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Vlad IM, Nuță DC, Căproiu MT, Dumitrașcu F, Kapronczai E, Mük GR, Avram S, Niculescu AG, Zarafu I, Ciorobescu VA, Brezeanu AM, Limban C. Synthesis and Characterization of New N-acyl Hydrazone Derivatives of Carprofen as Potential Tuberculostatic Agents. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024; 13:212. [PMID: 38534647 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13030212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
N-acyl hydrazone (NAH) is recognized as a promising framework in drug design due to its versatility, straightforward synthesis, and attractive range of biological activities, including antimicrobial, antitumoral, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties. In the global context of increasing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics, NAHs represent potential solutions for developing improved treatment alternatives. Therefore, this research introduces six novel derivatives of (EZ)-N'-benzylidene-2-(6-chloro-9H-carbazol-2-yl)propanehydrazide, synthesized using a microwave-assisted method. In more detail, we joined two pharmacophore fragments in a single molecule, represented by an NSAID-type carprofen structure and a hydrazone-type structure, obtaining a new series of NSAID-N-acyl hydrazone derivatives that were further characterized spectrally using FT-IR, NMR, and HRMS investigations. Additionally, the substances were assessed for their tuberculostatic activity by examining their impact on four strains of M. tuberculosis, including two susceptible to rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH), one susceptible to RIF and resistant to INH, and one resistant to both RIF and INH. The results of our research highlight the potential of the prepared compounds in fighting against antibiotic-resistant M. tuberculosis strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilinca Margareta Vlad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Traian Vuia no. 6, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Diana Camelia Nuță
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Traian Vuia no. 6, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Miron Theodor Căproiu
- "C. D. Nenitzescu" Institute of Organic and Supramolecular Chemistry, 202B Splaiul Independenței, 060023 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Florea Dumitrașcu
- "C. D. Nenitzescu" Institute of Organic and Supramolecular Chemistry, 202B Splaiul Independenței, 060023 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Eleonóra Kapronczai
- Department of Chemistry, Supramolecular Organic and Organometallic Chemistry Centre, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Babeş-Bolyai University, 11 Arany János, 400028 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Georgiana Ramona Mük
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independenței 91-95, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
- "St. Stephen's" Pneumoftiziology Hospital, Șos. Ștefan cel Mare 11, 020122 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Speranta Avram
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Splaiul Independenței 91-95, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adelina Gabriela Niculescu
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest, Sos. Panduri 90-92, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Irina Zarafu
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Catalysis, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest, 4-12 Regina Elisabeta, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vanesa Alexandra Ciorobescu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Traian Vuia no. 6, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ana Maria Brezeanu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Traian Vuia no. 6, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Carmen Limban
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Traian Vuia no. 6, 020956 Bucharest, Romania
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Danciu OC, Holdhoff M, Peterson RA, Fischer JH, Liu LC, Wang H, Venepalli NK, Chowdhery R, Nicholas MK, Russell MJ, Fan TM, Hergenrother PJ, Tarasow TM, Dudek AZ. Phase I study of procaspase-activating compound-1 (PAC-1) in the treatment of advanced malignancies. Br J Cancer 2023; 128:783-792. [PMID: 36470974 PMCID: PMC9977881 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-022-02089-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Procaspase-3 (PC-3) is overexpressed in multiple tumour types and procaspase-activating compound 1 (PAC-1) directly activates PC-3 and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. This report describes the first-in-human, phase I study of PAC-1 assessing maximum tolerated dose, safety, and pharmacokinetics. METHODS Modified-Fibonacci dose-escalation 3 + 3 design was used. PAC-1 was administered orally at 7 dose levels (DL) on days 1-21 of a 28-day cycle. Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was assessed during the first two cycles of therapy, and pharmacokinetics analysis was conducted on days 1 and 21 of the first cycle. Neurologic and neurocognitive function (NNCF) tests were performed throughout the study. RESULTS Forty-eight patients were enrolled with 33 completing ≥2 cycles of therapy and evaluable for DLT. DL 7 (750 mg/day) was established as the recommended phase 2 dose, with grade 1 and 2 neurological adverse events noted, while NNCF testing showed stable neurologic and cognitive evaluations. PAC-1's t1/2 was 28.5 h after multi-dosing, and systemic drug exposures achieved predicted therapeutic concentrations. PAC-1 clinical activity was observed in patients with neuroendocrine tumour (NET) with 2/5 patients achieving durable partial response. CONCLUSIONS PAC-1 dose at 750 mg/day was recommended for phase 2 studies. Activity of PAC-1 in treatment-refractory NET warrants further investigation. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trials.gov: NCT02355535.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana C Danciu
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Clinical Trials Office, University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Matthias Holdhoff
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - James H Fischer
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Li C Liu
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Heng Wang
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Neeta K Venepalli
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rozina Chowdhery
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - M Kelly Nicholas
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Meredith J Russell
- Clinical Trials Office, University of Illinois Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Timothy M Fan
- Vanquish Oncology, Inc., Champaign, IL, USA
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- Vanquish Oncology, Inc., Champaign, IL, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | | | - Arkadiusz Z Dudek
- HealthPartners Institute, Regions Cancer Care Center, St. Paul, MN, USA
- Vanquish Oncology, Inc., Champaign, IL, USA
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3
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Kassab AE. Anticancer agents incorporating the N-acylhydrazone scaffold: Progress from 2017 to present. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2023; 356:e2200548. [PMID: 36638264 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202200548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The N-acylhydrazone motif has been shown to be particularly adaptable and promising in the area of medicinal chemistry and drug development, due to its significant biological and pharmacological characteristics. Moreover, N-acylhydrazones are appealing synthetic and biological tools because of their simple and straightforward synthesis. This scaffold has emerged as a fundamental building block for the synthesis of bioactive compounds. Particularly, the N-acylhydrazone scaffold served as a base for the synthesis of a number of potent anticancer agents acting via different mechanisms. An updated summary of the anticancer activity of N-acylhydrazone derivatives described in the literature (from 2017 to 2022) is provided in the current review. It discusses the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of N-acylhydrazone derivatives exhibiting anticancer potential, which could be helpful in designing and developing new derivatives as effective antiproliferative candidates in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa E Kassab
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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4
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Yalçınkaya S, Yalçın Azarkan S, Karahan Çakmakçı AG. Determination of the effect of L. plantarum AB6-25, L. plantarum MK55 and S. boulardii T8-3C microorganisms on colon, cervix, and breast cancer cell lines: Molecular docking, and molecular dynamics study. J Mol Struct 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2022.132939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Cardinal O, Burlot C, Fu Y, Crosley P, Hitt M, Craig M, Jenner AL. Establishing combination PAC‐1 and TRAIL regimens for treating ovarian cancer based on patient‐specific pharmacokinetic profiles using
in silico
clinical trials. COMPUTATIONAL AND SYSTEMS ONCOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/cso2.1035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Cardinal
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Université de Montréal Montréal Quebec Canada
| | - Chloé Burlot
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Université de Montréal Montréal Quebec Canada
| | - Yangxin Fu
- Department of Oncology University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Powel Crosley
- Department of Oncology University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Mary Hitt
- Department of Oncology University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada
| | - Morgan Craig
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Université de Montréal Montréal Quebec Canada
- Research Centre Sainte‐Justine University Hospital Montréal Quebec Canada
| | - Adrianne L. Jenner
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics Université de Montréal Montréal Quebec Canada
- Research Centre Sainte‐Justine University Hospital Montréal Quebec Canada
- School of Mathematical Sciences Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Queensland
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6
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Tonogai EJ, Huang S, Botham RC, Berry MR, Joslyn SK, Daniel GB, Chen Z, Rao J, Zhang X, Basuli F, Rossmeisl JH, Riggins GJ, LeBlanc AK, Fan TM, Hergenrother PJ. Evaluation of a procaspase-3 activator with hydroxyurea or temozolomide against high-grade meningioma in cell culture and canine cancer patients. Neuro Oncol 2021; 23:1723-1735. [PMID: 34216463 PMCID: PMC8485451 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noab161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-grade meningioma is an aggressive type of brain cancer that is often recalcitrant to surgery and radiotherapy, leading to poor overall survival. Currently, there are no FDA-approved drugs for meningioma, highlighting the need for new therapeutic options, but development is challenging due to the lack of predictive preclinical models. METHODS To leverage the known overexpression of procaspase-3 in meningioma, PAC-1, a blood-brain barrier penetrant procaspase-3 activator, was evaluated for its ability to induce apoptosis in meningioma cells. To enhance the effects of PAC-1, combinations with either hydroxyurea or temozolomide were explored in cell culture. Both combinations were further investigated in small groups of canine meningioma patients and assessed by MRI, and the novel apoptosis tracer, [18F]C-SNAT4, was evaluated in patients treated with PAC-1 + HU. RESULTS In meningioma cell lines in culture, PAC-1 + HU are synergistic while PAC-1 + TMZ show additive-to-synergistic effects. In canine meningioma patients, PAC-1 + HU led to stabilization of disease and no change in apoptosis within the tumor, whereas PAC-1 + TMZ reduced tumor burden in all three canine patients treated. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest PAC-1 + TMZ as a potentially efficacious combination for the treatment of human meningioma, and also demonstrate the utility of including pet dogs with meningioma as a means to assess anticancer strategies for this common brain tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J Tonogai
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Shan Huang
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Rachel C Botham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Matthew R Berry
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Gregory B Daniel
- Radiology, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virgina-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Zixin Chen
- Departments of Radiology and Chemistry, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jianghong Rao
- Departments of Radiology and Chemistry, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Chemistry and Synthesis Center, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Falguni Basuli
- Chemistry and Synthesis Center, NHLBI, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - John H Rossmeisl
- Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virgina-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Gregory J Riggins
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Amy K LeBlanc
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Timothy M Fan
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Cancer Center at Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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7
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Boudreau MW, Peh J, Hergenrother PJ. Procaspase-3 Overexpression in Cancer: A Paradoxical Observation with Therapeutic Potential. ACS Chem Biol 2019; 14:2335-2348. [PMID: 31260254 PMCID: PMC6858495 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.9b00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Many anticancer strategies rely on the promotion of apoptosis in cancer cells as a means to shrink tumors. Crucial for apoptotic function are executioner caspases, most notably caspase-3, that proteolyze a variety of proteins, inducing cell death. Paradoxically, overexpression of procaspase-3 (PC-3), the low-activity zymogen precursor to caspase-3, has been reported in a variety of cancer types. Until recently, this counterintuitive overexpression of a pro-apoptotic protein in cancer has been puzzling. Recent studies suggest subapoptotic caspase-3 activity may promote oncogenic transformation, a possible explanation for the enigmatic overexpression of PC-3. Herein, the overexpression of PC-3 in cancer and its mechanistic basis is reviewed; collectively, the data suggest the potential for exploitation of PC-3 overexpression with PC-3 activators as a targeted anticancer strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W. Boudreau
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States
| | - Jessie Peh
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States
| | - Paul J. Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States
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8
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Regan D, Garcia K, Thamm D. Clinical, Pathological, and Ethical Considerations for the Conduct of Clinical Trials in Dogs with Naturally Occurring Cancer: A Comparative Approach to Accelerate Translational Drug Development. ILAR J 2019; 59:99-110. [PMID: 30668709 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ily019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of comparative oncology in translational research is receiving increasing attention from drug developers and the greater biomedical research community. Pet dogs with spontaneous cancer are important and underutilized translational models, owing to dogs' large size and relative outbreeding, combined with their high incidence of certain tumor histotypes with significant biological, genetic, and histological similarities to their human tumor counterparts. Dogs with spontaneous tumors naturally develop therapy resistance and spontaneous metastasis, all in the context of an intact immune system. These fundamental features of cancer biology are often lacking in induced or genetically engineered preclinical tumor models and likely contribute to their poor predictive value and the associated overall high failure rate in oncology drug development. Thus, the conduct of clinical trials in pet dogs with naturally occurring cancer represents a viable surrogate and valuable intermediary step that should be increasingly incorporated into the cancer drug discovery and development pipeline. The development of molecular-targeted therapies has resulted in an expanded role of the pathologist in human oncology trials, and similarly the expertise of veterinary pathologists will be increasingly valuable to all phases of comparative oncology trial design and conduct. In this review, we provide a framework of clinical, ethical, and pathology-focused considerations for the increasing integration of translational research investigations in dogs with spontaneous cancer as a means to accelerate clinical cancer discovery and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Regan
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Kelly Garcia
- Biologic Resources Laboratory, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Douglas Thamm
- Flint Animal Cancer Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
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9
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Lin A, Giuliano CJ, Palladino A, John KM, Abramowicz C, Yuan ML, Sausville EL, Lukow DA, Liu L, Chait AR, Galluzzo ZC, Tucker C, Sheltzer JM. Off-target toxicity is a common mechanism of action of cancer drugs undergoing clinical trials. Sci Transl Med 2019; 11:eaaw8412. [PMID: 31511426 PMCID: PMC7717492 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaw8412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 355] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 06/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Ninety-seven percent of drug-indication pairs that are tested in clinical trials in oncology never advance to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. While lack of efficacy and dose-limiting toxicities are the most common causes of trial failure, the reason(s) why so many new drugs encounter these problems is not well understood. Using CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis, we investigated a set of cancer drugs and drug targets in various stages of clinical testing. We show that-contrary to previous reports obtained predominantly with RNA interference and small-molecule inhibitors-the proteins ostensibly targeted by these drugs are nonessential for cancer cell proliferation. Moreover, the efficacy of each drug that we tested was unaffected by the loss of its putative target, indicating that these compounds kill cells via off-target effects. By applying a genetic target-deconvolution strategy, we found that the mischaracterized anticancer agent OTS964 is actually a potent inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinase CDK11 and that multiple cancer types are addicted to CDK11 expression. We suggest that stringent genetic validation of the mechanism of action of cancer drugs in the preclinical setting may decrease the number of therapies tested in human patients that fail to provide any clinical benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Lin
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Christopher J Giuliano
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Ann Palladino
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Kristen M John
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
- Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY 11549, USA
| | - Connor Abramowicz
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
- New York Institute of Technology, Glen Head, NY 11545, USA
| | - Monet Lou Yuan
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
- Syosset High School, Syosset, NY 11791, USA
| | - Erin L Sausville
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Devon A Lukow
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Luwei Liu
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | | | | | - Clara Tucker
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
- Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jason M Sheltzer
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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Hu H, Dong Y, Li M, Wang R, Zhang X, Gong P, Zhao Y. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine and quinazoline derivatives as potent antitumor agents. Bioorg Chem 2019; 90:103086. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.103086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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11
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Yurttaş L, Öztürk Ö, Cantürk Z. New Procaspase Activating Compound (PAC-1) Like Molecules as Potent Antitumoral Agents Against Lung Cancer. LETT DRUG DES DISCOV 2019. [DOI: 10.2174/1570180815666180926113040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
In this study, novel ortho-hydroxy N-acyl hydrazone moiety including
compounds (3a-l) were designed, based on procaspase activating compound (PAC-1) which is a
small molecule known with antitumor activity. The antitumor activity was evaluated on A549 (human
lung cancer cell line) and CCD 19Lu (human lung normal cell line).
Methods:
Twelve N'-arylidene-2-[4-(methylsulfonyl)piperazin-1-yl]acetohydrazide derivatives
(3a-l) were synthesized starting from ethyl 1-piperazinylacetate. All compounds were tested using
MTT method and Xcelligence-Real time cell analysis system (RTCA DP) to determine their antitumor
activity.
Results:
Some physicochemical properties of four active compounds were also predicted using
MolSoft, PreADMET and PROTOX software. Four of them, 3h, 3j, 3k and 3l bearing 3-hydroxy,
4-dimethylamino, 2,6-dichloro and 3,4-dichloro substituents in order exhibited selective cytotoxicity.
Conclusion:
Eligible values were obtained in the specified ranges as to be an oral/intravenous drug
considering the physicochemical calculations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Yurttaş
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskisehir 26470, Turkey
| | - Ömer Öztürk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskisehir 26470, Turkey
| | - Zerrin Cantürk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskisehir 26470, Turkey
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12
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Schlein LJ, Fadl-Alla B, Pondenis HC, Lezmi S, Eberhart CG, LeBlanc AK, Dickinson PJ, Hergenrother PJ, Fan TM. Immunohistochemical Characterization of Procaspase-3 Overexpression as a Druggable Target With PAC-1, a Procaspase-3 Activator, in Canine and Human Brain Cancers. Front Oncol 2019; 9:96. [PMID: 30859090 PMCID: PMC6397847 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gliomas and meningiomas are the most common brain neoplasms affecting both humans and canines, and identifying druggable targets conserved across multiple brain cancer histologies and comparative species could broadly improve treatment outcomes. While satisfactory cure rates for low grade, non-invasive brain cancers are achievable with conventional therapies including surgery and radiation, the management of non-resectable or recurrent brain tumors remains problematic and necessitates the discovery of novel therapies that could be accelerated through a comparative approach, such as the inclusion of pet dogs with naturally-occurring brain cancers. Evidence supports procaspase-3 as a druggable brain cancer target with PAC-1, a pro-apoptotic, small molecule activator of procaspase-3 that crosses the blood-brain barrier. Procaspase-3 is frequently overexpressed in malignantly transformed tissues and provides a preferential target for inducing cancer cell apoptosis. While preliminary evidence supports procaspase-3 as a viable target in preclinical models, with PAC-1 demonstrating activity in rodent models and dogs with spontaneous brain tumors, the broader applicability of procaspase-3 as a target in human brain cancers, as well as the comparability of procaspase-3 expressions between differing species, requires further investigation. As such, a large-scale validation of procaspase-3 as a druggable target was undertaken across 651 human and canine brain tumors. Relative to normal brain tissues, procaspase-3 was overexpressed in histologically diverse cancerous brain tissues, supporting procaspase-3 as a broad and conserved therapeutic target. Additionally, procaspase-3 expressing glioma and meningioma cell lines were sensitive to the apoptotic effects of PAC-1 at biologically relevant exposures achievable in cancer patients. Importantly, the clinical relevance of procaspase-3 as a potential prognostic variable was demonstrated in human astrocytomas of variable histologic grades and associated clinical outcomes, whereby tumoral procaspase-3 expression was negatively correlated with survival; findings which suggest that PAC-1 might provide the greatest benefit for patients with the most guarded prognoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa J. Schlein
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Bahaa Fadl-Alla
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Holly C. Pondenis
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Stéphane Lezmi
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Charles G. Eberhart
- Department of Neuropathology and Ophthalmic Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Amy K. LeBlanc
- Comparative Oncology Program, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Peter J. Dickinson
- Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Paul J. Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Timothy M. Fan
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine and Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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Yi Q, Han X, Fan Z, Ma Y, Zhu G, Qiang W, Wang L, Cheng Z. Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution and plasma protein binding study of SM-1, a novel PAC-1 derivative. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2019; 163:17-23. [PMID: 30273837 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2018.09.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
As a PAC-1 derivative, SM-1 exhibts a promising antitumour property. To better understand the relationship between the drug concentrations and pharmacological effects, both liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography methods were developed and validated in the work. Those methods were then applied to the pharmacokinetics (PK), tissue distribution and plasma protein binding (PPB) studies of SM-1. As a results, the proposed methods were demonstrated to be accurate, precise and stable for the analysis of the SM-1 in plasma and tissue samples. Meanwhile, the PK parameters of SM-1 showed that SM-1 had good PK properties. SM-1 had good absorption in the body, with 59.01% of the absolute bioavailability in rats and 55.63% of that in dogs. SM-1 rapidly distributed to all tissues, with the highest distribution in the lung and less in the brain and muscle. The PPB rates in rat plasma, dog plasma, and human plasma were 91.1%, 91.2%, and 90.7%, respectively. These good PK properties will contribute SM-1 to be a promising anti-tumour candidate. These results also provide insights into the further pharmacological investigation of SM-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Yi
- Zhuzhou Central Hospital, Zhuzhou, Hunan 412000, China
| | - Xuhua Han
- Research Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Zhihong Fan
- Hunan Tai Xin Medical Science and Technology Ltd, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Yuehui Ma
- Hunan Tai Xin Medical Science and Technology Ltd, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Gangzhi Zhu
- Haikou Affiliated Hospital of Xiangya Medical College of Central South University, Haikou, Hainan 570311, China
| | - Wei Qiang
- Research Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China
| | - Lei Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China; Research Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
| | - Zeneng Cheng
- Research Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
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14
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N-Acylhydrazones as drugs. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:2797-2806. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Wang F, Wang L, Li Y, Wang N, Wang Y, Cao Q, Gong P, Yang J, Wu C. PAC-1 and its derivative WF-210 Inhibit Angiogenesis by inhibiting VEGF/VEGFR pathway. Eur J Pharmacol 2017; 821:29-38. [PMID: 29269017 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2017.12.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Procaspase Activating Compound-1 (PAC-1) and its derivative WF-210 induce apoptosis in cancer cells by activating procaspase-3 to caspase-3. The aim of this study was to extend current knowledge about the mechanisms of PAC-1 and WF-210, particularly about their effects on tumor angiogenesis. PAC-1 and WF-210 restrained VEGF-induced human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) proliferation, invasion, and tube formation. PAC-1 and WF-210 abrogated VEGF-induced vessel sprouting from rat aortic rings and inhibited vascular formation in the Matrigel plug assay. PAC-1 and WF-210 suppressed phosphorylation of VEGFR2 and its downstream protein kinases c-Src, FAK, and AKT in both HUVECs and U-87 cells. When given to mice bearing subcutaneous or orthotopic xenograft, PAC-1 and WF-210 inhibited the tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis. Further tests showed that PAC-1 and WF-210 inhibited stemness and induced autophagy flux of U-87 cells. This study revealed mechanisms of PAC-1 and WF-210 other than inducing apoptosis, which provides additional support for their using in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Lihui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Nannan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Yating Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Qi Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Ping Gong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China
| | - Jingyu Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China.
| | - Chunfu Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 103 Wenhua Road, 110016 Shenyang, PR China.
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16
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Joshi AD, Botham RC, Schlein LJ, Roth HS, Mangraviti A, Borodovsky A, Tyler B, Joslyn S, Looper JS, Podell M, Fan TM, Hergenrother PJ, Riggins GJ. Synergistic and targeted therapy with a procaspase-3 activator and temozolomide extends survival in glioma rodent models and is feasible for the treatment of canine malignant glioma patients. Oncotarget 2017; 8:80124-80138. [PMID: 29113289 PMCID: PMC5655184 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Glioblastoma is a deadly brain cancer with a median survival time of ∼15 months. Ionizing radiation plus the DNA alkylator temozolomide (TMZ) is the current standard therapy. PAC-1, a procaspase-3 activating small molecule, is blood-brain barrier penetrant and has previously demonstrated ability to synergize with diverse pro-apoptotic chemotherapeutics. We studied if PAC-1 could enhance the activity of TMZ, and whether addition of PAC-1 to standard treatment would be feasible in spontaneous canine malignant gliomas. Experimental Design Using cell lines and online gene expression data, we identified procaspase-3 as a potential molecular target for most glioblastomas. We investigated PAC-1 as a single agent and in combination with TMZ against glioma cells in culture and in orthotopic rodent models of glioma. Three dogs with spontaneous gliomas were treated with an analogous human glioblastoma treatment protocol, with concurrent PAC-1. Results Procaspase-3 is expressed in gliomas, with higher gene expression correlating with increased tumor grade and decreased prognosis. PAC-1 is cytotoxic to glioma cells in culture and active in orthotopic rodent glioma models. PAC-1 added to TMZ treatments in cell culture increases apoptotic death, and the combination significantly increases survival in orthotopic glioma models. Addition of PAC-1 to TMZ and radiation was well-tolerated in 3 out of 3 pet dogs with spontaneous glioma, and partial to complete tumor reductions were observed. Conclusions Procaspase-3 is a clinically relevant target for treatment of glioblastoma. Synergistic activity of PAC-1/TMZ in rodent models and the demonstration of feasibility of the combined regime in canine patients suggest potential for PAC-1 in the treatment of glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avadhut D Joshi
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rachel C Botham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Lisa J Schlein
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Howard S Roth
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Antonella Mangraviti
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Alexandra Borodovsky
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Betty Tyler
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Jayme S Looper
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Michael Podell
- Department of Neurology, MedVet Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Timothy M Fan
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Gregory J Riggins
- Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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17
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Simultaneous Determination of Procaspase Activating Compound 1 and Permeability Markers in Intestinal Perfusion Samples and Application to a Rat Intestinal Absorption Study. Chromatographia 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10337-016-3181-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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18
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Botham R, Roth HS, Book AP, Roady PJ, Fan TM, Hergenrother PJ. Small-Molecule Procaspase-3 Activation Sensitizes Cancer to Treatment with Diverse Chemotherapeutics. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2016; 2:545-59. [PMID: 27610416 PMCID: PMC4999974 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.6b00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Conventional chemotherapeutics remain essential treatments for most cancers, but their combination with other anticancer drugs (including targeted therapeutics) is often complicated by unpredictable synergies and multiplicative toxicities. As cytotoxic anticancer chemotherapeutics generally function through induction of apoptosis, we hypothesized that a molecularly targeted small molecule capable of facilitating a central and defining step in the apoptotic cascade, the activation of procaspase-3 to caspase-3, would broadly and predictably enhance activity of cytotoxic drugs. Here we show that procaspase-activating compound 1 (PAC-1) enhances cancer cell death induced by 15 different FDA-approved chemotherapeutics, across many cancer types and chemotherapeutic targets. In particular, the promising combination of PAC-1 and doxorubicin induces a synergistic reduction in tumor burden and enhances survival in murine tumor models of osteosarcoma and lymphoma. This PAC-1/doxorubicin combination was evaluated in 10 pet dogs with naturally occurring metastatic osteosarcoma or lymphoma, eliciting a biologic response in 3 of 6 osteosarcoma patients and 4 of 4 lymphoma patients. Importantly, in both mice and dogs, coadministration of PAC-1 with doxorubicin resulted in no additional toxicity. On the basis of the mode of action of PAC-1 and the high expression of procaspase-3 in many cancers, these results suggest the combination of PAC-1 with cytotoxic anticancer drugs as a potent and general strategy to enhance therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel
C. Botham
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Genomic Biology, Department of Veterinary
Clinical Medicine, and Veterinary Diagnostic
Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Howard S. Roth
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Genomic Biology, Department of Veterinary
Clinical Medicine, and Veterinary Diagnostic
Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Alison P. Book
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Genomic Biology, Department of Veterinary
Clinical Medicine, and Veterinary Diagnostic
Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Patrick J. Roady
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Genomic Biology, Department of Veterinary
Clinical Medicine, and Veterinary Diagnostic
Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Timothy M. Fan
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Genomic Biology, Department of Veterinary
Clinical Medicine, and Veterinary Diagnostic
Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Paul J. Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry, Institute for Genomic Biology, Department of Veterinary
Clinical Medicine, and Veterinary Diagnostic
Laboratory, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- E-mail:
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19
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Chen Y, Sun M, Ding J, Zhu Q. SM-1, a novel PAC-1 derivative, activates procaspase-3 and causes cancer cell apoptosis. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 2016; 78:643-54. [PMID: 27488460 DOI: 10.1007/s00280-016-3115-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To develop more potent procaspase-3 activator, 7 novel derivatives of PAC-1 were synthesized and evaluated. Among them, SM-1 stood out for its promising activity and good pharmacokinetics properties. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the pharmacological mechanism of SM-1 and evaluate its efficacy and toxicity in-depth. METHODS To reveal the effects of SM-1 on caspase-3 activity, both in vitro activation assay and in cells fluorometric assay were tested. The protein levels and distributions of procaspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 were also measured by western blot and immunostaining. MTT assay, apoptosis assay and mouse xenograft model were applied to evaluate the efficacy of SM-1. Preliminary safety assessments also tested the acute toxicity and tissue distribution of SM-1. RESULTS Compared to PAC-1, SM-1 showed higher cytotoxicity in cancer cells. Further investigation demonstrated that SM-1 relieved zinc-mediated inhibition of procaspase-3 and activated the caspase-3 activity both in tube test and in cells. Efficacy evaluation showed SM-1-induced cell apoptosis mainly via activation of caspase-3 and reduced tumor size in mouse xenograft model. Its apoptosis induction efficacy was higher than PAC-1. The preliminary safety assessment demonstrated that the overall LD50 of SM-1 lied between 500 and 1000 mg/kg and the distribution of SM-1 in brain was low. CONCLUSIONS We identified SM-1 as a promising antitumor candidate, which displayed enhanced procaspase-3 activating activity and potent cytotoxicity for cancer cells but low toxicity for normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfen Chen
- The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Central South University, 172 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Meng Sun
- The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Central South University, 172 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Jingsong Ding
- The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Central South University, 172 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.
| | - Qubo Zhu
- The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Central South University, 172 Tongzipo Road, Yuelu District, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.
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20
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Peh J, Fan TM, Wycislo KL, Roth HS, Hergenrother PJ. The Combination of Vemurafenib and Procaspase-3 Activation Is Synergistic in Mutant BRAF Melanomas. Mol Cancer Ther 2016; 15:1859-69. [PMID: 27297867 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-16-0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The development of vemurafenib resistance limits the long-term efficacy of this drug for treatment of metastatic melanomas with the (V600E)BRAF mutation. Inhibition of downstream MAPK signaling with vemurafenib induces apoptotic cell death mediated by caspase-3, suggesting that addition of a procaspase-3 activator could enhance anticancer effects. Here, we show that the combination of PAC-1, a procaspase-activating compound, and vemurafenib is highly synergistic in enhancing caspase-3 activity and apoptotic cell death in melanoma cell lines harboring the (V600E)BRAF mutation. In vivo, the combination displays a favorable safety profile in mice and exerts significant antitumor effects. We further demonstrate that addition of PAC-1 to the clinically useful combination of vemurafenib and a MEK inhibitor, trametinib, starkly enhances the caspase-3 activity and proapoptotic effect of the combination. Moreover, addition of low concentration PAC-1 also delays the regrowth of cells following treatment with vemurafenib. Finally, PAC-1 remains potent against vemurafenib-resistant A375VR cells in cell culture and synergizes with vemurafenib to exert antitumor effects on A375VR cell growth in vivo Collectively, our data suggest that inhibition of MAPK signaling combined with concurrent procaspase-3 activation is an effective strategy to enhance the antitumor activity of vemurafenib and mitigate the development of resistance. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(8); 1859-69. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Peh
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois. Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Timothy M Fan
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois. Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Kathryn L Wycislo
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Howard S Roth
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois. Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois. Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.
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Roth HS, Hergenrother PJ. Derivatives of Procaspase-Activating Compound 1 (PAC-1) and their Anticancer Activities. Curr Med Chem 2016; 23:201-41. [PMID: 26630918 PMCID: PMC4968085 DOI: 10.2174/0929867323666151127201829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
PAC-1 induces the activation of procaspase-3 in vitro and in cell culture by chelation of inhibitory labile zinc ions via its ortho-hydroxy-N-acylhydrazone moiety. First reported in 2006, PAC-1 has shown promise in cell culture and animal models of cancer, and a Phase I clinical trial in cancer patients began in March 2015 (NCT02355535). Because of the considerable interest in this compound and a well-defined structure-activity relationship, over 1000 PAC-1 derivatives have been synthesized in an effort to vary pharmacological properties such as potency and pharmacokinetics. This article provides a comprehensive examination of all PAC-1 derivatives reported to date. A survey of PAC-1 derivative libraries is provided, with an indepth discussion of four derivatives on which extensive studies have been performed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, 261 Roger Adams Laboratory, Box 36-5, 600 S. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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22
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Roth HS, Botham RC, Schmid SC, Fan TM, Dirikolu L, Hergenrother PJ. Removal of Metabolic Liabilities Enables Development of Derivatives of Procaspase-Activating Compound 1 (PAC-1) with Improved Pharmacokinetics. J Med Chem 2015; 58:4046-65. [PMID: 25856364 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Procaspase-activating compound 1 (PAC-1) is an o-hydroxy-N-acylhydrazone that induces apoptosis in cancer cells by chelation of labile inhibitory zinc from procaspase-3. PAC-1 has been assessed in a wide variety of cell culture experiments and in vivo models of cancer, with promising results, and a phase 1 clinical trial in cancer patients has been initiated (NCT02355535). For certain applications, however, the in vivo half-life of PAC-1 could be limiting. Thus, with the goal of developing a compound with enhanced metabolic stability, a series of PAC-1 analogues were designed containing modifications that systematically block sites of metabolic vulnerability. Evaluation of the library of compounds identified four potentially superior candidates with comparable anticancer activity in cell culture, enhanced metabolic stability in liver microsomes, and improved tolerability in mice. In head-to-head experiments with PAC-1, pharmacokinetic evaluation in mice demonstrated extended elimination half-lives and greater area under the curve values for each of the four compounds, suggesting them as promising candidates for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Howard S Roth
- †Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, and §Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Rachel C Botham
- †Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, and §Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Steven C Schmid
- †Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, and §Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Timothy M Fan
- †Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, and §Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Levent Dirikolu
- †Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, and §Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Paul J Hergenrother
- †Department of Chemistry, ‡Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, and §Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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Razi SS, Rehmani S, Li X, Park K, Schwartz GS, Latif MJ, Bhora FY. Antitumor activity of paclitaxel is significantly enhanced by a novel proapoptotic agent in non–small cell lung cancer. J Surg Res 2015; 194:622-630. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2014.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Revised: 07/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Wang F, Liu Y, Wang L, Yang J, Zhao Y, Wang N, Cao Q, Gong P, Wu C. Targeting procaspase-3 with WF-208, a novel PAC-1 derivative, causes selective cancer cell apoptosis. J Cell Mol Med 2015; 19:1916-28. [PMID: 25754465 PMCID: PMC4549042 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.12566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Caspase-3 is a critical effector caspase in apoptosis cascade, and is often over-expressed in many cancer tissues. The first synthesized procaspase-3 activator, PAC-1, induces cancer cell apoptosis and exhibits antitumour activity in murine xenograft models. To identify more potent procaspase-3 activators, a series of compounds were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their ability of inducing cancer cell death in culture. Among these compounds, WF-208 stood out by its high cytotoxicity against procaspase-3 overexpressed HL-60 cells. Compared with PAC-1, WF-208 showed higher cytotoxicity in cancer cells and lower toxicity in normal cells. The further investigation described herein showed that WF-208 activated procaspase-3, degraded IAPs (The Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins) and leaded to caspase-3-dependent cell death in tumour cells, which possibly because of the zinc-chelating properties. WF-208 also showed greater antitumour activity than PAC-1 in murine xenograft model. In conclusion, we have discovered WF-208 as a promising procaspase-3 activating compound, with higher activity and higher cell selectivity than PAC-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yajing Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Lihui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Jingyu Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yanfang Zhao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Nannan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Qi Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ping Gong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chunfu Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
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Expression of executioner procaspases and their activation by a procaspase-activating compound in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Blood 2014; 125:1126-36. [PMID: 25538042 DOI: 10.1182/blood-2014-01-546796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways converge to activate common downstream executioner caspases (caspase-3, -6, and -7), resulting in cell death. In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), neoplastic B cells evade apoptosis owing to the overexpression of survival proteins. We hypothesized that direct activation of procaspases could bypass the apoptosis resistance induced by the upstream prosurvival proteins. The procaspase-activating compounds (PAC-1), including B-PAC-1 (L14R8), convert inactive executioner procaspases to their active cleaved forms by chelation of labile zinc ions. Both at transcript and protein levels, primary CLL cells express high levels of latent procaspases (3, -7, and -9). B-PAC-1 treatment induced CLL lymphocyte death which was higher than that in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells or B cells, and was independent of prognostic markers and microenvironmental factors. Mechanistically, B-PAC-1 treatment activated executioner procaspases and not other Zn-dependent enzymes. Exogenous zinc completely, and pancaspase inhibitors partially, reversed B-PAC-1-induced apoptosis, elucidating the zinc-mediated mechanism of action. The cell demise relied on the presence of caspase-3/7 but not caspase-8 or Bax/Bak proteins. B-PAC-1 in combination with an inhibitor of apoptosis protein antagonist (Smac066) synergistically induced apoptosis in CLL samples. Our investigations demonstrated that direct activation of executioner procaspases via B-PAC-1 treatment bypasses apoptosis resistance and is a novel approach for CLL therapeutics.
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Preliminary Metabolism of Lomustine in Dogs and Comparative Cytotoxicity of Lomustine and Its Major Metabolites in Canine Cells. Vet Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.3390/vetsci1030159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Liao W, Xu C, Ji X, Hu G, Ren L, Liu Y, Li R, Gong P, Sun T. Design and optimization of novel 4-(2-fluorophenoxy)quinoline derivatives bearing a hydrazone moiety as c-Met kinase inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2014; 87:508-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.09.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2014] [Revised: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Botham RC, Fan TM, Im I, Borst LB, Dirikolu L, Hergenrother PJ. Dual small-molecule targeting of procaspase-3 dramatically enhances zymogen activation and anticancer activity. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:1312-9. [PMID: 24383395 PMCID: PMC3954530 DOI: 10.1021/ja4124303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Combination anticancer therapy typically consists of drugs that target different biochemical pathways or those that act on different targets in the same pathway. Here we demonstrate a new concept in combination therapy, that of enzyme activation with two compounds that hit the same biological target, but through different mechanisms. Combinations of procaspase-3 activators PAC-1 and 1541B show considerable synergy in activating procaspase-3 in vitro, stimulate rapid and dramatic maturation of procaspase-3 in multiple cancer cell lines, and powerfully induce caspase-dependent apoptotic death to a degree well exceeding the additive effect. In addition, the combination of PAC-1 and 1541B effectively reduces tumor burden in a murine lymphoma model at dosages for which the compounds alone have minimal or no effect. These data suggest the potential of PAC-1/1541B combinations for the treatment of cancer and, more broadly, demonstrate that differentially acting enzyme activators can potently synergize to give a significantly heightened biological effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel C Botham
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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29
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Discovery of hybrid dual N-acylhydrazone and diaryl urea derivatives as potent antitumor agents: design, synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation. Molecules 2013; 18:2904-23. [PMID: 23459301 PMCID: PMC6269785 DOI: 10.3390/molecules18032904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2013] [Revised: 01/19/2013] [Accepted: 01/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on the hybrid pharmacophore design concept, a novel series of dual diaryl urea and N-acylhydrazone derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity by the standard MTT assay. The pharmacological results indicated that most compounds exhibited moderate to excellent activity. Moreover, compound 2g showed the most potent cytotoxicity against HL-60, A549 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, with IC50 values of 0.22, 0.34 and 0.41 μM, respectively, which was 3.8 to 22.5 times more active than the reference compounds sorafenib and PAC-1. The promising compound 2g thus emerges as a lead for further structural modifications.
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30
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Velázquez-Delgado EM, Hardy JA. Zinc-mediated allosteric inhibition of caspase-6. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:36000-11. [PMID: 22891250 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.397752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc and caspase-6 have independently been implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders. Depletion of zinc intracellularly leads to apoptosis by an unknown mechanism. Zinc inhibits cysteine proteases, including the apoptotic caspases, leading to the hypothesis that zinc-mediated inhibition of caspase-6 might contribute to its regulation in a neurodegenerative context. Using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, we observed that caspase-6 binds one zinc per monomer, under the same conditions where the zinc leads to complete loss of enzymatic activity. To understand the molecular details of zinc binding and inhibition, we performed an anomalous diffraction experiment above the zinc edge. The anomalous difference maps showed strong 5σ peaks, indicating the presence of one zinc/monomer bound at an exosite distal from the active site. Zinc was not observed bound to the active site. The zinc in the exosite was liganded by Lys-36, Glu-244, and His-287 with a water molecule serving as the fourth ligand, forming a distorted tetrahedral ligation sphere. This exosite appears to be unique to caspase-6, as the residues involved in zinc binding were not conserved across the caspase family. Our data suggest that binding of zinc at the exosite is the primary route of inhibition, potentially locking caspase-6 into the inactive helical conformation.
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West DC, Qin Y, Peterson QP, Thomas DL, Palchaudhuri R, Morrison KC, Lucas PW, Palmer AE, Fan TM, Hergenrother PJ. Differential effects of procaspase-3 activating compounds in the induction of cancer cell death. Mol Pharm 2012; 9:1425-34. [PMID: 22486564 DOI: 10.1021/mp200673n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The evasion of apoptosis is a key characteristic of cancer, and thus strategies to selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells hold considerable promise in personalized anticancer therapy. Structurally similar procaspase activating compounds PAC-1 and S-PAC-1 restore procaspase-3 activity through the chelation of inhibitory zinc ions in vitro, induce apoptotic death of cancer cells in culture, and reduce tumor burden in vivo. Ip or iv administrations of high doses of PAC-1 are transiently neurotoxic in vivo, while S-PAC-1 is safe even at very high doses and has been evaluated in a phase I clinical trial of pet dogs with spontaneously occurring lymphoma. Here we show that PAC-1 and S-PAC-1 have similar mechanisms of cell death induction at low concentrations (less than 50 μM), but at high concentrations PAC-1 displays unique cell death induction features. Cells treated with a high concentration of PAC-1 have a distinctive gene expression profile, unusual cellular and mitochondrial morphology, and an altered intracellular Ca(2+) concentration, indicative of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis. These studies suggest strategies for anticancer clinical development, specifically bolus dosing for PAC-1 and continuous rate infusion for S-PAC-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana C West
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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32
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Hsu DC, Roth HS, West DC, Botham RC, Novotny CJ, Schmid SC, Hergenrother PJ. Parallel synthesis and biological evaluation of 837 analogues of procaspase-activating compound 1 (PAC-1). ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2012; 14:44-50. [PMID: 22007686 DOI: 10.1021/co2001372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Procaspase-Activating Compound 1 (PAC-1) is an ortho-hydroxy N-acyl hydrazone that enhances the enzymatic activity of procaspase-3 in vitro and induces apoptosis in cancer cells. An analogue of PAC-1, called S-PAC-1, was evaluated in a veterinary clinical trial in pet dogs with lymphoma and found to have considerable potential as an anticancer agent. With the goal of identifying more potent compounds in this promising class of experimental therapeutics, a combinatorial library based on PAC-1 was created, and the compounds were evaluated for their ability to induce death of cancer cells in culture. For library construction, 31 hydrazides were condensed in parallel with 27 aldehydes to create 837 PAC-1 analogues, with an average purity of 91%. The compounds were evaluated for their ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells, and through this work, six compounds were discovered to be substantially more potent than PAC-1 and S-PAC-1. These six hits were further evaluated for their ability to relieve zinc-mediated inhibition of procaspase-3 in vitro. In general, the newly identified hit compounds are two- to four-fold more potent than PAC-1 and S-PAC-1 in cell culture, and thus have promise as experimental therapeutics for treatment of the many cancers that have elevated expression levels of procaspase-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danny C. Hsu
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Biochemistry, Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United
States
| | - Howard S. Roth
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Biochemistry, Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United
States
| | - Diana C. West
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Biochemistry, Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United
States
| | - Rachel C. Botham
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Biochemistry, Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United
States
| | - Chris J. Novotny
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Biochemistry, Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United
States
| | - Steven C. Schmid
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Biochemistry, Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United
States
| | - Paul J. Hergenrother
- Department
of Chemistry and ‡Department of Biochemistry, Roger Adams Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United
States
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