1
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Tian G, Chen Z, Shi K, Wang X, Xie L, Yang F. The evolution of small-molecule Akt inhibitors from hit to clinical candidate. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 279:116906. [PMID: 39353238 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2024] [Revised: 09/20/2024] [Accepted: 09/22/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
Akt, a key regulator of cell survival, proliferation, and metabolism, has become a prominent target for treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases. The journey of small-molecule Akt inhibitors from discovery to the clinic has faced numerous challenges, with a significant emphasis on optimization throughout the development process. Early discovery efforts identified various classes of inhibitors, including ATP-competitive and allosteric modulators. However, during preclinical and clinical development, several issues arose, including poor specificity, limited bioavailability, and toxicity. Optimization efforts have been central to overcoming these hurdles. Researchers focused on enhancing the selectivity of inhibitors to target Akt isoforms more precisely, reducing off-target effects, and improving pharmacokinetic properties to ensure better bioavailability and distribution. Structural modifications and the design of prodrugs have played a crucial role in refining the efficacy and safety profile of these inhibitors. Additionally, efforts have been made to optimize the therapeutic window, balancing effective dosing with minimal adverse effects. The review highlights how these optimization strategies have been key in advancing small-molecule Akt inhibitors toward clinical success and underscores the importance of continued refinement in their development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gengren Tian
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Keqing Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xinwai Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lijuan Xie
- Department of Vascularsurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Fuwei Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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2
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Etikyala U, Reddyrajula R, Vani T, Kuchana V, Dalimba U, Manga V. An in silico approach to identify novel and potential Akt1 (protein kinase B-alpha) inhibitors as anticancer drugs. Mol Divers 2024:10.1007/s11030-024-10887-9. [PMID: 38796797 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-024-10887-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Akt1 (protein kinase B) has become a major focus of attention due to its significant functionality in a variety of cellular processes and the inhibition of Akt1 could lead to a decrease in tumour growth effectively in cancer cells. In the present work, we discovered a set of novel Akt1 inhibitors by using multiple computational techniques, i.e. pharmacophore-based virtual screening, molecular docking, binding free energy calculations, and ADME properties. A five-point pharmacophore hypothesis was implemented and validated with AADRR38. The obtained R2 and Q2 values are in the acceptable region with the values of 0.90 and 0.64, respectively. The generated pharmacophore model was employed for virtual screening to find out the potential Akt1 inhibitors. Further, the selected hits were subjected to molecular docking, binding free energy analysis, and refined using ADME properties. Also, we designed a series of 6-methoxybenzo[b]oxazole analogues by comprising the structural characteristics of the hits acquired from the database. Molecules D1-D10 were found to have strong binding interactions and higher binding free energy values. In addition, Molecular dynamic simulation was performed to understand the conformational changes of protein-ligand complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umadevi Etikyala
- Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500076, India
| | - Rajkumar Reddyrajula
- Central Research Facility, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Mangalore, 575025, India
| | - T Vani
- Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500076, India
| | - Vinutha Kuchana
- Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500076, India
| | - Udayakumar Dalimba
- Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Mangalore, 575025, India
| | - Vijjulatha Manga
- Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500076, India.
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3
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Che J, Bing S, Lu J, Jin Z, Gao J, Sheng H, Li D, Yang B, He Q, Ying M, Dong X. Discovery of Novel Oxazepine Derivatives as Akt/ROCK Inhibitors for Growth Arrest and Differentiation Induction in Neuroblastoma Treatment. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13530-13555. [PMID: 37749892 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Patients with high-risk neuroblastoma face limited treatment choices, typically involving a combination of cytotoxic and differentiation maintenance therapies due to a scarcity of drugs. Evidence suggests that targeted inhibitors may provide opportunities for inducing neuroblastoma differentiation while inhibiting proliferation. Here, we demonstrate the synergistic effect of inhibiting Akt and ROCK in antineuroblastoma and present the design and discovery of a new Akt/ROCK inhibitor, B12. It displays strong antiproliferative effects and excellent differentiation inducing activity against Neuro2a cells. Treatment with B12 results in the arrest of G0/G1 cell cycles, a significant decrease in N-myc protein level, and an increase in differentiation markers. The administration of B12 effectively suppresses xenograft tumor growth and promotes differentiation. Overall, the discovery of B12 based on the Akt/ROCK dual inhibition strategy may provide hope for the development of more effective and targeted therapies for this challenging disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Che
- Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shaowei Bing
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jialiang Lu
- Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zegao Jin
- Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jian Gao
- Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Haichao Sheng
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Dan Li
- Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qiaojun He
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Meidan Ying
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Pediatric Cancer Research Center, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Xiaowu Dong
- Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, Institute of Drug Discovery and Design, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Innovation Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Cancer Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China
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4
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Bennani FE, Doudach L, Karrouchi K, Tarib A, Rudd CE, Ansar M, Faouzi MEA. Targeting EGFR, RSK1, RAF1, PARP2 and LIN28B for several cancer type therapies with newly synthesized pyrazole derivatives via a computational study. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:4194-4218. [PMID: 35442150 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2064915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Cancer remains the leading cause of death in the world despite the significant advancements made in anticancer drug discovery. This study is aimed to computationally evaluate the efficacy of 63 in-house synthesized pyrazole derivatives targeted to bind with prominent cancer targets namely EGFR, RSK1, RAF1, PARP2 and LIN28B known to be expressed, respectively, in lung, colon, skin, ovarian and pancreatic cancer cells. Initially, we perform the molecular docking investigations for all pyrazole compounds with a comparison to known standard drugs for each target. Docking studies have revealed that some pyrazole compounds possess better binding affinity scores than standard drug compounds. Thereafter, a long-range of 1 μs molecular dynamic (MD) simulation study for top ranked docked compounds with all respective proteins was carried out to assess the interaction stability in a dynamic environment. The results suggested that the top ranked complexes showed a stable interaction profile for a longer period of time. The outcome of this study suggests that pyrazole compounds, M33, M36, M76 and M77, are promising molecular candidates that can modulate the studied target proteins significantly in comparison to their known inhibitor based on their selective binding interactions profile. Furthermore, ADME-T profile has been explored to check for the drug-likeness and pharmacokinetics profiles and found that all proposed compounds exhibited acceptable values for being a potential drug-like candidate with non-toxic characteristics. Overall, extensive computational investigations indicate that the four proposed pyrazole inhibitors/modulators studied against each respective target protein will be helpful for future cancer therapeutic developments.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Ezzahra Bennani
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Bio Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Analysis Research Team, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
- Division of Immunology-Oncology, Centre de Recherche Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (CR-HMR), Montreal, QC, Canada
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Latifa Doudach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Medical Physiology, Higher School of Technical Education of Rabat, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Khalid Karrouchi
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Abdelilah Tarib
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Bio Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Analysis Research Team, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Christopher E Rudd
- Division of Immunology-Oncology, Centre de Recherche Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (CR-HMR), Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology, Infection and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Center, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - M'hammed Ansar
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
| | - My El Abbes Faouzi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Bio Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Analysis Research Team, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat, Morocco
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5
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Huang J, Chen L, Wu J, Ai D, Zhang JQ, Chen TG, Wang L. Targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway in the Treatment of Human Diseases: Current Status, Trends, and Solutions. J Med Chem 2022; 65:16033-16061. [PMID: 36503229 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is one of the most important intracellular pathways involved in cell proliferation, growth, differentiation, and survival. Therefore, this route is a prospective biological target for treating various human diseases, such as tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, pulmonary fibrosis, and diabetes. An increasing number of clinical studies emphasize the necessity of developing novel molecules targeting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. This review focuses on recent advances in ATP-competitive inhibitors, allosteric inhibitors, covalent inhibitors, and proteolysis-targeting chimeras against the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and highlights possible solutions for overcoming the toxicities and acquired drug resistance of currently available drugs. We also provide recommendations for the future design and development of promising drugs targeting this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jindi Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Liye Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jiangxia Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Daiqiao Ai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ji-Quan Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Tie-Gen Chen
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Room 109, Building C, SSIP Healthcare and Medicine Demonstration Zone, Zhongshan Tsuihang New District, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fermentation and Enzyme Engineering, Joint International Research Laboratory of Synthetic Biology and Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center of Biopharmaceuticals, School of Biology and Biological Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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6
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Che J, Li D, Hong W, Wang L, Guo Y, Wu M, Lu J, Tong L, Weng Q, Wang J, Dong X. Discovery of new macrophage M2 polarization modulators as multiple sclerosis treatment agents that enable the inflammation microenvironment remodeling. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 243:114732. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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7
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Zhu CL, Luo X, Tian T, Rao Z, Wang H, Zhou Z, Mi T, Chen D, Xu Y, Wu Y, Che J, Zhou Y, Li J, Dong X. Structure-based rational design enables efficient discovery of a new selective and potent AKT PROTAC degrader. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 238:114459. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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8
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Li Y, Liu S, Wang J, Rui X, Tian H, Li C, Guo C. In Silico Studies of Piperidine Derivatives as Protein Kinase B Inhibitors
through 3D-QSAR, Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulation. LETT DRUG DES DISCOV 2022. [DOI: 10.2174/1570180818666211207105516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Protein kinase B (Akt) is a serine/threonine-protein kinase that drives the diverse
physiological process. Akt is a promising therapeutic target, which involves cancer cell growth, survival,
proliferation and metabolism.
Objective:
The study aims to design highly active Akt inhibitors, and to elucidate the structural requirements
for their biological activity, we analyzed the key binding features and summarized the structural
determinants for their bioactivities.
Methods:
A series of piperidine derivatives have been investigated employing three-dimensional quantitative
structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR), molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation.
Results:
The statistics of the comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) model (Q2=0.631, R2=0.951)
and the comparative molecular similarity index analysis (CoMSIA) model (Q2=0.663, R2=0.966) indicated
that our 3D-QSAR model was accurate and reliable. Besides, the stability of receptor-ligand interactions
under physiological conditions was then evaluated by molecular dynamics simulation, in agreement
with the molecular docking results.
Conclusion:
Our study provided valuable insights for the discovery of potent Akt inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxin Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology,
Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
| | - Sisi Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology,
Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology,
Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
| | - Xue Rui
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
| | - Haobo Tian
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
| | - Chenshuo Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
| | - Chunyan Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology,
Hebei North University, Zhangjiakou 075000, P.R. China
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9
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Huang J, Chen Y, Guo Y, Bao M, Hong K, Zhang Y, Hu W, Lei J, Liu Y, Xu X. Synthesis of dihydrofuran-3-one and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone hybrid molecules and biological evaluation against colon cancer cells as selective Akt kinase inhibitors. Mol Divers 2022; 27:845-855. [PMID: 35751771 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10458-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A series of dihydrofuran-3-one and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone hybrid compounds were synthetized through a one-pot gold-catalyzed oxidative cyclization and Aldol-type addition cascade reaction of homopropargylic alcohols with 9,10-phenanthrenequinone. The cytotoxicity of newly synthesized compounds was evaluated in CCK8 assay against different human cancer cells, showing significantly antiproliferative activity against tested tumor cell lines with a lowest IC50 value of 0.92 μM over HCT-116. Further investigation revealed that the treatment of HCT-116 cell line with the promising compound 4c induced cell death as a selective Akt inhibitor. In addition, controlled experiments and molecular docking study suggested that the significant antitumor activity might be attributed to the unique hybrid structure, which implied the promising potential of this dual heterocycle hybrid method in the discovery of novel bioactive molecules with structural diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Huang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yufei Chen
- Research Center of Chinese Herbal Resources Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yinfeng Guo
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Ming Bao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Kemiao Hong
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yuanqing Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Wenhao Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jinping Lei
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Yongqiang Liu
- Research Center of Chinese Herbal Resources Science and Engineering, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Xinfang Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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10
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Abdelnaby RM, El-Malah AA, FakhrEldeen RR, Saeed MM, Nadeem RI, Younis NS, Abdel-Rahman HM, El-Dydamony NM. In Vitro Anticancer Activity Screening of Novel Fused Thiophene Derivatives as VEGFR-2/AKT Dual Inhibitors and Apoptosis Inducers. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060700. [PMID: 35745619 PMCID: PMC9229165 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein kinases are seen as promising targets in controlling cell proliferation and survival in treating cancer where fused thiophene synthon was utilized in many kinase inhibitors approved by the FDA. Accordingly, this work focused on adopting fused thienopyrrole and pyrrolothienopyrimidine scaffolds in preparing new inhibitors, which were evaluated as antiproliferative agents in the HepG2 and PC-3 cell lines. The compounds 3b (IC50 = 3.105 and 2.15 μM) and 4c (IC50 = 3.023 and 3.12 μM) were the most promising candidates on both cells with good selective toxicity-sparing normal cells. A further mechanistic evaluation revealed promising kinase inhibitory activity, where 4c inhibited VEGFR-2 and AKT at IC50 = 0.075 and 4.60 μM, respectively, while 3b showed IC50 = 0.126 and 6.96 μM, respectively. Moreover, they resulted in S phase cell cycle arrest with subsequent caspase-3-induced apoptosis. Lastly, docking studies evaluated the binding patterns of these active derivatives and demonstrated a similar fitting pattern to the reference ligands inside the active sites of both VEGFR-2 and AKT (allosteric pocket) crystal structures. To conclude, these thiophene derivatives represent promising antiproliferative leads inhibiting both VEGFR-2 and AKT and inducing apoptosis in liver cell carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana M. Abdelnaby
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt
- Correspondence: (R.M.A.); (N.M.E.-D.); Tel.: +20-01001797688 or +2-01270551779 (R.M.A.)
| | - Afaf A. El-Malah
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
| | - Rasha R. FakhrEldeen
- Biochemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City 12585, Egypt;
| | - Marwa M. Saeed
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Lecturer, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt;
| | - Rania I. Nadeem
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt;
| | - Nancy S. Younis
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Faculty of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Al-Hofuf 31982, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Hanaa M. Abdel-Rahman
- Pharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Egyptian Russian University, Cairo 11829, Egypt;
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
| | - Nehad M. El-Dydamony
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City 12585, Egypt
- Correspondence: (R.M.A.); (N.M.E.-D.); Tel.: +20-01001797688 or +2-01270551779 (R.M.A.)
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11
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Abdelnaby RM, Rateb HS, Ali O, Saad AS, Nadeem RI, Abou-Seri SM, Amin KM, Younis NS, Abdelhady R. Dual PI3K/Akt Inhibitors Bearing Coumarin-Thiazolidine Pharmacophores as Potential Apoptosis Inducers in MCF-7 Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15040428. [PMID: 35455425 PMCID: PMC9027131 DOI: 10.3390/ph15040428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide; therefore, the development of new anticancer agents is essential for improved tumor control. By adopting the pharmacophore hybridization approach, two series of 7-hydroxyl-4-methylcoumarin hybridized with thiosemicarbazone (V–VI) and thiazolidin-4-one moieties (VII–VIII) were prepared. The in vitro anticancer activity was assessed against MCF-7 cells adopting the MTT assay. Nine compounds showed significant cytotoxicity. The most promising compound, VIIb, induced remarkable cytotoxicity (IC50 of 1.03 + 0.05 µM). Further investigations were conducted to explore its pro-apoptotic activity demonstrating S-phase cell cycle arrest. Apoptosis rates following VIIb treatment revealed a 5-fold and 100-fold increase in early and late apoptotic cells, correspondingly. Moreover, our results showed caspase-9 dependent apoptosis induction as manifested by an 8-fold increase in caspase-9 level following VIIb treatment. Mechanistically, VIIb was found to target the PI3K-α/Akt-1 axis, as evidenced by enzyme inhibition assay results reporting significant inhibition of examined enzymes. These findings were confirmed by Western blot results indicating the ability of VIIb to repress levels of Cyclin D1, p-PI3K, and p-Akt. Furthermore, docking studies showed that VIIb has a binding affinity with the PI3K binding site higher than the original ligands X6K. Our results suggest that VIIb has pharmacological potential as a promising anti-cancer compound by the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana M. Abdelnaby
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +20-1270551779
| | - Heba S. Rateb
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City 12585, Egypt;
| | - Omaima Ali
- Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo 12618, Egypt;
| | - Ahmed S. Saad
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Port Said University, Port Said 42511, Egypt;
| | - Rania I. Nadeem
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt;
| | - Sahar M. Abou-Seri
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt; (S.M.A.-S.); (K.M.A.)
| | - Kamilia M. Amin
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt; (S.M.A.-S.); (K.M.A.)
| | - Nancy S. Younis
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Faculty of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Hofuf 31982, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Rasha Abdelhady
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt;
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12
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Evaluation of Substituted Pyrazole-Based Kinase Inhibitors in One Decade (2011-2020): Current Status and Future Prospects. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27010330. [PMID: 35011562 PMCID: PMC8747022 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pyrazole has been recognized as a pharmacologically important privileged scaffold whose derivatives produce almost all types of pharmacological activities and have attracted much attention in the last decades. Of the various pyrazole derivatives reported as potential therapeutic agents, this article focuses on pyrazole-based kinase inhibitors. Pyrazole-possessing kinase inhibitors play a crucial role in various disease areas, especially in many cancer types such as lymphoma, breast cancer, melanoma, cervical cancer, and others in addition to inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders. In this article, we reviewed the structural and biological characteristics of the pyrazole derivatives recently reported as kinase inhibitors and classified them according to their target kinases in a chronological order. We reviewed the reports including pyrazole derivatives as kinase inhibitors published during the past decade (2011-2020).
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13
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Sadeghi F, Afkhami A, Madrakian T, Ghavami R. Computational study on subfamilies of piperidine derivatives: QSAR modelling, model external verification, the inter-subset similarity determination, and structure-based drug designing. SAR AND QSAR IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 32:433-462. [PMID: 33960256 DOI: 10.1080/1062936x.2021.1891568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A new subset of furan-pyrazole piperidine derivatives was used for QSAR model development. These compounds exhibit good Akt1 inhibitory activity; moreover, antiproliferative activities in vitro against OVCAR-8 (Human ovarian carcinoma cells) and HCT116 (human colon cancer cells), were confirmed for them. Based on the relevant three-dimensional (3D) and 2D autocorrelation descriptors, selected by genetic algorithm (GA), multiple linear regression (MLR) was established on half maximal-inhibitory concentration (IC50), in Akt1 and cancer cell lines independently. Robustness, stability, and predictive ability of the models were evaluated using external and internal validation (r2: 0.742-0.832, Q2LOO: 0.684-0.796, RMSE: 0.247-0.299, F: 32.283-57.578, and r2y-random: 0.049-0.080). Furthermore, in the new strategy, each of the evaluated models was generalized to two other subfamilies of piperidines to simultaneously compare the activities and structural similarity of these three subsets. Probably, structural similarity can be more considered as a criterion of similarity in the mechanism of action. Also, external verification of suggested predictive models was performed by another subset. Finally, by focusing on M64 as the most potent in vivo antitumor compound, 15 new derivatives were designed and six potent candidates were proposed for further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Sadeghi
- Faculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - A Afkhami
- Faculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
- Department of Chemistry, D-8 International University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - T Madrakian
- Faculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
| | - R Ghavami
- Chemometrics Laboratory, Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran
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14
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Tripathi G, Singh AK, Kumar A. Arylpyrazoles: Heterocyclic Scaffold of Immense Therapeutic Application. CURR ORG CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.2174/1570179417999200628035645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Among the major class of heterocycles, the N-heterocycles, such as pyrazoles,
are scaffolds of vast medicinal values. Various drugs and other biologically active molecules
are known to contain these N-heterocycles as core motifs. Specifically, arylpyrazoles
have exhibited a diverse range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anticancerous,
antimicrobial and various others. For instance, arylpyrazoles are present as
core moieties in various insecticides, fungicides and drugs such as Celebrex and Trocoxil.
The present review will be highlighting the significant therapeutic importance of pyrazole
derivatives developed in the last few years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garima Tripathi
- Department of Chemistry, T. N. B. College, Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India
| | - Anil Kumar Singh
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Bihar, India
| | - Abhijeet Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, School of Physical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Bihar, India
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15
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Che J, Huang F, Zhang M, Xu G, Qu B, Gao J, Chen B, Zhang J, Ying H, Hu Y, Hu X, Zhou Y, Gao A, Li J, Dong X. Structure-based design, synthesis and bioactivity evaluation of macrocyclic inhibitors of mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2) displaying activity in acute myeloid leukemia cells. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 203:112491. [PMID: 32679449 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The enzymes involved in the metabolic pathways in cancer cells have been demonstrated as important therapeutic targets such as the isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2). A series of macrocyclic derivatives was designed based on the marketed IDH2 inhibitor AG-221 by using the conformational restriction strategy. The resulted compounds showed moderate to good inhibitory potential against different IDH2-mutant enzymes. Amongst, compound C6 exhibited better IDH2R140Q inhibitory potency than AG-221, and showed excellent activity of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) suppression in vitro and its mesylate displayed good pharmacokinetic profiles. Moreover, C6 performed strong binding mode to IDH2R140Q after computational docking and dynamic simulation, which may serve as a good starting point for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinxin Che
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Feng Huang
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Mengmeng Zhang
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, PR China
| | - Gaoya Xu
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, PR China
| | - Bingxue Qu
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Jian Gao
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Binhui Chen
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Huazhou Ying
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Yongzhou Hu
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Xiaobei Hu
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, PR China
| | - Yubo Zhou
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, PR China
| | - Anhui Gao
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, PR China.
| | - Jia Li
- National Center for Drug Screening, State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, PR China; Open Studio for Druggability Research of Marine Natural Products, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), 1 Wenhai Road, Aoshanwei, Jimo, Qingdao, 266237, PR China.
| | - Xiaowu Dong
- ZJU-ENS Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou Institute of Innovative Medicine, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China.
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16
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Large-Scale Virtual Screening Against the MET Kinase Domain Identifies a New Putative Inhibitor Type. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25040938. [PMID: 32093126 PMCID: PMC7070486 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25040938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
By using an ensemble-docking strategy, we undertook a large-scale virtual screening campaign in order to identify new putative hits against the MET kinase target. Following a large molecular dynamics sampling of its conformational space, a set of 45 conformers of the kinase was retained as docking targets to take into account the flexibility of the binding site moieties. Our screening funnel started from about 80,000 chemical compounds to be tested in silico for their potential affinities towards the kinase binding site. The top 100 molecules selected—thanks to the molecular docking results—were further analyzed for their interactions, and 25 of the most promising ligands were tested for their ability to inhibit MET activity in cells. F0514-4011 compound was the most efficient and impaired this scattering response to HGF (Hepatocyte Growth Factor) with an IC50 of 7.2 μM. Interestingly, careful docking analysis of this molecule with MET suggests a possible conformation halfway between classical type-I and type-II MET inhibitors, with an additional region of interaction. This compound could therefore be an innovative seed to be repositioned from its initial antiviral purpose towards the field of MET inhibitors. Altogether, these results validate our ensemble docking strategy as a cost-effective functional method for drug development.
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17
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Yu M, Zeng M, Pan Z, Wu F, Guo L, He G. Discovery of novel akt1 inhibitor induces autophagy associated death in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 189:112076. [PMID: 32007668 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a series of thieno [2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated as novel AKT1 inhibitors. In vitro antitumor assay results showed that compounds 9d-g and 9i potently suppressed the enzymatic activities of AKT1 and potently inhibited the proliferation of HepG2, Hep3B, Huh-7 and SMMC-7721 cancer cell lines. Among these derivatives, the compound 9f demonstrated the best inhibitory activities on AKT1 (IC50 = 0.034 μM) and Huh-7 cell (IC50 = 0.076 μM). A panel of biological assays showed that compound 9f suppressed the cellular proliferation of Huh-7 through Akt/mTOR signaling pathway mediated autophagy mechanism. Furthermore, the antitumor capacity of 9f was validated in the subcutaneous Huh-7 xenograft models. Together, our results demonstrate that a novel small-molecule Akt1 inhibitor induces autophagy associated death in hepatocellular carcinoma, which may afford a potential drug candidate for targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China
| | - Minghui Zeng
- Department of Pharmacy, Qionglai Medical Center Hospital of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611530, PR China
| | - Zhaoping Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China
| | - Fengbo Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China
| | - Li Guo
- Key Laboratory of Drug Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China
| | - Gu He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
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