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Biological Evaluation of New Thienopyridinium and Thienopyrimidinium Derivatives as Human Choline Kinase Inhibitors. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040715. [PMID: 35456549 PMCID: PMC9032693 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to its role in lipid biosynthesis, choline kinase α1 (CKα1) is an interesting target for the development of new antitumor agents. In this work, we present a series of 41 compounds designed based on the well-known and successful strategy of introducing thienopyridine and pyrimidine as bioisosteres of other heterocycles in active antitumor compounds. Notwithstanding the fact that some of these compounds do not show significant enzymatic inhibition, others, in contrast, feature substantially improved enzymatic and antiproliferative inhibition values. This is also confirmed by docking analysis, whereby compounds with longer linkers and thienopyrimidine cationic head have been identified as the most compelling. Among the best compounds is Ff-35, which inhibits the growth of different tumor cells at submicromolar concentrations. Moreover, Ff-35 is more potent in inhibiting CKα1 than other previous biscationic derivatives. Treatment of A549, Hela, and MDA-MB-231 cells with Ff-35 results in their arrest at the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Furthermore, the compound induces cellular apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Altogether, these findings indicate that Ff-35 is a promising new chemotherapeutic agent with encouraging preclinical potential.
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García-Molina P, Sola-Leyva A, Luque-Navarro PM, Laso A, Ríos-Marco P, Ríos A, Lanari D, Torretta A, Parisini E, López-Cara LC, Marco C, Carrasco-Jiménez MP. Anticancer Activity of the Choline Kinase Inhibitor PL48 Is Due to Selective Disruption of Choline Metabolism and Transport Systems in Cancer Cell Lines. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14020426. [PMID: 35214160 PMCID: PMC8876215 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A large number of different types of cancer have been shown to be associated with an abnormal metabolism of phosphatidylcholine (PC), the main component of eukaryotic cell membranes. Indeed, the overexpression of choline kinase α1 (ChoKα1), the enzyme that catalyses the bioconversion of choline to phosphocholine (PCho), has been found to associate with cell proliferation, oncogenic transformation and carcinogenesis. Hence, ChoKα1 has been described as a possible cancer therapeutic target. Moreover, the choline transporter CTL1 has been shown to be highly expressed in several tumour cell lines. In the present work, we evaluate the antiproliferative effect of PL48, a rationally designed inhibitor of ChoKα1, in MCF7 and HepG2 cell lines. In addition, we illustrate that the predominant mechanism of cellular choline uptake in these cells is mediated by the CTL1 choline transporter. A possible correlation between the inhibition of both choline uptake and ChoKα1 activity and cell proliferation in cancer cell lines is also highlighted. We conclude that the efficacy of this inhibitor on cell proliferation in both cell lines is closely correlated with its capability to block choline uptake and ChoKα1 activity, making both proteins potential targets in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo García-Molina
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.G.-M.); (A.S.-L.); (A.L.); (P.R.-M.)
| | - Alberto Sola-Leyva
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.G.-M.); (A.S.-L.); (A.L.); (P.R.-M.)
| | - Pilar M. Luque-Navarro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Alejandro Laso
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.G.-M.); (A.S.-L.); (A.L.); (P.R.-M.)
| | - Pablo Ríos-Marco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.G.-M.); (A.S.-L.); (A.L.); (P.R.-M.)
| | - Antonio Ríos
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Daniela Lanari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy;
| | - Archimede Torretta
- Center for Nano Science and Technology @Polimi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy; (A.T.); (E.P.)
| | - Emilio Parisini
- Center for Nano Science and Technology @Polimi, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Pascoli 70/3, 20133 Milano, Italy; (A.T.); (E.P.)
- Department of Biotechnology, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, LV-1006 Riga, Latvia
| | - Luisa C. López-Cara
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
- Correspondence: (L.C.L.-C.); (C.M.); (M.P.C.-J.)
| | - Carmen Marco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.G.-M.); (A.S.-L.); (A.L.); (P.R.-M.)
- Correspondence: (L.C.L.-C.); (C.M.); (M.P.C.-J.)
| | - María P. Carrasco-Jiménez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.G.-M.); (A.S.-L.); (A.L.); (P.R.-M.)
- Correspondence: (L.C.L.-C.); (C.M.); (M.P.C.-J.)
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New Compounds with Bioisosteric Replacement of Classic Choline Kinase Inhibitors Show Potent Antiplasmodial Activity. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13111842. [PMID: 34834257 PMCID: PMC8621770 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the fight against Malaria, new strategies need to be developed to avoid resistance of the parasite to pharmaceutics and other prevention barriers. Recently, a Host Directed Therapy approach based on the suppression of the starting materials uptake from the host by the parasite has provided excellent results. In this article, we propose the synthesis of bioisosteric compounds that are capable of inhibiting Plasmodium falciparum Choline Kinase and therefore to reduce choline uptake, which is essential for the development of the parasite. Of the 41 bioisosteric compounds reported herein, none showed any influence of the linker on the antimalarial and enzyme inhibitory activity, whereas an effect of the type of cationic heads used could be observed. SARs determined that the thienopyrimidine substituted in 4 by a pyrrolidine is the best scaffold, independently of the chosen linker. The decrease in lipophilicity seems to improve the antimalarial activity but to cause an opposite effect on the inhibition of the enzyme. While potent compounds with similar good inhibitory values have been related to the proposed mechanism of action, some of them still show discrepancies and further studies are needed to determine their specific molecular target.
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Schiaffino-Ortega S, Mariotto E, Luque-Navarro PM, Kimatrai-Salvador M, Rios-Marco P, Hurtado-Guerrero R, Marco C, Carrasco-Jimenez MP, Viola G, López-Cara LC. Anticancer and Structure Activity Relationship of Non-Symmetrical Choline Kinase Inhibitors. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13091360. [PMID: 34575436 PMCID: PMC8464809 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13091360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Choline kinase inhibitors are an outstanding class of cytotoxic compounds useful for the treatment of different forms of cancer since aberrant choline metabolism is a feature of neoplastic cells. Here, we present the most in-depth structure-activity relationship studies of an interesting series of non-symmetric choline kinase inhibitors previously reported by our group: 3a–h and 4a–h. They are characterized by cationic heads of 3-aminophenol bound to 4-(dimethylamino)- or 4-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pyridinium through several linkers. These derivatives were evaluated both for their inhibitory activity on the enzyme and their antiproliferative activity in a panel of six human tumor cell lines. The compounds with the N-atom connected to the linker (4a–h) show the best inhibitory results, in the manner of results supported by docking studies. On the contrary, the best antiproliferative compounds were those with the O-atom bounded to the linker (3a–h). On the other hand, as was predictable in both families, the inhibitory effect on the enzyme is better the shorter the length of the linker. However, in tumor cells, lipophilicity and choline uptake inhibition could play a decisive role. Interestingly, compounds 3c and 4f, selected for both their ability to inhibit the enzyme and good antiproliferative activity, are endowed with low toxicity in non-tumoral cells (e.g., human peripheral lymphocytes) concerning cancer cells. These compounds were also able to induce apoptosis in Jurkat leukemic cells without causing significant variations of the cell cycle. It is worth mentioning that these derivatives, besides their inhibitory effect on choline kinase, displayed a modest ability to inhibit choline uptake thus suggesting that this mechanism may also contribute to the observed cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Schiaffino-Ortega
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (S.S.-O.); (P.M.L.-N.); (M.K.-S.)
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy;
| | - Pilar María Luque-Navarro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (S.S.-O.); (P.M.L.-N.); (M.K.-S.)
| | - María Kimatrai-Salvador
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (S.S.-O.); (P.M.L.-N.); (M.K.-S.)
| | - Pablo Rios-Marco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.R.-M.); (C.M.)
| | - Ramon Hurtado-Guerrero
- Institute of Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Mariano Esquillor s/n, Campus Rio Ebro, Edificio I+D, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Carmen Marco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.R.-M.); (C.M.)
| | - María Paz Carrasco-Jimenez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.R.-M.); (C.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.P.C.-J.); (G.V.); (L.C.L.-C.); Tel.: +34-958-243-248 (M.P.C.-J.); +34-958-243-849 (L.C.L.-C.)
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy;
- Correspondence: (M.P.C.-J.); (G.V.); (L.C.L.-C.); Tel.: +34-958-243-248 (M.P.C.-J.); +34-958-243-849 (L.C.L.-C.)
| | - Luisa Carlota López-Cara
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (S.S.-O.); (P.M.L.-N.); (M.K.-S.)
- Correspondence: (M.P.C.-J.); (G.V.); (L.C.L.-C.); Tel.: +34-958-243-248 (M.P.C.-J.); +34-958-243-849 (L.C.L.-C.)
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