A Review on the Antitumor Activity of Various Nitrogenous-based Heterocyclic Compounds as NSCLC Inhibitors

Drug-induced enzyme activity inhibition and CYP3A4 genetic polymorphism significantly shape the metabolic characteristics of furmonertinib

This study aimed to elucidate the impact of variations in liver enzyme activity, particularly CYP3A4, on the metabolism of furmonertinib. An in vitro enzyme incubation system was established for furmonertinib using liver microsomes and recombinant CYP3A4 baculosomes, with analytes detected by LC-MS/MS. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of furmonertinib were studied in vivo using Sprague-Dawley rats. It was found that telmisartan significantly inhibited the metabolism of furmonertinib, as demonstrated by a significant increase in the AUC of furmonertinib when co-administered with telmisartan, compared to the furmonertinib-alone group. Mechanistically, it was noncompetitive in rat liver microsomes, while it was mixed competitive and noncompetitive in human liver microsomes and CYP3A4. Considering the genetic polymorphism of CYP3A4, the study further investigated its effect on the kinetics of furmonertinib. The results showed that compared to CYP3A4.1, CYP3A4.29 had significantly increased activity in catalyzing furmonertinib, whereas CYP3A4.7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 18, 23, 33, and 34 showed markedly decreased activity. The inhibitory activity of telmisartan varied in CYP3A4.1 and CYP3A4.18, with IC50 values of 8.56 ± 0.90μM and 27.48 ± 3.52μM, respectively. The key loci affecting the inhibitory effect were identified as ARG105, ILE301, ALA370, and LEU373. Collectively, these data would provide a reference for the quantitative application of furmonertinib.

Effectiveness of Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with a Diagnosis of COPD: Is This a Hidden Prognosticator for Survival and a Risk Factor for Immune-Related Adverse Events?

The interplay between the immune system and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is complex and multifaceted. In COPD, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress can lead to immune dysfunction that can exacerbate lung damage, further worsening the respiratory symptoms. In NSCLC, immune cells can recognise and attack the cancer cells, which, however, can evade or suppress the immune response by various mechanisms, such as expressing immune checkpoint proteins or secreting immunosuppressive cytokines, thus creating an immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment that promotes cancer progression and metastasis. The interaction between COPD and NSCLC further complicates the immune response. In patients with both diseases, COPD can impair the immune response against cancer cells by reducing or suppressing the activity of immune cells, or altering their cytokine profile. Moreover, anti-cancer treatments can also affect the immune system and worsen COPD symptoms by causing lung inflammation and fibrosis. Immunotherapy itself can also cause immune-related adverse events that could worsen the respiratory symptoms in patients with COPD-compromised lungs. In the present review, we tried to understand the interplay between the two pathologies and how the efficacy of immunotherapy in NSCLC patients with COPD is affected in these patients.

Synthesis of tetrazole hybridized with thiazole, thiophene or thiadiazole derivatives, molecular modelling and antimicrobial activity

Background

Tetrazole-based derivatives and their electronic structures have displayed interesting antimicrobial activity.

Methods

The tetrazole-based hybrids linked with thiazole, thiophene and thiadiazole ring systems have been synthesized through various chemical reactions. The computational method DFT/B3LYP has been utilized to calculate their electronic properties. The antimicrobial effectiveness was investigated against representative bacterial and fungal strains. Additionally, the synthesized derivatives binding interaction was stimulated by docking program against PDB ID: 4URO as a model of the ATP binding domain of S. aureus DNA Gyrase subunit B.

Results

The structures of the synthesized tetrazole-based derivatives were confirmed by IR, NMR, and Mass spectroscopic data. The DFT/B3LYP method showed that the thiadiazole derivatives 9a-c had lower ΔEH-L than the thiophenes 7a-c and thiazoles 5a-c. The hybrids 5b, 5c, and 7b exhibited proper antibacterial activity against Gram's +ve bacterial strains (S. aureus and S. pneumonia), while 9a displayed potent activity towards Gram's -ve bacterial strains (S. typhimurium and E. coli). Meanwhile, derivatives 5a-b, 7a, 7c, and 9c showed good effectiveness towards fungal strain (C. albicans).

Conclusion

The study provides valuable tetrazole core-linked heterocyclic rings and opens the door to further research on their electrical characteristics and applications. Tetrazoles and thiazoles have antibacterial properties in pharmacological frameworks, making these hybrids potential lead molecules for drug development. The conclusion summarizes the data and suggests that the synthesized chemicals' interaction with a particular protein domain suggests focused biological activity.

The DC-T cell axis is an effective target for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

The dendritic cell (DC)-T cell axis is a bridge that connects innate and adaptive immunities. The initial immune response against tumors is mainly induced by mature antigen-presenting DCs. Enhancing the crosstalk between DCs and T cells may be an effective approach to improve the immune response to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this article, a review was made of the interaction between DCs and T cells in the treatment of NSCLC and how this interaction affects the treatment outcome.

AS-IV enhances the antitumor effects of propofol in NSCLC cells by inhibiting autophagy

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most lethal malignant tumors. It has been shown that the general anesthetic agents, propofol and astragaloside IV (AS-IV) both exert antitumor effects in NSCLC. However, the effects of the combination of propofol with AS-IV in NSCLC remain unclear. Cell counting kit-8, and EdU and Transwell assays were performed to evaluate NSCLC cell viability, proliferation, and migration. Cell apoptosis and autophagy were observed by flow cytometric analysis and TUNEL and LC3 staining, respectively. AS-IV notably enhanced the anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-migratory properties of propofol in NSCLC cells. Moreover, AS-IV remarkably facilitated the anti-autophagy effect of propofol in NSCLC cells by downregulating LC3, Beclin 1, and ATG5. Significantly, the pro-apoptotic ability of the AS-IV/propofol combination in NSCLC cells was further enhanced by the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA, suggesting that autophagy plays a tumor-promoting role in NSCLC cells. Collectively, AS-IV could facilitate the antitumor abilities of propofol in NSCLC cells by inhibiting autophagy. These findings may be beneficial for future studies on the use of AS-IV and propofol for the treatment of NSCLC.

Design, synthesis and cytotoxic evaluation of novel betulonic acid-diazine derivatives as potential antitumor agents

With the purpose to improve antiproliferative activity, 26 new betulonic acid-diazine derivatives were designed and synthesized from betulinic acid. The anticancer activity of these semi-synthetic compounds was evaluated by MTT assay in both tumor cell lines and normal cell line. The results indicated that majority of new compounds exhibited improved antitumor activity compared with the parent compound betulonic acid. Compound BoA2C, in particular, had the most significant action with IC50 value of 3.39 μM against MCF-7 cells, while it showed lower cytotoxicity on MDCK cell line than cisplatin. Furthermore, we discovered that BoA2C strongly increased MCF-7 cell damage mostly by influencing arginine and fatty acid metabolism. In addition, the structure-activity relationships were briefly discussed. The results of this study suggested that the introduction of different diazines at C-28 could selectively inhibit different kinds of cancer cells and might be an effective way to synthesize potent anticancer lead compound from betulonic acid.

Expression and Clinical Significance of Serum Krüppel-Like Factor 7 (KLF7) in NSCLC Patients

Nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a serious threat to the life and health of patients with high incidence rate and mortality. The present research was to assess the relationship between the serum Krüppel-like factor 7 (KLF7) level and the recurrence and metastasis of NSCLC patients. 150 patients with NSCLC treated by thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer in our hospital from January 2016 to February 2017 were selected. As the control group, 148 healthy people who went to the hospital for physical examination in the same period were screened. The expression levels of serum KLF7 in the observation group and the control group were compared and analyzed. According to the level of KLF7 expression, the patients in the observation group were divided into KLF7 high expression group (≥258.6 ng/L, n =75) and KLF7 low expression group (<258.6 ng/L, n =75). The 3-year recurrence and metastasis rate of patients in each group was compared and analyzed. It was found the concentration of serum KLF7 in peripheral blood of NSCLC (2.25 ± 0.65) ng/ml was significantly higher than that in healthy population (1.42 ± 0.38) ng/ml (P < 0.05). The expression level of serum KLF7 was not related to gender, age, smoking history, and tumor diameter of NSCLC patients (P > 0.05), but related to the degree of differentiation and TNM stage of NSCLC patients (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the degree of differentiation, TNM stage, and KLF7 were significantly correlated with 3-year recurrence and metastasis of NSCLC patients (P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that low degree of differentiation, TNM stage IIIa, and KLF7 were independent risk factors for recurrence and metastasis in NSCLC patients in 3 years (P < 0.05). Taken together, the expression level of serum KLF7 in patients with NSCLC is significantly increased, which is an independent risk factor for recurrence and metastasis in 3 years, and is worthy of clinical application.

Correlation between the Treg/Thl7 Index and the Efficacy of PD-1 Monoclonal Antibody in Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Complicated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Objective

It was to explore the correlation between regulatory T cells (Treg)/T helper cell 17 (Thl7) and the efficacy of receiving a programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody (mAb) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) complicated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

The research subjects were 82 patients who were clinically evaluated and treated in the Respiratory Department of Suqian Hospital connected with Xuzhou Medical University from January to December 2021. All of the patients were given PD-1 immunotherapy, and 50 healthy people were chosen as the control group. Classification was carried out according to tumor type and tumor stage. The levels of Th17 and Treg/Th17 in the peripheral blood of patients with different tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages and different types were compared, and the immune function, lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity (FEV1%/FVC), FEV1%, and FVC), and changes in inflammatory factors were compared before and after treatment. The levels of interleukin (IL)-17, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were compared between the two groups. The correlation between Th17 cells and Treg cells in the peripheral blood of patients with NSCLC complicated with COPD was analyzed.

Results

After treatment, the levels of IL-17, IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β in patients with NSCLC combined with COPD were notably superior to those in the control group (P < 0.05). The immune function and lung function of the patients were improved after treatment. There were 43 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, 30 cases of adenocarcinoma, and 9 cases of large cell carcinoma. The proportion of Th17 cells to CD4+ T cells in the blood of the three types of patients and the proportion of CD4⁺CD25^HiCD127^Lo regulatory T cells to CD4+ lymphocyte cells in Treg cells showed no considerable difference among the different case types (P > 0.05). No considerable difference was indicated in Treg/Th17 in peripheral blood between stage IIIB and stage IV lung cancer patients (P > 0.05). A positive linear correlation was revealed between Th17 cells and Treg cells in the peripheral blood of patients with NSCLC combined with COPD, R = 0.26, P = 0.039.

Conclusion

Treg and Th17 cells were shown to be much higher in lung cancer patients with COPD, which could lead to immunosuppression and tumor growth. PD-1 therapy for NSCLC has demonstrated efficacy and can improve patients' immunological state while being extremely safe.

Novel Thiadiazole-Based Molecules as Promising Inhibitors of Black Fungi and Pathogenic Bacteria: In Vitro Antimicrobial Evaluation and Molecular Docking Studies

Novel 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives were synthesized through the reaction of methyl 2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene) hydrazine-1-carbodithioate and the appropriate hydrazonoyl halides in the presence of a few drops of diisopropylethylamine. The chemical structure of the newly fabricated compounds was inferred from their microanalytical and spectral data. With the increase in microbial diseases, fungi remain a devastating threat to human health because of the resistance of microorganisms to antifungal drugs. COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) and COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) have higher mortality rates in many populations. The present study aimed to find new antifungal agents using the disc diffusion method, and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were estimated by the microdilution assay. An in vitro experiment of six synthesized chemical compounds exhibited antifungal activity against Rhizopus oryzae; compounds with an imidazole moiety, such as the compound 7, were documented to have energetic antibacterial, antifungal properties. As a result of these findings, this research suggests that the synthesized compounds could be an excellent choice for controlling black fungus diseases. Furthermore, a molecular docking study was achieved on the synthesized compounds, of which compounds 2, 6, and 7 showed the best interactions with the selected protein targets.

Hsa_circ_0006677 regulates special AT-rich binding protein-2-mediated tumor-suppressive effect via functioning as a miR-1245a sponge in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still one of the most challenging malignant tumors. Deregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is associated with NSCLC progression. However, the regulatory mechanism of circRNAs in NSCLC still needs to be studied. We selected a differentially expressed hsa_circ_0006677 (circ_0006677) in NSCLC through analyzing the GSE158695 and GSE112214 datasets. Expression of circ_0006677 was evaluated by real-time quantitative polymerase-chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Effects of circ_0006677 overexpression on NSCLC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and stemness were determined by clonogenic, 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, transwell, and sphere formation assays. The regulatory mechanism of circ_0006677 was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and verified by dual-luciferase reporter and RIP assays. Animal experiments were carried out to validate the function of circ_0006677 in vivo. We observed the downregulation of circ_0006677 in NSCLC samples and cells. Functionally, circ_0006677 overexpression decreased xenograft tumor growth and restrained NSCLC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, stemness, and induced NSCLC cell apoptosis in vitro. Molecular mechanism experiments exhibited that circ_0006677 functioned as a miR-1245a sponge and mediated SATB2 expression through adsorbing miR-1245a. Either miR-1245a overexpression or SATB2 knockdown weakened circ_0006677 overexpression-mediated repression on proliferation, invasion, migration, and stemness. In conclusion, circ_0006677 regulated SATB2-mediated tumor-suppressive effect via acting as a miR-1245a sponge in NSCLC, providing a new mechanism for understanding the progression of NSCLC.

Current Pharmaceutical Aspects of Synthetic Quinoline Derivatives

Quinoline derivatives are considered broad-spectrum pharmacological compounds that exhibit a wide range of biological activities. Integration of quinoline moiety can improve its physical and chemical properties and also pharmacological behavior. Due to its wide range of pharmaceutical applications, it is a very popular compound to design new drugs for the treatment of multiple diseases like cancer, dengue fever, malaria, tuberculosis, fungal infections, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease and diabetes. In this review, our major focus is to pay attention to the biological activities of quinoline compounds in the treatment of these diseases such as anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-malarial, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-tubercular and anti-diabetic.

Dietary flavone from the Tetrastigma hemsleyanum vine triggers human lung adenocarcinoma apoptosis via autophagy

Among all types of cancers, lung cancer ranks first in morbidity and mortality, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80-85% of all lung cancer cases. Chemotherapy has shown promising results, but the accompanying side-effects cannot be neglected. Herein, we introduce novel flavones (TVF), which were characterized as 3-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-caffeoylquinic acid, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside by UPLC-MS/MS, derived from the vine of Tetrastigma hemsleyanum (TV), a traditional Chinese herb and food. TVF exhibited outstanding anti-cancer abilities at the in vitro and in vivo level, and markedly triggered apoptosis via the Bax/Bcl-2/caspase-9/caspase-3 pathway. The intrinsic mechanism study illustrated that TVF might induce apoptosis by activating autophagy by inhibiting the Akt-mTOR pathway, and the main component of TVF, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, enabled THR308 site binding to block the phosphorylation of Akt, which was further evidenced by molecular docking computation. Our study reveals the excellent anti-cancer ability and inner mechanism of TVF, suggesting TVF as a potential candidate for clinical drug exploitation or dietary supplementation in cancer medication and prevention, providing a promising strategy for cancer chemotherapy.

FENDRR: A pivotal, cancer-related, long non-coding RNA

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have more than 200 nucleotides and do not encode proteins. Based on numerous studies, lncRNAs have emerged as new and crucial regulators of biological function and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases, especially cancers. Specific lncRNAs have been identified as novel molecular biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment efficacy. Fetal-lethal non-coding developmental regulatory RNA (FENDRR, also known as FOXF1-AS1) is a novel lncRNA that is located at chr3q13.31 and has four exons and 3099 nucleotides, and its genomic site is located at chr3q13.31. FENDRR is abnormally expressed in a variety of cancers and is significantly associated with different clinical characteristics. In addition, FENDRR has shown potential as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of FENDRR and its mechanistic role in cancer progression. We also discuss recent insights into the clinical significance of FENDRR for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

Molecular mechanism and pharmacokinetics of flavonoids in the treatment of resistant EGF receptor-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer: A narrative review

Here, we review the molecular mechanism and pharmacokinetics of flavonoids in the treatment of resistant EGF receptor (EGFR)-mutated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and particularly the possible mechanism(s) of delicaflavone, a biflavonoid extracted from Selaginella doederleinii Hieron. EGFR TK inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) are ubiquitously used in the treatment of NSCLC bearing EGFR mutations. However, patients treated with EGFR-TKI inevitably and continuously develop resistance. In laboratory studies, flavonoids, as potential adjuvants for cancer chemotherapy, exhibited anti-cancer properties such as inhibition of chemoresistance by interference with ABC transporters-induced drug efflux, curbing of c-MET amplification, or reversal of T790M mutation-mediated resistance. The current review aims at summarizing the association between the anti-cancer potentials of flavonoids and their possible regulatory roles in certain types of mutation that could trigger EGFR-TKI resistance in NSCLC. Potential practical applications of these phytochemicals, as well as the relevant pharmacokinetics, are also discussed.

Construction of isoxazolone-fused phenanthridines via Rh-catalyzed cascade C-H activation/cyclization of 3-arylisoxazolones with cyclic 2-diazo-1,3-diketones

A Rh(iii)-catalyzed cascade C-H activation/intramolecular cyclization of 3-aryl-5-isoxazolones with cyclic 2-diazo-1,3-diketones was described, leading to the formation of isoxazolo[2,3-f]phenanthridine skeletons. The protocol features the simultaneous one-pot formation of two new C-C/C-N bonds and one heterocycle in moderate-to-good yields with good functional group compatibility. It is amenable to large-scale synthesis and further transformation.

Structure Activity Relationship of Key Heterocyclic Anti-Angiogenic Leads of Promising Potential in the Fight against Cancer

Pathological angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer; accordingly, a number of anticancer FDA-approved drugs act by inhibiting angiogenesis via different mechanisms. However, the development process of the most potent anti-angiogenics has met various hurdles including redundancy, multiplicity, and development of compensatory mechanisms by which blood vessels are remodeled. Moreover, identification of broad-spectrum anti-angiogenesis targets is proved to be required to enhance the efficacy of the anti-angiogenesis drugs. In this perspective, a proper understanding of the structure activity relationship (SAR) of the recent anti-angiogenics is required. Various anti-angiogenic classes have been developed over the years; among them, the heterocyclic organic compounds come to the fore as the most promising, with several drugs approved by the FDA. In this review, we discuss the structure–activity relationship of some promising potent heterocyclic anti-angiogenic leads. For each lead, a molecular modelling was also carried out in order to correlate its SAR and specificity to the active site. Furthermore, an in silico pharmacokinetics study for some representative leads was presented. Summarizing, new insights for further improvement for each lead have been reviewed.

Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles as Anticancer Agents: An Overview

Background:

Cancer is spreading all over the world, and it is becoming the leading cause of major deaths. Today’s most difficult task for every researcher is to invent a new drug that can treat cancer with minimal side effects. Many factors, including pollution, modern lifestyle and food habits, exposure to oncogenic agents or radiations, enhanced industrialization, etc. can cause cancer. Treatment of cancer is done by various methods that include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and immunotherapy in combination or singly along with kinase inhibitors. Most of the anti-cancer drugs use the concept of kinase inhibition.

Objective:

The number of drugs being used in chemotherapy has heterocycles as their basic structure in spite of various side effects. Medicinal chemists are focusing on nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds like pyrrole, pyrrolidine, pyridine, imidazole, pyrimidines, pyrazole, indole, quinoline, oxadiazole, azole, benzimidazole, etc. as the key building blocks to develop active biological compounds. The aim of this study is to attempt to compile a dataset of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic anti-cancer drugs.

Methods:

We adopted a structural search on notorious journal publication websites and electronic databases such as Bentham Science, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, USFDA, etc. for the collection of peer-reviewed research and review articles for the present review. The quality papers were retrieved, studied, categorized into different sections, analyzed and used for article writing.

Conclusion:

As per FDA databases, nitrogen-based heterocycles in the drug design are almost 60% of unique small-molecule drugs. Some of the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic anti-cancer drugs are Axitinib, Bosutinib, Cediranib, Dasatanib (Sprycel®), Erlotinib (Tarceva®), Gefitinib (Iressa®), Imatinib (Gleevec®), Lapatinib (Tykerb ®), Linifanib, Sorafenib (Nexavar®), Sunitinib (Sutent®), Tivozanib, etc. In the present review, we shall focus on the overview of nitrogen-containing heterocyclic active compounds as anti-cancer agents.

A formal [3 + 2] annulation reaction of propargyl sulfonium compounds and N-ylides: access to pyrrolo[2,1-a]quinolines, pyrrolo[2,1-a]phthalazines and indolizines

A sequential [3 + 2] annulation of prop-2-ynylsulfonium salt and N-ylides was developed, leading to the formation of a series of pyrrolo[2,1-a]quinolines, pyrrolo[2,1-a]phthalazines and indolizines. The protocol featured the simultaneous one-pot formation of three new C-C bonds in moderate yields under mild conditions. In this reaction, the prop-2-ynylsulfonium salts acted as the C2 synthons and sulfide served as the leaving group. The resultant products could serve as useful precursors for the synthesis of diverse chemical compounds.

7-Hydroxy-4-phenyl-1, 2-dihydroquinoline derivatives: synthesis via one-pot, three-component reaction and structure elucidation

We have developed a new and facile one pot three component protocol catalyzed by ammonium acetate for construction of new functionalized 7-hydroxy-4-phenyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline derivatives. A variety of quinoline derivatives were obtained in good to excellent yield from inexpensive reagents and catalyst in mild reaction conditions that provide atom economy and cost efficacy. Various spectroscopic techniques like FTIR, ¹HNMR and ¹³CNMR were employed to study their structure while mass of the synthesized compounds were confirmed through MALDI-TOF-MS and EI mass spectrometry.

Tuneable access to indole, indolone, and cinnoline derivatives from a common 1,4-diketone Michael acceptor

A convergent strategy is reported for the construction of nitrogen-containing heterocycles from common substrates: 1,4-diketones and primary amines. Indeed, by just varying the substrates, the substituents, or the heating mode, it is possible to selectively synthesize indole, indolone (1,5,6,7-tetrahydroindol-4-one), or cinnoline (5,6,7,8-tetrahydrocinnoline) derivatives in moderate to excellent yields.