Design, synthesis, anticancer evaluation and molecular docking studies of 1,2,3-triazole incorporated 1,3,4-oxadiazole-Triazine derivatives

Symmetrical di-substituted phenylamino-s-triazine derivatives as anticancer agents: in vitro and in silico approach

A series of symmetrical tri-substituted s-triazine derivatives were designed and synthesized by two different methods (reflux and microwave-assisted methods). The structures of compounds were determined by infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR and 13C NMR), and mass spectrometry. The yield of the microwave-assisted method (91-98%) was significantly higher (about 10%) than that of the reflux method (80-88%) meanwhile the reaction time was significantly shorter (15-30 min). Compound 3b showed good cytotoxic activity against the MCF7 (human breast cancer) cell line with an IC50 value of 6.19 μM. Compounds 3a and 2e showed strong cytotoxic activity against the C26 (colon carcinoma) cell line with IC50 values of 1.21 and 8.28 μM, respectively. Compound 3e showed good cytotoxic activity against both MCF7 and C26 cell lines with IC50 values of 13.74, and 14.66 μM respectively. In particular, compound 2d exhibited the best potent cytotoxic activity among the synthesized compounds against both MCF7 and C26 cell lines with IC50 values of 6.54 and 0.38 μM, respectively. Moreover, compounds 2e, 3a, and 3e showed higher selectivity on cancer cell lines and lower toxicity on BAEC (bovine aorta endothelial) normal cells compared to compounds 2d, 3a, paclitaxel, and doxorubicin. In silico studies revealed five potent compounds with good physicochemical and ADMET profiles and potent interactions with key anticancer targets (EGFR, DHFR, VEGFR2, CDK2, mTOR, and PI3K) compared to reference drugs. This work paved the way for the synthesis of more potent compounds based on the phenylamino-s-triazine scaffold and the exploration of their diverse and potential biological activities as well as their mechanisms of action.

The current landscape of 1,2,3-triazole hybrids with anticancer therapeutic potential: Part I

Cancer, with its steadily increasing morbidity and mortality, will continue to pose a threat to humanity over an extended period. Chemotherapeutics play an indispensable role in cancer treatment, and hundreds of drugs have been approved for this purpose. Nevertheless, the fight against cancer remains a formidable challenge. This is mainly due to the emergence of multidrug resistance and the severe side effects associated with currently available anticancer drugs. Consequently, there is an urgent imperative to explore novel chemotherapeutic agents. 1,2,3-Triazoles belong to one of the most privileged classes of nitrogen-containing five-membered heterocycles and are regarded as prominent sources for the development of innovative anticancer chemotherapeutics. 1,2,3-Triazole hybrids, which possess multitargeted mechanisms of action within the cancer progression pathway, hold the potential to overcome multidrug resistance and mitigate side effects. Furthermore, several 1,2,3-triazole hybrids have already been approved for cancer therapy or are currently under clinical evaluation. This clearly demonstrates that 1,2,3-triazole hybrids are valuable scaffolds in the treatment and eradication of cancer. This review aims to provide insights into the anticancer therapeutic potential of 1,2,3-triazole hybrids, along with their mechanisms of action, crucial aspects of design, and structure-activity relationships (SARs). It encompasses articles published from 2021 onward.

Facile one-pot synthesis and in silico study of new heterocyclic scaffolds with 4-pyridyl moiety: Mechanistic insights and X-ray crystallographic elucidation

4-Acetylpyridine 1 and malononitrile 2 were allowed to react in a 3MCRs with dimedone 3a or cyclohexa-1,3-dione 3b under reflux to afford 4-methyl-4-(pyridin-4-yl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-chromene derivatives 4a,b respectively. The mechanism of the reaction has been studied and the structures elucidated by analytical, spectral as well as X-ray crystallographic data. Heterocyclic compounds find widespread application in pharmaceutical and agrochemical products. Docking analyses were performed on the synthesized compounds to assess their binding modes with various amino acids of the target protein tubulin (PDB Code - 1SA0). The results indicated promising binding scores for compounds 4a and 4b, suggesting a strong affinity for the tubulin binding site. Finally, ADMET for the synthesized compounds 4a, 4b, 5, 8a and 8b were carried out. The drug likeness and pharmacokinetic properties of the prepared compounds were also evaluated. Notably, all of the novel compounds adhered to Lipinski's rule (Ro5) without any violations.

The anti-breast cancer therapeutic potential of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids

Breast cancer, as one of the most common invasive malignancies and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women globally, poses a significant challenge in the world health system. Substantial advances in diagnosis and treatment have significantly improved the survival rate of breast cancer patients, but the number of incidences and deaths of breast cancer are projected to increase by 40% and 50%, respectively, by 2040. Chemotherapy is one of the principal treatments for breast cancer therapy, but multidrug resistance and severe side effects remain the major obstacles to the success of treatment. Hence, there is a vital need to develop novel chemotherapeutic agents to combat this deadly disease. 1,2,3-Triazole, which can be effectively constructed by click chemistry, not only can serve as a linker to connect different anti-breast cancer pharmacophores but also is a valuable pharmacophore with anti-breast cancer potential and favorable properties such as hydrogen bonding, moderate dipole moment, and enhanced water solubility. Particularly, 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids have demonstrated promising in vitro and in vivo anti-breast cancer potential against both drug-sensitive and drug-resistant forms and possessed excellent selectivity by targeting different biological pathways associated with breast cancer, representing privileged scaffolds for the discovery of novel anti-breast cancer candidates. This review concentrates on the latest advancements of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids with anti-breast cancer potential, including work published between 2020 and the present. The structure-activity relationships (SARs) and mechanisms of action are also reviewed to shed light on the development of more effective and multitargeted candidates.