PMID: 14505650

Authors:

Velentza AV, Wainwright MS, Zasadzki M, Mirzoeva S, Schumacher AM, Haiech J, Focia PJ, Egli M, Watterson DM

Title:

An aminopyridazine-based inhibitor of a pro-apoptotic protein kinase attenuates hypoxia-ischemia induced acute brain injury.

Journal:

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2003 Oct 20;13(20):3465-70.

Abstract:

Death associated protein kinase (DAPK) is a calcium and calmodulin regulated enzyme that functions early in eukaryotic programmed cell death, or apoptosis. To validate DAPK as a potential drug discovery target for acute brain injury, the first small molecule DAPK inhibitor was synthesized and tested in vivo. A single injection of the aminopyridazine-based inhibitor administered 6 h after injury attenuated brain tissue or neuronal biomarker loss measured, respectively, 1 week and 3 days later. Because aminopyridazine is a privileged structure in neuropharmacology, we determined the high-resolution crystal structure of a binary complex between the kinase domain and a molecular fragment of the DAPK inhibitor. The co-crystal structure describes a structural basis for interaction and provides a firm foundation for structure-assisted design of lead compounds with appropriate molecular properties for future drug development.