An efficient new route for the synthesis of benzimidazo[1,2-a]quinolines has been developed via the palladium-catalyzed intramolecular Buchwald-Harwtig aryl amination of newly synthesized 2-(2'-bromoanilino)quinolines.

Fluselenamyl (5), a novel planar benzoselenazole shows traits desirable of enabling noninvasive imaging of Aβ pathophysiology in vivo; labeling of both diffuse (an earlier manifestation of neuritic plaques) and fibrillar plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain sections, and remarkable specificity for mapping Aβ compared with biomarker proteins of other neurodegenerative diseases. Employing AD homogenates, [18F]-9, a PET tracer demonstrates superior (2–10 fold higher) binding affinity than approved FDA tracers, while also indicating binding to high affinity site on Aβ plaques. Pharmacokinetic studies indicate high initial influx of [18F]-9 in normal mice brains accompanied by rapid clearance in the absence of targeted plaques. Following incubation in human serum, [18F]-9 indicates presence of parental compound up to 3h thus indicating its stability. Furthermore, in vitro autoradiography studies of [18F]-9 with AD brain tissue sections and ex vivo autoradiography studies in transgenic mouse brain sections show cortical Aβ binding, and a fair correlation with Aβ immunostaining. Finally, multiphoton- and microPET/CT imaging indicate its ability to penetrate brain and label parenchymal plaques in transgenic mice. Following further validation of its performance in other AD rodent models and nonhuman primates, Fluselenamyl could offer a platform technology for monitoring earliest stages of Aβ pathophysiology in vivo.

Emerging paradigms mandate discovery of imaging agents for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) prior to appearance of clinical symptoms. To accomplish this objective, a novel heterocyclic molecule (4) was synthesized and validated as Aβ targeted probe. The agent shows labeling of numerous diffuse Aβ plaques in confirmed AD human brain tissues and traverses the blood–brain barrier to enable labeling of parenchymal Aβ plaques in live mice (APP±/PS1±) brains.

A five-step formal synthesis of alkaloid cryptotackiene and its 2-formyl, 11-methyl/phenyl derivatives involving conjugate addition of enolate anion from cyclohexanone (or 4-methylcyclohexanone) to bis[(methylsulfanyl)methylene]-2-oxindole followed by heterocyclization in the presence of ammonium acetate as the key step has been developed. The 11-methylsulfanyl group in the initial precursor can be either desulfurized (Raney Ni) or replaced by methyl/phenyl groups via nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with appropriate Grignard reagents.