Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase (PIKK) inhibitors: importance of the morpholine ring

One-Pot Synthesis of Enantiopure Spiro[3,4-dihydrobenzo[b][1,4]oxazine-2,3'-oxindole] via Regio- and Stereoselective Tandem Ring Opening/Cyclization of Spiroaziridine Oxindoles with Bromophenols

A highly efficient regio- and stereoselective spiroaziridine ring opening with 2-bromophenols and a subsequent tandem cyclization reaction was developed for the one-pot synthesis of enantiopure 3,4-dihydrospiro[benzo[b][1,4]oxazine-2,3'-oxindole] with excellent enantiopurity (ee up to >99%). It is further extended to asymmetric synthesis of NH-free 3,4-dihydrospiro[benzo[b][1,4]oxazine-2,3'-xindole] retaining the optical activity.

Discovery of 3-Oxabicyclo[4.1.0]heptane, a Non-nitrogen Containing Morpholine Isostere, and Its Application in Novel Inhibitors of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR Pathway

4-(Pyrimidin-4-yl)morpholines are privileged pharmacophores for PI3K and PIKKs inhibition by virtue of the morpholine oxygen, both forming the key hydrogen bonding interaction and conveying selectivity over the broader kinome. Key to the morpholine utility as a kinase hinge binder is its ability to adopt a coplanar conformation with an adjacent aromatic core favored by the morpholine nitrogen nonbonding pair of electrons interacting with the electron deficient pyrimidine π-system. Few selective morpholine replacements have been identified to date. Herein we describe the discovery of a potent non-nitrogen containing morpholine isostere with the ability to mimic this conformation and its application in a potent selective dual inhibitor of mTORC1 and mTORC2 (29b).

In vitro investigating of anticancer activity of new 7-MEOTA-tacrine heterodimers

A combination of biochemical, biophysical and biological techniques was used to study calf thymus DNA interaction with newly synthesized 7-MEOTA-tacrine thiourea 12-17 and urea heterodimers 18-22, and to measure interference with type I and II topoisomerases. Their biological profile was also inspected in vitro on the HL-60 cell line using different flow cytometric techniques (cell cycle distribution, detection of mitochondrial membrane potential dissipation, and analysis of metabolic activity/viability). The compounds exhibited a profound inhibitory effect on topoisomerase activity (e.g. compound 22 inhibited type I topoisomerase at 1 µM concentration). The treatment of HL-60 cells with the studied compounds showed inhibition of cell growth especially with hybrids containing thiourea (14-17) and urea moieties (21 and 22). Moreover, treatment of human dermal fibroblasts with the studied compounds did not indicate significant cytotoxicity. The observed results suggest beneficial selectivity of the heterodimers as potential drugs to target cancer cells.

Chemoproteomic Selectivity Profiling of PIKK and PI3K Kinase Inhibitors

Chemical proteomic approaches utilizing immobilized, broad-selective kinase inhibitors (Kinobeads) have proven valuable for the elucidation of a compound's target profile under close-to-physiological conditions and often revealed potentially synergistic or toxic off-targets. Current Kinobeads enrich more than 300 native protein kinases from cell line or tissue lysates but do not systematically cover phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases (PIKKs). Some PIKKs and PI3Ks show aberrant activation in many human diseases and are indeed validated drug targets. Here, we report the development of a novel version of Kinobeads that extends kinome coverage to these proteins. This is achieved by inclusion of two affinity probes derived from the clinical PI3K/MTOR inhibitors Omipalisib and BGT226. We demonstrate the utility of the new affinity matrix by the profiling of 13 clinical and preclinical PIKK/PI3K inhibitors. The large discrepancies between the PI3K affinity values obtained and reported results from recombinant assays led us to perform a phosphoproteomic experiment showing that the chemoproteomic assay is the better approximation of PI3K inhibitor action in cellulo. The results further show that NVP-BEZ235 is not a PI3K inhibitor. Surprisingly, the designated ATM inhibitor CP466722 was found to bind strongly to ALK2, identifying a new chemotype for drug discovery to treat fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

TOR inhibitors: from mammalian outcomes to pharmacogenetics in plants and algae

Target of rapamycin (TOR) is a conserved eukaryotic phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase that regulates growth and metabolism in response to environment in plants and algae. The study of the plant and algal TOR pathway has largely depended on TOR inhibitors first developed for non-photosynthetic eukaryotes. In animals and yeast, fundamental work on the TOR pathway has benefited from the allosteric TOR inhibitor rapamycin and more recently from ATP-competitive TOR inhibitors (asTORis) that circumvent the limitations of rapamycin. The asTORis, developed for medical application, inhibit TOR complex 1 (TORC1) more efficiently than rapamycin and also inhibit rapamycin-resistant TORCs. This review presents knowledge on TOR inhibitors from the mammalian field and underlines important considerations for plant and algal biologists. It discusses the use of rapamycin and asTORis in plants and algae and concludes with guidelines for physiological studies and genetic screens with TOR inhibitors.

Combating pancreatic cancer with PI3K pathway inhibitors in the era of personalised medicine

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most deadly solid tumours. This is due to a generally late-stage diagnosis of a primarily treatment-refractory disease. Several large-scale sequencing and mass spectrometry approaches have identified key drivers of this disease and in doing so highlighted the vast heterogeneity of lower frequency mutations that make clinical trials of targeted agents in unselected patients increasingly futile. There is a clear need for improved biomarkers to guide effective targeted therapies, with biomarker-driven clinical trials for personalised medicine becoming increasingly common in several cancers. Interestingly, many of the aberrant signalling pathways in PDAC rely on downstream signal transduction through the mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways, which has led to the development of several approaches to target these key regulators, primarily as combination therapies. The following review discusses the trend of PDAC therapy towards molecular subtyping for biomarker-driven personalised therapies, highlighting the key pathways under investigation and their relationship to the PI3K pathway.

One-pot, modular approach to functionalized ketones via nucleophilic addition/Buchwald-Hartwig amination strategy

A general one-pot procedure for the 1,2-addition of organolithium reagents to amides followed by the Buchwald-Hartwig amination with in situ released lithium amides is presented. In this work amides are used as masked ketones, revealed by the addition of organolithium reagents which generates a lithium amide, suitable for subsequent Buchwald-Hartwig coupling in the presence of a palladium catalyst. This methodology allows for rapid, efficient and atom economic synthesis of aminoarylketones in good yields.

Discovery of Potent, Efficient, and Selective Inhibitors of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase δ through a Deconstruction and Regrowth Approach

A deconstruction of previously reported phosphoinositide 3-kinase δ (PI3Kδ) inhibitors and subsequent regrowth led to the identification of a privileged fragment for PI3Kδ, which was exploited to deliver a potent, efficient, and selective lead series with a novel binding mode observed in the PI3Kδ crystal structure.

Kinase and Histone Deacetylase Hybrid Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy

Histone deacetylases (HDACs), encompassing at least 18 members, are promising targets for anticancer drug discovery and development. To date, five histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) have been approved for cancer treatment, and numerous others are undergoing clinical trials. It has been well validated that an agent that can simultaneously and effectively inhibit two or more targets may offer greater therapeutic benefits over single-acting agents in preventing resistance to treatment and in potentiating synergistic effects. A prime example of a bifunctional agent is the hybrid HDAC inhibitor. In this perspective, the authors review the majority of reported kinase/HDAC hybrid inhibitors.

Mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin: Recent pathological aspects and inhibitors

The mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), also known as the mechanistic target of rapamycin, regulates many normal cell processes such as transcription, cell growth, and autophagy. Overstimulation of mTOR by its ligands, amino acids, sugars, and/or growth factors leads to physiological disorders, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we reviewed the recent advances regarding the mechanism that involves mTOR in cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. The chemical and biological properties of recently reported small molecules that function as mTOR kinase inhibitors, including adenosine triphosphate-competitive inhibitors and dual mTOR/PI3K inhibitors, have also been reviewed. We focused on the reports published in the literature from 2012 to 2017.

Lowering Lipophilicity by Adding Carbon: One-Carbon Bridges of Morpholines and Piperazines

In this article, we report our investigation of a phenomenon by which bridging morpholines across the ring with one-carbon tethers leads to a counterintuitive reduction in lipophilicity. This effect was also found to occur in piperazines and piperidines and lowered the measured log D_7.4 of the bridged molecules by as much as -0.8 relative to their unbridged counterparts. As lowering lipophilicity without introducing additional heteroatoms can be desirable, we believe this potentially provides a useful tactic to improve the drug-like properties of molecules containing morpholine-, piperazine-, and piperidine-like motifs.

Purin-6-one and pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-one derivatives as potentiating agents of doxorubicin cytotoxicity

AIM

DNA damage response plays an eminent role in patients' response to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Its inhibition is of great interest as it can overcome cancer cell resistance and reduce the effective doses of DNA damaging agents. Results & methodology: We have focused our research on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinases and prepared 35 novel compounds through a scaffold hopping approach. The newly synthesized inhibitors were tested on a panel of nine cancer and one healthy cell lines alone and in combination with appropriate doses of doxorubicin.

CONCLUSION

Five novel compounds 4f, 10b, 15g, 7e and 15f in combination with doxorubicin showed significant antiproliferative effect on seven cancer cell lines while not affecting the cell growth alone.

Discovery of an Orally Bioavailable Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor Based on Sulfonyl-Substituted Morpholinopyrimidines

The discovery and optimization of a series of 2-morpholino-pyrimidine derivatives containing various sulfonyl side chains at the C₄ position led to the identification of compound 26 as a potent dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor. It exhibited high inhibitory activity against PI3Kα/β/γ/δ (IC₅₀ = 20/376/204/46 nM) and mTOR (IC₅₀ = 189 nM), potent functional suppression of AKT phosphorylation (IC₅₀ = 196 nM), and excellent antiproliferative effects on a panel of cancer cells. Enzymic data and modeling simulation indicate that a cyclopropyl ring on the C₄ sulfone chain and a fluorine on the C₆ aminopyridyl moiety are responsible for its maintained PI3K activity and enhanced mTOR potency, respectively. Furthermore, compound 26 exhibited higher efficiency in the HT-29 colorectal carcinoma xenograft model at the daily dose of 3.75 and 7.5 mg/kg relative to BKM120 at the dose of 15 and 30 mg/kg.

Synthesis and PI3 Kinase Inhibition Activity of Some Novel Trisubstituted Morpholinopyrimidines

A number of new substituted morpholinopyrimidines were prepared utilizing sequential nucleophilic aromatic substitution and cross-coupling reactions. One of the disubstituted pyrimidines was converted into two trisubstituted compounds which were screened as PI3K inhibitors relative to the well-characterized PI3K inhibitor ZSTK474, and were found to be 1.5⁻3-times more potent. A leucine linker was attached to the most active inhibitor since it would remain on any peptide-containing prodrug after cleavage by prostate-specific antigen, and it did not prevent inhibition of AKT phosphorylation and hence the inhibition of PI3K by the modified inhibitor.

Synthesis and PI 3-Kinase Inhibition Activity of Some Novel 2,4,6-Trisubstituted 1,3,5-Triazines

A number of new trisubstituted triazine phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors were prepared via a three-step procedure utilizing sequential nucleophilic aromatic substitution and cross-coupling reactions. All were screened as PI3K inhibitors relative to the well-characterized PI3K inhibitor, ZSTK474. The most active inhibitors prepared here were 2–4 times more potent than ZSTK474. A leucine linker was attached to the most active inhibitor since it would remain on any peptide-containing prodrug after cleavage by a prostate-specific antigen, and it did not prevent inhibition of protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation, and hence, the inhibition of PI3K by the modified inhibitor.

Rifamorpholines A-E, potential antibiotics from locust-associated actinobacteria Amycolatopsis sp. Hca4

Cultivation of locust associated rare actinobacteria, Amycolatopsis sp. HCa4, has provided five unusual macrolactams rifamorpholines A-E. Their structures were determined by interpretation of spectroscopic and crystallographic data. Rifamorpholines A-E possess an unprecedented 5/6/6/6 ring chromophore, representing a new subclass of rifamycin antibiotics. The biosynthetic pathway for compounds 1-5 involves a key 1,6-cyclization for the formation of the morpholine ring. Compounds 2 and 4 showed potent activities against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with MICs of 4.0 and 8.0 μM, respectively.

Objective, Quantitative, Data-Driven Assessment of Chemical Probes

Chemical probes are essential tools for understanding biological systems and for target validation, yet selecting probes for biomedical research is rarely based on objective assessment of all potential compounds. Here, we describe the Probe Miner: Chemical Probes Objective Assessment resource, capitalizing on the plethora of public medicinal chemistry data to empower quantitative, objective, data-driven evaluation of chemical probes. We assess >1.8 million compounds for their suitability as chemical tools against 2,220 human targets and dissect the biases and limitations encountered. Probe Miner represents a valuable resource to aid the identification of potential chemical probes, particularly when used alongside expert curation.

Design, synthesis and characterization of novel chromone based-copper(ii) antitumor agents with N,N-donor ligands: comparative DNA/RNA binding profile and cytotoxicity

A series of new chromone based-Cu(ii) complexes 1–3 derived from bioactive pharmacophore, 3-formylchromone and N,N-donor ligands viz., 1,10-phenanthroline, 2,2′-bipyridine and 1R,2R-DACH were synthesized as potential antitumor agents and thoroughly characterized by UV-vis, FT-IR, EPR, ESI-MS and elemental analysis. Single X-crystal diffraction studies of complex 2 revealed triclinic P1̄ space group with square pyramidal geometry around the Cu(ii) center. Comparative in vitro binding studies with ct-DNA and tRNA were carried out using absorption and emission titration experiments which revealed intercalative mode of binding with higher binding propensity of complexes 1–3 towards tRNA as compared to ct-DNA. Additionally, complex 1 exhibited high binding affinity among all the three complexes due to the involvement of phen co-ligands via π-stacking interactions in between nucleic acid base pairs. Furthermore, Hirshfeld surface analysis was carried out for complex 2 to investigate various intra and intermolecular non-covalent interactions (H-bonding, C–H⋯π etc.) accountable for stabilization of crystal lattice. The cleavage activity of complex 1 was performed by gel electrophoretic assay with pBR322 DNA and tRNA which revealed efficient DNA/tRNA cleaving ability of complex, suggesting tRNA cleavage both concentration and time dependent. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxic activity of complexes 1–3 on a selected panel of human cancer cell lines was performed which revealed that all three complexes exhibited remarkably good cytotoxic activity with GI₅₀ value < 10 μg mL⁻¹ (<20 μM).

New chromone-based Cu(ii) tRNA targeted complexes 1–3 as potential anticancer agents have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized.

Discovery of 1-(3-aryl-4-chlorophenyl)-3-(p-aryl)urea derivatives against breast cancer by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Hedgehog signalings

PI3K/Akt/mTOR and hedgehog (Hh) signalings are two important pathways in breast cancer, which are usually connected with the drug resistance and cancer migration. Many studies indicated that PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors and Hh inhibitors displayed synergistic effects, and the combination of the two signaling drugs could delay drug resistance and inhibit cancer migration in breast cancer. Therefore, the development of molecules simultaneously inhibiting these two pathways is urgent needed. Based on the structures of PI3K inhibitor buparlisib and Hh inhibitor vismodegib, a series of hybrid structures were designed and synthesized utilizing rational drug design and computer-based drug design. Several compounds displayed excellent antiproliferative activities against several breast cancer cell lines, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) MDA-MB-231 cell. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that the representative compound 9i could inhibit both PI3K/Akt/mTOR and hedgehog (Hh) signalings by inhibiting the phosphorylation of S6K and Akt as well as decreasing the SAG elevated expression of Gli1. Compound 9i could also induce apoptosis remarkably in T47D and MDA-MB-231 cells. In the transwell assay, 9i showed significant inhibition on the migration of MDA-MB-231.

Chromone as a Privileged Scaffold in Drug Discovery: Recent Advances

The use of privileged structures in drug discovery has proven to be an effective strategy, allowing the generation of innovative hits/leads and successful optimization processes. Chromone is recognized as a privileged structure and a useful template for the design of novel compounds with potential pharmacological interest, particularly in the field of neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and infectious diseases as well as diabetes and cancer. This perspective provides the reader with an update of an earlier article entitled "Chromone: A Valid Scaffold in Medicinal Chemistry" ( Chem. Rev. 2014 , 114 , 4960 - 4992 ) and is mainly focused on chromones of biological interest, including those isolated from natural sources. Moreover, as drug repurposing is becoming an attractive drug discovery approach, recent repurposing studies of chromone-based drugs are also reported.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Dimorpholine Substituted Thienopyrimidines as Potential Class I PI3K/mTOR Dual Inhibitors

Dysfunctional signaling of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in cancer and its crucial role in cell growth and survival have made it a much desired target for cancer therapeutics. A series of dimorpholine substituted thienopyrimidine derivatives had been prepared and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Among them, compound 14o was identified as a dual Class I PI3K and mTOR kinase inhibitor, which had an approximately 8-fold improvement in mTOR inhibition relative to the class I PI3K inhibitor 1 (pictilisib, GDC-0941). Western blot analysis confirmed the 14o mechanistic modulation of the cellular PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway through inhibiting phosphorylation of both AKT and S6 in human cancer cell lines. In addition, 14o demonstrated significant efficacy in SKOV-3 and U87MG tumor xenograft models without causing significant weight loss and toxicity.

Design, synthesis and DNA-binding study of some novel morpholine linked thiazolidinone derivatives

The emergence of multiple drug resistance amongst bacterial strains resulted in many clinical drugs to be ineffective. Being vulnerable to bacterial infections any lack in the development of new antimicrobial drugs could pose a serious threat to public health. Here we report design and synthesis of a novel class of morpholine linked thiazolidinone hybrid molecules. The compounds were characterized by FT-IR, NMR and HRMS techniques. Susceptibility tests showed that most of the synthesized molecules were highly active against multiple bacterial strains. Compound 3f displayed MIC values which were better than the standard drug for most of the tested strains. DNA being a well defined target for many antimicrobial drugs was probed as possible target for these synthetic molecules. DNA-binding study of 3f with sm-DNA was probed through UV-vis absorption, fluorescence quenching, gel electrophoresis and molecular docking techniques. The studies revealed that compound 3f has strong affinity towards DNA and binds at the minor groove. The docking studies revealed that the compound 3f shows preferential binding towards A/T residues.

Oxidation-Reduction Condensation of Diazaphosphites for Carbon-Heteroatom Bond Formation Based on Mitsunobu Mechanism

An efficient oxidation-reduction condensation reaction of diazaphosphites with various nonacidic pronucleophiles in the presence of DIAD as a weak oxidant has been developed for carbon-heteroatom bond formation. This mild process affords structurally diverse tertiary amines, secondary amines, esters, ethers, and thioethers in moderate to excellent yields. The selective synthesis of secondary amines from primary amines has been achieved. Importantly, a practical application to the synthesis of antiparkinsonian agent piribedil has been demonstrated.

Controlled Dimroth Rearrangement in the Suzuki-Miyaura Cross Coupling of Triazolopyridopyrimidines

Polynitrogen heterocycles are often subject to Dimroth rearrangement which consists of ring opening, bond rotation, and ring closure. In this note, we report a synthesis of two new families of triazolopyridopyrimidines. Successful functionalization via a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling was performed with total control of triazole (Dimroth) isomerization based on the judicious choice of reaction conditions.

CZ415, a Highly Selective mTOR Inhibitor Showing in Vivo Efficacy in a Collagen Induced Arthritis Model

CZ415, a potent ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitor with unprecedented selectivity over any other kinase is described. In addition to a comprehensive characterization of its activities in vitro, in vitro ADME, and in vivo pharmacokinetic data are reported. The suitability of this inhibitor for studying in vivo mTOR biology is demonstrated in a mechanistic mouse model monitoring mTOR proximal downstream phosphorylation signaling. Furthermore, the compound reported here is the first ATP-competitive mTOR inhibitor described to show efficacy in a semitherapeutic collagen induced arthritis (CIA) mouse model.

Discovery and SAR of Novel 2,3-Dihydroimidazo[1,2-c]quinazoline PI3K Inhibitors: Identification of Copanlisib (BAY 80-6946)

The phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K) pathway is aberrantly activated in many disease states, including tumor cells, either by growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases or by the genetic mutation and amplification of key pathway components. A variety of PI3K isoforms play differential roles in cancers. As such, the development of PI3K inhibitors from novel compound classes should lead to differential pharmacological and pharmacokinetic profiles and allow exploration in various indications, combinations, and dosing regimens. A screening effort aimed at the identification of PI3Kγ inhibitors for the treatment of inflammatory diseases led to the discovery of the novel 2,3‐dihydroimidazo[1,2‐c]quinazoline class of PI3K inhibitors. A subsequent lead optimization program targeting cancer therapy focused on inhibition of PI3Kα and PI3Kβ. Herein, initial structure–activity relationship findings for this class and the optimization that led to the identification of copanlisib (BAY 80‐6946) as a clinical candidate for the treatment of solid and hematological tumors are described.

Synthesis, structure elucidation, DNA-PK, PI3K, anti-platelet and anti-bacteria activity of linear 5, 6, and 10-substituted-2-morpholino-chromen-oxazine-dione and angular 3, 4, 6-substituted-8-morpholino-chromen-oxazine-2,10-dione

Coumarin, a naturally occurring or synthesised phytochemical, displays a wide range of biological activities. However, chromen-2-ones fused with 1,3-benzoxazine rings is not well documented and there is a gap in the literature which required engaging. The substituted-2-thioxo-chromen-oxazine linear compounds 14a-i and angular compounds 16a-e were synthesised from the reaction of hydroxy-substituted-chromene-carboxylic 10-13 with freshly prepared Ph₃P(SCN)₂. 2-Morpholino-substituted-chromen-oxazine-4,8-dione and 8-morpholino-substituted-chromen-oxazine-2,10-dione 15a-f and 17 were synthesised from the reaction of the corresponding oxazines 14 and 16 with morpholine. PI3K activity was observed for the hydroxy-substituted-chromene-carboxylic acid of which compound 13b showed moderate PI3Kγ (IC₅₀=5.56 μM) and PI3Kα (IC₅₀=14.7 μM) activity. Additionally, 8-morpholino-chromen-oxazine-2,10-dione 17a showed isoform selective PI3Kδ activity with IC₅₀=5.08 μM with non-DNA-PK ≥ 100 μM. Consequently compound 17a can be considered as a selective PI3Kδ inhibitor with non-DNA-PK at compound concentrations ≥100 μM.

Development of Purine-Based Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives: Potent Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors with Marked in Vitro and in Vivo Antitumor Activities

In the present study, a series of novel histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors using the morpholinopurine as the capping group were designed and synthesized. Several compounds demonstrated significant HDAC inhibitory activities and antiproliferative effects against diverse human tumor cell lines. Among them, compound 10o was identified as a potent class I and class IIb HDAC inhibitor with good pharmaceutical profile and druglike properties. Western blot analysis further confirmed that 10o more effectively increased acetylated histone H3 than panobinostat (LBH-589) and vorinostat (SAHA) at the same concentration in vitro. In in vivo efficacy evaluations of HCT116, MV4-11, Ramos, and MM1S xenograft models, 10o showed higher efficacy than SAHA or LBH-589 without causing significant loss of body weight and toxicity. All the results indicated that 10o could be a suitable candidate for treatment of both solid and hematological cancer.

Drugging ATR: progress in the development of specific inhibitors for the treatment of cancer

In this article, we review the ATR inhibitor field from initial pharmacological tools to first-generation clinical candidates with the potential to bring benefit to cancer patients. ATR is a critical part of the cell DNA-damage response. Over the past decade or more, compounds with weak ATR potency and low specificity have been used as tools in early studies to elucidate ATR pharmacology. More recently highly potent, selective and in vivo active ATR inhibitors have been developed enabling detailed preclinical in vitro and in vivo target assessment to be made. The published studies reveal the potential of ATR inhibitors for use as monotherapy or in combination with DNA-damaging agents. To date, VX-970 and AZD6738, have entered clinical assessment.

Mechanistic insights into a novel chromone-appended Cu(II) anticancer drug entity: in vitro binding profile with DNA/RNA substrates and cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and HepG2 cancer cells

A new chromone-appended Cu(ii) drug entity () was designed and synthesized as a potential anticancer chemotherapeutic agent. The structural elucidation was carried out thoroughly by elemental analysis, FT-IR, EPR, ESI-MS and single crystal X-ray crystallography. Complex resulted from the in situ methoxylation reaction of the 3-formylchromone ligand and its subsequent complexation with the copper nitrate salt in a 2 : 1 ratio, respectively. crystallized in the monoclinic P21/c space group possessing the lattice parameters, a = 8.75 Å, b = 5.07 Å, c = 26.22 Å, α = γ = 90°, β = 96.3° per unit cell. Furthermore, in vitro interaction studies of with ct-DNA and tRNA were carried out which suggested more avid binding propensity towards the RNA target via intercalative mode, which was reflected from its Kb, K and Ksv values. The gel electrophoretic mobility assay was carried out on the pBR322 plasmid DNA substrate, to ascertain the cleaving ability and the mechanistic pathway in the presence of additives, and the results revealed the efficient cleaving ability of via the oxidative pathway. In vitro cell growth inhibition via the MTT assay was carried out to evaluate the cytotoxicity of complex and IC50 values were found to be in the range of 5-10 μg mL(-1) in HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, which were found to be much lower than the IC50 values of previously reported similar Cu(ii) complexes. Additionally, in the presence of , reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels in the tested cancer cell lines increased significantly, coupled with reduced glutathione (GSH) levels. Thus, our results suggested that ROS plays an important role in cell apoptosis induced by the Cu(ii) complex and validates its potential to act as a robust anticancer drug entity.

DNA repair targeted therapy: The past or future of cancer treatment?

The repair of DNA damage is a complex process that relies on particular pathways to remedy specific types of damage to DNA. The range of insults to DNA includes small, modest changes in structure including mismatched bases and simple methylation events to oxidized bases, intra- and interstrand DNA crosslinks, DNA double strand breaks and protein-DNA adducts. Pathways required for the repair of these lesions include mismatch repair, base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair, and the homology directed repair/Fanconi anemia pathway. Each of these pathways contributes to genetic stability, and mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in these pathways have been demonstrated to promote genetic instability and cancer. In fact, it has been suggested that all cancers display defects in DNA repair. It has also been demonstrated that the ability of cancer cells to repair therapeutically induced DNA damage impacts therapeutic efficacy. This has led to targeting DNA repair pathways and proteins to develop anti-cancer agents that will increase sensitivity to traditional chemotherapeutics. While initial studies languished and were plagued by a lack of specificity and a defined mechanism of action, more recent approaches to exploit synthetic lethal interaction and develop high affinity chemical inhibitors have proven considerably more effective. In this review we will highlight recent advances and discuss previous failures in targeting DNA repair to pave the way for future DNA repair targeted agents and their use in cancer therapy.

Concise syntheses of bridged morpholines

Practical syntheses of 8-oxa-3-aza-bicyclo[3.2.1]octane and 9-oxa-3-aza-bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane, useful intermediates for synthesising kinase inhibitors, were achieved from readily available starting materials, using a solvent-free thermolytic cyclisation for the key step.