Hepsin inhibitors

1. A method for determining cancer progression or metastasis of a cancer that is characterized by cancer cells in which hepsin overexpression is present, comprising:

(a) contacting (i) a hepsin inhibitor with (ii) a cancer cell that comprises a cell surface hepsin polypeptide, under conditions and for a time sufficient for the hepsin inhibitor to physically contact the cell surface hepsin polypeptide and thereby inhibit hepsin proteolytic activity on the cell surface, wherein the hepsin inhibitor is detectable by radiological imaging, fluorescence magnetic resonance imaging, immunofluorescence imaging, immunohistologic imaging, immunologic detection, biochemical detection or histochemical detection; and

(b) detecting the hepsin inhibitor by radiological imaging, fluorescence magnetic resonance imaging, immunofluorescence imaging, immunohistologic imaging, immunologic detection, biochemical detection or histochemical detection, and thereby determining cancer progression or metastasis,

wherein the cell surface hepsin polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a cell surface polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS:1, 6 and 9,

(ii) a cell surface polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 85%, 90% or 95% identical to the polypeptide of (i) and that is capable of specific enzymatic cleavage of a chromogenic serine protease substrate that comprises L-pyroglutamyl-L-prolyl-L-arginine-p-nitroaniline hydrochloride (Glu-Pro-Arg-pNA), and

(iii) a cell surface polypeptide that comprises a hepsin catalytic domain or a functional fragment thereof, said hepsin catalytic domain or functional fragment thereof comprising an amino acid sequence that is at least 80%; 85%, 90% or 95% identical to the amino acid sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS:5, 8 and 11 and that is capable of specific enzymatic cleavage of a chromogenic serine protease substrate that comprises L-pyroglutamyl-L-prolyl-L-arginine-p-nitroaniline hydrochloride (pyroGlu-Pro-Arg-pNA),

and wherein the hepsin inhibitor comprises at least one compound that is selected from a compound of formula (IV), a compound of formula (V) and a compound of formula (VIII):

wherein:

each k is 1, 2 or 3;

each m is 1 or 2;

each n is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;

each r is 1, 2, 3 or 4;

q is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6;

each R 1a and R 1b is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, halo, haloalkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, —OR 7 , —CN, —C(O)R 7 , —C(O)OR 7 , —C(O)N(R 7 )R 8 , —NO 2 , —N(R 7 )R 8 , —N(R 7 )C(O)R 8 , and —N(R 7 )C(O)OR 8 ;

each R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, halo, haloalkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl;

each R 3 and R 4 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl; and

each R 7 and R 8 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl;

as a single stereoisomer or a mixture thereof;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 which is selected from (1) the method wherein contacting takes place in vivo and (2) the method wherein contacting takes place in vitro.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the hepsin inhibitor comprises detection means selected from an isotope label or radiolabel, a fluorescence magnetic resonance label, an immunofluorescence label, an immunohistologic label, an immunologic label, a biochemical label and a histochemical label.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the isotope label or radiolabel is selected from the group consisting of 2 H, 3 H, 11 C, 13 C, 14 C, 13 N, 15 N, 15 O, 17 O, 18 O, 31 P, 32 P, 35 S, 18 F, 36 Cl, 123 I, and 125 I.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is a compound of formula (VIII):

wherein:

k is 1, 2 or 3;

m is 1 or 2;

q is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6;

each R 1a and R 1b is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, halo, haloalkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, —OR 7 , —CN, —C(O)R 7 , —C(O)OR 7 , —C(O)N(R 7 )R 8 , —NO 2 , —N(R 7 )R 8 , —N(R 7 )C(O)R 8 , and —N(R 7 )C(O)OR 8 ;

each R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, halo, haloalkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl;

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl; and

each R 7 and R 8 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl;

as a single stereoisomer or a mixture thereof;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the compound is a compound of formula (VIII) wherein:

k is 1;

m is 1;

q is 2;

R 1a and R 1b are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and halo;

each R 2 is alkyl; and

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the compound of formula (VIII) is N-(4-bromo-7,7-dimethyl-9-oxo-6,7,8,9-tetrahydrodibenzo[b,d]furan-2-yl)benzenesulfonamide.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is a compound of formula (IV):

wherein:

n is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;

q is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6;

each R 1a and R 1b is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, halo, haloalkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, —OR 7 , —CN, —C(O)R 7 , —C(O)OR 7 , —C(O)N(R 7 )R 8 , —NO 2 , —N(R 7 )R 8 , —N(R 7 )C(O)R 8 , and —N(R 7 )C(O)OR 8 ;

R 3 and R 4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl; and

each R 7 and R 8 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl;

as a single stereoisomer or a mixture thereof;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the compound is a compound of formula (IV) wherein:

n is 1;

q is 1;

R 1a and R 1b are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl; and

R 3 and R 4 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the compound of formula (IV) is 2-(3-methylphenyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-perimidine.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the compound is a compound of formula (V):

wherein:

n is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5;

each r is 1, 2, 3 or 4;

each R 1a and R 1b is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, halo, haloalkyl, optionally substituted aryl, optionally substituted aralkyl, —OR 7 , —CN, —C(O)R 7 , —C(O)OR 7 , —C(O)N(R 7 )R 8 , —NO 2 , —N(R 7 )R 8 , —N(R 7 )C(O)R 8 , and —N(R 7 )C(O)OR 8 ;

each R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, halo, haloalkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl;

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl; and

each R 7 and R 8 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, optionally substituted aryl and optionally substituted aralkyl;

as a single stereoisomer or a mixture thereof;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the compound is a compound of formula (V) wherein:

n is 1;

each r is 1;

R 1a and R 1b are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halo, haloalkyl and —NO 2 ;

R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl; and

R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the compound of formula (V) is selected from the group consisting of:

4-(4-nitrophenyl)-6-(trifluoromethyl)-3a,4,5,9b-tetrahydro-3H-cyclopenta[c]quinoline; and

8-chloro-4-(3-nitrophenyl)-3a,4,5,9b-tetrahydro-3H-cyclopenta[c]quinoline.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer that is characterized by cancer cells in which hepsin overexpression is present is prostate cancer.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the prostate cancer is prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, prostate-confined non-invasive low grade cancer, prostate-confined invasive cancer, or metastatic prostate cancer.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer that is characterized by cancer cells in which hepsin overexpression is present is ovarian cancer.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the ovarian cancer is stage I, stage II, stage III, stage IV or recurrent ovarian cancer.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer that is characterized by cancer cells in which hepsin overexpression is present is renal cell carcinoma.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the renal cell carcinoma is stage I, stage II, stage III, or stage IV renal cell carcinoma.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the cancer that is characterized by cancer cells in which hepsin overexpression is present is endometrial cancer.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the endometrial cancer is stage I, stage II, stage III, or stage IV endometrial cancer.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein contacting comprises administering the hepsin inhibitor to a subject orally, parenterally, intraperitoneally, intravenously, intraarterially, transdermally, sublingually, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, rectally, transbuccally, intranasally, liposomally, via inhalation, intraoccularly, via local delivery, subcutaneously, intraadiposally, intraarticularly or intrathecally.