Discovery of C-3 isoxazole substituted thiochromone S,S-dioxide derivatives as potent and selective inhibitors for monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B)

Developing new scaffolds for highly potent and selective inhibitors of human Monoamine Oxidase B (hMAO-B) is a crucial objective in enhancing the efficacy and safety in the clinical treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we have identified a series of C-3 isoxazole-substituted thiochromone S,S-dioxide derivatives that exhibit strong inhibitory activity against hMAO-B. The strategy of oxidizing thiochromone to thiochromone S,S-dioxide solves the key defect of extreme insolubility observed for thiochromone analogues. In addition, the sulfone group contributes extra hydrogen(H)-bonding interactions with Tyr435, which significantly increases the activity of thiochromone S,S-dioxide derivatives against hMAO-B. Furthermore, the presence of isoxazole group provides potential H-bonding interaction and electrostatic interaction with the residue of Tyr326, while the rigid aryl ring introduces a potential steric conflict with Phe208 of hMAO-A to improve both potency and selectivity. In our investigations, several compounds (9c, 10c, 10e, 10g, 10l and 10m) demonstrate remarkable single-digit nanomolar potency. These compounds exhibit favorable cytotoxicity profiles in both differentiated SH-SY5Y and HVSMC cells, without apparent cardiotoxic effects. Moreover, compounds 10e and 10h do not lead to an increase in ROS levels in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells, further demonstrating their potential as safe and effective hMAO-B inhibitors. These findings indicate that the C-3 isoxazole substituted thiochromone S,S-dioxide analogues are potential leading compounds for the development of selective inhibitors with high potency.