Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2-Phenylimino-5((5-phenylfuran-2-yl)methylene)thiazolidin-4-ones as IKK2 Inhibitors

Abstract

In a search for novel molecules to treat inflammatory disorders, we identified several compounds with inhibitory action against the IKK2 enzyme using in silico methods. Based on the virtual hit of compounds 1 and 2, a novel series of 2-phenylimino-5((5-phenylfuran-2-yl)methylene)thiazolidin-4-one derivatives was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for IKK2 inhibitory activity. Among the synthesized derivatives, compounds 17f and 19f showed good IKK2 inhibitory potency, which have 4-carboxaminophenyl on the 2-furan ring and a methoxy group on the phenylimino moiety at the 2-position of the core structure. The most potent compound was 2-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)imino-5((5(4-carboxaminophenyl)furan-2-yl)methylene)thiazolidin-4-one (19f, IC50 = 0.94 mu M), which represents a synergic effect of the two virtual hit compounds against IKK2. We also identified compounds showing inhibitory activities against interleukin (IL)-17, CCK-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which are NF-kappa B-dependent pro-inflammatory cytokine mediators.