2,6-Disubstituted pyran-4-one and thiopyran-4-one inhibitors of DNA-Dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK)

6-Aryl-2-morpholin-4-yl-4H-pyran-4-ones and 6-aryl-2-morpholin-4-yl-4H-thiopyran-4-ones were synthesised and evaluated as potential inhibitors of the DNA repair enzyme DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). Several compounds in each series exhibited superior activity to the chromenone LY294002, and were of comparable potency to the benzochromenone NU7026 (IC50=0.23 μM). Importantly, members of both structural classes were found to be selective inhibitors of DNA-PK over related phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase (PIKK) family members. A multiple-parallel synthesis approach, employing Suzuki cross-coupling methodology, was utilised to prepare libraries of thiopyran-4-ones with a range of aromatic groups at the 3′- and 4′-positions on the thiopyran-4-one 6-aryl ring. Screening of the libraries resulted in the identification of 6-aryl-2-morpholin-4-yl-4H-thiopyran-4-ones bearing naphthyl or benzo[b]thienyl substituents at the 4′-position, as potent DNA-PK inhibitors with IC50 values in the 0.2–0.4 μM range.