Polycyclic maleimide-based derivatives as first dual modulators of neuronal calcium channels and GSK-3β for Alzheimer's disease treatment
- Eur J Med Chem. 2019 Feb 1:163:394-402. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.12.003.
- 1. Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
- 2. Instituto Teofilo Hernando and Departamento de Farmacología y Terapeutica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, C/Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain.
- 3. Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy.
- 4. Epigenetic Med Chem Lab, Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, I-84084, Fisciano, Salerno, Italy.
- 5. Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
Current healthcare has significantly increased the average life expectancy, leading to a consequently greater incidence of age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease. Following a multitarget approach, in this paper a series of polycyclic maleimide-based derivatives were designed and synthesized aimed at simultaneously modulate neuronal calcium channels and glycogen synthase kinase 3-beta (GSK-3β), validated targets to combat Alzheimer' disease. Different structural modifications were performed on the polycyclic scaffold in order to investigate the structure-activity relationships and compound 10 emerged as a promising non-toxic lead compound, endowed with calcium modulating brain-addressed properties and significant GSK-3β inhibitory activity. Moreover, the easily affordable polycyclic core appears as a new appealing privileged structure in medicinal chemistry.