A triazole-conjugated benzoxazone induces reactive oxygen species and promotes autophagic apoptosis in human lung cancer cells

Recent updates on 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids with in vivo therapeutic potential against cancers: A mini-review

1,2,3-Triazole moiety which is usually constructed by highly versatile, efficacious and selective copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition not only can act as a linker to connect different pharmacophores, but also is a useful pharmacophore with diverse biological properties. 1,2,3-Triazoles are readily interact with diverse enzymes and receptors in cancer cells through non-covalent interactions and can inhibit cancer cell proliferation, arrest cell cycle and induce apoptosis. In particular, 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids have the potential to exert dual or multiple anticancer mechanisms of action, representing useful scaffolds in expediting development of novel anticancer agents. The current review summarizes the in vivo anticancer efficacy and mechanisms of action of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids reported in the last decade to continuously open up a map for the remarkable exploration of more effective candidates.

1,2,3-Triazole-containing hybrids as potential anticancer agents: Current developments, action mechanisms and structure-activity relationships

Anticancer agents are critical for the cancer treatment, but side effects and the drug resistance associated with the currently used anticancer agents create an urgent need to explore novel drugs with low side effects and high efficacy. 1,2,3-Triazole is privileged building block in the discovery of new anticancer agents, and some of its derivatives have already been applied in clinics or under clinical trials for fighting against cancers. Hybrid molecules occupy an important position in cancer control, and hybridization of 1,2,3-triazole framework with other anticancer pharmacophores may provide valuable therapeutic intervention for the treatment of cancer, especially drug-resistant cancer. This review emphasizes the recent advances in 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids with anticancer potential, covering articles published between 2015 and 2019, and the structure-activity relationships, together with mechanisms of action are also discussed.

Anti-GPC3 antibody-modified sorafenib-loaded nanoparticles significantly inhibited HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma

Sorafenib (SFB) has improved the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and has fewer severe side effects than other agents used for that purpose. However, due to a lack of tumor-specific targeting, the concentration of the drug in tumor tissue cannot be permanently maintained at a level that inhibits tumor growth. To overcome this problem, we developed a novel SFB-loaded polymer nanoparticle (NP). The NP (a TPGS-b-PCL copolymer that was synthesized from ε-caprolactone and d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) via ring-opening polymerization) contains Pluronic P123 and SFB, and its surface is modified with anti-GPC3 antibody to produce the polymer nanoparticle (NP-SFB-Ab). The Ab-conjugated NPs had higher cellular uptake by HepG2 cells than did non-antibody-conjugated SPD-containing nanoparticles (NP-SFB). The NP-SFB-Ab also displayed better stability characteristics, released higher levels of SFB into cell culture medium, and was more cytotoxic to tumor cells than was non-targeted NP-SFB and free SFB. The NP-SFB-Ab downregulated expression of the anti-apoptosis molecule MCL-1, which led to polymerization of Bax and Bak in mitochondrial cytosol. The NP-SFB-AB also promoted the mitochondrial release of cytochrome C, resulting in cellular apoptosis. Moreover, the NP-SFB-Ab significantly inhibited the growth of HepG2 xenograft tumors in nude mice without producing obvious side effects. These findings suggest that NP-SFB-Ab is a promising new method for achieving targeted therapy of HCC.

Antiproliferative and Antioxidative Bioactive Compounds in Extracts of Marine-Derived Endophytic Fungus Talaromyces purpureogenus

Endophytic fungi are now recognized as sources of pharmacologically beneficial, novel bioactive compounds. This study was carried out to evaluate antiproliferative and antioxidative potential of a seaweed endophytic fungus Talaromyces purpureogenus. Extracts with different solvents of the fungus grown on different liquid media were assayed for the antiproliferative and antioxidative activities. Tested 6 cancer cell lines, the highest antiproliferative activity was observed in ethyl acetate extract of total culture grown in Potato Dextrose Broth for 28 days in a dose-dependent manner. The highest antioxidative activity was observed in hexane extract of fungal culture grown in Malt Extract Broth for 21 days. Analyzed for secondary metabolites, the extract revealed the presence of phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids and terpenoids. Further, Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GCMS) analysis of the extract revealed the presence of several compounds including 3-nitropropanoic acid, 4H-pyran-4-one 5-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl), hexadecanoic acid, and octadecanoic acid, known to be cytotoxic or antioxidative. Among different cell lines tested, HeLa cells were the most vulnerable to the treatment of the fungal extract with an IC50 value of 101 ± 1 μg/mL. The extract showed no significant cytotoxicity to the normal human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK 293 T) in the MTT assay. The ethyl acetate extract induced membrane damage and mitochondrial depolarization and thereby apoptosis and cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. The study marks marine-derived endophytes as potential sources for discovery of novel drugs.