Method of Modulating Stress-Activated Protein Kinase System

1 . A compound of the formula:

wherein R is selected from the group consisting of H, halo, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkyl, optionally substituted C 3-7 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 4-10 alkylcycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 2-6 alkenyl, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkoxy, optionally substituted pyridinyl, optionally substituted pyrimidinyl, optionally substituted thienyl, optionally substituted furanyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted phenoxy, optionally substituted thiophenoxy, optionally substituted sulphonamido, optionally substituted urea, optionally substituted thiourea, optionally substituted amido, optionally substituted keto, optionally substituted carboxyl, optionally substituted carbamyl, optionally substituted sulphide, optionally substituted sulphoxide, optionally substituted sulphone, optionally substituted alkoxyamino, optionally substituted alkyoxyheterocyclyl, optionally substituted alkylamino, optionally substituted alkylcarboxy, optionally substituted carbonyl, optionally substituted spirocyclic eycloalkyl, optionally substituted pyrazinyl, optionally substituted pyridazinyl, optionally substituted pyrrolyl, optionally, substituted thiophenyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted imidazolyl, optionally substituted isoxazolyl, optionally substituted pyrazolyl, optionally substituted isothiazolyl, optionally

substituted napthyl, optionally substituted quinolinyl, optionally substituted isoquinolinyl, optionally substituted quinoxalinyl, optionally substituted benzothiazolyl, optionally substituted benzothiophenyl, optionally substituted benzofuranyl, optionally substituted indolyl, and optionally substituted benzimidazolyl.

2 . A compound of the formula:

wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, halo, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkyl, optionally substituted C 3-7 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 4-10 alkylcycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 2-6 alkenyl, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkoxy, optionally substituted C 6 or 10 aryl, optionally substituted pyridinyl, optionally substituted pyrimidinyl, optionally substituted thienyl, optionally substituted furanyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted phenoxy, optionally substituted thiophenoxy, optionally substituted sulphonamido, optionally substituted urea, optionally substituted thiourea, optionally substituted amido, optionally substituted keto, optionally substituted carboxyl, optionally substituted carbamyl, optionally substituted sulphide, optionally substituted sulphoxide, optionally substituted sulphone, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted alkoxyamino, optionally substituted alkyoxyheterocyclyl, optionally substituted alkylamino, optionally substituted alkylcarboxy, optionally substituted carbonyl, optionally substituted spirocyclic cycloalkyl, optionally substituted pyrazinyl, optionally, substituted pyridazinyl, optionally substituted pyrrolyl, optionally substituted thiophenyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted imidazolyl, optionally substituted isoxazolyl, optionally substituted pyrazolyl, optionally substituted isothiazolyl, optionally substituted napthyl, optionally substituted quinolinyl, optionally substituted isoquinolinyl, optionally substituted quinoxalinyl, optionally substituted benzothiazolyl, optionally substituted benzothiophenyl, optionally substituted benzofuranyl, optionally substituted indolyl, and optionally substituted benzimidazolyl.

3 . A compound of the formula:

wherein R 2 and R 3 are each individually selected from the group consisting of H, halo, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkyl, optionally substituted C 3-7 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 4-10 alkyl cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 2-6 alkenyl, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkoxy, optionally substituted C 6 or 10 aryl, optionally substituted pyridinyl, optionally substituted pyrimidinyl, optionally substituted thienyl, optionally substituted furanyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted phenoxy, optionally substituted thiophenoxy, optionally substituted sulphonamido, optionally substituted urea, optionally substituted thiourea, optionally substituted amido, optionally substituted keto, optionally substituted carboxyl, optionally substituted carbamyl, optionally substituted sulphide, optionally substituted sulphoxide, optionally substituted sulphone, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted alkoxyamino, optionally substituted alkyoxyheterocyclyl, optionally substituted alkylamino, optionally substituted alkylcarboxy, optionally substituted carbonyl, optionally substituted spirocyclic cycloalkyl, optionally substituted pyrazinyl, optionally substituted pyridazinyl, optionally, substituted pyrrolyl, optionally substituted thiophenyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted imidazolyl, optionally substituted isoxazolyl, optionally substituted pyrazolyl, optionally substituted isothiazolyl, optionally substituted napthyl, optionally substituted quinolinyl, optionally substituted isoquinolinyl, optionally substituted quinoxalinyl, optionally substituted benzothiazolyl, optionally substituted benzothiophenyl, optionally substituted benzofuranyl, optionally substituted indolyl, and optionally substituted benzimidazolyl;

wherein the compound is not 1-(5-tert-Butyl-2-p-tolyl-2H-pyrazol-3-yl)-3-[4-(2-morpholin-4-yl-ethoxy)naph-thalen-1-yl]urea (BIRB 796).

4 . A compound of the formula:

wherein R 5 and R 6 are each individually selected from the group consisting of H, halo, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkyl, optionally substituted C 3-7 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 4-10 alkylcycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 2-6 alkenyl, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkoxy, optionally substituted C 6 or 10 aryl, optionally substituted pyridinyl, optionally substituted pyrimidinyl, optionally substituted thienyl, optionally substituted furanyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted phenoxy, optionally substituted thiophenoxy, optionally substituted sulphonamido, optionally substituted urea, optionally substituted thiourea, optionally substituted amido, optionally substituted keto, optionally substituted carboxyl, optionally substituted carbamyl, optionally substituted sulphide, optionally substituted sulphoxide, optionally substituted sulphone, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted alkoxyamino, optionally substituted alkyoxyheterocyclyl, optionally substituted alkylamino, optionally substituted alkylcarboxy, optionally substituted carbonyl, optionally substituted spirocyclic cycloalkyl, optionally substituted pyrazinyl, optionally substituted pyridazinyl, optionally substituted pyrrolyl, optionally substituted thiophenyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted imidazolyl, optionally substituted isoxazolyl, optionally substituted pyrazolyl, optionally substituted isothiazolyl, optionally substituted napthyl, optionally substituted quinolinyl, optionally substituted isoquinolinyl, optionally substituted quinoxalinyl, optionally substituted benzothiazolyl, optionally substituted benzothiophenyl, optionally substituted benzofuranyl, optionally substituted indolyl, and optionally substituted benzimidazolyl;

wherein the compound is not

where X is N.

5 . A compound of the formula:

wherein, upon binding of the compound to ρ38γ, R 4 is a group positioned not less than 5 Å and not more than 25 Å distant from a p38γ Met109 sulfhydryl moiety.

6 . The compound of claim 5 wherein R 4 is selected from the group consisting of H, halo, cyano, nitro, hydroxy, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkyl, optionally substituted C 3-7 cycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 4-10 alkylcycloalkyl, optionally substituted C 2-6 alkenyl, optionally substituted C 1-6 alkoxy, optionally substituted C 6 or 10 aryl, optionally substituted pyridinyl, optionally substituted pyrimidinyl, optionally substituted thienyl, optionally substituted furanyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted phenoxy, optionally substituted thiophenoxy, optionally substituted sulphonamido, optionally substituted urea, optionally substituted thiourea, optionally substituted amido, optionally substituted keto, optionally substituted carboxyl, optionally substituted carbamyl, optionally substituted sulphide, optionally substituted sulphoxide, optionally substituted sulphone, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted alkoxyamino, optionally substituted alkyoxyheterocyclyl, optionally substituted alkylamino, optionally substituted alkylcarboxy, optionally substituted carbonyl, optionally substituted spirocyclic cycloalkyl, optionally substituted pyrazinyl, optionally substituted pyridazinyl, optionally substituted pyrrolyl, optionally substituted thiophenyl, optionally substituted thiazolyl, optionally substituted oxazolyl, optionally substituted imidazolyl, optionally substituted isoxazolyl, optionally substituted pyrazolyl, optionally substituted isothiazolyl, optionally substituted napthyl, optionally substituted quinolinyl, optionally substituted isoquinolinyl, optionally substituted quinoxalinyl, optionally substituted benzothiazolyl, optionally substituted benzothiophenyl, optionally substituted benzofuranyl, optionally substituted indolyl, and optionally substituted benzimidazolyl.

7 . A method of treating or preventing an inflammatory or fibrotic disease in an individual, the method comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 1 .

8 . A method of treating or preventing an inflammatory or fibrotic disease in an individual, the method comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 2 .

9 . A method of treating or preventing an inflammatory or fibrotic disease in an individual, the method comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 3 .

10 . A method of treating or preventing an inflammatory or fibrotic disease in an individual, the method comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 4 .

11 . A method of treating or preventing an inflammatory or fibrotic disease in an individual, the method comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 5 .

12 . A method of treating or preventing an inflammatory or fibrotic disease in an individual, the method comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 6 .

13 . The method of claim 1 in which the inflammatory or fibrotic condition is selected from the group consisting of fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, inflammatory pulmonary fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis; rheumatoid spondylitis; osteoarthritis; gout; sepsis; septic shock; endotoxic shock; gram-negative sepsis; toxic shock syndrome; myofacial pain syndrome (MPS); Shigellosis; asthma; adult respiratory distress syndrome; inflammatory bowel disease; Crohn's disease; psoriasis; eczema; ulcerative colitis; glomerular nephritis; scleroderma; chronic thyroiditis; Grave's disease; Ormond's disease; autoimmune gastritis; myasthenia gravis; autoimmune hemolytic anemia; autoimmune neutropenia; thrombocytopenia; pancreatic fibrosis; chronic active hepatitis; hepatic fibrosis; renal disease; renal fibrosis, irritable bowel syndrome; pyresis; restenosis; cerebral malaria; stroke and ischemic injury; neural trauma; Alzheimer's disease; Huntington's disease; Parkinson's disease; acute and chronic pain; allergies; cardiac hypertrophy, chronic heart failure; acute coronary syndrome; cachexia; malaria; leprosy; leishmaniasis; Lyme disease; Reiter's syndrome; acute synoviitis; muscle degeneration, bursitis; tendonitis; tenosynoviitis; herniated, ruptured, or prolapsed intervertebral disk syndrome; osteopetrosis; thrombosis; silicosis; pulmonary sarcosis; bone resorption disease; cancer; Multiple Sclerosis, lupus; fibromyalgia; AIDS; herpes zoster, virus infection, herpes simplex virus infection; influenza virus; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS); cytomegalovirus infection; and diabetes mellitus.

14 .- 72 . (canceled)

73 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising:

a) the compound of claim 1 ; and

b) a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

74 . A method of treating or preventing a disease or condition by inhibiting p38γ, comprising administering to an individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound of claim 1 has an IC 50 of about 10 μM to about 5μM for inhibition of p38γ.

75 . A method of treating or preventing a disease or condition by inhibiting p38γ, comprising administering to an individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 2 , wherein the compound of claim 2 has an IC 50 of about 10 pM to about 5 μM for inhibition of p38γ.

76 . A method of treating or preventing a disease or condition by inhibiting p38γ, comprising administering to an individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 3 , wherein the compound of claim 3 has an IC 50 of about 10 pM to about 5 μM for inhibition of p38γ.

77 . A method of treating or preventing a disease or condition by inhibiting p38γ, comprising administering to an individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 4 , wherein the compound of claim 4 has an IC 50 of about 10 pM to about 5 μM for inhibition of p38γ.

78 . A method of treating or preventing a disease or condition by inhibiting p38γ, comprising administering to an individual an effective amount of the compound of claim 5 , wherein the compound of claim 5 has an IC 50 of about 10 pM to about 5 μM for inhibition of p38γ.