Various imidazole-containing compounds have been tested for their medical usefulness in clinical trials for several disease conditions. The rapid expansion of imidazole-based medicinal chemistry suggests the promising and potential therapeutic values of imidazole-derived compounds for treating incurable diseases. Imidazole core scaffold contains three carbon atoms, and two nitrogen with electronic-rich characteristics that are responsible for readily binding with a variety of enzymes, proteins, and receptors compared to the other heterocyclic rings. Herein, we provide a thorough overview of the current research status of imidazole-based compounds with a wide variety of biological activities including anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and their potential mechanisms including topoisomerase IIR catalytic inhibition, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibition, c-MYC G-quadruplex DNA stabilization, and aurora kinase inhibition. Additionally, a great interest was reported in the discovery of novel imidazole compounds with anti-microbial properties that break DNA double-strand helix and inhibit protein kinase. Moreover, anti-inflammatory mechanisms of imidazole derivatives include inhibition of COX-2 enzyme, inhibit neutrophils degranulation, and generation of reactive oxygen species. This systemic review helps to design and discover more potent and efficacious imidazole compounds based on the reported derivatives, their ADME profiles, and bioavailability scores that together aid to advance this class of compounds.

Objective The aim of this study is to understand the role of cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R) during periodontal inflammation and to identify anti‐inflammatory agents for the development of drugs to treat periodontitis (PD). Background Cannabinoid type 2 receptor is found in periodontal tissue at sites of inflammation/infection. Our previous study demonstrated anti‐inflammatory responses in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (hPDLFs) via CB2R ligands. Methods Anandamide (AEA), HU‐308 (agonist), and SMM‐189 (inverse agonist) were tested for effects on IL‐1β‐stimulated cytokines, chemokines, and angiogenic and vascular markers expressed by hPDLFs using Mesoscale Discovery V‐Plex Kits. Signal transduction pathways (p‐c‐Jun, p‐ERK, p‐p‐38, p‐JNK, p‐CREB, and p‐NF‐kB) were investigated using Cisbio HTRF kits. ACTOne and Tango™ ‐BLA functional assays were used to measure cyclic AMP (cAMP) and β‐arrestin activity. Results IL‐1β stimulated hPDLF production of 18/39 analytes, which were downregulated by the CB2R agonist and the inverse agonist. AEA exhibited pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory effects. IL‐1β increased phosphoproteins within the first hour except p‐JNK. CB2R ligands attenuated p‐p38 and p‐NFĸB, but a late rise in p‐38 was seen with HU‐308. As p‐ERK levels declined, a significant increase in p‐ERK was observed later in the time course by synthetic CB2R ligands. P‐JNK was significantly affected by SMM‐189 only, while p‐CREB was elevated significantly by CB2R ligands at 180 minutes. HU‐308 affected both cAMP and β‐arrestin pathway. SMM‐189 only stimulated cAMP. Conclusion The findings that CB2R agonist and inverse agonist may potentially regulate inflammation suggest that development of CB2R therapeutics could improve on current treatments for PD and other oral inflammatory pathologies.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), which is an increasing problem in the clinic and has been associated with elevated rates of mortality. Therapies to treat AKI are currently not available, so identification of new targets that can be modulated to ameliorate renal damage upon diagnosis of AKI is essential. In this study, a novel cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) agonist, SMM-295 [3'-methyl-4-(2-(thiophen-2-yl)propan-2-yl)biphenyl-2,6-diol], was designed, synthesized, and tested in vitro and in silico. Molecular docking of SMM-295 into a CB2 active-state homology model showed that SMM-295 interacts well with key amino acids to stabilize the active state. In human embryonic kidney 293 cells, SMM-295 was capable of reducing cAMP production with 66-fold selectivity for CB2 versus cannabinoid receptor 1 and dose-dependently increased mitogen-activated protein kinase and Akt phosphorylation. In vivo testing of the CB2 agonist was performed using a mouse model of bilateral IRI, which is a common model to mimic human AKI, where SMM-295 was immediately administered upon reperfusion of the kidneys after the ischemia episode. Histologic damage assessment 48 hours after reperfusion demonstrated reduced tubular damage in the presence of SMM-295. This was consistent with reduced plasma markers of renal dysfunction (i.e., creatinine and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) in SMM-295-treated mice. Mechanistically, kidneys treated with SMM-295 were shown to have elevated activation of Akt with reduced terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated digoxigenin-deoxyuridine nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells compared with vehicle-treated kidneys after IRI. These data suggest that selective CB2 receptor activation could be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of AKI.

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