Exploration of thiazolidine-2,4-diones as tyrosine kinase inhibitors: Design, synthesis, ADMET, docking, and antiproliferative evaluations

Anticancer evaluations of iodoquinazoline substituted with allyl and/or benzyl as dual inhibitors of EGFRWT and EGFRT790M: design, synthesis, ADMET and molecular docking

Fifteen new iodoquinazoline derivatives, 5a,b to 18, are reported in this study and their anticancer evaluation as dual inhibitors of EGFRWT and EGFRT790M. The new derivatives were designed according to the target of structural requirements of receptors. Cytotoxicity of our compounds was evaluated against MCF-7, A549, HCT116 and HepG2 cell lines using MTT assay. Compounds 18, 17 and 14b showed the highest anticancer effects with IC50 = 5.25, 6.46, 5.68 and 5.24 μM, 5.55, 6.85, 5.40 and 5.11 μM and 5.86, 7.03, 6.15 and 5.77 μM against HepG2, MCF-7, HCT116 and A549 cell lines, respectively. The eight highly effective compounds 10, 13, 14a, 14b, 15, 16, 17 and 18 were inspected against VERO normal cell lines to evaluate their cytotoxicity. Our conclusion was that compounds 10, 13, 14a, 14b, 15, 16, 17 and 18 possessed low toxicity against VERO normal cells with IC50 increasing from 43.44 to 52.11 μM. All compounds were additionally assessed for their EGFRWT and EGFRT790M inhibitory activities. Additionally, their ability to bind with EGFRWT and EGFR receptors was confirmed by molecular docking. Compound 17 exhibited the same inhibitory activity as erlotinib. Compounds 10, 13, 14b, 16 and 18 excellently inhibited VEGFR-2 activity with IC50 ranging from 0.17 to 0.50 μM. Moreover, compounds 18, 17, 14b and 16 remarkably inhibited EGFRT790M activity with IC50 = 0.25, 0.30, 0.36 and 0.40 μM respectively. As planned, compounds 18, 17 and 14b showed excellent dual EGFRWT/EGFRT790M inhibitory activities. Finally, our compounds 18, 17 and 14b displayed good in silico ADMET calculated profiles.

2-Thioxo-3,4-dihydropyrimidine and thiourea endowed with sulfonamide moieties as dual EGFRT790M and VEGFR-2 inhibitors: Design, synthesis, docking, and anticancer evaluations

The effectiveness of a new series of thiopyrimidine and thiourea containing sulfonamides moieties was tested on HCT-116, MCF-7, HepG2, and A549. HepG2 cell line was the one that all the new derivatives affected the most. The greatest potent compounds against the four HepG2, HCT116, MCF-7, and A549 cell lines were 8f and 8g with IC50  = 4.13, 6.64, 5.74, 6.85 µM and 4.09, 4.36, 4.22, 7.25 µM correspondingly. Compound 8g exhibited higher activity than sorafenib against HCT116 and MCF-7 but exhibited lower activity against HepG2 and A549. Moreover, compounds 8f and 8g exhibited higher activities than erlotinib on HepG2, HCT116, and MCF-7 but demonstrated lower activity on A549. The most potent cytotoxic derivatives 6f, 6g, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, and 8g were examined on normal VERO cell lines. Our derivatives have low toxicity on VERO cells with IC50 values ranging from 32.05 to 53.15 μM. Additionally, all compounds were assessed for dual VEGFR-2 and EGFRT790M inhibition effects. Compounds 8f and 8g were the most potent derivatives inhibited VEGFR-2 at IC50 value of 0.88 and 0.90 µM, correspondingly. As well, derivatives 8f and 8g could inhibit EGFRT790M demonstrating strongest effects with IC50  = 0.32 and 0.33 µM sequentially. Additionally, the greatest active derivatives ADMET profile was evaluated in relationship with sorafenib and erlotinib as reference agents. The data attained from docking were greatly related to that achieved from the biological testing.

Iodoquinazoline-derived VEGFR-2 and EGFRT790M dual inhibitors: Design, synthesis, molecular docking and anticancer evaluations

Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of new fourteen iodoquinazoline derivatives 7a-c to 13a-e and their evaluation as potential anticancer agents via dual targeting of EGFRT790M and VEGFR-2. The new derivatives were designed according to the target receptors structural requirements. The compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against HepG2, MCF-7, HCT116 and A549 cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Compound 13e showed the highest anticancer activities with IC50 = 5.70, 7.15, 5.76 and 6.50 µM against HepG2, MCF-7, HCT116 and A549 cell lines correspondingly. Compounds 7c, 9b and 13a-d exhibited very good anticancer effects against the tested cancer cell lines. The highly effective six derivatives 7c, 10, 13b, 13c, 13d and 13e were examined against VERO normal cell lines to estimate their cytotoxic capabilities. Our conclusion revealed that compounds 7c, 10, 13b, 13c, 13d and 13e possessed low toxicity against VERO normal cells with IC50 prolonging from 41.66 to 53.99 μM. Also compounds 7a-c to 13a-e were further evaluated for their inhibitory activity against EGFRT790M and VEGFR-2. Also, their ability to bind with both EGFR and VEGFR-2 receptors was examined by molecular modeling. Compounds 13e, 13d, 7c and 13c excellently inhibited VEGFR-2 activity with IC50 = 0.90, 1.00, 1.25 and 1.50 µM respectively. Moreover, Compounds 13e, 7c, 10 and 13d excellently inhibited EGFRT790M activity with IC50 = 0.30, 0.35, 0.45 and 0.47 µM respectively. Finally, our derivatives 7b, 13d and 13e showed good in silico calculated ADMET profile.

Epidermal growth factor receptor dual-target inhibitors as a novel therapy for cancer: A review

Overexpression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been linked to several human cancers, including esophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, anal cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer, particularly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Therefore, EGFR has emerged as a critical target for treating solid tumors. Many 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-generation EGFR single-target inhibitors with clinical efficacy have been designed and synthesized in recent years. Drug resistance caused by EGFR mutations has posed a significant challenge to the large-scale clinical application of EGFR single-target inhibitors and the discovery of novel EGFR inhibitors. Therapeutic methods for overcoming multipoint EGFR mutations are still needed in medicine. EGFR dual-target inhibitors are more promising than single-target inhibitors as they have a lower risk of drug resistance, higher efficacy, lower dosage, and fewer adverse events. EGFR dual-target inhibitors have been developed sequentially to date, providing new options for remission in patients with previously untreatable malignancies and laying the groundwork for a future generation of compounds. This paper introduces the EGFR family proteins and their synergistic effects with other anticancer targets, and provides a comprehensive review of the development of EGFR dual-target inhibitors in cancer, as well as the opportunities and challenges associated with those fields.

Five and six membered heterocyclic rings endowed with azobenzene as dual EGFRT790M and VEGFR-2 inhibitors: design, synthesis, in silico ADMET profile, molecular docking, dynamic simulation and anticancer evaluations

Novel azobenzene scaffold-joined heterocyclic isoxazole, pyrazole, triazole, and/or triazine moieties have been developed and synthesized utilizing microwave and traditional methods. Our compounds were tested for growth inhibition of A549, MCF-7, HCT-116, and HepG2 tumors by dual targeting the VEGFR-2 and EGFRT790M enzymes. The suggested compound's manner of binding with EGFRT790M and VEGFR-2 active sites was explored through molecular design and MD modeling. The information from the results of the biological screening and the docking studies was highly correlated. The A549 cell line was the one that responded to the novel compound's effects most effectively. Having IC50 values of 5.15, 6.37, 8.44 and 6.23 μM, respectively, 14 was the most effective derivative on the four A549, MCF-7, HCT116 and HepG2 cancer cells. It had greater activity than erlotinib and slightly inferior activities on the tested cell lines than sorafenib, respectively. The cytotoxicity of the most effective derivatives, 5, 6, 10 and 14, was evaluated against typical VERO cell lines. Having IC50 values ranging from 42.32 to 55.20 μM, the results showed that the investigated drugs have modest toxicity against VERO normal cells. Additionally all derivatives were assessed for their dual VEGFR-2 and EGFRT790M inhibitory effects. Among them, derivatives 14, 5 and 10 were established as the greatest inhibitors of VEGFR-2 at IC50 values of 0.95, 1.25 and 1.50 μM correspondingly. As well, derivatives 14, 6, 5 and 10 could inhibit EGFRT790M activity demonstrating strongest effects with IC50 = 0.25, 0.35, 0.40 and 0.50 μM respectively. Furthermore, the ADMET profile was evaluated for compounds 5, 6, 10 and 14 in contrast to reference drugs sorafenib and erlotinib.

New quinazoline sulfonamide derivatives as potential anticancer agents: Identifying a promising hit with dual EGFR/VEGFR-2 inhibitory and radiosensitizing activity

Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of new quinazoline sulfonamide conjugates 2-16 and their evaluation as potential anticancer agents via dual targeting of EGFRT790M and VEGFR-2. The newly synthesized compounds were designed based on the structure requirements of the target receptors and were confirmed using spectral data. The compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against four cancer cell lines (HepG2, MCF-7, HCT116 and A549) using MTT assay. The most active compounds were further evaluated for their inhibitory activity against EGFRT790M and VEGFR-2. Compound 15 showed the most significant cytotoxic activity with IC50 = 0.0977 µM against MCF-7 and the most potent inhibitory activity against both EGFR and VEGFR with IC50 = 0.0728 and 0.0523 µM, respectively. Compound 15 was able to induce apoptosis in MCF-7 cells and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. The relative safety profile of 15 was assessed using HEK-293 normal cell line and an ADMET profile was carried out. Radiosensitizing evaluation of 15 proved its significant ability to sensitize the cancer cell to the effect of radiation after being subjected to a single dose of 8 Gy gamma irradiation. Molecular docking studies revealed that 15 could bind to the ATP-binding site of EGF and VEGF receptors, inhibiting their activity.

Design, Synthesis, Anticancer Evaluation and Molecular Modeling Studies of New Thiazolidinone-Benzoate Scaffold as EGFR Inhibitors, Cell Cycle Interruption and Apoptosis Inducers in HepG2

Synthesis of new anticancer candidates with protein kinases inhibitory potency is a major goal of pharmaceutical science and synthetic research. This current work represents the synthesis of a series of substituted benzoate-thiazolidinones. Most prepared thiazolidinones were evaluated in vitro for their potential anticancer activity against three cell lines by MTT assay, and they found to be more effective against cancer cell lines with no harm toward normal cells. Thiazolidinones 5 c and 5 h were further evaluated to be kinase inhibitors against EGFR showing effective inhibitory impact (with IC50 value; 0.2±0.009 and 0.098±0.004 μM, for 5 c and 5 h, respectively). Furthermore, 5 c and 5 h have effects on cell cycle and apoptosis induction capability in HepG2 cell lines by DNA-flow cytometry analysis and annexin V-FITC apoptosis assay, respectively. The results showed that they have effect of disrupting the cell cycle and causing cell mortality by apoptosis in the treated cells. Moreover, molecular docking studies showed better binding patterns for 5 c and 5 h with the active site of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein kinase (PDB code 1M17). Finally, toxicity risk and physicochemical characterization by Osiris method was performed on most of the compounds, revealing excellent properties as possible drugs.

Novel promising benzoxazole/benzothiazole-derived immunomodulatory agents: Design, synthesis, anticancer evaluation, and in silico ADMET analysis

Eleven novel benzoxazole/benzothiazole-based thalidomide analogs were designed and synthesized to obtain new effective antitumor immunomodulatory agents. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against HepG-2, HCT-116, PC3, and MCF-7 cells. Generally, the open analogs with semicarbazide and thiosemicarbazide moieties (10, 13a-c, 14, and 17a,b) exhibited higher cytotoxic activities than derivatives with closed glutarimide moiety (8a-d). In particular, compound 13a (IC50  = 6.14, 5.79, 10.26, and 4.71 µM against HepG-2, HCT-116, PC3, and MCF-7, respectively) and 14 (IC50  = 7.93, 8.23, 12.37, and 5.43 µM, respectively) exhibited the highest anticancer activities against the four tested cell lines. The most active compounds 13a and 14 were further evaluated for their in vitro immunomodulatory activities on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), caspase-8 (CASP8), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nuclear factor kappa-B p65 (NF-κB p65) in HCT-116 cells. Compounds 13a and 14 showed a remarkable and significant reduction in TNF-α. Furthermore, they showed significant elevation in CASP8 levels. Also, they significantly inhibited VEGF. In addition, compound 13a showed significant decreases in the level of NF-κB p65 while compound 14 demonstrated an insignificant decrease with respect to thalidomide. Moreover, our derivatives exhibited good in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicity (ADMET) profiles.

Design, synthesis, and docking of novel thiazolidine-2,4-dione multitarget scaffold as new approach for cancer treatment

Novel thiazolidine-2,4-diones have been developed and estimated as conjoint inhibitors of EGFR^T790M and VEGFR-2 against HCT-116, MCF-7, A549, and HepG2 cells. Compounds 6a, 6b, and 6c were known to be the dominant advantageous congeners against HCT116 (IC₅₀  = 15.22, 8.65, and 8.80 µM), A549 (IC₅₀  = 7.10, 6.55, and 8.11 µM), MCF-7 (IC₅₀  = 14.56, 6.65, and 7.09 µM) and HepG2 (IC₅₀  = 11.90, 5.35, and 5.60 µM) mass cell lines, correspondingly. Although compounds 6a, 6b, and 6c disclosed poorer effects than sorafenib (IC₅₀  = 4.00, 4.04, 5.58, and 5.05 µM) against the tested cell sets, congeners 6b and 6c demonstrated higher actions than erlotinib (IC₅₀  = 7.73, 5.49, 8.20, and 13.91 µM) against HCT116, MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, yet lesser performance on A549 cells. The hugely effective derivatives 4e-i and 6a-c were inspected versus VERO normal cell strains. Compounds 6b, 6c, 6a, and 4i were found to be the most effective derivatives, which suppressed VEGFR-2 by IC₅₀  = 0.85, 0.90, 1.50, and 1.80 µM, respectively. Moreover, compounds 6b, 6a, 6c, and 6i could interfere with the EGFR^T790M performing strongest effects with IC₅₀  = 0.30, 0.35, 0.50, and 1.00 µM, respectively. What is more, 6a, 6b, and 6c represented satisfactory in silico computed ADMET profile.

Design, synthesis, anticancer evaluation, in silico docking and ADMET analysis of novel indole-based thalidomide analogs as promising immunomodulatory agents

In the present work, novel 16 indole-based thalidomide analogs were designed and synthesized to obtain new effective antitumor immunomodulatory agents. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against HepG-2, HCT-116, PC3 and MCF-7 cell lines. Generally, the opened analogs of glutarimide ring exhibited higher activities than the closed ones. Compounds 21a-b and 11d,g showed strong potencies against all tested cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 8.27 to 25.20 µM comparable to that of thalidomide (IC50 values ranging from 32.12 to 76.91 µM). The most active compounds were further evaluated for their in vitro immunomodulatory activities via estimation of human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), human caspase-8 (CASP8), human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nuclear factor kappa-B P65 (NF-κB P65) in HCT-116 cells. Thalidomide was used as a positive control. Compounds 11g, 21a and 21b showed remarkable significant reduction in TNF-α. Furthermore, compounds 11g, 21a and 21b showed significant elevation in CASP8 levels. Compounds 11g and 21a significantly inhibited VEGF. In addition, derivatives 11d, 11g and 21a showed significant decrease in level of NF-κB p65. Moreover, our derivatives exhibited good in silico docking and ADMET profile.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.