PU.1 inhibitors

1. A compound having the formula:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:

x and x′ are each 3;

R is in each case independently selected from the group consisting of R a , OR a, , N(R a ) 2 , SR a , SO 2 R a , SO 2 N(R a ) 2 , COOR a , C(O)N(R a ) 2 , OC(O)N(R a ) 2 , N(R a )C(O)N(R a ) 2 , F, Cl, Br, I, cyano, and nitro, wherein R a is in each case independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-8 cycloalkyl, C 2-8 heterocyclyl, C 6-12 aryl, and C 3-12 heteroaryl, wherein any two or more of R and R a may together form a ring;

G and G′ are independently selected from C 3-8 cycloalkyl, C 2-8 heterocyclyl, C 6-12 aryl, and C 3-12 heteroaryl, wherein each C 6-12 aryl is optionally and independently substituted with R 8 or R 9 ;

A and A′ are independently selected from the group consisting of NR 1 , O, S, and Se, wherein R 1 , when present, is in each case independently selected from the group consisting of R b , SO 2 R b , SO 2 N(R b ) 2 , COOR b , and C(O)N(R b ) 2 , wherein R b is in each case independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-8 cycloalkyl, C 2-8 heterocyclyl, C 6-12 aryl, and C 3-12 heteroaryl, wherein any two or more of R and R 1 may together form a ring;

B and B′ are independently selected from the group consisting of N and CR;

α has the formula:

wherein Q a is O or NR 1a , wherein R 1a , R 2a , and R 3a are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-8 cycloalkyl, and C 2-8 heterocyclyl; wherein any two or more of R 1a , R 2a , R 3a , R and R 1 can together form a ring;

β has the formula:

wherein Q b is O or NR 1b , wherein R 1b , R 2b , and R 3b are independently selected from hydrogen, C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-8 cycloalkyl, and C 2-8 heterocyclyl; wherein any two or more of R 1b , R 2b , and R 3b , R and R 1 can together form a ring;

wherein Q a and Q b are not both O;

Z is

(a) a linking group having the formula:

—X—(C(R 2 ) 2 ) m —C z —(C(R 2 ) 2 ) n —Y—;

wherein X and Y are independently selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, and NR 4 ; wherein R 4 , when present, is in each case independently selected from the group consisting of R c , SO 2 R c , SO 2 N(R c ) 2 , COOR c , and C(O)N(R c ) 2 , wherein R c is in each case independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1-8 alkyl, C 3-8 cycloalkyl, C 2-8 heterocyclyl, C 6-12 aryl, and C 3-12 heteroaryl;

R 2 is in each case independently H or F;

m and n are each an integer independently selected from 0-4;

C z is selected from O, S, Se, NR 4 , C 3-8 cycloalkyl, C 2-8 heterocyclyl, C 6-12 aryl, and C 3-12 heteroaryl;

or

(b) X—(C(R 5 ) 2 ) m —C z —(C(R 5 ) 2 ) n —Y—, wherein X and Y are independently selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, and NR 4 , wherein R 4 , m and n are as defined in (a), wherein C z is a chemical bond, wherein R 5 is in each case independently H or F and at least one R 5 is F, and wherein the sum of m and n is greater than 2;

R 8 ═H or R 9 ;

R 9 ═O(CH 2 )n a N(R 10 ) 2 or O(CH 2 )n a NH (C═NH)NH 2 ;

R 10 ═C 1 -C 6 alkyl or cyclo-alkyl; and

n a =2-8.

2. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein C z in (a) of Z is a group of the formula:

wherein A″ is O, S, Se, or NR 6 ; wherein R 6 is hydrogen, C 1-8 alkyl; C 3-8 cycloalkyl, and C 2-8 heterocyclyl.

3. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein Z is as defined in (a), and X and Y are both O.

4. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein B and B′ are both N.

5. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein A and A′ are both NR 4 .

6. The compound according to claim 1 , having the formula:

7. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein α is in the 7 position.

8. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein α is in the 4, 5 or 6 position.

9. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein β is in the 7 position.

10. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein β is in the 4, 5 or 6 position.

11. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein C z in (a) of Z is:

wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, F, Cl, Br, I, cyano and nitro, wherein A″ is selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, and NR 6 ; wherein R 6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1-8 alkyl; C 3-8 cycloalkyl, and C 2-8 heterocyclyl; and wherein R 7 is selected from the group consisting of R, hydrogen, F, Cl, Br, I, cvano and nitro.

12. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein C z is O or NR 4 .

13. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein C z is NR 4 , wherein R 4 is C 1-4 alkyl.

14. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein C z is a chemical bond.

15. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of O—CH 2 —CF 2 —CF 2 —CF 2 —CH 2 —O—, O—CH 2 —CF 2 —CF 2 —O—, —O—CF 2 —CF 2 —CF 2 —O—, and —O—CH 2 —CF 2 —CH 2 —O—.

16. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein α has the formula:

17. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein β has the formula:

18. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of:

or

a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

19. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

20. A method of inhibiting PU.1, comprising contacting one or more cells with a compound according to claim 1 .

21. A method of ameliorating a symptom of a disease associated with abnormal PU.1 function in a patient, comprising administering to the patient in need thereof the compound of claim 1 in an amount effective to inhibit PU.1.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the disease is selected from the group consisting of hematologic cancer, bone cancer, inflammatory disease, autoimmune disorders, endotoxemia neurodegenerative disease, leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, contact dermatitis, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic inflammatory disease, pediatric atropy, giant cell arteritis, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and systemic lupus.

23. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the patient is a human at least sixty years old.

24. The compound according to claim 1 , wherein Z is as defined in (b), and X and Y are both O.

25. The compound of claim 1 , which represented by the formula:

wherein

A and A′ are each NH;

B and B′ are each N;

α has the formula:

wherein R 2a and R 3a are each hydrogen;

β has the formula:

wherein R 2b and R 3b are each hydrogen;

wherein α and β groups are each in the 5 or 6 position;

G and G′ are independently phenyl substituted with R 9 .

26. The compound of claim 25 , wherein α and β groups are each in the 6 position.

27. A compound, which is