Increasing thyromimetic potency through halogen substitution

J Devereaux, SJ Ferrara, T Banerji, AT Placzek… - …, 2016 - Wiley Online Library
J Devereaux, SJ Ferrara, T Banerji, AT Placzek, TS Scanlan
ChemMedChem, 2016Wiley Online Library
Sobetirome is one of the most studied thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ)‐selective
thyromimetics in the field due to its excellent selectivity and potency. A small structural
change—replacing the 3, 5‐dimethyl groups of sobetirome with either chlorine or bromine—
produces significantly more potent compounds, both in vitro and in vivo. These halogenated
compounds induce transactivation of a TRβ‐mediated cell‐based reporter with an EC50
value comparable to that of T3, access the central nervous system (CNS) at levels similar to …
Abstract
Sobetirome is one of the most studied thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ)‐selective thyromimetics in the field due to its excellent selectivity and potency. A small structural change—replacing the 3,5‐dimethyl groups of sobetirome with either chlorine or bromine—produces significantly more potent compounds, both in vitro and in vivo. These halogenated compounds induce transactivation of a TRβ‐mediated cell‐based reporter with an EC50 value comparable to that of T3, access the central nervous system (CNS) at levels similar to their parent, and activate an endogenous TR‐regulated gene in the brain with an EC50 value roughly five‐fold lower than that of sobetirome. Previous studies suggest that this apparent increase in affinity can be explained by halogen bonding between the ligand and a backbone carbonyl group in the receptor. This makes the new analogues potential candidates for treating CNS disorders that may respond favorably to thyroid‐hormone‐stimulated pathways.
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