Biomolecular docking, synthesis, crystal structure, and bioassay studies of 1-[4-(2-chloroethoxy)phenyl]-5-[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-1H-tetrazole and 2-(4-(5-(4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl)-1H-tetrazol-1-yl)phenoxy)ethyl nitrate

Design and Development of COX-II Inhibitors: Current Scenario and Future Perspective

Innate inflammation beyond a threshold is a significant problem involved in cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and many other chronic conditions. Cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes are key inflammatory markers as they catalyze prostaglandins production and are crucial for inflammation processes. While COX-I is constitutively expressed and is generally involved in "housekeeping" roles, the expression of the COX-II isoform is induced by the stimulation of different inflammatory cytokines and also promotes the further generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, which affect the prognosis of various diseases. Hence, COX-II is considered an important therapeutic target for drug development against inflammation-related illnesses. Several selective COX-II inhibitors with safe gastric safety profiles features that do not cause gastrointestinal complications associated with classic anti-inflammatory drugs have been developed. Nevertheless, there is mounting evidence of cardiovascular side effects from COX-II inhibitors that resulted in the withdrawal of market-approved anti-COX-II drugs. This necessitates the development of COX-II inhibitors that not only exhibit inhibit potency but also are free of side effects. Probing the scaffold diversity of known inhibitors is vital to achieving this goal. A systematic review and discussion on the scaffold diversity of COX inhibitors are still limited. To address this gap, herein we present an overview of chemical structures and inhibitory activity of different scaffolds of known COX-II inhibitors. The insights from this article could be helpful in seeding the development of next-generation COX-II inhibitors.

"Azole" as privileged heterocycle for targeting the inducible cyclooxygenase enzyme

An over-expression of COX-2 isoenzyme belonging to the Cyclooxygenase Enzyme Family triggers the overproduction of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins that instigate the development of chronic inflammation and related disorders. Hence, the rationally designed drugs for mitigating over-activity of COX-2 isoenzyme play a regulatory role toward the alleviation of the progression of these disorders. However, a selective COX-2 inhibition chemotherapy prompts several side effects that necessitate the identification of novel molecular scaffolds for deliberating state-of-the-art drug designing strategies. The heterocyclic "azole" scaffold, being polar and hydrophilic, possesses remarkable physicochemical advantages for designing physiologically active molecules capable of interacting with a wide range of biological components, including enzymes, peptides, and metabolites. The substituted derivatives of azole nuclei enable a comprehensive SAR analysis for the appraisal of bioactive profile of the deliberated molecules for obtaining the rationally designed compounds with prominent activities. The comprehensive SAR analysis readily prompted the identification of Y-shaped molecules and the eminence of bulkier group for COX-2 selective inhibition. This review presents an epigrammatic collation of the pharmacophore-profile of the chemotherapeutics based on azole motif for a selective targeting of the COX-2 isoenzyme.