Exploration and Biological Evaluation of 1,3-Diamino-7<i>H</i>-pyrrol[3,2-<i>f</i>]quinazoline Derivatives as Dihydrofolate Reductase Inhibitors

Abstract

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), a core enzyme of folate metabolism, plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of purines and thymidylate for cell proliferation and growth in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. However, the development of new DHFR inhibitors is challenging due to the limited number of scaffolds available for drug development. Hence, we designed and synthesized a new class of DHFR inhibitors with a 1,3-diamino-7<i>H</i>-pyrrol[3,2-<i>f</i>]quinazoline derivative (PQD) structure bearing condensed rings. Compound <b>6r</b> exhibited therapeutic effects on mouse models of systemic infection and thigh infection caused by methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> (MRSA) ATCC 43300. Moreover, methyl-modified PQD compound <b>8a</b> showed a strong efficacy in a murine model of breast cancer, which was better than the effects of taxol. The findings showcased in this study highlight the promising capabilities of novel DHFR inhibitors in addressing bacterial infections as well as breast cancer.