Design and Synthesis of some new 2,4,6-trisubstituted quinazoline EGFR inhibitors as targeted anticancer agents

Design, synthesis, antineoplastic activity of new pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives as dual CDK2/GSK3β kinase inhibitors; molecular docking study, and ADME prediction

In the current study, novel pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives 5a-h were designed and synthesized as targeted anti-cancer agents through dual CDK2/GSK-3β inhibition. The designed compounds demonstrated moderate to potent activity on the evaluated cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and T-47D). Compounds 5c and 5 g showed the most promising cytotoxic activity against the tested cell lines surpassing that of the used reference standard; staurosporine. On the other hand, both compounds showed good safety and tolerability on normal fibroblast cell line (MCR5). The final compounds 5c and 5 g showed a promising dual CDK2/GSK-3β inhibitory activity with IC50 of 0.244 and 0.128 μM, respectively, against CDK2, and IC50 of 0.317 and 0.160 μM, respectively, against GSK-3β. Investigating the effect of compounds 5c and 5 g on CDK2 and GSK-3β downstream cascades showed that they reduced the relative cellular content of phosphorylated RB1 and β-catenin compared to that in the untreated MCF-7 cells. Moreover, compounds 5c and 5 g showed a reasonable selective inhibition against the target kinases CDK2/GSK-3β in comparison to a set of seven off-target kinases. Furthermore, the most potent compound 5 g caused cell cycle arrest at the S phase in MCF-7 cells preventing the cells' progression to G2/M phase inducing cell apoptosis. Molecular docking studies showed that the final pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives have analogous binding modes in the target kinases interacting with the hinge region key amino acids. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the predicted binding mode by molecular docking. Moreover, in silico predictions indicated their favorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties in addition to their promising cytotoxic activity.

Benzothiazole derivatives in the design of antitumor agents

Benzothiazoles are a class of heterocycles with multiple applications as anticancer, antibiotic, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory agents. Benzothiazole is a privileged scaffold in drug discovery programs for modulating a variety of biological functions. This review focuses on the design and synthesis of new benzothiazole derivatives targeting hypoxic tumors. Cancer is a major health problem, being among the leading causes of death. Tumor-hypoxic areas promote proliferation, malignancy, and resistance to drug treatment, leading to the dysregulation of key signaling pathways that involve drug targets such as vascular endothelial growth factor, epidermal growth factor receptor, hepatocyte growth factor receptor, dual-specificity protein kinase, cyclin-dependent protein kinases, casein kinase 2, Rho-related coil formation protein kinase, tunica interna endothelial cell kinase, cyclooxygenase-2, adenosine kinase, lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferases, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, thioredoxin, heat shock proteins, and carbonic anhydrase IX/XII. In turn, they regulate angiogenesis, proliferation, differentiation, and cell survival, controlling the cell cycle, inflammation, the immune system, and metabolic alterations. A wide diversity of benzothiazoles were reported over the last years to interfere with various proteins involved in tumorigenesis and, more specifically, in hypoxic tumors. Many hypoxic targets are overexpressed as a result of the hypoxia-inducible factor activation cascade and may not be present in normal tissues, providing a potential strategy for selectively targeting hypoxic cancers.

Harnessing molecular hybridization approach to discover novel quinoline EGFR-TK inhibitors for cancer treatment

Aim: Using molecular hybridization approach, novel 18 quinoline derivatives (6a-11) were designed and synthesized as EGFR-TK inhibitors. Materials & methods: The antiproliferative activity was assessed against breast (MCF-7), leukemia (HL-60) and lung (A549) cancer cell lines. Moreover, the most active quinoline derivatives (6d and 8b) were further investigated for their potential as EGFR-TK inhibitors. In addition, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis induction activity were conducted. Results: A considerable cytotoxic activity was attained with IC50 values spanning from 0.06 to 1.12 μM. Besides, the quinoline derivatives 6d and 8b displayed potent inhibitory activity against EFGR with IC50 values of 0.18 and 0.08 μM, respectively. Conclusion: Accordingly, the afforded quinoline derivatives can be used as promising lead anticancer candidates for future optimization.

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.

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 and synthesis of novel pyrazolopyrimidine candidates as promising EGFR-T790M inhibitors and apoptosis inducers

Aim: Our objective was to design and synthesize a new range of pyrazolopyrimidines while maintaining the key pharmacophoric features of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Materials & methods: Percentage inhibition in 14 human cancer cell lines and IC50 values were recorded. Compounds 6c, 7e and 7f were examined against both wild and mutant (T790M) EGFR subtypes. Apoptosis markers, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis assay and molecular docking were performed. Results: Compounds 6c, 7e and 7f demonstrated superior inhibitory potentials against wild and mutant (T790M) EGFR subtypes. A molecular docking study showed that compounds 6c and 7e had the best fit. Conclusion: The designed candidates demonstrated superior inhibitory potential as promising EGFR-T790M inhibitors that agrees with the proposed rationale.

Recent advances in nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds as receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors for the treatment of cancer: Biological activity and structural activity relationship

Erratic cell proliferation is the initial symptom of cancer, which can eventually metastasize to other organs. Before cancer becomes metastatic, its spread is triggered by pro-angiogenic factors including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and Platelet Factor (PF4), all of which are part of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are cell-surface proteins and aresignaling enzymes that transfer ATP-phosphate to tyrosine residue substrates. Important biological processes like proliferation, differentiation, motility, and cell-cycle regulation are all possessedby these proteins. Unusual RTK expression is typically associated with cell growth abnormalities, which is linked to tumor acquisition, angiogenesis, and cancer progression. In addition to the already available medications, numerous other heterocyclic are being studied for their potential action against a variety of cancers. In the fight against cancer, in particular, these heterocycles have been used for their dynamic core scaffold and their inherent adaptability. In this review article, we have compiled last five years research work including nitrogen containing heterocycles that have targeted RTK. Herein, the SAR and activity of various compounds containing diverse heterocyclic (pyrimidine, indole, pyridine, pyrazole, benzimidazole, and pyrrole) scaffolds are discussed, and they may prove useful in the future for designing new leads against RTKs. Our focus in this manuscript is to comprehensively review the latest research on the biological activity and structural activity relationship of nitrogen compounds as RTK inhibitors. We believe that this may be an important contribution to the field, as it can help guide future research efforts and facilitate the development of more effective cancer therapies.

Targeting Colon Cancer Cells with Pyrazino-Imidazolinone Derivatives: Synthesis, Molecular Docking, and in Vitro Evaluation of Anti-Proliferative and Pro-Apoptotic Activities

We report the synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, molecular docking and biological evaluation of nine pyrazino-imidazolinone derivatives. These derivatives were evaluated for their anticancer activity against three cancer cell lines: 518A2 melanoma, HCT-116, and HCT-116 p53 knockout mutant colon carcinoma. The MTT assay was employed to assess their effectiveness. Among the nine compounds tested, four compounds (5 a, 5 d, 5 g, and 5 h) exhibited promising antiproliferative activity specifically against HCT-116 p53-negative cells (IC50 0.23, 0.20, 2.07 and 58.75 μM, respectively). Interestingly, treatment with the 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl derivative 5a resulted in a significant increase (199 %) in caspase activity in HCT-116 p53-negative cells compared to untreated cells while the bromo-pyrazine derivative 5d demonstrated (190 %) increase. These findings suggest that compounds 5a and 5 d induce p53-independent apoptotic cell death. Additionally, in silico molecular docking studies with EGFR and tyrosinase proteins indicated that compounds 5 d and 5 e have the potential to bind to important anticancer drug targets.

2-Aminobenzothiazoles in anticancer drug design and discovery

Cancer is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Substantial research efforts have been made to develop new chemical entities with improved anticancer efficacy. 2-Aminobenzothiazole is an important class of heterocycles containing one sulfur and two nitrogen atoms, which is associated with a broad spectrum of medical and pharmacological activities, including antitumor, antibacterial, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities. In recent years, an extraordinary collection of potent and low-toxicity 2-aminobenzothiazole compounds have been discovered as new anticancer agents. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of this class of compounds based on their activities against tumor-related proteins, including tyrosine kinases (CSF1R, EGFR, VEGFR-2, FAK, and MET), serine/threonine kinases (Aurora, CDK, CK, RAF, and DYRK2), PI3K kinase, BCL-XL, HSP90, mutant p53 protein, DNA topoisomerase, HDAC, NSD1, LSD1, FTO, mPGES-1, SCD, hCA IX/XII, and CXCR. In addition, the anticancer potentials of 2-aminobenzothiazole-derived chelators and metal complexes are also described here. Moreover, the design strategies, mechanism of actions, structure-activity relationships (SAR) and more advanced stages of pre-clinical development of 2-aminobenzothiazoles as new anticancer agents are extensively reviewed in this article. Finally, the examples that 2-aminobenzothiazoles showcase an advantage over other heterocyclic systems are also highlighted.

Development of certain aminoquinazoline scaffolds as potential multitarget anticancer agents with apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects: Design, synthesis and biological evaluation

Newly designed 4 - aminoquinazoline derivatives (5a-f, 6a, b, 7, 8, 9, 10a-c, 11a, b, 12a, b and 13a, b) have been synthesized and evaluated for their potential multitarget anticancer activities, apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects. Thereupon, in vitro cytotoxic activities of all the synthesized compounds were screened against NCI 60 human cancer cell lines (nine subpanels) at NCI, USA. Successfully, 2-morpholino-N-(quinazolin-4-yl) acetohydrazide 5e was granted an NSC code, owing to its significant potency and broad spectrum of activity against various cancer cell lines; leukemia K-562, non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H522 cells, colon cancer SW-620, melanoma LOX IMVI, MALME-3M, renal cancer RXF 393, ACHN and breast cancer MDA-MB231/ATCC (GI% = 99.6, 161, 126.03, 90.22, 174.47, 139.7, 191 and 97, respectively). Compound 5e showed the best inhibitory activity (GI₅₀ = 1.3 µM) against melanoma LOX IMVI, when tested at five doses against NCI 60 cell lines. Furthermore, compound 5e showed comparable EGFR and CDK2 inhibitory activity results (IC₅₀ = 0.093 ± 0.006 μM and 0.143 ± 0.008 μM, respectively) to those of lapatinib and ribociclib (IC₅₀ = 0.03 ± 0.002 μM and 0.067 ± 0.004 μM, respectively). Western blotting analysis of compound 5e against melanoma LOX IMVI marked out significant reduced EGFR and CDK2 protein expression percentages, up to 32.97% and 34.09%, respectively, if compared to lapatinib (31.18%) and ribociclib (29.66%). Moreover, compound 5e caused clear cell cycle arrests at S phase of renal UO-31 cells and at G1 phase of both breast cancer MCF7 and ovarian cancer IGROV1, associated with remarkable increase of DNA content of the controls. In accordance, it demonstrated promising anti- proliferative and apoptotic activities, showing a significant increase in total apoptotic percentages of renal cancer UO-31, breast cancer MCF7 and ovarian IGROV1 cancer cell lines, if compared to the control untreated cells (from 1.79% to 46.72%, 2.19% to 39.02% and 1.66 to 42.51%, respectively). Molecular modelling and dynamic simulation study results supported the main objectives of the present work.

Identification of the structural features of quinazoline derivatives as EGFR inhibitors using 3D-QSAR modeling, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculations

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a promising target for the treatment of different types of malignant tumors. Therefore, a combined molecular modeling study was performed on a series of quinazoline derivatives as EGFR inhibitors. The optimum ligand-based CoMFA and CoMSIA models showed reliable and satisfactory predictability (with R²_cv=0.681, R²_ncv=0.844, R²_pred=0.8702 and R²_cv=0.643, R²_ncv=0.874, R²_pred=0.6423). The derived contour maps provide structural features to improve inhibitory activity. Furthermore, the contour maps, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have good consistency, illustrating that the derived models are reliable. In addition, MD simulations and binding free energy calculations were also carried out to understand the conformational fluctuations at the binding pocket of the receptor. The results indicate that hydrogen bond, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions play significant roles on activity and selectivity. Furthermore, amino acids Val31, Lys50, Thr95, Leu149 and Asp160 are considered as essential residues to participate in the ligand-receptor interactions. Overall, this work would offer reliable theoretical basis for future structural modification, design and synthesis of novel EGFR inhibitors with good potency.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis-Inducing Ability of Benzimidazole Derivatives: Design, Synthesis, Docking, and Biological Evaluation

In the current study, new benzimidazole-based 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives have been synthesized and characterized by NMR, IR, MS, and elemental analysis. The final compounds were screened for cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231, SKOV3, and A549 cell lines and EGFR for inhibitory activities. Compounds 10 and 13 were found to be the most active against all the tested cell lines, comparable to doxorubicin, and exhibited significant inhibition on EGFR kinase, with IC₅₀ 0.33 and 0.38 μM, respectively, comparable to erlotinib (IC₅₀ 0.39 μM). Furthermore, these two compounds effectively suppressed cell cycle progression and induced cell apoptosis in MDA-MB-231, SKOV3, and A549 cell lines. The docking studies revealed that these compounds showed interactions similar to erlotinib at the EGFR site. It can be concluded that the synthesized molecules effectively inhibit EGFR, can arrest the cell cycle, and may trigger apoptosis and therefore, could be used as lead molecules in the development of new anticancer agents targeting EGFR kinase.

Design and synthesis of some new 6-bromo-2-(pyridin-3-yl)-4-substituted quinazolines as multi tyrosine kinase inhibitors

The present study involves design and synthesis of five series of 6-bromo-2-(pyridin-3-yl)-4-substituted quinazolines 9a-l, 11a-e, 13a-c, 14a-f and 15a-e. Candidates 9a-l and 11a-e were evaluated for their EGFR and HER2 inhibitory activity compared to Lapatinib. Compounds 9b, 9d, 9f, 11b and 11c were further screened for their in vitro cytotoxicity against two human breast cancer cell lines: AU-565 and MDA-MB-231 in addition to normal breast cell line MCF10A. Compound 9d revealed a remarkable cytotoxic efficacy against AU-565 cell line (IC₅₀ = 1.54 µM) relative to Lapatinib (IC₅₀ = 0.48 µM), whereas compounds 9d and 11c showed a superior cytotoxicity towards MDA-MB-231 (IC₅₀ = 2.67 and 1.75 µM, respectively) in comparison to Lapatinib (IC₅₀ = 9.29 µM). Moreover, compounds 13a-c, 13a-c, 14a-f and 15a-e were tested for their VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity compared to Sorafenib. Compounds 13a, 14c and 14e exhibited remarkable inhibition (IC₅₀ = 79.80, 50.22 and 78.02 nM, respectively) relative to Sorafenib (IC₅₀ = 51.87 nM). In vitro cytotoxicity of these compounds against HepG2, HCT-116 and normal cell (WISH) revealed a superior cytotoxicity against HepG2, HCT-116 especially 13a (IC₅₀ = 17.51 and 5.56 µM, respectively) and 14c (IC₅₀ = 10.40 and 3.37 µM, respectively) compared to Sorafenib (IC₅₀ = 19.33 and 6.82 µM, respectively). Compounds 9d, 11c and 14c were subjected to cell cycle analysis and apoptotic assay. Molecular docking and ADME prediction studies were fulfilled to illustrate the interaction of the potent derivatives with the hot spots of the active site of EGFR, HER2 and VEGFR-2 along with prediction of their pharmacokinetic and physicochemical properties.

A Comprehensive Review of Recent Advances in the Biological Activities of Quinazolines

Quinazoline heterocycles are critical in the development of medications. Quinazoline derivatives have been intensively researched, providing a wide range of compounds with diverse biological roles. The quinazoline nucleus has garnered a lot of attention in medical chemistry in recent years. It was assumed to be a pharmacophore component in the development of physiologically interesting drugs. This review is an attempt to increase the potential of quinazoline by highlighting a wide range of advancements demonstrated by numerous derivatives of the quinazoline moiety, as well as focusing on diverse pharmacological actions of the quinazoline moiety. This review compiles recent studies on the quinazoline moiety described in the literature by researchers.

Development of Chitosan-Coated PLGA-Based Nanoparticles for Improved Oral Olaparib Delivery: In Vitro Characterization, and In Vivo Pharmacokinetic Studies

Olaparib (OLP) is an orally active poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase enzyme inhibitor, approved for treatment for the metastatic stage of prostate, pancreatic, breast and ovarian cancer. Due to its low bioavailability, an increase in dose and frequency is required to achieve therapeutic benefits, which also results in associated toxicity in patients. In the current study, OLP-loaded poly (d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) (OLP-PLGA NPs) and a coating of OLP-PLGA NPs with chitosan (CS) (OLP-CS-PLGA NPs) were prepared successfully in order to improve the dissolution rate and bioavailability. The developed OLP-PLGA NPs were evaluated for hydrodynamic particle size (392 ± 5.3 nm), PDI (0.360 ± 0.03), ZP (−26.9 ± 2.1 mV), EE (71.39 ± 5.5%) and DL (14.86 ± 1.4%), and OLP-CS-PLGA NPs, hydrodynamic particle size (622 ± 9.5 nm), PDI (0.321 ± 0.02), ZP (+36.0 ± 1.7 mV), EE (84.78 ± 6.3%) and DL (11.05 ± 2.6%). The in vitro release profile of both developed NPs showed a sustained release pattern. Moreover, the pharmacokinetics results exhibited a 2.0- and 4.75-fold increase in the bioavailability of OLP-PLGA NPs and OLP-CS-PLGA NPs, respectively, compared to normal OLP suspension. The results revealed that OLP-CS-PLGA NPs could be an effective approach to sustaining and improving the bioavailability of OLP.

Novel 2-(5-Aryl-4,5-Dihydropyrazol-1-yl)thiazol-4-One as EGFR Inhibitors: Synthesis, Biological Assessment and Molecular Docking Insights

Introduction

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) regulates several cell functions which include cell growth, survival, multiplication, differentiation, and apoptosis. Currently, EGFR kinase inhibitors are of increasing interest as promising targeted antitumor therapeutic agents.

Methods

Different thiazolyl-pyrazoline derivatives (7a-o) were synthesized and were first tested for anti-proliferative effect towards the A549 lung cancer cell line and the T-47D breast cancer cell line in MTT assay. Thereafter, thiazolyl-pyrazolines (7b, 7g, 7l, and 7m) were subsequently evaluated for their PK inhibition for EGFR. Moreover, representative promising derivatives (7g and 7m) in cytotoxic and PK inhibition assays were tested to investigate their impact on the apoptosis and cell cycle phases in T-47D cells in order to explore more insights into the antitumor actions of the target thiazolyl-pyrazolines. Furthermore, docking studies were accomplished to evaluate the patterns of binding of thiazolyl-pyrazolines 7b, 7g, 7l, and 7m in the EGFR active pocket (PDB ID: 1M17).

Results

Testing the thiazolyl pyrazoline compounds 7a-o on A549 and T-47D cell lines showed IC₅₀ arrays between 3.92 and 89.03 µM, and between 0.75 and 77.10 µM, respectively. Also, the tested thiazolyl-pyrazolines (7b, 7g, 7l, and 7m) demonstrated significant sub-micromolar EGFR inhibitory actions with IC₅₀ values 83, 262, 171 and 305 nM, respectively, in comparison to erlotinib (IC₅₀ =57 nM).

Discussion

Generally, it was observed that the tested thiazolyl pyrazolines showed more potent antiproliferative activity toward breast cancer cells T-47D than toward lung cancer cell lines A549. In particular, thiazolyl pyrazolines 7g and 7m showed the best activity against A549 cells (IC₅₀ = 3.92 and 6.53 µM) and T-47D cells (IC₅₀ = 0.88 and 0.75 µM). Compounds 7g and 7m provoked a sub-G1 phase arrest and cell apoptosis which are in agreement with the expected outcome of EGFR inhibition. Finally, the molecular docking of 7g and 7m in the active site of EGFR revealed a common binding pattern similar to that of erlotinib which involves the accommodation of the 1,3 thiazol-4-one ring and pyrazoline ring of target compounds in the binding region of erlotinib’s quinazoline ring and anilino moiety.

Identification of 3-(piperazinylmethyl)benzofuran derivatives as novel type II CDK2 inhibitors: design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and in silico insights

In the current work, a hybridisation strategy was adopted between the privileged building blocks, benzofuran and piperazine, with the aim of designing novel CDK2 type II inhibitors. The hybrid structures were linked to different aromatic semicarbazide, thiosemicarbazide, or acylhydrazone tails to anchor the designed inhibitors onto the CDK2 kinase domain. The designed compounds showed promising CDK2 inhibitory activity. Compounds 9h, 11d, 11e and 13c showed potent inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ of 40.91, 41.70, 46.88, and 52.63 nM, respectively) compared to staurosporine (IC₅₀ of 56.76 nM). Moreover, benzofurans 9e, 9h, 11d, and 13b showed promising antiproliferative activities towards different cancer cell lines, and non-significant cytotoxicity on normal lung fibroblasts MRC-5 cell line. Furthermore, a cell cycle analysis as well as Annexin V-FITC apoptosis assay on Panc-1 cell line were performed. Molecular docking simulations were performed to explore the ability of target benzofurans to adopt the common binding pattern of CDK2 type II inhibitors.

An appraisal of anticancer activity with structure-activity relationship of quinazoline and quinazolinone analogues through EGFR and VEGFR inhibition: A review

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death. Globally a huge number of deaths and new incidences are reported annually. Heterocyclic compounds have been proved to be very effective in the treatment of different types of cancer. Among different heterocyclic scaffolds, quinazoline and quinazolinone core were found versatile and interesting with many biological activities. In the discovery of novel anticancer agents, the Quinazoline core is very effective. The FDA has approved more than 20 drugs as an anticancer bearing quinazoline or quinazolinone core in the last two decades. One prime example is Dacomitinib, which was newly approved for non-small-cell lung carcinoma treatment in 2018. These drugs work by different pathways to prevent the spread of cancer cell progression, including inhibition of different kinases, tubulin, kinesin spindle protein, and so forth. This review presented recent developments of quinazoline/quinazolinone scaffold bearing derivatives as anticancer agents acting as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), and dual EGFR/VEGFR inhibitors.

Combining structure-based and 3D QSAR pharmacophore models to discover diverse ligands against EGFR in oral cancer

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK) is a well-known hallmark of oral and oropharyngeal cancers, as its overexpression leads to poor prognosis and malignancy. The activating EGFR mutations (particularly T790M and L858R double mutant) are a major challenge causing drug resistance, especially in the treatment of oral cancers. Methodology: This paper is an effort to exploit both structure-based and ligand-based pharmacophore modeling to discover EGFR-TK inhibitors, which show inhibition of proliferation of erlotinib-resistant FaDu and Cal27 oral cancer cells. Interestingly, the hit compound H2 also showed an effect on the downstream glucose and lactate metabolism pathways. Conclusion: The results indicate the potential of H2 to be developed as an EGFR-based metabolic inhibitor for oral cancer treatment.

Novel oxindole/benzofuran hybrids as potential dual CDK2/GSK-3β inhibitors targeting breast cancer: design, synthesis, biological evaluation, and in silico studies

The serine/threonine protein kinases CDK2 and GSK-3β are key oncotargets in breast cancer cell lines, therefore, in the present study three series of oxindole-benzofuran hybrids were designed and synthesised as dual CDK2/GSK-3β inhibitors targeting breast cancer (5a-g, 7a-h, and 13a-b). The N1 -unsubstituted oxindole derivatives, series 5, showed moderate to potent activity on both MCF-7 and T-47D breast cancer cell lines. Compounds 5d-f showed the most potent cytotoxic activity with IC50 of 3.41, 3.45 and 2.27 μM, respectively, on MCF-7 and of 3.82, 4.53 and 7.80 μM, respectively, on T-47D cell lines, in comparison to the used reference standard (staurosporine) IC50 of 4.81 and 4.34 μM, respectively. On the other hand, the N1 -substituted oxindole derivatives, series 7 and 13, showed moderate to weak cytotoxic activity on both breast cancer cell lines. CDK2 and GSK-3β enzyme inhibition assay of series 5 revealed that compounds 5d and 5f are showing potent dual CDK2/GSK-3β inhibitory activity with IC50 of 37.77 and 52.75 nM, respectively, on CDK2 and 32.09 and 40.13 nM, respectively, on GSK-3β. The most potent compounds 5d-f caused cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in MCF-7 cells inducing cell apoptosis because of the CDK2/GSK-3β inhibition. Molecular docking studies showed that the newly synthesised N1 -unsubstituted oxindole hybrids have comparable binding patterns in both CDK2 and GSK-3β. The oxindole ring is accommodated in the hinge region interacting through hydrogen bonding with the backbone CO and NH of the key amino acids Glu81 and Leu83, respectively, in CDK2 and Asp133 and Val135, respectively, in GSK-3β. Whereas, in series 7 and 13, the N1 -substitutions on the oxindole nucleus hinder the compounds from achieving these key interactions with hinge region amino acids what rationalises their moderate to low anti-proliferative activity.

Recent Advances on Quinazoline Derivatives: A Potential Bioactive Scaffold in Medicinal Chemistry

This paper intended to explore and discover recent therapeutic agents in the area of medicinal chemistry for the treatment of various diseases. Heterocyclic compounds represent an important group of biologically active compounds. In the last few years, heterocyclic compounds having quinazoline moiety have drawn immense attention owing to their significant biological activities. A diverse range of molecules having quinazoline moiety are reported to show a broad range of medicinal activities like antifungal, antiviral, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant and other activities. This study accelerates the designing process to generate a greater number of biologically active candidates.

Gefitinib loaded PLGA and chitosan coated PLGA nanoparticles with magnified cytotoxicity against A549 lung cancer cell lines

In the current study, gefitinib loaded PLGA nanoparticles (GFT-PLGA-NPs) and chitosan coated PLGA nanoparticles (GFT-CS-PLGA-NPs) were synthesized to investigate the role of surface charge of NPs for developing drug delivery system for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The developed NPs were evaluated for their size, PDI, zeta potential (ZP), drug entrapment, drug loading, DSC, FTIR, XRD, in vitro release profile, and morphology. The anti-cancer activity of GFT loaded PLGA NPs and GFT loaded CS-PLGA-NPs were examined in human A549 lung cancer cell lines. In vitro release studies of GFT-CS-PLGA-NPs showed more sustained release in comparison to GFT-PLGA-NPs due surface charge attraction of chitosan. In addition, viability of A549 cells decreases significantly with the increasing concentration of GFT-PLGA NPs and GFT-CS-PLGA-NPs when compared to that of pure GFT and blank PLGA NPs. In addition, the microscopic analysis and counting of viable cells also validate the cytotoxicity of the developed NPs. This investigation proved that the developed NPs would be efficient carriers to deliver GFT with improved efficacy against NSCLC.

Anti-EGFR Binding Nanobody Delivery System to Improve the Diagnosis and Treatment of Solid Tumours

BACKGROUND

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) and members of its homologous protein family mediate transmembrane signal transduction by binding to a specific ligand, which leads to regulated cell growth, differentiation, proliferation and metastasis. With the development and application of Genetically Engineered Antibodies (GEAs), Nanobodies (Nbs) constitute a new research hot spot in many diseases. A Nb is characterized by its low molecular weight, deep tissue penetration, good solubility and high antigen-binding affinity, the anti-EGFR Nbs are of significance for the diagnosis and treatment of EGFR-positive tumours.

OBJECTIVE

This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the information about the molecular structure of EGFR and its transmembrane signal transduction mechanism, and discuss the anti-EGFR-Nbs influence on the diagnosis and treatment of solid tumours.

METHODS

Data were obtained from PubMed, Embase and Web of Science. All patents are searched from the following websites: the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO®), the United States Patent Trademark Office (USPTO®) and Google Patents.

RESULTS

EGFR is a key target for regulating transmembrane signaling. The anti-EGFR-Nbs for targeted drugs could effectively improve the diagnosis and treatment of solid tumours.

CONCLUSION

EGFR plays a role in transmembrane signal transduction. The Nbs, especially anti- EGFR-Nbs, have shown effectiveness in the diagnosis and treatment of solid tumours. How to increase the affinity of Nb and reduce its immunogenicity remain a great challenge.

Anticancer activity of pyrimidodiazepines based on 2-chloro-4-anilinoquinazoline: synthesis, DNA binding and molecular docking

Multidrug resistance to chemotherapy is a critical health problem associated with mutation of the therapeutic target. Therefore, the development of anticancer agents remains a challenge to overcome cancer cell resistance. Herein, a new series of quinazoline-based pyrimidodiazepines 16a-g were synthesized by the cyclocondensation reaction of 2-chloro-4-anilinoquinazoline-chalcones 14a-g with 2,4,5,6-tetraaminopyrimidine. All quinazoline derivatives 14a-g and 16a-g were selected by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) for testing their anticancer activity against 60 cancer cell lines of different panels of human tumors. Among the tested compounds, quinazoline-chalcone 14g displayed high antiproliferative activity with GI₅₀ values between 0.622-1.81 μM against K-562 (leukemia), RPMI-8226 (leukemia), HCT-116 (colon cancer) LOX IMVI (melanoma), and MCF7 (breast cancer) cancer cell lines. Additionally, the pyrimidodiazepines 16a and 16c exhibited high cytostatic (TGI) and cytotoxic activity (LC₅₀), where 16c showed high cytotoxic activity, which was 10.0-fold higher than the standard anticancer agent adriamycin/doxorubicin against ten cancer cell lines. COMPARE analysis revealed that 16c may possess a mechanism of action through DNA binding that is similar to that of CCNU (lomustine). DNA binding studies indicated that 14g and 16c interact with the calf thymus DNA by intercalation and groove binding, respectively. Compounds 14g, 16c and 16a displayed strong binding affinities to DNA, EGFR and VEGFR-2 receptors. None of the active compounds showed cytotoxicity against human red blood cells.

Design, synthesis and assessment of new series of quinazolinone derivatives as EGFR inhibitors along with their cytotoxic evaluation against MCF7 and A549 cancer cell lines

New acetamide (IV a-e) and 1,3-thiazolidinone derivatives (VII a-e) were designed, synthesized and assessed for their cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and A549 cell lines along with their lead compounds (erlotinib and gefitinib). The newly designed compounds were prepared according to the adopted procedures in schemes 1 and 2 from their quinazolinone parents. 3D QSAR pharmacophore and docking molecular modeling protocols were conducted using Discovery Studio program, beside a full biological assay for these compounds. The cytotoxicity evaluation demonstrated that compounds IVb, IVc, VIIa, VIIb, VIId exhibited potent cytotoxic activities against both MCF-7 and A549 cell lines. Moreover, the molecular modeling studies corroborated to the affinity of the compounds towards EGFR. Consequently, these five compounds were then screened for their EGFR inhibition and evaluated as well for their toxicity to normal cells, which revealed that the acetamide derivative IVc and the thiazolidinone derivative VIIa were the most potent and least toxic. DNA flow cytometry analysis was conducted for compounds IVc and VIIa, which indicated that they both induced arrest at G2/M phase of the cell cycle.

Discovery of Potent EGFR Inhibitors With 6-Arylureido-4-anilinoquinazoline Derivatives

According to the classical pharmacophore fusion strategy, a series of 6-arylureido-4-anilinoquinazoline derivatives ( Compounds 7a - t ) were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated by the standard CCK-8 method and enzyme inhibition assay. Among the title compounds, Compounds 7a , 7c , 7d , 7f , 7i , 7o , 7p , and 7q exhibited promising anti-proliferative bioactivities, especially Compound 7i , which had excellent antitumor activity against the A549, HT-29, and MCF-7 cell lines (IC₅₀ = 2.25, 1.72, and 2.81 μM, respectively) compared with gefitinib, erlotinib, and sorafenib. In addition, the enzyme activity inhibition assay indicated that the synthesized compounds had sub-micromolar inhibitory levels (IC₅₀, 11.66-867.1 nM), which was consistent with the results of the tumor cell line growth inhibition tests. By comparing the binding mechanisms of Compound 7i (17.32 nM), gefitinib (25.42 nM), and erlotinib (33.25 nM) to the EGFR, it was found that Compound 7i could extend into the effective region with a similar action conformation to that of gefitinib and interact with residues L85, D86, and R127, increasing the binding affinity of Compound 7i to the EGFR. Based on the molecular hybridization strategy, 14 compounds with EGFR inhibitory activity were designed and synthesized, and the action mechanism was explored through computational approaches, providing valuable clues for the research of antitumor agents based on EGFR inhibitors.

Antiproliferative activity, enzymatic inhibition and apoptosis-promoting effects of benzoxazole-based hybrids on human breast cancer cells

New benzoxazole derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole, 1,2,4-triazole or triazolothiadiazine rings were synthesized and screened for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Doxorubicin, cisplatin and 2-(4-aminophenyl)benzothiazole (CJM 126) were used as references. The most active compounds 7a, 8d, 8e and 10c were screened for their antiproliferative activities against MCF-10A normal breast cells where compounds 8e and 7a were the most selective towards MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, respectively compared to CJM 126. In vitro enzymatic inhibition assays of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and aromatase (ARO) enzymes were performed. Compound 7a showed inhibition of EGFR comparable to that of erlotinib while compound 8e exhibited nearly half the inhibitory activity of erlotinib towards EGFR and was more potent inhibitor of ARO than letrozole. Caspase-9 activation assay, cell cycle analysis and Annexin-V/ Propidium iodide assay performed for compounds 7a, 8d, 8e and 10c demonstrated over expression of caspase-9 protein level, pre G₁ apoptosis and high annexin V binding affinity. Therefore, these compounds are considered as potent apoptosis-promoting agents. The predicted docking studies and in silico chemo-informatic properties of compounds 7a and 8e were appropriate. Compounds 7a and 8e are promising anti-breast cancer agents exhibiting potent apoptosis-promoting properties.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 2,3-dihydro-[1,4]dioxino[2,3-f]quinazoline derivatives as EGFR inhibitors

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is the most attractive target for drug research in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The first-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) Gefetinib and Elotinib showed good clinical efficacy on lung adenocarcinoma tumors, but almost all patients developed resistance to these inhibitors over time. Quinazoline and quinoline derivatives are common targeted inhibitors of EGFR kinase, and their structural optimization is an important direction for the development of effective targeted anticancer drugs. Based on these facts, a series of heterocyclic 2,3-dihydro-[1,4]dioxino[2,3-f]quinazoline derivatives have been designed and synthesized and their structures were confirmed by spectral analyses. The cytotoxic activity of the newly synthesized compounds was evaluated against the human kidney epithelial T293 cell line, normal lung cell lines WI-38, non-small cell lung cancer A549 and NCI-H157 cell lines using MTT. The tested compounds showed an evident anticancer activity against the tested cell lines, especially compound 13c, which was the most potent anticancer agent with half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) between 8.82 and 10.24 μM. Docking study showed that compound 13b could be nicely bound to the ATP binding pocket of EGFR. In addition, the inhibitory activity of the target compounds against epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK) was evaluated. Results indicated the ability of the target compounds to inhibit EGFR-TK with half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) in the range of 10.29 nM to 652.3 nM. In view of the reported compound activity, the structure deserves further optimization as cancer treatment agents.

Design and synthesis of 4-anilinoquinazolines as Raf kinase inhibitors. Part 1. Selective B-Raf/B-RafV600E and potent EGFR/VEGFR2 inhibitory 4-(3-hydroxyanilino)-6-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)quinazolines

This paper presents the design and synthesis of 4-(3-hydroxyanilino)-6-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)quinazolines of scaffold 9 as selective B-Raf/B-Raf^V600E and potent EGFR/VEGFR2 kinase inhibitors. Total 14 compounds of scaffold 9 having different side chains at the triazolyl group with/without fluoro substituents at the anilino group were synthesized and investigated. Among them, 9m with a 2-carbamoylethyl side chain and C-4'/C-6' difluoro substituents was the most potent, which selectively inhibited B-Raf (IC₅₀: 57 nM) and B-Raf^V600E (IC₅₀: 51 nM) over C-Raf (IC₅₀: 1.0 μM). Compound 9m also actively inhibited EGFR (IC₅₀: 73 nM) and VEGFR2 (IC₅₀: 7.0 nM) but not EGFR^T790M and PDGFR-β (IC₅₀: >10 μM). Despite having good potency for B-Raf and B-Raf^V600E in the enzymatic assays, 9m was less active to inhibit melanoma A375 cells which proliferate due to constitutively activated B-Raf^600E. The inferior activity of 9m for A375 was similar to that of sorafenib (6), suggesting that 9m might bind to the inactive conformations of B-Raf and B-Raf^V600E. Docking simulations could thus be performed to reveal the binding poses of 9m in B-Raf, B-Raf^V600E, and VEGFR2 kinases.

Design, synthesis and molecular modeling studies of 2-styrylquinazoline derivatives as EGFR inhibitors and apoptosis inducers

Herein, we report the synthesis of novel 2-substituted styrylquinazolines conjugated with aniline or sulfonamide moieties, anticipated to act as potent anticancer therapeutic agents through preferential EGFR inhibition. In doing so, all the synthesized compounds were screened for their in vitro anticancer activities (nine subpanels) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA. The resulting two most active anticancer compounds (7b and 8c) were then chemically manipulated to investigate feasible derivatives (12a-e and 15a-d). MTT cytotoxicity, in vitro cell free EGFR and anti-proliferative activity against EGFR/ A549 cell line evaluation for the most active broadly spectrum candidates (7a/b, 8c/e, 12b and 15d) was conducted. Promising results were obtained for the styrylquinazoline-benzenesulfonamide derivative 8c (IC50 = 8.62 µM, 0.190 µM and = 79.25%), if compared to lapatanib (IC50 = 11.98 µM, 0.190 µM, and 79.25%), respectively. Moreover, its apoptotic induction potential was studied through cell cycle analysis, Annexin-V and caspase-3 activation assays. Results showed a clear cell arrest at G2/M phase, a late apoptotic increase (76 folds) and a fruitful caspase-3 expression change (8 folds), compared to the control. Finally, molecular docking studies of compounds 7a/b, 8c/e, 12b and 15d revealed proper fitting into the active site of EGFR with a low binding energy score for compound 8c (-13.19 Kcal/mole), compared to lapatanib (-14.54 Kcal/mole).

Designing biotin-human serum albumin nanoparticles to enhance the targeting ability of binuclear ruthenium(III) compound

On the one hand, to obtain a novel next-generation anticancer metal agent; on the other hand, to improve the targeting ability and decrease side effects of metal agent, we proposed to design active-targeting human serum albumin (HSA) nanoparticles (NPs) to achieve the end. Thus, we not only designed and synthesized two ruthenium (Ru) thiosemicarbazone compounds (C1 and C2) but also succeeded in constructing active Biotin-HSA NPs for Ru(III) compounds. Importantly, Biotin-HSA-C2 NPs not only possessed a stronger capacity for killing MCF-7 cells and inhibiting their migration versusC2 alone but also increased accumulation compared to non-malignant WI-38 cells. Additionally, C2 and Biotin-HSA-C2 NPs act against MCF-7 cells by the following potential mechanism: 1) arresting the cell cycle in the S phase by regulating cyclin and cyclin-dependent kinases; 2) inducing apoptosis by releasing cytochrome c to activate caspase-9/3; 3) inhibiting the expression of p-EGFR and regulating its neighboring cellular pathways, followed by the inactivation of PI3K/Akt and activation of p38 MAPK signaling pathways.