Discovery of a Potent and Selective JNK3 Inhibitor with Neuroprotective Effect Against Amyloid β-Induced Neurotoxicity in Primary Rat Neurons

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2021-10, Vol.22 (20), p.11084
• Main Authors: Jun, Joonhong, Baek, Jihyun, Yang, Songyi, Moon, Hyungwoo, Kim, Hyejin, Cho, Hyunwook, Hah, Jung-Mi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alzheimer's disease; Amyloid; Amyloid beta-Peptides - toxicity; Animals; Apoptosis; Benzimidazoles; Biological activity; c-Jun protein; Cell death; Cells, Cultured; Clinical trials; Dioxins; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; Enzyme inhibitors; Hydrogen Bonding; Hydrogen bonds; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Hydroxylation; Imidazole; Isoforms; JNK3 protein; Kinases; MAP kinase; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 10 - antagonists & inhibitors; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 10 - chemistry; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 10 - metabolism; Models, Molecular; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - pathology; Neuroprotection; Neuroprotective agents; Neuroprotective Agents - chemistry; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neurotoxicity; Neurotoxicity Syndromes - prevention & control; Organic compounds; Parkinson's disease; Peptide Fragments - toxicity; Phosphorylation; Protein folding; Protein kinase inhibitors; Proteins; Rats; Selectivity; Solvents; Transcription factors
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms222011084

As members of the MAPK family, c-Jun-N-terminal kinases (JNKs) regulate the biological processes of apoptosis. In particular, the isoform JNK3 is expressed explicitly in the brain at high levels and is involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we prepared a series of five 6-dihydroxy-1 -benzo[d]imidazoles as JNK3 inhibitors and found them have potential as neuroprotective agents. Following a previous lead scaffold, benzimidazole moiety was modified with various aryl groups and hydroxylation, and the resulting compounds exhibited JNK3 inhibitory activity with improved potency and selectivity. Out of 37 analogues synthesized, ( )-cyclopropyl(3-((4-(2-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]dioxin -6-yl)-5,6-dihydroxy-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)pyrimidin-2-yl)amino) piperidin-1-yl)methanone ( ) demonstrated the highest JNK3 inhibition (IC = 9.7 nM), as well as neuroprotective effects against Aβ-induced neuronal cell death. As a protein kinase inhibitor, it also showed excellent selectivity over other protein kinases including isoforms JNK1 (>1000 fold) and JNK2 (-10 fold).