Syntheses and biological evaluation of 1-heteroaryl-2-aryl-1H-benzimidazole derivatives as c-Jun N-terminal kinase inhibitors with neuroprotective effects

1-Heteroaryl-2-aryl-1H-benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized as inhibitors of c-Jun N-terminal kinases, JNK3. Their activities were evaluated through measurement of Kd using SPR, JNK3 kinase assay, and cell-viability of human neuroblastoma cells. Most tested compounds showed high affinity (10μM–46nM) to JNK3. Among them, compound 16f exhibited potent activities (Kd=46nM). Especially, 16f was also found to present a potent cell protective effect (IC₅₀=1.09μM) against toxicity induced by anisomycin, showing a possibility as protective therapeutics in neuronal cell apoptosis.