Abstract
For the first time, the in silico design, screening, and in vitro validation of potent GSK-3β type-II inhibitors are presented. In the absence of crystallographic evidence for a DFG-out GSK-3β activation loop conformation, computational models were designed using an adapted DOLPHIN approach and a method consisting of Prime loop refinement, induced-fit docking, and molecular dynamics. Virtual screening of the Biogenics subset from the ZINC database led to an initial selection of 20 Phase I compounds revealing two low micromolar inhibitors in an isolated enzyme assay. Twenty more analogues (Phase II compounds) related to the hit [pyrimidin-2-yl]amino–furo[3,2-b]furyl–urea scaffold were selected for structure–activity relationship analysis. The Phase II studies led to five highly potent nanomolar inhibitors, with compound 23 (IC50 =0.087 μM) > 100 times more potent than the best Phase I inhibitor, and selectivity for GSK-3β inhibition compared to homologous kinases was observed. Ex vivo experiments (SH-SY5Y cell lines) for tau hyperphosphorylation revealed promising neuroprotective effects at low micromolar concentrations. The type-II inhibitor design has been unraveled as a potential route toward more clinically effective GSK-3β inhibitors.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1497–1509 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Journal of Medicinal Chemistry |
Volume | 64 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 27 Jan 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 11 Feb 2021 |
Keywords
- Alzheimer’s disease
- DFG-out
- kinase
- loop prediction
- type-II inhibitors