The concept of molecular hybridization led us to discover a novel series of coumarin-dihydropyridine hybrids that have potent osteoblastic bone formation in vitro and that prevent ovariectomy-induced bone loss in vivo. In this context, among all the compounds screened for alkaline phosphatase activity, four compounds 10, 14, 18, and 22 showed significant activity at picomolar concentrations. A series of other in vitro data strongly suggested compound 18 as the most promising bone anabolic agent, which was further evaluated for in vivo studies. From these studies compound 18 proved to be useful, which at low oral dose of 1 (mg/kg)/day body weight increased bone mass density and volume, expression of osteogenic genes (RUNX2, BMP-2, and ColI), bone formation rate (BFR), and mineral apposition rate (MAR), improved the trabecular microarchitecture, and decreased bone turn over markers in an ovariectomized rodent model for postmenopausal osteoporosis.

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In the search for effective multifunctional agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a series of novel hybrids incorporating benzofuran and chalcone fragments were designed and synthesized. These hybrids were screened by using a transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans model that expresses the human β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide. Among the hybrids investigated, (E)-3-(7-methyl-2-(4-methylbenzoyl)benzofuran-5-yl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one (4 f), (E)-3-(2-benzoyl-7-methylbenzofuran-5-yl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one (4 i), and (E)-3-(2-benzoyl-7-methylbenzofuran-5-yl)-1-(thiophen-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (4 m) significantly decreased Aβ aggregation and increased acetylcholine (ACh) levels along with the overall availability of ACh at the synaptic junction. These compounds were also found to decrease acetylcholinesterase (AChE) levels, reduce oxidative stress in the worms, lower lipid content, and to provide protection against chemically induced cholinergic neurodegeneration. Overall, the multifunctional effects of these hybrids qualify them as potential drug leads for further development in AD therapy.

A series of novel hybrids possessing chalcone and thiazole moieties were synthesized and evaluated for their antibacterial activities. In general this class of hybrids exhibited potency against Staphylococcus aureus, and in particular, compound 27 exhibited potent inhibitory activity with respect to other synthesized hybrids. Furthermore, the hemolytic and toxicity data demonstrated that the compound 27 was nonhemolytic and nontoxic to mammalian cells. The in vivo studies utilizing a S. aureus septicemia model demonstrated that compound 27 was as potent as vancomycin. The results of antibacterial activities underscore the potential of this scaffold that can be utilized for developing a new class of novel antibiotics.

A strategy for DNA-compatible, palladium-catalyzed hydroxycarbonylation of (hetero)aryl halides on DNA–chemical conjugates has been developed. This method generally provided the corresponding carboxylic acids in moderate to very good conversions for (hetero)aryl iodides and bromides, and in poor to moderate conversions for (hetero)aryl chlorides. These conditions were further validated by application within a DNA-encoded chemical library synthesis and subsequent discovery of enriched features from the library in selection experiments against two protein targets.