Indole Derivatives for Selective Bacterial DNA Primase Inhibition

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for identifying antibacterial compounds, particularly targeting DNA replication, face challenges such as low effectiveness in high throughput screening and the need for selective inhibition of bacterial enzymes without affecting human homologues, along with rapid resistance development.

Innovation Solution

The development of indole derivatives and pharmaceutical compositions that selectively inhibit bacterial DNA primase and gyrase using fragment-based virtual screening and computational methods to identify potent inhibitors, which do not significantly affect human enzymes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If high throughput screening (HTS) is used to identify antibacterial compounds, then the screening process can be automated and processed quickly, but the effectiveness in identifying new antibacterial agents is low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescreening speedVSAvoididentification effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the screening process into two distinct phases: fragment-based screening to identify binding motifs, and subsequent HTS using those motifs as templates. This segmentation allows each phase to optimize for its specific strength - fragment screening for reliability and HTS for productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary fragment-based screening to identify effective binding motifs before conducting the main HTS. This preliminary action creates a refined search criteria that improves the effectiveness of subsequent high-throughput screening, solving the contradiction by preparing the system in advance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If DNA primase is inhibited to halt DNA replication, then bacterial cell proliferation is prevented, but selective inhibition without affecting human homologues is challenging

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinhibition effectivenessVSAvoidselectivity against human enzymes
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by designing inhibitors that target specific local features of bacterial primase (conserved functional domains) that differ from human primase. The fragment-based approach identifies motifs that bind to unique bacterial enzyme characteristics, achieving selective inhibition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses fragment-based screening as an intermediary step to identify binding motifs that serve as mediators between the desired inhibition effect and the selectivity requirement. These motifs act as intermediaries that specifically recognize bacterial primase structures without binding to human homologues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If conventional HTS methods are used for ligand screening, then large numbers of compounds can be tested, but the process relies heavily on empirical screening without rational design

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of compounds screenedVSAvoidrational design capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary fragment-based screening and structural analysis to establish rational design criteria before conducting HTS. This preliminary rational design phase creates a foundation that guides the subsequent empirical screening, combining both approaches advantageously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses identified binding motifs as templates or copies that are then used to design and screen larger compound libraries. Instead of purely empirical screening, the process copies successful fragment patterns into full-molecule designs, enabling rational guidance of the HTS process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3535242B1DNA primase and gyrase inhibitors
Publication Date: 2024.01.24 BG NEGEV TECHNOLOGIES & APPLICATIONS LTD
  • EP3535242B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3535242B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3535242B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Disclosed herein are compounds that are selective DNA primase and/or gyrase inhibitors. Further disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds, and the uses of these compounds for treating disorders associated with microbial infections.