Modulation of γ-Secretase Activity by a Carborane-Based Flurbiprofen Analogue

Autor: Stefan Saretz, Gabriele Basset, Liridona Useini, Markus Laube, Jens Pietzsch, Dijana Drača, Danijela Maksimović-Ivanić, Johannes Trambauer, Harald Steiner, Evamarie Hey-Hawkins
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Molecules, Vol 26, Iss 10, p 2843 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1420-3049
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26102843
Popis: All over the world, societies are facing rapidly aging populations combined with a growing number of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD). One focus in pharmaceutical research to address this issue is on the reduction of the longer amyloid-β (Aβ) fragments in the brain by modulation of γ-secretase, a membrane-bound protease. R-Flurbiprofen (tarenflurbil) was studied in this regard but failed to show significant improvement in AD patients in a phase 3 clinical trial. This was mainly attributed to its low ability to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Here, we present the synthesis and in vitro evaluation of a racemic meta-carborane analogue of flurbiprofen. By introducing the carborane moiety, the hydrophobicity could be shifted into a more favourable range for the penetration of the blood–brain barrier, evident by a logD7.4 value of 2.0. Furthermore, our analogue retained γ-secretase modulator activity in comparison to racemic flurbiprofen in a cell-based assay. These findings demonstrate the potential of carboranes as phenyl mimetics also in AD research.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals