Contilisant+Tubastatin A Hybrids: Polyfunctionalized Indole Derivatives as New HDAC Inhibitor-Based Multitarget Small Molecules with In Vitro and In Vivo Activity in Neurodegenerative Diseases

J Med Chem. 2024 Sep 26;67(18):16533-16555. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01367. Epub 2024 Sep 10.

Abstract

Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 15 Contilisant+Tubastatin A hybrids. These ligands are polyfunctionalized indole derivatives developed by juxtaposing selected pharmacophoric moieties of Contilisant and Tubastatin A to act as multifunctional ligands. Compounds 3 and 4 were identified as potent HDAC6 inhibitors (IC50 = 0.012 μM and 0.035 μM, respectively), so they were further evaluated in Drosophila and human cell models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Both compounds attenuated PD-like phenotypes, such as motor defects, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in PD model flies. Ligands 3 and 4 were also studied in the transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans CL2006 model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both compounds were nontoxic, did not induce undesirable animal functional changes, inhibited age-related paralysis, and improved cognition in the thrashing assay. These results highlight 3 and 4 as novel multifunctional ligands that improve the features of PD and AD hallmarks in the respective animal models.

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy
  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Caenorhabditis elegans* / drug effects
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drosophila
  • Histone Deacetylase 6 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Histone Deacetylase 6 / metabolism
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors* / chemical synthesis
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors* / chemistry
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hydroxamic Acids / chemical synthesis
  • Hydroxamic Acids / chemistry
  • Hydroxamic Acids / pharmacology
  • Indoles* / chemical synthesis
  • Indoles* / chemistry
  • Indoles* / pharmacology
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / drug therapy
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemical synthesis
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Indoles
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
  • tubastatin A
  • Hydroxamic Acids
  • Histone Deacetylase 6
  • Small Molecule Libraries