Synthesis and biological evaluation of a class of 5-benzylidene-2-phenyl-thiazolinones as potent 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors

A class of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) inhibitors characterized by a central 5-benzylidene-2-phenyl-thiazolinone scaffold was synthesized as a new series of molecular modifications and extensions of a previously reported series. Compounds were tested in a cell-based and a cell-free assay and furthermore evaluated for their influence on cell viability. The presented substituted thiazolinone scaffold turned out to be essential for both the 5-LO inhibitory activity and the non-cytotoxic profile. With (Z)-5-(4-methoxybenzylidene)-2-(naphthalen-2-yl)-5H-thiazol-4-one (2k, ST1237), a potent, direct, non-cytotoxic 5-LO inhibitor with IC50 of 0.08 μM and 0.12 μM (cell-free assay and intact cells), we present a promising lead optimization and development for further investigations as novel anti-inflammatory drug.