Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking of thiazole hydrazone derivatives grafted with indole as novel tubulin polymerization inhibitors

Development of indole hybrids for potential lung cancer treatment - part II

Lung cancer has become the most prevalent cancer for the past three decades, and the 5-years survival rate of lung cancer is only ~20% nowadays. Chemotherapy is the mainstay of lung cancer therapy, especially for non-small cell lung cancer. However, drug resistance represents a principal cause of therapeutic failure in non-small cell lung cancer leading to therapeutic insensitivity, tumor recurrence, and disease progression. Indole hybrids have the potential to conquer drug resistance, enhance efficacy, reduce adverse events, and improve pharmacokinetic properties due to their capacity to inhibit multiple targets simultaneously. Moreover, indole hybrids osimertinib, mobocertinib, cediranib, and vizimpro are currently applied in clinics for lung cancer therapy, demonstrating that indole hybrids are valuable scaffolds in the treatment and eradication of lung cancer. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving landscape of indole hybrids with the in vitro and in vivo efficacy against lung cancer, and the structure-activity relationships as well as mechanisms of action are also discussed, covering articles published from 2021 onward.

Design and synthesis of camphor-thiazole derivatives as potent antifungal agents: structure-activity relationship and preliminary mechanistic study

BACKGROUND

Plant pathogenic fungi pose a severe threat to crop yield and food security. This study aims to investigate the potential antifungal activity and mechanism of action of camphor-thiazole derivatives against six plant pathogenic fungi. A novel series of camphor-thiazole derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antifungal effects against Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium graminearum, Valsa mali, Alternaria solani, Colletotrichum orbiculare and Botryitis cinerea.

RESULTS

Most of the synthesized camphor-thiazole derivatives exhibited notable antifungal activity. Amongst them, compounds C5, C10 and C17 showed significant activity against R. solani with median effective concentrations (EC50) values in the range 3-4 μg mL-1, demonstrating superior antifungal efficacy to the control drug boscalid (EC50 = 1.23 μg mL-1). Structure-activity relationship and density functional theory analysis emphasized the critical role of substituent selection in optimizing the biological activity of these compounds. Moreover, preliminary mechanistic studies revealed that compound C5 induced abnormal mycelial and cellular morphology in R. solani as observed using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and triggered the production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the increased concentration of C5 resulted in enhanced cell membrane permeability.

CONCLUSION

In this study, the designed and optimized compound C5 emerged as a promising candidate for potent antifungal agents. The results demonstrate that synthesized camphor-thiazole derivatives possess potent antifungal activity and can serve as lead compounds for further optimization in antifungal agent development. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Indole Compounds in Oncology: Therapeutic Potential and Mechanistic Insights

Cancer remains a formidable global health challenge, with current treatment modalities such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and targeted therapy often hindered by low efficacy and adverse side effects. The indole scaffold, a prominent heterocyclic structure, has emerged as a promising candidate in the fight against cancer. This review consolidates recent advancements in developing natural and synthetic indolyl analogs, highlighting their antiproliferative activities against various cancer types over the past five years. These analogs are categorized based on their efficacy against common cancer types, supported by biochemical assays demonstrating their antiproliferative properties. In this review, emphasis is placed on elucidating the mechanisms of action of these compounds. Given the limitations of conventional cancer therapies, developing targeted therapeutics with enhanced selectivity and reduced side effects remains a critical focus in oncological research.