Tricyclic compounds and uses thereof

A compound having a structure selected from Formulas I to IV:

• wherein the stereocenters marked with an asterisk (*) may be R— or S— and
• R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are independently
• H;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl;
• optionally substituted C2-C20 linear or branched alkenyl;
• optionally substituted C6-C20 aryl, linear or branched alkylaryl, linear or branched alkenylaryl;
• COOR where R is H, optionally substituted C1-C20 alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C20 alkenyl or optionally substituted C6-C10 aryl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable counter-ion;
• CONR′R″,where R′ and R″ are independently H, optionally substituted C1-C20 alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C20 alkenyl or optionally substituted C6-C10 aryl or where NR′R″ represents a cyclic moiety;
• NH2;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 alkylamino, bis(alkylamino), cycloalkylamino or cyclic amino;
• OH;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 alkoxy;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 alkanoyl;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 acyloxy;
• halo;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 alkylcarboxylamino;
• cyano;
• nitro;
• SO2NR′″R″″ where R′″ and R″″ are independenyly H, C1-C20 alkyl or aryl;
• SO2R′″ where R′″ is H, C1-C20 alkyl or aryl;
• SO3R′″ where R′″ is H, C1-C20 alkyl or aryl;
• or C4-C8 heterocycles;
• or two of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, or R6 together represent a ring;
• R7 is
• H in which case the compounds may be in tautomeric form or optionally substituted C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl;
• R8 is
• H;
• OH or O in the case of Formula I compounds;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl;
• optionally substituted C2-C20 linear or branched alkenyl;
• optionally substituted C6-C20 aryl, linear or branched alkylaryl, linear or branched alkenylaryl;
• COOR where R is H, optionally substituted C1-C20 alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C20 alkenyl or optionally substituted C6-C10 aryl, or a pharmaceutically acceptable counter-ion;
• CONR′R″, where R′ and R″ are independently H, optionally substituted C1-C20 alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C20 alkenyl or optionally substituted C6-C10 aryl or where NR′R″ represents a cyclic moiety;
• or optionally substituted alkanoyl, alkenoyl, aroyl, alkylaroyl or alkenylaroyl;
• and “A−” represents a pharmaceutically acceptable counter-ion;
• or
• R8 is absent, in which case the nitrogen does not bear a positive charge and the counter-ion “A−” is not present;
• Y and Y′ are independently
• H;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 linear or branched alkyl;
• optionally substituted C2-C20 linear or branched alkenyl;
• optionally substituted C6-C20 aryl, linear or branched alkylaryl, linear or branched alkenylaryl;
• COOR where R is H, optionally substituted C1-C20 alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C20 alkenyl or optionally substituted C6-C10 aryl or a pharmaceutically acceptable counter-ion;
• CONR′R″, where R′ and R″ are independently H, optionally substituted C1-C20 alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C20 alkenyl or optionally substituted C6-C10 aryl or where NR′R″ represents a cyclic moiety;
• NH2;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 alkylamino, bis(alkylamino), cycloalkylamino or cyclic amino;
• OH;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 alkoxy;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 alkanoyl;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 acyloxy;
• halo;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 alkylcarboxylamino;
• cyano;
• nitro;
• SO2NR′″R″″ where R′″ and R″″ are independently H, C1-C20 alkyl or aryl;
• SO2R′″ where R′″ is H, C1-C20 alkyl or aryl;
• SO3R′″ where R′″ is H, C1-C20 alkyl or aryl;
• or C4-C8 heterocycles;
• or Y and Y′ together may be joined in a ring;
• Z is
• OH;
• optionally substituted C1-C20 alkoxy;
• NR′R″, where R′ and R″ are independently H, optionally substituted C1-C20 alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C20 alkenyl or optionally substituted C6-C10 aryl or where NR′R″ represents a cyclic moiety;
• or SR′″″ where R′″″ is H, optionally substituted C1-C20 alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C20 alkenyl or optionally substituted C6-C10 aryl;
• Z′ is
• O;
• S;
• or NR′″″, where R′″″ is H, optionally substituted C1-C20 alkyl, optionally substituted C2-C20 alkenyl or optionally substituted C6-C10 aryl;
• with the provisos that in Formula I,
• when Y is H, then Z is OH, R8 is H, and R1, R2 and R3 are not 6-methoxy;
• when Y is methyl or substituted benzyl, then R1, R2 and R3 do not comprise 6,7-dimethoxy or 5,6,7-trimethoxy or 6,7,8-trimethoxy;
• and when Z is OH, at least one R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 is not H;
• in Formula II,
• when Y is H and Y′ is H, then Z′ is O, R8 is H, and R1R2 and R3 are not 6-methoxy;
• when Y is H and Y′ is methyl or substituted benzyl, then R1, R2 and R3 do not comprise 6,7-dimethoxy or 5,6,7-trimethoxy or 6,7,8-trimethoxy;
• and
• when Z′ is O, at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 is not H;
• in Formula III,
• when Y is H and Y′ is H, then Z is OH, R8 is H, and R1, R2 and R3 are not 6-methoxy;
• when Y is H and Y′ is methyl or substituted benzyl, then R1, R2 and R3 do not comprise 6,7-dimethoxy or 5,6,7-trimethoxy or 6,7,8-trimethoxy;
• and
• when Z is OH or alkoxy, at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 is not H;
• in Formula IV,
• when Y is H and Y′ is H, then Z is OH, R8 is H, and R1, R2 and R3 are not 6-methoxy;
• when Y is H and Y′ is methyl or substituted benzyl, then R1, and R2 and R3 do not comprise 6,7-dimethoxy or 5,6,7-trimethoxy or 6,7,8-trimethoxy;
• and
• when Z is OH, at least one of R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 and R7 is not H.