Discovery of benzamide-based PI3K/HDAC dual inhibitors with marked pro-apoptosis activity in lymphoma cells

Discovery of highly potent mTOR inhibitors aimed at suppressing the progression of acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common hematological malignancy with complex etiology; however, current standard chemotherapy regimens for AML show limited efficacy and unsatisfactory tolerability. Herein, a novel class of trisubstituted triazine mTOR inhibitors was designed and synthesized, and the optimal compound, HPT-11, exhibited potent inhibition against mTOR kinase and Molm-13 cell proliferation activities with inhibitory IC50 values of 0.7 and 12 nM, respectively. An antitumor mechanism investigation demonstrated that HPT-11 could potently block the downstream signaling pathway of mTOR and effectively induce apoptosis and autophagy. In addition, in vitro metabolic stability tests further confirmed the stable profiles of HPT-11 in artificial gastrointestinal fluids, rat plasma, and liver microsomes incubating conditions. Overall, our current medicinal chemistry work confirmed that compound HPT-11 is a potent mTOR inhibitor with promising activity in vitro, suggesting its potential as a candidate for further development in the treatment of AML.

Chromatin modifiers in human disease: from functional roles to regulatory mechanisms

The field of transcriptional regulation has revealed the vital role of chromatin modifiers in human diseases from the beginning of functional exploration to the process of participating in many types of disease regulatory mechanisms. Chromatin modifiers are a class of enzymes that can catalyze the chemical conversion of pyrimidine residues or amino acid residues, including histone modifiers, DNA methyltransferases, and chromatin remodeling complexes. Chromatin modifiers assist in the formation of transcriptional regulatory circuits between transcription factors, enhancers, and promoters by regulating chromatin accessibility and the ability of transcription factors to acquire DNA. This is achieved by recruiting associated proteins and RNA polymerases. They modify the physical contact between cis-regulatory factor elements, transcription factors, and chromatin DNA to influence transcriptional regulatory processes. Then, abnormal chromatin perturbations can impair the homeostasis of organs, tissues, and cells, leading to diseases. The review offers a comprehensive elucidation on the function and regulatory mechanism of chromatin modifiers, thereby highlighting their indispensability in the development of diseases. Furthermore, this underscores the potential of chromatin modifiers as biomarkers, which may enable early disease diagnosis. With the aid of this paper, a deeper understanding of the role of chromatin modifiers in the pathogenesis of diseases can be gained, which could help in devising effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Advancements in dual-target inhibitors of PI3K for tumor therapy: Clinical progress, development strategies, prospects

Phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) modify lipids by the phosphorylation of inositol phospholipids at the 3'-OH position, thereby participating in signal transduction and exerting effects on various physiological processes such as cell growth, metabolism, and organism development. PI3K activation also drives cancer cell growth, survival, and metabolism, with genetic dysregulation of this pathway observed in diverse human cancers. Therefore, this target is considered a promising potential therapeutic target for various types of cancer. Currently, several selective PI3K inhibitors and one dual-target PI3K inhibitor have been approved and launched on the market. However, the majority of these inhibitors have faced revocation or voluntary withdrawal of indications due to concerns regarding their adverse effects. This article provides a comprehensive review of the structure and biological functions, and clinical status of PI3K inhibitors, with a specific emphasis on the development strategies and structure-activity relationships of dual-target PI3K inhibitors. The findings offer valuable insights and future directions for the development of highly promising dual-target drugs targeting PI3K.