Design and optimization of piperidinesubstituted thiophene[3,2-d]pyrimidine-based HIV-1 NNRTIs with improved drug resistance and pharmacokinetic profiles

HIV-1 reverse transcriptase(RT)has received great attention as an attractive therapeutic target for acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS),but the inevitable drug resistance and side effects have always been major challenges faced by non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors(NNRTIs).This work aimed to identify novel chemotypes of anti-HIV-1 agents with improved drugresistance profiles,reduced toxicity,and excellent druggability.A series of diarylpyrimidine(DAPY)derivatives were prepared via structural modifications of the leads K-5a2 and 25a.Among them,15a with dimethylphosphine oxide moiety showed the most prominent antiviral potency against all of the tested viral panel,being 1.6-fold(WT,EC_(50) Z 1.75 nmol/L),3.0-fold(L100I,EC_(50) Z 2.84 nmol/L),2.4-fold(K103N,EC_(50) Z 1.27 nmol/L),3.3-fold(Y181C,EC50 Z 5.38 nmol/L),2.9-fold(Y188L,EC_(50) Z 7.96 nmol/L),2.5-fold(E138K,EC_(50) Z 4.28 nmol/L),4.8-fold(F227L/V106A,EC_(50) Z 3.76 nmol/L)and 5.3-fold(RES056,EC_(50) Z 15.8 nmol/L)more effective than that of the marketed drug ETR.Molecular docking results illustrated the detailed interactions formed by compound 15a and WT,F227L/V106A,and RES056 RT.Moreover,15a-HCl carried outstanding pharmacokinetic(t1/2 Z 1.32 h,F Z 40.8%)and safety profiles(LD_(50)>2000 mg/kg),which demonstrated that 15a HCl is a potential anti-HIV-1 drug candidate.

Discovery of GluN2A subtype-selective N-methyl-d-aspartate(NMDA)receptor ligands

The N-methyl-d-aspartate(NMDA)receptors,which belong to the ionotropic Glutamate receptors,constitute a family of ligand-gated ion channels.Within the various subtypes of NMDA receptors,the GluN1/2A subtype plays a significant role in central nervous system(CNS)disorders.The present article aims to provide a comprehensive review of ligands targeting GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors,encompassing negative allosteric modulators(NAMs),positive allosteric modulators(PAMs)and competitive antagonists.Moreover,the ligands’structure–activity relationships(SARs)and the binding models of representative ligands are also discussed,providing valuable insights for the clinical rational design of effective drugs targeting CNS diseases.

Discovery of novel sulfonamide substituted indolylarylsulfones as potent HIV-1 inhibitors with better safety profiles

Indolylarylsulfones(IASs) are classical HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors(NNRTIs) with a unique scaffold and possess potent antiviral activity.To address the high cytotoxicity and improve safety profiles of IASs,we introduced various sulfonamide groups linked by alkyl diamine chain to explore the entrance channel of non-nucleoside inhibitors binding pocket.48 compounds were designed and synthesized to evaluate their anti-HIV-1 activities and reverse transcriptase inhibition activities.Especially,compound R_(10)L_(4) was endowed with significant inhibitory activity towards wild-type HIV-1(EC_(50(WT))=0.007μmol/L,SI=30,930) as well as a panel of single-mutant strains exemplified by L100I(EC_(50)=0.017μmol/L,SI=13,055),E138K(EC_(50)=0.017μmol/L,SI=13,123) and Y181C(EC_(50)=0.045μmol/L,SI=4753) which were superior to Nevirapine and Etravirine.Notably,R_(10)L_(4) was characterized with significantly reduced cytotoxicity(CC_(50)=216.51μmol/L) and showed no remarkable in vivo toxic effects(acute and subacute toxicity).Moreover,the computer-based docking study was also employed to characterize the binding mode between R_(10)L_(4) and HIV-1 RT.Additionally,R_(10)L_(4) presented an acceptable pharmacokinetic profile.Collectively,these results deliver precious insights for next optimization and indicate that the sulfonamide IAS derivatives are promising NNRTIs for further development.

From design to biological mechanism evaluation of phenylalanine-bearing HIV-1 capsid inhibitors targeting a vital assembly interface

HIV-1 capsid protein(CA) has emerged as a promising target for antiviral treatment considering its structural and regulatory roles in HIV-1 replication. Here, we disclose the design, synthesis, biological assessment, and mechanism investigation of a novel series of phenylalanine derivatives gained by further structural modification of PF74. The newly synthesized compounds demonstrated potent anti-HIV activity, represented by 7n displayed anti-HIV-1 activity 6.25-fold better than PF74, and 7h showed anti-HIV-2activity with nearly 139 times improved efficacy over PF74. Surface plasmon resonance(SPR) studies of representative compounds proved that HIV-1 CA was the binding target. Competitive SPR studies using CPSF6 and NUP153 peptides identified that 7n binds to a vital CA assembly interface between the Nterminal and C-terminal domain(NTD-CTD interface). Action stage determination assay revealed that the newly synthesized compounds were antiviral with a dual-stage inhibitory profile. Molecular dynamics(MD) simulations offered the crucial foundation for the hopeful antiviral potency of 7n. Besides, 7m and7n modestly increased metabolic stabilities in human liver microsome(HLM) and human plasma compared to PF74. Overall, these studies offer valuable insights and can regard as the beginning for succedent medicinal chemistry endeavors to discover promising HIV capsid inhibitors with improved efficacy and better drug-like characteristics.