Polypharmacology is a new trend in amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis
(ALS) therapy and an effective way of addressing a multifactorial
etiology involving excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative
stress, and microglial activation. Inspired by a reported clinical
trial, we converted a riluzole (1)–rasagiline
(2) combination into single-molecule multi-target-directed
ligands. By a ligand-based approach, the highly structurally integrated
hybrids 3–8 were designed and synthesized.
Through a target- and phenotypic-based screening pipeline, we identified
hit compound 6. It showed monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A)
inhibitory activity (IC50 = 6.9 μM) rationalized
by in silico studies as well as in vitro brain permeability. By using neuronal and non-neuronal cell models,
including ALS-patient-derived cells, we disclosed for 6 a neuroprotective/neuroinflammatory profile similar to that of the
parent compounds and their combination. Furthermore, the unexpected
MAO inhibitory activity of 1 (IC50 = 8.7 μM)
might add a piece to the puzzle of its anti-ALS molecular profile.
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