Pro-Neurogenic Compounds
This technology relates generally to compounds and methods for stimulating neurogenesis (e.g., post-natal neurogenesis, including post-natal hippocampal and hypothalamic neurogenesis) and/or protecting neuronal cell from cell death. Various compounds are disclosed herein. In vivo activity tests suggest that these compounds may have therapeutic benefits in neuropsychiatric and/or neurodegenerative diseases such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, normal aging, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, stroke, radiation therapy, chronic stress, abuse of a neuro-active drug, retinal degeneration, spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, physiological weight loss associated with various conditions, as well as cognitive decline associated with normal aging, chemotherapy, and the like.
1 . A compound having formula (III) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:
wherein:
each of R 1 , R 2 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , and R 8 is independently selected from hydrogen, halo, hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, C 1 -C 6 thioalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 haloalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 thiohaloalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, cyclopropyl, —N 3 , cyano, —NH 2 , —NH(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), —N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 , —NHC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), and nitro;
R 3 is selected from halo, hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, C 1 -C 6 thioalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 haloalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 thiohaloalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, cyclopropyl, —N 3 , cyano, —NH 2 , —NH(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), —N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 , —NHC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), and nitro;
each of L 1 and L 2 is, independently, C 1 -C 3 alkylene, which is optionally substituted with from 1-2 independently selected R c ;
A is CR A1 R A2 , wherein one of R A1 and R A2 is halo, and the other of R A1 and R A2 is hydrogen, halo, C 1 -C 3 alkyl, and hydroxyl;
Z is —NR 10 R 11 or —OR 12 or —S(O) n R 13 , wherein n is 0, 1, or 2;
each of R 10 and R 11 is independently selected from:
(a) hydrogen;
(b) C 6 -C 10 aryl that is optionally substituted with from 1-4 R b ; or
(c) heteroaryl containing from 5-14 ring atoms, wherein from 1-6 of the ring atoms is independently selected from N, NH, N(C 1 -C 3 alkyl), O, and S; and wherein said heteroaryl is optionally substituted with from 1-4 R b ;
(d) C 1 -C 6 alkyl or C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl, each of which is optionally substituted with from 1-3 R d ; and
(e) —C(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), —C(O)(C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl), or —C(O)O(C 1 -C 6 alkyl);
wherein one of R 10 and R 11 is (b) or (c);
each of R 12 and R 13 is:
(i) C 6 -C 10 aryl that is optionally substituted with from 1-4 R b ; or
(ii) heteroaryl containing from 5-14 ring atoms, wherein from 1-6 of the ring atoms is independently selected from N, NH, N(C 1 -C 3 alkyl), O, and S; and wherein said heteroaryl is optionally substituted with from 1-4 R b ;
R b at each occurrence is independently selected from the substituents delineated in (aa) through (dd) below:
(aa) C 1 -C 6 alkoxy; C 1 -C 6 haloalkoxy; C 1 -C 6 thioalkoxy; C 1 -C 6 thiohaloalkoxy; —O—(CH 2 ) 1-3 —[O(CH 2 ) 1-3 ] 1-3 —H; C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl, —NH(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), —N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 , —NHC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl);
(bb) halo; hydroxyl; cyano; nitro; —NH 2 ; azido; sulfhydryl; C 2 -C 6 alkenyl; C 2 -C 6 alkynyl; —C(O)H; —C(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl); —C(O)(C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl); C(O)OH; —C(O)O(C 1 -C 6 alkyl); —C(O)NH 2 ; —C(O)NH(C 1 -C 6 alkyl); —C(O)N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 ; —SO 2 (C 1 -C 6 alkyl); —SO 2 NH 2 ; —SO 2 NH(C 1 -C 6 alkyl); —SO 2 N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 ;
(cc) C 3 -C 6 cycloalkyl or heterocyclyl containing from 5-6 ring atoms, wherein from 1-2 of the ring atoms of the heterocyclyl is independently selected from N, NH, N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), NC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), O, and S; and
(dd) phenyl or heteroaryl containing from 5-6 ring atoms, wherein from 1-2 of the ring atoms of the heteroaryl is independently selected from N, NH, N(C 1 -C 3 alkyl), O, and S; wherein each of said phenyl and heteroaryl is optionally substituted with from 1-3 substituents independently selected from halo; hydroxyl; cyano; nitro; —NH 2 ; —NH(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), —N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 , —NHC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), C 1 -C 6 alkoxy; C 1 -C 6 haloalkoxy; C 1 -C 6 thioalkoxy; C 1 -C 6 thiohaloalkoxy; C 1 -C 6 alkyl, and C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl;
R c at each occurrence is, independently selected from halo, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, C 1 -C 6 thioalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 haloalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 thiohaloalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl, —NH 2 , —NH(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), —N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 , —NHC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), and cyano; and
R d at each occurrence is, independently selected from hydroxyl, C 1 -C 6 alkoxy, C 1 -C 6 thioalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 haloalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 thiohaloalkoxy, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl, —NH 2 , —NH(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl) 2 , —NHC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), and cyano.
2 . The compound or salt of claim 1 , wherein R 3 is halo.
3 . The compound or salt of claim 2 , wherein R 3 is bromo.
4 . The compound or salt of claim 3 , wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , and R 4 is hydrogen.
5 . The compound or salt of claim 4 , wherein R 6 is selected from halo, C 1 -C 6 alkyl, C 1 -C 6 haloalkyl, C 2 -C 6 alkynyl, cyclopropyl, —N 3 , and cyano.
6 . The compound or salt of claim 4 , wherein R 6 is halo or C 1 -C 6 alkyl.
7 . The compound or salt of claim 4 , wherein R 6 is halo.
8 . The compound or salt of claim 4 , wherein R 6 is bromo.
9 . The compound or salt of claim 8 , wherein each of R 5 , R 7 , and R 8 is hydrogen.
10 . The compound or salt of claim 4 , wherein Z is —NR 10 R 11 .
11 . The compound or salt of claim 10 , wherein one of R 10 and R 11 is:
(b) C 6 -C 10 aryl that is optionally substituted with from 1-4 R b ; or
(c) heteroaryl containing from 5-14 ring atoms, wherein from 1-6 of the ring atoms is independently selected from N, NH, N(C 1 -C 3 alkyl), O, and S; and wherein said heteroaryl is optionally substituted with from 1-4 R b ;
and the other of R 10 and R 11 is hydrogen.
12 . The compound or salt of claim 4 , wherein Z is —OR 12 .
13 . The compound or salt of claim 12 , wherein R 12 is C 6 -C 10 aryl that is optionally substituted with from 1-4 R b .