Colin Ray

Sulfonimidamides as Sulfonamides Bioisosteres: Rational Evaluation through Synthetic, in Vitro, and in Vivo Studies with γ-Secretase Inhibitors

The proof of the pudding: A proof-of-concept study using γ-secretase inhibitors as a model has shown that sulfonimidamides act as bioisosteres for sulfonamides. Detailed in vitro and in vivo profiling reveal that the sulfonimidamide motif imparts desirable properties such as decreased lipophilicity and plasma protein binding, accompanied by increased solubility. Our data support a wider use of this unique functional group in the design of new pharmacologically active agents.

Substituted 7-Amino-5-thio-thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidines as Potent and Selective Antagonists of the Fractalkine Receptor (CX3CR1)

We have developed two parallel series, A and B, of CX3CR1 antagonists for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. By modifying the substituents on the 7-amino-5-thio-thiazolo[4,5-d]pyrimidine core structure, we were able to achieve compounds with high selectivity for CX3CR1 over the closely related CXCR2 receptor. The structure-activity relationships showed that a leucinol moiety attached to the core-structure in the 7-position together with α-methyl branched benzyl derivatives in the 5-position displayed promising affinity, and selectivity as well as physicochemical properties, as exemplified by compounds 18a and 24h. We show the preparation of the first potent and selective orally available CX3CR1 antagonists.