We have developed a series of azadipeptide nitriles with different P3 groups. A triaryl meta-phenyl derivative, compound 13, was not only a potent inhibitor for cathepsin K (K(i) = 0.0031 nM), but also highly selective over both cathepsins B and S (~1000-fold). A protein-ligand docking study performed on the series provided a possible explanation why compound 13 could be significantly more potent than the others, especially compound 12 in the same series.

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As a new type of cathepsin K inhibitor, azadipeptide nitriles have the characteristics of proteolytic stability and excellent inhibitory activity, but they exhibit barely any satisfactory selectivity. Great efforts have focused on improving their selectivity toward cathepsin K. In this sequential study, we report the further structural optimization, synthesis, molecular modeling, and in vitro enzymatic assays of a new series of potent and selective inhibitors of cathepsin K without the P2-P3 amide linker. Significant selective improvements were achieved for cathepsin K over L, S and B, and a triaryl meta-product possessed the favorable balance between potency (Ki = 0.29 nM) and selectivity of cathepsin K over cathepsin L (320-fold), S (1784-fold) and B (8566-fold). We undertook a covalent protein-ligand docking study to explain the improved selectivity of several representative compounds. Such a selectivity improvement would be useful to avoid harmful side effects in practical applications of these compounds.

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Hydramicromelin B (I). -(HUO, X.; REN, X.; XU, Y.; LI, X.; SHE, X.; PAN*, X.; Tetrahedron: Asymmetry 19 (2008) 3, 343-347; State Key Lab. Appl. Org. Chem., Lanzhou Univ., Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, Peop. Rep. China; Eng.) -Mischke 28-202