Author
P.N. Praveen Rao
Other affiliations: Manipal University, University of Waterloo
Bio: P.N. Praveen Rao is an academic researcher from University of Alberta. The author has contributed to research in topics: Substituent & Pharmacophore. The author has an hindex of 25, co-authored 54 publications receiving 2218 citations. Previous affiliations of P.N. Praveen Rao include Manipal University & University of Waterloo.
Topics: Substituent, Pharmacophore, Moiety, Bioisostere, Aryl
Papers
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TL;DR: This review traces the origins of NSAIDs, their mechanism of action at the molecular level such as cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition, development of selective COX-2 inhibitors, their adverse cardiovascular effects, and some recent developments targeted to the design of effective anti-inflammatory agents with reduced side effects.
Abstract: Purpose. NSAIDs constitute an important class of drugs with therapeutic applications that have spanned several centuries. Treatment of inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) starting from the classic drug aspirin to the recent rise and fall of selective COX-2 inhibitors has provided an enthralling evolution. Efforts to discover an ultimate magic bullet to treat inflammation continues to be an important drug design challenge. This review traces the origins of NSAIDs, their mechanism of action at the molecular level such as cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition, development of selective COX-2 inhibitors, their adverse cardiovascular effects, and some recent developments targeted to the design of effective anti-inflammatory agents with reduced side effects. Methods. Literature data is presented describing important discoveries pertaining to the sequential development of classical NSAIDs and then selective COX-2 inhibitors, their mechanism of action, the structural basis for COX inhibition, and recent discoveries. Results. A brief history of the development of NSAIDs and the market withdrawal of selective COX-2 inhibitors is explained, followed by the description of prostaglandin biosynthesis, COX isoforms, structure and function. The structural basis for COX-1 and COX-2 inhibition is described along with methods used to evaluate COX-1/COX-2 inhibition. This is followed by a section that encompasses the major chemical classes of selective COX-2 inhibitors. The final section describes briefly some of the recent advances toward developing effective anti-inflammatory agents such as nitric oxide donor NO-NSAIDs, dual COX/LOX inhibitors and anti-TNF therapy. Conclusions. A great deal of progress has been made toward developing novel anti-inflammatory agents. In spite of the tremendous advances in the last decade, the design and development of a safe, effective and economical therapy for treating inflammatory conditions still presents a major challenge.
634 citations
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TL;DR: Celecoxib and rofecoxib analogues, in which the respective SO2NH2 and SO2Me hydrogen-bonding pharmacophores were replaced by a dipolar azido bioisosteric substituent, exhibited good oral antiinflammatory and analgesic activities.
Abstract: Celecoxib (13) and rofecoxib (17) analogues, in which the respective SO2NH2 and SO2Me hydrogen-bonding pharmacophores were replaced by a dipolar azido bioisosteric substituent, were investigated. Molecular modeling (docking) studies showed that the azido substituent of these two analogues (13, 17) was inserted deep into the secondary pocket of the human COX-2 binding site where it undergoes electrostatic interaction with Arg(513). The azido analogue of rofecoxib (17), the most potent and selective inhibitor of COX-2 (COX-1 IC(50) = 159.7 microM; COX-2 IC(50) = 0.196 microM; COX-2 selectivity index = 812), exhibited good oral antiinflammatory and analgesic activities.
192 citations
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TL;DR: 2,3-dimethyl-5-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)-4-phenyl-4-isoxazoline (13j) exhibited excellent analgesic and AI activities, and it was a potent and selective COX-2 inhibitor, and a molecular modeling (docking study) for 13j showed that the S atom of the MeSO2 substituent is positioned about 6.46 A inside the entrance to the COx-2 secondary pocket.
Abstract: 4,5-Diphenyl-4-isoxazolines (13a−k) possessing a variety of substituents (H, F, MeS, MeSO2) at the para position of one of the phenyl rings were synthesized for evaluation as analgesic and selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitory antiinflammatory (AI) agents. Although the 4,5-phenyl-4-isoxazolines (13a−d,f), which do not have a C-3 Me substituent, exhibited potent analgesic and AI activities, those compounds evaluated (13a, 13b, 13h, and 13k) were not selective inhibitors of COX-2. In contrast, 2,3-dimethyl-5-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)-4-phenyl-4-isoxazoline (13j) exhibited excellent analgesic and AI activities, and it was a potent and selective COX-2 inhibitor (COX-1, IC50 = 258 μM; COX-2, IC50 = 0.004 μM). A related compound 13k having a F substituent at the para position of the 4-phenyl ring was also a selective (SI = 3162) but less potent (IC50 = 0.0316 μM) inhibitor of COX-2 than 13j. A molecular modeling (docking study) for 13j showed that the S atom of the MeSO2 substituent is positioned about 6...
159 citations
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TL;DR: The simultaneous release of aspirin and nitric oxide from the (*)NO-aspirin prodrugs constitutes a potentially beneficial property for the prophylactic prevention of thrombus formation and adverse cardiovascular events such as stroke and myocardial infarction.
Abstract: A novel group of hybrid nitric oxide-releasing nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs ((*)NO-NSAIDs) possessing a 1-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (11, 13, 15) or 1-(N,N-dimethylamino)diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate (12, 14, 16) moiety attached via a one-carbon methylene spacer to the carboxylic acid group of the traditional NSAIDs aspirin, ibuprofen, and indomethacin were synthesized. Although none of these ester prodrugs (11-16) exhibited in vitro cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitory activity against the COX-1 and COX-2 isozymes (IC(50) > 100 microM), all of the compounds (11-16) significantly decreased carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. In this regard, the ester prodrugs 11-16 showed equipotent antiinflammatory activities in vivo to that of the parent drugs aspirin, ibuprofen, and indomethacin. All of the compounds released nitric oxide upon incubation with either phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.4 (14-16% range) or porcine liver esterase (16-19% range), but the percentage of (*)NO released was up to sixfold higher (93%) when these ester prodrugs were incubated with guinea pig serum. These incubation studies suggest that both (*)NO and the parent NSAID would be released upon in vivo cleavage by nonspecific serum esterases. The simultaneous release of aspirin and nitric oxide from the (*)NO-aspirin prodrugs constitutes a potentially beneficial property for the prophylactic prevention of thrombus formation and adverse cardiovascular events such as stroke and myocardial infarction. The data acquired in an in vivo ulcer index (UI) assay showed that for this group of ester prodrugs, particularly the (*)NO-aspirins (11, 12) and (*)NO-ibuprofens (13, 14), no lesions were observed (UI = 0) when compared to the parent drugs aspirin (UI = 57, 250 mg/kg po dose), ibuprofen (UI = 45, 250 mg/kg po dose), or indomethacin (UI = 34, 30 mg/kg po dose) at equivalent doses. Accordingly, these hybrid (*)NO-NSAID prodrugs possessing a diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate moiety, represent a new approach for the rational design of antiinflammatory drugs with reduced gastric ulcerogenicity.
113 citations
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TL;DR: The six-membered pyran-2-one ring system is a suitable central template to design selective COX-2 inhibitors with in vivo antiinflammatory-analgesic activities.
Abstract: A group of 6-alkyl (alkoxy or alkylthio)-4-aryl-3-(4-methanesulfonylphenyl)pyran-2-ones (14a−v), possessing either a H or F substituent at the para-position of the C-4 phenyl ring, were designed for evaluation as selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors with in vivo antiinflammatory−analgesic activities. Although 6-ethylthio-3-(4-methanesulfonylphenyl)-4-phenylpyran-2-one (14s) exhibited a very high in vitro COX-2 inhibitory potency (IC50 = 0.0032 μM) and COX-2 selectivity (SI > 120 000), 14s exhibited moderate antiinflammatory activity compared to celecoxib in a carrageenan-induced rat paw edema assay. In contrast, the less potent (IC50 = 0.10 μM), and less selective (SI = 2880) COX-2 inhibitor 6-ethoxy-3-(4-methanesulfonylphenyl)-4-phenylpyran-2-one (14i) exhibited good antiinflammatory activity where a 1 mg/kg oral dose reduced inflammation 32 and 67% at 3 and 5 h postdrug administration relative to the reference drug celecoxib where a 50 mg/kg oral dose reduced inflammation by 79 and 58% at the r...
100 citations
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TL;DR: Enrichment results demonstrate the importance of the novel XP molecular recognition and water scoring in separating active and inactive ligands and avoiding false positives.
Abstract: A novel scoring function to estimate protein-ligand binding affinities has been developed and implemented as the Glide 4.0 XP scoring function and docking protocol. In addition to unique water desolvation energy terms, protein-ligand structural motifs leading to enhanced binding affinity are included: (1) hydrophobic enclosure where groups of lipophilic ligand atoms are enclosed on opposite faces by lipophilic protein atoms, (2) neutral-neutral single or correlated hydrogen bonds in a hydrophobically enclosed environment, and (3) five categories of charged-charged hydrogen bonds. The XP scoring function and docking protocol have been developed to reproduce experimental binding affinities for a set of 198 complexes (RMSDs of 2.26 and 1.73 kcal/mol over all and well-docked ligands, respectively) and to yield quality enrichments for a set of fifteen screens of pharmaceutical importance. Enrichment results demonstrate the importance of the novel XP molecular recognition and water scoring in separating active and inactive ligands and avoiding false positives.
4,666 citations
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TL;DR: Transition-Metal-Free Reactions, Alkynylation of Heterocycles, and Synthesis of Electronic and Electrooptical Molecules: A Review.
Abstract: 3.7. Palladium Nanoparticles as Catalysts 888 3.8. Other Transition-Metal Complexes 888 3.9. Transition-Metal-Free Reactions 889 4. Applications 889 4.1. Alkynylation of Arenes 889 4.2. Alkynylation of Heterocycles 891 4.3. Synthesis of Enynes and Enediynes 894 4.4. Synthesis of Ynones 896 4.5. Synthesis of Carbocyclic Systems 897 4.6. Synthesis of Heterocyclic Systems 898 4.7. Synthesis of Natural Products 903 4.8. Synthesis of Electronic and Electrooptical Molecules 906
2,522 citations
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TL;DR: In this Perspective, some contemporary themes exploring the role of isosteres in drug design are sampled, with an emphasis placed on tactical applications designed to solve the kinds of problems that impinge on compound optimization and the long-term success of drug candidates.
Abstract: The concept of isosterism between relatively simple chemical entities was originally contemplated by James Moir in 1909, a notion further refined by H. G. Grimm’s hydride displacement law and captured more effectively in the ideas advanced by Irving Langmuir based on experimental observations. Langmuir coined the term “isostere” and, 18 years in advance of its actual isolation and characterization, predicted that the physical properties of the then unknown ketene would resemble those of diazomethane. The emergence of bioisosteres as structurally distinct compounds recognized similarly by biological systems has its origins in a series of studies published byHans Erlenmeyer in the 1930s, who extended earlier work conducted by Karl Landsteiner. Erlenmeyer showed that antibodies were unable to discriminate between phenyl and thienyl rings or O, NH, and CH2 in the context of artificial antigens derived by reacting diazonium ions with proteins, a process that derivatized the ortho position of tyrosine, as summarized in Figure 1 The term “bioisostere” was introduced by Harris Friedman in 1950 who defined it as compounds eliciting a similar biological effect while recognizing that compounds may be isosteric but not necessarily bioisosteric. This notion anticipates that the application of bioisosterism will depend on context, relying much less on physicochemical properties as the underlying principle for biochemical mimicry. Bioisosteres are typically less than exact structural mimetics and are often more alike in biological rather than physical properties. Thus, an effective bioisostere for one biochemical application may not translate to another setting, necessitating the careful selection and tailoring of an isostere for a specific circumstance. Consequently, the design of bioisosteres frequently introduces structural changes that can be beneficial or deleterious depending on the context, with size, shape, electronic distribution, polarizability, dipole, polarity, lipophilicity, and pKa potentially playing key contributing roles in molecular recognition and mimicry. In the contemporary practice of medicinal chemistry, the development and application of bioisosteres have been adopted as a fundamental tactical approach useful to address a number of aspects associated with the design and development of drug candidates. The established utility of bioisosteres is broad in nature, extending to improving potency, enhancing selectivity, altering physical properties, reducing or redirecting metabolism, eliminating or modifying toxicophores, and acquiring novel intellectual property. In this Perspective, some contemporary themes exploring the role of isosteres in drug design are sampled, with an emphasis placed on tactical applications designed to solve the kinds of problems that impinge on compound optimization and the long-term success of drug candidates. Interesting concepts that may have been poorly effective in the context examined are captured, since the ideas may have merit in alternative circumstances. A comprehensive cataloging of bioisosteres is beyond the scope of what will be provided, although a synopsis of relevant isosteres of a particular functionality is summarized in a succinct fashion in several sections. Isosterism has also found productive application in the design and optimization of organocatalysts, and there are several examples in which functional mimicry established initially in a medicinal chemistry setting has been adopted by this community.
2,049 citations
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TL;DR: In this Review, the fundamental characteristics of azide chemistry and current developments are presented and the focus will be placed on cycloadditions (Huisgen reaction), aza ylide chemistry, and the synthesis of heterocycles.
Abstract: Since the discovery of organic azides by Peter Griess more than 140 years ago, numerous syntheses of these energy-rich molecules have been developed. In more recent times in particular, completely new perspectives have been developed for their use in peptide chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, and heterocyclic synthesis. Organic azides have assumed an important position at the interface between chemistry, biology, medicine, and materials science. In this Review, the fundamental characteristics of azide chemistry and current developments are presented. The focus will be placed on cycloadditions (Huisgen reaction), aza ylide chemistry, and the synthesis of heterocycles. Further reactions such as the aza-Wittig reaction, the Sundberg rearrangement, the Staudinger ligation, the Boyer and Boyer-Aube rearrangements, the Curtius rearrangement, the Schmidt rearrangement, and the Hemetsberger rearrangement bear witness to the versatility of modern azide chemistry.
1,766 citations
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TL;DR: In this Perspective, applications of fluorine in the construction of bioisosteric elements designed to enhance the in vitro and in vivo properties of a molecule are summarized.
Abstract: The electronic properties and relatively small size of fluorine endow it with considerable versatility as a bioisostere and it has found application as a substitute for lone pairs of electrons, the hydrogen atom, and the methyl group while also acting as a functional mimetic of the carbonyl, carbinol, and nitrile moieties. In this context, fluorine substitution can influence the potency, conformation, metabolism, membrane permeability, and P-gp recognition of a molecule and temper inhibition of the hERG channel by basic amines. However, as a consequence of the unique properties of fluorine, it features prominently in the design of higher order structural metaphors that are more esoteric in their conception and which reflect a more sophisticated molecular construction that broadens biological mimesis. In this Perspective, applications of fluorine in the construction of bioisosteric elements designed to enhance the in vitro and in vivo properties of a molecule are summarized.
1,199 citations