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The development of Multi-Target Directed Ligand is of clear interest for the treatment of multifactorial pathology such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this context, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors have been modulated in order to generate novel pleiotropic compounds targeting a second protein of therapeutic interest in AD. Among them, donecopride was the first example of a dual acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and 5-HT4 receptor agonist. In order to explore the structural diversity around this preclinical candidate we have explored the preparation of novel constrained analogs through late-stage rigidification strategy. A series of phenylpyrazoles was prepared in a late-stage functionalization process and all compounds were evaluated in vitro towards AChE and 5-HTRs. A docking study was performed in order to better explain the observed SAR towards AChE, 5-HT4R and 5-HT6R and this study led to the description of novel ligand targeting both AChE and 5-HT6R.

International audience; Beside acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase could be considered as a putative target of interest for the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). As a result of complexity of AD, no molecule has been approved since 2002. Idalopirdine, a 5-HT6 receptors antagonist, did not show its effectiveness in clinical trial despite its evaluation as adjunct to cholinesterase inhibitors. Pleiotropic molecules, known as multitarget directed ligands (MTDLs) are currently developed to tackle the multifactorial origin of AD. In this context, we have developed a pleiotropic carbamate 7, that behaves as a covalent inhibitor of BuChE (IC50 = 0.97 μM). The latter will deliver after hydrolysis, compound 6, a potent 5-HT6 receptors antagonist (Ki = 11.4 nM) related to idalopirdine. In silico and in vitro evaluation proving our concept were performed completed with first in vivo results that demonstrate great promise in restoring working memory.

International audience; Several phenanthrolinic analogs of quinolones have been synthesized and their antibacterial activity tested against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, other mycobacterial species and bacteria from other genera. Some of them show high activity (of the range observed for rifampicin) against M. tuberculosis replicating in vitro and in vivo (infected macrophages) conditions. These derivatives show the same activity with all or several M. tuberculosis complex bacterial mutants resistant to fluoroquinolones (FQ). This opens the way to the construction of new drugs for the treatment of FQ resistant bacterial infections, including tuberculosis. Several compounds showed also activity against Staphylococcus aureus and probably other species. These compounds do not show major toxicity. We conclude that the novel phenanthrolinic derivatives described here are potent hits for further developments of new antibiotics against bacterial infectious diseases including tuberculosis in particular those resistant to FQ.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We recently identified donecopride as a pleiotropic compound able to inhibit acetylcholinesterase and to activate serotonin subtype 4 receptor. The purpose of the present article is to establish its potential therapeutic interest against Alzheimer's disease (AD). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: The present work used both in cellulo and in vivo models of AD. KEY RESULTS: In the present study, we show that, in vivo under chronic administration, donecopride displays potent anti-amnesic properties in two different animal models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) (transgenic 5XFAD mice and mice exposed to soluble amyloid-β peptides). Donecopride preserved learning capacities, including working and long-term spatial memories, which were evaluated with various behavioral tests (novel object recognition, Y-maze, Morris water maze). These behavioral observations found molecular correlation with the interactions of donecopride related to the two main types of molecular damage in AD. Indeed, a decrease in amyloid aggregation was observed in the brain of the treated transgenic mice, as well as a reduction in tau hyperphosphorylation in rat primary cultures of hippocampal neurons. At the cellular level, donecopride exerted neuroprotective effects toward neurons and the neurite network, as well as neurotrophic benefits, expressed as the formation of new synapses. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Pleiotropic donecopride acts like a Swiss army knife, displaying sustainable symptomatic therapeutic effects and potential disease-modifying roles against AD. Clinical trials with this promising drug candidate will soon be undertaken to confirm its therapeutic potential in humans.

Alzheimer&rsquo, s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease towards which pleiotropic approach using Multi-Target Directed Ligands is nowadays recognized as probably convenient. Among the numerous targets which are today validated against AD, acetylcholinesterase (ACh) and Monoamine Oxidase-B (MAO-B) appear as particularly convincing, especially if displayed by a sole agent such as ladostigil, currently in clinical trial in AD. Considering these results, we wanted to take benefit of the structural analogy lying in donepezil (DPZ) and rasagiline, two indane derivatives marketed as AChE and MAO-B inhibitors, respectively, and to propose the synthesis and the preliminary in vitro biological characterization of a structural compromise between these two compounds, we called propargylaminodonepezil (PADPZ). The synthesis of racemic trans PADPZ was achieved and its biological evaluation established its inhibitory activities towards both (h)AChE (IC50 = 0.4 &micro, M) and (h)MAO-B (IC50 = 6.4 &micro, M).

International audience; Facing the complexity of Alzheimer's disease (AD), it is now currently admitted that a therapeutic pleiotropic intervention is needed to alter its progression. Among the major hallmarks of the disease, the amyloid pathology and the oxidative stress are closely related. We propose in this study to develop original Multi-Target Directed Ligands (MTDL) able to impact at the same time Aβ protein accumulation and toxicity of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in neuronal cells. Such MTDL were obtained by linking on a central piperidine two scaffolds of interest: a typical aminochlorobenzophenone present in numerous 5-HT4R agonists, and diverse antioxidant chemotypes. Interestingly, the most active compound 9g possesses a Ki of 12.7 nM towards 5-HT4R and an antioxidant activity in vitro and in cellulo.

Alzheimer&rsquo, s disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease which is still poorly understood. The drugs currently used against AD, mainly acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI), are considered clinically insufficient and are responsible for deleterious side effects. AChE is, however, currently receiving renewed interest through the discovery of a chaperone role played in the pathogenesis of AD. But AChE could also serve as an activating protein for pleiotropic prodrugs. Indeed, inhibiting central AChE with brain-penetrating designed carbamates which are able to covalently bind to the enzyme and to concomitantly liberate active metabolites in the brain could constitute a clinically more efficient approach which, additionally, is less likely to cause peripheral side effects. We aim in this article to pave the road of this new avenue with an in vitro and in vivo study of pleiotropic prodrugs targeting both the 5-HT4 receptor and AChE, in order to display a neuroprotective activity associated with a sustained restoration of the cholinergic neurotransmission and without the usual peripheral side effects associated with classic AChEI. This plural activity could bring to AD patients effective, relatively safe, symptomatic and disease-modifying therapeutic benefits.

International audience; Herein we describe the drug design steps developed to increase the radical scavenging and β-amyloid aggregation inhibitory activities of a previously described series of benzylidenephenylpyrrolizinones. Among the newly synthesized derivatives, some benzylphenylpyrrolizinones exhibited interesting results in regard to those activities. Initial druggability parameters were measured, and suggest these compounds as a suitable starting point for potential alternatives in treating Alzheimer's disease

International audience; This work describes the synthesis and the biological evaluation of novel benzylidenephenylpyrrolizinones as potential antioxidant, metal chelating or amyloid β (βA) aggregation inhibitors. Some derivatives exhibited interesting results in regard to several of the performed evaluations and appear as valuable Multi-Target Directed Ligands with potential therapeutic interest in Alzheimer's disease. Among them, compound 29 particularly appears as a valuable radical and NO scavenger, a Cu(II) and Fe(II) chelating agent and exhibits moderate βA aggregation inhibition properties. These activities, associated to a good predictive bioavailability and a lack of cytotoxicity, design it as a promising hit for further in vivo investigation

A few examples of 5-aminoflavones' syntheses exist in the literature and for those, which are described, the amino group is introduced before the formation of the flavone skeleton. We describe here an efficient method, which permits the access to 5-aminoflavones by a simple procedure using an SNAr amination under microwaves irradiation.

International audience; Despite its implication in several physiological and pathological processes the serotonin subtype-4 receptor (5-HT4R) has seen limited effort for the development of radiolabeling agent especially concerning single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Bearing an ester function, the available ligands are rapidly susceptible to hydrolysis which limits their use in vivo. In this study the synthesis of iodinated benzamide and ketone analogs were described. Their affinity for the 5-HT4R and their lipophilicity were evaluated and the most promising derivatives were evaluated ex vivo for their binding to the receptor and for their ability to displace the reference ligand [125I]-SB207710.

International audience; In this work, we describe the synthesis and in vitro evaluation of a novel series of multitarget-directed ligands (MTDL) displaying both nanomolar dual-binding site (DBS) acetylcholinesterase inhibitory effects and partial 5-HT4R agonist activity, among which donecopride was selected for further in vivo evaluations in mice. The latter displayed procognitive and antiamnesic effects and enhanced sAPPα release, accounting for a potential symptomatic and disease-modifying therapeutic benefit in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

A series of nitrated 2-substituted-quinolines was synthesized and evaluated in vitro toward Leishmania donovani promastigotes. In parallel, the in vitro cytotoxicity of these molecules was assessed on the murine J774 and human HepG2 cell lines. Thus, a very promising antileishmanial hit molecule was identified (compound 21), displaying an IC(50) value of 6.6 μM and CC(50) values ≥ 100 μM, conferring quite good selectivity index to this molecule, in comparison with 3 drug-compounds of reference (amphotericin B, miltefosine and pentamidine). Compound 21 also appears as an efficient in vitro antileishmanial molecule against both Leishmania infantum promastigotes and the intracellular L. donovani amastigotes (respective IC(50) = 7.6 and 6.5 μM). Moreover, hit quinoline 21 does not show neither significant antiplasmodial nor antitoxoplasmic in vitro activity and though, presents a selective antileishmanial activity. Finally, a structure-activity relationships study enabled to define precisely the antileishmanial pharmacophore based on this nitroquinoline scaffold: 2-hydroxy-8-nitroquinoline.

The synthesis of novel pyrrolothienopyrazines has been achieved with the aim to bring together in a sole compound both AChE inhibitory effect and 5-HT4R agonist activity. These Multi-Target Directed Ligands might theoretically alleviate the cognitive deficit in Alzheimer disease by restoring the cholinergic activity and by promoting the non-amyloidogenic formation of sAPPα which seems detrimental to the amyloid aggregation. Some of the synthesized compounds bear for the first time these dual activities and compound 15b appears particularly potent towards both AChE and 5-HT4R targets with IC50 and Ki in nanomolar levels. Although these MTDL behave as 5-HT4R antagonists rather than agonists, these results appear hopeful concerning the design of further MTDL with therapeutic interest in AD treatment.

A variety of carbamate-protected 2-aminoquinazolinones, e.g. (IV), (V) and (XI), is efficiently prepared by sequential addition reaction of anthranilates with ethoxycarbonylisothiocyanate (II) and subsequent amination—cyclization with various amines.

Starting from anthranilates, the one-pot successive addition of ethoxycarbonylisothiocyanate, alkyl- or arylamines, and the coupling reagent EDCI led to the clean, room-temperature formation of carbamate-protected 2-amino-3-alkyl(3-aryl)quinazolin-4(3H)-ones in up to 93 % yield. This method provides a practical alternative to previously reported procedures for the synthesis of 2-amino-3-substituted quinazolin-4(3H)-ones.

A few examples of 5-aminoflavones' syntheses exist in the literature and for those, which are described, the amino group is introduced before the formation of the flavone skeleton. We describe here an efficient method, which permits the access to 5-aminoflavones by a simple procedure using an SNAr amination under microwaves irradiation.

The synthesis of eighteen novel (thia)indanopyrazole derivatives was achieved starting from amino(thia)indanones. Some of them displayed a dual binding site acetylcholinesterase inhibition which makes them potentially interesting for Alzheimer's disease treatment.