The proprotein convertase furin is a potential target for drug design, especially for the inhibition of furin-dependent virus replication. All effective synthetic furin inhibitors identified thus far are multibasic compounds; the highest potency was found for our previously developed inhibitor 4-(guanidinomethyl)phenylacetyl-Arg-Tle-Arg-4-amidinobenzylamide (MI-1148). An initial study in mice revealed a narrow therapeutic range for this tetrabasic compound, while significantly reduced toxicity was observed for some tribasic analogues. This suggests that the toxicity depends at least to some extent on the overall multibasic character of this inhibitor. Therefore, in a first approach, the C-terminal benzamidine of MI-1148 was replaced by less basic P1 residues. Despite decreased potency, a few compounds still inhibit furin in the low nanomolar range, but display negligible efficacy in cells. In a second approach, the P2 arginine was replaced by lysine; compared to MI-1148, this furin inhibitor has slightly decreased potency, but exhibits similar antiviral activity against West Nile and Dengue virus in cell culture and decreased toxicity in mice. These results provide a promising starting point for the development of efficacious and well-tolerated furin inhibitors.

New macrocyclic plasmin inhibitors based on our previously optimized P2-P3 core segment have been developed. In the first series, the P4 residue was modified, whereas the 4-amidinobenzylamide in P1 position was maintained. The originally used P4 benzylsulfonyl residue could be replaced by various sulfonyl- or urethane-like protecting groups. In the second series, the P1 benzamidine was modified and a strong potency and excellent selectivity was retained by incorporation of p-xylenediamine. Several analogues inhibit plasmin in the subnanomolar range, and their potency against related trypsin-like serine proteases including trypsin itself could be further reduced. Selected derivatives have been tested in a plasma fibrinolysis assay and are more effective than the reference inhibitor aprotinin. The crystal structure of one inhibitor was determined in complex with trypsin. The binding mode reveals a sterical clash of the inhibitor's linker segment with the 99-hairpin loop of trypsin, which is absent in plasmin.

The activation of viral glycoproteins by the host protease furin is an essential step in the replication of numerous pathogenic viruses. Thus, effective inhibitors of furin could serve as broad‐spectrum antiviral drugs. A crystal structure of an inhibitory hexapeptide derivative in complex with furin served as template for the rational design of various types of new cyclic inhibitors. Most of the prepared derivatives are relatively potent furin inhibitors with inhibition constants in the low nanomolar or even sub‐nanomolar range. For seven derivatives the crystal structures in complex with furin could be determined. In three complexes, electron density was found for the entire inhibitor. In the other cases the structures could be determined only for the P6/P5‐P1 segments, which directly interact with furin. The cyclic derivatives together with two non‐cyclic reference compounds were tested as inhibitors of the proteolytic activation and replication of respiratory syncytial virus in cells. Significant antiviral activity was found for both linear reference inhibitors, whereas a negligible efficacy was determined for the cyclic derivatives.

Novel elongated and shortened derivatives of the peptidomimetic furin inhibitor phenylacteyl-Arg-Val-Arg-4-amidinobenzylamide were synthesized. The most potent compounds, e.g., Nα(carbamidoyl)Arg-Arg-Val-Arg-4-amidinobenzylamide (Ki = 6.2 pM), contain additional basic residues at the N-terminus and inhibit furin in the low picomolar range. Furthermore, to decrease the molecular weight of this inhibitor type, compounds lacking the P5-moiety were prepared. The best inhibitors of this series, 5-(guanidino)-valeroyl-Val-Arg-4-amidinobenzylamide and its P3 tert.leucine analogue, displayed Ki values of 2.50 nM and 1.26 nM, respectively. Selected inhibitors, together with our previously described 4-amidinobenzylamide derivatives as references, were tested in cell culture for their activity against furin-dependent infectious pathogens. The propagation of the alphaviruses Semliki Forest virus and chikungunya was strongly inhibited in the presence of selected derivatives. Moreover, a significant protective effect of the inhibitors against diphtheria toxin was observed. These results confirm that the inhibition of furin should represent a promising approach for a short-term treatment of acute infectious diseases.

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