Discovery of pyrazole N-aryl sulfonate: A novel and highly potent cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors

Tawfik S, Othman DIA, Elshal M, Ur Rahman H, Parambi DGT, M. Elbargisy R, Selim S, Mostafa EM, Mohamed AAB. Design, synthesis, and biological investigation of oxadiazolyl, thiadiazolyl, and pyrimidinyl linked antipyrine derivatives as potential non-acidic anti-inflammatory agents

A novel series of 12 antipyrine derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazoles (4a-d), 1,3,4-thiadiazoles (6a-d), and pyrimidines (8a-d), was preparedand assessed for its potential in vitro COX-2 inhibitors. Compared to Celecoxib, compounds 4b-d and 8d were the most potent derivatives c with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration range of 53-69 nM. Considering COX-2 selectivity index, compounds 4 b and 4c were chosen among these most potent derivatives for further investigation. The in vivo ability of compounds 4 b and 4c to counteract carrageenan-induced paw edoema has been assessed and their potential underlying mechanisms have been elucidated and the results have been further validated using molecular docking simulations.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of resveratrol amide derivatives as selective COX-2 inhibitors

Selective COX-2 inhibitors have been considered to be reliable alternatives to tNSAIDs, but most of them were withdrawn from the market due to their risk of heart attack and stroke. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a new type of selective COX-2 inhibitor with high efficiency and low toxicity. Inspired by the cardiovascular protection, and anti-inflammatory activity of resveratrol, we synthesized 38 resveratrol amide derivatives and evaluated their COX-1/COX-2 inhibitory activities. Compounds 8a, 6a, 8c and 13c showed important inhibitory activity against COX-2 (IC₅₀ = 0.42-2.54 μM) with definite selectivity (SI = 48-83). Molecular docking study demonstrated that these compounds partially entered the 2°-pocket of the COX-2 active site and interacted with the amino acid residues responsible for the COX-2 selectivity, which was in a similar orientation and binding interactions to rofecoxib. Further anti-inflammatory activity evaluation in vivo of these active compounds revealed that compound 8a showed no gastric ulcer toxicity, and displayed evident anti-inflammatory effect (45.95% inhibition of edema) with three oral doses of 50 mg/kg, which is worthy of further study. Moreover, compounds 6a and 8c also exhibited superior gastric safety profiles compared to the reference drugs celecoxib and indomethacin.

PROTACs in the Management of Prostate Cancer

Cancer treatments with targeted therapy have gained immense interest due to their low levels of toxicity and high selectivity. Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) have drawn special attention in the development of cancer therapeutics owing to their unique mechanism of action, their ability to target undruggable proteins, and their focused target engagement. PROTACs selectively degrade the target protein through the ubiquitin-proteasome system, which describes a different mode of action compared to conventional small-molecule inhibitors or even antibodies. Among different cancer types, prostate cancer (PC) is the most prevalent non-cutaneous cancer in men. Genetic alterations and the overexpression of several genes, such as FOXA1, AR, PTEN, RB1, TP53, etc., suppress the immune response, resulting in drug resistance to conventional drugs in prostate cancer. Since the progression of ARV-110 (PROTAC for PC) into clinical phases, the focus of research has quickly shifted to protein degraders targeting prostate cancer. The present review highlights an overview of PROTACs in prostate cancer and their superiority over conventional inhibitors. We also delve into the underlying pathophysiology of the disease and explain the structural design and linkerology strategies for PROTAC molecules. Additionally, we touch on the various targets for PROTAC in prostate cancer, including the androgen receptor (AR) and other critical oncoproteins, and discuss the future prospects and challenges in this field.

Synthesis of new Spiropyrazole derivatives under microwaves irradiation and docking study for inhibition the microbes and COVID-19

Synthesis of a new series of spiropyrazole derivatives using microwaves irradiation with high yield in minutes was achieved through a cycloaddition reaction of nitrile imines and arylidenes of 5-bromo-indan-1-one. The structure of the new spiropyrazoles was assured based on their available spectral analyses and the comparison of the extracted data with the literature reports. Molecular docking simulations of all new synthesized spiropyrazole derivatives into leucyl-tRNA synthetase editing domain of Candida albicans (Pdb: 2WFC) indicated that about seven spiropyrazole derivatives can fit deeply in the active site via the formation of stable complexes. In addition, the docking study was utilized to tested the ability of these spiropyrazoles to inhibit COVID-19 through the interaction with COVID-19 main protease (Pdb: 6LU7). The results were surprising which revealed high docking score ranging from -7.764 to -5.9464 kcal/mol. Moreover, the nitrogen atom of pyrazole, Br atom and the C=O group of indanone are essential parts in the binding mode of almost the active derivatives. The results of the docking study are a glimmer of hope to complete the study on these compounds and examine them in the laboratory to ensure their effectiveness as antimicrobials and antiviral, especially Covid-19. Moreover, pharmacokinetics and physicochemical properties were studied.

Synthesis, Biological Activity and Molecular Docking Studies of Novel Sulfonate Derivatives Bearing Salicylaldehyde

Enzyme activity alterations have been associated with many metabolism disorders and have crucial roles in the pathogenesis of some diseases. Tyrosinase is a key enzyme in melanin biosynthesis, which is responsible for skin pigmentation to protect the skin from solar radiation. Pancreatic lipase has been considered a key enzyme for the treatment of obesity. Herein, we reported the synthesis and enzyme inhibitions of a series of sulfonates as possible tyrosinase and pancreatic lipase inhibitors. According to the calculated IC₅₀ values, compound 3f (74.1±11.1 μM) and compound 3c (86.6±6.9 μM) were determined to be the best inhibitors among the synthesized compounds for the tyrosinase and pancreatic lipase enzymes, respectively. The approach yielded at extremely high level by creating very flexible structural domains for the chemically modified groups. The structural characterization of the target molecules was implemented by ¹ H-NMR, ¹³ C-NMR, and HR-MS analyses. Also, molecular docking studies of the synthesized compounds with tyrosinase and pancreatic lipase enzymes were conducted using AutoDock Vina software. Additionally, the studies of the absorption distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) were performed to uncover the target compounds' pharmacokinetics, drug similarities, and medicinal properties of the novel sulfonate derivatives bearing salicylaldehyde.

A Review of the Recent Development in the Synthesis and Biological Evaluations of Pyrazole Derivatives

Pyrazoles are five-membered heterocyclic compounds that contain nitrogen. They are an important class of compounds for drug development; thus, they have attracted much attention. In the meantime, pyrazole derivatives have been synthesized as target structures and have demonstrated numerous biological activities such as antituberculosis, antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory. This review summarizes the results of published research on pyrazole derivatives synthesis and biological activities. The published research works on pyrazole derivatives synthesis and biological activities between January 2018 and December 2021 were retrieved from the Scopus database and reviewed accordingly.

Recent development on COX-2 inhibitors as promising anti-inflammatory agents: The past 10 years

Cyclooxygenases play a vital role in inflammation and are responsible for the production of prostaglandins. Two cyclooxygenases are described, the constitutive cyclooxygenase-1 and the inducible cyclooxygenase-2, for which the target inhibitors are the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Prostaglandins are a class of lipid compounds that mediate acute and chronic inflammation. NSAIDs are the most frequent choices for treatment of inflammation. Nevertheless, currently used anti-inflammatory drugs have become associated with a variety of adverse effects which lead to diminished output even market withdrawal. Recently, more studies have been carried out on searching novel selective COX-2 inhibitors with safety profiles. In this review, we highlight the various structural classes of organic and natural scaffolds with efficient COX-2 inhibitory activity reported during 2011–2021. It will be valuable for pharmaceutical scientists to read up on the current chemicals to pave the way for subsequent research.