Elaine Sophie Elizabeth Stokes

Enhanced asymmetric induction in cycloadditions to bridgehead-chiral vinyl dioxazaborocines

Vinyl dioxazaborocines 5 with asymmetric centres on the nitrogen bridgehead substituent have been prepared and assayed in nitrile oxide and nitrone cycloadditions, giving asymmetric inductions of up to 70 and 74% ee, respectively.

Chiral vinyl dioxazaborocines in synthesis: Asymmetric synthesis of 5-substituted Δ2-isoxazolines via nitrile oxide cycloaddition

Abstract Vinyl dioxazaborocines 1a-c have been subjected to 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions with benzonitrile oxide. The products are enantiomerically enriched 5-substituted Δ 2 -isoxazolines 2a-c .

Design and campaign synthesis of piperidine- and thiazole-based histone deacetylase inhibitors.

A lead benzamide, 3, was identified as a potent and low molecular weight histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. Optimization led to 16d, demonstrating an excellent balance of efficacy and non-efficacy properties, along with very desirable in vivo DMPK. The final compounds presented are >1000-fold more potent than the initial screen hit, an improvement in potency which was achieved with a concomitant significant improvement in all the main non-efficacy properties.

Design and campaign synthesis of pyridine-based histone deacetylase inhibitors.

A lead benzamide, bearing a cyanopyridyl moiety (3), was identified as a potent and low molecular weight histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. Various replacements of the cyano group were explored at the C3-position, along with the exploration of solubility-enhancing groups at the C5-position. It was determined that cyano substitution at the C3-position of the pyridyl core, along with a methylazetidinyl substituent at the C5-position yielded optimal HDAC1 inhibition and anti-proliferative activity in HCT-116 cells.