Synthesis, molecular docking, and biological testing of new selective inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3β

The synthesis, molecular docking, and biological testing of a series of new heteroaryl-substituted oxadiazole-5-carboxamide inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) are described. The synthesis includes several stages and is based on the advanced liquid-phase combinatorial approach. Molecular docking was used for the rational selection of synthesized compounds for the subsequent biological testing. It is established that the inhibitory activity of the synthesized compounds strongly depends on the character of substituents in the phenyl ring and the nature of terminal heterocyclic fragments. The most active compounds inhibit GSK-3β at IC₅₀ in the micromolar range and can be considered as potential drug candidates.