Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationships of N-(4-Benzamidino)-Oxazolidinones: Potent and Selective Inhibitors of Kallikrein-Related Peptidase 6.

ChemMedChem 2020 Jan 07

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Kallikrein-related peptidase 6 (KLK6) is a secreted serine protease that belongs to the family of tissue kallikreins. Aberrant expression of KLK6 has been found in different cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, and KLK6 is currently studied as a potential target in these pathologies. We report a novel series of KLK6 inhibitors discovered in a high-throughput screen within the European Lead Factory program. Structure-guided design based on docking studies enabled rapid progression of a hit cluster to inhibitors with improved potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetic properties. In particular, inhibitors 32 ((5R)-3-(4-carbamimidoylphenyl)-N-((S)-1-(naphthalen-1-yl)propyl)-2-oxooxazolidine-5-carboxamide) and 34 ((5R)-3-(6-carbamimidoylpyridin-3-yl)-N-((1S)-1-(naphthalen-1-yl)propyl)-2-oxooxazolidine-5-carboxamide) have single-digit nanomolar potency against KLK6, with over 25-fold and 100-fold selectivities against the closely related enzyme trypsin, respectively. The most potent compound, 32, effectively reduces KLK6-dependent invasion of HCT116 cells. The high potency in combination with good solubility and low clearance of 32 make it a good chemical probe for KLK6 target validation in vitro and potentially in vivo. ©2019 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Citation

Elena De Vita, Niels Smits, Helma van den Hurk, Elizabeth M Beck, Joanne Hewitt, Gemma Baillie, Emily Russell, Andrew Pannifer, Véronique Hamon, Angus Morrison, Stuart P McElroy, Philip Jones, Natalia A Ignatenko, Nikolas Gunkel, Aubry K Miller. Synthesis and Structure-Activity Relationships of N-(4-Benzamidino)-Oxazolidinones: Potent and Selective Inhibitors of Kallikrein-Related Peptidase 6. ChemMedChem. 2020 Jan 07;15(1):79-95