Bethany Hughes

Exploration of the internal cavity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) with selective HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibitors (SHI-1:2)

We report herein the initial exploration of novel selective HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibitors (SHI-1:2). Optimized SHI-1:2 structures exhibit enhanced intrinsic activity against HDAC1 and HDAC2, and are greater than 100-fold selective versus other HDACs, including HDAC3. Based on the SAR of these agents and our current understanding of the HDAC active site, we postulate that the SHI-1:2 extend the existing HDAC inhibitor pharmacophore to include an internal binding domain.

Piperazinyl pyrimidine derivatives as potent γ-secretase modulators

The development of a novel series of piperazinyl pyrimidines as gamma-secretase modulators for potential use in the treatment of Alzheimers disease is disclosed herein. Optimization of a screening hit provided a series of potent gamma-secretase modulators with >180-fold in vitro selectivity over inhibition of Notch cleavage.

Purine derivatives as potent γ-secretase modulators

The development of a novel series of purines as gamma-secretase modulators for potential use in the treatment of Alzheimers disease is disclosed herein. Optimization of a previously disclosed pyrimidine series afforded a series of potent purine-based gamma-secretase modulators with 300- to 2000-fold in vitro selectivity over inhibition of Notch cleavage and that selectively reduces Alphabeta42 in an APP-YAC transgenic mouse model.

SAR profiles of spirocyclic nicotinamide derived selective HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibitors (SHI-1:2)

A potent family of spirocyclic nicotinyl aminobenzamide selective HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibitors (SHI-1:2) is profiled. The incorporation of a biaryl zinc-binding motif into a nicotinyl scaffold resulted in enhanced potency and selectivity versus HDAC3, but also imparted hERG activity. It was discovered that increasing polar surface area about the spirocycle attenuates this liability. Compound 12 induced a 4-fold increase in acetylated histone H2B in an HCT-116 xenograft model study with acute exposure, and inhibited tumor growth in a 21-day efficacy study with qd dosing.

Fluorinated piperidine acetic acids as γ-secretase modulators

We report herein a novel series of difluoropiperidine acetic acids as modulators of gamma-secretase. Synthesis of 2-aryl-3,3-difluoropiperidine analogs was facilitated by a unique and selective beta-difluorination with Selectfluor. Compounds 1f and 2c were selected for in vivo assessment and demonstrated selective lowering of Abeta42 in a genetically engineered mouse model of APP processing. Moreover, in a 7-day safety study, rats treated orally with compound 1f (250mg/kg per day, AUC(0-24)=2100microMh) did not exhibit Notch-related effects.

Phenylglycine and phenylalanine derivatives as potent and selective HDAC1 inhibitors (SHI-1)

An HTS screening campaign identified a series of low molecular weight phenols that showed excellent selectivity (>100-fold) for HDAC1/HDAC2 over other Class I and Class II HDACs. Evolution and optimization of this HTS hit series provided HDAC1-selective (SHI-1) compounds with excellent anti-proliferative activity and improved physical properties. Dose-dependent efficacy in a mouse HCT116 xenograft model was demonstrated with a phenylglycine SHI-1 analog.

Parallel medicinal chemistry approaches to selective HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibitor (SHI-1:2) optimization

The successful application of both solid and solution phase library synthesis, combined with tight integration into the medicinal chemistry effort, resulted in the efficient optimization of a novel structural series of selective HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibitors by the MRL-Boston Parallel Medicinal Chemistry group. An initial lead from a small parallel library was found to be potent and selective in biochemical assays. Advanced compounds were the culmination of iterative library design and possess excellent biochemical and cellular potency, as well as acceptable PK and efficacy in animal models.

Quality Control Procedures for Dose-Response Curve Generation Using Nanoliter Dispense Technologies

With the advancement of high-throughput biomolecular screening techniques to the lead optimization stage, there is a critical need to quality control (QC) dose-response curves generated by robotic liquid handlers to ensure accurate affinity determinations. One challenge in evaluating the performance of liquid handlers is identifying and validating a robust method for testing dispense volumes across different instruments. Although traditional automated liquid handlers are still considered the standard platform in many laboratories, nanoliter dispensers are becoming more common and pose new challenges for routine quality control procedures. For example, standard gravimetric measurements are unreliable for testing the accuracy of nanoliter liquid dispenses. However, nanoliter dispensing technology allows for the conservation of compound, reduces compound carryover from well to well through discrete dispenses, and eliminates the need for intermediate compound dilution steps to achieve a low final DMSO assay concentration. Moreover, an intermediate dilution step in aqueous solution might result in compound precipitation at high concentrations. This study compared representative automation procedures done on a variety of liquid dispensers, including manual, traditional, and nanodispense volumes. The data confirmed the importance of establishing robust QC procedures for dose-response generation in addition to accuracy and precision determinations for each instrument, and they validated the use of nanoliter pipettors for dose-response testing. The results of this study also support the requirement for thorough mixing during serial compound dilutions prepared for high-throughput lead optimization strategies using traditional liquid handlers. (Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2007:891-899)

Quinazolinones as γ-secretase modulators

Synthesis, SAR and evaluation of styrenyl quinazolinones as novel gamma secretase modulators are presented in this communication. Starting from literature and in-house leads we evaluated a range of quinazolinones which showed good modulation of γ-secretase activity.

Triazoles as γ-secretase modulators.

Synthesis, SAR, and evaluation of aryl triazoles as novel gamma secretase modulators (GSMs) are presented in this communication. Starting from the literature and in-house leads, we evaluated a range of five-membered heterocycles as replacements for olefins commonly found in non-acid GSMs. 1,2,3-C-aryl-triazoles were identified as suitable replacements which exhibited good modulation of γ-secretase activity, excellent pharmacokinetics and good central lowering of Aβ42 in Sprague-Dawley rats.