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Ahmad F, Gupta A, Marzook H, Woodgett JR, Saleh MA, Qaisar R. Natural compound screening predicts novel GSK-3 isoform-specific inhibitors. Biochimie 2024; 225:68-80. [PMID: 38723940 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2024.05.002] [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: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) plays important roles in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular, metabolic, neurological disorders and cancer. Isoform-specific loss of either GSK-3α or GSK-3β often provides cytoprotective effects under such clinical conditions. However, available synthetic small molecule inhibitors are relatively non-specific, and their chronic use may lead to adverse effects. Therefore, screening for natural compound inhibitors to identify the isoform-specific inhibitors may provide improved clinical utility. Here, we screened 70 natural compounds to identify novel natural GSK-3 inhibitors employing comprehensive in silico and biochemical approaches. Molecular docking and pharmacokinetics analysis identified two natural compounds Psoralidin and Rosmarinic acid as potential GSK-3 inhibitors. Specifically, Psoralidin and Rosmarinic acid exhibited the highest binding affinities for GSK-3α and GSK-3β, respectively. Consistent with in silico findings, the kinase assay-driven IC50 revealed superior inhibitory effects of Psoralidin against GSK-3α (IC50 = 2.26 μM) vs. GSK-3β (IC50 = 4.23 μM) while Rosmarinic acid was found to be more potent against GSK-3β (IC50 = 2.24 μM) than GSK-3α (IC50 = 5.14 μM). Taken together, these studies show that the identified natural compounds may serve as GSK-3 inhibitors with Psoralidin serving as a better inhibitor for GSK-3α and Rosmarinic for GSK-3β isoform, respectively. Further characterization employing in vitro and preclinical models will be required to test the utility of these compounds as GSK-3 inhibitors for cardiometabolic and neurological disorders and cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Firdos Ahmad
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates; Cardiovascular Research Group, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates; Space Medicine Research Group, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Anamika Gupta
- Cardiovascular Research Group, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Hezlin Marzook
- Cardiovascular Research Group, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - James R Woodgett
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mohamed A Saleh
- Cardiovascular Research Group, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, 35516, Egypt; Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rizwan Qaisar
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates; Cardiovascular Research Group, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates; Space Medicine Research Group, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates
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2
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Chahbaoui N, Khamouli S, Alaqarbeh M, Belaidi S, Sinha L, Chtita S, Bouachrine M. Identification of novel curcumin derivatives against pancreatic cancer: a comprehensive approach integrating 3D-QSAR pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening, and molecular dynamics simulations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-19. [PMID: 37811784 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2266502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer, known as the "silent killer," poses a daunting challenge in cancer therapy. The dysregulation of the PI3Kα signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer has attracted considerable interest as a promising target for therapeutic intervention. In this regard, the use of curcumin derivatives as inhibitors of PI3Kα has emerged, providing a novel and promising avenue for developing effective treatments for this devastating disease. Computational approaches were employed to explore this potential and investigate 58 curcumin derivatives with cytotoxic activity against the Panc-1 cell line. Our approach involved ligand-based pharmacophore modeling and atom-based 3D-QSAR analysis. The resulting QSAR model derived from the best-fitted pharmacophore hypothesis (AAHRR_1) demonstrated remarkable performance with high correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.990 for the training set and 0.977 for the test set. The cross-validation coefficient (Q2) of 0.971 also validated the model's predictive power. Tropsha's recommended criteria, including the Y-randomization test, were employed to ensure its reliability. Furthermore, an enrichment study was conducted to evaluate the model's performance in identifying active compounds. AAHRR_1 was used to screen a curated PubChem database of curcumin-related compounds. Two molecules (CID156189304 and CID154728220) exhibited promising pharmacokinetic properties and higher docking scores than Alpelisib, warranting further investigation. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations provided crucial insights into the conformational dynamics within the binding site, validating their stability and behavior. These findings contribute to our understanding of the potential therapeutic effectiveness of these compounds as PI3Kα inhibitors in pancreatic cancer.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narimene Chahbaoui
- Group of Computational and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, LMCE Laboratory, University of Biskra, Biskra, Algeria
| | - Saida Khamouli
- Group of Computational and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, LMCE Laboratory, University of Biskra, Biskra, Algeria
| | - Marwa Alaqarbeh
- Basic Science Department, Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II Academy for Civil Protection, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan
| | - Salah Belaidi
- Group of Computational and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, LMCE Laboratory, University of Biskra, Biskra, Algeria
| | - Leena Sinha
- Physics Department, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, India
| | - Samir Chtita
- Laboratory of Analytical and Molecular Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Mohammed Bouachrine
- Molecular Chemistry and Natural Substances Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University Moulay Ismail, Meknes, Morocco
- Superior School of Technology - Khenifra (EST-Khenifra), University of Sultan Moulay Sliman, Khenifra, Morocco
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3
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Vasuki A, Christy HJ, Renugadevi K, Dammalli M. Structure-based pharmacophore modeling and DFT studies of Indian Ocean-derived red algal compounds as PI3Kα inhibitors. Mol Divers 2023:10.1007/s11030-023-10695-7. [PMID: 37466805 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-023-10695-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
Phosphoinositide kinases (PIKs) are a type of lipid kinase that acts as an upstream activator of oncogenic signaling. Presently accessible therapeutic compounds have downsides, such as toxicity and dubious efficacy, as well as lengthy treatment durations, which have bred resistance. Here we attempt to screen the Indian Ocean-derived red algal compounds to be used as a promising lead for PI3Kα inhibitor development. Experimental structure of the PI3K alpha Isoform-Specific Inhibitor alpelisib complex-based pharmacophore model was constructed and used as key to mark off the suitable lead compounds from the pool of marine-derived red algal compounds of Indian Ocean. Besides, the study encompasses pharmacophore scaffold screening as well as physicochemical and pharmacokinetic parameter assessment. We employed molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation to assess the binding type and stability of 21 red algal derivatives. Twelve compounds demonstrated a sustained binding mode within the PI3Kα binding pocket with an optimal protein backbone root-mean-square deviation, also prompted hydrogen bonding throughout the simulations, and also implies that these MNPs have firmly mediated the interaction with prime hinge region residues in the PI3Kα ATP binding pocket. DFT studies revealed that proposed compounds had the greatest occupied molecular orbital electrophilicity index, basicity, and dipole moment, all of which attributed their stability as well as binding affinity at the PI3Kα active site. Our study's findings revealed that CMNPD31054, CMNPD4798, CMNPD27861, CMNPD4799, CMNPD27860, CMNPD9533, CMNPD3732, CMNPD4221, CMNPD31058, CMNPD31052, CMNPD29281, and CMNPD31055 can be used as lead compounds for PI3KΑ isoform inhibitors design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Vasuki
- Department of Bioinformatics, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
| | - H Jemmy Christy
- Department of Bioinformatics, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India.
| | - K Renugadevi
- Department of Biotechnology, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
| | - Manjunath Dammalli
- Department of Biotechnology, Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur, Karnataka, India
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4
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Primavera E, Palazzotti D, Barreca ML, Astolfi A. Computer-Aided Identification of Kinase-Targeted Small Molecules for Cancer: A Review on AKT Protein. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:993. [PMID: 37513905 PMCID: PMC10384952 DOI: 10.3390/ph16070993] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
AKT (also known as PKB) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a pivotal regulatory role in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Dysregulation of AKT activity, especially its hyperactivation, is closely associated with the development of various human cancers and resistance to chemotherapy. Over the years, a wide array of AKT inhibitors has been discovered through experimental and computational approaches. In this regard, herein we present a comprehensive overview of AKT inhibitors identified using computer-assisted drug design methodologies (including docking-based and pharmacophore-based virtual screening, machine learning, and quantitative structure-activity relationships) and successfully validated small molecules endowed with anticancer activity. Thus, this review provides valuable insights to support scientists focused on AKT inhibition for cancer treatment and suggests untapped directions for future computer-aided drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Primavera
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Deborah Palazzotti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Maria Letizia Barreca
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Astolfi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, "Department of Excellence 2018-2022", University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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5
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Lauritano C, Montuori E, De Falco G, Carrella S. In Silico Methodologies to Improve Antioxidants' Characterization from Marine Organisms. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:710. [PMID: 36978958 PMCID: PMC10045275 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12030710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine organisms have been reported to be valuable sources of bioactive molecules that have found applications in different industrial fields. From organism sampling to the identification and bioactivity characterization of a specific compound, different steps are necessary, which are time- and cost-consuming. Thanks to the advent of the -omic era, numerous genome, metagenome, transcriptome, metatranscriptome, proteome and microbiome data have been reported and deposited in public databases. These advancements have been fundamental for the development of in silico strategies for basic and applied research. In silico studies represent a convenient and efficient approach to the bioactivity prediction of known and newly identified marine molecules, reducing the time and costs of "wet-lab" experiments. This review focuses on in silico approaches applied to bioactive molecule discoveries from marine organisms. When available, validation studies reporting a bioactivity assay to confirm the presence of an antioxidant molecule or enzyme are reported, as well. Overall, this review suggests that in silico approaches can offer a valuable alternative to most expensive approaches and proposes them as a little explored field in which to invest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lauritano
- Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Acton 55, 80133 Napoli, Italy
| | - Eleonora Montuori
- Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Acton 55, 80133 Napoli, Italy
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Gabriele De Falco
- Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Acton 55, 80133 Napoli, Italy
| | - Sabrina Carrella
- Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology Department, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Via Acton 55, 80133 Napoli, Italy
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6
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Synthesis, cytotoxicity, and docking based analysis of acridone-N-acetamides as AKT kinase inhibitors. CHEMICAL PAPERS 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11696-023-02692-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
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7
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Design and Synthesis of Coumarin Derivatives as Cytotoxic Agents through PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway Inhibition in HL60 and HepG2 Cancer Cells. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27196709. [PMID: 36235247 PMCID: PMC9571264 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27196709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
In this study, a series of coumarin derivatives, either alone or as hybrids with cinnamic acid, were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxicity against a panel of cancer cells using the MTT assay. Then, the most active compounds were inspected for their mechanism of cytotoxicity by cell-cycle analysis, RT-PCR, DNA fragmentation, and Western blotting techniques. Cytotoxic results showed that compound (4) had a significant cytotoxic effect against HL60 cells (IC50 = 8.09 µM), while compound (8b) had a noticeable activity against HepG2 cells (IC50 = 13.14 µM). Compounds (4) and (8b) mediated their cytotoxicity via PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition. These results were assured by molecular docking studies. These results support further exploratory research focusing on the therapeutic activity of coumarin derivatives as cytotoxic agents.
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8
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Drug Design by Pharmacophore and Virtual Screening Approach. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15050646. [PMID: 35631472 PMCID: PMC9145410 DOI: 10.3390/ph15050646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Computer-aided drug discovery techniques reduce the time and the costs needed to develop novel drugs. Their relevance becomes more and more evident with the needs due to health emergencies as well as to the diffusion of personalized medicine. Pharmacophore approaches represent one of the most interesting tools developed, by defining the molecular functional features needed for the binding of a molecule to a given receptor, and then directing the virtual screening of large collections of compounds for the selection of optimal candidates. Computational tools to create the pharmacophore model and to perform virtual screening are available and generated successful studies. This article describes the procedure of pharmacophore modelling followed by virtual screening, the most used software, possible limitations of the approach, and some applications reported in the literature.
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Abdelnaby RM, Rateb HS, Ali O, Saad AS, Nadeem RI, Abou-Seri SM, Amin KM, Younis NS, Abdelhady R. Dual PI3K/Akt Inhibitors Bearing Coumarin-Thiazolidine Pharmacophores as Potential Apoptosis Inducers in MCF-7 Cells. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15040428. [PMID: 35455425 PMCID: PMC9027131 DOI: 10.3390/ph15040428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy worldwide; therefore, the development of new anticancer agents is essential for improved tumor control. By adopting the pharmacophore hybridization approach, two series of 7-hydroxyl-4-methylcoumarin hybridized with thiosemicarbazone (V–VI) and thiazolidin-4-one moieties (VII–VIII) were prepared. The in vitro anticancer activity was assessed against MCF-7 cells adopting the MTT assay. Nine compounds showed significant cytotoxicity. The most promising compound, VIIb, induced remarkable cytotoxicity (IC50 of 1.03 + 0.05 µM). Further investigations were conducted to explore its pro-apoptotic activity demonstrating S-phase cell cycle arrest. Apoptosis rates following VIIb treatment revealed a 5-fold and 100-fold increase in early and late apoptotic cells, correspondingly. Moreover, our results showed caspase-9 dependent apoptosis induction as manifested by an 8-fold increase in caspase-9 level following VIIb treatment. Mechanistically, VIIb was found to target the PI3K-α/Akt-1 axis, as evidenced by enzyme inhibition assay results reporting significant inhibition of examined enzymes. These findings were confirmed by Western blot results indicating the ability of VIIb to repress levels of Cyclin D1, p-PI3K, and p-Akt. Furthermore, docking studies showed that VIIb has a binding affinity with the PI3K binding site higher than the original ligands X6K. Our results suggest that VIIb has pharmacological potential as a promising anti-cancer compound by the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana M. Abdelnaby
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +20-1270551779
| | - Heba S. Rateb
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City 12585, Egypt;
| | - Omaima Ali
- Egyptian Drug Authority, Cairo 12618, Egypt;
| | - Ahmed S. Saad
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Port Said University, Port Said 42511, Egypt;
| | - Rania I. Nadeem
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo 11785, Egypt;
| | - Sahar M. Abou-Seri
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt; (S.M.A.-S.); (K.M.A.)
| | - Kamilia M. Amin
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt; (S.M.A.-S.); (K.M.A.)
| | - Nancy S. Younis
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Faculty of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Hofuf 31982, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Rasha Abdelhady
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt;
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El-Dydamony NM, Abdelnaby RM, Abdelhady R, Ali O, Fahmy MI, R. Fakhr Eldeen R, Helwa AA. Pyrimidine-5-carbonitrile based potential anticancer agents as apoptosis inducers through PI3K/AKT axis inhibition in leukaemia K562. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2022; 37:895-911. [PMID: 35345960 PMCID: PMC8967206 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2051022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel series of 4-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-2-(methylthio)pyrimidine-5-carbonitrile was developed linked to an aromatic moiety via N-containing bridge and then evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 and K562 cell lines. Seven compounds exhibited the highest activity against both cell lines where compounds 4d and 7f were the most active against K562 cell line. Exploring their molecular mechanisms by enzyme inhibition assay on PI3Kδ/γ and AKT-1 showed that compound 7f was promising more than 4d with IC50 = 6.99 ± 0.36, 4.01 ± 0.55, and 3.36 ± 0.17 uM, respectively. Also, flowcytometric analysis revealed that 7f caused cell cycle arrest at S-phase followed by caspase 3 dependent apoptosis induction. Mechanistically, compound 7f proved to modulate the expression of PI3K, p-PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, Cyclin D1, and NFΚβ. Furthermore, in-vivo toxicity study indicated good safety profile for 7f. These findings suggest that the trimethoxy derivative 7f has strong potential as a multi-acting inhibitor on PI3K/AKT axis targeting breast cancer and leukaemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nehad M. El-Dydamony
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City, Egypt
| | - Rana M. Abdelnaby
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rasha Abdelhady
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Omaima Ali
- Cell Line Unit, Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed I. Fahmy
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rasha R. Fakhr Eldeen
- Biochemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City, Egypt
| | - Amira A. Helwa
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City, Egypt
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11
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Shanak S, Bassalat N, Barghash A, Kadan S, Ardah M, Zaid H. Drug Discovery of Plausible Lead Natural Compounds That Target the Insulin Signaling Pathway: Bioinformatics Approaches. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2022; 2022:2832889. [PMID: 35356248 PMCID: PMC8958086 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2832889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The growing smooth talk in the field of natural compounds is due to the ancient and current interest in herbal medicine and their potentially positive effects on health. Dozens of antidiabetic natural compounds were reported and tested in vivo, in silico, and in vitro. The role of these natural compounds, their actions on the insulin signaling pathway, and the stimulation of the glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) insulin-responsive translocation to the plasma membrane (PM) are all crucial in the treatment of diabetes and insulin resistance. In this review, we collected and summarized a group of available in vivo and in vitro studies which targeted isolated phytochemicals with possible antidiabetic activity. Moreover, the in silico docking of natural compounds with some of the insulin signaling cascade key proteins is also summarized based on the current literature. In this review, hundreds of recent studies on pure natural compounds that alleviate type II diabetes mellitus (type II DM) were revised. We focused on natural compounds that could potentially regulate blood glucose and stimulate GLUT4 translocation through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. On attempt to point out potential new natural antidiabetic compounds, this review also focuses on natural ingredients that were shown to interact with proteins in the insulin signaling pathway in silico, regardless of their in vitro/in vivo antidiabetic activity. We invite interested researchers to test these compounds as potential novel type II DM drugs and explore their therapeutic mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siba Shanak
- Faculty of Sciences, Arab American University, P.O Box 240, Jenin, State of Palestine
| | - Najlaa Bassalat
- Faculty of Sciences, Arab American University, P.O Box 240, Jenin, State of Palestine
- Faculty of Medicine, Arab American University, P.O Box 240, Jenin, State of Palestine
| | - Ahmad Barghash
- Computer Science Department, German Jordanian University, Madaba Street. P.O. Box 35247, Amman 11180, Jordan
| | - Sleman Kadan
- Qasemi Research Center, Al-Qasemi Academic College, P.O Box 124, Baqa El-Gharbia 30100, Israel
| | - Mahmoud Ardah
- Faculty of Sciences, Arab American University, P.O Box 240, Jenin, State of Palestine
| | - Hilal Zaid
- Faculty of Medicine, Arab American University, P.O Box 240, Jenin, State of Palestine
- Qasemi Research Center, Al-Qasemi Academic College, P.O Box 124, Baqa El-Gharbia 30100, Israel
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12
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Abdel Ghany LMA, El-Dydamony NM, Helwa AA, Abdelraouf SM, Abdelnaby RM. Coumarin-acetohydrazide derivatives as novel antiproliferative agents via VEGFR-2/AKT axis inhibition and apoptosis triggering. NEW J CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2nj02436e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The VEGFR-2/AKT pathway is a crucial axis in tumor survival where it is highly dysregulated in many cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina M. A. Abdel Ghany
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City, Egypt
| | - Nehad M. El-Dydamony
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City, Egypt
| | - Amira A. Helwa
- Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Manufacturing, Misr University for Science and Technology, 6th of October City, Egypt
| | - Sahar M. Abdelraouf
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of pharmacy, Misr International University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rana M. Abdelnaby
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Heliopolis University, Cairo, Egypt
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13
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Cervellera C, Russo M, Dotolo S, Facchiano A, Russo GL. STL1, a New AKT Inhibitor, Synergizes with Flavonoid Quercetin in Enhancing Cell Death in A Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cell Line. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26195810. [PMID: 34641354 PMCID: PMC8510450 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26195810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a pharmacophore model based on the experimental structure of AKT-1, we recently identified the compound STL1 (ZINC2429155) as an allosteric inhibitor of AKT-1. STL1, was able to reduce Ser473 phosphorylation, thus inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway. Moreover, we demonstrated that the flavonoid quercetin downregulated the phosphorylated and active form of AKT. However, in this case, quercetin inhibited the PI3K/AKT pathway by directly binding the kinases CK2 and PI3K. In the present work, we investigated the antiproliferative effects of the co-treatment quercetin plus STL1 in HG-3 cells, derived from a patient affected by chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Quercetin and STL1 in the mono-treatment maintained the capacity to inhibit AKT phosphorylation on Ser473, but did not significantly reduce cell viability. On the contrary, they activated a protective form of autophagy. When the HG-3 cells were co-treated with quercetin and STL1, their association synergistically (combination index < 1) inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis. The combined treatment caused the switch from protective to non-protective autophagy. This work demonstrated that cytotoxicity could be enhanced in a drug-resistant cell line by combining the effects of different inhibitors acting in concert on PI3K and AKT kinases.
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MESH Headings
- Antioxidants/pharmacology
- Apoptosis
- Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics
- Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism
- Cell Proliferation
- Drug Synergism
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects
- Humans
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/metabolism
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology
- Protein Kinase Inhibitors/pharmacology
- Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/antagonists & inhibitors
- Quercetin/pharmacology
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
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Elucidating the Effects of Curcumin against Influenza Using In Silico and In Vitro Approaches. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14090880. [PMID: 34577580 PMCID: PMC8465221 DOI: 10.3390/ph14090880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The influenza virus is a constantly evolving pathogen that challenges medical and public health systems. Traditionally, curcumin has been used to treat airway inflammatory diseases, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. To elucidate common targets of curcumin and influenza infection and underlying mechanisms, we employed network pharmacology and molecular docking approaches and confirmed results using in vitro experiments. Biological targets of curcumin and influenza were collected, and potential targets were identified by constructing compound–disease target (C-D) and protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks. The ligand–target interaction was determined using the molecular docking method, and in vitro antiviral experiments and target confirmation were conducted to evaluate curcumin’s effects on influenza. Our network and pathway analyses implicated the four targets of AKT1, RELA, MAPK1, and TP53 that could be involved in the inhibitory effects of curcumin on influenza. The binding energy calculations of each ligand–target interaction in the molecular docking showed that curcumin bound to AKT1 with the highest affinity among the four targets. In vitro experiments, in which influenza virus-infected MDCK cells were pre-, co-, or post-treated with curcumin, confirmed curcumin’s prophylactic and therapeutic effects. Influenza virus induction increased the level of mRNA expression of AKT in MDCK cells, and the level was attenuated by curcumin treatment. Collectively, our findings identified potential targets of curcumin against influenza and suggest curcumin as a potential therapy for influenza infection.
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