Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Novel 1-amidino-4-phenylpiperazines as potent agonists at human taar1 receptor : Rational design, synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies. / Francesconi, Valeria; Cichero, Elena; Kanov, Evgeny V.; Laurini, Erik; Pricl, Sabrina; Gainetdinov, Raul R.; Tonelli, Michele.
In: Pharmaceuticals, Vol. 13, No. 11, 391, 11.2020, p. 1-26.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Novel 1-amidino-4-phenylpiperazines as potent agonists at human taar1 receptor
T2 - Rational design, synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies
AU - Francesconi, Valeria
AU - Cichero, Elena
AU - Kanov, Evgeny V.
AU - Laurini, Erik
AU - Pricl, Sabrina
AU - Gainetdinov, Raul R.
AU - Tonelli, Michele
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2020/11
Y1 - 2020/11
N2 - Targeting trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) receptor continues to offer an intriguing opportunity to develop innovative therapies in different pharmacological settings. Pursuing our endeavors in the search for effective and safe human TAAR1 (hTAAR1) ligands, we synthesized a new series of 1-amidino-4-phenylpiperazine derivatives (1–16) based on the application of a combined pharmacophore model/scaffold simplification strategy for an in-house series of biguanide-based TAAR1 agonists. Most of the novel compounds proved to be more effective than their prototypes, showing nanomolar EC50 values in functional activity at hTAAR1 and low general cytotoxicity (CC50 > 80 µM) when tested on the Vero-76 cell line. In this new series, the main determinant for TAAR1 agonism ability appears to result from the appropriate combination between the steric size and position of the substituents on the phenyl ring rather than from their different electronic nature, since both electron-withdrawing and electron donor groups are permitted. In particular, the ortho-substitution seems to impose a more appropriate spatial geometry to the molecule that entails an enhanced TAAR1 potency profile, as experienced, in the following order, by compounds 15 (2,3-diCl, EC50 = 20 nM), 2 (2-CH3, EC50 = 30 nM), 6 (2-OCH3, EC50 = 93 nM) and 3 (2-Cl, EC50 = 160 nM). Apart from the interest in them as valuable leads for the development of promising hTAAR1 agonists, these simple small molecules have further allowed us to identify the minimal structural requirements for producing an efficient hTAAR1 targeting ability.
AB - Targeting trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) receptor continues to offer an intriguing opportunity to develop innovative therapies in different pharmacological settings. Pursuing our endeavors in the search for effective and safe human TAAR1 (hTAAR1) ligands, we synthesized a new series of 1-amidino-4-phenylpiperazine derivatives (1–16) based on the application of a combined pharmacophore model/scaffold simplification strategy for an in-house series of biguanide-based TAAR1 agonists. Most of the novel compounds proved to be more effective than their prototypes, showing nanomolar EC50 values in functional activity at hTAAR1 and low general cytotoxicity (CC50 > 80 µM) when tested on the Vero-76 cell line. In this new series, the main determinant for TAAR1 agonism ability appears to result from the appropriate combination between the steric size and position of the substituents on the phenyl ring rather than from their different electronic nature, since both electron-withdrawing and electron donor groups are permitted. In particular, the ortho-substitution seems to impose a more appropriate spatial geometry to the molecule that entails an enhanced TAAR1 potency profile, as experienced, in the following order, by compounds 15 (2,3-diCl, EC50 = 20 nM), 2 (2-CH3, EC50 = 30 nM), 6 (2-OCH3, EC50 = 93 nM) and 3 (2-Cl, EC50 = 160 nM). Apart from the interest in them as valuable leads for the development of promising hTAAR1 agonists, these simple small molecules have further allowed us to identify the minimal structural requirements for producing an efficient hTAAR1 targeting ability.
KW - 1-amidino-4-phenylpiperazines
KW - Docking studies
KW - Human TAAR1 agonists
KW - Pharmacophore model
KW - Trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096102119&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ph13110391
DO - 10.3390/ph13110391
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85096102119
VL - 13
SP - 1
EP - 26
JO - Pharmaceuticals
JF - Pharmaceuticals
SN - 1424-8247
IS - 11
M1 - 391
ER -
ID: 87888693