Identification and neuroprotective properties of NA-184, a calpain-2 inhibitor.

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, British Pharmacological Society and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101626369 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2052-1707 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 20521707 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Pharmacol Res Perspect Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: [Hoboken, NJ] : John Wiley & Sons Ltd, British Pharmacological Society and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, [2013]-

Brain Injuries*/drug therapy ; Brain Injuries, Traumatic*/drug therapy ; Neuroprotective Agents*/chemistry ; Neuroprotective Agents*/pharmacology; Animals ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Rats ; Brain/metabolism ; Calpain/antagonists & inhibitors ; Neuroprotection

Our laboratory has shown that calpain-2 activation in the brain following acute injury is directly related to neuronal damage and the long-term functional consequences of the injury, while calpain-1 activation is generally neuroprotective and calpain-1 deletion exacerbates neuronal injury. We have also shown that a relatively selective calpain-2 inhibitor, referred to as C2I, enhanced long-term potentiation and learning and memory, and provided neuroprotection in the controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice. Using molecular dynamic simulation and Site Identification by Ligand Competitive Saturation (SILCS) software, we generated about 130 analogs of C2I and tested them in a number of in vitro and in vivo assays. These led to the identification of two interesting compounds, NA-112 and NA-184. Further analyses indicated that NA-184, (S)-2-(3-benzylureido)-N-((R,S)-1-((3-chloro-2-methoxybenzyl)amino)-1,2-dioxopentan-3-yl)-4-methylpentanamide, selectively and dose-dependent inhibited calpain-2 activity without evident inhibition of calpain-1 at the tested concentrations in mouse brain tissues and human cell lines. Like NA-112, NA-184 inhibited TBI-induced calpain-2 activation and cell death in mice and rats, both male and females. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses indicated that NA-184 exhibited properties, including stability in plasma and liver and blood-brain barrier permeability, that make it a good clinical candidate for the treatment of TBI.
(© 2024 The Authors. Pharmacology Research & Perspectives published by British Pharmacological Society and American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

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W81XWH-19-1-0329 Defense Medical Research and Development Program

Keywords: calpain; epimerization; neurodegeneration; pharmacokinetics; traumatic brain injury

EC 3.4.22.- (Calpain)
0 (Neuroprotective Agents)

Date Created: 20240302 Date Completed: 20240304 Latest Revision: 20240314

20240315

PMC10907882

10.1002/prp2.1181

38429943