Indole carboxylic acid esters of melampomagnolide B are potent anticancer agents against both hematological and solid tumor cells

Rhodium-catalysed additive-free alkoxycarbonylation of indoles: 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoic acid-based carbonate anhydrides as a versatile alkoxycarboxyl source

We report a CO-free approach to indole-2-carboxylic esters: rhodium-catalysed C(2)-alkoxycarbonylation of indoles with 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoic acid-based carbonate anhydrides. Selective C-O bond cleavage of the anhydrides facilitates the introduction of various alkoxycarbonyl groups. Control experiments suggest that merging a rhodium catalyst and KI promotes the in situ formation of the RhI species.

Metabolomics and metagenomics reveal the impact of γδ T inhibition on gut microbiota and metabolism in periodontitis-promoting OSCC

During the process of periodontitis-promoting oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the periodontitis microbiota can facilitate OSCC development by activating γδ T cells. Inhibiting γδ T cells through immunotherapy has been shown to significantly alleviate various types of cancer. However, the underlying mechanism by which inhibiting γδ T cells influenced cancer treatment has not been fully elucidated. In this study, a mouse model of OSCC with periodontitis was established, and γδ T cells were inhibited by antibodies. Gut samples from the mice were collected and analyzed by metabolomics, metagenomics, and 16S rRNA. Integrative analysis of the gut metabolome and microbiome revealed that targeting γδ T resulted in changes in the levels of metabolites associated with cancer in the gut. Although there was no difference in the α diversity of microbiota, β diversity was significantly different, with a more heterogeneous community structure in the mice receiving targeted γδ T immunotherapy. Statistical analysis of the gut microbiota at the species level revealed a significant enrichment of Lactobacillus murinus, which was significantly correlated with γδ T abundance. The functional analysis revealed that inhibiting γδ T could impact the functional gene. A comprehensive analysis revealed that L. murinus is especially associated with changes in adenine, which also had connection with the concentration of IL-17 and the abundance of γδ T.IMPORTANCEThis study revealed the effect of γδ T cells on gut microbial dysbiosis and identify potential links between gut microbiota and metabolism, providing new insights into the role of γδ T during the process of periodontitis-induced OSCC, and identifying relevant biomarkers for future research and clinical monitoring protocol development.

Research status of indole-modified natural products

Indole is a heterocyclic compound formed by the fusion of a benzene ring and pyrrole ring, which has rich biological activity. Many indole-containing compounds have been sold on the market due to their excellent pharmacological activity. For example, vincristine and reserpine have been widely used in clinical practice. The diverse structures and biological activities of natural products provide abundant resources for the development of new drugs. Therefore, this review classifies natural products by structure, and summarizes the research progress of indole-containing natural product derivatives, their biological activities, structure-activity relationship and research mechanism which has been studied in the past 13 years, so as to provide a basis for the development of new drug development.

Synergistic effects of combined cisplatin and Clinacanthus nutans extract on triple negative breast cancer cells

Objective

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most invasive breast cancer subtype enriched with cancer stem cells. TNBCs do not express estrogen, progesterone, or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) receptors, making them difficult to be targeted by existing chemotherapy treatments. In this study, we attempted to identify the effects of combined cisplatin and Clinacanthus nutans treatment on MDA-MD-231 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells, which represent TNBC subtypes.

Methods

The phytochemical fingerprint of C. nutans ethanolic leaf extract was evaluated by LC-MS/MS analysis. We investigated the effects of cisplatin (0-15.23 μg/mL), C. nutans (0-50 μg/mL), and a combination of cisplatin (3.05 μg/mL) and C. nutans (0-50 μg/mL), on cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, mRNA expression in cancer stem cells (CD49f, KLF4), and differentiation markers (TUBA1A, KRT18) in TNBC cells. In addition, we also studied the interaction between cisplatin and C. nutans.

Results

Derivatives of fatty acids, carboxylic acid ester, and glycosides, were identified as the major bioactive compounds with potential anticancer properties in C. nutans leaf extract. Reductions in cell viability (0-78%) and proliferation (2-77%), as well as a synergistic anticancer effect, were identified in TNBC cells when treated with a combination of cisplatin and C. nutans. Furthermore, apoptotic induction via increased caspase-3/7 activity (MDA-MB-231: 2.73-fold; MDA-MB-468: 3.53-fold), and a reduction in cell invasion capacity to 36%, were detected in TNBC cells when compared to single cisplatin and C. nutans treatments. At the mRNA level, cisplatin and C. nutans differentially regulated specific genes that are responsible for proliferation and differentiation.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate that the combination of cisplatin and C. nutans represents a potential treatment for TNBC.

Novel Acrylate-Based Derivatives: Design, Synthesis, Antiproliferative Screening, and Docking Study as Potential Combretastatin Analogues

A variety of 3-(4-chlorophenyl) acrylic acids 4a,b and 3-(4-chlorophenyl)acrylate esters 5a-i were synthesized and structurally proven by spectroscopic studies such as IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR as well as mass spectrometry. All substances were investigated for their antiproliferative efficacy against the MDA-MB-231 cell line. Among these, acrylic acid compound 4b demonstrated the most potent cytotoxic effect with an IC50 value of 3.24 ± 0.13 μM, as compared to CA-4 (IC50 = 1.27 ± 09 μM). Additionally, acrylic acid molecule 4b displayed an inhibitory effect against β-tubulin polymerization with a percentage inhibition of 80.07%. Furthermore, compound 4b was found to produce considerable cell cycle arrest at the G2/M stage and cellular death, as demonstrated by FACS analysis. In addition, the in vivo antitumor screening of the sodium salt of acrylic acid 4b was carried out, and the results have shown that the tested molecule showed a significant decrease in viable EAC count and EAC volume, accompanied by a considerable increase in the life span prolongation, if compared to the positive control group. Furthermore, molecular modeling studies were performed to understand how the highly efficient chemicals 4b and 5e interact with the colchicine-binding region on tubulin. This work aims to shed light on the reasons behind their exceptional cytotoxicity and their better capacity to inhibit tubulin in comparison to CA-4.

Network pharmacology-based study to identify the significant pathways of Lentinula edodes against cancer

Lentinula edodes (LE) is known as a good food source with potent anticancer efficacy, but its active chemical compounds and pathways against cancer have not been revealed. This study was to uncover the active chemical constituents and pathways of LE against cancer through network pharmacology. The chemical compositions were recognized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and filtered drug-like compounds (DLCs) by SwissADME. Targets related to filtered compounds were recognized by two public databases and the final overlapping targets were identified by Venn diagram. Then, protein-protein interaction (PPI) and pathway-target-compound (PTC) networks were built by RStudio. Ultimately, we recognized the key compounds and targets via molecular docking test (MDT). A total of 33 compounds from LE were accepted by Lipinski's rule were selected as DLCs. The 33 compounds were associated with 108 targets and a key target (cyclooxygenase2 [COX2]) was identified through PPI networks. Most significantly, inactivation of pathways in cancer and activation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor signaling pathway were significant pathways of LE. On MDT, we identified a key compound (Indole, 2-methyl-3-phenyl) on COX2 related to inactivation of athways in cancer, additionally, the number of 6 ergostane steroids was associated with the two pathways might be dual efficacy to alleviate inflammation against cancer. Overall, 13 targets, 11 compounds, and 2 key pathways of LE were identified as the significant elements to treat cancer. Hence, this study shows therapeutic evidence to verify the promising clinical effect of LE on cancer, suggesting that LE might be an important mushroom against cancer. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Lentinula edodes (LE) has been used widely in cuisine as well as alternative medicines, especially, for anticancer. The LE has rich nutritional compounds including proteins, vitamins, polyphenols, and glucans, however, most of which have a critical hurdle as poor bioavailability not to be applicable for pharmaceuticals. Its main cause is very hydrophilic property. Thus, we adopted GC-MS analysis to identify lipophilic compounds to enhance cell permeability involved in bioavailability. The compounds selected from LE were confirmed by Lipinski's rule for drug-like-compounds (DLCs). Then, we retrieved targets associated with DLCs, and multiple pathways, multiple targets, and multiple compounds against cancer on network-based analysis. In summary, our study reveals the medicinal value of LE on cancer based on the multicomponents. Overall, the aim of this work is to represent the pharmacological evidence to reveal the therapeutic efficacy of AC on cancer, suggesting that DLCs from AC might be alleviators to dampen cancer.

Antiviral and cytotoxic effects of a traditional drug KanthaRasaVillai with a cocktail of metallic nanoparticles

Objective

Alternative medicine plays an important role today in searching for therapeutics for cancer and viral infection. So, a scientific validation to characterize constituents in the alternative medicines and therapeutic testing is warranted using modern instrumentation.

Methods

In the present study, an old herbomineral formulation, KanthaRasavillai [KRV], was characterized using UV-vis spectrometry, FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and TEM study. Also, In vitro and in vivo studies were done to evaluate their antiviral and anticancer activity. FT-IR and XRD studies revealed a cocktail of nanoparticles of mercury, magnetic oxide, cinnabar, and arsenic.Results.Based on SEM, TEM, and XRD report, KRV contains nanoparticles in the size range of 9.1 nm to 25.0 nm. FT-IR analysis exposed the presence of several anti-cancerous bioactive compounds.Further in vitro testing against HCV virus proved KRV to inhibit HCV virus a close relative to SARS-CoV-2. MTT assay confirmed the anticancer effect of KRV against Huh-7 and MCF-7 cell lines.

Conclusion

The anticancer and antiviral properties in the ancient herbomineral drug with a cocktail of metal nanoparticles acknowledge the traditional medical practice as a pioneering approach for present-day ailments. However, the study concludes that the use of KRV depends on safety dosage and genuine preparation as described by ancient saints.

Parthenolide Derivatives as PKM2 Activators Showing Potential in Colorectal Cancer

As a vital kinase in the glycolysis system, PKM2 is extensively expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) to support the energy and biosynthetic needs. In this study, we designed a series of parthenolide (PTL) derivatives through a stepwise structure optimization, and an excellent derivate 29e showed good activity on PKM2 (AC₅₀ = 86.29 nM) and displayed significant antiproliferative activity against HT29 (IC₅₀ = 0.66 μM) and SW480 (IC₅₀ = 0.22 μM) cells. 29e decreased the expression of total PKM2, prevented nucleus translocation of PKM2 dimer, and inhibited PKM2/STAT3 signaling pathway. 29e remarkably increased OCR and decreased the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). The antiproliferative effect of 29e depended on PKM2, and the Cys424 of PKM2 was the key binding site. Furthermore, 29e significantly suppressed tumor growth in the HT29 xenograft model without obvious toxicity. These outcomes demonstrate that 29e is a promising drug candidate for the treatment of CRC.

Biobanked Glioblastoma Patient-Derived Organoids as a Precision Medicine Model to Study Inhibition of Invasion

Glioblastoma (GBM) is highly resistant to treatment and invasion into the surrounding brain is a cancer hallmark that leads to recurrence despite surgical resection. With the emergence of precision medicine, patient-derived 3D systems are considered potentially robust GBM preclinical models. In this study, we screened a library of 22 anti-invasive compounds (i.e., NF-kB, GSK-3-B, COX-2, and tubulin inhibitors) using glioblastoma U-251 MG cell spheroids. We evaluated toxicity and invasion inhibition using a 3D Matrigel invasion assay. We next selected three compounds that inhibited invasion and screened them in patient-derived glioblastoma organoids (GBOs). We developed a platform using available macros for FIJI/ImageJ to quantify invasion from the outer margin of organoids. Our data demonstrated that a high-throughput invasion screening can be done using both an established cell line and patient-derived 3D model systems. Tubulin inhibitor compounds had the best efficacy with U-251 MG cells, however, in ex vivo patient organoids the results were highly variable. Our results indicate that the efficacy of compounds is highly related to patient intra and inter-tumor heterogeneity. These results indicate that such models can be used to evaluate personal oncology therapeutic strategies.

Design, synthesis and in vivo anticancer activity of novel parthenolide and micheliolide derivatives as NF-κB and STAT3 inhibitors

Parthenolide and micheliolide have attracted great attention in anticancer research due to their unique activities. In this study, thirteen parthenolide derivatives and twenty-three micheliolide derivatives were synthesized. Most synthesized compounds showed higher cytotoxicity than parthenolide or micheliolide. The in vivo anticancer activity of several representative compounds was evaluated in mice. One micheliolide derivative, 9-oxomicheliolide (43), showed promising in vivo antitumor activity compared with clinical drugs cyclophosphamide or temozolomide. Compound 43 was particularly effective against glioblastoma, with its tumor inhibition rate in mice comparable to the drug temozolomide. The discovery of compound 43 also demonstrates the feasibility of developing anticancer micheliolide derivatives by modification at C-9 position. Anticancer mechanism studies revealed that 9-oxomicheliolide exhibited inhibition effect against NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways, as well as induction effects of cell apoptosis. It is postulated that 9-oxomicheliolide is likely to be a modulator of the immune system, which regulates the anticancer immune responses.

Advances in chemistry and bioactivity of parthenolide

(−)-Parthenolide is a germacrane sesquiterpene lactone, available in ample amounts from the traditional medical plant feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium).

Actinomycin-D and dimethylamino-parthenolide synergism in treating human pancreatic cancer cells

Preclinical Research & Development Pancreatic cancer is the third leading cause of death in the US with a poor 5-year survival rate of 8.5%. A novel anti-cancer drug, dimethylamino parthenolide (DMAPT), is the water-soluble analog of the natural sesquiterpene lactone, parthenolide. The putative modes of action of DMAPT are inhibition of the Nuclear chain factor kappa-light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) pathway and depletion of glutathione levels; the latter causing cancer cells to be more susceptible to oxidative stress-induced cell death. Actinomycin-D (ActD) is a polypeptide antibiotic that binds to DNA, and inhibits RNA and protein synthesis by inhibiting RNA polymerase II. A phase 2 clinical trial indicated that ActD could be a potent drug against pancreatic cancer; however, it was not a favored drug due to toxicity issues. New drug entities and methods of drug delivery, used alone or in combination, are needed to treat pancreatic cancer more effectively. Thus, it was postulated that combining DMAPT and ActD would result in synergistic inhibition of Panc-1 pancreatic cancer cell growth because DMAPT's inhibition of NFκB would enhance induction of apoptosis by ActD, via phosphorylation of c-Jun, by minimizing NFκB inhibition of c-Jun phosphorylation. Combining these two drugs induced a higher level of cell death than each drug alone. A fixed drug ratio of DMAPT: ActD (1,200:1) was used. Data from metabolic (MTT) and colony formation assays were analyzed for synergism with CompuSyn software, which utilizes the Chou-Talalay equation. The analyses indicated synergism and moderate synergism at combination concentrations of DMAPT/ActD of 12/0.01 and 18/0.015 μM, respectively.

MMB triazole analogs are potent NF-κB inhibitors and anti-cancer agents against both hematological and solid tumor cells

Triazole derivatives of melampomagnolide B (MMB) have been synthesized via click chemistry methodologies and screened against a panel of 60 human cancer cell lines. Several derivatives showed promising anti-cancer activity, affording growth inhibition (GI₅₀) values in the nanomolar range (GI₅₀ = 0.02-0.99 μM). Lead compound 7h exhibited EC₅₀ values of 400 nM and 700 nM, respectively, against two AML clinical specimens. Compound 7h was significantly more potent than parthenolide as an inhibitor of p65 phosphorylation in both hematological and solid tumor cell lines, indicating its ability to inhibit the NF-κB pathway. In TMD-231 breast cancer cells, treatment with 7h reduced DNA binding activity of NF-κB through inhibition of IKK-β mediated p65 phosphorylation and caused elevation of basal IκBα levels through inhibition of constitutive IκBα turnover and NF-κB activation. Molecular docking and dynamic modeling studies indicated that 7h interacts with the kinase domain of the monomeric IKKβ subunit, leading to inhibition of IKKβ activation, and compromising phosphorylation of downstream targets of the NF-κB pathway; dynamic modeling studies show that this interaction also causes unwinding of the α-helix of the NEMO binding site on IKKβ. Molecular docking studies with 10, a water-soluble analog of 7h, demonstrate that this analog interacts with the dimerization/oligomerization domain of monomeric IKKβ and may inhibit oligomer formation and subsequent autophosphorylation. Sesquiterpene lactones 7h and 10 are considered ideal candidates for potential clinical development.

Copper(I) oxide nanoparticles catalyzed click chemistry based synthesis of melampomagnolide B-triazole conjugates and their anti-cancer activities

A series of thirty one melampomagnolide B-triazole conjugates was synthesized via Copper(I) oxide nanoparticles catalyzed click chemistry. These conjugates were evaluated for their anti-cancer activities against a panel of five human cancer cell lines. The most active compound 6e showed high activity against HCT116 cell line with IC₅₀ value of 0.43 μM, which demonstrated 11.5-fold improvement compared to that of the parent compound melampomagnolide B (IC₅₀ = 4.93 μM). Compound 6e showed significant efficacy of inducing apoptosis, inhibiting proliferation and migration of HCT116 cells. The preliminary molecular mechanism of 6e was also investigated. On the base of these results, compound 6e might be considered as a promising candidate for further evaluation as a potential anti-cancer drug.

Aerobic oxidative esterification and thioesterification of aldehydes using dibromoisocyanuric acid under mild conditions: no metal catalysts required

Esters and thioesters were successfully prepared through oxidative esterification and thioesterification of corresponding aldehydes in the presence of dibromoisocyanuric acid.