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In view of the unsatisfactory treatment of cognitive disorders, in particular Alzheimer's disease (AD), the aim of this review was to perform a computer-aided analysis of the state of the art that will help in the search for innovative polypharmacology-based therapeutic approaches to fight against AD. Apart from 20-year unrenewed cholinesterase- or NMDA-based AD therapy, the hope of effectively treating Alzheimer's disease has been placed on serotonin 5-HT

In view of the unsatisfactory treatment of cognitive disorders, in particular Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the aim of this review was to perform a computer-aided analysis of the state of the art that will help in the search for innovative polypharmacology-based therapeutic approaches to fight against AD. Apart from 20-year unrenewed cholinesterase- or NMDA-based AD therapy, the hope of effectively treating Alzheimer’s disease has been placed on serotonin 5-HT6 receptor (5-HT6R), due to its proven, both for agonists and antagonists, beneficial procognitive effects in animal models; however, research into this treatment has so far not been successfully translated to human patients. Recent lines of evidence strongly emphasize the role of kinases, in particular microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 4 (MARK4), Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase I/II (ROCKI/II) and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) in the etiology of AD, pointing to the therapeutic potential of their inhibitors not only against the symptoms, but also the causes of this disease. Thus, finding a drug that acts simultaneously on both 5-HT6R and one of those kinases will provide a potential breakthrough in AD treatment. The pharmacophore- and docking-based comprehensive literature analysis performed herein serves to answer the question of whether the design of these kind of dual agents is possible, and the conclusions turned out to be highly promising.

Lymphomas are still difficult to treat even with modern therapies as, among others, multidrug resistance (MDR) is often counteracting a successful cancer therapy. P-gp/ABC-transporters are well-known for their crucial role in the main tumour MDR mechanism, eliminating drugs and cytotoxic substances from the cancer cell by efflux, and their modulators are promising for innovative therapy, but none has been approved in the pharmaceutical market yet. Herein, we have designed, synthesised and analysed 30 novel seleno- and thioether 1,3,5-triazine derivatives conducting comprehensive studies to evaluate their potential application in human JURKAT lymphoma cells. Among the new compounds, four (11, 12, 13 and 23) were much more effective than the reference inhibitor verapamil, being potent ABCB1 inhibitors already at 2 μM, while 5 and 15 showed very potent ABCB1 inhibitory activity only at 20 μM. Results of P-gp ATPase assays, supported with docking studies, indicated the competitive substrate mode of modulating action for 15, while ABCB1, ABCC1 and ABCG2 genes expression induction by 15 with q-PCR was confirmed. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic and antiproliferative properties in both sensitive (PAR) and resistant (MDR) mouse T-lymphoma cell lines, and compound 15, also considering its promising ABCB1 inhibition properties, was revealed to be the best compound in terms of its cytotoxic effect (IC

Several studies confirmed the reciprocal interactions between adrenergic and serotoninergic systems and the influence of these phenomena on the pathogenesis of anxiety. Hence, searching for chemical agents with a multifunctional pharmacodynamic profile may bring highly effective therapy for CNS disorders. This study presents a deep structural insight into the hydantoin-arylpiperazine group and their serotonin/α-adrenergic activity. The newly synthesized compounds were tested in the radioligand binding assay and the intrinsic activity was evaluated for the selected derivatives. The computer-aided SAR analysis enabled us to answer questions about the influence of particular structural fragments on selective vs. multifunctional activity. As a result of the performed investigations, there were two leading structures: (a) compound 12 with multifunctional adrenergic-serotonin activity, which is a promising candidate to be an effective anxiolytic agent; (b) compound 14 with high α1A/α1D affinity and selectivity towards α1B, which is recommended due to the elimination of probable cardiotoxic effect. The structural conclusions of this work provide significant support for future lead optimization in order to achieve the desired pharmacodynamic profile in searching for new CNS-modulating agents.

Among the serotonin receptors, one of the most recently discovered 5-HT6 subtype is an important protein target and its ligands may play a key role in the innovative treatment of cognitive disorders. However, none of its selective ligands have reached the pharmaceutical market yet. Recently, a new chemical class of potent 5-HT6 receptor agents, the 1,3,5-triazine-piperazine derivatives, has been synthesized. Three members, the ortho and meta dichloro- (1,2) and the unsubstituted phenyl (3) derivatives, proved to be of special interest due to their high affinities (1,2) and selectivity (3) toward 5-HT6 receptor. Thus, a broader pharmacological profile for 1–3, including comprehensive screening of the receptor selectivity and drug-like parameters in vitro as well as both, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in vivo, have been investigated within this study. A comprehensive analysis of the obtained results indicated significant procognitive-like activity together with beneficial drug-likeness in vitro and pharmacokinetics in vivo profiles for both, (RS)-4-[1-(2,3-dichlorophenoxy)propyl]-6-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine (2) and (RS)-4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-6-(1-phenoxypropyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine (3), but insensibly predominant for compound 2. Nevertheless, both compounds (2 and 3) seem to be good Central Nervous System drug candidates in search for novel therapeutic approach to dementia diseases, based on the 5-HT6 receptor target.

Among the serotonin receptors, one of the most recently discovered 5-HT6 subtype is an important protein target and its ligands may play a key role in the innovative treatment of cognitive disorders. However, none of its selective ligands have reached the pharmaceutical market yet. Recently, a new chemical class of potent 5-HT6 receptor agents, the 1,3,5-triazine-piperazine derivatives, has been synthesized. Three members, the ortho and meta dichloro- (1,2) and the unsubstituted phenyl (3) derivatives, proved to be of special interest due to their high affinities (1,2) and selectivity (3) toward 5-HT6 receptor. Thus, a broader pharmacological profile for 1–3, including comprehensive screening of the receptor selectivity and drug-like parameters in vitro as well as both, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in vivo, have been investigated within this study. A comprehensive analysis of the obtained results indicated significant procognitive-like activity together with beneficial drug-likeness in vitro and pharmacokinetics in vivo profiles for both, (RS)-4-[1-(2,3-dichlorophenoxy)propyl]-6-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine (2) and (RS)-4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-6-(1-phenoxypropyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine (3), but insensibly predominant for compound 2. Nevertheless, both compounds (2 and 3) seem to be good Central Nervous System drug candidates in search for novel therapeutic approach to dementia diseases, based on the 5-HT6 receptor target.

This research allowed us to find the first highly potent 5-HT

ABCB1 modulation is an interesting strategy in the search for new anticancer agents that can overcome multidrug resistance (MDR). Hence, 17 new 5-arylideneimidazolones containing an amine moiety, as potential ABCB1 inhibitors, were designed, synthesized, and investigated. The series was tested in both parental (PAR) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) ABCB1-overexpressing T-lymphoma cancer cells using cytotoxicity assays. The ABCB1-modulating activity was examined in rhodamine 123 accumulation tests, followed by Pgp-Glo™ Assay to determine the influence of the most active compounds on ATPase activity. Lipophilic properties were assessed both, in silico and experimentally (RP-TLC). Pharmacophore-based molecular modelling toward ABCB1 modulation was performed. The studies allowed the identification of anticancer agents (p-fluorobenzylidene derivatives) more potent than doxorubicin, with highly selective action on MDR T-lymphoma cells (selectivity index >40). Most of the investigated compounds showed ABCB1-modulating action; in particular, two 5-benzyloxybenzylidene derivatives displayed activity nearly as strong as that of tariquidar.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-interacting kinases 1 and 2 (MNKs 1/2) and their downstream target eIF4E, play a role in oncogenic transformation, progression and metastasis. These results provided rationale for development of first MNKs inhibitors, currently in clinical trials for cancer treatment. Inhibitors of the MNKs/eIF4E pathway are also proposed as treatment strategy for inflammatory conditions. Here we present results of optimization of indazole-pyridinone derived MNK1/2 inhibitors among which compounds 24 and 26, selective and metabolically stable derivatives. Both compounds decreased levels of eIF4E Ser206 phosphorylation (pSer209-eIF4E) in MOLM16 cell line. When administered in mice compounds 24 and 26 significantly improved survival rates of animals in the endotoxin lethal dose challenge model, with concomitant reduction of proinflammatory cytokine levels – TNFα and IL-6 in serum. Identified MNK1/2 inhibitors represent a novel class of immunomodulatory compounds with a potential for the treatment of inflammatory diseases including sepsis.

In the light of recent lines of evidence, 5-HT

This study concerns synthesis and evaluation of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile for all four stereoisomers of MF-8 (5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-hydroxy-3-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propyl)-5-methylimidazolidine-2,4-dione), the previously described, highly potent 5-HT

Recently, a computational approach combining a structure&ndash, activity relationship library containing pairs of halogenated ligands and their corresponding unsubstituted ligands (called XSAR) with QM-based molecular docking and binding free energy calculations was developed and used to search for amino acids frequently targeted by halogen bonding, also known as XB hot spots. However, the analysis of ligand&ndash, receptor complexes with halogen bonds obtained by molecular docking provides a limited ability to study the role and significance of halogen bonding in biological systems. Thus, a set of molecular dynamics simulations for the dopamine D4 receptor, recently crystallized with the antipsychotic drug nemonapride (5WIU), and the five XSAR sets were performed to verify the identified hot spots for halogen bonding, in other words, primary (V5x40), and secondary (S5x43, S5x461 and H6x55). The simulations confirmed the key role of halogen bonding with V5x40 and H6x55 and supported S5x43 and S5x461. The results showed that steric restrictions and the topology of the molecular core have a crucial impact on the stabilization of the ligand&ndash, receptor complex by halogen bonding.

Several studies confirmed the reciprocal interactions between adrenergic and serotoninergic systems and the influence of these phenomena on the pathogenesis of anxiety. Hence, searching for chemical agents with a multifunctional pharmacodynamic profile may bring highly effective therapy for CNS disorders. This study presents a deep structural insight into the hydantoin-arylpiperazine group and their serotonin/α-adrenergic activity. The newly synthesized compounds were tested in the radioligand binding assay and the intrinsic activity was evaluated for the selected derivatives. The computer-aided SAR analysis enabled us to answer questions about the influence of particular structural fragments on selective vs. multifunctional activity. As a result of the performed investigations, there were two leading structures: (a) compound 12 with multifunctional adrenergic-serotonin activity, which is a promising candidate to be an effective anxiolytic agent, (b) compound 14 with high α1A/α1D affinity and selectivity towards α1B, which is recommended due to the elimination of probable cardiotoxic effect. The structural conclusions of this work provide significant support for future lead optimization in order to achieve the desired pharmacodynamic profile in searching for new CNS-modulating agents.

Despite the better understanding of the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and launched clinical trials, no AD-modifying treatment based on a synthetic drug has been introduced for almost twenty years. The serotonin 5-HT6 and 5-HT7 receptors turned out to be promising biological targets for modulation of central nervous system dysfunctions including cognitive impairment. Within this paper, we evaluate the pharmacological potency of both, 5-HT6R and 5-HT7R, agents in search for novel AD treatment. An overview of chemical structures of the 5-HTRs ligands with simultaneous procognitive action which have undergone preclinical and clinical studies within the last 10 years has been performed.

This research has provided the most active 5-HT

This research has provided the most active 5-HT6R agents among 1,3,5-triazine derivatives investigated to date and has also identified the world's first selenium-containing 5-HT6R ligands. The studies are focused on design, synthesis, biological evaluation and docking-supported SAR analysis for novel 5-HT6R agents as derivatives of lead structure 4-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-6-(phenoxymethyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine (7). The lead modifications included an introduction of: (i) various small substituents at benzene ring, (ii) a branched ether linker or (iii) the ether oxygen replacement with other chalcogen (S, Se) or sulfonyl moiety. Hence, a series of new compounds (7–24) was synthesized and examined on their affinities for 5-HT6R and selectivity, in respect to the 5-HT1AR, 5-HT2AR, 5-HT7R and dopamine D2 receptor, in the radioligand binding assays. For representative most active compounds functional bioassays and toxicity profile in vitro and antidepressant-like activity in vivo were examined. The 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenyl derivative (10) was found as the most active triazine 5-HT6R antagonist (Ki = 11 nM). SAR analysis indicated, that an exchange of oxygen to selenium (7 vs. 22), and especially, to sulfur (7 vs. 19) was beneficial to increase both affinity and antagonistic action for 5-HT6R. Surprisingly, an introduction of SO2 caused a drastic decrease of the 5-HT6R affinity, which was explained at a molecular level based on docking studies. All in vivo tested compounds (10, 18 and 21) did not show any risk of toxicity in the safety studies in vitro.

This study concerns synthesis and evaluation of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile for all four stereoisomers of MF-8 (5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-hydroxy-3-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propyl)-5-methylimidazolidine-2,4-dione), the previously described, highly potent 5-HT7R ligand with antidepressant activity on mice. The combination of DFT calculations of 1H NMR chemical shifts with docking and dynamic simulations, in comparison to experimental screening results, provided prediction of the configuration for one of two present stereogenic centers. The experimental data for stereoisomers (MF-8A-MF-8D) confirmed the significant impact of stereochemistry on both, 5-HT7R affinity and antagonistic action, with Ki and Kb values in the range of 3–366 nM and 0.024–99 μM, respectively. We also indicated the stereochemistry-dependent influence of the tested compounds on P-glycoprotein efflux, absorption in Caco-2 model, metabolic pathway as well as CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 activities.

In the light of recent lines of evidence, 5-HT6R ligands are a promising tool for future treatment of memory impairment. Hence, this study has supplied highly potent 5-HT6R agents with procognitive effects, which represent an original chemical class of 1,3,5-triazines, different from widely studied sulfone and indole-like 5-HT6R ligands. The new compounds were rationally designed as modifications of lead, 4-(1-(2-chlorophenoxy)ethyl)-6-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine (1), involving an introduction of: (i) two chlorines at benzene ring and (ii) varied linkers joining the triazine ring to aromatic ethers. Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo biological tests and computer-aided SAR analysis for 19 new compounds were carried out. Most of the new triazines displayed high affinity (Ki

In order to search for active and selective serotonin 5-HT(7)R antagonists among 3,5-disubstituted arylpiperazine-imidazolidine-2,4-diones, the role of the introduction/deletion and the mutual orientation of aromatic rings was analyzed. Chemical modifications of 2nd generation lead structure of 3-(3-(4-(diphenylmethyl)piperazin-1-yl)-2-hydroxypropyl)-5-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-methylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (2, KKB16) were performed. New derivatives (4–18) were designed and synthesized. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the representative compound 5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-[2-hydroxy-3-(4-phenylpiperazin-1-yl)propyl]-5-methylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (3) was performed to support molecular modeling and SAR studies. The affinity for 5-HT(7)R, D(2)R and 5-HT(1A)R in radioligand binding assays for the entire series and ADME-Tox parameters in vitro for selected compounds (7, 10, and 13) were evaluated. Molecular docking and pharmacophore model assessment were performed. According to the obtained results, 5-methyl-5-naphthylhydantoin derivatives were found to be the new highly active 5-HT(7)R agents (K(i) ≤ 5 nM) with significant selectivity over 5-HT(1A)R and D(2)R. On the contrary, the (1-naphthyl)piperazine moiety was gained with the potent dual 5-HT(7)R/5-HT(1A)R action (K(i): 11 nM/19 nM).

This paper presents a computer-aided insight into the receptor-ligand interaction for novel analogs of the lead structure 5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-hydroxy-3-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propyl)-5-methylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (1, MF-8), as part of the search for potent and selective serotonin 5-HT7 receptor (5-HT7R) agents. New hydantoin derivatives (4-19) were designed and synthesized. For 5-phenyl-3-(2-hydroxy-3-(4-(2-ethoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propyl)-5-methylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (4), its crystal structure was determined experimentally. Molecular modeling studies were performed, including both pharmacophore and structure-based approaches. New compounds were investigated in radioligand binding assays (RBA) for their affinity toward 5-HT7R and selectivity over 5-HT1AR, dopamine D2R and α1-, α2-and β-adrenoceptors. Selected compounds (5-8) were assessed for their antidepressant and anxiolytic effects in vivo in mice. Most of the tested compounds displayed potent affinity and selectivity for 5-HT7R in RBA, in particular seven compounds (4, 5, 7, 8 and 10-12, Ki ≤ 10 nM). Antidepressant-like activity in vivo for all tested compounds (5-8) was confirmed. SAR analysis based on both crystallography-supported molecular modeling and RBA results indicated that mono-phenyl substituents at both hydantoin and piperazine are more favorable for 5-HT7R affinity than the di-phenyl ones.

We report the in vitro drug-likeness studies and in vivo pharmacological evaluation for a new potent 5-HT7 receptor antagonist MF-8 (5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-hydroxy-3-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propyl)-5-methylhydantoin). The in vitro tests showed good permeability, very good metabolic stability, low risk of drug-drug interactions and satisfying safety profile. Moreover, MF-8 showed excellent antidepressant-like activity in the forced swim test in rodents and promising anxiolytic-like activity in the four-plate test in mice. Regarding the potent affinity, high selectivity and antagonistic activity of MF-8 for the 5-HT7 receptor as well as excellent drug - like properties in vitro and confirmed in vivo pharmacological activity, MF-8 should be considered as a very significant molecule in the search for a new class of anti-depressant drugs.

This paper presents a computer-aided insight into the receptor-ligand interaction for novel analogs of the lead structure 5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-hydroxy-3-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propyl)-5-methylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (1, MF-8), as part of the search for potent and selective serotonin 5-HT

We report the in vitro drug-likeness studies and in vivo pharmacological evaluation for a new potent 5-HT

Since the year 1993, when 5-HT

A series of novel arylpiperazine 5-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-methylhydantoins with 2-hydroxypropyl linker (2-15) was synthesized and evaluated on their affinity towards serotonin 5-HT7 receptor (5-HT7R) in comparison to other closely related GPCRs: serotonin 5-HT1A, and dopamine D2 receptors. The functional activity studied through the measurement of 5-HT7R-mediated cyclic AMP production in Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells (HEK293) stably expressing human 5-HT7 proved their antagonistic properties. The lead structure was also examined in the preliminary metabolic stability study using human liver microsomes (HMLs). The process of selection of candidates for synthesis was supported by a special molecular modeling workflow including combinatorial library generation, docking, and machine learning-based assessment. Additionally, in silico predictions of selectivity over 5-HT1AR and D2R, as well as functional activity were carried out. The newly synthesized compounds were proved to possess a potent affinity for 5-HT7R, similar to that of the lead structure of 5-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(3-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)-2-hydroxypropyl)-5-methylimidazolidine-2,4-dione (1). For several derivatives, significant selectivity both over 5-HT1AR and D2R was found.

Herewith, we report development of small molecule inhibitors of MNK1 and MNK2 kinases and their cellular activity. MNK1 and 2 are MAP kinase-interacting kinases are activated by RAS and MAPK signaling pathways, and are involved in regulation of translation. Both kinases phosphorylate translation initiation factor eIF4e on a conserved serine 209. eIF4E can contribute to the oncogenic transformation both in vitro and in vivo and is highly expressed in diverse types of cancer. Interestingly, mice that lack both Mnk1 and Mnk2 do not have any apparent phenotype. Recently first dual MNK1/MNK2 inhibitors have entered clinical trials as a combinational therapy with docetaxel in NSCLC. SEL201 is a series of small molecule inhibitors which inhibit activity of both MNK1 and MNK2 in a low nM range and high selectivity confirmed in kinome panels. Analysis of SEL201 cellular activity indicated potent inhibition of eIF4e Ser209 in vitro in cancer cells and in vivo after oral administration in xenograft tumors. Repressed phosphorylation of eIF4e resulted in impaired translation of several proteins involved in metastasis and activation of immune cells. High potency, selectivity and favorable ADME/PK profile indicates that SEL201 inhibitors would be useful tools in probing molecular consequences of eIF4e Ser209 inhibition in cancer cells. SEL201 in vitro and in vivo activities on viability and metastasis will be presented in cellular and in vivo models of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. SEL201 series is further developed as a cancer therapy with a good therapeutic window. Citation Format: Tomasz Rzymski, Agnieszka Dreas, Ewelina Wincza, Charles-Henry Fabritius, Urszula Kulesza, Katarzyna Kucwaj- Brysz, Mariusz Milik, Aniela Gołas, Renata Windak, Eliza Żyłkiewicz, Anna Wróbel, Maciej Sułkowski, Krzysztof Brzózka. Repression of tumor survival pathways by novel and selective inhibitors of MNK1 and MNK2 kinases in cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2015 Nov 5-9; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2015;14(12 Suppl 2):Abstract nr C194.