Identification of oxazolidinediones and thiazolidinediones as potent 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 inhibitors.

Novel and potent inhibitors of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 (17β-HSD3) were identified based on oxazolidinedione and thiazolidinedione derivatives, starting from a high-throughput screening hit, 5-(3-bromo-4-hydroxybenzyl)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-thiazol-2-one. 5-(3-Bromo-4-hydroxybenzylidene)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-thioxo-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one exhibited a promising activity profile and demonstrated significant selectivity over the related 17β-HSD isoenzymes and nuclear receptors.