1. Academic Validation
  2. Quinol derivatives as potential trypanocidal agents

Quinol derivatives as potential trypanocidal agents

  • Bioorg Med Chem. 2012 Feb 15;20(4):1607-15. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2011.12.018.
Amy Capes 1 Stephen Patterson Susan Wyllie Irene Hallyburton Iain T Collie Andrew J McCarroll Malcolm F G Stevens Julie A Frearson Paul G Wyatt Alan H Fairlamb Ian H Gilbert
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK.
Abstract

Quinols have been developed as a class of potential anti-cancer compounds. They are thought to act as double Michael acceptors, forming two covalent bonds to their target protein(s). Quinols have also been shown to have activity against the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, the causative organism of human African trypanosomiasis, but they demonstrated little selectivity over mammalian MRC5 cells in a counter-screen. In this paper, we report screening of further examples of quinols against T. brucei. We were able to derive an SAR, but the compounds demonstrated little selectivity over MRC5 cells. In an approach to increase selectivity, we attached melamine and benzamidine motifs to the quinols, because these moieties are known to be selectively concentrated in the Parasite by transporter proteins. In general these transporter motif-containing analogues showed increased selectivity; however they also showed reduced levels of potency against T. brucei.

Figures