Steven G. Aitken

Molecular Modeling, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Macrocyclic Calpain Inhibitors

The design and elaboration of a series of macrocyclic templates that exhibit a propensity to adopt a beta-strand-like peptide-backbone conformation led to potent and selective inhibitors of calpain 2. Macrocycle 1 retarded calcium-induced opacification in an ovine-lens culture assay and is a lead compound for the development of a drug for cataract treatment. Cbz=carbobenzyloxy.

Synthesis of Macrocyclic β-Strand Templates by Ring Closing Metathesis

We report the synthesis of macrocycles 1-6 via ring closing metathesis of dienes 7-12. Addition of chlorodicyclohexylborane to thermal and microwave assisted RCM of dienes 8 and 9 markedly improves the yield. The geometric isomers of macrocycles 1-3 and 5 have been assigned using X-ray crystallography and NMR.

Olefin metathesis: Catalyst development, microwave catalysis, and domino applications

Olefin metathesis, a process by which alkylidene groups on alkenes are exchanged, is reviewed with reference to the historical development of functional catalysts and microwave catalysis. The advent of new catalysts and improved reaction conditions has paved the way for the development of new and versatile domino processes that combine either different metathesis events or a key metathesis reaction with another reaction in a particularly atom economic and ‘green’ sense. We review this area as a convenient route to some otherwise difficult to prepare systems.

Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular modelling of N-heterocyclic dipeptide aldehydes as selective calpain inhibitors

A series of N-heterocyclic dipeptide aldehydes 4-13 have been synthesised and evaluated as inhibitors of ovine calpain 1 (o-CAPN1) and ovine calpain 2 (o-CAPN2). 5-Formyl-pyrrole 9 (IC(50) values of 290 and 25nM against o-CAPN1 and o-CAPN2, respectively) was the most potent and selective o-CAPN2 inhibitor, displaying >11-fold selectivity. The amino acid sequences of o-CAPN1 and o-CAPN2 have been determined. Because of the lack of available structural information on the ovine calpains, in silico homology models of the active site cleft of o-CAPN1 and o-CAPN2 were developed based on human calpain 1 (h-CAPN1) X-ray crystal structure (PDB code 1ZCM). These models were used to rationalise the observed SAR for compounds 4-13 and the selectivity observed for 9. The o-CAPN2 selective inhibitor 9 (CAT0059) was assayed in an in vitro ovine lens culture system and shown to successfully protect the lens from calcium-induced opacification.

The Preparation of Macrocyclic Calpain Inhibitors by Ring Closing Metathesis and Cross Metathesis

Ring closing metathesis and cross metathesis approaches to a new macrocyclic peptidomimetic aldehyde 2 have been developed, with the former route being the most convenient. Aldehyde 2 is a potent inhibitor of calpain II (IC50 of 45 nM) with comparable activity to the benchmark acyclic inhibitor SJA6017 4. Both compounds contain an N-terminal 4-fluorophenylsulfonyl group. The P2 Ile analogue of 2 (16) is significantly less active (IC50 of 2000 nM) which reflects an unusually subtle importance of the P2 residue for active site binding.

N-Heterocyclic Dipeptide Aldehyde Calpain Inhibitors

A series of Val-Leu based peptidic aldehydes containing either a furan or thiophene at the N-terminus was prepared and assayed against ovine m-calpain. In general, potency is favoured by a 2-substituted (rather than 3-substituted) heterocycle, a thiophene rather than a furan, and a shorter chain length at the N-terminus. Molecular docking experiments provide some rationale for these observations.