Synthesis of phosphono dipeptides, inhibitors of cathepsin C

Abstract Phosphono dipeptides containing glycine, glycylglycine or L-alanine at N-termini and racemic phosphonic acid analogues of aromatic amino acids, as well as racemic alicyclic aminophosphonates, exhibit moderate inhibitory activity towards cathepsin C. This activity is probably due to the binding of the phosphonate moiety by a positively charged part of the enzyme which is complementary to the carboxylate part of the synthetic dipeptide products of the enzymatic reaction.