Mitofusin activators and uses thereof

1. A method of treating a disease or disorder in a subject, wherein the disease or disorder is selected from the group consisting of a renal, hepatic and/or bowel ischemia, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, pancreatic cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, cervical carcinoma, liver cancer, and leukemia, the method comprising administering to the subject a compound of formula (III) in an amount effective to activate mitofusin 1 or mitofusin 2 to treat the disease or disorder,

wherein

formula (III) is

wherein

R2 is H, or C 1 -C 4 alkyl;

R3 and R5 are independently H, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, CHCH 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 , heterocycloalkyl, benzyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, or optionally substituted aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, or heteroaralkyl, wherein the optional substituent is one or more of F, Cl, Br, I, OH, CH 3 , SH, or CF 3 ;

R4 is H, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, CHCH 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 , heterocycloalkyl, benzyl, aryl, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, or optionally substituted 6-membered aryl, aralkyl, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl, or heteroaralkyl, wherein the optional substituent is one or more of F, Cl, Br, I, OH, CH 3 , SH or CF 3 ;

R7 is CH 2 , CH 2 CH 2 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 or CH 2 CH(CH 3 );

R8 is CN, CONH 2 , COOH or COOR9;

R9 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl;

X and Y are independently N or C;

Z is S;

provided that in Formula III when R4 or R5 is heteroaryl and R8 is CONH 2 , R2 is not H;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester or prodrug thereof, and

provided that the compound is not any of the following:

2. A method of treating a disease or disorder in a subject, wherein the disease or disorder is selected from the group consisting of a renal, hepatic and/or bowel ischemia, heart failure, cardiomyopathy, pancreatic cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, breast cancer, cervical carcinoma, liver cancer, and leukemia, the method comprising administering to the subject one or more of the following compounds in an amount effective to treat the disease or disorder:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester or prodrug thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound activates mitofusin 1.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound activates mitofusin 2 (Mfn2).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disease or disorder is heart failure, or cardiomyopathy.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cancer disease or disorder is Hail leukemia.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the leukemia is acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or chronic myeloid leukemia (CIVIL).

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the disease or disorder is breast cancer pancreatic cancer liver cancer, or cervical carcinoma.

9. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula (III),

wherein

wherein

R2 is H or C 1 -C 4 alkyl;

R3 and R5 are independently H, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, CHCH 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 , heterocycloalkyl, benzyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, or optionally substituted aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, or heteroaralkyl, wherein the optional substituent is one or more of F, Cl, Br, I, OH, CH 3 , SH, or CF 3 ;

R4 is H, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, CHCH 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 , heterocycloalkyl, benzyl, aryl, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, or optionally substituted 6-membered aryl, aralkyl, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl, or heteroaralkyl, wherein the optional substituent is one or more of F, Cl, Br, I, OH, CH 3 , SH or CF 3 ;

R7 is CH 2 , CH 2 CH 2 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 or CH 2 CH(CH 3 );

R8 is CN, CONH 2 , COOH or COOR9;

R9 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl;

X and Y are independently N or C;

Z is S;

provided that in Formula III when R4 or R5 is heteroaryl and R8 is CONH 2 , R2 is not H;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester or prodrug thereof,

provided that the compound is not any of the following:

10. A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a therapeutically effective amount of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of:

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, ester or prodrug thereof.

11. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 9 , wherein the compound is present in the composition in an amount effective to activate a mitofusin.

12. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 9 , wherein the compound is present in the composition in an amount effective to activate mitofusin 2 (Mfn2).

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein X is N, and Y is C.

14. A method of activating Mfn1 or Mfn2, comprising contacting the Mfn1 or the Mfn2 with a compound of Formula III,

wherein

R2 is H or C 1 -C 4 alkyl;

R3 and R5 are independently H, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, CHCH 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 , heterocycloalkyl, benzyl, aryl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, or optionally substituted aryl, aralkyl, heteroaryl, or heteroaralkyl, wherein the optional substituent is one or more of F, Cl, Br, I, OH, CH 3 , SH, or CF 3 ;

R4 is H, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, CHCH 3 N(CH 3 ) 2 , heterocycloalkyl, benzyl, aryl, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroaralkyl, or optionally substituted 6-membered aryl, aralkyl, 5- or 6-membered heteroaryl, or heteroaralkyl, wherein the optional substituent is one or more of F, Cl, Br, I, OH, CH 3 , SH or CF 3 ;

R7 is CH 2 , CH 2 CH 2 , CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 or CH 2 CH(CH 3 );

R8 is CN, CONH 2 , COOH or COORS;

R9 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl;

X and Y are independently N or C;

Z is S;

provided that when R4 or R5 is heteroaryl and R8 is CONH 2 , R2 is not H;

or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof,

provided that the compound is not any of the following:

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of

16. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 10 , wherein the compound is MASM7