2. Academic Validation
  3. Exploring 2-Thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidines as Dual Acting GSK-3β/Aβ Aggregation Inhibitors: Implications for Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

Exploring 2-Thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidines as Dual Acting GSK-3β/Aβ Aggregation Inhibitors: Implications for Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

  • Drug Dev Res. 2025 Jun;86(4):e70112. doi: 10.1002/ddr.70112.
Sukanya Sukanya 1,  Aina Bellver-Sanchis 2,  Bhanwar Singh Choudhary 1,  Sunil Kumar 1,  Belén Pérez 3,  Antón Leandro Martínez Rodríguez 4,  Jose Brea 4 5,  Carmen Escolano 6,  Christian Griñán-Ferré 2 7,  Ruchi Malik 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Department of Pharmacy, Central University of Rajasthan, Bandarsindari, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India.
  • 2 Pharmacology Section, Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona (NeuroUB), Barcelona, Spain.
  • 3 Department of Pharmacology Therapeutics and Toxicology, Institute of Neuroscience, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
  • 4 Innopharma Screening Platform, Biofarma Research Group. Centro de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Enfermedades Crónicas (CIMUS), Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
  • 5 Health Research, Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
  • 6 Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry (Associated Unit to CSIC), Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Barcelona.
  • 7 Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
PMID: 40522257 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.70112
Abstract

The etiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is complex and multifactorial. There is a pressing need for therapies that can prevent or slow AD progression. Consequently, drug development has shifted from single-target approaches to multi-faceted strategies that emphasize early intervention rather than late-stage treatment. One promising target is glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), an enzyme implicated in tau hyperphosphorylation and Aβ plaque formation. Based on our earlier work, we synthesized 25 2-thioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine derivatives designed as GSK-3β inhibitors, tau phosphorylation inhibitors, and Aβ accumulation. Two compounds emerged as particularly effective: compound 63 (IC50 = 1.69 µM) and compound 66 (IC50 = 0.90 µM), with compound 66 identified as an ATP-competitive inhibitor of GSK-3β. Further pharmacokinetic studies and in vitro drug metabolism assessments were conducted, followed by in vivo efficacy studies using Caenorhabditis elegans. Notably, these compounds reduced phosphorylated tau levels in the BR5706 strain and decreased Aβ aggregate deposition in the CL2006 strain. Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulations were also performed on both compounds. These findings provide valuable insights into GSK-3β drug development and highlight the potential of these inhibitors as therapeutic candidates for AD by targeting both tau and Aβ, the two pathological hallmarks of AD.

Keywords

Aβ accumulation; GSK‐3β; MD simulation; alzheimer's Disease; tau phosphorylation.

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