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Geldanamycin remains a driver in the medicinal chemistry of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibition, even half a century after its original isolation from nature. This Perspective focuses on the properties of the benzoquinone ring of the natural product that enable a range of functionalization reactions to take place. Therefore, inherent reactivity at C-17, where the methoxy group serves as a vinylogous ester, and at C-19 that demonstrates nucleophilic, enamide-type character toward electrophiles, and also as a conjugate acceptor to react with nucleophiles, has facilitated the synthesis of semisynthetic derivatives. Thus, a range of C-17-substituted amine derivatives has been investigated in oncology applications, with a number of compounds in this series reaching clinical trials. In contrast, the 19-position of geldanamycin has received less attention, although 19-substituted derivatives offer promise with markedly reduced toxicity compared to geldanamycin itself, while retaining Hsp90 inhibitory activity albeit with diminished potency in cellular studies.

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) plays a crucial role in cancer cell growth and metastasis by stabilizing overexpressed signaling proteins. Inhibiting HSP90 has emerged as a promising anti-cancer strategy. In this study, we aimed to develop and characterize a HSP90-targeted molecular imaging probe, [ 64 Cu]Cu-DOTA-BDA-GM, based on a specific HSP90 inhibitor, geldanamycin (GM), for PET imaging of cancers. GM is modified at the C-17 position with 1,4-butane-diamine (BDA) and linked to 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) for 64 Cu radiolabeling. We evaluated the probe's specific binding to HSP90-expressing cells using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and breast cancer cells including MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-435S, MCF7, and KR-BR-3 cell lines. A competition study with non-radioactive GM-BDA yielded an IC50 value of 1.35 ± 0.14 nM, underscoring the probe's affinity for HSP90. In xenograft models of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer, [ 64 Cu]Cu-DOTA-BDA-GM showcased targeted tumor localization, with significant radioactivity observed up to 18 h post-injection. Blocking studies using unlabeled GM-BDA and treatment with the anticancer drug Vorinostat (SAHA), which can affect the expression and activity of numerous proteins, such as HSPs, confirmed the specificity and sensitivity of the probe in cancer targeting. Additionally, PET/CT imaging in a lung metastasis mouse model revealed increased lung uptake of [ 64 Cu]Cu-DOTA-BDA-GM in metastatic sites, significantly higher than in non-metastatic lungs, illustrating the probe's ability to detect metastatic breast cancer. In conclusion, [ 64 Cu]Cu-DOTA-BDA-GM represents a sensitive and specific approach for identifying HSP90 expression in breast cancer and metastases, offering promising implications for clinical diagnosis and monitoring., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors report no conflicts of interest or relationships relevant to the contents of this manuscript to disclose. This work was prepared while Dr. Zheng Li was employed at Houston Methodist Hospital Research Institute. The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not reflect the view of the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Macrocyclic natural products are plentiful in the bacteria, archaea, and eukaryote domains of life. For the significant advantages that they provide to the producing organisms, evolution has learned how to implement various types of macrocyclization reactions into the different biosynthetic pathways and how to effect them with remarkable ease. Mankind greatly benefits from nature's pool, not least because naturally occurring macrocycles or derivatives thereof serve as important drugs for the treatment of many serious ailments.In stark contrast, macrocyclization reactions are usually perceived as difficult to accomplish by purely chemical means. While it is true that ring closure necessarily entails an entropic loss and may result in the buildup of (considerable) ring strain that must be compensated for in one way or the other, it is also fair to note tremendous methodological advances during the last decades that greatly alleviated this traditional "macrocycle challenge". It is therefore increasingly possible to explore the advantages provided by large as well as medium-size ring systems in a more systematic manner. This venture also holds the promise of increasing the "chemical space" amenable to drug development to a considerable extent.In consideration of this and other important long-term perspectives, it is appropriate to revisit the current state of the art. To this end, a number of vignettes are presented, each of which summarizes a total synthesis project targeting macrocyclic natural products of greatly different chemotypes using a variety of transformations to reach these goals. Although we were occasionally facing "dead ends", which are also delineated for the sake of a complete picture, these case studies illustrate the notion that the formation of a certain macrocyclic perimeter is (usually) no longer seriously limiting. In addition to substantial progress in the "classical" repertoire (macrolactonization and macrolactamization (pateamine A, spirastrellolide, and belizentrin)), various metal-catalyzed reactions have arguably led to the greatest leaps forward. Among them, palladium-catalyzed C-C bond formation (roseophilin and nominal xestocyclamine A) and, in particular, alkene and alkyne metathesis stand out (iejimalide, spirastrellolide, enigmazole, ingenamine, and sinulariadiolide). In some cases, different methods were pursued in parallel, thus allowing for a critical assessment and comparison.To the extent that the macrocyclic challenge is vanishing, the opportunity arises to focus attention on the postmacrocyclization phase. One may stipulate that a well-designed cyclization precursor does not only ensure efficient ring closure but also fosters and streamlines the steps that come after the event. One way to do so is dual (multiple) use in that the functional groups serving the actual cyclization reaction also find productive applications downstream from it rather than being subject to simple defunctionalization. In this context, better insight into the conformational peculiarities of large rings and the growing confidence in their accessibility in a stereochemically well defined format rejuvenate the implementation of transannular reactions or reaction cascades that can lead to rapid and substantial increases in molecular complexity. The examples summarized herein showcase such possibilities, with special emphasis on tranannular gold catalysis and the emerging ruthenium-catalyzed trans -hydrometalation chemistry for the selective functionalization of alkynes.

The nucleophilic attack of amines at C(17) or C(17)/C(20) positions of geldanamycin's (GDM) benzoquinone, via initial 1,4-Michael conjugate addition mechanism, yield new analogs with closed or open ansa-bridges (1-31), respectively. X-ray structures of analogs 22 and 24 reveals an unexpected arrangement of the ansa-bridge in solid (conformer B), that is located between those of conformers A, prevailing in solution (trans-lactam), and C, crucial at binding to Hsp90 (cis-lactam). The structure of a new-type conformer B allows to better understand the molecular recognition mechanism between the GDM analogs and the target Hsp90. Combined analysis of: anticancer test results (SKBR-3, SKOV-3, PC-3, U-87, A-549) and those performed in normal cells (HDF), K D values and docking modes at Hsp90 as well as clogP parameters, reveals that the rigid C(17)-arm (piperidyl, cyclohexyl) with a H-bond acceptor as carbonyl group together with a lipophilicity clogP∼3 favor high potency of analogs, even up to IC 50 ∼0.08 μM, at improved selectivity (SI HDF  > 30), when compared to GDM. The most active 25 show higher anticancer potency than 17-AAG (in SKOV-3 and A-549) as well as reblastatin (in SKBR-3 and SKOV-3). Opening of the ansa-bridge within GDM analogs, at the best case, decreases activity (IC 50 ∼2 μM) and toxicity in HDF cells (SI HDF ∼2-3), relative to GDM., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

On June 8, 2018, an NS3/4A protease inhibitor called danoprevir was approved in China to treat the infections of HCV genotype (GT) 1b - the most common HCV genotype worldwide. Based on phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, the 12-week regimen of ritonavir-boosted danoprevir (danoprevir/r) plus peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin offered 97.1% (200/206) of sustained virologic response at post-treatment week 12 (SVR12) in treatment-naïve non-cirrhotic patients infected with HCV genotype 1b. Adverse events such as anemia, fatigue, fever, and headache were associated with the inclusion of peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin in the danoprevir-based regimen. Moreover, drug resistance to danoprevir could be traced to amino acid substitutions (Q80K/R, R155K, D168A/E/H/N/T/V) near the drug-binding pocket of HCV NS3 protease. Despite its approval, the clinical use of danoprevir is currently limited to its combination with peginterferon alpha-2a and ribavirin, thereby driving its development towards interferon-free, ribavirin-free regimens with improved tolerability and adherence. In the foreseeable future, pan-genotypic direct-acting antivirals with better clinical efficacy and less adverse events will be available to treat HCV infections worldwide., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work., (© 2020 Miao et al.)

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) is an essential base excision repair enzyme that is upregulated in a number of cancers, contributes to resistance of tumors treated with DNA-alkylating or -oxidizing agents, and has recently been identified as an important therapeutic target. In this work, we identified hot spots for binding of small organic molecules experimentally in high resolution crystal structures of APE1 and computationally through the use of FTMAP analysis ( http://ftmap.bu.edu/ ). Guided by these hot spots, a library of drug-like macrocycles was docked and then screened for inhibition of APE1 endonuclease activity. In an iterative process, hot-spot-guided docking, characterization of inhibition of APE1 endonuclease, and cytotoxicity of cancer cells were used to design next generation macrocycles. To assess target selectivity in cells, selected macrocycles were analyzed for modulation of DNA damage. Taken together, our studies suggest that macrocycles represent a promising class of compounds for inhibition of APE1 in cancer cells.

A cancer cell-targeting fluorescent sensor has been developed to image mobile Zn2+ by introducing a biotin group. It shows a highly selective response to Zn2+in vitro, no toxicity in cellulo and images 'mobile' Zn2+ specifically in cancer cells. We believe this probe has the potential to help improve our understanding of the role of Zn2+ in the processes of cancer initiation and development.

Rhodesain (RD) is a parasitic, human cathepsin L (hCatL) like cysteine protease produced by Trypanosoma brucei ( T. b.) species and a potential drug target for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). A library of hCatL inhibitors was screened, and macrocyclic lactams were identified as potent RD inhibitors ( K i < 10 nM), preventing the cell-growth of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense (IC 50 < 400 nM). SARs addressing the S2 and S3 pockets of RD were established. Three cocrystal structures with RD revealed a noncovalent binding mode of this ligand class due to oxidation of the catalytic Cys25 to a sulfenic acid (Cys-SOH) during crystallization. The P-glycoprotein efflux ratio was measured and the in vivo brain penetration in rats determined. When tested in vivo in acute HAT model, the compounds permitted up to 16.25 (vs 13.0 for untreated controls) mean days of survival.

It may be useful to develop prodrugs that are selectively activated by oxidative stress in cancer cells to release cell-killing reactive intermediates. However, relatively few chemical strategies exist for the activation of prodrugs under conditions of oxidative stress. Here we provide evidence for a novel process in which oxidation of a thiol residue in the natural product leinamycin E1 by H 2 O 2 and other byproducts of cellular oxidative stress initiates generation of an episulfonium ion that selectively alkylates guanine residues in duplex DNA.

1,8-Bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)cyclam (te2f) derivatives with two coordinating pendant arms involving methylenecarboxylic acid (H 2 te2f2a), methylenephosphonic acid (H 4 te2f2p), (2-pyridyl)methyl (te2f2py), and 2-aminoethyl arms (te2f2ae) in 4,11-positions were prepared, and their nickel(II) complexes were investigated as possible 19 F MR tracers. The solid-state structures of several synthetic intermediates, ligands, and all complexes were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The average Ni···F distances were determined to be about 5.2 Å. All complexes exhibit a trans-III cyclam conformation with pendant arms bound in the apical positions. Kinetic inertness of the complexes is increased in the ligand order te2f2ae ≪ te2f < te2f2py ≈ H 4 te2f2p ≪ H 2 te2f2a. The [Ni(te2f2a)] complex is the most kinetically inert Ni(II) complex reported so far. Paramagnetic divalent nickel caused a shortening of 19 F NMR relaxation time down to the millisecond range. Solubility, stability, and cell toxicity were only satisfactory for the [Ni(te2f2p)] 2- complex. This complex was visualized by 19 F MRI utilizing an ultrashort echo time (UTE) imaging pulse sequence, which led to an increase in sensitivity gain. Mesenchymal stem cells were successfully loaded with the complex (up to 0.925/5.55 pg Ni/F per cell). 19 F MRI using a UTE pulse sequence provided images with a good signal-to-noise ratio within the measurement time, as short as tens of minutes. The data thus proved a major sensitivity gain in 19 F MRI achieved by utilization of the paramagnetic (transition) metal complex as 19 F MR tracers coupled with the optimal fast imaging protocol.

Inspired from geldanamycin, the synthesis of a new series of 20-membered macrocyclic compounds is developed. The key features in our design are (i) retention of the fragment having the precise chiral functional groups of geldanamycin at C10, C11, C12 and C14, and (ii) replacement of an olefin moiety with the ester group, and the quinoid sub-structure with the triazole ring. The southern fragment needed for the macrocyclic ring formation was obtained from Evans' syn aldol as the key reaction and with the use of D-mannitol as the cheap source of a chiral starting material. For the synthesis of the northern fragment, we utilized l-ascorbic acid, which provided the desired chiral functional groups at C6 and C7. Further, the chain extension completed the synthesis of the northern fragment. In our approach, the crucial 20 membered macrocyclic ring was formed employing the click chemistry. When tested for their ability to directly trans-differentiate human mesenchymal stem cells to neurons, two novel compounds (20a and 7) from this series were identified and this was further validated by the presence of specific neuronal biomarkers (i.e. nestin, agrin and RTN4)., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

2,3,3',4,4'-Penta-O-benzylsucrose was converted into the corresponding diaminoalcohol which was used as a key building block in the synthesis of the analogues of aza-crown ethers and bis-lactams., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The Massachusetts General Hospital Radiochemistry Program, in collaboration with Pfizer, has developed unique 11 C and 18 F-labeling strategies to synthesize isotopologs of lorlatinib (PF-06463922) which is undergoing phase III clinical trial investigations for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancers with specific molecular alterations. A major goal in cancer therapeutics is to measure the concentrations of this drug in the brain metastases of patients with lung cancer, and penetration of the blood-brain barrier is important for optimal therapeutic outcomes. Our recent publication in Nature Communications employed radiolabeled lorlatinib and positron emission tomography (PET) studies in preclinical models including nonhuman primates (NHPs) that demonstrated high brain permeability of this compound. Our future work with radiolabeled lorlatinib will include advanced PET evaluations in rodent tumor models and normal NHPs with the goal of clinical translation.

The chemical modification of macrolide natural products into aza- or lactam analogues is a strategy employed to improve their metabolic stability and biological activity. The methods for the synthesis of several lactam analogues of macrolide natural products are highlighted and aspects of their biological properties presented.

Thiazinogeldanamycin (2) was identified from Streptomyces hygroscopicus 17997 at the late stage of the fermentation. The pH was firstly proposed as an important factor in the biosynthesis of it. It was verified that 2 was produced by direct chemical reactions between geldanamycin (1, GDM) and cysteine or aminoethanethiol hydrochloride at pH > 7 in vitro. The proposed synthesis pathway for compound 2 was also discussed. Eleven new C-19-modified GDM derivatives, including five stable hydroquinone form derivatives, were synthesized, most of which exhibited desirable properties such as lower cytotoxicity, increased water solubility, and potent antitumor activity. Especially, compounds 5 and 8 showed antitumor activities against HepG2 cell with IC50 values of 2.97-6.61 μM, lower cytotoxicity and at least 15-fold higher water solubility compared with 1 in pH 7.0 phosphate buffer.

Heronamides are biosynthetically related metabolites isolated from marine-derived actinomycetes. Heronamide C shows potent antifungal activity by targeting membrane phospholipids possessing saturated hydrocarbon chains with as-yet-unrevealed modes of action. In spite of their curious hypothesized biosynthesis and fascinating biological activities, there have been conflicts in regard to the reported stereochemistries of heronamides. Here, we describe the asymmetric total synthesis of the originally proposed and revised structures of heronamide C, which unambiguously confirmed the chemical structure of this molecule. We also demonstrated nonenzymatic synthesis of heronamides A and B from heronamide C, which not only proved the postulated biosynthesis, but also confirmed the correct structures of heronamides A and B. Investigation of the structure-activity relationship of synthetic and natural heronamides revealed the importance of both long-range stereochemical communication and the 20-membered macrolactam ring for the biological activity of these compounds., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A growing number of natural products appear to arise from biosynthetic pathways that involve pericyclic reactions. We show here that for the heronamides this can occur via two spontaneous pathways involving alternative thermal or photochemical intramolecular cycloadditions.

A series of one-pot, sequential protocols was developed for the synthesis of novel macrocycles bearing α,β-unsaturated chemotypes. The method highlights a phosphate tether-mediated approach to establish asymmetry, and consecutive one-pot, sequential processes to access the macrocycles with minimal purification procedures. This library amenable strategy provided diverse macrocycles containing α,β-unsaturated carbon-, sulfur-, or phosphorus-based warheads., (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Kendomycin, an ansamycin-type natural product first reported in 1996, possesses a series of attractive bioactivities and a unique all-carbon macrocyclic skeleton. To the date, seven total syntheses, two formal total syntheses and a number of synthetic studies on this hot molecule have been reported. In this short review article, we mainly survey and comment on these efforts regarding the difficult macrocyclization strategies.

Azamacrocyclic bifunctional chelating agents (BCAs) are essential for the development of radiopharmaceuticals in nuclear medicine and we wish to prove that their bioconjugation by a function present on a carbon atom of the macrocyclic skeleton is a solution of choice to maintain their in vivo inertness. Based on our very recent methodology using a bisaminal template and selective N-alkylation approach, a new synthesis of conjugable C-functionalised teta, te2a and cb-te2a has been developed. These chelators have indeed a growing interest in nuclear medicine for positron emission tomography (PET) and radioimmunotherapy (RIT) where they show in several cases better complexation properties than dota or dota-like macrocycles, especially with (64)Cu or (67)Cu radioisotopes. Chelators are bearing an isothiocyanate grafting function introduced by C-alkylation to avoid as much as possible a critical decrease of their chelating properties. The synthesis is very efficient and yields the targeted ligands, teta-Ph-NCS, te2a-Ph-NCS and cb-te2a-Ph-NCS without fastidious work-up and could be easily extended to other cyclam based-BCAs. The newly synthetised te2a-Ph-NCS has been conjugated to an anti mCD138 monoclonal antibody (mAb) to evaluate its in vivo behavior and potentiality as BCA and to explore a first attempt of PET-phenotypic imaging in multiple myeloma (MM). Mass spectrometry analysis of the immunoconjugate showed that up to 4 chelates were conjugated per 9E7.4 mAb. The radiolabeling yield and specific activity post-purification of the bioconjugate 9E7.4-CSN-Ph-te2a were 95 ± 2.8% and 188 ± 27 MBq mg(-1) respectively and the immunoreactivity of (64)Cu-9E7.4-CSN-Ph-te2a was 81 ± 7%. Animal experiments were carried out on 5T33-Luc(+) tumor bearing mice, either in subcutaneous or orthotopic. To achieve PET imaging, mice were injected with (64)Cu-9E7.4-CNS-Ph-te2a and acquisitions were conducted 2 and 20 h post-injection (PI). A millimetric bone uptake was localised in a sacroiliac of a MM orthotopic tumor. Nonspecific uptakes were observed at 2 h PI but, unlike for the tumor, a significant decrease was observed at 20 h PI which improves the contrast of the images.

The transannular [6 + 4] cycloaddition proposed as a step in the biosynthesis of heronamide A has been modeled using density functional theory. The proposed cycloaddition is highly stereoselective, affording a single product. The reaction proceeds through an ambimodal transition state that directly leads to a [4 + 2] adduct in addition to the observed [6 + 4] adduct. Interconversion of these adducts is possible via a facile Cope rearrangement. The [6 + 4] adduct is thermodynamically more stable than the [4 + 2] adduct by 5.2 kcal mol(-1) due to a combination of the ring and steric strain in the [4 + 2] product. The results strongly support the plausibility of the proposed transannular [6 + 4] cycloaddition in the biogenesis of heronamide A and may provide insights to designing substrates that selectively undergo [6 + 4] cycloaddition to form unbridged 10-membered rings.

An efficient method for synthesizing different functionalized azabicyclo[X.Y.0]alkanone amino acid derivatives has been developed employing electrophilic transannular cyclizations of 8-, 9-, and 10-membered unsaturated macrocycles to form 5,5-, 6,5-, 7,5-, and 6,6-fused bicylic amino acids, respectively. Macrocycles were obtained by a sequence featuring peptide coupling of vinyl-, allyl-, homoallyl-, and homohomoallylglycine building blocks followed by ring-closing metathesis. X-ray crystallographic analyses of the 8-, 9-, and 10-membered macrocyclic lactam starting materials as well as certain bicyclic amino acid products provided insight into their conformational preferences as well as the mechanism for the diastereoselective formation of specific azabicycloalkanone amino acids by way of transannular iodolactamization reactions.

An electrochemical method to synthesize the core macrolactam of diazonamides is described. Large ring-forming dehydrogenation is initiated by anodic oxidation at a graphite surface. The reaction requires no tailoring of the substrate and occurs at ambient temperature in aqueous DMF in an undivided cell open to air. This unique chemistry has enabled a concise, scalable preparation of DZ-2384; a refined analog of diazonamide A slated for clinical development as a cancer therapeutic., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Purpose: To find novel potential and less toxic benquinone anamycin heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors as anticancer agents, a limited series of 17-substituted or 17,19-disubstituted 17-demethoxygeldanamycin analogs were synthesized and tested for anti-proliferation activity against human cancer cells. Liver toxicity was also tested in vivo., Methods: Five 17-alkylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycins and two 17-alkylamino-19-methylthio-17-demethoxygeldanamycins were synthesized from geldanamycin (GA) and 19-methylthiogeldanamycin (19-S(methyl)-GA), respectively. Anti-proliferation activities of the GA analogs were determined in MCF7, HeLa, HCT116 and HepG2 cells using the MTT method. Western blot and cell cycle analyses were performed for mechanistic study. The growth inhibition effect of potential geldanamycins was also investigated in normal Buffalo rat liver (BRL) cells. In vivo liver toxicity was tested in Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice by tail vein injection of the tested compounds., Results: Most of the 17-alkylaminogeldanamycins exhibited obvious growth inhibition effects on multiple human cancer cell lines. The anti-proliferation activity of 19-methylthio-substituted geldanamycins was significantly lower compared with no 19-substitution geldanamycins in all tested cancer cells. The compound 1b (17-[2-(piperidinyl-1'-yl)-ethylamino]-17-demethoxygeldanamycin) exhibited the highest anti-proliferation activity in MCF7, HeLa and HCT116 cells, which was much more effective than GA and the developing Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG (17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin). Meanwhile, compound 1b exhibited weaker growth inhibition effect on BRL cell line than GA and 17-AAG. 1b induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in MCF7 cells. Cleavage of PARP associated with apoptosis and degradation of the Hsp90 client protein Akt and Her2 was also induced by treatment of 1b in HeLa and MCF7 cell lines. In spite of the relatively weaker activity of 1b compared with GA and 17-AAG against HepG2 cells, 1b was further identified with lower hepatotoxicity than GA in vivo., Conclusion: Compound 1b is regarded as a new potential Hsp90 inhibitor with low hepatotoxicity for further study.

Background: The emergence and spread of drug resistance to current antimalarial therapies remains a pressing concern, escalating the need for compounds that demonstrate novel modes of action. Diversity-Oriented Synthesis (DOS) libraries bridge the gap between conventional small molecule and natural product libraries, allowing the interrogation of more diverse chemical space in efforts to identify probes of novel parasite pathways., Methods: We screened and optimized a probe from a DOS library using whole-cell phenotypic assays. Resistance selection and whole-genome sequencing approaches were employed to identify the cellular target of the compounds., Results: We identified a novel macrocyclic inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum with nanomolar potency and identified the reduction site of cytochrome b as its cellular target. Combination experiments with reduction and oxidation site inhibitors showed synergistic inhibition of the parasite., Conclusions: The cytochrome b oxidation center is a validated antimalarial target. We show that the reduction site of cytochrome b is also a druggable target. Our results demonstrating a synergistic relationship between oxidation and reduction site inhibitors suggests a future strategy for new combination therapies in the treatment of malaria., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

A series of 17-phenylpropylamine/phenoxyethylamine-substituted derivatives of geldanamycin (GA) was synthesized and evaluated for the anti-proliferation activity on human cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. All the derivatives exhibited potent cytotoxicity with IC50 values range from 0.35 to 1.03 µM. Among them, 17-(2-phenoxyethylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (3) was identified as the most potent compound. Hepatotoxicity test in mice demonstrated that the levels of both aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) of 3-treated group were lower than that of GA-treated group, indicating that compound 3 was a promising antitumor candidate. Additionally, the Hsp90 inhibitory activity of compound 3 was more active than 17-AAG. Docking and molecular dynamics (MD) refinements of this new series of GA derivatives were also investigated, suggesting a theoretical model between 17- phenylpropylamine/phenoxyethyl-amines and Hsp90.

In the present study, we developed the novel 17-allyamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG)-loaded poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) using the combination of sodium lauryl sulfate and poloxamer 407 as the anionic and non-ionic surfactant for stabilization. The PLGA NPs were prepared by emulsification/solvent evaporation method. Both the drug/polymer ratio and phase ratio were 1:10 (w/w). The optimized formulation of 17-AAG-loaded PLGA NPs had a particle size and polydispersity index of 151.6 ± 2.0 and 0.152 ± 0.010 nm, respectively, which was further supported by TEM image. The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading capacity were 69.9 and 7.0%, respectively. In vitro release study showed sustained release. When in vitro release data were fitted to Korsmeyer-Peppas model, the n value was 0.468, which suggested that the drug was released by anomalous or non-Fickian diffusion. In addition, 17-AAG-loaded PLGA NPs in 72 h, displayed approximately 60% cell viability reduction at 10 µg/ml 17-AAG concentration, in MCF-7 cell lines, indicating sustained release from NPs. Therefore, our results demonstrated that incorporation of 17-AAG into PLGA NPs could provide a novel effective nanocarrier for the treatment of cancer.

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is an attractive target for the development of antitumor agents. Geldanamycin (GA), the first Hsp90 inhibitor, has potent antitumor activity, but showed significant hepatotoxicity. To get rid of the hepatotoxicity of GA, in this study we incorporated aroyl groups via three types of linkers (4-aminomethylpiperidine, 1,4-butanediamine, and 1,6-hexanediamine) to the 17-position of GA and synthesized fifty-three 17-diamine-linked 17-aroylamido-17-demethoxygeldanamycins. All the derivatives were evaluated by MTT assay for their inhibitory activities against human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. Among these compounds, 17-(6-(3,4,5-trimethoxycinnamamido)hexylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (7h29) showed the most potent cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 (IC50 = 0.19 ± 0.02 μM) with the lowest hepatotoxicity (AST = 181.0 ± 23.6 U/L, ALT = 40.4 ± 11.8 U/L). Compared to tanespimycin (17-AAG), 7h29 exhibited lower hepatotoxicity in mice, higher Hsp90 inhibitory activity in vitro and antitumor activity in human breast carcinoma (MDA-MB-231) xenograft nude mice., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Thirty-three 17-arylmethylamine-substituted derivatives of geldanamycin (GA) were designed, synthesized and evaluated for the anti-proliferation activity on human cancer cell lines, LNCaP and MDA-MB-231. Three derivatives (22, 33 and 34) exhibited potent cytotoxicity with IC50 values range from 0.05 to 0.51 μM against both cell lines. Hepatotoxicity test in mice demonstrated that the levels of both AST and ALT of 34-treated group were lower than that of 17-AAG group. Western blot assay indicated that 34 was more potent than 17-AAG in the down-regulation of Hsp90 client proteins CDK4, Her2, EGFR and Raf. Moreover, 34 showed excellent in vivo antitumor activity in the MDA-MB-231 xenograft nude mice, which is superior to 22 and 33, and 17-AAG, indicating that 34 was a promising antitumor candidate. Additionally, preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of this new series of GA derivatives were also investigated, suggesting a theoretical model of 17-arylmethylamine geldanamycins binding to Hsp90., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

We present a new method for the preparation of cobinamide (CN)2Cbi, a vitamin B12 precursor, that should allow its broader utility. Treatment of vitamin B12 with only NaCN and heating in a microwave reactor affords (CN)2Cbi as the sole product. The purification procedure was greatly simplified, allowing for easy isolation of the product in 94% yield. The use of microwave heating proved beneficial also for (CN)2Cbi(c-lactone) synthesis. Treatment of (CN)2Cbi with triethanolamine led to (CN)2Cbi(c-lactam).

Structurally diverse bicyclo[3.3.0]octanes were prepared and tested for their biological activity. Both the antiproliferative activity and the results of phenotypic characterization varied with the substitution patterns. Two derivatives displayed high inhibitory (IC50 ≤3μM) activity against the L-929 cell line, but differed in their mode of action. A cluster analysis with impedance profiling data showed the two compounds in relationship to microtubule interfering compounds. In PtK2 cells treated with both derivatives a perturbing effect on the microtubular network was observed, whereas the actin cytoskeleton in incubated PtK2 cells was disturbed only by one compound. The effects on tubulin and actin polymerization could be confirmed by in vitro polymerization experiments., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotic herbimycin A was synthesized in 19 linear steps and 4.2% yield. Highlighted is the design of a chiral γ-lactone as the C11-C15 synthon that enabled a facile catalytic asymmetric synthesis of the challenging C8-C20 fragment of the target molecule. The easy access to the stereogenic centers and high overall yield made the strategy applicable in the molecular editing of benzoquinone ansamycins.

Although crizotinib demonstrates robust efficacy in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small-cell lung carcinoma patients, progression during treatment eventually develops. Resistant patient samples revealed a variety of point mutations in the kinase domain of ALK, including the L1196M gatekeeper mutation. In addition, some patients progress due to cancer metastasis in the brain. Using structure-based drug design, lipophilic efficiency, and physical-property-based optimization, highly potent macrocyclic ALK inhibitors were prepared with good absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), low propensity for p-glycoprotein 1-mediated efflux, and good passive permeability. These structurally unusual macrocyclic inhibitors were potent against wild-type ALK and clinically reported ALK kinase domain mutations. Significant synthetic challenges were overcome, utilizing novel transformations to enable the use of these macrocycles in drug discovery paradigms. This work led to the discovery of 8k (PF-06463922), combining broad-spectrum potency, central nervous system ADME, and a high degree of kinase selectivity.

A highly regioselective Diels-Alder approach toward the bioactive natural products hygrocin B and divergolide C is presented. The route uses an unusual benzoquinone-azepinone dienophile prepared in 8 steps from ethyl 8-methoxy-1-naphthoate, by a route which includes, as key steps, a Birch alkylation and a Beckmann rearrangement of a tetralone oxime, both of which are demonstrated on multigram scale. The naphthoquinone-azepinone core is suitably functionalized for addition of the ansa-chain, found in the natural products.

A series of macrolactam analogues of the naturally occurring resorcylic acid lactone radicicol have been synthesised from methyl orsellinate in 7 steps, involving chlorination, protection of the two phenolic groups, and hydrolysis to the benzoic acid. Formation of the dianion and quenching with a Weinreb amide results in acylation of the toluene methyl group that is followed by amide formation and ring closing metathesis to form the macrocyclic lactam. Final deprotection of the phenolic groups gives the desired macrolactams whose binding to the N-terminal domain of yeast Hsp90 was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry and protein X-ray crystallography.

Novel macrocyclic molecules comprising sulfonyl and acyl moiety at the position N-12a of 16-membered azalides (6a-n) and azalactams (10a-r) scaffold were synthesized from cyclododecanone 1 as starting material via 5 steps and 4 steps, respectively. The antifungal activity of these compounds against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Pyricularia oryzae, Botrytis cinerea, Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora capsici were evaluated and found that compounds possessing α-exomethylene (6c, 6d, 6e and 6g) showed antifungal activity comparable to commercial fungicide Chlorothalonil against P. oryzae and compounds possessing p-chlorobenzoyl exhibited enhanced antifungal activity than those with other substituents against S. sclerotiorum, P. oryzae, and B. cinerea. These findings suggested that the α-exomethylene and p-chlorobenzoyl may be two potential pharmacological active groups with antifungal activities., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

In the present study, a new compound named 17-(6-cinnamamido-hexylamino-)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (CDG) was obtained by introducing the cinnamic acid (CA) group into the 17-site of geldanamycin (GDM). The anti-cancer effects of CDG in vitro and in vivo were evaluated. MTT assay was used to examine the inhibitory effect of CDG on the proliferation of MCF-7, HepG2, H460 and SW1990 cells. Immunofluorescent staining flow cytometry combined with Annexin V-FITC/PI staining were used to detect apoptotic cells. Transwell assay was used to analyze the effect of CDG on cell invasion and migration ability. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of RAF-1, EGFR, AKT, CDK4 and HER-2 of MCF-7, HepG2 and H460 cells. The toxicities of CDG and GDM were evaluated in mice. Using the subcutaneously transplanted MCF-7 xenograft in nude mice, inhibitory effect was evaluated in vivo. The results showed that CDG inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells (IC50: 13.6-67.4 microg.mL-1). After exposure to CDG for 48 h, most cells presented typical morphologic changes of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation or shrunken nucleus. The rates of apoptosis of MCF-7, HepG2, H460 and SW1990 cells incubated with 10 microg.mL-1 CDG were 23.16%, 27.55%, 22.21%, 20.47%, respectively. A dose-dependent reduction of migration of four cell lines was found after exposure to CDG. The decreased levels of RAF-1, EGFR, AKT, CDK4 and HER-2 showed that CDG possessed HSP90 inhibitory effect. The result of animal toxicity test on the mice suggested that CDG had lower toxicity than GDM. Meanwhile, CDG inhibited the growth of MCF-7 xenografts of athymic mice.

Covering 2005 to 2013. In this review recent progress in the development of heat shock proteins (Hsp90) in oncogenesis is illuminated. Particular emphasis is put on inhibitors such as geldanamycin and analogues that serve as a natural product show case. Hsp90 has emerged as an important target in cancer therapy and/or against pathogenic cells which elicit abnormal Hsp patterns. Competition for ATP by geldanamycin and related compounds abrogate the chaperone function of Hsp90. In this context, this account pursues three topics in detail: a) Hsp90 and its biochemistry, b) Hsp90 and its role in oncogenesis and c) strategies to create compound libraries of structurally complex inhibitors like geldanamycin on which SAR studies and the development of drugs that are currently in different stages of clinical testing rely.

19-Substituted geldanamycin derivatives are efficient Hsp90 inhibitors, without the toxicity associated with the other benzoquinone ansamycins, thus giving them potential for use as molecular therapeutics in cancer and neurodegeneration. Here a new method of synthesising these important compounds is reported, eliminating the need for toxic metals and metalloids.

Supplementing a culture of a mutant strain of Actinosynnema pretiosum that is unable to biosynthesize aminohydroxy benzoic acid (AHBA), with 3-azido-5-hydroxy-benzoic acid and 3-azido-5-amino-benzoic acid, unexpectedly yielded anilino ansamitocins instead of the expected azido derivatives. This is the first example of the bioreduction of organic azides. The unique nature of these results was demonstrated when 3-azido-5-amino-benzoic acid was fed to the corresponding AHBA blocked mutant of Streptomyces hygroscopicus, the geldanamycin producer. This mutasynthetic experiment yielded the fully processed azido derivative of geldanamycin.

The triene-containing C17-benzene ansamycins trienomycins A and F were prepared in 16 steps (longest linear sequence, LLS) and 28 total steps. The C11-C13 stereotriad was generated via enantioselective Ru-catalyzed alcohol CH syn crotylation followed by chelation-controlled carbonyl dienylation. Enantioselective Rh-catalyzed acetylene-aldehyde reductive coupling mediated by gaseous H2 was used to form a diene that ultimately was subjected to diene-diene ring closing metathesis to form the macrocycle. The present approach is 14 steps shorter (LLS) than the prior syntheses of trienomycins A and F, and 8 steps shorter than any prior synthesis of a triene-containing C17-benzene ansamycin.

The benzoquinone ansamycin geldanamycin and its derivatives are inhibitors of heat shock protein Hsp90, an emerging target for novel therapeutic agents both in cancer and in neurodegeneration. However, the toxicity of these compounds to normal cells has been ascribed to reaction with thiol nucleophiles at the quinone 19-position. We reasoned that blocking this position would ameliorate toxicity, and that it might also enforce a favourable conformational switch of the trans-amide group into the cis-form required for protein binding. Here, we report an efficient synthesis of such 19-substituted compounds and realization of our hypotheses. Protein crystallography established that the new compounds bind to Hsp90 with, as expected, a cis-amide conformation. Studies on Hsp90 inhibition in cells demonstrated the molecular signature of Hsp90 inhibitors: decreases in client proteins with compensatory increases in other heat shock proteins in both human breast cancer and dopaminergic neural cells, demonstrating their potential for use in the therapy of cancer or neurodegenerative diseases.

A series of substituted ortho-carboranylphenoxyacetanilides were synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit hypoxia-induced HIF-1 transcriptional activity using a cell-based reporter assay in HeLa cells expressing the HRE-dependent firefly luciferase reporter construct (HRE-Luc) and constitutively expressing CMV-driven Renilla luciferase reporter, and their ability to inhibit cell growth (GI(50)) using the MTT assay. Among the compounds synthesized, 1g and 1l showed significant inhibition of hypoxia-induced HIF-1 transcriptional activity (IC(50): 1.9 ± 0.4 and 1.4 ± 0.2 μM, respectively). Both compounds suppressed HIF-1α accumulation in a concentration-dependent manner. The porcine heart malate dehydrogenase (MDH) refolding assay revealed that compound 1l inhibited human Hsp60 chaperone activity (IC(50): 6.80 ± 0.25 μM) and this inhibition activity was higher than that of ETB (IC(50): 10.9 ± 0.63 μM)., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A new method for the synthesis of macrocyclic lactones, lactams, and ketones, which utilizes photoinduced intramolecular radical cyclization reactions of substrates containing tethered carboxylic acids and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moieties, has been uncovered. Photocyclization of the carboxylic acids tethered acrylate ester, which were prepared starting from the macrocyclic lactones, gave the two-carbon elongated macrocyclic lactones via decarboxylation. Similar photoreactions of carboxylic acid tethered acryl amide or α,β-unsaturated ketone moieties, which were also prepared starting from the macrocyclic lactones, produced macrocyclic lactams or ketones, respectively. The simple approach can be readily applied to the preparation of a variety of macrocyclic lactones, lactams, and ketones with tunable ring sizes.

The title compounds were synthesized in a longest sequence of 27 linear steps and with an overall yield of 2.9 and 3.9%. In the course of the synthesis, two aldehydes representing carbon fragments C1-C7 (Eastern fragment) and C9-C21 (Western fragment) were prepared from D-mannitol, each of which incorporated a key stereogenic center at the respective secondary methyl ether group (C6, C12) from the chiral pool material. The assembly of the two aldehydes was achieved employing α-chloroethyl magnesium chloride as a two-carbon building block. The carbenoid reagent was generated from α-chloroethyl para-tolylsulfoxide by sulfoxide-magnesium exchange and it added smoothly to the highly sensitive aldehyde of the Eastern fragment (C1-C7). Upon oxidation, an α-chloroethyl ketone was generated, which underwent a clean and high-yielding reductive SmI(2) -promoted addition to the other aldehyde fragment. Dehydration delivered the key double bond between C8 and C9 in an overall yield of 72% over four steps. The method was shown to be generally applicable to the racemization-free conversion of several aldehydes into the respective α-chloroethyl ketone (11 examples, 64-95%) and to the coupling protocol (5 examples, 66-90%). The further course of the geldanamycin hydroquinone synthesis included a diastereoselective reduction at C7 and the implementation of the amino group at C20. Since deprotection of the two isopropyl protecting groups could not be achieved in significant yields, the structure of 18,21-diisopropyl-geldanamycin hydroquinone was proven by its independent synthesis from the natural product., (Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Based on "amide-triazole bioequivalence" principle, 1,2,3-triazole-fused chiral medium ring benzo-heterocycles capable of mimicking benzolactams were designed. Their syntheses were accomplished by cycloaddition of different sugar-derived azidoalkynes. While triazole-fused eight-membered benzo-heterocycles were formed by exclusive intramolecuclar [3 + 2] cycloaddition, attempted preparation of seven-membered analogues led to some intermolecular cycloaddition resulting in a dimeric macrocyclic product, in addition to intramolecular cycloaddition furnishing the expected heterocycle.

Closing in on azacines: We have developed a new six step approach for the rapid and enantioselective synthesis of indolizidine, pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine, and pyrrolo[1,2-a]azocine azabicyclic systems and their respective lactam congeners, which are found in a host of natural products as well as pharmaceutical preparations. This protocol enables a concise enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-grandisine D in 16.4 % overall yield from commercial materials (see scheme)., (Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Macrocycles are key structural elements in numerous bioactive small molecules and are attractive targets in the diversity-oriented synthesis of natural product-based libraries. However, efficient and systematic access to diverse collections of macrocycles has proven difficult using classical macrocyclization reactions. To address this problem, we have developed a concise, modular approach to the diversity-oriented synthesis of macrolactones and macrolactams involving oxidative cleavage of a bridging double bond in polycyclic enol ethers and enamines. These substrates are assembled in only four or five synthetic steps and undergo ring expansion to afford highly functionalized macrocycles bearing handles for further diversification. In contrast to macrocyclization reactions of corresponding seco acids, the ring expansion reactions are efficient and insensitive to ring size and stereochemistry, overcoming key limitations of conventional approaches to systematic macrocycle synthesis. Cheminformatic analysis indicates that these macrocycles access regions of chemical space that overlap with natural products, distinct from currently targeted synthetic drugs.