TETRACYCLIC IMIDAZOLE ANALOGS

1 . A compound of formula (1) or (2) or (3),

wherein each A, V, B, and X that is present is independently selected from H, halo, azido, CN, CF 3 , CONR 1 R 2 , R 2 , CH 2 R 2 , SR 2 , OR 2 C(═O)R 2 , and NR 1 R 2 , wherein in NR 1 R 2 , R 1 and R 2 can optionally cyclize to form an optionally substituted azacyclic group; or

wherein A and X, or A and V, or X and B may form a carbocyclic ring, heterocyclic ring, aryl or heteroaryl ring, each of which may be optionally substituted with one or two R 3 groups and/or may be fused with an additional ring;

wherein in L-NR 1 R 2 , R 1 and R 2 taken together may form an optionally substituted azacyclic group, or R 1 or R 2 taken together with at least a portion of L may form an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring;

each Z is independently CH, CR 3 or N;

each Z 1 , Z 2 , Z 3 , and Z 4 is independently C or N, provided no two of them represent adjacent nitrogen atoms;

T is O, S(O) m or NR 4 ;

each R 1 is H or a C 1-10 alkyl or C 2-10 alkenyl group that can be substituted with one or more substituents selected from halo, ═O, OR 2 , NR 2 2 , S(O) m R 2 , COOR 2 , and CONR 2 2 ;

each m is independently 0-2;

each n is independently 0-4;

each R 2 is independently H or an optionally substituted C 1-10 alkyl or optionally substituted C 2-10 alkenyl optionally containing one or more non-adjacent heteroatoms selected from N, O, and S in place of carbon atoms, and optionally including a carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring; or R 2 is an optionally substituted carbocyclic, heterocyclic, 6-10 membered aryl or 5-14 membered heteroaryl ring containing one or more N, O or S;

each R 3 is independently an optionally substituted group selected from C 1-6 alkyl, C 6-10 aryl, and C 5-12 heteroaryl, or R 3 is selected from halo, nitro, OR′, SR′, SO 2 R′, NR′ 2 , CN, CF 3 , COOR′, and CONR′ 2 , wherein each R′ is independently H or C 1-6 alkyl and can optionally include one N, O or S in place of a carbon atom, or R 3 can be L-NR 1 R 2 or CON(R′)-L-NR 1 R 2 , wherein in NR 1 R 2 , R 1 and R 2 can optionally cyclize to form an optionally substituted azacyclic group;

each R 4 is H or a C 1-10 alkyl or C 2-10 alkenyl group that can be substituted with one or more substituents selected from halo, ═O, OR 2 , NR 2 2 , S(O) m R 2 , COOR 2 , and CONR 2 2 ;

each L is a divalent hydrocarbon linker having up to ten atoms counted along the shortest path between the two open valence, which linker may include one or two heteroatoms and may be substituted by one or more groups selected from halo, ═O, C 1-6 alkyl, OR′, SR′, SO 2 R′, NR′2, CN, CF 3 , COOR′, and CONR′2, wherein each R′ is independently H or C 1-6 alkyl;

each W represents an optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl ring, which may be a monocyclic group with 5-6 ring atoms, or may be a 5-6 membered ring that is fused with or bonded to one or more additional aryl, heterocyclic, or heteroaryl rings; and

each R 5 is a substituent at any position on W, and is selected from H, halo, CN, CF 3 , OR 2 , NR 1 R 2 , and C 1-6 alkyl and C 2-6 alkenyl, each optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from halo, ═O, OR 2 , S(O) m R 2 , and NR 1 R 2 , wherein in NR 1 R 2 , R 1 and R 2 can optionally cyclize to form an optionally substituted azacyclic group; or R 5 can be an inorganic substituent; or two adjacent R 5 may be linked to form a 5-6 membered substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring, optionally fused to an additional substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

2 - 4 . (canceled)

5 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein Z 1 is N.

6 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein Z 2 is C and X is an optionally substituted azacyclic group.

7 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein, in L-NR 1 R 2 shown in the formula, L is (CH 2 ) 2-4 and NR 1 R 2 represents an optionally substituted azacyclic group, or -L-NR 1 R 2 shown in the formula represents a group of formula (4):

wherein R 1 and R 2 are as defined in claim 1 , and the substituents R 1 , if present, and the attachment point for the alkylene linker —(CH 2 ) 1-3 — can be at any position on the ring other than the nitrogen atom.

8 . The compound of claim 1 , which is a compound of formula (1) wherein W represents an optionally substituted phenyl ring.

9 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein three of Z 1 -Z 4 represent C and one of Z 1 -Z 4 represents N.

10 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one of V, A, B, and X comprises an azacyclic group.

11 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein Z 1 is N, Z 2 -Z 4 each represent C, and X represents NR 1 R 2 , or X comprises an azacyclic group.

12 . The compound of claim 11 , wherein L is (CH 2 ) 2-4 .

13 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein W in any compound having formula (1), (2), or (3) is selected from the group consisting of:

wherein each Q, Q 1 , Q 2 , and Q 3 is independently CR 3 or N;

each Y is independently O, CR 1 2 , C═O or NR 1 ; and

n, R 1 , R 3 and R 5 are as defined above.

14 . The compound of claim 13 , which is of the formula (1a), (2a), or (3a).

15 . The compound of claim 3 , wherein T is NR 4 .

16 . The compound of claim 1 , which is a compound of formula (2) or formula (3), wherein Z is CH or N, and L is (CH 2 ) 2-4 .

17 . The compound of claim 16 , wherein Z 1 is N, Z 2 -Z 4 each represent C, and X represents NR 1 R 2 .

18 . The compound of claim 17 , wherein W represents an optionally substituted phenyl ring.

19 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein L in L-NR 1 R 2 represents (CH 2 ) 3 , and NR 1 R 2 mL-NR 1 R 2 represents an azacyclic group.

20 . The compound of claim 10 , wherein L in L-NR 1 R 2 represents (CH 2 ) 3 , and NR 1 R 2 in L-NR 1 R 2 represents an azacyclic group.

21 . The compound of claim 20 , wherein W represents an optionally substituted phenyl ring.

22 . A method to treat a proliferative disorder or a bacterial infection, which method comprises administering to a subject in need of such treatment, an effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 .

23 - 26 . (canceled)

27 . A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound according to claim 1 and at least one pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

28 - 29 . (canceled)

30 . A method to treat a condition associated with overexpression of an oncogene, said method comprising administering to a cell in an in vitro or in vivo environment, an effective amount of a compound according to claim 1 .

31 . A method to identify a molecule that modulates protein kinase activity, said method comprising screening a compound according to claim 1 , or a library of compounds according to claim 1 , to identify a compound having an effect on the activity of a protein kinase.

32 . (canceled)