Design and synthesis of new quinoline derivatives as selective C-RAF kinase inhibitors with potent anticancer activity

This article describes the design, synthesis, and biological screening of a new series of diarylurea and diarylamide derivatives including quinoline core armed with dimethylamino or morpholino side chain. Fifteen target compounds were selected by the National Cancer Institute (NCI, USA) for in vitro antiproliferative screening against a panel of 60 cancer cell lines of nine cancer types. Compounds 1j-l showed the highest mean inhibition percentage values over the 60-cell line panel at 10 μM with broad-spectrum antiproliferative activity. Subsequently, compounds 1j-l were subjected to a dose-response study to measure their GI₅₀ and total growth inhibition (TGI) values against the cell lines. Three of the tested molecules exerted higher potency against most of the cell lines than the reference drug, sorafenib. Compound 1l indicated a higher potency than sorafenib against 53 of tested cancer cell lines. Compounds 1j-l demonstrated promising selectivity against cancer cells than normal cells. Moreover, compound 1l induced apoptosis and necrosis in RPMI-8226 cell line in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, compounds 1j-l were tested against C-RAF kinase as a potential molecular target. The three compounds showed high potency, and the most potent C-RAF kinase inhibitor was compound 1j with an IC₅₀ value of 0.067 μM. In addition, Compounds 1j-l were further tested at 1 μM concentration against a panel of another twelve kinases and they showed a high selectivity for C-RAF kinase. Molecular modeling studies were performed to illuminate on the putative binding interactions of these motifs in the active site of C-RAF kinase. Additional studies were conducted to measure aqueous solubility, partition coefficient, and Caco-2 permeability of the most promising derivatives.

Diarylamides in anticancer drug discovery: A review of pre-clinical and clinical investigations

Several diarylamide compounds have been highlighted as potential anticancer agents. Among them, imatinib, dasatinib, and nilotinib have been marketed for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). CML is a cancer type that originates in specific cells in bone marrow and is considered as life-threating disease. Imatinib is the first generation of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) to be approved for treatment of CML. Second generation drugs, dasatinib and nilotinib, were introduced for patients that are resistant or intolerant to imatinib therapy. Second generation drugs induce faster responses with fewer side effects when compared to imatinib. In this literature review, we reviewed recent advances of diarylamide anticancer agents, including first and second generation drugs treating CML and their other uses, in addition to other compounds that are still in preclinical phases. This review focuses on the reports published in the literature from 2010 to 2019.

Synthesis of new diarylamides with pyrimidinyl pyridine scaffold and evaluation of their anti-proliferative effect on cancer cell lines

A new series of diarylamides, having a pyrimidinyl pyridine scaffold, was designed and synthesized. The target compounds were synthesized in three steps. A selected group from the target compounds was tested over a panel of 60 cancer cell lines at a single dose concentration of 10 μM, and the most active compound, 5j, was further tested in a five-dose testing mode to determine its IC50 value over the 60 cell lines. In single-dose testing mode, compound 5j showed the highest growth inhibition against the NCI-60 cancer cell lines, while other tested compounds showed a weak to moderate inhibitory activity against a range of different cancer cell lines. In five-dose testing mode, compound 5j showed strong inhibitory activity in micro molar range against many cancer cell lines. Its major activity was against melanoma cancer cell lines. Therefore, compound 5j is a promising hit compound targeting this severe form of cancer.

An Unprecedented Straightforward Synthesis of Chiral Pyrrolo[3,4-b]quinolone and Pyrrolo[3,2-b]quinolone Backbones Starting fromtrans-4-Hydroxy-L-proline

The straightforward synthesis of pyrrolo[3,4-b]quinolone and pyrrolo[3,2-b]quinolone backbones, which can be found in molecules exhibiting anticancer activities, is presented. The key step of the process is an efficient and unprecedented Friedländer condensation between an oxoproline carbamate, obtained in 3 steps and good yield starting from commercially available and relatively cheaptrans-4-hydroxy-L-proline, and various 2-amino-substituted carbonyl derivatives. It was demonstrated that the formation of the two possible regioisomers was fully triggered by both the R substituent onto the 2-amino-substituted carbonyl compounds and the ester function onto the oxoproline carbamate. Thus, in some cases, a complete regiocontrol for the Friedländer reaction could be attained.

Hydrogenation of (N,N-disubstituted aminomethyl)nitrobenzenes to (N,N-disubstituted aminomethyl)anilines catalyzed by palladium–nickel bimetallic nanoparticles

A Pd–Ni bimetallic nanoparticles catalyzed hydrogenation of (N,N-disubstituted aminomethyl)nitrobenzenes to (N,N-disubstituted aminomethyl)anilines was achieved chemoselectively.

A new series of diarylamides possessing quinoline nucleus: Synthesis, in vitro anticancer activities, and kinase inhibitory effect

Synthesis of a new series of diarylamides possessing 6,7-dimethoxy(dihydroxy)quinoline scaffold is described. Their in vitro antiproliferative activities against NCI-58 human cancer cell lines of nine different cancer types were tested. Compounds 1a and 1d-g showed the highest mean %inhibition values over the 58 cell line panel at 10 μM, and they were further tested in 5-dose testing mode to determine their IC50 values. The five compounds were more potent than Imatinib against all the cell lines of nine different cancer types. Compound 1g showed the highest potencies. It showed inhibitory effect against C-RAF kinase (76.65% at 10 μM concentration).