Novel Orally Bioavailable γ-Secretase Inhibitors with Excellent in Vivo Activity

Convergent synthesis of thiodiazole dioxides from simple ketones and amines through an unusual nitrogen-migration mechanism

We report the modular preparation of dihydro-1,2,5-thiodiazole dioxide heterocycles starting from methyl ketones and primary amines. This one-pot, three-component coupling employs 2,3-dimethylimidazole-1-sulfonyl azide triflate as a coupling reagent and oxidant. The transformation is scalable and various ketones and amines can be used, yielding thiodiazole dioxide products in up to 89% yield. In addition, 15N- and 13C-labeling studies suggest a mechanism involving a 1,2-nitrogen migration. Together with the mechanistic studies, DFT calculations provide insight into the reaction pathway and set the stage for further exploration of the mechanistic nuances of reactions that use sulfamoyl azides. In combination with the demonstrated modularity of the approach reported herein, the derivatization of the thiodiazole dioxide products highlights the potential of this methodology to rapidly access diverse chemical structures.

Cinchonidine-Catalyzed Synthesis of Oxazabicyclo[4.2.1]nonanones from N-Aryl-α,β-unsaturated Nitrones and 1-Ethynylnaphthalen-2-ols

A variety of oxazabicyclo[4.2.1]nonanone derivatives were prepared in good yields through a cinchonidine-catalyzed cascade reaction of N-aryl-α,β-unsaturated nitrones and 1-ethynylnaphthalen-2-ols. Mechanistic studies show that the reaction undergoes a [4 + 3] cycloaddition of nitrones to vinylidene o-quinone methide generated in situ from 1-ethynylnaphthalen-2-ols in the presence of cinchonidine, 1,3-rearrangement of N-O vinyl moieties, ring-opening, and finally double intramolecular cyclizations to afford oxazabicyclo[4.2.1]nonanones over five steps in a one-pot reaction.

1,2,5-Thiadiazole Scaffold: A review on recent progress in biological activities

BACKGROUND

Thiadiazoles can be considered as the privileged scaffold having diverse pharmacological potentials such as antihypertensive, anti-HIV, antimicrobials, antileishmanial agents, etc. In particular, 1,2,5-thiadiazoles and their fused analogues are subjects of fast-growing interest due to their higher significance in the fields of biomedicine and material sciences.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to collect detailed medicinal information about aspects of 1,2,5-thiadiazole.

METHODS

A systemic search has been carried out using PubMed, Google Scholar, CNKI, etc., for relevant studies having the keyword, '1,2,5-thiadiazole'.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

In this mini-review, we have covered known procedures of the synthesis and explored in detail all known advancements of this scaffold concerning to its biological activities.

N-Adamantyl-4-methylthiazol-2-amine suppresses amyloid β-induced neuronal oxidative damage in cortical neurons

Recently, we have reported that N-adamantyl-4-methylthiazol-2-amine (KHG26693) successfully reduced the production of oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and lipopolysaccharide-induced BV-2 microglial cells by increasing their antioxidant capacity. However, antioxidative effects of KHG26693 against Aβ (Aβ)-induced oxidative stress have not yet been reported. In the present study, we further investigated the antioxidative function of KHG26693 in Aβ-mediated primary cultured cortical neurons. We showed here that KHG26693 attenuated Aβ-induced cytotoxicity, increase of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, elevation of caspase-3 expression, and impairment of mitochondrial membrane potential in cultured primary cortical neurons. KHG26693 also decreases the Aβ-mediated formation of malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen species, and NO production by decreasing nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NADPH oxidase level. Moreover, KHG26693 suppress the Aβ-induced oxidative stress through a possible mechanism involving attenuation of GSH and antioxidant enzyme activities such as glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Finally, pretreatment of cortical neurons with KHG26693 significantly reduced the Aβ-induced protein oxidation and nitration. To our knowledge, this is the first report, showing that KHG26693 significantly attenuates Aβ-induced oxidative stress in primary cortical neurons, and may prove attractive strategies to reduce Aβ-induced neural cell death.

Amyloid precursor protein selective gamma-secretase inhibitors for treatment of Alzheimer's disease

INTRODUCTION

Inhibition of gamma-secretase presents a direct target for lowering Aβ production in the brain as a therapy for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, gamma-secretase is known to process multiple substrates in addition to amyloid precursor protein (APP), most notably Notch, which has limited clinical development of inhibitors targeting this enzyme. It has been postulated that APP substrate selective inhibitors of gamma-secretase would be preferable to non-selective inhibitors from a safety perspective for AD therapy.

METHODS

In vitro assays monitoring inhibitor potencies at APP γ-site cleavage (equivalent to Aβ40), and Notch ε-site cleavage, in conjunction with a single cell assay to simultaneously monitor selectivity for inhibition of Aβ production vs. Notch signaling were developed to discover APP selective gamma-secretase inhibitors. In vivo efficacy for acute reduction of brain Aβ was determined in the PDAPP transgene model of AD, as well as in wild-type FVB strain mice. In vivo selectivity was determined following seven days x twice per day (b.i.d.) treatment with 15 mg/kg/dose to 1,000 mg/kg/dose ELN475516, and monitoring brain Aβ reduction vs. Notch signaling endpoints in periphery.

RESULTS

The APP selective gamma-secretase inhibitors ELN318463 and ELN475516 reported here behave as classic gamma-secretase inhibitors, demonstrate 75- to 120-fold selectivity for inhibiting Aβ production compared with Notch signaling in cells, and displace an active site directed inhibitor at very high concentrations only in the presence of substrate. ELN318463 demonstrated discordant efficacy for reduction of brain Aβ in the PDAPP compared with wild-type FVB, not observed with ELN475516. Improved in vivo safety of ELN475516 was demonstrated in the 7d repeat dose study in wild-type mice, where a 33% reduction of brain Aβ was observed in mice terminated three hours post last dose at the lowest dose of inhibitor tested. No overt in-life or post-mortem indications of systemic toxicity, nor RNA and histological end-points indicative of toxicity attributable to inhibition of Notch signaling were observed at any dose tested.

CONCLUSIONS

The discordant in vivo activity of ELN318463 suggests that the potency of gamma-secretase inhibitors in AD transgenic mice should be corroborated in wild-type mice. The discovery of ELN475516 demonstrates that it is possible to develop APP selective gamma-secretase inhibitors with potential for treatment for AD.