作者:Marvin J. Meyers、Micky D. Tortorella、Jing Xu、Limei Qin、Zhengxiang He、Xingfen Lang、Wentian Zeng、Wanwan Xu、Li Qin、Michael J. Prinsen、Francis M. Sverdrup、Christopher S. Eickhoff、David W. Griggs、Jonathan Oliva、Peter G. Ruminski、E. Jon Jacobsen、Mary A. Campbell、David C. Wood、Daniel E. Goldberg、Xiaorong Liu、Yongzhi Lu、Xin Lu、Zhengchao Tu、Xiaoyun Lu、Ke Ding、Xiaoping Chen
DOI:10.1021/ml400412x
日期:2014.1.9
Given the threat of drug resistance, there is an acute need for new classes of antimalarial agents that act via a unique mechanism of action relative to currently used drugs. We have identified a set of druglike compounds within the Tres Cantos Anti-Malarial Set (TCAMS) which likely act via inhibition of a Plasmodium aspartic protease. Structure-activity relationship analysis and optimization of these aminohydantoins demonstrate that these compounds are potent nanomolar inhibitors of the Plasmodium aspartic proteases PM-II and PM-IV and likely one or more other Plasmodium aspartic proteases. Incorporation of a bulky group, such as a cyclohexyl group, on the aminohydantion N-3 position gives enhanced antimalarial potency while reducing inhibition of human aspartic proteases such as BACE. We have identified compound 8p (CWHM-117) as a promising lead for optimization as an antimalarial drug with a low molecular weight, modest lipophilicity, oral bioavailability, and in vivo antimalarial activity in mice.