Drug – bio-affecting and body treating compositions – Designated organic active ingredient containing – Having -c- – wherein x is chalcogen – bonded directly to...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-25
2001-06-05
Criares, Theodore J. (Department: 1614)
Drug, bio-affecting and body treating compositions
Designated organic active ingredient containing
Having -c-, wherein x is chalcogen, bonded directly to...
C514S342000, C514S423000, C514S330000, C514S613000, C514S316000, C514S317000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06242468
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions and methods for effecting a neuronal activity using low molecular weight, small molecule carbamates and ureas having an affinity for FKBP-type immunophilins.
2. Description of Related Art
The term immunophilin refers to a number of proteins that serve as receptors for the principal immunosuppressant drugs, cyclosporin A (CsA), FK506 and rapamycin. Known classes of immunophilins are cyclophilins and FK506 binding proteins, or FKBPs. Cyclosporin A binds to cyclophilin A while FK506 and rapamycin bind to FKBP12. These immunophilin-drug complexes interface with various intracellular signal transduction systems, especially the immune and nervous systems.
Immunophilins are known to have peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase), or rotamase, enzyme activity. It has been determined that rotamase enzyme activity plays a role in the catalyzation of the interconversion of the cis and trans isomers of peptide and protein substrates for the immunophilin proteins.
Immunophilins were originally discovered and studied in the immune tissue. It was initially postulated by those skilled in the art that inhibition of the immunophilins' rotamase activity leads to inhibition of T-cell proliferation, thereby causing the immunosuppressive activity exhibited by immunosuppressant drugs, such as cyclosporin A, FK506 and rapamycin. Further study has shown that the inhibition of rotamase activity, in and of itself, does not result in immunosuppressive activity. Schreiber et al.,
Science,
1990, vol. 250, pp. 556-559. Instead, immunosuppression appears to stem from the formulation of a complex of immunosuppressant drug and immunophilin. It has been shown that immunophilin-drug complexes interact with ternary protein targets as their mode of action. Schreiber et al.,
Cell,
1991, vol. 66, pp. 807-815. In the case of FKBP-FK506 and cyclophilin-CsA, the immunophilin-drug complexes bind to the enzyme calcineurin and inhibit the T-cell receptor signalling which leads to T-cell proliferation. Similarly, the immunophilin-drug complex of FKBP-rapamycin interacts with the RAFT1/FRAP protein and inhibits the IL-2 receptor signalling.
Immunophilins have been found to be present at high concentrations in the central nervous system. Immunophilins are enriched 10-50 times more in the central nervous system than in the immune system. Within neural tissues, immunophilins appear to influence nitric oxide synthesis, neurotransmitter release and neuronal process extension.
Surprisingly, it has been found that certain low molecular weight, small molecule carbamates and ureas with a high affinity for FKBPs exhibit excellent neurotrophic effects. Furthermore, the compounds are devoid of immunosuppressive activity. These findings suggest the use of low molecular weight, small molecule carbamates and ureas in treating various peripheral neuropathies and enhancing neuronal regrowth in the central nervous system (CNS). Studies have demonstrated that neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may occur due to the loss, or decreased availability, of a neurotrophic substance specific for a particular population of neurons affected in the disorder.
Several neurotrophic factors affecting specific neuronal populations in the central nervous system have been identified. For example, it has been hypothesized that Alzheimer's disease results from a decrease or loss of nerve growth factor (NGF). It has thus been proposed to treat SDAT patients with exogenous nerve growth factor or other neurotrophic proteins, such as brain derived growth factor, glial derived growth factor, ciliary neurotrophic factor and neurotropin-3, to increase the survival of degenerating neuronal populations.
Clinical application of these proteins in various neurological disease states is hampered by difficulties in the delivery and bioavailability of large proteins to nervous system targets. By contrast, immunosuppressant drugs with neurotrophic activity are relatively small and display excellent bioavailability and specificity. However, when administered chronically, immunosuppressant drugs exhibit a number of potentially serious side effects including nephrotoxicity, such as impairment of glomerular filtration and irreversible interstitial fibrosis (Kopp et al.,
J. Am. Soc. Nephrol.,
1991, 1:162); neurological deficits, such as involuntary tremors, or non-specific cerebral angina, such as non-localized headaches (De Groen et al.,
N. Engl. J. Med.,
1987, 317:861); and vascular hypertension with complications resulting therefrom (Kahan et al.,
N. Engl. J. Med.,
1989, 321:1725).
To prevent the side effects associated with the use of the immunosuppressant compounds, the present invention provides a method of using a non-immunosuppressive compound containing low molecular weight, small molecule carbamates and ureas to enhance neurite outgrowth, and to promote neuronal growth and regeneration in various neuropathological situations where neuronal repair can be facilitated, including: peripheral nerve damage caused by physical injury or disease state such as diabetes; physical damage to the central nervous system (spinal cord and brain); brain damage associated with stroke; and neurological disorders relating to neurodegeneration, such as Parkinson's disease, SDAT (Alzheimer's disease), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of using a neurotrophic low molecular weight, small molecule carbamates and ureas having an affinity for FKBP-type immunophilins. Once bound to these proteins, the neurotrophic compounds are potent inhibitors of the enzyme activity associated with immunophilin proteins, particularly peptidyl-prolyl isomerase, or rotamase, enzyme activity. A key feature of the neurotrophic compounds is that they do not exert any significant immunosuppressive activity.
Specifically, the present invention relates to a method of effecting a neuronal activity in an animal, comprising:
administering to the animal an effective non-immunosuppressive amount of a compound of formula I:
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester, or solvate thereof, wherein:
A is CH
2
, O, or NR;
R, B and D are independently Ar, hydrogen, C
1
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkyl, C
2
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkenyl or alkynyl, C
5
-C
7
cycloalkyl substituted C
1
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkyl or C
2
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkenyl or alkynyl, C
5
-C
7
cycloalkenyl substituted C
1
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkyl or C
2
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkenyl or alkynyl, Ar substituted C
1
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkyl, or Ar substituted C
2
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkenyl or alkynyl; wherein any carbon atom of said alkyl is optionally replaced by a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of O, S, SO, SO
2
and NR
3
;
R
3
is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C
1
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkyl, C
2
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkenyl or alkynyl, and C
1
-C
9
bridging alkyl wherein a bridge is formed between the nitrogen and a carbon atom of said heteroatom-containing chain to form a ring, and wherein said ring is optionally fused to an Ar group;
J is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C
1
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkyl, C
2
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkenyl, and —CH
2
Ar; K is selected from the group consisting of C
1
-C
5
straight or branched chain alkyl, —CH
2
Ar, and cyclohexylmethyl; or J and K are taken together to form a 5-7 membered heterocyclic ring which is substituted with O, S, SO, or SO
2
;
Z is O or S;
Y is O or N, provided that
when Y is O, then R
1
is a lone pair of electrons and R
2
is selected from the group consisting of Ar, C
1
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkyl, and C
2
-C
9
straight or branched chain alkenyl or alkynyl; and
when Y is N, then R
1
and R
2
are independently selected
Hamilton Gregory S.
Li Jia-He
Steiner Joseph P.
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