Synthesis, Structure-Activity Relationships, and In Vivo Evaluation of Novel Tetrahydropyran-Based Thiodisaccharide Mimics as Galectin-3 Inhibitors

J Med Chem. 2021 May 27;64(10):6634-6655. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c02001. Epub 2021 May 14.

Abstract

Galectin-3 is a member of a family of β-galactoside-binding proteins. A substantial body of literature reports that galectin-3 plays important roles in cancer, inflammation, and fibrosis. Small-molecule galectin-3 inhibitors, which are generally lactose or galactose-based derivatives, have the potential to be valuable disease-modifying agents. In our efforts to identify novel galectin-3 disaccharide mimics to improve drug-like properties, we found that one of the monosaccharide subunits can be replaced with a suitably functionalized tetrahydropyran ring. Optimization of the structure-activity relationships around the tetrahydropyran-based scaffold led to the discovery of potent galectin-3 inhibitors. Compounds 36, 40, and 45 were selected for further in vivo evaluation. The synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and in vivo evaluation of novel tetrahydropyran-based galectin-3 inhibitors are described.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Binding Sites
  • Chemotaxis / drug effects
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Disaccharides / chemical synthesis
  • Disaccharides / chemistry*
  • Disaccharides / metabolism
  • Disaccharides / pharmacology
  • Galectin 3 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Galectin 3 / metabolism
  • Half-Life
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Permeability / drug effects
  • Protein Binding
  • Pyrans / chemistry*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Triazoles / chemistry

Substances

  • Disaccharides
  • Galectin 3
  • Pyrans
  • Triazoles