Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-(4-phenylthiazol-2-yl) isoindoline-1,3-dione derivatives as anti-prostate cancer agents

Design and synthesis of novel multi-target tetrabromophthalimides as CBS and Topo-II inhibitors and DNA intercalators

Microtubules are highly dynamic structures and constitute a crucial component of the cellular cytoskeleton. Besides, topoisomerases (Topo) play a fundamental role in maintaining the appropriate structure and organization of DNA. On the other hand, dual mechanism drug candidates for cancer treatment primarily aim to enhance the efficacy of cancer treatment and potentially overcome drug resistance. Hence, this work was tailored to design and synthesize new multi-target tetrabromophthalimide derivatives (2a-2k) that are capable of inhibiting the colchicine binding site (CBS) and topoisomerase II (Topo-II). The conducted in vitro studies showed that compound 2f showed the lowest IC50 value (6.7 μg mL-1) against the MDA-MB-468 cancer cell line. Additionally, compound 2f prompted upregulation of pro-apoptotic markers (caspases 3, 7, 8, and 9, Bax and p53). Moreover, some anti-apoptotic proteins (MMP2, MMP9, and BCL-2) were downregulated by compound 2f treatment. Besides, the colchicine binding assay showed that compounds 2f and 2k displayed promising inhibitory potential with IC50 values of 1.92 and 4.84 μg mL-1, respectively, in comparison with colchicine (1.55 μg mL-1). Furthermore, the Topo-II inhibition assay displayed the prominent inhibitory potential of compound 2f with an IC50 value of 15.75 μg mL-1, surpassing the IC50 of etoposide (20.82 μg mL-1). Cell cycle analysis revealed that compound 2f induced cell cycle arrest at both the G0-G1 and G2-M phases. The new candidates were docked against both the CBS (PDB ID: 5XIW) and Topo-II (PDB ID: 5CDP) targets to investigate their binding interactions and affinities as well. Accordingly, the synthesized compounds could serve as promising multi-target anticancer candidates with eligible apoptotic activity.

Comprehensive Review on Recent Strategies for Management of Prostate Cancer: Therapeutic Targets and SAR

Prostate cancer is a disease that is affecting a large population worldwide. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has become a foundation for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, as used in most clinical settings from neo-adjuvant to metastatic stage. In spite of the success of ADT in managing the disease in the majority of men, hormonal manipulation fails eventually. New molecules are developed for patients with various hormone-refractory diseases. Advancements in molecular oncology have increased understanding of numerous cellular mechanisms which control cell death in the prostate and these insights can lead to the development of more efficacious and tolerable therapies for carcinoma of the prostate. This review is focused on numerous therapies that might be a boon for prostate therapy like signaling inhibitors, vaccines, and inhibitors of androgen receptors. Along with these, various bioactive molecules and their derivatives are highlighted, which act as potential antiprostate cancer agents. This article also emphasized the recent advances in the field of medicinal chemistry of prostate cancer agents.

Novel 3-Methyleneisoindolinones Diversified via Intramolecular Heck Cyclization Induce Oxidative Stress, Decrease Mitochondrial Membrane Potential, Disrupt Cell Cycle, and Induce Apoptosis in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most prevalent cancer in the world and the most prevalent cancer of developing countries. Increased disease burden and a smaller number of approved targeted therapies are a growing concern worldwide. Isoindolinone motifs have been a central part of many pharmacological compounds, and their derivatives possess substantial anticancer potential. However, their anticancer potential against HNSCC has not been well investigated. In the current study, a series of 3-methyleneisoindolinones have been designed and synthesized and their late-stage intramolecular Heck cyclization was achieved to evaluate their anticancer potential against HNSCC cells. Additionally, in silico ADME profiling of synthesized compounds revealed their drug-likeness properties as potential drug candidates. Among the synthesized compounds, 3-bromo-5-methylpyridin-2-yl-3-methyleneisoindolin-1-one, i.e., 3n, with a pyridyl unit exhibited the most significant cytotoxicity against HNSCC cells. The cytotoxic potential of synthesized compounds varied depending on the nature of substituents present and has been well established with structure-activity relationship studies. Further, flow cytometric analysis showed that 3f, 3h, and 3n triggered intracellular oxidative stress, disrupted mitochondrial membrane potential, and interrupted the cell cycle of HNSCC cells in the S-phase and sub-G1 phase. Further, 3f, 3h, and 3n also exhibited pro-apoptotic potential and induced cellular apoptosis in the HNSCC cells. Overall, the findings of this study attributed 3-methyleneisoindolinone chemistry and efficacy evaluation and corroborated their anticancer potential against HNSCC. It will pave the way to further design and optimize novel 3-methyleneisoindolinone as effective antitumor agents, which may provide effective treatment modalities against HNSCC.

Antimicrobial Agents Based on Metal Complexes: Present Situation and Future Prospects

The rise in antimicrobial resistance is a cause of serious concern since the ages. Therefore, a dire need to explore new antimicrobial entities that can combat against the increasing threat of antibiotic resistance is realized. Studies have shown that the activity of the strongest antibiotics has reduced drastically against many microbes such as microfungi and bacteria (Gram-positive and Gram-negative). A ray of hope, however, was witnessed in early 1940s with the development of new drug discovery and use of metal complexes as antibiotics. Many new metal-based drugs were developed from the metal complexes which are potentially active against a number of ailments such as cancer, malaria, and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, this review is an attempt to describe the present scenario and future development of metal complexes as antibiotics against wide array of microbes.

Indole based prostate cancer agents

Cancer weakens the immune system which fails to fight against the rapidly growing cells. Among the various types of cancers, prostate cancer (PCa) is causing greater number of deaths in men after lung cancer, demanding advancement to prevent, detect and treat PCa. Several small molecule heterocycles and few peptides are being used as oncological drugs targeting PCa. Heterocycles are playing crucial role in the development of novel cancer chemotherapeutics as well as immunotherapeutics. Indole skeleton, being a privileged structure has been extensively used for the discovery of novel anticancer agents and the application of indole derivatives against breast cancer is well documented. The present article highlights the usefulness of indole linked heterocyclic compounds as well as the fused indole derivatives against prostate cancer.

New Antimicrobial Strategies Based on Metal Complexes

Traditional organic antimicrobials mainly act on specific biochemical processes such as replication, transcription and translation. However, the emergence and wide spread of microbial resistance is a growing threat for human beings. Therefore, it is highly necessary to design strategies for the development of new drugs in order to target multiple cellular processes that should improve their efficiency against several microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses or fungi. The present review is focused on recent advances and findings of new antimicrobial strategies based on metal complexes. Recent studies indicate that some metal ions cause different types of damages to microbial cells as a result of membrane degradation, protein dysfunction and oxidative stress. These unique modes of action, combined with the wide range of three-dimensional geometries that metal complexes can adopt, make them suitable for the development of new antimicrobial drugs.

Substrate-directed chemo- and regioselective synthesis of polyfunctionalized trifluoromethylarenes via organocatalytic benzannulation

Highly chemo- and regioselective substrate-directed benzannulation of trisubstituted CF₃-alkenes and 2-benzylidenemalononitriles or 2-nitroallylic acetates has been achieved via Michael-initiated [4 + 2] or Rauhut–Currier-initiated [3 + 3] annulation.

Thiazole-containing compounds as therapeutic targets for cancer therapy

In the last few decades, considerable progress has been made in anticancer agents development, and several new anticancer agents of natural and synthetic origin have been produced. Among heterocyclic compounds, thiazole, a 5-membered unique heterocyclic motif containing sulphur and nitrogen atoms, serves as an essential core scaffold in several medicinally important compounds. Thiazole nucleus is a fundamental part of some clinically applied anticancer drugs, such as dasatinib, dabrafenib, ixabepilone, patellamide A, and epothilone. Recently, thiazole-containing compounds have been successfully developed as possible inhibitors of several biological targets, including enzyme-linked receptor(s) located on the cell membrane, (i.e., polymerase inhibitors) and the cell cycle (i.e., microtubular inhibitors). Moreover, these compounds have been proven to exhibit high effectiveness, potent anticancer activity, and less toxicity. This review presents current research on thiazoles and elucidates their biological importance in anticancer drug discovery. The findings may aid researchers in the rational design of more potent and bio-target specific anticancer drug molecules.

Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Substituted (5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)- 1,3,4-oxadiazole as Potent Androgen Receptor Antagonist

BACKGROUND

Androgen Receptor (AR) is one of the highly explored targets for the treatment of prostate cancer. The emergence of point mutation in the Ligand Binding Domain (LBD) of AR has resulted in the development of resistance against AR antagonist. The point mutation T877A, W741L and F876L confer resistance to flutamide, bicalutamide and enzalutamide respectively. There is no AR antagonist in the present clinical set up without resistance. Hence, our aim in this study is to design a novel molecule to overcome the resistance caused by point mutation.

METHODS

Here, we developed novel AR antagonist bearing (5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-1, 3,4-oxadiazole core by rational drug design. The test molecules 8a-h were synthesized from the corresponding dihydrazide compounds 7a-h on treatment with phosphorous oxychloride on reflux conditions. The structure of the molecules was confirmed from spectral data such as IR, 1H-NMR, HRMS and 13C-NMR. The synthesized compounds were screened for cytotoxicity in prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP-FGC and PC3. The confirmation of AR mediated activity of the test compounds was confirmed by gene expression study. The interaction of the best active ligands with mutant AR was predicted and drug design was rationalized through docking studies.

RESULTS

The test compounds 8a-h were synthesized and the structures were conformed using suitable techniques like IR, 1H-NMR, HRMS and 13C-NMR. Among the tested compounds, 8b and 8d showed potent antiproliferative activity against mutant AR cell lines. Further, these compounds significantly decreased the gene expression of prostate cancer biomarkers.

CONCLUSION

In this study, we have identified a potential hit molecule for AR antagonism that could be further developed to obtain a potent clinical candidate.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of (E)-N'-((1-Chloro-3,4-Dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)Methylene)Benzohydrazide Derivatives as Anti-prostate Cancer Agents

Prostate Cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men in their late '50s. PCa growth is mainly due to the activation of the androgen receptor by androgens. The treatment for PCa may involve surgery, hormonal therapy, and oral chemotherapeutic drugs. A structural based molecular docking approach revealed the findings of (E)-N'-((1-chloro-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-2-yl)methylene)benzohydrazide derivatives, where the possible binding modes of the compounds with protein (PDB ID: 3V49) are shown. The compounds (6a-k) were synthesized and characterized by using conventional methods. The compounds, 6g, 6j, and 6k were reconfirmed through single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD). Further, the compounds (6a-k) and standard drug were evaluated against human prostate cancer cell lines, LNCaP and PC-3 and the non-cancerous cell line, 3T3. Among these compounds, 6g and 6j showed higher cytotoxicity, and 6g exhibited dose-dependent activity and reduced cell viability. The mechanism of action was observed through the induced apoptosis and was further confirmed by western blot and ELISA. Molecular dynamics simulation studies were carried out to calculate the interaction and the stability of the protein-ligand complex in motion. ADME properties were predicted for all the tested compounds. These findings may give vital information for further development.

In Silico Molecular Docking, Synthesis of 4-(4-benzoylaminophenoxy) Phenol Derivatives as Androgen Receptor Antagonists

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

To study the structural difference, optimization, molecular docking and development of new benzoyl amino phenoxy phenol derivatives as anti-prostate cancer agents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Strategies towards the identification of novel benzoyl amino phenoxy phenol (BAPP), molecular docking was performed with the designed Androgen Receptor (AR) blockers. Pharmacophore-based studies revealed that the nitro- or cyano-substituted anilide groups have influenced the activity profiles of non-steroidal AR antagonists, followed by the molecular docking studies with five AR receptors. Molecular docking studies were carried out using Maestro from Schrödinger. Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) properties of the BAPP derivatives were evaluated for the predictive bioavailability/drug-likeness. These studies supported vital information for designing new anti-prostate cancer agents.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

There are 125 compounds were screened and best fit compounds (12 entries) were well-synthesized in good to excellent yields and anticancer activities were evaluated. The compounds, 6i showed the highest activities of this series (14.65 ± 1.35 µM).

CONCLUSION

The present approach is simple and efficient for the synthesis of BAPP derivatives and the observed IC50 values of BAPPs were in good agreement with the glide scores obtained from the molecular docking. We, further, intend to carry out in vitro and in vivo AR binding studies for the active compounds.

In silico Molecular Modelling of Selected Natural Ligands and their Binding Features with Estrogen Receptor Alpha

Background:

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed among women. It is now recognized that two receptors mediate estrogen action and the presence of estrogen receptor alpha (ER&#945;) correlates with better prognosis and the likelihood of response to hormonal therapy. ER&#945; is an attractive target for the treatment of breast cancer. Most of the drugs currently used for the breast cancer treatment have numerous side effects and they are often unsuccessful in removing the tumour completely. Hence, we focused on natural compounds like flavonoids, polyphenols, etc. which do not exhibit any high toxic effects against normal cells. </P><P> Objectives: To identify the potential natural inhibitors for BCa through an optimised in silico approach. </P><P> Methods: Structural modification and molecular docking-based screening approaches were imposed to identify the novel natural compounds by using Schrödinger (Maestro 9.5). The Qikprop v3.5 was used for the evaluation of important ADME parameters and its permissible ranges. Cytotoxicity of the compounds was evaluated by MTT assay against MCF-7 Cell lines.

Results:

From the docking studies, we found that the compounds, Myricetin, Quercetin, Apigenin, Luteolin and Baicalein showed the highest Glide Scores -10.78, -9.48, -8.92, -8.87 and -8.82 kcal mol-1 respectively. Of these, Luteolin and Baicalein showed the significant IC50 values (25 &#177; 4.0 and 58.3 &#177; 4.4 &#181;M, respectively) against MCF-7 cell line. The ADME profiling of the test compounds was evaluated to find the drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic parameters.

3-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-4-methyl-N-[4-(4-methylphenyl)-1,3-thiazol-2-yl]benzamide

In the title compound, C25H22N2O2S, the methylphenyl rings are oriented with a dihedral angle of 19.4 (1)° with respect to each other. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviastrong N—H...O hydrogen bonds, which formC(11) chains propagating along [001]. In addition, weak C—H...O and C—H...π interactions are observed in the structure.