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Shao L, González-Cardenete MA, Prieto-Garcia JM. In Vitro Cytotoxic Effects of Ferruginol Analogues in Sk-MEL28 Human Melanoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16322. [PMID: 38003511 PMCID: PMC10671721 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ferruginol is a promising abietane-type antitumor diterpene able to induce apoptosis in SK-Mel-28 human malignant melanoma. We aim to increase this activity by testing the effect of a small library of ferruginol analogues. After a screening of their antiproliferative activity (SRB staining, 48 h) on SK-Mel-28 cells the analogue 18-aminoferruginol (GI50 ≈ 10 µM) was further selected for mechanistic studies including induction of apoptosis (DAPI staining, p < 0.001), changes in cell morphology associated with the treatment (cell shrinkage and membrane blebbing), induction of caspase-3/7 activity (2.5 at 48 h, 6.5 at 72 h; p < 0.0001), changes in the mitochondrial membrane potential (not significant) and in vitro effects on cell migration and cell invasion (Transwell assays, not significant). The results were compared to those of the parent molecule (ferruginol, GI50 ≈ 50 µM, depolarisation of mitochondrial membrane p < 0.01 at 72 h; no caspases 3/7 activation) and paclitaxel (GI50 ≈ 10 nM; caspases 3/7 activation p < 0.0001) as a reference drug. Computational studies of the antiproliferative activity of 18-aminoferruginol show a consistent improvement in the activity over ferruginol across a vast majority of cancer cells in the NCI60 panel. In conclusion, we demonstrate here that the derivatisation of ferruginol into 18-aminoferruginol increases its antiproliferative activity five times in SK-MEL-28 cells and changes the apoptotic mechanism of its parent molecule, ferruginol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luying Shao
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1E 6HX, UK;
| | - Miguel A. González-Cardenete
- Instituto de Tecnología Química (UPV-CSIC), Universitat Politècnica de Valencia-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda de los Naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain;
| | - Jose M. Prieto-Garcia
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1E 6HX, UK;
- Centre for Natural Products Discovery, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 5UX, UK
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Griazeva ED, Fedoseeva DM, Radion EI, Ershov PV, Meshkov IO, Semyanihina AV, Makarova AS, Makarov VV, Yudin VS, Keskinov AA, Kraevoy SA. Current Approaches to Epigenetic Therapy. EPIGENOMES 2023; 7:23. [PMID: 37873808 PMCID: PMC10594535 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes7040023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic therapy is a promising tool for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. Several fundamental epigenetic approaches have been proposed. Firstly, the use of small molecules as epigenetic effectors, as the most developed pharmacological method, has contributed to the introduction of a number of drugs into clinical practice. Secondly, various innovative epigenetic approaches based on dCas9 and the use of small non-coding RNAs as therapeutic agents are also under extensive research. In this review, we present the current state of research in the field of epigenetic therapy, considering the prospects for its application and possible limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina D. Griazeva
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
| | - Daria M. Fedoseeva
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
| | - Elizaveta I. Radion
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
| | - Pavel V. Ershov
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
| | - Ivan O. Meshkov
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
| | - Alexandra V. Semyanihina
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (N.N. Blokhin NMRCO), Kashirskoe Shosse, 24, Moscow 115478, Russia
- Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution, Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moskvorechye, 1, Moscow 115522, Russia
| | - Anna S. Makarova
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
| | - Valentin V. Makarov
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
| | - Vladimir S. Yudin
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
| | - Anton A. Keskinov
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
| | - Sergey A. Kraevoy
- Federal State Budgetary Institution, Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Pogodinskaya Str., 10, Building 1, Moscow 119121, Russia
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La Monica G, Pizzolanti G, Baiamonte C, Bono A, Alamia F, Mingoia F, Lauria A, Martorana A. Design and Synthesis of Novel Thieno[3,2- c]quinoline Compounds with Antiproliferative Activity on RET-Dependent Medullary Thyroid Cancer Cells. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:34640-34649. [PMID: 37779971 PMCID: PMC10536062 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c03578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
RET kinase gain-of-function mutations represent the main cause of the high aggressiveness and invasiveness of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). The selective inhibition of the RET kinase is a suitable strategy for the treatment of this endocrine neoplasia. Herein, we performed an innovative ligand-based virtual screening protocol using the DRUDITonline web service, focusing on the RET kinase as a biological target. In this process, thieno[3,2-c]quinolines 6a-e and 7a-e were proposed as new potential RET inhibitors. The selected compounds were synthetized by appropriate synthetic strategies, and in vitro evaluation of antiproliferative properties conducted on the particularly aggressive MTC cell line TT(C634R) identified compounds 6a-d as promising anticancer agents, with IC50 values in the micromolar range. Further structure-based computational studies revealed a significant capability of the most active compounds to the complex RET tyrosine kinase domain. The interesting antiproliferative results supported by in silico predictions suggest that these compounds may represent a starting point for the development of a new series of small heterocyclic molecules for the treatment of MTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele La Monica
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, Ed.17, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pizzolanti
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, Ed.17, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Concetta Baiamonte
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, Ed.17, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessia Bono
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, Ed.17, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Federica Alamia
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, Ed.17, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Mingoia
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, Ed.17, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonino Lauria
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, Ed.17, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Annamaria Martorana
- Dipartimento di Scienze e
Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, Ed.17, 90128 Palermo, Italy
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Bono A, La Monica G, Alamia F, Mingoia F, Gentile C, Peri D, Lauria A, Martorana A. In Silico Mixed Ligand/Structure-Based Design of New CDK-1/PARP-1 Dual Inhibitors as Anti-Breast Cancer Agents. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13769. [PMID: 37762072 PMCID: PMC10531453 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
CDK-1 and PARP-1 play crucial roles in breast cancer progression. Compounds acting as CDK-1 and/or PARP-1 inhibitors can induct cell death in breast cancer with a selective synthetic lethality mechanism. A mixed treatment by means of CDK-1 and PARP-1 inhibitors resulted in radical breast cancer cell growth reduction. Inhibitors with a dual target mechanism of action could arrest cancer progression by simultaneously blocking the DNA repair mechanism and cell cycle, resulting in advantageous monotherapy. To this aim, in the present work, we identified compound 645656 with a significant affinity for both CDK-1 and PARP-1 by a mixed ligand- and structure-based virtual screening protocol. The Biotarget Predictor Tool was used at first in a Multitarget mode to filter the large National Cancer Institute (NCI) database. Then, hierarchical docking studies were performed to further screen the compounds and evaluate the ligands binding mode, whose putative dual-target mechanism of action was investigated through the correlation between the antiproliferative activity data and the target proteins' (CDK-1 and PARP-1) expression pattern. Finally, a Molecular Dynamics Simulation confirmed the high stability of the most effective selected compound 645656 in complex with both PARP-1 and CDK-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Bono
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche “STEBICEF”, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (A.B.); (G.L.M.); (F.A.); (C.G.); (A.M.)
| | - Gabriele La Monica
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche “STEBICEF”, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (A.B.); (G.L.M.); (F.A.); (C.G.); (A.M.)
| | - Federica Alamia
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche “STEBICEF”, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (A.B.); (G.L.M.); (F.A.); (C.G.); (A.M.)
| | - Francesco Mingoia
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati (ISMN), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), 90146 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Carla Gentile
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche “STEBICEF”, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (A.B.); (G.L.M.); (F.A.); (C.G.); (A.M.)
| | - Daniele Peri
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Innovazione Industriale e Digitale, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale 10 delle Scienze Ed. 6, 90128 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Antonino Lauria
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche “STEBICEF”, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (A.B.); (G.L.M.); (F.A.); (C.G.); (A.M.)
| | - Annamaria Martorana
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche “STEBICEF”, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Ed. 17, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (A.B.); (G.L.M.); (F.A.); (C.G.); (A.M.)
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5
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Mannino G, Serio G, Gaglio R, Maffei ME, Settanni L, Di Stefano V, Gentile C. Biological Activity and Metabolomics of Griffonia simplicifolia Seeds Extracted with Different Methodologies. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1709. [PMID: 37760012 PMCID: PMC10525635 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12091709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Griffonia simplicifolia, a tropical plant endemic to West Africa, is highly regarded for its significant pharmacological potential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the metabolomic profile and to explore the antioxidant properties, antiproliferative activity, and antimicrobial potential of G. simplicifolia seed extracts obtained through either maceration, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), or Soxhlet extraction using water, acetone, methanol and ethanol as solvents. Overall, methanol possessed superior total extraction efficiency. HPLC analyses confirmed the efficacy of acetone and ethanol as optimal solvents for the extraction of flavonoids and flavan-3-ols, whereas MAE exhibited enhanced effectiveness in extracting N-containing compounds, including 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). HPLC-MS analyses identified forty-three compounds, including thirty-four phenolic compounds and nine N-containing molecules. Isomyricitrin, taxifolin and a flavonol glucuronide were the main polyphenols, whereas 5-HTP was the main N-containing compound. Hydroalcoholic G. simplicifolia extracts showed the highest radical scavenging and metal-reducing antioxidant power, suggesting that most of the contribution to antioxidant activity depends on the more polar bioactive compounds. G. simplicifolia extracts showed dose-dependent antiproliferative activity against three distinct cancer cell lines (HeLa, HepG2, and MCF-7), with notable variations observed among both the different extracts and cell lines and divergent GI50 values, emphasizing substantial discrepancies in cell sensitivity to the various extracts. Furthermore, G. simplicifolia extracts revealed antibiotic activity against Staphylococcus aureus. Our results highlight the potential of G. simplicifolia phytochemicals in the development of functional foods, nutraceuticals, and dietary supplements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Mannino
- Plant Physiology Unit, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/A, 10135 Turin, Italy;
| | - Graziella Serio
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (V.D.S.)
| | - Raimondo Gaglio
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (R.G.); (L.S.)
| | - Massimo E. Maffei
- Plant Physiology Unit, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/A, 10135 Turin, Italy;
| | - Luca Settanni
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (R.G.); (L.S.)
| | - Vita Di Stefano
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (V.D.S.)
| | - Carla Gentile
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.S.); (V.D.S.)
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Mingoia F, Di Sano C, D'Anna C, Fazzari M, Minafra L, Bono A, La Monica G, Martorana A, Almerico AM, Lauria A. Synthesis of new antiproliferative 1,3,4-substituted-pyrrolo[3,2-c]quinoline derivatives, biological and in silico insights. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 258:115537. [PMID: 37329715 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
A series of biologically unexplored substituted 1,3,4-subtituted-pyrrolo[3,2-c]quinoline derivatives (PQs) was evaluated against a panel of about 60 tumor cells (NCI). Based on the preliminary antiproliferative data, the optimizations efforts permitted us to design and synthesize a new series of derivatives allowing us to individuate a promising hit (4g). The insertion of a 4-benzo[d] [1,3]dioxol-5-yl moiety on increased and extended the activity towards five panel tumor cell lines such as leukemia, CNS, melanoma, renal and breast cancer, reaching IG50 in the low μM range. Replacement of this latter with a 4-(OH-di-Cl-Ph) group (4i) or introduction a Cl-propyl chain in position 1 (5), selectively addressed the activity against the entire leukemia sub-panel (CCRF-CEM, K-562, MOLT-4, RPMI-8226, SR). Preliminary biological assays on MCF-7 such as cell cycle, clonogenic assay, ROS content test alongside a comparison of viability between MCF-7 and non-tumorigenic MCF-10 were investigated. Among the main anticancer targets involved in breast cancer, HSP90 and ER receptors were selected for in silico studies. Docking analysis revealed a valuable affinity for HSP90 providing structural insights on the binding mode, and useful features for optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Mingoia
- Istituto per lo Studio dei Materiali Nanostrutturati - (ISMN) - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via U. La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Caterina Di Sano
- Istituto di Farmacologia Traslazionale (IFT) - CNR, Via U. La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy
| | - Claudia D'Anna
- Istituto di Farmacologia Traslazionale (IFT) - CNR, Via U. La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marco Fazzari
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Luigi Minafra
- Istituto di Bioimmagini e Fisiologia Molecolare - (IBFM) - CNR, C.da Pietrapollastra Pisciotto, 90015, Cefalù, PA, Italy
| | - Alessia Bono
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica e Biologica, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Gabriele La Monica
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica e Biologica, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Annamaria Martorana
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica e Biologica, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Almerico
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica e Biologica, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonino Lauria
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche, Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Sezione di Chimica Farmaceutica e Biologica, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 17, 90128, Palermo, Italy
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Antiproliferative Activity Predictor: A New Reliable In Silico Tool for Drug Response Prediction against NCI60 Panel. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214374. [PMID: 36430850 PMCID: PMC9694168 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro antiproliferative assays still represent one of the most important tools in the anticancer drug discovery field, especially to gain insights into the mechanisms of action of anticancer small molecules. The NCI-DTP (National Cancer Institute Developmental Therapeutics Program) undoubtedly represents the most famous project aimed at rapidly testing thousands of compounds against multiple tumor cell lines (NCI60). The large amount of biological data stored in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) database and many other databases has led researchers in the fields of computational biology and medicinal chemistry to develop tools to predict the anticancer properties of new agents in advance. In this work, based on the available antiproliferative data collected by the NCI and the manipulation of molecular descriptors, we propose the new in silico Antiproliferative Activity Predictor (AAP) tool to calculate the GI50 values of input structures against the NCI60 panel. This ligand-based protocol, validated by both internal and external sets of structures, has proven to be highly reliable and robust. The obtained GI50 values of a test set of 99 structures present an error of less than ±1 unit. The AAP is more powerful for GI50 calculation in the range of 4-6, showing that the results strictly correlate with the experimental data. The encouraging results were further supported by the examination of an in-house database of curcumin analogues that have already been studied as antiproliferative agents. The AAP tool identified several potentially active compounds, and a subsequent evaluation of a set of molecules selected by the NCI for the one-dose/five-dose antiproliferative assays confirmed the great potential of our protocol for the development of new anticancer small molecules. The integration of the AAP tool in the free web service DRUDIT provides an interesting device for the discovery and/or optimization of anticancer drugs to the medicinal chemistry community. The training set will be updated with new NCI-tested compounds to cover more chemical spaces, activities, and cell lines. Currently, the same protocol is being developed for predicting the TGI (total growth inhibition) and LC50 (median lethal concentration) parameters to estimate toxicity profiles of small molecules.
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Mannino G, Serio G, Gaglio R, Busetta G, La Rosa L, Lauria A, Settanni L, Gentile C. Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant, Antiproliferative, and Antimicrobial Properties of Rubus idaeus Seed Powder. Foods 2022; 11:foods11172605. [PMID: 36076790 PMCID: PMC9455724 DOI: 10.3390/foods11172605] [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: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the context of the contemporary research on sustainable development and circular economy, the quest for effective strategies aimed at revaluation of waste and by-products generated in industrial and agricultural production becomes important. In this work, an ethanolic extract from red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) seed waste (WRSP) was evaluated for its phytochemical composition and functional properties in term of antioxidative, antiproliferative, and antimicrobial activities. Chemical composition of the extract was determined by both HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and spectrophotometric methods. Phytochemical analysis revealed that flavan-3-ols and flavonols were the major phenolic compounds contained in WRSP. The extract demonstrated very high radical-scavenging (4.86 ± 0.06 µmol TE/DW) and antioxidant activity in a cell-based model (0.178 ± 0.03 mg DW/mL cell medium). The WRSP extract also exhibited antiproliferative activity against three different epithelial cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HepG2, and HeLa cells) in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, microbiological assays showed the absence of colonies of bacteria and microscopic fungi (yeasts and molds) and revealed that the WRSP extract has a large inhibition spectrum against spoilage and pathogenic bacteria, without inhibitory activity against pro-technological bacteria. In conclusion, the obtained results show that WRSP is a rich source of phytochemical compounds exerting interesting biological activities. For these reasons WRSP could find applications in the nutritional, nutraceutical, and pharmacological fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Mannino
- Innovation Centre, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/A, 10135 Turin, Italy
| | - Graziella Serio
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Raimondo Gaglio
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Gabriele Busetta
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Lorenza La Rosa
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonino Lauria
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Luca Settanni
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.S.); (C.G.)
| | - Carla Gentile
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
- Correspondence: (L.S.); (C.G.)
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Off-Target-Based Design of Selective HIV-1 PROTEASE Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22116070. [PMID: 34199858 PMCID: PMC8200130 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The approval of the first HIV-1 protease inhibitors (HIV-1 PRIs) marked a fundamental step in the control of AIDS, and this class of agents still represents the mainstay therapy for this illness. Despite the undisputed benefits, the necessary lifelong treatment led to numerous severe side-effects (metabolic syndrome, hepatotoxicity, diabetes, etc.). The HIV-1 PRIs are capable of interacting with "secondary" targets (off-targets) characterized by different biological activities from that of HIV-1 protease. In this scenario, the in-silico techniques undoubtedly contributed to the design of new small molecules with well-fitting selectivity against the main target, analyzing possible undesirable interactions that are already in the early stages of the research process. The present work is focused on a new mixed-hierarchical, ligand-structure-based protocol, which is centered on an on/off-target approach, to identify the new selective inhibitors of HIV-1 PR. The use of the well-established, ligand-based tools available in the DRUDIT web platform, in combination with a conventional, structure-based molecular docking process, permitted to fast screen a large database of active molecules and to select a set of structure with optimal on/off-target profiles. Therefore, the method exposed herein, could represent a reliable help in the research of new selective targeted small molecules, permitting to design new agents without undesirable interactions.
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The dimer-monomer equilibrium of SARS-CoV-2 main protease is affected by small molecule inhibitors. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9283. [PMID: 33927258 PMCID: PMC8085067 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88630-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The maturation of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which is the etiological agent at the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, requires a main protease Mpro to cleave the virus-encoded polyproteins. Despite a wealth of experimental information already available, there is wide disagreement about the Mpro monomer-dimer equilibrium dissociation constant. Since the functional unit of Mpro is a homodimer, the detailed knowledge of the thermodynamics of this equilibrium is a key piece of information for possible therapeutic intervention, with small molecules interfering with dimerization being potential broad-spectrum antiviral drug leads. In the present study, we exploit Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) to investigate the structural features of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro in solution as a function of protein concentration and temperature. A detailed thermodynamic picture of the monomer-dimer equilibrium is derived, together with the temperature-dependent value of the dissociation constant. SAXS is also used to study how the Mpro dissociation process is affected by small inhibitors selected by virtual screening. We find that these inhibitors affect dimerization and enzymatic activity to a different extent and sometimes in an opposite way, likely due to the different molecular mechanisms underlying the two processes. The Mpro residues that emerge as key to optimize both dissociation and enzymatic activity inhibition are discussed.
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In Silico Identification of Small Molecules as New Cdc25 Inhibitors through the Correlation between Chemosensitivity and Protein Expression Pattern. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073714. [PMID: 33918281 PMCID: PMC8038176 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell division cycle 25 (Cdc25) protein family plays a crucial role in controlling cell proliferation, making it an excellent target for cancer therapy. In this work, a set of small molecules were identified as Cdc25 modulators by applying a mixed ligand-structure-based approach and taking advantage of the correlation between the chemosensitivity of selected structures and the protein expression pattern of the proposed target. In the first step of the in silico protocol, a set of molecules acting as Cdc25 inhibitors were identified through a new ligand-based protocol and the evaluation of a large database of molecular structures. Subsequently, induced-fit docking (IFD) studies allowed us to further reduce the number of compounds biologically screened. In vitro antiproliferative and enzymatic inhibition assays on the selected compounds led to the identification of new structurally heterogeneous inhibitors of Cdc25 proteins. Among them, J3955, the most active inhibitor, showed concentration-dependent antiproliferative activity against HepG2 cells, with GI50 in the low micromolar range. When J3955 was tested in cell-cycle perturbation experiments, it caused mitotic failure by G2/M-phase cell-cycle arrest. Finally, Western blotting analysis showed an increment of phosphorylated Cdk1 levels in cells exposed to J3955, indicating its specific influence in cellular pathways involving Cdc25 proteins.
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Mannino G, Iovino P, Lauria A, Genova T, Asteggiano A, Notarbartolo M, Porcu A, Serio G, Chinigò G, Occhipinti A, Capuzzo A, Medana C, Munaron L, Gentile C. Bioactive Triterpenes of Protium heptaphyllum Gum Resin Extract Display Cholesterol-Lowering Potential. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052664. [PMID: 33800828 PMCID: PMC7961947 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease, the risk of which is further increased if other forms of dyslipidemia occur. Current therapeutic strategies include changes in lifestyle coupled with drug administration. Statins represent the most common therapeutic approach, but they may be insufficient due to the onset of resistance mechanisms and side effects. Consequently, patients with mild hypercholesterolemia prefer the use of food supplements since these are perceived to be safer. Here, we investigate the phytochemical profile and cholesterol-lowering potential of Protium heptaphyllum gum resin extract (PHE). Chemical characterization via HPLC-APCI-HRMS2 and GC-FID/MS identified 13 compounds mainly belonging to ursane, oleanane, and tirucallane groups. Studies on human hepatocytes have revealed how PHE is able to reduce cholesterol production and regulate the expression of proteins involved in its metabolism. (HMGCR, PCSK9, LDLR, FXR, IDOL, and PPAR). Moreover, measuring the inhibitory activity of PHE against HMGR, moderate inhibition was recorded. Finally, molecular docking studies identified acidic tetra- and pentacyclic triterpenoids as the main compounds responsible for this action. In conclusion, our study demonstrates how PHE may be a useful alternative to contrast hypercholesterolemia, highlighting its potential as a sustainable multitarget natural extract for the nutraceutical industry that is rapidly gaining acceptance as a source of health-promoting compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Mannino
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.M.); (A.L.); (M.N.); (G.S.)
| | - Piera Iovino
- Biosfered S.R.L., 10148 Turin, Italy; (P.I.); (A.A.)
| | - Antonino Lauria
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.M.); (A.L.); (M.N.); (G.S.)
| | - Tullio Genova
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy; (T.G.); (G.C.); (L.M.)
| | - Alberto Asteggiano
- Biosfered S.R.L., 10148 Turin, Italy; (P.I.); (A.A.)
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy (C.M.)
| | - Monica Notarbartolo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.M.); (A.L.); (M.N.); (G.S.)
| | - Alessandra Porcu
- Abel Nutraceuticals S.R.L., 10148 Turin, Italy; (A.P.); (A.O.); (A.C.)
| | - Graziella Serio
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.M.); (A.L.); (M.N.); (G.S.)
| | - Giorgia Chinigò
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy; (T.G.); (G.C.); (L.M.)
| | - Andrea Occhipinti
- Abel Nutraceuticals S.R.L., 10148 Turin, Italy; (A.P.); (A.O.); (A.C.)
| | - Andrea Capuzzo
- Abel Nutraceuticals S.R.L., 10148 Turin, Italy; (A.P.); (A.O.); (A.C.)
| | - Claudio Medana
- Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy (C.M.)
| | - Luca Munaron
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy; (T.G.); (G.C.); (L.M.)
| | - Carla Gentile
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy; (G.M.); (A.L.); (M.N.); (G.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-091-2388-6472
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Moreno LM, Quiroga J, Abonia R, Lauria A, Martorana A, Insuasty H, Insuasty B. Synthesis, biological evaluation, and in silico studies of novel chalcone- and pyrazoline-based 1,3,5-triazines as potential anticancer agents. RSC Adv 2020; 10:34114-34129. [PMID: 35519030 PMCID: PMC9056798 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra06799g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel series of triazin-chalcones (7,8)a-g and triazin-N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)pyrazolines (9,10)a-g were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activity against nine different cancer strains. Triazine ketones 5 and 6 were synthesized from the cyanuric chloride 1 by using stepwise nucleophilic substitution of the chlorine atom. These ketones were subsequently subjected to a Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction with aromatic aldehydes affording chalcones (7,8)a-g. Then, N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl)pyrazolines (9,10)a-g were obtained by cyclocondensation reactions of the respective chalcones (7,8)a-g with 3,5-dichlorophenylhydrazine. Among all the evaluated compounds, chalcones 7d,g and 8g exhibited more potent in vitro anticancer activity, with outstanding GI50 values ranging from 0.422 to 14.9 μM and LC50 values ranging from 5.08 μM to >100 μM. In silico studies, for both ligand- and structure-based, were executed to explore the inhibitory nature of chalcones and triazine derivatives. The results suggested that the evaluated compounds could act as modulators of the human thymidylate synthase enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leydi M Moreno
- Heterocyclic Compounds Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universidad del Valle A.A. 25360 Cali Colombia
| | - Jairo Quiroga
- Heterocyclic Compounds Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universidad del Valle A.A. 25360 Cali Colombia
- Center for Bioinformatics and Photonics-CIBioFI A.A. 25360 Cali Colombia
| | - Rodrigo Abonia
- Heterocyclic Compounds Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universidad del Valle A.A. 25360 Cali Colombia
- Center for Bioinformatics and Photonics-CIBioFI A.A. 25360 Cali Colombia
| | - Antonino Lauria
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche "STEBICEF", Università di Palermo Viale delle Scienze Ed. 17 I-90128 Palermo Italy
| | - Annamaria Martorana
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche "STEBICEF", Università di Palermo Viale delle Scienze Ed. 17 I-90128 Palermo Italy
| | - Henry Insuasty
- Heterocyclic Compounds Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universidad de Nariño A.A. 1175 Pasto Colombia
| | - Braulio Insuasty
- Heterocyclic Compounds Research Group, Department of Chemistry, Universidad del Valle A.A. 25360 Cali Colombia
- Center for Bioinformatics and Photonics-CIBioFI A.A. 25360 Cali Colombia
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Martorana A, Gentile C, Lauria A. In Silico Insights into the SARS CoV-2 Main Protease Suggest NADH Endogenous Defences in the Control of the Pandemic Coronavirus Infection. Viruses 2020; 12:v12080805. [PMID: 32722574 PMCID: PMC7472248 DOI: 10.3390/v12080805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is a pandemic health emergency faced by the entire world. The clinical treatment of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) CoV-2 is currently based on the experimental administration of HIV antiviral drugs, such as lopinavir, ritonavir, and remdesivir (a nucleotide analogue used for Ebola infection). This work proposes a repurposing process using a database containing approximately 8000 known drugs in synergy structure- and ligand-based studies by means of the molecular docking and descriptor-based protocol. The proposed in silico findings identified new potential SARS CoV-2 main protease (MPRO) inhibitors that fit in the catalytic binding site of SARS CoV-2 MPRO. Several selected structures are NAD-like derivatives, suggesting a relevant role of these molecules in the modulation of SARS CoV-2 infection in conditions of cell chronic oxidative stress. Increased catabolism of NAD(H) during protein ribosylation in the DNA damage repair process may explain the greater susceptibility of the elderly population to the acute respiratory symptoms of COVID-19. The molecular modelling studies proposed herein agree with this hypothesis.
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