Stefano Sainas

Substituted 4-hydroxy-1,2,3-triazoles: synthesis, characterization and first drug design applications through bioisosteric modulation and scaffold hopping approaches

Bioisosterism and scaffold hopping are two widely used approaches in medicinal chemistry for the purpose of lead optimization. The study highlights the physicochemical properties of the 4-hydroxy-1,2,3-triazole scaffold, a less investigated heterocyclic system. Synthetic strategies to obtain different N-substituted 4-hydroxy-1,2,3-triazole isomers are presented, and their role as possible isosteres of the carboxylic acid is discussed. The aim is to use this system to modulate the acidic moieties present in lead compounds and, at the same time, to regiodirect substituents in set directions, through targeted substitution on the three nitrogenatoms of the triazole ring. Through this approach, compounds having enhanced binding affinity, will be sought. Two examples of bioisosteric applications of this moiety are presented. In the first example, a classical bioisosteric approach mimicking the distal (S)-glutamic acid carboxyl group using the 4-hydroxy-1,2,3-triazole moiety is applied, to obtain two promising glutamate analogs. In the second example, a scaffold hopping approach is applied, replacing the phenolic moiety present in MDG-1-33A, a potent inhibitor of Onchocerca volvulus chitinase, with the 4-hydroxy-1,2,3-triazole scaffold. The 4-hydroxy-1,2,3-triazole system appears to be useful and versatile in drug design.

Use of human Dihydroorotate Dehydrogenase (hDHODH) Inhibitors in Autoimmune Diseases and New Perspectives in Cancer Therapy

BACKGROUND Human dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (hDHODH, EC 1.3.5.2), a flavindependent mitochondrial enzyme involved in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, is a validated therapeutic target for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. However, human DHODH inhibitors have also been investigated as treatment for cancer, parasite infections (i.e. malaria) and viruses as well as in the agrochemicals industry. OBJECTIVE An overview of current knowledge of hDHODH inhibitors and their potential uses in diseases where hDHODH is involved. METHOD This review focuses on recent advances in the development and application of hDHODH inhibitors, specifically covering the patent field, starting from a brief description of enzyme topography and of the strategies usually followed in designing its selective inhibitors. RESULTS The most important and well-described novelty is the fact that the discovery, in the autumn of 2016, that hDHODH inhibitors are able to induce in vivo myeloid differentiation has led to the possibility of developing novel hDHODH based treatments for Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). CONCLUSION The review will describe a variety of specific inhibitor classes and conclude on recent and future therapeutic perspectives for this target.