Conformationally restricted mimics of vitamin D rotamers

Drug developments in the vitamin D field have continued to focus on structure-function studies of analogs produced by chemically modifying the structure of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) (1,25-D3) and its metabolites. Direct structural information gleaned from X-ray crystallographic or NMR studies regarding the ligand-receptor complex and other guest-host systems, which are likely involved in initiating biologic responses, also offers potential insight into drug design. Evidence has accrued suggesting that topologically different conformers of 1,25-D3 may bind to proteins in different ways, including the induction of different conformations of protein. This paper concerns our progress on the chemical synthesis of analogs (e.g. ansa-steroids, suprasterols, vinylallenes and other analogs) conformationally locked or at least rotationally restricted to mimic higher energy conformers of 1,25-D3.