69603-49-2

A set of heterocyclic ligands have been synthesised for use in the preparation of mixed mode affinity chromatographic adsorbents for application in the purification of proteins, including antibodies. The ligand structures were designed to consist of a pyridinyl or related aza-heterocyclic nucleus bearing a pendant arm containing either an alkylamine, alkylthiol or hydroxyalkyl nucleophilic group to allow their facile immobilisation onto an activated support matrix. Ligand diversity was achieved by altering the length of the alkyl chain between the heterocyclic nucleus and nucleophilic group, varying the position of alkyl chain attachment to the heterocycle, and incorporating extra substituents into the pyridinyl or related aza-heterocyclic ring. This diversity in ligand structure was intended to enable key structural features of the ligand, required for efficient protein binding, to be determined. In contrast to the previously used multi-step procedures for the preparation of analogous substituted pyridine or aza-heterocyclic compounds, the synthesis routes for the ligands described here have generally utilized very mild, one-step reactions with readily available heterocyclic precursors. Copyright

The recent discovery that small molecule ligands for the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) FKBP12 possess powerful neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties in vitro and in vivo suggests therapeutic utility for such compounds in neurodegenerative disease. The neurotrophic effects of these compounds are independent of the immunosuppressive pathways by which drugs such as FK506 and rapamycin operate. Previous work by ourselves and other groups exploring the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of small molecules that mimic only the FKBP binding domain portion of FK506 has focused on esters of proline and pipecolic acid. We have explored amide and thioester analogues of these earlier structures and found that they too are extremely potent in promoting recovery of lesioned dopaminergic pathways in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Several compounds were shown to be highly effective upon oral administration after lesioning of the dopaminergic pathway, providing further evidence of the potential clinical utility of a variety of structural classes of FKBP12 ligands.