Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Inhibition of tumor-associated isozyme IX by halogenosulfanilamide and halogenophenylaminobenzolamide derivatives

Dual Inhibitors of Brain Carbonic Anhydrases and Monoamine Oxidase-B Efficiently Protect against Amyloid-β-Induced Neuronal Toxicity, Oxidative Stress, and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

We report here the first dual inhibitors of brain carbonic anhydrases (CAs) and monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) for the management of Alzheimer's disease. Classical CA inhibitors (CAIs) such as methazolamide prevent amyloid-β-peptide (Aβ)-induced overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial dysfunction. MAO-B is also implicated in ROS production, cholinergic system disruption, and amyloid plaque formation. In this work, we combined a reversible MAO-B inhibitor of the coumarin and chromone type with benzenesulfonamide fragments as highly effective CAIs. A hit-to-lead optimization led to a significant set of derivatives showing potent low nanomolar inhibition of the target brain CAs (KIs in the range of 0.1-90.0 nM) and MAO-B (IC50 in the range of 6.7-32.6 nM). Computational studies were conducted to elucidate the structure-activity relationship and predict ADMET properties. The most effective multitarget compounds totally prevented Aβ-related toxicity, reverted ROS formation, and restored the mitochondrial functionality in an SH-SY5Y cell model surpassing the efficacy of single-target drugs.

1,3-Diaryl Triazenes Incorporating Disulfonamides Show Both Antiproliferative Activity and Effective Inhibition of Tumor-associated Carbonic Anhydrases IX and XII

AIM

The aim of this study was to synthesize a library of novel di-sulfa drugs containing 1,3- diaryltriazene derivatives TS (1-13) by conjugation of diazonium salts of primary sulfonamides with sulfa drugs to investigate the cytotoxic effect of these new compounds in different cancer types and to determine their inhibitory activity against tumor-associated carbonic anhydrases IX and XII.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A carbonic anhydrase inhibitory activity of the obtained compounds was evaluated against four selected human carbonic anhydrase isoforms (hCA I, hCA II, hCA IX and hCA XII) by a stoppedflow CO2 hydrase assay. In addition, in vitro, cytotoxicity studies were applied by using A549 (lung cancer), BEAS-2B (normal lung), MCF-7 (breast cancer), MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer), CRL-4010 (normal breast epithelium), HT-29 (colon cancer), and HCT -116 (colon cancer) cell lines.

RESULTS

As a result of the inhibition data, the 4-aminobenzenesulfonamide derivatives were more active than their 3-aminobenzenesulfonamide counterparts. More specifically, compounds TS-1 and TS-2, both of which have primary sulfonamides on both sides of the triazene linker, showed the best inhibitory activity against hCA IX with Ki values of 19.5 and 13.7 nM and also against hCA XII with Ki values of 6.6 and 8.3 nM, respectively. In addition, in vitro cytotoxic activity on the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 showed that some derivatives of di-sulfa triazenes, such as TS-5 and TS-13, were more active than SLC-0111.

CONCLUSION

With the aim of developing more potent and isoform-selective CA inhibitors, these novel hybrid molecules containing sulfa drugs, triazene linkers, and the classical primary sulfonamide chemotype may be considered an interesting example of effective enzyme inhibitors and important anticancer agents.

Thiosemicarbazone-benzenesulfonamide Derivatives as Human Carbonic Anhydrases Inhibitors: Synthesis, Characterization, and In silico Studies

INTRODUCTION

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are widespread metalloenzymes with the core function of catalyzing the interconversion of CO2 and HCO3 -. Targeting these enzymes using selective inhibitors has emerged as a promising approach for the development of novel therapeutic agents against multiple diseases.

METHODS

A series of novel thiosemicarbazone-containing derivatives were synthesized, characterized, and tested for their inhibitory activity against pharmaceutically important human CA I (hCA I), II (hCA II), IX (hCA IX), and XII (hCA XII) using the single tail approach.

RESULTS

The compounds generally inhibited the isoenzymes at low nanomolar concentrations, with compound 6b having Ki values of 7.16, 0.31, 92.5, and 375 nM against hCA I, II, IX and XII, respectively. Compound 6e exhibited Ki values of 27.6, 0.34, 872, and 94.5 nM against hCA I, II, IX and XII, respectively.

CONCLUSION

To rationalize the inhibition data, molecular docking studies were conducted, providing insight into the binding mechanisms, molecular interactions, and selectivity of the compounds towards the isoenzymes.

Potent carbonic anhydrase I, II, IX and XII inhibition activity of novel primary benzenesulfonamides incorporating bis-ureido moieties

A novel series of twelve aromatic bis-ureido-substituted benzenesulfonamides was synthesised by conjugation of aromatic aminobenzenesulfonamides with aromatic bis-isocyanates. The obtained bis-ureido-substituted derivatives were tested against four selected human carbonic anhydrase isoforms (hCA I, hCA II, hCA IX and hCA XII). Most of the new compounds showed an effective inhibitory profile against isoforms hCA IX and hCA XII, also having some selectivity with respect to hCA I and hCA II. The inhibition constants of these compounds against isoforms hCA IX and XII were in the range of 6.73-835 and 5.02-429 nM, respectively. Since hCA IX and hCA XII are important drug targets for anti-cancer/anti-metastatic drugs, these effective inhibitors reported here may be considered of interest for cancer related studies in which these enzymes are involved.

Benzenesulfonamide as a novel, pharmaceutical small molecule inhibitor on Aβ gene expression and oxidative stress in Alzheimer's Wistar rats

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent acute neurodegenerative disease described by memory loss and other cognitive functions. Benzenesulfonamide, a novel, potent, and small organic molecule, was synthesized to investigate its effects on the levels of oxidative biomarkers (GPx, ROS, and MDA) and expression of beta-amyloid peptides (Aβ40 and Aβ42) in the pathology of AD. The results were compared with the rivastigmine drug. Applying benzenesulfonamide to Alzheimer's-induced Wistar rats showed a significant increase in the level of oxidative biomarkers (GPx, ROS, and MDA) in both the brain and blood serum as well as amyloid-β40 and 42 gene expressions. Therefore, benzenesulfonamide could be considered a novel therapeutic agent against AD.

A simple yet multifaceted 90 years old, evergreen enzyme: Carbonic anhydrase, its inhibition and activation

Advances in the carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) research over the last three decades are presented, with an emphasis on the deciphering of the activation mechanism, the development of isoform-selective inhibitors/ activators by the tail approach and their applications in the management of obesity, hypoxic tumors, neurological conditions, and as antiinfectives.

Expression Dynamics of CA IX Epitope in Cancer Cells under Intermittent Hypoxia Correlates with Extracellular pH Drop and Cell Killing by Ureido-Sulfonamide CA IX Inhibitors

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is a membrane-bound CA isozyme over-expressed in many hypoxic tumor cells, where it ensures pH homeostasis and has been implicated in tumor survival, metastasis and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Given the functional importance of CA IX in tumor biochemistry, we investigated the expression dynamics of CA IX in normoxia, hypoxia and intermittent hypoxia, which are typical conditions experienced by tumor cells in aggressive carcinomas. We correlated the CA IX epitope expression dynamics with extracellular pH acidification and with viability of CA IX-expressing cancer cells upon treatment with CA IX inhibitors (CAIs) in colon HT-29, breast MDA-MB-231 and ovarian SKOV-3 tumor cell models. We observed that the CA IX epitope expressed under hypoxia by these cancer cells is retained in a significant amount upon reoxygenation, probably to preserve their proliferation ability. The extracellular pH drop correlated well with the level of CA IX expression, with the intermittent hypoxic cells showing a similar pH drop to fully hypoxic ones. All cancer cells showed higher sensitivity to CA IX inhibitors (CAIs) under hypoxia as compared to normoxia. The tumor cell sensitivity to CAIs under hypoxia and intermittent hypoxia were similar and higher than in normoxia and appeared to be correlated with the lipophilicity of the CAI.

Lactic Acidosis in Patients with Solid Cancer

Significance: Cancer-associated tissue-specific lactic acidosis stimulates and mediates tumor invasion and metastasis and is druggable. Rarely, malignancy causes systemic lactic acidosis, the role of which is poorly understood. Recent Advances: The understanding of the role of lactate has shifted dramatically since its discovery. Long recognized as only a waste product, lactate has become known as an alternative metabolism substrate and a secreted nutrient that is exchanged between the tumor and the microenvironment. Tissue-specific lactic acidosis is targeted to improve the host body's anticancer defense and serves as a tool that allows the targeting of anticancer compounds. Systemic lactic acidosis is associated with poor survival. In patients with solid cancer, systemic lactic acidosis is associated with an extremely poor prognosis, as revealed by the analysis of 57 published cases in this study. Although it is considered a pathology worth treating, targeting systemic lactic acidosis in patients with solid cancer is usually inefficient. Critical Issues: Research gaps include simple questions, such as the unknown nuclear pH of the cancer cells and its effects on chemotherapy outcomes, pH sensitivity of glycosylation in cancer cells, in vivo mechanisms of response to acidosis in the absence of lactate, and overinterpretation of in vitro results that were obtained by using cells that were not preadapted to acidic environments. Future Directions: Numerous metabolism-targeting anticancer compounds induce lactatemia, lactic acidosis, or other types of acidosis. Their potential to induce acidic environments is largely overlooked, although the acidosis might contribute to a substantial portion of the observed clinical effects. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 37, 1130-1152.

Discovery of novel sulphonamide hybrids that inhibit LSD1 against bladder cancer cells

Aim:A series of sulphonamide hybrids were designed, synthesised, and identified as potential lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) inhibitors.

Materials and methods: Bladder cancer cell lines were cultured to evaluate the antiproliferative activity. Inhibitory evaluation of sulphonamide hybrids against LSD1 were performed.

Conclusion: sulphonamide derivative L8 exhibited the antiproliferative activity against HTB5, HTB3, HT1376, and HTB1 cells with IC₅₀ values of 1.87, 0.18, 0.09, and 0.93 μM, respectively. Compound L8 as a selective and reversible LSD1 inhibitor could inhibit LSD1 with the IC₅₀ value of 60 nM. It effectively inhibited LSD1 by increasing the expression levels of H3K4me1, H3K4me2, and H3K9me2 in HT1376 cells. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first report which showed that sulphonamide–quinoline–dithiocarbamate hybrids potently inhibited LSD1 in bladder cancer cells. Our studies give the potential application of the sulphonamide-based scaffold for developing LSD1 inhibitors to treat bladder cancer.

Carbonic Anhydrases as Potential Targets Against Neurovascular Unit Dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease and Stroke

The Neurovascular Unit (NVU) is an important multicellular structure of the central nervous system (CNS), which participates in the regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF), delivery of oxygen and nutrients, immunological surveillance, clearance, barrier functions, and CNS homeostasis. Stroke and Alzheimer Disease (AD) are two pathologies with extensive NVU dysfunction. The cell types of the NVU change in both structure and function following an ischemic insult and during the development of AD pathology. Stroke and AD share common risk factors such as cardiovascular disease, and also share similarities at a molecular level. In both diseases, disruption of metabolic support, mitochondrial dysfunction, increase in oxidative stress, release of inflammatory signaling molecules, and blood brain barrier disruption result in NVU dysfunction, leading to cell death and neurodegeneration. Improved therapeutic strategies for both AD and stroke are needed. Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are well-known targets for other diseases and are being recently investigated for their function in the development of cerebrovascular pathology. CAs catalyze the hydration of CO₂ to produce bicarbonate and a proton. This reaction is important for pH homeostasis, overturn of cerebrospinal fluid, regulation of CBF, and other physiological functions. Humans express 15 CA isoforms with different distribution patterns. Recent studies provide evidence that CA inhibition is protective to NVU cells in vitro and in vivo, in models of stroke and AD pathology. CA inhibitors are FDA-approved for treatment of glaucoma, high-altitude sickness, and other indications. Most FDA-approved CA inhibitors are pan-CA inhibitors; however, specific CA isoforms are likely to modulate the NVU function. This review will summarize the literature regarding the use of pan-CA and specific CA inhibitors along with genetic manipulation of specific CA isoforms in stroke and AD models, to bring light into the functions of CAs in the NVU. Although pan-CA inhibitors are protective and safe, we hypothesize that targeting specific CA isoforms will increase the efficacy of CA inhibition and reduce side effects. More studies to further determine specific CA isoforms functions and changes in disease states are essential to the development of novel therapies for cerebrovascular pathology, occurring in both stroke and AD.

Modulating the Efficacy of Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors through Fluorine Substitution

The insertion of fluorine atoms and/or fluoroalkyl groups can lead to many beneficial effects in biologically active molecules, such as enhanced metabolic stability, bioavailability, lipophilicity, and membrane permeability, as well as a strengthening of protein-ligand binding interactions. However, this "magic effect" of fluorine atom(s) insertion can often be meaningless. Taking advantage of the wide range of data coming from the quest for carbonic anhydrase (CA) fluorinated inhibitors, this Minireview attempts to give "general guidelines" on how to wisely insert fluorine atom(s) within an inhibitor moiety to precisely enhance or disrupt ligand-protein interactions, depending on the target location of the fluorine substitution in the ligand. Multiple approaches such as ITC, kinetic and inhibition studies, X-ray crystallography, and NMR spectroscopy are useful in dissecting single binding contributions to the overall observed effect. The exploitation of innovative directions made in the field of protein and ligand-based fluorine NMR screening is also discussed to avoid misconduct and finely tune the exploitation of selective fluorine atom insertion in the future.

3-Functionalised benzenesulphonamide based 1,3,4-oxadiazoles as selective carbonic anhydrase XIII inhibitors: Design, synthesis and biological evaluation

A new series of benzenesulphonamide linked-1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrids (6a-s) has been synthesized and tested for their carbonic anhydrase inhibition against human (h) carbonic anhydrase (CA) isoforms hCA I, II, IX, and XIII. Fluorescence properties of some of the synthesized molecules were studied. Most of the molecules exhibited significant inhibitory power, comparable or better than the standard drug acetazolamide (AAZ) on hCA XIII. Out of 19 tested molecules, compound 6e (75.8 nM) was 3 times more potent than AAZ (250.0 nM) against hCA I, whereas compound 6e (15.4 nM), 6g (16.2 nM), 6h (16.4 nM) and 6i (17.0 nM) were found to be more potent than AAZ (17.0 nM) against isoform hCA XIII. It is anticipated that these compounds could be taken as the potential leads for the development of selective hCA XIII isoform inhibitors with improved potency.

PEG Linker Length Strongly Affects Tumor Cell Killing by PEGylated Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors in Hypoxic Carcinomas Expressing Carbonic Anhydrase IX

Hypoxic tumors overexpress membrane-bound isozymes of carbonic anhydrase (CA) CA IX and CA XII, which play key roles in tumor pH homeostasis under hypoxia. Selective inhibition of these CA isozymes has the potential to generate pH imbalances that can lead to tumor cell death. Since these isozymes are dimeric, we designed a series of bifunctional PEGylated CA inhibitors (CAIs) through the attachment of our preoptimized CAI warhead 1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-sulfonamide to polyethylene glycol (PEG) backbones with lengths ranging from 1 KDa to 20 KDa via a succinyl linker. A detailed structure−thermal properties and structure–biological activity relationship study was conducted via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and via viability testing in 2D and 3D (tumor spheroids) cancer cell models, either CA IX positive (HT-29 colon cancer, MDA-MB 231 breast cancer, and SKOV-3 ovarian cancer) or CA IX negative (NCI-H23 lung cancer). We identified PEGylated CAIs DTP1K 28, DTP2K 23, and DTP3.4K 29, bearing short and medium PEG backbones, as the most efficient conjugates under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions, and in the tumor spheroid models. PEGylated CAIs did not affect the cell viability of CA IX-negative NCI-H23 tumor spheroids, thus confirming a CA IX-mediated cell killing for these potential anticancer agents.

Structural Basis of Nanomolar Inhibition of Tumor-Associated Carbonic Anhydrase IX: X-Ray Crystallographic and Inhibition Study of Lipophilic Inhibitors with Acetazolamide Backbone

This study provides a structure-activity relationship study of a series of lipophilic carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors with an acetazolamide backbone. The inhibitors were tested against the tumor-expressed CA isozyme IX (CA IX), and the cytosolic CA I, CA II, and membrane-bound CA IV. The study identified several low nanomolar potent inhibitors against CA IX, with lipophilicities spanning two log units. Very potent pan-inhibitors with nanomolar potency against CA IX and sub-nanomolar potency against CA II and CA IV, and with potency against CA I one order of magnitude better than the parent acetazolamide 1 were also identified in this study, together with compounds that displayed selectivity against membrane-bound CA IV. A comprehensive X-ray crystallographic study (12 crystal structures), involving both CA II and a soluble CA IX mimetic (CA IX-mimic), revealed the structural basis of this particular inhibition profile and laid the foundation for further developments toward more potent and selective inhibitors for the tumor-expressed CA IX.

Syntheses of 3,3-Disubstituted Dihydrobenzofurans, Indolines, Indolinones and Isochromanes by Palladium-Catalyzed Tandem Reaction Using Pd(PPh3)2Cl2/(±)-BINAP as a Catalytic System

A general procedure for the tandem arylation reaction of arylbromide with heteroaryl compounds was developed by using Pd(PPh3)2Cl2/(±)-BINAP (1,1′-Binaphthalene-2,2′-diylbis (diphenylphosphane)) as catalytic system. Both sulphur- and oxygen-containing heterocycles were also employed as an efficient reagent for arylation, which gave moderate to excellent yields with moderate to good regioselectivities (5:1 to > 20:1 ir (isomer ratio)). Except for dihydrobenzofurans, indolines and indolinones, this type of tandem reaction was also expanded to synthesize isochromanes. The synthesized new compounds were well characterized through different spectroscopic techniques, such as 1H and 13C NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), and mass spectral analysis.

Pyridinium derivatives of 3-aminobenzenesulfonamide are nanomolar-potent inhibitors of tumor-expressed carbonic anhydrase isozymes CA IX and CA XII

Building on the conclusions of previous inhibition studies with pyridinium-benzenesulfonamides from our team and on the X-ray crystal structure of the lead compound identified, a series of 24 pyridinium derivatives of 3-aminobenzenesulfonamide was synthesized and investigated for carbonic anhydrase inhibition. The new pyridinium-sulfonamides were evaluated as inhibitors of four human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms, namely CA I, CA II (cytosolic), CA IX and XII (transmembrane, tumor-associated forms). Excellent inhibitory activity in the nanomolar range was observed against CA IX with most of these sulfonamides, and against CA XII (nanomolar/sub-nanomolar) with some of the new compounds. These sulfonamides were generally potent inhibitors of CA II and CA I too. Docking studies revealed a preference of these compounds to bind the P1 hydrophobic site of CAs, supporting the observed inhibition profile. The salt-like nature of these positively charged sulfonamides can further focus the inhibitory ability on membrane-bound CA IX and CA XII and could efficiently decrease the viability of three human carcinomas under hypoxic conditions where these isozymes are over-expressed, thus recommending the new compounds as potential diagnostic tools or therapeutic agents.

Causes, consequences, and therapy of tumors acidosis

While cancer is commonly described as "a disease of the genes," it is also associated with massive metabolic reprogramming that is now accepted as a disease "Hallmark." This programming is complex and often involves metabolic cooperativity between cancer cells and their surrounding stroma. Indeed, there is emerging clinical evidence that interrupting a cancer's metabolic program can improve patients' outcomes. The most commonly observed and well-studied metabolic adaptation in cancers is the fermentation of glucose to lactic acid, even in the presence of oxygen, also known as "aerobic glycolysis" or the "Warburg Effect." Much has been written about the mechanisms of the Warburg effect, and this remains a topic of great debate. However, herein, we will focus on an important sequela of this metabolic program: the acidification of the tumor microenvironment. Rather than being an epiphenomenon, it is now appreciated that this acidosis is a key player in cancer somatic evolution and progression to malignancy. Adaptation to acidosis induces and selects for malignant behaviors, such as increased invasion and metastasis, chemoresistance, and inhibition of immune surveillance. However, the metabolic reprogramming that occurs during adaptation to acidosis also introduces therapeutic vulnerabilities. Thus, tumor acidosis is a relevant therapeutic target, and we describe herein four approaches to accomplish this: (1) neutralizing acid directly with buffers, (2) targeting metabolic vulnerabilities revealed by acidosis, (3) developing acid-activatable drugs and nanomedicines, and (4) inhibiting metabolic processes responsible for generating acids in the first place.

Crystal structure and chemical inhibition of essential schistosome host-interactive virulence factor carbonic anhydrase SmCA

The intravascular parasitic worm Schistosoma mansoni is a causative agent of schistosomiasis, a disease of great global public health significance. Here we identify an α-carbonic anhydrase (SmCA) that is expressed at the schistosome surface as determined by activity assays and immunofluorescence/immunogold localization. Suppressing SmCA expression by RNAi significantly impairs the ability of larval parasites to infect mice, validating SmCA as a rational drug target. Purified, recombinant SmCA possesses extremely rapid CO₂ hydration kinetics (k_cat: 1.2 × 10⁶ s^-1; k_cat/K_m: 1.3 × 10⁸ M^-1s^-1). The enzyme’s crystal structure was determined at 1.75 Å resolution and a collection of sulfonamides and anions were tested for their ability to impede rSmCA action. Several compounds (phenylarsonic acid, phenylbaronic acid, sulfamide) exhibited favorable K_is for SmCA versus two human isoforms. Such selective rSmCA inhibitors could form the basis of urgently needed new drugs that block essential schistosome metabolism, blunt parasite virulence and debilitate these important global pathogens.

Akram Da’dara et al. report the biochemical characterization of an α-carbonic anhydrase (SmCA) expressed at the surface of the parasitic worm Schistosoma mansoni. Along with the crystal structure of SmCA, they show the function of selective inhibitors in blocking essential schistosome metabolism.

Carbonic anhydrases as disease markers

INTRODUCTION

The physiologic importance of fast CO₂/HCO₃^- interconversion in various tissues requires the presence of carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1). Fourteen CA isozymes are present in humans, all of them being used as biomarkers.

AREAS COVERED

A great number of patents and articles were focused on the use of CA isozymes as biomarkers for various diseases and syndromes in the recent years, in an ascending trend over the last decade. The review highlights the most important studies related with each isozyme and covers the most recent patent literature.

EXPERT OPINION

The CAs biomarker research area expanded significantly in recent years, shifting from the predominant use of CA IX and CA XII in cancer diagnostic, staging, and prognosis towards a wider use of CA isozymes as disease biomarkers. CA isozymes are currently used either alone, in tandem with other CA isozymes and/or in combination with other proteins for the detection, staging, and prognosis of a huge repertoire of human dysfunctions and diseases, ranging from mild transformation of the normal tissues to extreme shifts in tissue organization and function. The techniques used for their detection/quantitation and the state-of-the-art in each clinical application are presented through relevant clinical examples and corresponding statistical data.

Discovery of new ureido benzenesulfonamides incorporating 1,3,5-triazine moieties as carbonic anhydrase I, II, IX and XII inhibitors

A series of twenty novel ureido benzenesulfonamides incorporating 1,3,5-triazine moieties substituted on one side with aromatic amines and on the other side with dimethylamine, morpholine and piperidine is reported. The compounds were synthesized from the 4-(3-(4,6-dichloro-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)ureido)benzensulfonamide (1) by using stepwise nucleophilic substitution of the chlorine atoms of cyanuric chloride. The intermediates 2(a-e) and final compounds 3(a-o) were tested for their efficiency as carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors against four selected physiologically relevant human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms, namely, the cytosolic ones hCA I and II, and the transmembrane, tumor associated ones hCA IX, and XII. The compounds 2a, 2e and 3m showed the highest activity for hCA IX with Kis in the range of 11.8-14.6 nM. Most of the compounds showed high hCA IX selectivity over the abundant off-target isoforms hCA I and II. Since hCA IX is a validated drug target for anticancer/antimetastatic agents, these isoform-selective and potent inhibitors may be considered of interest for further medicinal/pharmacologic studies.

Discovery of novel 1,3-diaryltriazene sulfonamides as carbonic anhydrase I, II, VII, and IX inhibitors

A series of new 1,3-diaryltriazene sulfonamides was synthesised by reaction of diazonium salt of metanilamide (3-aminobenzene sulfonamide) with substituted aromatic amines. The obtained new compounds were assayed as inhibitors of four physiologically and pharmacologically relevant human (h) isoforms of carbonic anhydrases (CA, EC 4.2.1.1), specifically, hCA I, hCA II, and hCA VII (cytosolic isoforms), as well as the tumour-associated membrane-bound isoform hCA IX. All isoforms investigated here were inhibited by the newly synthesised 1,3-diaryltriazene sulfonamide derivatives from the micromolar to the nanomolar range. The cytosolic isoforms were inhibited with K_is in the range of 92.3–8371.1 nM (hCA I), 4.3–9194.0 nM (hCA II), and 15.6–9477.8 nM (hCA VII), respectively. For the membrane-bound tumour-associated isoform hCA IX, the K_I-s ranged between 50.8 and 9268.5 nM. The structure–activity relationship (SAR) with these newly synthesised metanilamide derivatives are discussed in detail.

Tuning the Dual Inhibition of Carbonic Anhydrase and Cyclooxygenase by Dihydrothiazole Benzensulfonamides

A novel series of of 4-[(3-phenyl-4-aryl-2,3-dihydro-1,3-thiazol-2-ylidene)amino]benzene-1-sulfonamides (EMAC10111a-g) was synthesized and assayed toward both human carbonic anhydrase isozymes I, II, IX, and XII and cyclooxygenase isoforms. The majority of these derivatives preferentially inhibit hCA isoforms II and XII and hCOX-2 isozyme, indicating that 2,3,4-trisubstituted 2,3-dihydrothiazoles are a promising scaffold for the inhibition of hCA isozymes and of hCOX-2 enzyme. The nature of the substituent at the dihydrothiazole ring position 4 influenced the activity and selectivity toward both enzyme families. EMAC10111g resulted as the best performing compound toward both enzyme families and exhibited preferential activity toward hCA XII and hCOX-2 isozymes.

pH-Sensitive Multiligand Gold Nanoplatform Targeting Carbonic Anhydrase IX Enhances the Delivery of Doxorubicin to Hypoxic Tumor Spheroids and Overcomes the Hypoxia-Induced Chemoresistance

Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors contributing to resistance to chemotherapy. Selective delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to hypoxic tumor niche remains an unsolved issue. For this purpose, we constructed a gold nanoplatform targeting carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) epitope, which is overexpressed in hypoxic tumor cells versus in normal tissues. We designed compatible low-molecular weight carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (CAI) ligands and doxorubicin (Dox) ligands and optimized protocols for efficient decoration of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to achieve both good targeting ligand density and optimum drug loading, while preserving colloidal stability. The optimized Dox-HZN-DTDP@Au NPs-LA-PEG2000-CAI (THZN) nanoplatform was proved to be very efficient toward killing HT-29 tumor cells, especially under hypoxic conditions, as compared with the nontargeting nanoplatform. This also mediated the effective release of doxorubicin in the lysosomes following internalization, as revealed by confocal microscopy. Furthermore, using tumor spheroids as a representative model for hypoxic solid tumors, our THZN nanoplatform enhanced the selective delivery of doxorubicin up to 2.5 times and minimized chemoresistance, showing better tumor drug penetration as compared to that in free drug treatment. Our technology is the first CA IX-targeting gold nanoplatform for efficient delivery of doxorubicin to hypoxic tumors in a controlled fashion, with the perspective to improve the therapy of solid tumors and minimize chemoresistance.

Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase IX targets primary tumors, metastases, and cancer stem cells: Three for the price of one

Human carbonic anhydrase (CA) IX is a tumor-associated protein, since it is scarcely present in normal tissues, but highly overexpressed in a large number of solid tumors, where it actively contributes to survival and metastatic spread of tumor cells. Due to these features, the characterization of its biochemical, structural, and functional features for drug design purposes has been extensively carried out, with consequent development of several highly selective small molecule inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies to be used for different purposes. Aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art of studies performed on this enzyme, regarding structural, functional, and biomedical aspects, as well as the development of molecules with diagnostic and therapeutic applications for cancer treatment. A brief description of additional pharmacologic applications for CA IX inhibition in other diseases, such as arthritis and ischemia, is also provided.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel N,N'-diaryl cyanoguanidines acting as potent and selective carbonic anhydrase II inhibitors

A series of novel N,N''-diaryl cyanoguanidines were synthesized by reacting diphenyl N-cyanocarbonimidate with sulfanilamide followed by treatment of the obtained cyano-O-phenylisourea with substituted aromatic amines. The newly prepared N,N''-diaryl cyanoguanidines showed a very interesting inhibition profile against four selected human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms, hCA I and hCA II (cytosolic), hCA IV (membrane-bound), and hCA IX (transmembrane). All these compounds showed a potent inhibition against isoform hCA II,with inhibition constants in the low nanomolar range, as well as a high selectivity for hCA II over hCA I, IV and IX. Since hCA II is an important drug target for antiglaucoma agents, these isoform-selective inhibitors may be considered of interest for further medicinal/pharmacologic studies.

Design and Antiproliferative Evaluation of Novel Sulfanilamide Derivatives as Potential Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitors

A series of sulfanilamide-1,2,3-triazole hybrids were designed by a molecular hybridization strategy and evaluated for antiproliferative activity against three selected cancer cell lines (MGC-803, MCF-7 and PC-3). The detailed structure-activity relationships for these sulfanilamide-1,2,3-triazole hybrids were investigated. All these sulfanilamide-1,2,3-triazole hybrids exhibited moderate to potent activity against all cell lines. In particular 4-methyl-N-((1-(3-phenoxybenzyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl)benzenesulfonamide (11f) showed the most potent inhibitory effect against PC-3 cells, with an IC₅₀ value of 4.08 μM. Furthermore, the tubulin polymerization inhibitory activity in vitro of compound 11f was 2.41 μM. These sulfanilamide hybrids might serve as bioactive fragments for developing more potent antiproliferative agents.

Discovery of Benzenesulfonamides with Potent Human Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitory and Effective Anticonvulsant Action: Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Assessment

We report two series of novel benzenesulfonamide derivatives acting as effective carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitors. The synthesized compounds were tested against human (h) isoforms hCA I, hCA II, hCA VII, and hCA XII. The first series of compounds, 4-(3-(2-(4-substitued piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)ureido)benzenesulfonamides, showed low nanomolar inhibitory action against hCA II, being less effective against the other isoforms. The second series, 2-(4-substitued piperazin-1-yl)-N-(4-sulfamoylphenyl)acetamide derivatives, showed low nanomolar inhibitory activity against hCA II and hCA VII, isoforms involved in epileptogenesis. Some of these derivatives were evaluated for their anticonvulsant activity and displayed effective seizure protection against MES and scPTZ induced seizures in Swiss Albino mice. These sulfonamides were also found effective upon oral administration to Wistar rats and inhibited MES induced seizure episodes in this animal model of the disease. Some of the new compounds showed a long duration of action in the performed time course anticonvulsant studies, being nontoxic in subacute toxicity studies.

Inhibition of Malassezia globosa carbonic anhydrase with phenols

A panel of 22 phenols was investigated as inhibitors of the β-class carbonic anhydrase (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) from the fungal parasite Malassezia globosa (MgCA), a validated anti-dandruff drug target. The displayed inhibitory activities were compared to the ones previously reported against the off-target widely distributed human (h) isoforms hCA I and II. All tested phenols possessed a better efficacy in inhibiting MgCA than the clinically used sulfonamide acetazolamide, with K_Is in the range of 2.5 and 65.0μM. A homology-built model of MgCA was also used for understanding the binding mode of phenols to the fungal enzyme. Indeed, a wide network of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions between the phenol and active site residues were evidenced. The OH moiety of the inhibitor was observed anchored to the zinc-coordinated water, also making hydrogen bonds with Ser48 and Asp49. The diverse substituents at the phenolic scaffold were observed to interact with different portions of the hydrophobic pocket according to their nature and position. Considering the effective MgCA inhibitory properties of phenols, beside to the rather low inhibition against the off-target hCA I and II, this class of compounds might be of considerable interest in the cosmetics field as potential anti-dandruff drugs.

Evaluation of selenide, diselenide and selenoheterocycle derivatives as carbonic anhydrase I, II, IV, VII and IX inhibitors

A series of selenides, diselenides and organoselenoheterocycles were evaluated as carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitors against the human (h) isoforms hCA I, II, IV, VII and IX, involved in a variety of diseases among which glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, epilepsy, arthritis and tumors etc. These investigated compounds showed inhibitory action against these isoforms and some of them were selective for inhibiting the cytosolic over the membrane-bound isoforms, thus making them interesting leads for the development of isoform-selective inhibitors.

Comparison of the anion inhibition profiles of the β- and γ-carbonic anhydrases from the pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei

We report the cloning, purification and characterization of BpsβCA, a β-class carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) from the pathogenic bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, the etiological agent of melioidosis, and compare its activity and inhibition with those of the γ-CA from the same organism, BpsγCA, recently investigated by our groups. BpsβCA showed a significant catalytic activity for the physiologic, CO₂ hydration reaction, with the following kinetic parameters, k_cat of 1.6×10⁵s^-1 and k_cat/K_m of 3.4×10⁷M^-1×s^-1. The inhibition of BpsβCA with a group of anions and small molecules was also investigated. The best inhibitors were sulfamide, sulfamic acid and phenylarsonic acid, which showed K_Is in the range of 83-92µM, whereas phenylboronic acid, fluoride, cyanide, azide, bisulfite, tetraborate, perrhenate, perruthenate, peroxydisulfate, perchlorate, tetrafluoroborate, fluorosulfonate and hexafluorophosphate showed K_Is>100mM. Other inhibitors of this new enzyme were bicarbonate, trithiocarbonate, some complex inorganic anions and N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate, which had inhibition constants of 0.32-8.6mM. As little is known of the life cycle and virulence of this bacterium, this type of study may bring information of interest for the development of novel strategies to fight bacterial infection and drug resistance to commonly used antibiotics.

Intrinsic Thermodynamics and Structures of 2,4- and 3,4-Substituted Fluorinated Benzenesulfonamides Binding to Carbonic Anhydrases

The goal of rational drug design is to understand structure-thermodynamics correlations in order to predict the chemical structure of a drug that would exhibit excellent affinity and selectivity for a target protein. In this study we explored the contribution of added functionalities of benzenesulfonamide inhibitors to the intrinsic binding affinity, enthalpy, and entropy for recombinant human carbonic anhydrases (CA) CA I, CA II, CA VII, CA IX, CA XII, and CA XIII. The binding enthalpies of compounds possessing similar chemical structures and affinities were found to be very different, spanning a range from -90 to +10 kJ mol-1 , and are compensated by a similar opposing entropy contribution. The intrinsic parameters of binding were determined by subtracting the linked protonation reactions. The sulfonamide group pKa values of the compounds were measured spectrophotometrically, and the protonation enthalpies were measured by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Herein we describe the development of meta- or ortho-substituted fluorinated benzenesulfonamides toward the highly potent compound 10 h, which exhibits an observed dissociation constant value of 43 pm and an intrinsic dissociation constant value of 1.1 pm toward CA IX, an anticancer target that is highly overexpressed in various tumors. Fluorescence thermal shift assays, ITC, and X-ray crystallography were all applied in this work.

Structure-Activity Relationship for Sulfonamide Inhibition of Helicobacter pylori α-Carbonic Anhydrase

α-Carbonic anhydrase of Helicobacter pylori (HpαCA) plays an important role in the acclimation of this oncobacterium to the acidic pH of the stomach. Sulfonamide inhibitors of HpαCA possess anti-H. pylori activity. The crystal structures of complexes of HpαCA with a family of acetazolamide-related sulfonamides have been determined. Analysis of the structures revealed that the mode of sulfonamide binding correlates well with their inhibitory activities. In addition, comparisons with the corresponding inhibitor complexes of human carbonic anhydrase II (HCAII) indicated that HpαCA possesses an additional, alternative binding site for sulfonamides that is not present in HCAII. Furthermore, the hydrophobic pocket in HCAII that stabilizes the apolar moiety of sulfonamide inhibitors is replaced with a more open, hydrophilic pocket in HpαCA. Thus, our analysis identified major structural features can be exploited in the design of selective and more potent inhibitors of HpαCA that may lead to novel antimicrobials.

Identification of acylthiourea derivatives as potent Plk1 PBD inhibitors

Thiourea derivatives have drawn much attention for their latent capacities of biological activities. In this study, we designed acylthiourea compounds as polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) polo-box domain (PBD) inhibitors. A series of acylthiourea derivatives without pan assay interference structure (PAINS) were synthesized. Four compounds with halogen substituents exhibited binding affinities to Plk1 PBD in low micromole range. The most potent compound (3v) showed selectivity over other subtypes of Plk PBDs and inhibited the kinase activity of full-length Plk1.

Molecular dynamics study of human carbonic anhydrase II in complex with Zn(2+) and acetazolamide on the basis of all-atom force field simulations

Human carbonic anhydrase II (hCAII) represents an ultimate example of the perfectly efficient metalloenzymes, which is capable of catalyzing the hydration of carbon dioxide with a rate approaching the diffusion controlled limit. Extensive experimental studies of this physiologically important metalloprotein have been done to elucidate the fundamentals of its enzymatic actions: what residues anchor the Zn(2+) (or another divalent cation) at the bottom of the binding pocket; how the relevant residues work concertedly with the divalent cation in the reversible conversions between CO2 and HCO3(-); what are the protonation states of the relevant residues and acetazolamide, an inhibitor complexed with hCAII, etc. In this article, we present a detailed computational study on the basis of the all-atom CHARMM force field where Zn(2+) is represented with a simple model of divalent cation using the transferrable parameters available from the current literature. We compute the hydration free energy of Zn(2+), the characteristics of hCAII-Zn(2+) complexation, and the absolute free energy of binding acetazolamide to the hCAII-Zn(2+) complex. In each of these three problems, our computed results agree with the experimental data within the known margin of error without making any case-by-case adjustments to the parameters. The quantitatively accurate insights we gain in this all-atom molecular dynamics study should be helpful in the search and design of more specific inhibitors of this and other carbonic anhydrases.

PEGylated Bis-Sulfonamide Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors Can Efficiently Control the Growth of Several Carbonic Anhydrase IX-Expressing Carcinomas

A series of aromatic/heterocyclic bis-sulfonamides were synthesized from three established aminosulfonamide carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitor pharmacophores, coupled with either ethylene glycol oligomeric or polymeric diamines to yield bis-sulfonamides with short or long (polymeric) linkers. Testing of novel inhibitors and their precursors against a panel of membrane-bound CA isoforms, including tumor-overexpressed CA IX and XII and cytosolic isozymes, identified nanomolar-potent inhibitors against both classes and several compounds with medium isoform selectivity in a detailed structure-activity relationship study. The ability of CA inhibitors to kill tumor cells overexpressing CA IX and XII was tested under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, using 2D and 3D in vitro cellular models. The study identified a nanomolar potent PEGylated bis-sulfonamide CA inhibitor (25) able to significantly reduce the viability of colon HT-29, breast MDA-MB231, and ovarian SKOV-3 cancer cell lines, thus revealing the potential of polymer conjugates in CA inhibition and cancer treatment.

Prediction of binding modes and affinities of 4-substituted-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzenesulfonamide inhibitors to the carbonic anhydrase receptor by docking and ONIOM calculations

Inhibition activities of a series of 4-substituted-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzenesulfonamides against the human carbonic anhydrase II (HCAII) enzyme have been explored by employing molecular docking and hybrid QM/MM methods. The docking protocol has been employed to assess the best pose of each ligand in the active site cavity of the enzyme, and probe the interactions with the amino acid residues. The docking calculations reveal that the inhibitor binds to the catalytic Zn(2+) site through the deprotonated sulfonamide nitrogen atom by making several hydrophobic and hydrogen bond interactions with the side chain residues depending on the substituted moiety. A cross-docking approach has been adopted prior to the hybrid QM/MM calculation to validate the docked poses. A correlation between the experimental dissociation constants and the docked free energies for the enzyme-inhibitor complexes has been established. Two-layered ONIOM calculations based on QM/MM approach have been performed to evaluate the binding efficacy of the inhibitors. The inhibitor potency has been predicted from the computed binding energies after taking into account of the electronic phenomena associated with enzyme-inhibitor interactions. Both the hybrid (B3LYP) and meta-hybrid (M06-2X) functionals are used for the description of the QM region. To improve the correlation between the experimental biological activity and the theoretical results, a three-layered ONIOM calculation has been carried out and verified for some of the selected inhibitors. The charge transfer stabilization energies are calculated via natural bond orbital analysis to recognize the donor-acceptor interaction in the binding pocket of the enzyme. The nature of binding between the inhibitors and HCAII active site is further analyzed from the electron density distribution maps.

Functionalization of fluorinated benzenesulfonamides and their inhibitory properties toward carbonic anhydrases

Substituted tri- and tetrafluorobenzenesulfonamides were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as high-affinity and isoform-selective carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibitors. Their binding affinities for recombinant human CA I, II, VA, VI, VII, XII, and XIII catalytic domains were determined by fluorescent thermal shift assay, isothermal titration calorimetry, and a stopped-flow CO2 hydration assay. Variation of the substituents at the 2-, 3-, and 4-positions yielded compounds with a broad range of binding affinities and isoform selectivities. Several 2,4-substituted-3,5,6-trifluorobenzenesulfonamides were effective CA XIII inhibitors with high selectivity over off-target CA I and CA II. 3,4-Disubstituted-2,5,6-trifluorobenzenesulfonamides bound CAs with higher affinity than 2,4-disubstituted-3,5,6-trifluorobenzenesulfonamides. Many such fluorinated benzenesulfonamides were found to be nanomolar inhibitors of CA II, CA VII, tumor-associated CA IX and CA XII, and CA XIII. X-ray crystal structures of inhibitors bound in the active sites of several CA isoforms provide structure-activity relationship information for inhibitor binding affinities and selectivity.