Herein we report a microscale parallel synthetic approach allowing for rapid access to libraries of N-acylated aminotriazoles and screening of their inhibitory activity against factor XIIa (FXIIa) and thrombin, which are targets for antithrombotic drugs. This approach, in combination with post-screening structure optimization, yielded a potent 7 nM inhibitor of FXIIa and a 25 nM thrombin inhibitor; both compounds showed no inhibition of the other tested serine proteases. Selected N-acylated aminotriazoles exhibited anticoagulant properties in vitro influencing the intrinsic blood coagulation pathway, but not extrinsic coagulation. Mechanistic studies of FXIIa inhibition suggested that synthesized N-acylated aminotriazoles are covalent inhibitors of FXIIa. These synthesized compounds may serve as a promising starting point for the development of novel antithrombotic drugs.
Keywords: FXIIa; aminotriazoles; covalent inhibitors; enzyme inhibitors; microscale synthesis; parallel synthesis; qNMR; thrombin; thrombosis.
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