A set of new aryloxy-quinones were synthesized and evaluated in vitro against the epimastigote form of Trypanosoma cruzi and their unspecific cytotoxicity was tested on murine macrophages J-774 cells. Most of these novel compounds were found to be much more potent and selective than the standard drug nifurtimox. Interestingly, 2-phenoxy-naphthoquinone 3b displayed a remarkable nanomolar inhibitory activity, IC₅₀ = 20 nM, and a high selectivity index, SI = 625. The E_pc1 was determined for the most interesting compounds and no correlation with the trypanosomicidal effect was found. Therefore, an in silico study was carried out to obtain a pharmacophoric model and quantitative structure–trypanosomicidal activity relationship. The designed pharmacophore recognized the more potent and selective molecules, exhibiting five pharmacophoric features. A correlation coefficient R² of 0.99 of pIC₅₀ plotted against the predicted values indicated that the 3D-QSAR equation could be applied to further predictions of newly designed trypanosomicidal compounds.

Since the Hedgehog signaling pathway has been associated with cancer, it has emerged as a therapeutic target for cancer therapy. The main target among the key Hedgehog proteins is the GPCR-like Smo receptor. Therefore, some Smo antagonists that have entered clinical trials, including the US FDA-approved drugs vismodegib and sonidegib, to treat basal cell carcinoma and medulloblastoma. However, early resistance of these drugs has spawned the need to understand the molecular bases of this phenomena. We therefore reviewed details about Smo receptor structures and the best Smo antagonist chemical structures. In addition, we discussed strategies that should be considered to develop new, safer generations of Smo antagonists that avoid current clinical limitations.

The wide tissue distribution of the adrenergic β3 receptor makes it a potential target for the treatment of multiple pathologies such as diabetes, obesity, depression, overactive bladder (OAB), and cancer. Currently, there is only one drug on the market, mirabegron, approved for the treatment of OAB. In the present study, we have carried out an extensive structure-activity relationship analysis of a series of 41 aryloxypropanolamine compounds based on three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) techniques. This is the first combined comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity index analysis (CoMSIA) study in a series of selective aryloxypropanolamines displaying anti-diabetes and anti-obesity pharmacological profiles. The best CoMFA and CoMSIA models presented values of r²_ncv = 0.993 and 0.984 and values of r²_test = 0.865 and 0.918, respectively. The results obtained were subjected to extensive external validation (q², r², r²_m, etc.) and a final series of compounds was designed and their biological activity was predicted (best pEC₅₀ = 8.561).

In a previous work (L. R. Domingo, M. J. Aurell, P. Perez and R. Contreras, Tetrahedron 2002, 58, 4417) we proposed that the difference in global electrophilicity index be taken as a measure of the polarity at the transition state in intermolecular Diels–Alder reactions. We herein extend this model to deal with intramolecular Diels–Alder (IMDA) processes. The transferability of the empirical reactivity rules established for the intermolecular DA reactions to the IMDA reactions is discussed. The analysis based on group electrophilicity and nucleophilicity in general fails because having two different reactivity patterns within the same molecule hampers a clean classification of electrophilicity and nucleophilicity of the interacting fragments. We introduce dual philicity indexes E1 and E2 that solve this problem by separating a series of 30 IMDA reactions into two families, namely the diene to dienophile electron flow (DDpF) and the dienophile to diene electron flow (DpDF) processes. The new indexes correctly describe the charge transfer at the transition state and the reaction mechanism expected for the title reactions.