Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of the Highly Selective and Potent G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 (GRK2) Inhibitor for the Potential Treatment of Heart Failure

J Med Chem. 2017 Aug 24;60(16):6942-6990. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00443. Epub 2017 Aug 3.

Abstract

A novel class of therapeutic drug candidates for heart failure, highly potent and selective GRK2 inhibitors, exhibit potentiation of β-adrenergic signaling in vitro studies. Hydrazone derivative 5 and 1,2,4-triazole derivative 24a were identified as hit compounds by HTS. New scaffold generation and SAR studies of all parts resulted in a 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazole derivative with an N-benzylcarboxamide moiety with highly potent activity toward GRK2 and selectivity over other kinases. In terms of subtype selectivity, these compounds showed enough selectivity against GRK1, 5, 6, and 7 with almost equipotent inhibition to GRK3. Our medicinal chemistry efforts led to the discovery of 115h (GRK2 IC50 = 18 nM), which was obtained the cocrystal structure with human GRK2 and an inhibitor of GRK2 that potentiates β-adrenergic receptor (βAR)-mediated cAMP accumulation and prevents internalization of βARs in β2AR-expressing HEK293 cells treated with isoproterenol. Therefore, 115h appears to be a novel class of therapeutic for heart failure treatment.

MeSH terms

  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A / metabolism
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Drug Design
  • G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Heart Failure / drug therapy*
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays
  • Humans
  • Hydrazones / chemical synthesis
  • Hydrazones / chemistry
  • Hydrazones / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase C-alpha / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Pyridines / chemical synthesis
  • Pyridines / chemistry
  • Pyridines / pharmacology*
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / metabolism
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Triazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Triazoles / chemistry
  • Triazoles / pharmacology*
  • meta-Aminobenzoates / chemical synthesis
  • meta-Aminobenzoates / chemistry
  • meta-Aminobenzoates / pharmacology*
  • rho-Associated Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • 3-(((4-methyl-5-(pyridin-4-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)methyl)amino)-N-(2-(trifluoromethyl)benzyl)benzamide
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors
  • Hydrazones
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyridines
  • Receptors, Adrenergic, beta
  • Triazoles
  • meta-Aminobenzoates
  • Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A
  • CYP3A4 protein, human
  • ROCK2 protein, human
  • rho-Associated Kinases
  • Protein Kinase C-alpha
  • GRK2 protein, human
  • G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2