115754-94-4Relevant articles and documents
Peptidomimetic Vinyl Heterocyclic Inhibitors of Cruzain Effect Antitrypanosomal Activity
Chenna, Bala C.,Li, Linfeng,Mellott, Drake M.,Zhai, Xiang,Siqueira-Neto, Jair L.,Calvet Alvarez, Claudia,Bernatchez, Jean A.,Desormeaux, Emily,Alvarez Hernandez, Elizabeth,Gomez, Jana,McKerrow, James H.,Cruz-Reyes, Jorge,Meek, Thomas D.
, p. 3298 - 3316 (2020)
Cruzain, an essential cysteine protease of the parasitic protozoan, Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important drug target for Chagas disease. We describe here a new series of reversible but time-dependent inhibitors of cruzain, composed of a dipeptide scaffold appended to vinyl heterocycles meant to provide replacements for the irreversible reactive "warheads" of vinyl sulfone inactivators of cruzain. Peptidomimetic vinyl heterocyclic inhibitors (PVHIs) containing Cbz-Phe-Phe/homoPhe scaffolds with vinyl-2-pyrimidine, vinyl-2-pyridine, and vinyl-2-(N-methyl)-pyridine groups conferred reversible, time-dependent inhibition of cruzain (Ki? = 0.1-0.4 μM). These cruzain inhibitors exhibited moderate to excellent selectivity versus human cathepsins B, L, and S and showed no apparent toxicity to human cells but were effective in cell cultures of Trypanosoma brucei brucei (EC50 = 1-15 μM) and eliminated T. cruzi in infected murine cardiomyoblasts (EC50 = 5-8 μM). PVHIs represent a new class of cruzain inhibitors that could progress to viable candidate compounds to treat Chagas disease and human sleeping sickness.