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New Compounds with Bioisosteric Replacement of Classic Choline Kinase Inhibitors Show Potent Antiplasmodial Activity. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13111842. [PMID: 34834257 PMCID: PMC8621770 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In the fight against Malaria, new strategies need to be developed to avoid resistance of the parasite to pharmaceutics and other prevention barriers. Recently, a Host Directed Therapy approach based on the suppression of the starting materials uptake from the host by the parasite has provided excellent results. In this article, we propose the synthesis of bioisosteric compounds that are capable of inhibiting Plasmodium falciparum Choline Kinase and therefore to reduce choline uptake, which is essential for the development of the parasite. Of the 41 bioisosteric compounds reported herein, none showed any influence of the linker on the antimalarial and enzyme inhibitory activity, whereas an effect of the type of cationic heads used could be observed. SARs determined that the thienopyrimidine substituted in 4 by a pyrrolidine is the best scaffold, independently of the chosen linker. The decrease in lipophilicity seems to improve the antimalarial activity but to cause an opposite effect on the inhibition of the enzyme. While potent compounds with similar good inhibitory values have been related to the proposed mechanism of action, some of them still show discrepancies and further studies are needed to determine their specific molecular target.
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Schiaffino-Ortega S, Mariotto E, Luque-Navarro PM, Kimatrai-Salvador M, Rios-Marco P, Hurtado-Guerrero R, Marco C, Carrasco-Jimenez MP, Viola G, López-Cara LC. Anticancer and Structure Activity Relationship of Non-Symmetrical Choline Kinase Inhibitors. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13091360. [PMID: 34575436 PMCID: PMC8464809 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13091360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Choline kinase inhibitors are an outstanding class of cytotoxic compounds useful for the treatment of different forms of cancer since aberrant choline metabolism is a feature of neoplastic cells. Here, we present the most in-depth structure-activity relationship studies of an interesting series of non-symmetric choline kinase inhibitors previously reported by our group: 3a–h and 4a–h. They are characterized by cationic heads of 3-aminophenol bound to 4-(dimethylamino)- or 4-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pyridinium through several linkers. These derivatives were evaluated both for their inhibitory activity on the enzyme and their antiproliferative activity in a panel of six human tumor cell lines. The compounds with the N-atom connected to the linker (4a–h) show the best inhibitory results, in the manner of results supported by docking studies. On the contrary, the best antiproliferative compounds were those with the O-atom bounded to the linker (3a–h). On the other hand, as was predictable in both families, the inhibitory effect on the enzyme is better the shorter the length of the linker. However, in tumor cells, lipophilicity and choline uptake inhibition could play a decisive role. Interestingly, compounds 3c and 4f, selected for both their ability to inhibit the enzyme and good antiproliferative activity, are endowed with low toxicity in non-tumoral cells (e.g., human peripheral lymphocytes) concerning cancer cells. These compounds were also able to induce apoptosis in Jurkat leukemic cells without causing significant variations of the cell cycle. It is worth mentioning that these derivatives, besides their inhibitory effect on choline kinase, displayed a modest ability to inhibit choline uptake thus suggesting that this mechanism may also contribute to the observed cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Schiaffino-Ortega
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (S.S.-O.); (P.M.L.-N.); (M.K.-S.)
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy;
| | - Pilar María Luque-Navarro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (S.S.-O.); (P.M.L.-N.); (M.K.-S.)
| | - María Kimatrai-Salvador
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (S.S.-O.); (P.M.L.-N.); (M.K.-S.)
| | - Pablo Rios-Marco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.R.-M.); (C.M.)
| | - Ramon Hurtado-Guerrero
- Institute of Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), Mariano Esquillor s/n, Campus Rio Ebro, Edificio I+D, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Carmen Marco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.R.-M.); (C.M.)
| | - María Paz Carrasco-Jimenez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (P.R.-M.); (C.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.P.C.-J.); (G.V.); (L.C.L.-C.); Tel.: +34-958-243-248 (M.P.C.-J.); +34-958-243-849 (L.C.L.-C.)
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy;
- Correspondence: (M.P.C.-J.); (G.V.); (L.C.L.-C.); Tel.: +34-958-243-248 (M.P.C.-J.); +34-958-243-849 (L.C.L.-C.)
| | - Luisa Carlota López-Cara
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus of Cartuja, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (S.S.-O.); (P.M.L.-N.); (M.K.-S.)
- Correspondence: (M.P.C.-J.); (G.V.); (L.C.L.-C.); Tel.: +34-958-243-248 (M.P.C.-J.); +34-958-243-849 (L.C.L.-C.)
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Lacal JC, Zimmerman T, Campos JM. Choline Kinase: An Unexpected Journey for a Precision Medicine Strategy in Human Diseases. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:788. [PMID: 34070409 PMCID: PMC8226952 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13060788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Choline kinase (ChoK) is a cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes the phosphorylation of choline to form phosphorylcholine (PCho) in the presence of ATP and magnesium. ChoK is required for the synthesis of key membrane phospholipids and is involved in malignant transformation in a large variety of human tumours. Active compounds against ChoK have been identified and proposed as antitumor agents. The ChoK inhibitory and antiproliferative activities of symmetrical bispyridinium and bisquinolinium compounds have been defined using quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) and structural parameters. The design strategy followed in the development of the most active molecules is presented. The selective anticancer activity of these structures is also described. One promising anticancer compound has even entered clinical trials. Recently, ChoKα inhibitors have also been proposed as a novel therapeutic approach against parasites, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory processes, and pathogenic bacteria. The evidence for ChoKα as a novel drug target for approaches in precision medicine is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Lacal
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, CSIC, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital La Paz, IDIPAZ, 28046 Madrid, Spain
| | - Tahl Zimmerman
- Food Microbiology and Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, North Carolina University, 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC 27411, USA;
| | - Joaquín M. Campos
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica, Facultad de Farmacia, c/Campus de Cartuja, s/n, Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- Instituto Biosanitario de Granada (ibs. GRANADA), SAS-Universidad de Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
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Serrán-Aguilera L, Mariotto E, Rubbini G, Castro Navas FF, Marco C, Carrasco-Jiménez MP, Ballarotto M, Macchiarulo A, Hurtado-Guerrero R, Viola G, Lopez-Cara LC. Synthesis, biological evaluation, in silico modeling and crystallization of novel small monocationic molecules with potent antiproliferative activity by dual mechanism. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 207:112797. [PMID: 32977218 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Seeking for new anticancer drugs with strong antiproliferative activity and simple molecular structure, we designed a novel series of compounds based on our previous reported pharmacophore model composed of five moieties. Antiproliferative assays on four tumoral cell lines and evaluation of Human Choline Kinase CKα1 enzymatic activity was performed for these compounds. Among tested molecules, those ones with biphenyl spacer showed betters enzymatic and antiproliferative activities (n-v). Docking and crystallization studies validate the hypothesis and confirm the results. The most active compound (t) induces a significant arrest of the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase that ultimately lead to apoptosis, following the mitochondrial pathway, as demonstrated for other choline kinase inhibitors. However additional assays reveal that the inhibition of choline uptake could also be involved in the antiproliferative outcome of this class of compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Serrán-Aguilera
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus Cartuja S/n. University of Granada, 18010, Granada, Spain
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Laboratory of Oncohematology, University of Padova, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Gianluca Rubbini
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus Cartuja S/n. University of Granada, 18010, Granada, Spain
| | - Francisco Fermín Castro Navas
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus Cartuja S/n. University of Granada, 18010, Granada, Spain
| | - Carmen Marco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I, Faculty of Sciences, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Marco Ballarotto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via Del Liceo 1, Perugia, 06123, Italy
| | - Antonio Macchiarulo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via Del Liceo 1, Perugia, 06123, Italy
| | - Ramón Hurtado-Guerrero
- Institute of Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI), University of Zaragoza, Institute for Biocomputation and Physics of Complex Systems (BIFI) and Laboratorio de Microscopías Avanzada (LMA), Mariano Esquillor S/n, Campus Rio Ebro, Edificio I+D; Fundacion ARAID, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain; Copenhagen Center for Glycomics, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, School of Dentistry, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Laboratory of Oncohematology, University of Padova, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Luisa Carlota Lopez-Cara
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Campus Cartuja S/n. University of Granada, 18010, Granada, Spain.
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