Synthesis of enantiomerically pure αvβ3 integrin ligands based on a 5,6-dihydropyridin-2-one scaffold

The fundamental importance of αvβ3 integrin in a diverse range of biological processes, makes the search for new ligands of this receptors a significant therapeutic goal. We herein report our initial results on the synthesis of 5,6-dihydropyridin-2-one based ligands, containing a rigid heterocyclic core and two appendages mimicking arginine and aspartic acid moieties. In particular, we explored the influence of the scaffold stereochemistry on bioactivity, performing SK-MEL-24 cell-fibronectin adhesion tests on diastereoisomers, that differ in the configuration at C6.