Targeting JAK2/STAT3 for the treatment of cancer: A review on recent advancements in molecular development using structural analysis and SAR investigations

Cancer is indeed considered a hazardous and potentially life-threatening disorder. The JAK/STAT pathway is an important intracellular signaling cascade essential for many physiological functions, such as immune response, cell proliferation, and differentiation. Dysregulation of this pathway aids in the progression and development of cancer. The downstream JAK2/STAT3 signaling cascades are legitimate targets against which newer anticancer drugs can be developed to prevent and treat cancer. Understanding the mechanisms behind JAK2/STAT3 participation in cancer has paved the way for developing innovative targeted medicines with the potential to improve cancer treatment outcomes. This article provides information on the current scenario and recent advancements in the design and development of anticancer drugs targeting JAK2/STAT3, including structural analysis and SAR investigations of synthesized molecules. Numerous preclinical and clinical trials are ongoing on these inhibitors, which are highlighted to gain more insight into the broader development prospects of inhibitors of JAK2/STAT3.

Anticancer activity of Mannich bases: a review of recent literature

This report summarizes the latest published data on the antiproliferative action and cytotoxic activity of Mannich bases, a structurally heterogeneous category of chemical entities that includes compounds which are synthesized via the grafting of an aminomethyl function onto diverse substrates by means of the Mannich reaction. The present overview of the topic is an update to the information assembled in a previously published review that covered the literature up to 2014.

Unprecedented formation of palladium(II)-pyrazole based thiourea from chromone thiosemicarbazone and [PdCl2(PPh3)2]: Interaction with biomolecules and apoptosis through mitochondrial signaling pathway

Two novel pyrazole based thiourea palladium(II) complexes, [PdCl(PPh₃)(C₉H₈NO₂S-pz)] (1) and [PdCl(PPh₃)(C₁₄H₁₀NO₂S-pz)] (2) [pz = pyrazole (C₃H₂N₂)] have been obtained unexpectedly from chromone thiosemicarbazones (L1 and L2) and [PdCl₂(PPh₃)₂]. The compounds have been fully characterized by physicochemical studies. The single crystal X-ray diffraction and spectral studies revealed square planar geometry for the complexes. The conversion of chromone thiosemicarbazone into pyrazole based thiourea might have happened through coordination to palladium(II) ion after enolization, Michael addition and ring opening followed by cyclization. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report for the conversion of chromone thiosemicarbazone into pyrazole based thiourea moiety. Plausible mechanism was proposed based on the spectroscopic studies. Calf thymus (CT) DNA binding of the compounds was explored using various spectroscopic and molecular docking methods. DNA cleavage studies suggested that complexes 1 and 2 had the capacity to cleave the supercoiled DNA (pUC19) to its naked form. In vitro cytotoxic property of the ligands and complexes has been evaluated against three human cancer cells such as A549, HepG-2 and U937. Complex 2 exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against HepG-2 cells with the IC₅₀ value of 10.4 μM. In addition, mechanistic studies showed that complex 2 induced apoptosis through mitochondrial signaling pathway in HepG-2 cells. Beneficially, complex 2 showed less toxicity against human lung (IMR90) normal cells and hence it emerges as a potential candidate for further studies.

A New Class of β-Pyrrolidino-1,2,3-Triazole Derivatives as β-Adrenergic Receptor Inhibitors: Synthesis, Pharmacological, and Docking Studies

New 1,4-disubstituted β-pyrrolidino-1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized using a reusable copper-iodide-doped neutral alumina catalyst. Synthesis of diversely substituted triazoles and recyclability of CuI catalyst explains the broad scope of this protocol. The synthesized compounds were screened for their antimicrobial and anticancer properties. Most of the compounds showed significant antimicrobial activities against all the tested microorganisms compared to standard drugs. Furthermore, compounds 5a, 5e, 5g, 5h, 5i, and 5j showed moderate to potent activities against A549 and HepG-2 cells. In addition, compounds 5g and 5h displayed potential cytotoxicity activity against A549 cells with IC₅₀ values of 72 ± 3.21 and 58 ± 2.31 µM, respectively. The molecular docking study revealed that some of the synthesized compounds exhibited comparable binding as co-crystalized ligands with the DNA topoisomerase IV and anaplastic lymphoma kinase receptors.

The design and green synthesis of novel benzotriazoloquinolinyl spirooxindolopyrrolizidines: antimycobacterial and antiproliferative studies

Herein, we report the design and synthesis of novel series of potent anti-TB and antiproliferative benzotriazoloquinolinyl spirooxindolopyrrolizidines via an expeditious green approach by using ionic liquid ([Bmim]BF₄) under ultrasonication.

Highly active copper(i) complexes of aroylthiourea ligands against cancer cells – synthetic and biological studies

Copper(i) complexes containing sulfur donor monodentate aroylthiourea ligands have been synthesized and evaluated for their biological applications.