Two closely related classes of oxindole-based compounds, 1H-indole-2,3-dione 3-phenylhydrazones and 3-(anilinomethylene)-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-ones, were shown to potently inhibit cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2). The initial lead compound was prepared as a homologue of the 3-benzylidene-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one class of kinase inhibitor. Crystallographic analysis of the lead compound bound to CDK2 provided the basis for analogue design. A semiautomated method of ligand docking was used to select compounds for synthesis, and a number of compounds with low nanomolar inhibitory activity versus CDK2 were identified. Enzyme binding determinants for several analogues were evaluated by X-ray crystallography. Compounds in this series inhibited CDK2 with a potency approximately 10-fold greater than that for CDK1. Members of this class of inhibitor cause an arrest of the cell cycle and have shown potential utility in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

Most traditional cytotoxic anticancer agents ablate the rapidly dividing epithelium of the hair follicle and induce alopecia (hair loss). Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), a positive regulator of eukaryotic cell cycle progression, may represent a therapeutic strategy for prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) by arresting the cell cycle and reducing the sensitivity of the epithelium to many cell cycle-active antitumor agents. Potent small-molecule inhibitors of CDK2 were developed using structure-based methods. Topical application of these compounds in a neonatal rat model of CIA reduced hair loss at the site of application in 33 to 50% of the animals. Thus, inhibition of CDK2 represents a potentially useful approach for the prevention of CIA in cancer patients.

A variety of C17 amide-substituted 6-azaandrost-4-en-3-ones were prepared and tested versus human type 1 and 2 steroid 5 alpha-reductase (5AR) and human adrenal 3 beta-hydroxy-delta 5-steroid dehydrogenase/3-keto-delta 5-steroid isomerase (3BHSD) in order to optimize potency versus both isozymes of 5AR and selectivity versus 3BHSD. Two series of potent and selective C17 amides were discovered, 2,5-disubstituted anilides and (arylcycloalkyl)amides. Compounds from each series with picomolar IC50's versus human type 2 5AR and low nanomolar to picomolar IC50's versus human type 1 5AR possessing 100-500-fold selectivity versus 3BHSD were identified. A conformational model to predict 3BHSD potency was developed which could rationalize 3BHSD potency within three different series of compounds. Evaluation of some optimal compounds from this series in a chronic castrated rat model of 5AR inhibitor induced prostate involution, and pharmacokinetic measurements identified compounds (9, 12, 16, and 29) with good in vivo efficacy and half-life in the dog. An intact rat model of in vivo selectivity for 5AR versus 3BHSD inhibition was also developed. Dual inhibitors of both human 5AR's may show advantages over type 2 selective 5AR inhibitors, such as finasteride (1), in the treatment of disease states which depend upon dihydrotestosterone.

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Two site-specific antibodies that immunoprecipitate the human insulin receptor have been prepared by immunizing rabbits with chemically synthesized peptides derived from the cDNA-predicted amino acid sequence of the (B subunit of the proreceptor. Antibodies to the carboxyl terminus (AbP5) and to a domain around tyrosine-960 (AbP4) specifically recognize the (3 subunit of the receptor on inmunoblots.Both antibodies immunoprecipitated 12'I-labeled insulin-receptor complexes and the autophosphorylated receptor. Although neither antibody inhibited insulin binding to the receptor, both insulin-dependent autophosphorylation and exogenous substrate phosphorylation were inhibited by AbP4. Inhibition by AbP4 was dependent upon the phosphorylation state of the receptor; it was not detected when the receptor was autophosphorylated prior to addition of AbP4. AbP4 did not inhibit activity of the related epidermal growth factor (EGF)-receptor tyrosine protein kinase nor did it inhibit the activity of cAMP-dependent kinase or protein kinase C. The observation that an antibody directed to residues 952-967 of the proreceptor neutralizes the protein kinase activity of the (3 subunit suggests that this region may play a critical role in the function of the hormone-dependent, protein tyrosine-specific kinase activity of the insulin receptor.The mature insulin receptor, an integral membrane glycoprotein, is a tetramer (Mr 350,000-400,000) composed of two a subunits (Mr 135,000) and two , ( subunits (Mr 95,000) linked by disulfide bonds (1-4). The a subunit binds insulin (3-6). This interaction stimulates the phosphorylation of the ,B subunit on tyrosine, threonine, and serine residues, in intact cells (7), and on tyrosine residues, in cell-free preparations of receptor (8-15). The insulin-dependent protein tyrosine kinase also catalyzes the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues in exogenous proteins and peptides (8,(14)(15)(16)(17). The kinase activity is intrinsic to the insulin receptor, as first shown by its copurification to homogeneity with insulinbinding activity (12,13,16) and then confirmed when the homology between the deduced amino acid sequence of the

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