range, and showed high genotypic coverage with nanomolar range EC50 values against four more genotypes. This together with its high metabolic stability (t½ > 120 min) makes it a potential preclinical candidate.

DYRK1A inhibitors for disease therapy: Current status and perspectives

Dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1 A (DYRK1A) is a conserved protein kinase that plays essential roles in various biological processes. It is located in the region q22.2 of chromosome 21, which is involved in the pathogenesis of Down syndrome (DS). Moreover, DYRK1A has been shown to promote the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides leading to gradual Tau hyperphosphorylation, which contributes to neurodegeneration. Additionally, alterations in the DRK1A expression are also associated with cancer and diabetes. Recent years have witnessed an explosive increase in the development of DYRK1A inhibitors. A variety of novel DYRK1A inhibitors have been reported as potential treatments for human diseases. In this review, the latest therapeutic potential of DYRK1A for different diseases and the novel DYRK1A inhibitors discoveries are summarized, guiding future inhibitor development and structural optimization.

Discovery of novel 6-hydroxybenzothiazole urea derivatives as dual Dyrk1A/α-synuclein aggregation inhibitors with neuroprotective effects

A role of Dyrk1A in the progression of Down syndrome-related Alzheimer's disease (AD) is well supported. However, the involvement of Dyrk1A in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) was much less studied, and it is not clear whether it would be promising to test Dyrk1A inhibitors in relevant PD models. Herein, we modified our previously published 1-(6-hydroxybenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-3-phenylurea scaffold of Dyrk1A inhibitors to obtain a new series of analogues with higher selectivity for Dyrk1A on the one hand, but also with a novel, additional activity as inhibitors of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregation, a major pathogenic hallmark of PD. The phenyl acetamide derivative b27 displayed the highest potency against Dyrk1A with an IC50 of 20 nM and high selectivity over closely related kinases. Furthermore, b27 was shown to successfully target intracellular Dyrk1A and to inhibit SF3B1 phosphorylation in HeLa cells with an IC50 of 690 nM. In addition, two compounds among the Dyrk1A inhibitors, b1 and b20, also suppressed the aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) oligomers (with IC50 values of 10.5 μM and 7.8 μM, respectively). Both compounds but not the Dyrk1A reference inhibitor harmine protected SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells against α-syn-induced cytotoxicity, with b20 exhibiting a higher neuroprotective effect. Compound b1 and harmine were more efficient in protecting SH-SY5Y cells against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced cell death, an effect that was previously correlated to Dyrk1A inactivation in cells but not yet verified using chemical inhibitors. The presented dual inhibitors exhibited a novel activity profile encouraging for further testing in neurodegenerative disease models.

Discovery of Hydroxybenzothiazole Urea Compounds as Multitargeted Agents Suppressing Major Cytotoxic Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Multiple factors are causally responsible and/or contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The protein kinase Dyrk1A was identified as a promising target as it phosphorylates tau protein, α-synuclein, and parkin. The first goal of our study was to optimize our previously identified Dyrk1A inhibitors of the 6-hydroxy benzothiazole urea chemotype in terms of potency and selectivity. Our efforts led to the development of the 3-fluorobenzyl amide derivative 16b, which displayed the highest potency against Dyrk1A (IC₅₀ = 9.4 nM). In general, the diversification of the benzylamide moiety led to an enhanced selectivity over the most homologous isoform, Dyrk1B, which was a meaningful indicator, as the high selectivity could be confirmed in an extended selectivity profiling of 3b and 16b. Eventually, we identified the novel phenethyl amide derivative 24b as a triple inhibitor of Dyrk1A kinase activity (IC₅₀ = 119 nM) and the aggregation of tau and α-syn oligomers. We provide evidence that the novel combination of selective Dyrk1A inhibition and suppression of tau and α-syn aggregations of our new lead compound confers efficacy in several established cellular models of neurotoxic mechanisms relevant to neurodegenerative diseases, including α-syn- and 6-hydroxydopamine-induced cytotoxicities.

How to Separate Kinase Inhibition from Undesired Monoamine Oxidase A Inhibition-The Development of the DYRK1A Inhibitor AnnH75 from the Alkaloid Harmine

The β-carboline alkaloid harmine is a potent DYRK1A inhibitor, but suffers from undesired potent inhibition of MAO-A, which strongly limits its application. We synthesized more than 60 analogues of harmine, either by direct modification of the alkaloid or by de novo synthesis of β-carboline and related scaffolds aimed at learning about structure-activity relationships for inhibition of both DYRK1A and MAO-A, with the ultimate goal of separating desired DYRK1A inhibition from undesired MAO-A inhibition. Based on evidence from published crystal structures of harmine bound to each of these enzymes, we performed systematic structure modifications of harmine yielding DYRK1A-selective inhibitors characterized by small polar substituents at N-9 (which preserve DYRK1A inhibition and eliminate MAO-A inhibition) and beneficial residues at C-1 (methyl or chlorine). The top compound AnnH75 remains a potent DYRK1A inhibitor, and it is devoid of MAO-A inhibition. Its binding mode to DYRK1A was elucidated by crystal structure analysis, and docking experiments provided additional insights for this attractive series of DYRK1A and MAO-A inhibitors.

Development of novel amide-derivatized 2,4-bispyridyl thiophenes as highly potent and selective Dyrk1A inhibitors. Part II: Identification of the cyclopropylamide moiety as a key modification

Dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (Dyrk1A) is a potential target in Alzheimer's disease (AD) because of the established correlation between its over-expression and generation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) as well as the accumulation of amyloid plaques. However, the use of Dyrk1A inhibitors requires a high degree of selectivity over closely related kinases. In addition, the physicochemical properties of the Dyrk1A inhibitors need to be controlled to enable CNS permeability. In the present study, we optimized our previously published 2,4-bispyridyl thiophene class of Dyrk1A inhibitors by the synthesis of a small library of amide derivatives, carrying alkyl, cycloalkyl, as well as acidic and basic residues. Among this library, the cyclopropylamido modification (compound 4b) was identified as being highly beneficial for several crucial properties. 4b displayed high potency and selectivity against Dyrk1A over closely related kinases in cell-free assays (IC50: Dyrk1A = 3.2 nM; Dyrk1B = 72.9 nM and Clk1 = 270 nM) and inhibited the Dyrk1A activity in HeLa cells with high efficacy (IC50: 43 nM), while no significant cytotoxicity was observed. In addition, the cyclopropylamido group conferred high metabolic stability and maintained the calculated physicochemical properties in a range compatible with a potential CNS activity. Thus, based on its favourable properties, 4b can be considered as a candidate for further in vivo testing in animal models of AD.