Inhibitors of short-chain dehydrogenase activity for treating fibrosis

1. A method of treating lung fibrosis in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a 15-PGDH inhibitor, wherein the 15-PGDH inhibitor includes a compound having formula (VI):

wherein: n=1;

X 6 is N or CR c ;

R 1 is selected from the group consisting of branched or linear alkyl and

wherein n 2 =0-6 and X is any of the following: CF y H z (y+z=3), CCl y H z (y+z=3), OH, OAc, OMe, R 71 , OR 72 , CN, N(R 73 ) 2 ,

R 5 is selected from the group consisting of H, CI, F, NH 2 , and N(R 76 ) 2 ,

R 6 and R 7 are the same or different and are each independently one of the following:

and

each R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , R 12 , R 13 , R 14 , R 15 , R 16 , R 17 , R 18 , R 19 , R 20 , R 21 , R 22 , R 23 , R 24 , R 25 , R 26 , R 27 , R 28 , R 29 , R 30 , R 31 , R 32 , R 33 , R 34 , R 35 , R 36 , R 37 , R 38 , R 39 , R 40 , R 41 , R 42 , R 43 , R 44 , R 45 , R 46 , R 47 , R 48 , R 49 , R 50 , R 51 , R 52 , R 53 , R 54 , R 55 , R 56 , R 57 , R 58 , R 59 , R 60 , R 61 , R 62 , R 63 , R 64 , R 65 , R 66 , R 67 , R 68 , R 69 , R 70 , R 71 , R 72 , R 73 , R 74 , R 76 , and R c are the same or different and are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 24 alkyl, C 2 -C 24 alkenyl, C 2 -C 24 alkynyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, heterocycloalkenyl containing from 5-6 ring atoms, (wherein from 1-3 of the ring atoms is independently selected from N, NH, N(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), NC(O)(C 1 -C 6 alkyl), O, and S), heteroaryl or heterocyclyl 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), 0, and S), C 6 -C 24 alkaryl, C 6 -C 24 aralkyl, halo, silyl, hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, C 1 -C 24 alkoxy that is optionally substituted with at least one hydroxyl, amino, or mono- or di-(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)-amino, C 2 -C 24 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 24 alkynyloxy, C 5 -C 20 aryloxy, acyl, acyloxy (—O-acyl), C 2 -C 24 alkoxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 aryloxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-aryl), C 2 -C 24 alkylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-aryl), carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO—), carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH 2 ), C 1 -C 24 alkyl-carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)), arylcarbamoyl (—(CO)—NH-aryl), thiocarbamoyl (—(CS)—NH 2 ), carbamido (—NH—(CO)—NH 2 ), cyano (—CN), isocyano (—N+C—), cyanato (—O—CN), isocyanato (—O—N+=C—), isothiocyanato (—S—CN), azido (—N═N+=N—), formyl (—(CO)—H), thioformyl (—(CS)—H), amino (—NH 2 ), mono- or di-(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)-amino that is optionally substituted with at least one hydroxyl, amino, or mono- or di-(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)-amino, C 6 -C 20 aryl amino, C 2 -C 24 alkylamido (—NH—(CO)-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylamido (—NH—(CO)-aryl), sulfanamido (—SO 2 N(R) 2 where R is independently H, alkyl, aryl or heteroaryl), imino, alkylimino, arylimino, nitro (—NO 2 ), nitroso (—NO), sulfo (—SO 2 —OH), sulfonato (—SO 2 —O—), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfanyl, arylsulfanyl, C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfinyl (—(SO)-alkyl), C 5 -C 20 arylsulfinyl (—(SO)-aryl), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -alkyl), C 5 -C 20 arylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -aryl), sulfonamide (—SO 2 —NH 2 , —SO 2 NY 2 (wherein Y is independently H, arlyl or alkyl), phosphono (—P(O)(OH) 2 ), phosphonato (—P(O)(O—) 2 ), phosphinato (—P(O)(O—)), phospho (—PO 2 ), phosphino (—PH 2 ), polyalkyl ethers (—[(CH 2 ) n O] m ), phosphates, phosphate esters [—OP(O)(OR) 2 where R═H, methyl or other alkyl], and combinations thereof, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lung fibrosis is characterized, in whole or in part, by the excess production of fibrous material, including excess production of fibrotic material within the extracellular matrix, or the replacement of normal tissue elements by abnormal, non-functional, and/or excessive accumulation of matrix-associated components.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lung fibrosis is selected from the group consisting of pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, cystic fibrosis, familial pulmonary fibrosis, silicosis, asbestosis, coal worker's pneumoconiosis, carbon pneumoconiosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitides, pulmonary fibrosis caused by inhalation of inorganic dust, pulmonary fibrosis caused by an infectious agent, pulmonary fibrosis caused by inhalation of noxious gases, aerosols, chemical dusts, fumes or vapors, induced interstitial lung disease, chemotherapy/radiation induced pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and combinations there.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the lung fibrosis is cystic fibrosis.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 15-PGDH inhibitor is administered at an amount effective to reduce or inhibit any of collagen deposition, collagen accumulation, collagen fiber accumulation, inflammatory cytokine expression, and/or inflammatory cell infiltration in a tissue or organ of the subject being treated.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of:

or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 15-PGDH inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of:

or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

R 1 is C 1 -C 24 alkyl; C 1 -C 24 alkyl substituted with a halo, C 1 -C 24 alkoxy, C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl or hydroxy; or C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl;

R 6 and R 7 are each independently

wherein R 8 , R 33 , R 34 , R 48 , and R 58 are the same or different and are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C 1 -C 24 alkyl, C 2 -C 24 alkenyl, C 2 -C 24 alkynyl, C 6 -C 20 aryl, heterocycloalkenyl containing from 5-6 ring atoms, heteroaryl or heterocyclyl containing from 5-14 ring atoms, C 6 -C 24 alkaryl, C 6 -C 24 aralkyl, halo, silyl, hydroxyl, sulfhydryl, C 1 -C 24 alkoxy that is optionally substituted with at least one hydroxyl, C 2 -C 24 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 24 alkynyloxy, C 5 -C 20 aryloxy, acyl, acyloxy (—O-acyl), C 2 -C 24 alkoxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 aryloxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-aryl), C 2 -C 24 alkylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-aryl), carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO—), carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH 2 ), C 1 -C 24 alkyl-carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)), arylcarbamoyl (—(CO)—NH-aryl), thiocarbamoyl (—(CS)—NH 2 ), carbamido (—NH—(CO)—NH 2 ), cyano (—CN), isocyano (—N+C—), cyanato (—O—CN), isocyanato (—O—N+=C—), isothiocyanato (—S—CN), azido (—N═N+=N—), formyl (—(CO)—H), thioformyl (—(CS)—H), amino (—NH 2 ), mono- or di-(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)-amino, mono- or di-(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)-amino that is substituted with at least one hydroxyl, C 5 -C 20 aryl amino, C 2 -C 24 alkylamido (—NH—(CO)-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylamido (—NH—(CO)-aryl), sulfanamido (—SO 2 N(R) 2 where R is independently H, alkyl, aryl or heteroaryl), imino, alkylimino, arylimino, nitro (—NO 2 ), nitroso (—NO), sulfo (—SO 2 —OH), sulfonato (—SO 2 —O—), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfanyl, arylsulfanyl, C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfinyl (—(SO)-alkyl), C 5 -C 20 arylsulfinyl (—(SO)-aryl), C 1 -C 24 alkylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -alkyl), C 5 -C 20 arylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -aryl), sulfonamide (—SO 2 —NH 2 , —SO 2 NY 2 (wherein Y is independently H, arlyl or alkyl), phosphono (—P(O)(OH) 2 ), phosphonato (—P(O)(O − ) 2 ), phosphinato (—P(O)(O − )), phospho (—PO 2 ), phosphino (—PH 2 ), polyalkyl ethers (—[(CH 2 ) n O] m ), phosphates, phosphate esters [—OP(O)(OR) 2 where R═H, methyl or other alkyl;

X 6 is N or CH.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 15-PGDH inhibitor has an IC50 for 15-PGDH of less than 1 μM.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 15-PGDH inhibitor has an IC50 for 15-PGDH of less than 250 nM.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 15-PGDH inhibitor has an IC50 for 15-PGDH of less than 50 nM.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 15-PGDH inhibitor has an IC50 for 15-PGDH of less than 10 nM.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 15-PGDH inhibitor has an IC50 of less than 5 nM.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

R 1 is C 3 -C 7 cycloalkyl or C 1 -C 24 alkoxy;

R 6 is

and R 58 is halo, C(O)NH 2 , C 1 -C 24 alkyl, amino, or mono- or di-(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)-amino that is optionally substituted with at least one hydroxyl;

R 7 is

and R 33 , R 34 , and R 48 are the same or different and are independently C 1 -C 24 alkyl, —OOH, mono- or di-(C 1 -C 24 alkyl)-amino, —C(O)NH 2 , or —C(O)NH(C 1 -C 24 alkyl); and

X 6 is N or CH.