Synthesis and Anticancer Properties of Functionalized 1,6-Naphthyridines

Discovery of 2,6-Naphthyridine Analogues as Selective FGFR4 Inhibitors for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer and is responsible for 90% of cases. Approximately 30% of patients diagnosed with HCC are identified as displaying an aberrant expression of fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19)-fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) as an oncogenic-driver pathway. Therefore, the control of the FGF19-FGFR4 signaling pathway with selective FGFR4 inhibitors can be a promising therapy for the treatment of HCC. We herein disclose the design and synthesis of novel FGFR4 inhibitors containing a 2,6-naphthyridine scaffold. Compound 11 displayed a nanomolar potency against Huh7 cell lines and high selectivity over FGFR1-3 that were comparable to that of fisogatinib (8) as a reference standard. Additionally, compound 11 demonstrated remarkable antitumor efficacy in the Huh7 and Hep3B HCC xenograft mouse model. Moreover, bioluminescence imaging experiments with the orthotopic mouse model support that compound 11 can be considered a promising candidate for treating HCC.

Tumor risks of finerenone in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with chronic kidney disease: a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the tumor risk of finerenone in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) aggravated by chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: A thorough search in the OVID Medline, OVID EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases from their creation through 2 November 2022 yielded randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting on the tumor risks of finerenone in patients with T2DM complicated with CKD. A pair of reviewers selected the relevant studies based on selection criteria, collected data, and assessed the methodological quality of eligible RCTs. The Peto odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated, and subgroup analysis of tumor nature, tumor origin system, tumor origin organ, and follow-up time was performed. Furthermore, Egger's test was implemented to determine publication bias. Results: Four RCTs with 14,875 participants who had a low-to-moderate risk of bias were included. Compared with placebo treatment, finerenone did not increase the risk of overall neoplasms (Peto OR = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.83-1.14), malignant neoplasms (Peto OR = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.86-1.23), benign neoplasms (Peto OR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.50-1.80), or in situ neoplasms (Peto OR = 0.14; 95% CI, 0.01-2.17). Subgroup analysis of the tumor origin system showed that finerenone was associated with an increased risk of malignant neoplasms of urinary tract compared with placebo treatment (Peto OR = 1.69; 95% CI, 1.07-2.67). The results were found to be robust in sensitivity analysis, and there was no indication of publication bias. Discussion: Finerenone is not associated with an increased risk of overall tumors, but it may be linked to an increased risk of malignant neoplasms in urinary tract. Additional well-planned cohort studies in larger research populations are needed to corroborate these findings. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022374101, Identifier CRD42022374101.

Synthesis of Novel Benzo[b][1,6]naphthyridine Derivatives and Investigation of Their Potential as Scaffolds of MAO Inhibitors

In this work, 2-alkyl-10-chloro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrobenzo[b][1,6]naphthyridines were obtained and their reactivity was studied. Novel derivatives of the tricyclic scaffold, including 1-phenylethynyl (5), 1-indol-3-yl (8), and azocino[4,5-b]quinoline (10) derivatives, were synthesized and characterized herein for the first time. Among the newly synthesized derivatives, 5c-h proved to be MAO B inhibitors with potency in the low micromolar range. In particular, the 1-(2-(4-fluorophenyl)ethynyl) analog 5g achieved an IC₅₀ of 1.35 μM, a value close to that of the well-known MAO B inhibitor pargyline.

Sustainable Solvent-Free Diels-Alder Approaches in the Development of Constructive Heterocycles and Functionalized Materials: A Review

The Diels-Alder reaction (DAR) is found in myriad applications in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry for drug development, as it is the method of choice for the expedient synthesis of complex natural compounds and innovative materials including nanomaterials, graphene expanses, and polymeric nanofibers. Furthermore, the greatest focus of attention of DARs is on the consistent reaction procedure with stimulus yields by highly stereo- and regioselective mechanistic pathways. Therefore, the present review is intended to summarize conventional solvent-free (SF) DARs for the expedient synthesis of heterocyclic compounds and materials. In particular, this review deals with the DARs of mechanochemical grinding, catalysis (including stereoselective catalysts), thermal, and electromagnetic radiation (such as microwave [MW], infrared [IR], and ultraviolet [UV] irradiation) in SF procedures. Therefore, this comprehensive review validates the application of DARs to pharmaceutical innovations and biorenewable materials through consistent synthetic approaches.