Rational Design and Identification of a Non‐Peptidic Aggregation Inhibitor of Amyloid‐β Based on a Pharmacophore Motif Obtained from <i>cyclo</i>[‐Lys‐Leu‐Val‐Phe‐Phe‐]

Abstract

Inhibition of pathogenic protein aggregation may be an important and straightforward therapeutic strategy for curing amyloid diseases. Small-molecule aggregation inhibitors of Alzheimer's amyloid-β (Aβ) are extremely scarce, however, and are mainly restricted to dye- and polyphenol-type compounds that lack drug-likeness. Based on the structure-activity relationship of cyclic Aβ16-20 (cyclo-[KLVFF]), we identified unique pharmacophore motifs comprising side-chains of Leu(2), Val(3), Phe(4), and Phe(5) residues without involvement of the backbone amide bonds to inhibit Aβ aggregation. This finding allowed us to design non-peptidic, small-molecule aggregation inhibitors that possess potent activity. These molecules are the first successful non-peptidic, small-molecule aggregation inhibitors of amyloids based on rational molecular design.