Saracatinib Fails to Reduce Alcohol-Seeking and Consumption in Mice and Human Participants

Discovery of 1H-benzo[d]imidazole-(halogenated) Benzylidenebenzohydrazide Hybrids as Potential Multi-Kinase Inhibitors

In an effort to develop improved and effective targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), a series of twelve novel compounds with the structural motif "(E)-4-(((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)methyl)amino)-N'-(halogenated)benzylidenebenzohydrazide" were successfully synthesized in three steps, yielding high product yields (53-97%). Among this new class of compounds, 6c and 6h-j exhibited excellent cytotoxic effects against four different cancer cell lines, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values ranging from 7.82 to 21.48 μM. Notably, compounds 6h and 6i emerged as the most potent inhibitors, demonstrating significant activity against key kinases such as EGFR, HER2, and CDK2. Furthermore, compound 6h displayed potent inhibitory activity against AURKC, while 6i showed potent inhibitory effects against the mTOR enzyme, with excellent IC50 values comparable with well-established TKIs. The mechanistic study of lead compound 6i revealed its ability to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HepG2 liver cancer cells. This was accompanied by upregulation of pro-apoptotic caspase-3 and Bax and downregulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. Additionally, molecular docking studies indicated that the binding interactions of compounds 6h and 6i with the target enzymes give multiple interactions. These results underscore the ability of compound 6i as a compelling lead candidate warranting further optimization and development as a potent multi-targeted kinase inhibitor, which could have significant implications for the treatment of various cancers. The detailed structural optimization, mechanism of action, and in vivo evaluation of this class of compounds warrant further investigation to assess their therapeutic potential.

Discovery of New Pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine Derivatives as Potential Multi-Targeted Kinase Inhibitors and Apoptosis Inducers

In the pursuit of developing more potent and effective targeted kinase inhibitors (TKIs), a series of new compounds, specifically halogenated '(E)-4-((7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-yl)amino)-N'-benzylidenebenzohydrazides', were successfully synthesized in three steps with high yields. Among these novel compounds, namely 5e, 5h, 5k, and 5l, promising cytotoxic effects were observed against four different cancer cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 29 to 59 µM. Notably, compound 5k emerged as the most potent inhibitor, exhibiting significant activity against EGFR, Her2, VEGFR2, and CDK2 enzymes, with IC50 values ranging from 40 to 204 nM, comparable to the well-known TKI sunitinib (IC50 = 261 nM). Mechanistic investigations of compound 5k revealed its ability to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HepG2 cells, accompanied by a notable increase in proapoptotic proteins caspase-3 and Bax, as well as the downregulation of Bcl-2 activity. Furthermore, molecular docking studies indicated similar binding interactions between compound 5k and the four enzymes, as observed with sunitinib. These findings highlight the potential of compound 5k as a promising candidate for further development as a multi-targeted kinase inhibitor with enhanced potency.

Genetically regulated multi-omics study for symptom clusters of posttraumatic stress disorder highlights pleiotropy with hematologic and cardio-metabolic traits

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that may arise in response to severe traumatic event and is diagnosed based on three main symptom clusters (reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal) per the Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders (version DSM-IV-TR). In this study, we characterized the biological heterogeneity of PTSD symptom clusters by performing a multi-omics investigation integrating genetically regulated gene, splicing, and protein expression in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tissue within a sample of US veterans enrolled in the Million Veteran Program (N total = 186,689). We identified 30 genes in 19 regions across the three PTSD symptom clusters. We found nine genes to have cell-type specific expression, and over-representation of miRNA-families - miR-148, 30, and 8. Gene-drug target prioritization approach highlighted cyclooxygenase and acetylcholine compounds. Next, we tested molecular-profile based phenome-wide impact of identified genes with respect to 1678 phenotypes derived from the Electronic Health Records of the Vanderbilt University biorepository (N = 70,439). Lastly, we tested for local genetic correlation across PTSD symptom clusters which highlighted metabolic (e.g., obesity, diabetes, vascular health) and laboratory traits (e.g., neutrophil, eosinophil, tau protein, creatinine kinase). Overall, this study finds comprehensive genomic evidence including clinical and regulatory profiles between PTSD, hematologic and cardiometabolic traits, that support comorbidities observed in epidemiologic studies of PTSD.