Computational design, synthesis, and assessment of 3-(4-(4-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole derivatives as effective epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors: a prospective strategy for anticancer therapy

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) enzyme plays a critical role in governing the cell cycle, positioning it as a promising target for the development of anticancer drugs. In this study, we endeavored to design and synthesize innovative EGFR inhibitors with potential applications in anticancer therapy. A novel series of compounds, namely 3-(4-(4-(1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazoles (30a-j), were meticulously designed using FBDD efforts and synthesized. The synthesized compounds underwent thorough characterization using 1HNMR, 13CNMR, HRMS, and mass spectrum analyses. The in vitro anticancer activities of the newly developed compounds (30a-j) were evaluated against four human cancer cell lines such as prostate cancer (PC3 & DU-145), lung cancer (A549), and liver cancer (HEPG2) using the MTT method. The results, expressed as IC50 values, demonstrated significant anticancer activity for several compounds, with five compounds (30a, 30b, 30c, 30i, and 30j) exhibiting superior potency compared to the established anticancer drug etoposide. Notably, compound 30a emerged as the most promising compound, displaying potent cytotoxicity. We also conducted a screening of the compounds on the normal Vero cell line, revealing a pronounced selectivity of the compounds against cancer cell lines, with no observable impact on the normal cell lines. Moreover, the synthesized compounds were investigated for their impact on enzyme EGFR activity. The findings revealed a robust inhibitory effect against the EGFR wild-type enzyme and a 10-fold inferior potency against the mutant form of EGFR. This observation underscores the potential of the new derivatives as effective EGFRWT inhibitors with substantial anticancer efficacy. Further studies, including cell cycle analysis and apoptosis assays in HEPG2 cell lines, revealed cell cycle arrest at G1/G0 and G2 phases. We also evaluated the potential influence of compound 30a on the EGFR pathway using western blot analysis, revealing a significant inhibition of EGFR autophosphorylation in HEPG2 cells. In conclusion, our findings highlight the promise of these novel compounds as potent EGFR inhibitors, encouraging further investigation and development for the creation of novel and effective anticancer therapeutics.

Production of high loading insulin nanoparticles suitable for oral delivery by spray drying and freeze drying techniques

Insulin nanoparticles (NPs) with high loading content have found diverse applications in different dosage forms. This work aimed to evaluate the impact of freeze-drying and spray drying process on the structures of insulin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles, with or without mannitol as cryoprotectants. We also assessed the quality of these nanoparticles by redissolving them. Before dehydration, the chitosan/sodium tripolyphosphate/insulin crosslinked nanoparticles were optimized to 318 nm of particle size, 0.18 of PDI, 99.4% of entrapment efficiency, and 25.01% of loading content. After reconstitution, all nanoparticles, except the one produced by the freeze-drying method without using mannitol, maintained their spherical particle structure. The nanoparticles dehydrated by spray drying without mannitol also showed the smallest mean particle size (376 nm) and highest loading content (25.02%) with similar entrapment efficiency (98.7%) and PDI (0.20) compared to mannitol-containing nanoparticles dehydrated by either spray drying or freeze-drying techniques. The nanoparticles dried by spray drying without mannitol also resulted in the fastest release and highest cellular uptake efficacy of insulin. This work shows that spray drying can dehydrate insulin nanoparticles without the need for cryoprotectants, creating a significant advantage in terms of greater loading capacity with lower additive requirements and operating costs as compared to conventional freeze drying approaches.

Synthesis and Biological Activity of 1,3,4-Oxadiazoles Used in Medicine and Agriculture

Biologically active compounds play a key role in the fight against diseases affecting both human and animal living organisms, as well as plants. Finding out about new molecules with a potential biological effect, not yet described in the literature, is one of the most important aspects in the development of medicine and agriculture. Compounds showing desirable biological activity include heterocyclic moieties such as 1,3,4-oxadiazoles. The oxadiazole molecule is composed of two nitrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, forming a five-membered heterocyclic ring. Structures of this type have been successfully used in the treatment of various diseases in humans and animals, and play an important role in modern agriculture. It has been proven that many oxadiazole derivatives exhibit antibacterial, antiviral, blood pressure lowering, antifungal, antineoplastic, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. In addition, compounds based on 1,3,4-oxadiazole can act as plant protection agents due to their herbicidal, insecticidal and fungicidal activity. Due to the constantly growing interest in heterocyclic systems of this nature, new methods of obtaining complex structures containing oxadiazole rings are sought. This article discusses various methods of synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives exhibiting biological activity. Based on these techniques, these compounds could be used in the future in medicine and agriculture.

Groundbreaking Anticancer Activity of Highly Diversified Oxadiazole Scaffolds

Nowadays, an increasing number of heterocyclic-based drugs found application in medicinal chemistry and, in particular, as anticancer agents. In this context, oxadiazoles—five-membered aromatic rings—emerged for their interesting biological properties. Modification of oxadiazole scaffolds represents a valid strategy to increase their anticancer activity, especially on 1,2,4 and 1,3,4 regioisomers. In the last years, an increasing number of oxadiazole derivatives, with remarkable cytotoxicity for several tumor lines, were identified. Structural modifications, that ensure higher cytotoxicity towards malignant cells, represent a solid starting point in the development of novel oxadiazole-based drugs. To increase the specificity of this strategy, outstanding oxadiazole scaffolds have been designed to selectively interact with biological targets, including enzymes, globular proteins, and nucleic acids, showing more promising antitumor effects. In the present work, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the anticancer activity of these heterocycles, describing their effect on different targets and highlighting how their structural versatility has been exploited to modulate their biological properties.

Metal Complexes of Oxadiazole Ligands: An Overview

Oxadizoles are heterocyclic ring systems that find application in different scientific disciplines, from medicinal chemistry to optoelectronics. Coordination with metals (especially the transition ones) proved to enhance the intrinsic characteristics of these organic ligands and many metal complexes of oxadiazoles showed attractive characteristics for different research fields. In this review, we provide a general overview on different metal complexes and polymers containing oxadiazole moieties, reporting the principal synthetic approaches adopted for their preparation and showing the variety of applications they found in the last 40 years.

Heat Shock Proteins in Alzheimer's Disease: Role and Targeting

Among diseases whose cure is still far from being discovered, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been recognized as a crucial medical and social problem. A major issue in AD research is represented by the complexity of involved biochemical pathways, including the nature of protein misfolding, which results in the production of toxic species. Considering the involvement of (mis)folding processes in AD aetiology, targeting molecular chaperones represents a promising therapeutic perspective. This review analyses the connection between AD and molecular chaperones, with particular attention toward the most important heat shock proteins (HSPs) as representative components of the human chaperome: Hsp60, Hsp70 and Hsp90. The role of these proteins in AD is highlighted from a biological point of view. Pharmacological targeting of such HSPs with inhibitors or regulators is also discussed.

Design, synthesis of novel pyranotriazolopyrimidines and evaluation of their anti-soybean lipoxygenase, anti-xanthine oxidase, and cytotoxic activities

The synthesis of 14-(aryl)-14H-naphto[2,1-b]pyrano[3,2-e][1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine-2-yl) acetamidoximes 2a-e has been accomplished by reaction of 2-acetonitrile derivatives 1a-e with hydroxylamine. Cyclocondensation reaction of precursors 2a-e with some elctrophilic species such as ethylorthoformate, acetic anhydride, and methyl-acetoacetate provided the new oxadiazole derivatives 3a-e, 4a-e, and 5a-e, respectively. On the other hand, the reaction of precursors 2a-e with 2-chloropropanoyl chloride afforded the new acetimidamides 6a-e which evolve under reflux of toluene to the new oxadiazoles 7a-e. The synthetic compounds were screened for their anti-xanthine oxidase, anti-soybean lipoxygenase, and cytotoxic activities. Moderate to weak xanthine oxidase and soybean lipoxygenase inhibitions were obtained but significant cytotoxic activities were noted. The most cytotoxic activities were recorded mainly (i) 5a was the most active (IC50 = 4.0 μM) and selective against MCF-7 and (ii) 2a was cytotoxic against the four cell lines with selectivity for MCF-7 and OVCAR-3 (IC50 = 17 and 12 μM, respectively) while 2e is highly selective against OVCAR-3 (IC50 = 10 μM).

Photo-inhibition of Aβ fibrillation mediated by a newly designed fluorinated oxadiazole

The interaction of oxadiazole3photo-stimulated with Aβ_1–40induces a structural modification responsible for fibrillogenesis inhibition.

Diaminoglyoxime as a versatile reagent in the synthesis of bis(1,2,4-oxadiazoles), 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl-quinazolines and 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl-benzothiazinones

The synthesis of bis(1,2,4-oxadiazoles), 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl-quinazolines, and 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl-benzothiazinones has been investigated by the reaction of diaminoglyoxime with various ketones and methyl 2-aminobenzoate, 2-amino-5-chlorophenyl)(phenyl)methanone, and 2-mercapto benzoic acid in acetic acid either a catalyst or solvent at 100 °C.

New benzothieno[3,2-d]-1,2,3-triazines with antiproliferative activity: synthesis, spectroscopic studies, and biological activity

New benzothieno[3,2-d]-1,2,3-triazines, together with precursors triazenylbenzo[b]thiophenes, were designed, synthesized and screened as anticancer agents. The structural features of these compounds prompted us to investigate their DNA binding capability through UV-vis absorption titrations, circular dichroism, and viscometry, pointing out the occurrence of groove-binding. The derivative 3-(4-methoxy-phenyl)benzothieno[3,2-d]-1,2,3-triazin-4(3H)-one showed the highest antiproliferative effect against HeLa cells and was also tested in cell cycle perturbation experiments. The obtained results assessed for the first time the anticancer activity of benzothieno[3,2-d]-1,2,3-triazine nucleus, and we related it to its DNA-binding properties.

Toward a rationale for the PTC124 (Ataluren) promoted readthrough of premature stop codons: a computational approach and GFP-reporter cell-based assay

The presence in the mRNA of premature stop codons (PTCs) results in protein truncation responsible for several inherited (genetic) diseases. A well-known example of these diseases is cystic fibrosis (CF), where approximately 10% (worldwide) of patients have nonsense mutations in the CF transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene. PTC124 (3-(5-(2-fluorophenyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl)-benzoic acid), also known as Ataluren, is a small molecule that has been suggested to allow PTC readthrough even though its target has yet to be identified. In the lack of a general consensus about its mechanism of action, we experimentally tested the ability of PTC124 to promote the readthrough of premature termination codons by using a new reporter. The reporter vector was based on a plasmid harboring the H2B histone coding sequence fused in frame with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) cDNA, and a TGA stop codon was introduced in the H2B-GFP gene by site-directed mutagenesis. Additionally, an unprecedented computational study on the putative supramolecular interaction between PTC124 and an 11-codon (33-nucleotides) sequence corresponding to a CFTR mRNA fragment containing a central UGA nonsense mutation showed a specific interaction between PTC124 and the UGA codon. Altogether, the H2B-GFP-opal based assay and the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation support the hypothesis that PTC124 is able to promote the specific readthrough of internal TGA premature stop codons.

DNA binding, molecular docking and apoptotic inducing activity of nickel(ii), copper(ii) and zinc(ii) complexes of pyridine-based tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine ligands

The biological activity of metal(ii) complexes of tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine ligands show that the copper(ii) complexes may act as promising anticancer agents.

Hsp60 chaperonopathies and chaperonotherapy: targets and agents

INTRODUCTION

Hsp60 (Cpn60) assembles into a tetradecamer that interacts with the co-chaperonin Hsp10 (Cpn10) to assist client polypeptides to fold, but it also has other roles, including participation in pathogenic mechanisms.

AREA COVERED

Hsp60 chaperonopathies are pathological conditions, inherited or acquired, in which the chaperone plays a determinant etiologic-pathogenic role. These diseases justify selection of Hsp60 as a target for developing agents that interfere with its pathogenic effects. We provide information on how to proceed.

EXPERT OPINION

The information available encourages the development of ways to improve Hsp60 activity (positive chaperonotherapy) when deficient or to block it (negative chaperonotherapy) when pathogenic. Many questions are still unanswered and obstacles are obvious. More information is needed to establish when and why autologous Hsp60 becomes a pathogenic autoantigen, or induces cytokine formation and inflammation, or favors carcinogenesis. Clarification of these points will take considerable time. However, analysis of the Hsp60 molecule and a search for active compounds aimed at structural sites that will affect its functioning should continue without interruption. No doubt that some of these compounds will offer therapeutic hopes and will also be instrumental for dissecting structure-function relationships at the biochemical and biological (using animal models and cultured cells) levels.