Design and Synthesis of Selective Estrogen Receptor β Agonists and Their Pharmacology

Estrogens (17β-estradiol, E2) have garnered considerable attention in influencing cognitive process in relation to phases of the menstrual cycle, aging and menopausal symptoms. However, hormone replacement therapy can have deleterious effects leading to breast and endometrial cancer, predominantly mediated by estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) the major isoform present in the mammary gland and uterus. Further evidence supports a dominant role of estrogen receptor-beta (ERβ) for improved cognitive effects such as enhanced hippocampal signaling and memory consolidation via estrogen activated signaling cascades. Creation of the ERβ selective ligands is challenging due to high structural similarity of both receptors. Thus far, several ERβ selective agonists have been developed, however, none of these have made it to clinical use due to their lower selectivity or considerable side effects. The research in this dissertation involved the design of non-steroidal ERβ selective agonists for hippocampal memory consolidation. The step-wise process to achieve the ultimate goal of this research includes: (1) design and synthesis of (4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexyl or cycloheptyl derivatives, (2) in vitro biological evaluation of synthesized compounds to identify highly potent and selective candidates, and (3) in vivo biological evaluation of selected candidates for hippocampal memory consolidation. Several (4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexyl or cycloheptyl derivatives were synthesized having structural alterations on both aromatic and cyclohexyl/heptyl ring scaffolds. ERβ agonist potency was initially evaluated in TR-FRET ERβ ligand binding assay and compounds having high potency were re-evaluated in functional cell based assays for potency and ERβ vs. ERα selectivity. Two compounds from each series, ISP 163-PK4 and ISP 358-2 were identified as most selective ERβ agonists. Both compounds revealed high metabolic stability, solubility and no cross reactivity towards other nuclear receptors. In vivo efficiency of ISP 358-2 was evaluated in ovariectomized mice (C57BL/6) with object recognition (OR) and object placement (OP) tasks. The results indicate improved memory consolidation at 100 pg/ hemisphere and 0.5 mg/Kg via DH infusion and IP injection respectively. The information learned from this project serves as a foundation for development of other cycloheptyl/hexyl based ERβ agonists or antagonists having acceptable pharmacological profiles

Kinetic Studies on Lactonization of Quinone Propionic Acid Derivatives for the Development of Redox Responsive Liposomes

ABSTRACT Stimuli-responsive liposome systems that utilize endogenous triggers of tumor microenvironment have generated great attention in recent drug delivery research. Among such formulations, redox-responsive liposomes seem highly promising for cancer treatment due to their potential to release high drug concentrations upon reduction (by reductase enzymes). The research described in this thesis involved the evaluation of kinetics of trimethyl-lock quinone propionic acid reduction and lactonization, which accounts for payload release from trimethyl-lock quinone propionic acid-decorated liposomes. To achieve the ultimate goal of this research, several trimethyl-lock quinone propionic acid-based amide compounds were synthesized and characterized. Kinetic studies were carried out with 1H NMR spectroscopy under different experimental conditions, and time-resolved 1H NMR spectra were used to evaluate the kinetic rate constant (k) and half-life time (t½) values for the lactonization (cyclization) reaction. Upon reduction, five different quinone ring-substituted quinone propionic acid-ethanolamine derivatives have shown distinct cyclization rates, representing the influence of ring substituent on lactonization. Tertiary amides, and organic solution conditions, slow down the cyclization process, whereas buffer conditions and higher temperature enhanced the trimethyl-lock lactonization. The outcome of this research can be utilized to optimize redox-responsive trimethyl-lock quinone propionic acid based liposomes, as well as other effective target delivery systems, in order to achieve efficient payload release

Synthesis and Evaluation of 4-Cycloheptylphenols as Selective Estrogen Receptor-β Agonists (SERBAs)

A short and efficient route to 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cycloheptanemethanol was developed, which resulted in the preparation of a mixture of 4 stereoisomers. The stereoisomers were separated by preparative HPLC, and two of the stereoisomers identified by X-ray crystallography. The stereoisomers, as well as a small family of 4-cycloheptylphenol derivatives, were evaluated as estrogen receptor-beta agonists. The lead compound, 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)cycloheptanemethanol was selective for activating ER relative to seven other nuclear hormone receptors, with 300-fold selectivity for the β over α isoform and with EC50 of 30–50 nM in cell-based and direct binding assays

A–C Estrogens as Potent and Selective Estrogen Receptor-Beta Agonists (SERBAs) to Enhance Memory Consolidation under Low-Estrogen Conditions

Estrogen receptor-beta (ERβ) is a drug target for memory consolidation in postmenopausal women. Herein is reported a series of potent and selective ERβ agonists (SERBAs) with in vivo efficacy that are A–C estrogens, lacking the B and D estrogen rings. The most potent and selective A–C estrogen is selective for activating ER relative to seven other nuclear hormone receptors, with a surprising 750-fold selectivity for the β over α isoform and with EC50s of 20–30 nM in cell-based and direct binding assays. Comparison of potency in different assays suggests that the ER isoform selectivity is related to the compound’s ability to drive the productive conformational change needed to activate transcription. The compound also shows in vivo efficacy after microinfusion into the dorsal hippocampus and after intraperitoneal injection (0.5 mg/kg) or oral gavage (0.5 mg/kg). This simple yet novel A–C estrogen is selective, brain penetrant, and facilitates memory consolidation