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Acar Çevik U, Celik I, Görgülü Ş, Şahin Inan ZD, Bostancı HE, Özkay Y, Kaplacıklı ZA. New benzimidazole-oxadiazole derivatives as potent VEGFR-2 inhibitors: Synthesis, anticancer evaluation, and docking study. Drug Dev Res 2024; 85:e22218. [PMID: 38825827 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.22218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
We report herein, the design and synthesis of benzimidazole-oxadiazole derivatives as new inhibitors for vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). The designed members were assessed for their in vitro anticancer activity against three cancer cell lines and two normal cell lines; A549, MCF-7, PANC-1, hTERT-HPNE and CCD-19Lu. Compounds 4c and 4d were found to be the most effective compounds against three cancer cell lines. Compounds 4c and 4d were then tested for their in vitro VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity, safety profiles, and selectivity indices using the normal hTERT-HPNE and CCD-19Lu cell lines. It was determined that compound 4c was the most effective and safe member of the produced chemical family. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) immunolocalizations of compounds 4c and 4d were evaluated relative to control by VEGFA immunofluorescence staining. Compounds 4c and 4d inhibited VEGFR-2 enzyme with half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of 0.475 ± 0.021 and 0.618 ± 0.028 µM, respectively. Molecular docking of the target compounds was carried out in the active site of VEGFR-2 (Protein Data Bank: 4ASD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulviye Acar Çevik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Ismail Celik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Şennur Görgülü
- Medicinal Plant, Drug and Scientific Research and Application Center (AUBIBAM), Eskişehir, Turkey
| | | | - Hayrani Eren Bostancı
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Yusuf Özkay
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Zafer Asım Kaplacıklı
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
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2
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Elkady H, Mahdy HA, Taghour MS, Dahab MA, Elwan A, Hagras M, Hussein MH, Ibrahim IM, Husein DZ, Elkaeed EB, Alsfouk AA, Metwaly AM, Eissa IH. New thiazolidine-2,4-diones as potential anticancer agents and apoptotic inducers targeting VEGFR-2 kinase: Design, synthesis, in silico and in vitro studies. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2024; 1868:130599. [PMID: 38521471 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2024.130599] [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: 07/29/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND VEGFR-2 has emerged as a prominent positive regulator of cancer progression. AIM Discovery of new anticancer agents and apoptotic inducers targeting VEGFR-2. METHODS Design and synthesis of new thiazolidine-2,4-diones followed by extensive in vitro studies, including VEGFR-2 inhibition assay, MTT assay, apoptosis analysis, and cell migration assay. In silico investigations including docking, MD simulations, ADMET, toxicity, and DFT studies were performed. RESULTS Compound 15 showed the strongest VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 0.066 μM. Additionally, most of the synthesized compounds showed anti-proliferative activity against HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines at the micromolar range with IC50 values ranging from 0.04 to 4.71 μM, relative to sorafenib (IC50 = 2.24 ± 0.06 and 3.17 ± 0.01 μM against HepG2 and MCF-7, respectively). Also, compound 15 showed selectivity indices of 1.36 and 2.08 against HepG2 and MCF-7, respectively. Furthermore, compound 15 showed a significant apoptotic effect and arrested the cell cycle of MCF-7 cells at the S phase. Moreover, compound 15 had a significant inhibitory effect on the ability of MCF-7 cells to heal from. Docking studies revealed that the synthesized thiazolidine-2,4-diones have a binding pattern approaching sorafenib. MD simulations indicated the stability of compound 15 in the active pocket of VEGFR-2 for 200 ns. ADMET and toxicity studies indicated an acceptable pharmacokinetic profile. DFT studies confirmed the ability of compound 15 to interact with VEGFR-2. CONCLUSION Compound 15 has promising anticancer activity targeting VEGFR-2 with significant activity as an apoptosis inducer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt.
| | - Hazem A Mahdy
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt.
| | - Mohammed S Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed A Dahab
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Alaa Elwan
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Hagras
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt.
| | - Mona H Hussein
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, College of Pharmacy (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt.
| | - Dalal Z Husein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, El-Kharja 72511, Egypt.
| | - Eslam B Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Aisha A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ahmed M Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt; Biopharmaceutical Products Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Alexandria 21934, Egypt.
| | - Ibrahim H Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt.
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Dahab MA, Mahdy HA, Elkady H, Taghour MS, Elwan A, Elkady MA, Elsakka EGE, Elkaeed EB, Alsfouk AA, Ibrahim IM, Metwaly AM, Eissa IH. Semi-synthesized anticancer theobromine derivatives targeting VEGFR-2: in silico and in vitro evaluations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:4214-4233. [PMID: 37261471 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2219333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Vascular endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis are all crucially impacted by Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Its expression is significantly boosted throughout pathologic angiogenesis causing the development of tumors. Sothat, inhibition of VEGFR-2 has crucial role in cancer treatment. In this study, novel semisynthetic theobromine derivatives were rationally designed as VEGFR-2 inhibitors and subjected to in vitro testing for their ability to block VEGFR-2 activation. Furthermore, the antiproliferative effects of these derivatives were evaluated. Compound 7 g exhibited the most potent anti-VEGFR-2 activity, with an IC50 value of 0.072 µM, and demonstrated excellent dose-dependent inhibitory activity against both MCF-7 and HepG2 cancer cells with IC50 values of 19.35 and 27.89 µM, respectively. Notably, compound 7 g exhibited high selectivity indices of 2.6 and 1.8 against MCF-7 and HepG2 cells, respectively. Compound 7 g induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, promoted apoptosis, and boosted immunomodulation by downregulating TNF-α expression and upregulating IL-2 levels in MCF-7 cells. The molecular docking analysis revealed that compound 7 g could bind effectively to the active site of VEGFR-2, and molecular dynamic simulations confirmed the stability of the VEGFR-2/compound 7 g complex. Furthermore, ADME and toxicity profiling indicated the potential suitability of these compounds as drug candidates. In summary, compound 7 g hold promise as a VEGFR-2 inhibitor.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed A Dahab
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hazem A Mahdy
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Alaa Elwan
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A Elkady
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Elsayed G E Elsakka
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Eslam B Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Aisha A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
- Biopharmaceutical Products Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim H Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
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Eissa IH, Elkady H, Rashed M, Elwan A, Hagras M, Dahab MA, Taghour MS, Ibrahim IM, Husein DZ, Elkaeed EB, Al-ghulikah HA, Metwaly AM, Mahdy HA. Discovery of new thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors: In vitro and in silico studies. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24005. [PMID: 38298627 PMCID: PMC10828660 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, a series of seven novel 2,4-dioxothiazolidine derivatives with potential anticancer and VEGFR-2 inhibiting abilities were designed and synthesized as VEGFR-2 inhibitors. The synthesized compounds were tested in vitro for their potential to inhibit VEGFR-2 and the growth of HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. Among the compounds tested, compound 22 (IC50 = 0.079 μM) demonstrated the highest anti-VEGFR-2 efficacy. Furthermore, it demonstrated significant anti-proliferative activities against HepG2 (IC50 = 2.04 ± 0.06 μM) and MCF-7 (IC50 = 1.21 ± 0.04 M). Additionally, compound 22 also increased the total apoptotic rate of the MCF-7 cancer cell lines with cell cycle arrest at S phase. As well, computational methods were applied to study the VEGFR-2-22 complex at the molecular level. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to investigate the complex's structural and kinetic characteristics. The DFT calculations further revealed the structural and electronic properties of compound 22. Finally, computational ADMET and toxicity tests were performed indicating the likeness of the proposed compounds to be drugs. The results suggest that compound 22 displays promise as an effective anticancer treatment and can serve as a model for future structural modifications and biological investigations in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim H. Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Rashed
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Alaa Elwan
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Hagras
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed A. Dahab
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S. Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M. Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, 12613, Egypt
| | - Dalal Z. Husein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, El-Kharja, 72511, Egypt
| | - Eslam B. Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh, 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hanan A. Al-ghulikah
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed M. Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Hazem A. Mahdy
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
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Rathod S, Shinde S, Choudhari P, Sarkate A, Chaudhari S, Shingan A. Exploring binding potential of two new indole alkaloids from Nauclea officinalis against third and fourth generation EGFR: druglikeness, in silico ADMET, docking, DFT, molecular dynamics simulation, and MMGBSA study. Nat Prod Res 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38206888 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2023.2301678] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates the anti-cancer potential of recently discovered indole alkaloids from Nauclea Officinalis against third and fourth-generation EGFR mutations using computational tools. Through ADMET profiling, druglikeness prediction, docking, and simulations, we assessed their pharmacokinetics, binding interactions, and stability. Promising druglikeness and binding affinity were observed, particularly for (±)-19-O-butylangustoline, which demonstrated stronger binding against both EGFR mutants. MD simulations confirmed stable interactions, with (±)-19-O-butylangustoline exhibiting the highest stability. These findings highlight these indole alkaloids as potential anti-cancer agents, with (±)-19-O-butylangustoline warranting further optimisation for therapeutic development. This study informs their potential through insights into molecular properties and binding energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanket Rathod
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Kolhapur, India
| | - Sonali Shinde
- Department of Chemical Technology, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, India
| | - Prafulla Choudhari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Pharmacy, Kolhapur, India
| | - Aniket Sarkate
- Department of Chemical Technology, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad, India
| | - Somdatta Chaudhari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Progressive Education Society's Modern College of Pharmacy, Pune, India
| | - Aarti Shingan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Progressive Education Society's Modern College of Pharmacy, Pune, India
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Elkady H, Abuelkhir AA, Rashed M, Taghour MS, Dahab MA, Mahdy HA, Elwan A, Al-Ghulikah HA, Elkaeed EB, Ibrahim IM, Husein DZ, Metwaly A, Eissa IH. New thiazolidine-2,4-diones as effective anti-proliferative and anti-VEGFR-2 agents: Design, synthesis, in vitro, docking, MD simulations, DFT, ADMET, and toxicity studies. Comput Biol Chem 2023; 107:107958. [PMID: 37714080 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2023.107958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Novel thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives, 11a-g, were designed, and synthesized targeting the VEGFR-2 protein. The in vitro studies indicated the abilities of the synthesized derivatives to inhibit VEGFR-2 and prevent the growth of two different cancer cell types, HepG2 and MCF-7. Compound 11 f exhibited the strongest anti-VEGFR-2 activity (IC50 = 0.053 µM). As well, compound 11 f showed impressive anti-proliferative activity against the mentioned cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 0.64 ± 0.01 and 0.53 ± 0.04 µM, respectively. Additionally, compound 11 f arrested the MCF-7 cell cycle at the S phase and increased the overall apoptosis percentage. Furthermore, cell migration assay revealed that compound 11 f has a significant ability to prevent migration and healing potentialities of MCF-7. Moreover, computational studies were used to conduct the molecular investigation of the VEGFR-2-11 f complex. The kinetic and structural features of the complex were examined using molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking. Besides, Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to explain the dynamics of the VEGFR-2-11 f complex at various spatial scales. The DFT calculations also provided further clarity regarding compound 11 f's structural and electronic features. To evaluate how closely the developed compounds might look like drugs, ADMET and toxicity experiments were computed. To conclude, the presented study demonstrates the potential of compound 11 f as a viable anti-cancer drug, which can serve as a prototype for future structural modifications and further biological investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt.
| | - Abdelrahman A Abuelkhir
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud Rashed
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed A Dahab
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Hazem A Mahdy
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Alaa Elwan
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Hanan A Al-Ghulikah
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Eslam B Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
| | - Dalal Z Husein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, El-Kharja 72511, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt; Biopharmaceutical Products Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Alexandria 21934, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim H Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt.
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Eissa IH, Yousef RG, Asmaey MA, Elkady H, Husein DZ, Alsfouk AA, Ibrahim IM, Elkady MA, Elkaeed EB, Metwaly AM. Computer-assisted drug discovery (CADD) of an anti-cancer derivative of the theobromine alkaloid inhibiting VEGFR-2. Saudi Pharm J 2023; 31:101852. [PMID: 38028225 PMCID: PMC10663924 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2023.101852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
VEGFR-2 is a significant target in cancer treatment, inhibiting angiogenesis and impeding tumor growth. Utilizing the essential pharmacophoric structural properties, a new semi-synthetic theobromine analogue (T-1-MBHEPA) was designed as VEGFR-2 inhibitor. Firstly, T-1-MBHEPA's stability and reactivity were indicated through several DFT computations. Additionally, molecular docking, MD simulations, MM-GPSA, PLIP, and essential dynamics (ED) experiments suggested T-1-MBHEPA's strong binding capabilities to VEGFR-2. Its computational ADMET profiles were also studied before the semi-synthesis and indicated a good degree of drug-likeness. T-1-MBHEPA was then semi-synthesized to evaluate the design and the in silico findings. It was found that, T-1-MBHEPA inhibited VEGFR-2 with an IC50 value of 0.121 ± 0.051 µM, as compared to sorafenib which had an IC50 value of 0.056 µM. Similarly, T-1-MBHEPA inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 and MCF7 cell lines with IC50 values of 4.61 and 4.85 µg/mL respectively - comparing sorafenib's IC50 values which were 2.24 µg/mL and 3.17 µg/mL respectively. Interestingly, T-1-MBHEPA revealed a noteworthy IC50 value of 80.0 µM against the normal cell lines exhibiting exceptionally high selectivity indexes (SI) of 17.4 and 16. 5 against the examined cell lines, respectively. T-1-MBHEPA increased the percentage of apoptotic MCF7 cells in early and late stages, respectively, from 0.71 % to 7.22 % and from 0.13 % to 2.72 %, while the necrosis percentage was increased to 11.41 %, in comparison to 2.22 % in control cells. Furthermore, T-1-MBHEPA reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-2 in the treated MCF7 cells by 33 % and 58 %, respectively indicating an additional anti-angiogenic mechanism. Also, T-1-MBHEPA decreased significantly the potentialities of MCF7 cells to heal and migrate from 65.9 % to 7.4 %. Finally, T-1-MBHEPA's oral treatment didn't show toxicity on the liver function (ALT and AST) and the kidney function (creatinine and urea) levels of mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim H. Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Reda G. Yousef
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mostafa A. Asmaey
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch, 71524, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Dalal Z. Husein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, El-Kharja 72511, Egypt
| | - Aisha A. Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim M. Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A. Elkady
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo 11231, Egypt
| | - Eslam B. Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed M. Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
- Biopharmaceutical Products Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Alexandria, Egypt
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8
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El-Metwally SA, Elkady H, Hagras M, Elkaeed EB, Alsfouk BA, Doghish AS, Ibrahim IM, Taghour MS, Husein DZ, Metwaly AM, Eissa IH. Discovery of new VEGFR-2 inhibitors and apoptosis inducer-based thieno[2,3- d]pyrimidine. Future Med Chem 2023; 15:2065-2086. [PMID: 37955128 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2023-0130] [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] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: VEGFR-2 is a key regulator of cancer cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. Aim: Development of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents targeting VEGFR-2. Methods: Seven in vitro and nine in silico studies were conducted. Results: Compound 10d demonstrated strong anticancer potential, boosting apoptosis based on VEGFR-2 inhibition. It arrested the S phase of the cell cycle and upregulated the apoptotic factors. Docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies confirm the stability of the VEGFR-2-10d complex and suggest that these compounds have good binding affinities to VEGFR-2. In addition, the drug-likeness was confirmed. Conclusion: Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines, particularly compound 10d, has good anticancer effects and may contribute to the development of new anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souad A El-Metwally
- Department of Basic Science, Higher Technological institute, 10th of Ramadan City, Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Hagras
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Eslam B Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bshra A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, PO Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed S Doghish
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo 11829, Egypt
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo 11231, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, 12613, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Dalal Z Husein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, El-Kharja, 72511, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy & Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
- Biopharmaceutical Products Research Department, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research & Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim H Eissa
- Department of Basic Science, Higher Technological institute, 10th of Ramadan City, Egypt
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9
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Eissa IH, Yousef RG, Elkady H, Elkaeed EB, Alsfouk AA, Husein DZ, Ibrahim IM, Radwan MM, Metwaly AM. A Theobromine Derivative with Anticancer Properties Targeting VEGFR-2: Semisynthesis, in silico and in vitro Studies. ChemistryOpen 2023; 12:e202300066. [PMID: 37803417 PMCID: PMC10558427 DOI: 10.1002/open.202300066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A computer-assisted drug design (CADD) approach was utilized to design a new acetamido-N-(para-fluorophenyl)benzamide) derivative of the naturally occurring alkaloid, theobromine, (T-1-APFPB), following the pharmacophoric features of VEGFR-2 inhibitors. The stability and reactivity of T-1-AFPB were assessed through density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Molecular docking assessments showed T-1-AFPB's potential to bind with and inhibit VEGFR-2. The precise binding of T-1-AFPB against VEGFR-2 with optimal energy was further confirmed through several molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, PLIP, MM-GBSA, and PCA studies. Then, T-1-AFPB (4-(2-(3,7-Dimethyl-2,6-dioxo-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H-purin-1-yl)acetamido)-N-(4-fluorophenyl)benzamide) was semi-synthesized and the in vitro assays showed its potential to inhibit VEGFR-2 with an IC50 value of 69 nM (sorafenib's IC50 was 56 nM) and to inhibit the growth of HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 2.24±0.02 and 3.26±0.02 μM, respectively. Moreover, T-1-AFPB displayed very high selectivity indices against normal Vero cell lines. Furthermore, T-1-AFPB induced early (from 0.72 to 19.12) and late (from 0.13 to 6.37) apoptosis in HepG2 cell lines. In conclusion, the combined computational and experimental approaches demonstrated the efficacy and safety of T-1-APFPB providing it as a promising lead VEGFR-2 inhibitor for further development aiming at cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim H. Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design DepartmentFaculty of Pharmacy (Boys)Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Reda G. Yousef
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design DepartmentFaculty of Pharmacy (Boys)Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design DepartmentFaculty of Pharmacy (Boys)Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Eslam B. Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of PharmacyAlMaarefa UniversityRiyadh13713Saudi Arabia
| | - Aisha A. Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical SciencesCollege of PharmacyPrincess Nourah bint Abdulrahman UniversityP.O. Box 84428Riyadh11671Saudi Arabia
| | - Dalal Z. Husein
- Chemistry DepartmentFaculty of ScienceNew Valley UniversityEl-Kharja72511Egypt
| | | | - Mohamed M. Radwan
- National Center for Natural Products ResearchUniversity of MississippiMississippiMS 38677USA
- Department of PharmacognosyFaculty of PharmacyAlexandria UniversityAlexandriaEgypt
| | - Ahmed M. Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants DepartmentFaculty of Pharmacy (Boys)Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
- Biopharmaceutical Products Research DepartmentGenetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research InstituteCity of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City)AlexandriaEgypt
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10
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El-Metwally SA, Abuelkhir AA, Elkady H, Taghour MS, Ibrahim IM, Husein DZ, Alsfouk AA, Sultan A, Ismail A, Elkhawaga SY, Elkaeed EB, Metwaly AM, Eissa IH. In vitro and in silico evaluation of new thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines as anti-cancer agents and apoptosis inducers targeting VEGFR-2. Comput Biol Chem 2023; 106:107928. [PMID: 37480629 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2023.107928] [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: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
In this study, new thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives that could have potential anticancer activity by inhibiting the VEGFR-2 receptor have been designed, synthesized, and investigated. The thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives showed strong in vitro abilities to inhibit VEGFR-2 and to prevent cancer cell growth in two different types of cancer cells, MCF-7 and HepG2. Particularly, compound 22 showed the most potent anti-VEGFR-2 activity with an IC50 value of 0.58 µM. Additionally, compound 22 exhibited good anti-proliferative activity against both MCF-7 and HepG2 cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 11.32 ± 0.32 and 16.66 ± 1.22 µM, respectively. Further investigations revealed that compound 22 induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and promoted both early and late apoptosis in the MCF-7 cancer cells. Compound 22 also increased the level of BAX (2.8-fold), and reduced the level of Bcl-2 (2.2-fold), hence increasing the rate of apoptosis. Compound 22 also revealed 2.9-fold and 2.8-fold higher levels of caspase-8 and caspase-9, respectively, in the treated MCF-7 cancer cells compared to the control cell lines. The MD simulations showed that the VEGFR-2-22 complex was structurally and energytically stable over 100 ns, while the MM-GBSA study indicated its stable thermodynamic behavior. The bi-dimensional projection analysis confirmed the proper binding of the VEGFR-2-22 complex, while the DFT studies provided optimized geometry, charge distribution, FMO, ESP, the total density of state, and QTAIM maps of compound 22. Finally, computational ADMET studies were performed to assess the drug development potential of the thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives. Overall, this study suggests that compound 22 has the potential as an anticancer lead compound by inhibiting VEGFR-2, which may be a guide for future drug design and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souad A El-Metwally
- Department of Basic Science, Higher Technological institute, 10th of Ramadan City, Egypt
| | - Abdelrahman A Abuelkhir
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt
| | - Dalal Z Husein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, El-Kharja 72511, Egypt
| | - Aisha A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahlam Sultan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Ismail
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City 11231, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Samy Y Elkhawaga
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City 11231, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Eslam B Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ahmed M Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt; Biopharmaceutical Products Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Alexandria, Egypt.
| | - Ibrahim H Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt.
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11
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Elkady H, El-Dardir OA, Elwan A, Taghour MS, Mahdy HA, Dahab MA, Elkaeed EB, Alsfouk BA, Ibrahim IM, Husein DZ, Hafez EE, Darwish AMG, Metwaly AM, Eissa IH. Synthesis, biological evaluation and computer-aided discovery of new thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives as potential antitumor VEGFR-2 inhibitors. RSC Adv 2023; 13:27801-27827. [PMID: 37731835 PMCID: PMC10508263 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra05689a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, novel VEGFR-2-targeting thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives with potential anticancer properties were designed and synthesized. The ability of the designed derivatives to inhibit VEGFR-2 and stop the growth of three different cancer cell types (HT-29, A-549, and HCT-116) was examined in vitro. The IC50 value of compound 15, 0.081 μM, demonstrated the best anti-VEGFR-2 potency. Additionally, compound 15 showed remarkable anti-proliferative activities against the tested cancer cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 13.56 to 17.8 μM. Additional flow cytometric investigations showed that compound 15 increased apoptosis in HT-29 cancer cells (from 3.1% to 31.4%) arresting their growth in the S phase. Furthermore, compound 15's apoptosis induction in the same cell line was confirmed by increasing the levels of BAX (4.8-fold) and decreasing Bcl-2 (2.8-fold). Also, compound 15 noticeably increased caspase-8 and caspase-9 levels by 1.7 and 3.2-fold, respectively. Computational methods were used to perform molecular analysis of the VEGFR-2-15 complex. Molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking were utilized to analyze the complex's kinetic and structural characteristics. Protein-ligand interaction profiler analysis (PLIP) determined the 3D interactions and binding conformation of the VEGFR-2-15 complex. DFT analyses also provided insights into the 3D geometry, reactivity, and electronic characteristics of compound 15. Computational ADMET and toxicity experiments were conducted to determine the potential of the synthesized compounds for therapeutic development. The study's findings suggest that compound 15 might be an effective anticancer lead compound and could guide future attempts to develop new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Osama A El-Dardir
- Undergraduate Student, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Alaa Elwan
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Hazem A Mahdy
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Mohammed A Dahab
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Eslam B Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University Riyadh 13713 Saudi Arabia
| | - Bshra A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University P.O. Box 84428 Riyadh 11671 Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Giza 12613 Egypt
| | - Dalal Z Husein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University El-Kharja 72511 Egypt
| | - Elsayed E Hafez
- Plant Protection and Biomolecular Diagnosis, ALCRI, City of scientific research and technological applications New Borg El-Arab City Alexandria 21934 Egypt
| | - Amira M G Darwish
- Food Industry Technology Program, Faculty of Industrial and Energy Technology, Borg Al Arab Technological University Alexandria Egypt
- Food Technology Department, Arid Lands Cultivation Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City) Alexandria 21934 Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Ibrahim H Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
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12
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Elkady H, El-Adl K, Sakr H, Abdelraheem AS, Eissa SI, El-Zahabi MA. Novel promising benzoxazole/benzothiazole-derived immunomodulatory agents: Design, synthesis, anticancer evaluation, and in silico ADMET analysis. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2023; 356:e2300097. [PMID: 37379240 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Eleven novel benzoxazole/benzothiazole-based thalidomide analogs were designed and synthesized to obtain new effective antitumor immunomodulatory agents. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against HepG-2, HCT-116, PC3, and MCF-7 cells. Generally, the open analogs with semicarbazide and thiosemicarbazide moieties (10, 13a-c, 14, and 17a,b) exhibited higher cytotoxic activities than derivatives with closed glutarimide moiety (8a-d). In particular, compound 13a (IC50 = 6.14, 5.79, 10.26, and 4.71 µM against HepG-2, HCT-116, PC3, and MCF-7, respectively) and 14 (IC50 = 7.93, 8.23, 12.37, and 5.43 µM, respectively) exhibited the highest anticancer activities against the four tested cell lines. The most active compounds 13a and 14 were further evaluated for their in vitro immunomodulatory activities on tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), caspase-8 (CASP8), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nuclear factor kappa-B p65 (NF-κB p65) in HCT-116 cells. Compounds 13a and 14 showed a remarkable and significant reduction in TNF-α. Furthermore, they showed significant elevation in CASP8 levels. Also, they significantly inhibited VEGF. In addition, compound 13a showed significant decreases in the level of NF-κB p65 while compound 14 demonstrated an insignificant decrease with respect to thalidomide. Moreover, our derivatives exhibited good in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicity (ADMET) profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Khaled El-Adl
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Helmy Sakr
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Adel S Abdelraheem
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sally I Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Ayman El-Zahabi
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
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13
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Iliev I, Mavrova A, Yancheva D, Dimov S, Staneva G, Nesheva A, Tsoneva I, Nikolova B. 2-Alkyl-Substituted-4-Amino-Thieno[2,3- d]Pyrimidines: Anti-Proliferative Properties to In Vitro Breast Cancer Models. Molecules 2023; 28:6347. [PMID: 37687177 PMCID: PMC10489817 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28176347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Thienopyrimidines are structural analogs of quinazolines, and the creation of new 2-alkyl derivatives of ethyl 4-aminothienopyrimidine-6-carboxylates for the study of their anti-proliferative properties is of great pharmacological interest. Some 2-alkyl-4-amino-thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines 2-5 were synthesized, and their cyto- and phototoxicity against BALB 3T3 cells were established by an in vitro 3T3 NRU test. The obtained results indicate that the tested compounds are not cytotoxic or phototoxic, and that they are appropriate to be studied for their anti-proliferative and anti-tumor properties. The anti-proliferative potential of the compounds was investigated on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, as well as a MCF-10A cell line (normal human mammary epithelial cells). The most toxic to MCF-7 was thienopyrimidine 3 with IC50 13.42 μg/mL (IC50 0.045 μM), followed by compound 4 (IC50 28.89 μg/mL or IC50 0.11 μM). The thienopyrimidine 4 revealed higher selectivity to MCF-7 and lower activity (IC50 367 μg/mL i.e., 1.4 μM) than compound 3 with MCF-10A cells. With respect to MDA-MB-231 cells, ester 2 manifested the highest effect with IC50 52.56 μg/mL (IC50 0.16 μM), and 2-ethyl derivative 4 revealed IC50 62.86 μg/mL (IC50 0.24 μM). It was estimated that the effect of the substances on the cell cycle progression was due to cell cycle arrest in the G2 stage for MDA-MB-231, while arrest in G1 was detected for the estrogen (ER)-positive MCF-7 cell line. The tested compound's effects on the change of the zeta potential in the tumorigenic cells utilized in this study were determined. The calculation which we performed of the physicochemical properties and pharmacokinetic parameters influencing the biological activity suggested high intestinal absorption, as well as drug-likeness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Iliev
- Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 25, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Anelia Mavrova
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technologies, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, S8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; (A.M.); (S.D.)
| | - Denitsa Yancheva
- Institute of Organic Chemistry with Centre of Phytochemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 9, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Stefan Dimov
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Technologies, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, S8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; (A.M.); (S.D.)
| | - Galya Staneva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (A.N.); (I.T.)
| | - Alexandrina Nesheva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (A.N.); (I.T.)
| | - Iana Tsoneva
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (A.N.); (I.T.)
| | - Biliana Nikolova
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (A.N.); (I.T.)
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14
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El-Metwally SA, Elkady H, Hagras M, Husein DZ, Ibrahim IM, Taghour MS, El-Mahdy HA, Ismail A, Alsfouk BA, Elkaeed EB, Metwaly AM, Eissa IH. Design, synthesis, anti-proliferative evaluation, docking, and MD simulation studies of new thieno[2,3- d]pyrimidines targeting VEGFR-2. RSC Adv 2023; 13:23365-23385. [PMID: 37545598 PMCID: PMC10401666 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra03128d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, new thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-derived compounds possessing potential anticancer activities were designed and synthesized to target VEGFR-2. The thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives were tested in vitro for their abilities to inhibit VEGFR-2 and to prevent cancer cell growth in two types of cancer cells, MCF-7 and HepG2. Compound 18 exhibited the strongest anti-VEGFR-2 potential with an IC50 value of 0.084 μM. Additionally, it displayed excellent proliferative effects against MCF-7 and HepG2 cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 10.17 μM and 24.47 μM, respectively. Further studies revealed that compound 18 induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and promoted apoptosis in MCF-7 cancer cells. Apoptosis was stimulated by compound 18 by increasing BAX (3.6-fold) and decreasing Bcl-2 (3.1-fold). Additionally, compound 18 significantly raised the levels of caspase-8 (2.6-fold) and caspase-9 (5.4-fold). Computational techniques were also used to investigate the VEGFR-2-18 complex at a molecular level. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were performed to assess the structural and energetic features of the complex. The protein-ligand interaction profiler analysis identified the 3D interactions and binding conformation of the VEGFR-2-18 complex. Essential dynamics (ED) study utilizing principal component analysis (PCA) described the protein dynamics of the VEGFR-2-18 complex at various spatial scales. Bi-dimensional projection analysis confirmed the proper binding of the VEGFR-2-18 complex. In addition, the DFT studies provided insights into the structural and electronic properties of compound 18. Finally, computational ADMET and toxicity studies were conducted to evaluate the potential of the thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives for drug development. The results of the study suggested that compound 18 could be a promising anticancer agent that may provide effective treatment options for cancer patients. Furthermore, the computational techniques used in this research provided valuable insights into the molecular interactions of the VEGFR-2-18 complex, which may guide future drug design efforts. Overall, this study highlights the potential of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives as a new class of anticancer agents and provides a foundation for further research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Souad A El-Metwally
- Department of Basic Science, Higher Technological Institute 10th of Ramadan City Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Mohamed Hagras
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, College of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Dalal Z Husein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University El-Kharja 72511 Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University Cairo 12613 Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
| | - Hesham A El-Mahdy
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Nasr City Cairo 11231 Egypt
| | - Ahmed Ismail
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Nasr City Cairo 11231 Egypt
| | - Bshra A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University P.O. Box 84428 Riyadh 11671 Saudi Arabia
| | - Eslam B Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University Riyadh 13713 Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed M Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
- Biopharmaceutical Products Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City) Alexandria Egypt
| | - Ibrahim H Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University Cairo 11884 Egypt
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15
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Khetmalis YM, Fathima A, Schweipert M, Debarnot C, Bandaru NVMR, Murugesan S, Jamma T, Meyer-Almes FJ, Sekhar KVGC. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Quinazolin-4(3H)-One-Based Histone Deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) Inhibitors for Anticancer Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11044. [PMID: 37446224 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311044] [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: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A series of novel quinazoline-4-(3H)-one derivatives were designed and synthesized as histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitors based on novel quinazoline-4-(3H)-one as the cap group and benzhydroxamic acid as the linker and metal-binding group. A total of 19 novel quinazoline-4-(3H)-one analogues (5a-5s) were obtained. The structures of the target compounds were characterized using 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, LC-MS, and elemental analyses. Characterized compounds were screened for inhibition against HDAC8 class I, HDAC4 class IIa, and HDAC6 class IIb. Among the compounds tested, 5b proved to be the most potent and selective inhibitor of HDAC6 with an IC50 value 150 nM. Some of these compounds showed potent antiproliferative activity in several tumor cell lines (HCT116, MCF7, and B16). Amongst all the compounds tested for their anticancer effect against cancer cell lines, 5c emerged to be most active against the MCF-7 line with an IC50 of 13.7 μM; it exhibited cell-cycle arrest in the G2 phase, as well as promoted apoptosis. Additionally, we noted a significant reduction in the colony-forming capability of cancer cells in the presence of 5c. At the intracellular level, selective inhibition of HDAC6 was enumerated by monitoring the acetylation of α-tubulin with a limited effect on acetyl-H3. Importantly, the obtained results suggested a potent effect of 5c at sub-micromolar concentrations as compared to the other molecules as HDAC6 inhibitors in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogesh Mahadu Khetmalis
- Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology & Science-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Ashna Fathima
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology & Science-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Markus Schweipert
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Haardtring 100, 64295 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Cécile Debarnot
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Haardtring 100, 64295 Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Sankaranarayanan Murugesan
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani, Pilani Campus, Pilani 333031, Rajasthan, India
| | - Trinath Jamma
- Department of Biological Sciences, Birla Institute of Technology & Science-Pilani, Hyderabad Campus, Hyderabad 500078, Telangana, India
| | - Franz-Josef Meyer-Almes
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt, Haardtring 100, 64295 Darmstadt, Germany
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16
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Mahdy HA, Elkady H, Taghour MS, Elwan A, Dahab MA, Elkady MA, Elsakka EG, Elkaeed EB, Alsfouk BA, Ibrahim IM, Eissa IH, Metwaly AM. New theobromine derivatives inhibiting VEGFR-2: design, synthesis, antiproliferative, docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Future Med Chem 2023; 15:1233-1250. [PMID: 37466069 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2023-0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: VEGFR-2 is one of the most effective targets in cancer treatment. Aim: The design and semi-synthesis of new theobromine derivatives as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors. Methods: In vitro and in silico evaluation of the synthesized compounds. Results: Compound 5b demonstrated excellent antiproliferative and VEGFR-2 inhibitory effects with significant apoptotic activity. It modulated the immune response by increasing IL-2 and reducing TNF-α levels. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations revealed the compound's binding affinity with VEGFR-2. Lastly, computational absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity studies indicated the high potential of compound 5b for drug development. Conclusion: Compound 5b could be a promising anticancer agent targeting VEGFR-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hazem A Mahdy
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Alaa Elwan
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohammed A Dahab
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Mohamed A Elkady
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Elsayed Ge Elsakka
- Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Eslam B Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh, 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bshra A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, PO Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Cairo, 12613, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim H Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy & Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, 11884, Egypt
- Biopharmaceutical Products Research Department, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research & Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Alexandria, 21934, Egypt
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17
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Vittorio S, Dank C, Ielo L. Heterocyclic Compounds as Synthetic Tyrosinase Inhibitors: Recent Advances. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109097. [PMID: 37240442 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109097] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Tyrosinase is a copper-containing enzyme which is widely distributed in nature (e.g., bacteria, mammals, fungi) and involved in two consecutive steps of melanin biosynthesis. In humans, an excessive production of melanin can determine hyperpigmentation disorders as well as neurodegenerative processes in Parkinson's disease. The development of molecules able to inhibit the high activity of the enzyme remain a current topic in medicinal chemistry, because the inhibitors reported so far present several side effects. Heterocycle-bearing molecules are largely diffuse in this sense. Due to their importance as biologically active compounds, we decided to report a comprehensive review of synthetic tyrosinase inhibitors possessing heterocyclic moieties reported within the last five years. For the reader's convenience, we classified them as inhibitors of mushroom tyrosinase (Agaricus bisporus) and human tyrosinase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Vittorio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli, 25, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Christian Dank
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währinger Strasse 38, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Ielo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Turin, Via P. Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
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18
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Abdullahi M, Uzairu A, Shallangwa GA, Mamza PA, Ibrahim MT, Ahmad I, Patel H. Structure-based drug design, molecular dynamics simulation, ADMET, and quantum chemical studies of some thiazolinones targeting influenza neuraminidase. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:13829-13843. [PMID: 37158006 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2208225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The genetic mutability of the influenza virus leads to the existence of drug-resistant strains which is dangerous, particularly with the lingering coronavirus disease (COVID-19). This necessitated the need for the search and discovery of more potential anti-influenza agents to avert future outbreaks. In furtherance of our previous in-silico studies on 5-benzyl-4-thiazolinones as anti-influenza neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors, molecule 11 was selected as the template scaffold for the structure-based drug design due to its good binding, pharmacokinetic profiling, and better NA inhibitory activity. As such, eighteen (18) new molecules (11a-r) were designed with better MolDock scores as compared with the template scaffold and the zanamivir reference drug. However, the dynamic stability of molecule 11a in the binding cavity of the NA target (3TI5) showed water-mediated hydrogen and hydrophobic bondings with the active residues such as Arg118, Ile149, Arg152, Ile222, Trp403, and Ile427 after the MD simulation for 100 ns. The drug-likeness and ADMET assessment of all designed molecules predicted non-violation of the stipulated thresholds of Lipinski's rule and good pharmacokinetic properties respectively. In addition, the quantum chemical calculations also suggested the significant chemical reactivity of molecules with their smaller band energy gap, high electrophilicity, high softness, and low hardness. The results obtained in this study proposed a reliable in-silico viewpoint for anti-influenza drug discovery and development.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustapha Abdullahi
- Faculty of Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
- Faculty of Sciences, Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Kaduna State, Nigeria
| | - Adamu Uzairu
- Faculty of Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
| | - Gideon Adamu Shallangwa
- Faculty of Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
| | - Paul Andrew Mamza
- Faculty of Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
| | - Muhammad Tukur Ibrahim
- Faculty of Physical Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria
| | - Iqrar Ahmad
- Division of Computer Aided Drug Design, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Shirpur, Maharashtra, India
| | - Harun Patel
- Division of Computer Aided Drug Design, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, R. C. Patel Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Shirpur, Maharashtra, India
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19
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Mobbili G, Romaldi B, Sabbatini G, Amici A, Marcaccio M, Galeazzi R, Laudadio E, Armeni T, Minnelli C. Identification of Flavone Derivative Displaying a 4'-Aminophenoxy Moiety as Potential Selective Anticancer Agent in NSCLC Tumor Cells. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28073239. [PMID: 37050002 PMCID: PMC10096842 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28073239] [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: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Five heterocyclic derivatives were synthesized by functionalization of a flavone nucleus with an aminophenoxy moiety. Their cytotoxicity was investigated in vitro in two models of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells (A549 and NCI-H1975) by using MTT assay and the results compared to those obtained in healthy fibroblasts as a non-malignant cell model. One of the aminophenoxy flavone derivatives (APF-1) was found to be effective at low micromolar concentrations in both lung cancer cell lines with a higher selective index (SI). Flow cytometric analyses showed that APF-1 induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase through the up-regulation of p21 expression. Therefore, the aminophenoxy flavone-based compounds may be promising cancer-selective agents and could serve as a base for further research into the design of flavone-based anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Mobbili
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Brenda Romaldi
- Department of Specialist Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Giulia Sabbatini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Adolfo Amici
- Department of Specialist Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Massimo Marcaccio
- Department of Chemistry G. Ciamician, University of Bologna, Via Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberta Galeazzi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Emiliano Laudadio
- Department of Science and Engineering of Matter, Environment and Urban Planning, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Tatiana Armeni
- Department of Specialist Clinical Sciences, School of Medicine, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Cristina Minnelli
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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20
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Al-Warhi T, Almahli H, Maklad RM, Elsayed ZM, El Hassab MA, Alotaibi OJ, Aljaeed N, Ayyad RR, Ghabour HA, Eldehna WM, El-Ashrey MK. 1-Benzyl-5-bromo-3-hydrazonoindolin-2-ones as Novel Anticancer Agents: Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Modeling Insights. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28073203. [PMID: 37049966 PMCID: PMC10096524 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28073203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human health is experiencing several obstacles in the modern medical era, particularly cancer. As a result, the cancer therapeutic arsenal should be continually expanded with innovative small molecules that preferentially target tumour cells. In this study, we describe the development of two small molecule series (7a–d and 12a–e) based on the 1-benzyl-5-bromoindolin-2-one scaffold that connected through a hydrazone linker to a 4-arylthiazole (7a–d) or 4-methyl-5-(aryldiazenyl)thiazole (12a–e) moiety. The anticancer activity of all the reported indolin-2-one derivatives was assessed against breast (MCF-7) and lung (A-549) cancer cell lines. The 4-arylthiazole-bearing derivatives 7c and 7d revealed the best anticancer activity toward MCF-7 cells (IC50 = 7.17 ± 0.94 and 2.93 ± 0.47, respectively). Furthermore, the VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity for 7c and 7d was evaluated. Both molecules disclosed good inhibitory activity, and their IC50 values were equal to 0.728 µM and 0.503 µM, respectively. Additionally, the impacts of 7d on the cell cycle phases as well as on the levels of different apoptotic markers (caspase-3, caspase-9, Bax, and Bcl-2) were assessed. Molecular docking and dynamic simulations are carried out to explore the binding mode of 7d within the VEGFR-2 active site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarfah Al-Warhi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hadia Almahli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
| | - Raed M. Maklad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt
| | - Zainab M. Elsayed
- Scientific Research and Innovation Support Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud A. El Hassab
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Salman International University (KSIU), South Sinai 46612, Egypt
| | - Ohoud J. Alotaibi
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nada Aljaeed
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rezk R. Ayyad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Hazem A. Ghabour
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
| | - Wagdy M. Eldehna
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt
- School of Biotechnology, Badr University in Cairo, Badr City 11829, Egypt
| | - Mohamed K. El-Ashrey
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr Elini St., Cairo 11562, Egypt
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21
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Cai JH, Zhu XZ, Guo PY, Rose P, Liu XT, Liu X, Zhu YZ. Recent updates in click and computational chemistry for drug discovery and development. Front Chem 2023; 11:1114970. [PMID: 36825226 PMCID: PMC9941707 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1114970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug discovery is a costly and time-consuming process with a very high failure rate. Recently, click chemistry and computer-aided drug design (CADD) represent popular areas for new drug development. Herein, we summarized the recent updates in click and computational chemistry for drug discovery and development including clicking to effectively synthesize druggable candidates, synthesis and modification of natural products, targeted delivery systems, and computer-aided drug discovery for target identification, seeking out and optimizing lead compounds, ADMET prediction as well as compounds synthesis, hopefully, inspires new ideas for novel drug development in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Hong Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Xuan Zhe Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Peng Yue Guo
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Second Military University, Shanghai, China
| | - Peter Rose
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Xiao Tong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Second Military University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Zhun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macau, China,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bioactive Small Molecules, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,*Correspondence: Yi Zhun Zhu,
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22
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Kotb AR, Abdallah AE, Elkady H, Eissa IH, Taghour MS, Bakhotmah DA, Abdelghany TM, El-Zahabi MA. Design, synthesis, anticancer evaluation, and in silico ADMET analysis of novel thalidomide analogs as promising immunomodulatory agents †. RSC Adv 2023; 13:10488-10502. [PMID: 37021105 PMCID: PMC10069230 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra00066d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunomodulatory medications like thalidomide and its analogs prevent the production of some proinflammatory cytokines linked to cancer. A new series of thalidomide analogs were designed and synthesized in order to develop potential antitumor immunomodulatory agents. The antiproliferative activities of the new candidates against a panel of three human cancer cell lines (HepG-2, PC3 and MCF-7) were assessed in comparison to thalidomide as a positive control. The obtained results showed the relative significant potency of 18f (IC50 = 11.91 ± 0.9, 9.27 ± 0.7, and 18.62 ± 1.5 μM) and 21b (IC50 = 10.48 ± 0.8, 22.56 ± 1.6, and 16.39 ± 1.4 μM) against the mentioned cell lines, respectively. These results were comparable to thalidomide (IC50 = 11.26 ± 0.54, 14.58 ± 0.57, and 16.87 ± 0.7 μM, respectively). To see to what extent the biological properties of the new candidates are relative to those of thalidomide, the effects of 18f and 21b on the expression levels of TNF-α, CASP8, VEGF, and NF-κB P65 were evaluated. Significant reductions in the proinflammatory TNF-α, VEGF, and NF-κB P65 levels in HepG-2 cells were observed after exposure to compounds 18f and 21b. Furthermore, a sharp increase in CASP8 levels was detected. The obtained results revealed that 21b is of greater significance than thalidomide in TNF-α and NF-κB P65 inhibition. The in silico ADMET and toxicity studies showed that most of tested candidates have a good profile of drug-likeness and low toxicity potential. Novel thalidomide analogs as anticancer immunomodulatory agents.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Anas Ramadan Kotb
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Abdallah E. Abdallah
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Ibrahim H. Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Mohammed S. Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Dina Abed Bakhotmah
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz UniversityJeddahSaudi Arabia
| | - Tamer M. Abdelghany
- Department of Pharmacology& Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar UniversityCairoEgypt
- Department of Pharmacology& Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University for Sustainable DevelopmentCairoEgypt
| | - Mohamed Ayman El-Zahabi
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
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23
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Eissa IH, Elkaeed EB, Elkady H, Yousef RG, Alsfouk BA, Elzahabi HSA, Ibrahim IM, Metwaly AM, Husein DZ. Design, Molecular Modeling, MD Simulations, Essential Dynamics, ADMET, DFT, Synthesis, Anti-proliferative, and Apoptotic Evaluations of a New Anti-VEGFR-2 Nicotinamide Analogue. Curr Pharm Des 2023; 29:2902-2920. [PMID: 38031271 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128274870231102114858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to design and evaluate (in silico and in vitro) a new nicotinamide derivative as an inhibitor of VEGFR-2, a major mediator of angiogenesis Methods: The following in silico studies were performed; DFT calculations, molecular modelling, MD simulations, MM-GBSA, PLIP, and PCAT studies. The compound's in silico (ADMET) analysis was also conducted. Subsequently, the compound ((E)-N-(4-(1-(2-(4-(4-Chlorobenzamido)benzoyl)hydrazono)ethyl) phenyl)nicotinamide) was successfully synthesized and designated as compound X. In vitro, VEGFR-2 inhibition and cytotoxicity of compound X against HCT-116 and A549 cancer cell lines and normal Vero cell lines were conducted. Apoptosis induction and migration assay of HCT-116 cell lines after treatment with compound X were also evaluated. RESULTS DFT calculations assigned stability and reactivity of compound X. Molecular docking and MD simulations indicated its excellent binding against VEGFR-2. Furthermore, MM-GBSA analysis, PLIP experiments, and PCAT studies confirmed compound X's correct binding with optimal dynamics and energy. ADMET analysis expressed its general likeness and safety. The in vitro assays demonstrated that compound X effectively inhibited VEGFR-2, with an IC50 value of 0.319 ± 0.013 μM and displayed cytotoxicity against HCT-116 and A549 cancer cell lines, with IC50 values of 57.93 and 78.82 μM, respectively. Importantly, compound X exhibited minimal toxicity towards the non-cancerous Vero cell lines, (IC50 = 164.12 μM). Additionally, compound X significantly induced apoptosis of HCT-116 cell lines and inhibited their potential to migrate and heal. CONCLUSION In summary, the presented study has identified compound X as a promising candidate for the development of a novel apoptotic lead anticancer drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibrahim H Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Eslam B Elkaeed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, AlMaarefa University, Riyadh 13713, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Reda G Yousef
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Bshra A Alsfouk
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Heba S A Elzahabi
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim M Ibrahim
- Biophysics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza 12613, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Metwaly
- Pharmacognosy and Medicinal Plants Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11884, Egypt
- Biopharmaceutical Products Research Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications (SRTA-City), Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Dalal Z Husein
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, El-Kharja 72511, Egypt
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24
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Kotb AR, Bakhotmah DA, Abdallah AE, Elkady H, Taghour MS, Eissa IH, El-Zahabi MA. Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel bioactive thalidomide analogs as anticancer immunomodulatory agents. RSC Adv 2022; 12:33525-33539. [PMID: 36505721 PMCID: PMC9680624 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra06188k] [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: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is still a dangerous disease with a high mortality rate all over the world. In our attempt to develop potential anticancer candidates, new quinazoline and phthalazine based compounds were designed and synthesized. The new derivatives were built in line with the pharmacophoric features of thalidomide. The new derivatives as well as thalidomide were examined against three cancer cell lines, namely: hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2), breast cancer (MCF-7) and prostate cancer (PC3). Then the effects on the expression levels of caspase-8, VEGF, NF-κB P65, and TNF-α in HepG-2 cells were evaluated. The biological data revealed the high importance of phthalazine based compounds (24a-c), which were far better than thalidomide with regard to the antiproliferative activity. 24b showed IC50 of 2.51, 5.80 and 4.11 μg mL-1 compared to 11.26, 14.58, and 16.87 μg mL-1 for thalidomide against the three cell lines respectively. 24b raised caspase-8 level by about 7 folds, compared to 8 folds reported for thalidomide. Also, VEGF level in HepG-2 cells treated with 24b was 185.3 pg mL-1, compared to 432.5 pg mL-1 in control cells. Furthermore, the immunomodulatory properties were proven to 24b, which reduced TNF-α level by approximately half. At the same time, NF-κB P65 level in HepG-2 cells treated with 24b was 76.5 pg mL-1 compared to 278.1 and 110.5 pg mL-1 measured for control cells and thalidomide treated HepG-2 cells respectively. Moreover, an in vitro viability study against Vero non-cancerous cell line was investigated and the results reflected a high safety profile of all tested compounds. This work suggests 24b as a promising lead compound for development of new immunomodulatory anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anas Ramadan Kotb
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Dina A. Bakhotmah
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz UniversityJeddahSaudi Arabia
| | - Abdallah E. Abdallah
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Hazem Elkady
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Mohammed S. Taghour
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Ibrahim. H. Eissa
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
| | - Mohamed Ayman El-Zahabi
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar UniversityCairo11884Egypt
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25
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( E)- N-(3-(1-(2-(4-(2,2,2-Trifluoroacetamido)benzoyl)hydrazono)ethyl)phenyl)nicotinamide: A Novel Pyridine Derivative for Inhibiting Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2: Synthesis, Computational, and Anticancer Studies. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27227719. [PMID: 36431818 PMCID: PMC9697799 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27227719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
(E)-N-(3-(1-(2-(4-(2,2,2-Trifluoroacetamido)benzoyl)hydrazono)ethyl)phenyl)nicotinamide (compound 10) was designed as an antiangiogenic VEGFR-2 inhibitor with the essential pharmacophoric structural properties to interact with the catalytic pocket of VEGFR-2. The designed derivative was synthesized, and its structure was confirmed through Ms, elemental, 1H, and 13C spectral data. The potentiality of the designed pyridine derivative to bind with and inhibit the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) enzyme was indicated by molecular docking assessments. In addition, six molecular dynamic (MD) experiments proved its correct binding with VEGFR-2 over 100 ns. Additionally, the molecular mechanics energies, combined with the generalized born and surface area (MM-GBSA) analysis, identified the precise binding with optimum energy. To explore the stability and reactivity of the designed pyridine derivative, density functional theory (DFT) calculations, including electrostatic potential maps and total electron density, were carried out. Additionally, the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) analysis demonstrated its general likeness and its safety. The designed compound was synthesized to evaluate its effects against VEGFR-2 protein, cancer, and normal cells. The in vitro results were concordant with the in silico results, because the new pyridine derivative (compound 10) displayed VEGFR-2 inhibition with an IC50 value of 65 nM and displayed potent cytotoxic properties against hepatic (HepG2) and breast (MCF-7) cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 21.00 and 26.10 μM, respectively; additionally, it exhibited high selectivity indices against the normal cell lines (W-38) of 1.55 and 1.25, respectively. The obtained results present compound 10 as a new lead VEGFR-2 inhibitor for further biological investigation and chemical modifications.
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