Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of d-Homophenylalanyl Epoxysuccinate Inhibitors of the Trypanosomal Cysteine Protease Cruzain

The binding modes of E-64c to papain combined with molecular modeling and ligand design using the crystal structure of cruzain have been used to develop new, potent d-Homophenylalanyl epoxysuccinate inhibitors of cruzain, the major cysteine protease of Trypanosoma cruzi. The most potent inhibitor 47 contains an O-benzyl hydroxamate unit and is highly specific for cruzain relative to other cysteine proteases tested.