Benzoxazole derivatives as new VEGFR-2 inhibitors and apoptosis inducers: design, synthesis, in silico studies, and antiproliferative evaluation

Designing novel potent oxindole derivatives as VEGFR2 inhibitors for cancer therapy: Computational insights from molecular docking, drug-likeness, DFT, and structural dynamics studies

Oxindole is a γ-lactam featuring a heterocyclic core, combining pyrrole and benzene rings with a carbonyl group at the second position. This scaffold is present in numerous bioactive compounds, both natural and synthetic, and has emerged as a privileged pharmacophore in medicinal chemistry due to its broad biological activity. Substitution at the 3-position of the 2-oxindole structure has been shown to enhance potency and selectivity, especially in anticancer drug development. Breast cancer, a prevalent and challenging disease affecting millions of women worldwide, underscores an urgent need for more effective treatments. Current therapies often exhibit limited efficacy, significant side effects, and resistance issues, highlighting the demand for novel drugs with improved safety profiles. This study focuses on vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), an essential regulator of tumor angiogenesis, as a potential target for breast cancer therapy. Through molecular docking-based virtual screening of 360 designed oxindole derivatives, three compounds (BIATAM, CIHTAM, and IATAM) were identified as potential candidates, each demonstrating high docking scores (>7 kcal/mol) and favorable interactions, including hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic contacts, and stacking. Among these, BIATAM emerged as the lead compound due to its superior docking performance, favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, and compliance with Lipinski's Rule of Five. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed its chemical stability, while molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) revealed high structural stability. Principal component-based free energy landscape (FEL) analysis highlighted limited conformational flexibility, and MM/PBSA-based binding energy calculations reinforced its strong affinity within the VEGFR-2 binding pocket. These comprehensive computational findings suggest that BIATAM holds promising potential as a novel therapeutic option for treating breast cancer.

Discovery of novel benzoxazole analogues as potential anticancer agent selectively targeting aromatase

Estrogen play an important role in the development of breast cancer in menopausal women. Aromatase, an enzyme that catalyses the last step in the production of estrogen, has been identified as a promising target for clinical development. In the present investigation, novel 2-substituted benzoxazoles were synthesized and evaluated for inhibition against aromatase. Among the studied compound, 6a exhibited 4.04-fold greater cytotoxicity (IC50 = 0.22 µM) than doxorubicin (IC50 = 0.89 µM). It also showed higher selectivity (26.30-304.95) against cancer cells compared to normal (Vero), with a substantial MID of 0.98 µM against the breast cancer subpanel. Furthermore, it displayed a significantly higher affinity for aromatase (IC50 = 64.9 nM) compared to the standard (IC50 = 1850 nM), indicating the mechanism of anticancer action. In the in-vitro enzymatic assay, it demonstrated 8.46-63.14-fold higher selectivity against aromatase compared to other enzymes. Additionally, docking interaction demonstrated a higher dock score of -10.2 kcal/mol to standard (-8.1 kcal/mol). Furthermore, higher stability in the MD simulation established aromatase as an anticancer target and validated the docking methodology. It was also discovered that compound 6a had a binding free energy of -67.72 kcal/mol, which was 1.46 times lower than the standard (-46.17 kcal/mol), supporting the in-silico protocol. Furthermore, MMGBSA discovered that lower binding free energy of Vander Waals force and lipophilicity had a greater impact on aromatase binding affinity and docking scores. These findings imply that compound 6a deserve to be investigated further in the development of potential anticancer agent as aromatase inhibitors.

A Sustainable Synthesis of Novel 2-(3,4-Disubstituted phenyl)benzoxazole Derivatives and Their Antiproliferative and Antibacterial Evaluation

This study describes the synthesis of O-alkylated benzaldehydes 1-8, Schiff bases 9-28, and benzoxazole derivatives 29-48 using microwave, ultrasound, and mechanochemical reactions, as well as reactions in deep eutectic solvents in excellent yields, and their antiproliferative and antibacterial activities. The in vitro evaluation of antiproliferative activity for the newly synthesised benzoxazole derivatives 29-48 against a diverse panel of human cancer cell lines, such as LN-229, Capan-1, HCT-116, NCI-H460, DND-41, HL-60, K-562, and Z-138 demonstrated that the majority of these benzoxazole derivatives displayed promising anticancer activity, particularly against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells (NCI-H460). Notably, several derivatives showed enhanced activity compared to the included reference drug, etoposide. Considering the influence of substituents at position 5 of the benzoxazole ring and positions 3 and 4 of the phenyl ring on the antiproliferative activity, it is evident that derivatives 41-48 bearing a methoxy group at position 3 generally exhibit higher activity compared to compounds 29-40, which lack substitution at position 3. Furthermore, derivatives substituted at position 4 with a morpholine substituent, as well as those with an N,N-diethyl group, exhibited higher activity compared to other evaluated benzoxazole derivatives. The in vitro antibacterial evaluation against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria revealed that benzoxazole derivative 47 exhibited notable activity, against the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC = 0.25 μg/mL) and the Gram-positive bacterium Enterococcus faecalis (MIC = 0.5 μg/mL). The results point out that this class of benzoxazoles can be efficiently synthesized using eco-friendly methods and represent promising candidates for further design and optimization aimed at developing potent antiproliferative agents.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of indazole derivatives as VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitors with anti-angiogenic properties

The strategy of inhibiting angiogenesis, specifically by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), has been proven effective in tumor treatment. In this study, we designed several VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitors based on an indazole scaffold. Among them, the most potent compound, 30, inhibits VEGFR-2 (IC50 = 1.24 nM) with subtle selectivity over other kinases. It demonstrates significant inhibitory activity against HUVEC angiogenesis and inhibits cell migration in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, it exhibits low acute toxicity in mice. In vivo studies, compound 30 demonstrates favorable pharmacokinetic profiles. It suppresses tumor angiogenesis in the zebrafish subintestinal vessel model, indicating that it may be a potential angiogenesis inhibitor for further development.

Design and synthesis of new nicotinamides as immunomodulatory VEGFR-2 inhibitors and apoptosis inducers

Background: Nicotinamide-based VEGFR-2 inhibitors have good contribution in drug discovery.Aim: Development of novel nicotinamides as VEGFR-2 inhibitors.Methods: different in vitro and in silico assays were conducted to evaluate the VEGFR-2 inhibition and cytotoxicity.Results: Compound 16c displayed strongest anti-VEGFR-2 potentiality and good anti-proliferative effects. Compound 16c enhanced apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest in the Pre-G1 and S phases. Compound 16c boosted the level of the apoptotic caspase-3 and inhibited the level of TNF-α and IL-6 in tumor cells. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations indicated the outstanding binding potential of compound 16c against VEGFR-2.Conclusion: Compound 16c is a good candidate for the creation of a novel antiangiogenic lead anticancer medication.

A critical analysis of design, binding pattern and SAR of benzo-fused heteronuclear compounds as VEGFR-2 inhibitors

Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are a class of homodimeric ligands that bind to their receptors (VEGFRs) to carryout physiological and pathological angiogenesis essential for regulating homeostasis of body. Overexpression of VEGF results in metastasis of benign tumor into malignant tumor. An active role of VEGFR-2 in cancer angiogenesis makes it a major target for cancer therapy. FDA approved VEGFR-2 inhibitors like sorafenib, vemurafenib and dabrafenib, and monoclonal antibodies such as bevacizumab and ramucirumab are available in market but possess side effects like hypertension, CVS disorders, liver damage and adverse effects like Iatrogenicity. Several research groups across the globe have designed and reported varied small molecules from different heteronuclei like quinazoline, pyrimidine, coumarin, pyrazole, indoline, benzimidazole, benzoxazole, etc. as VEGFR-2 inhibitors based on the information available on active site of the receptor, and pharmacophoric features of FDA approved drugs. The present review compiles the information available on benzo-fused heteronuclear compounds including benzimidazole, benzoxazole and benzothiazole in recent years, with emphasis on their design, activity, structure-activity relationship (SAR) and docking analysis for understanding binding interactions in the active site of VEGFR-2. In addition to this, a topological similarity analysis of these compounds is performed taking sorafenib as template, and a comprehensive SAR is proposed for researchers to further explore the anticancer potential of these pharmacophore.

Design, synthesis, and biological investigations of new pyrazole derivatives as VEGFR2/CDK-2 inhibitors targeting liver cancer

New Series of N-Manniche bases 3,4 (a-c) and 5,6 (a-b) were synthesized through the reaction of benzaldehyde and amine with 3-methyl-4-(aryldiazenyl)-1H-pyrazol-5-ol derivatives 2(a-c), they were fully characterized by FT-IR, (1H, 13C) NMR data in addition to their mass spectra. The Structural Activity Relationship of the target compounds were examined for their cytotoxicity. Some newly synthesized compounds showed promising antiproliferation properties when tested against HepG2 cancer cells. Compounds 4a, 5a, and 6b showed potent cytotoxicity against HepG2 with IC50 values of 4.4, 3.46 and 2.52 µM compared to Sorafenib (IC50 = 2.051 µM) and Roscovitine (IC50 = 4.18 µM). Furthermore, they were safe against the THLE2 cells with higher IC50 values. Compound 6b exhibited promising dual VEGFR2/CDK-2 inhibition activities; it had an IC50 value of 0.2 μM with VEGFR2 inhibition of 93.2%, and it had an IC50 value of 0.458 μM with CDK-2 inhibition of 88.7%. In comparison to the untreated control group (0.95%), compounds 5a (38.32%) and 6b (42.9%) considerably increased the cell population in total apoptosis. In addition, compounds 5a and 6b arrested the cell population at G0-G1 and S phases, respectively. Molecular docking experiments confirmed the virtual binding mechanism of the most active drugs, which were found to have good binding affinities with both receptor active sites.

The Benzoxazole Heterocycle: A Comprehensive Review of the Most Recent Medicinal Chemistry Developments of Antiproliferative, Brain-Penetrant, and Anti-inflammatory Agents

The benzoxazole is one of the most widely exploited heterocycles in drug discovery. Natural occurring and synthetic benzoxazoles show a broad range of biological activities. Many benzoxazoles are available for treating several diseases, and, to date, a few are in clinical trials. Moreover, an ever-increasing number of benzoxazole derivatives are under investigation in the early drug discovery phase and as potential hit or lead compounds. This perspective is an attempt to thoroughly review the rational design, the structure-activity relationship, and the biological activity of the most notable benzoxazoles developed during the past 5 years (period 2019-to date) in cancers, neurological disorders, and inflammation. We also briefly overviewed each target and its role in the disease. The huge amount of work examined suggests the great potential of the scaffold and the high interest of the scientific community in novel biologically active compounds containing the benzoxazole core.

Discovery of novel dihydro-pyrimidine hybrids: insight into the design, synthesis, biological evaluation and absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion studies

Aim: By keeping in aspects, the pharmacological potential of heterocyclic compounds, pyrimidine-based compounds were designed, synthesized and evaluated for α-amylase inhibitory potential.Materials & methods: Five new series 1a-l, 2a-d, 3a-d, 4a-d and 5a-d of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroprimidine-5-carboxylate derivatives were designed by de novo method by taking Alogliptin as reference compound. Here in we describe synthesis and characterization of compounds as potential α-amylase inhibitor.Results: Structure activity relationship (SAR), in vitro analysis and molecular modelling approaches generate compounds 1 h, 1i, 1k and 4c as potential lead with good α-amylase inhibitory selection. However, compound 1k failed the criteria of optimization as drug lead by ADME studies while all other compounds showed optimum range for all in silico ADME parameters.Conclusion: Therefore, these compounds can serve as potential lead candidate in developing anti-diabetic therapy.

Anthocyanins from pomegranate peel (Punica granatum), chili pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum), and bougainvillea flowers (Bougainvillea spectabilis) with multiple biofunctions: Antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer

Background

Natural colorants, including natural pigments, e.g., anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophylls, in novel and attractive food matrixes have become a popular trend. They impart favorite colors to food products and provide significant therapeutic effects. This study is aimed at extracting and identifying some natural pigments from different plant sources and evaluating their ability as antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities.

Methods

The anthocyanin-rich extract (ARE) is derived from three natural plant sources: pomegranate peel (Punica granatum), chili pepper fruit (Capsicum annuum), and Bougainvillea flowers. Bougainvillea spectabilis are analyzed for biochemical composition, as well as antioxidant, antibacterial, and anticancer activity, HPLC, DPPH, FRAP, disc diffusion assay, MIC, MTT, VEGFR-2, and caspase-9 assays.

Results

All three extracts had varying total phenolic contents, ranging from 14 to 466 mg GAE/g extract, where Punica granatum was the highest (466 mg GAE/g extract), followed by Bougainvillea spectabilis (180 mg GAE/g extract), and then Capsicum annuum (14 mg GAE/g extract). The antioxidant activity rose steadily with raising concentration. The ARE of pomegranate peels recorded highest value, followed by Bougainvillea flowers and chili pepper fruit. The MTT assay revealed an inhibitory action of the tested extracts on the proliferation of HCT-116, MCF-7, and HepG2 in a concentration-based manner. Gene expression of caspase-9 transcripts was considerably multiplied by the application of ARE of pomegranate peels. All the tested extracts inhibited VEGFR-2, and the inhibition (%) expanded gradually with increasing concentrations, achieving the highest value (80 %) at 10 μg/mL. The ARE of pomegranate peels scored highest antibacterial activity, followed by ARE of chili pepper fruit and Bougainvillea flowers. The inhibition zone diameter escalated gradually with rising concentrations of the tested samples.

Conclusion

The AREs of the three studied plant sources can be used as multifunctional products with antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial activities that are natural, safe, and cheap.

New thiazolidine-2,4-diones as potential anticancer agents and apoptotic inducers targeting VEGFR-2 kinase: Design, synthesis, in silico and in vitro studies

BACKGROUND

VEGFR-2 has emerged as a prominent positive regulator of cancer progression.

AIM

Discovery of new anticancer agents and apoptotic inducers targeting VEGFR-2.

METHODS

Design and synthesis of new thiazolidine-2,4-diones followed by extensive in vitro studies, including VEGFR-2 inhibition assay, MTT assay, apoptosis analysis, and cell migration assay. In silico investigations including docking, MD simulations, ADMET, toxicity, and DFT studies were performed.

RESULTS

Compound 15 showed the strongest VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 0.066 μM. Additionally, most of the synthesized compounds showed anti-proliferative activity against HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines at the micromolar range with IC50 values ranging from 0.04 to 4.71 μM, relative to sorafenib (IC50 = 2.24 ± 0.06 and 3.17 ± 0.01 μM against HepG2 and MCF-7, respectively). Also, compound 15 showed selectivity indices of 1.36 and 2.08 against HepG2 and MCF-7, respectively. Furthermore, compound 15 showed a significant apoptotic effect and arrested the cell cycle of MCF-7 cells at the S phase. Moreover, compound 15 had a significant inhibitory effect on the ability of MCF-7 cells to heal from. Docking studies revealed that the synthesized thiazolidine-2,4-diones have a binding pattern approaching sorafenib. MD simulations indicated the stability of compound 15 in the active pocket of VEGFR-2 for 200 ns. ADMET and toxicity studies indicated an acceptable pharmacokinetic profile. DFT studies confirmed the ability of compound 15 to interact with VEGFR-2.

CONCLUSION

Compound 15 has promising anticancer activity targeting VEGFR-2 with significant activity as an apoptosis inducer.

Design, synthesis, and anticancer evaluation of N-sulfonylpiperidines as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors, apoptotic inducers

A new panel of N-sulfonylpiperidine derivatives has been designed and synthesized as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) inhibitors. Anti-proliferative activities of the synthesized members were tested against colorectal carcinoma (HCT-116), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2), and breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines. Compounds 3a, 4, 8, and 9 showed the highest activities against the tested cell lines. In particular, compound 8 showed excellent activities against HCT-116, HepG-2, and MCF-7 with IC50 values of 3.94, 3.76, and 4.43 μM, respectively. Such IC50 values are comparable to vinblastine (IC50 = 3.21, 7.35, 5.83 μM, respectively) and doxorubicin (IC50 = 6.74, 7.52, 8.19 μM, respectively). In vitro VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity of the most promising molecules (3a, 4, 8, and 9) indicated that compound 8 is the highest VEGFR-2 inhibitor with an IC50 of 0.0554 μM, compared to sorafenib (IC50 = 0.0416 μM). The most promising candidates (3a, 4, 8, and 9) were subjected to flow cytometry analyses to assess their effects on the cell cycle behavior and the apoptotic power against the three tested cell lines (HCT-116, HepG-2, and MCF-7). The tested compound arrested the tumor cells at both the G2/M and Pre-G1 phases. In addition, compound 9 was proved as the most effective apoptotic inducer among the tested compounds against the tested cells. Molecular docking studies against VEGFR-2 (PDB ID: 2OH4) revealed good binding modes of the synthesized compound similar to that of sorafenib. Computational investigation of ADMET parameters revealed the drug-likeness of the synthesized compounds.

In silico insights into design of novel VEGFR-2 inhibitors: SMILES-based QSAR modelling, and docking studies on substituted benzo-fused heteronuclear derivatives

Eight QSAR models (M1-M8) were developed from a dataset of 118 benzo-fused heteronuclear derivatives targeting VEGFR-2 by Monte Carlo optimization method of CORALSEA 2023 software. Models were generated with hybrid optimal descriptors using both SMILES and Graphs with zero- and first-order Morgan extended connectivity index from a training set of 103 derivatives. All statistical parameters for model validation were within the prescribed limits, establishing the models to be robust and of excellent quality. Among all models, split-2 of M5 was the best-fit as reflected by   r v a lidation 2 ,   Q v a lidation 2 and MAE . Mechanistic interpretation of this model assisted the identification of structural descriptors as promoters and hinderers for VEGFR-2 inhibition. These descriptors were utilized to design novel VEGFR-2 inhibitors (YS01-YS07) by bringing modifications in compound MS90 in the dataset. Docking of all designed compounds, MS90 and sorafenib with VEGFR-2 binding site revealed favourable binding interactions. Docking score of YS07 was higher than that of MS90 and sorafenib. Molecular dynamics simulation study revealed sustained interactions of YS07 with key amino acids of VEGFR-2 at a run time of 100 ns. This study concludes the development of a best fit QSAR model which can assist the design of new anticancer agents targeting VEGFR-2.

Computer aided drug discovery (CADD) of a thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative as a new EGFR inhibitor targeting the ribose pocket

Depending on the pharmacophoric characteristics of EGFR inhibitors, a new thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative has been developed. Firstly, the potential inhibitory effect of the designed compound against EGFR has been proven by docking experiments that showed correct binding modes and excellent binding energies of -98.44 and -88.00 kcal/mol, against EGFR wild-type and mutant type, respectively. Furthermore, MD simulations studies confirmed the precise energetic, conformational, and dynamic alterations that occurred after binding to EGFR. The correct binding was also confirmed by essential dynamics studies. To further investigate the general drug-like properties of the developed candidate, in silico ADME and toxicity studies have also been carried out. The thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative was synthesized following the earlier promising findings. Fascinatingly, the synthesized compound (4) showed promising inhibitory effects against EGFRWT and EGFRT790M with IC50 values of 25.8 and 182.3 nM, respectively. Also, it exhibited anticancer potentialities against A549 and MCF-7cell lines with IC50 values of 13.06 and 20.13 µM, respectively. Interestingly, these strong activities were combined with selectivity indices of 2.8 and 1.8 against the two cancer cell lines, respectively. Further investigations indicated the ability of compound 4 to arrest the cancer cells' growth at the G2/M phase and to increase early and late apoptosis percentages from 2.52% and 2.80 to 17.99% and 16.72%, respectively. Additionally, it was observed that compound 4 markedly increased the levels of caspase-3 and caspase-9 by 4 and 3-fold compared to the control cells. Moreover, it up-regulated the level of BAX by 3-fold and down-regulated the level of Bcl-2 by 3-fold affording a BAX/Bcl-2 ratio of 9.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Discovery of new thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors: In vitro and in silico studies

In this study, a series of seven novel 2,4-dioxothiazolidine derivatives with potential anticancer and VEGFR-2 inhibiting abilities were designed and synthesized as VEGFR-2 inhibitors. The synthesized compounds were tested in vitro for their potential to inhibit VEGFR-2 and the growth of HepG2 and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. Among the compounds tested, compound 22 (IC50 = 0.079 μM) demonstrated the highest anti-VEGFR-2 efficacy. Furthermore, it demonstrated significant anti-proliferative activities against HepG2 (IC50 = 2.04 ± 0.06 μM) and MCF-7 (IC50 = 1.21 ± 0.04 M). Additionally, compound 22 also increased the total apoptotic rate of the MCF-7 cancer cell lines with cell cycle arrest at S phase. As well, computational methods were applied to study the VEGFR-2-22 complex at the molecular level. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to investigate the complex's structural and kinetic characteristics. The DFT calculations further revealed the structural and electronic properties of compound 22. Finally, computational ADMET and toxicity tests were performed indicating the likeness of the proposed compounds to be drugs. The results suggest that compound 22 displays promise as an effective anticancer treatment and can serve as a model for future structural modifications and biological investigations in this field.

Novel pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives: design, synthesis, anticancer evaluation, VEGFR-2 inhibition, and antiangiogenic activity

A novel series of 12 pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine derivatives were created and evaluated in vitro for their antiproliferative activity against the NCI 60 human tumor cell line panel. Compounds 12a-d displayed significant antitumor activity against MDA-MB-468 and T-47D (breast cancer cell lines), especially compound 12b, which exhibited the highest anticancer activity against MDA-MB-468 and T-47D cell lines with IC50 values of 3.343 ± 0.13 and 4.792 ± 0.21 μM, respectively compared to staurosporine with IC50 values of 6.358 ± 0.24 and 4.849 ± 0.22 μM. The most potent cytotoxic derivatives 12a-d were studied for their VEGFR-2 inhibitory activity to explore the mechanism of action of these substances. Compound 12b had potent activity against VEGFR-2 with an IC50 value of 0.063 ± 0.003 μM, compared to sunitinib with IC50 = 0.035 ± 0.012 μM. Moreover, there was an excellent reduction in HUVEC migratory potential that resulted in a significant disruption of wound healing patterns by 23% after 72 h of treatment with compound 12b. Cell cycle and apoptosis investigations showed that compound 12b could stop the cell cycle at the S phase and significantly increase total apoptosis in the MDA-MB-468 cell line by 18.98-fold compared to the control. Moreover, compound 12b increased the caspase-3 level in the MDA-MB-468 cell line by 7.32-fold as compared to the control.

Rationale design and synthesis of new apoptotic thiadiazole derivatives targeting VEGFR-2: computational and in vitro studies

This work presents the synthesis and in vitro, and in silico analyses of new thiadiazole derivatives that are designed to mimic the pharmacophoric characteristics of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) inhibitors. A comprehensive evaluation of the inhibitory properties of the synthesized thiadiazole derivatives against the cancer cell lines MCF-7 and HepG2 identified several auspicious candidates. Among them, compound 14 showed remarkably low IC50 values of 0.04 μM and 0.18 μM against MCF-7 and HepG2, respectively. VEGFR-2 inhibitory evaluation of compound 14 revealed a promising IC50 value in the nanomolar range (103 nM). Further examination of the cell cycle revealed that compound 14 has the ability to stop the progression of the cell cycle in MCF-7 cells via G0-G1 phase arrest. Interestingly, compound 14 also demonstrated a noteworthy pro-apoptotic effect in MCF-7 cells, with notable increases in early apoptosis (16.53%) and late apoptosis (29.57%), along with a slight increase in the population of necrotic cells (5.95%). Furthermore, compound 14 showed a significant drop in MCF-7 cells' ability to migrate and heal wounds. Additionally, compound 14 promoted apoptosis by boosting BAX (6-fold) while lowering Bcl-2 (6.2-fold). The binding affinities of the synthesized candidates to their target (VEGFR-2) were confirmed by computational investigations, including molecular docking, principal component analysis of trajectories (PCAT), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Additionally, compound 14's stability and reactivity were investigated using density functional theory (DFT). These thorough results highlight compound 14's potential as a lead contender for additional research in the creation of anticancer drugs that target VEGFR-2. This work establishes a foundation for promising thiadiazole derivatives for future therapeutic developments in anticancer- and angiogenesis-related scientific fields.

New thiazolidine-2,4-diones as effective anti-proliferative and anti-VEGFR-2 agents: Design, synthesis, in vitro, docking, MD simulations, DFT, ADMET, and toxicity studies

Novel thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives, 11a-g, were designed, and synthesized targeting the VEGFR-2 protein. The in vitro studies indicated the abilities of the synthesized derivatives to inhibit VEGFR-2 and prevent the growth of two different cancer cell types, HepG2 and MCF-7. Compound 11 f exhibited the strongest anti-VEGFR-2 activity (IC50 = 0.053 µM). As well, compound 11 f showed impressive anti-proliferative activity against the mentioned cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 0.64 ± 0.01 and 0.53 ± 0.04 µM, respectively. Additionally, compound 11 f arrested the MCF-7 cell cycle at the S phase and increased the overall apoptosis percentage. Furthermore, cell migration assay revealed that compound 11 f has a significant ability to prevent migration and healing potentialities of MCF-7. Moreover, computational studies were used to conduct the molecular investigation of the VEGFR-2-11 f complex. The kinetic and structural features of the complex were examined using molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking. Besides, Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to explain the dynamics of the VEGFR-2-11 f complex at various spatial scales. The DFT calculations also provided further clarity regarding compound 11 f's structural and electronic features. To evaluate how closely the developed compounds might look like drugs, ADMET and toxicity experiments were computed. To conclude, the presented study demonstrates the potential of compound 11 f as a viable anti-cancer drug, which can serve as a prototype for future structural modifications and further biological investigations.

Discovery of new VEGFR-2 inhibitors and apoptosis inducer-based thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine

Background: VEGFR-2 is a key regulator of cancer cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. Aim: Development of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents targeting VEGFR-2. Methods: Seven in vitro and nine in silico studies were conducted. Results: Compound 10d demonstrated strong anticancer potential, boosting apoptosis based on VEGFR-2 inhibition. It arrested the S phase of the cell cycle and upregulated the apoptotic factors. Docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies confirm the stability of the VEGFR-2-10d complex and suggest that these compounds have good binding affinities to VEGFR-2. In addition, the drug-likeness was confirmed. Conclusion: Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines, particularly compound 10d, has good anticancer effects and may contribute to the development of new anticancer therapies.

A novel thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2: A story of computer-aided drug discovery

Following the pharmacophoric features of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) inhibitors, a novel thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative has been designed and its activity against VEGFR-2 has been demonstrated by molecular docking studies that showed an accurate binding mode and an excellent binding energy. Furthermore, the recorded binding was confirmed by a series of molecular dynamics simulation studies, which also revealed precise energetic, conformational, and dynamic changes. Additionally, molecular mechanics with generalized Born and surface area solvation and polymer-induced liquid precursors studies were conducted and verified the results of the MD simulations. Next, in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity studies have also been conducted to examine the general drug-like nature of the designed candidate. According to the previous results, the thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative was synthesized. Fascinatingly, it inhibited VEGFR-2 (IC50  = 68.13 nM) and demonstrated strong inhibitory activity toward human liver (HepG2), and prostate (PC3) cell lines with IC50 values of 6.60 and 11.25 µM, respectively. As well, it was safe and showed a high selectivity index against normal cell lines (WI-38). Finally, the thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative arrested the growth of the HepG2 cells at the G2/M phase inducing both early and late apoptosis. These results were further confirmed through the ability of the thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative to induce significant changes in the apoptotic genes levels of caspase-3, caspase-9, Bcl-2 associated X-protein, and B-cell lymphoma 2.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-D (VEGF-D): An Angiogenesis Bypass in Malignant Tumors

Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) are the key regulators of vasculogenesis in normal and oncological development. VEGF-A is the most studied angiogenic factor secreted by malignant tumor cells under hypoxic and inflammatory stress, which made VEGF-A a rational target for anticancer therapy. However, inhibition of VEGF-A by monoclonal antibody drugs led to the upregulation of VEGF-D. VEGF-D was primarily described as a lymphangiogenic factor; however, VEGF-D's blood angiogenic potential comparable to VEGF-A has already been demonstrated in glioblastoma and colorectal carcinoma. These findings suggested a role for VEGF-D in facilitating malignant tumor growth by bypassing the anti-VEGF-A antiangiogenic therapy. Owing to its high mitogenic ability, higher affinity for VEGFR-2, and higher expression in cancer, VEGF-D might even be a stronger angiogenic driver and, hence, a better therapeutic target than VEGF-A. In this review, we summarized the angiogenic role of VEGF-D in blood vasculogenesis and its targetability as an antiangiogenic therapy in cancer.

Design, synthesis, in silico studies, and biological evaluation of novel pyrimidine-5-carbonitrile derivatives as potential anti-proliferative agents, VEGFR-2 inhibitors and apoptotic inducers

A novel series of pyrimidine-5-carbonitrile derivatives bearing benzylidene and hydrazone moieties with different linkers (spacers) were designed and synthesized as possible inhibitors of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxic activities against two human cancer cell lines namely colon cancer (HCT-116) and breast cancer (MCF-7) using sorafenib as a standard anticancer drug. Compounds 9d, 11e, 12b, and 12d showed higher cytotoxic activities than sorafenib with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.14 to 10.33 μM. In particular, compound 11e exhibited excellent activities against HCT-116 and MCF-7 with IC₅₀ values of 1.14 and 1.54 μM, respectively. Moreover, compound 11e exhibited about 47.32-fold cytotoxic activity against normal human fibroblast (WI-38) cells, lower than the cytotoxicity against the cancer cells. Compounds 11e and 12b were the most potent VEGFR-2 inhibitors with IC₅₀ values of 0.61 and 0.53 μM, respectively, compared to sorafenib. Bedsides, compound 11e arrested the HCT-116 cell growth at S and sub-G1 phases, induced a significant increase in the apoptotic cells, and caused remarkable decrease in the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and caspase-3. Finally, the binding patterns of the target derivatives were investigated through the docking study against the proposed molecular target (VEGFR-2, PDB ID 1YWN). The results of molecular docking studies showed similar binding modes to sorafenib against VEGFR-2. In addition, molecular dynamic simulations revealed the stability of compound 11e in the active site for 100 ns.

Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of a New Series of Hydrazones as Small-Molecule Akt Inhibitors for NSCLC Therapy

In an endeavor to identify small molecules for the management of non-small-cell lung carcinoma, 10 new hydrazone derivatives (3a-j) were synthesized. MTT test was conducted to examine their cytotoxic activities against human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and mouse embryonic fibroblast (L929) cells. Compounds 3a, 3e, 3g, and 3i were determined as selective antitumor agents on A549 cell line. Further studies were conducted to figure out their mode of action. Compounds 3a and 3g markedly induced apoptosis in A549 cells. However, both compounds did not show any significant inhibitory effect on Akt. On the other hand, in vitro experiments suggest that compounds 3e and 3i are potential anti-NSCLC agents acting through Akt inhibition. Furthermore, molecular docking studies revealed a unique binding mode for compound 3i (the strongest Akt inhibitor in this series), which interacts with both hinge region and acidic pocket of Akt2. However, it is understood that compounds 3a and 3g exert their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on A549 cells via different pathway(s).

Design, synthesis, anticancer evaluation, in silico docking and ADMET analysis of novel indole-based thalidomide analogs as promising immunomodulatory agents

In the present work, novel 16 indole-based thalidomide analogs were designed and synthesized to obtain new effective antitumor immunomodulatory agents. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against HepG-2, HCT-116, PC3 and MCF-7 cell lines. Generally, the opened analogs of glutarimide ring exhibited higher activities than the closed ones. Compounds 21a-b and 11d,g showed strong potencies against all tested cell lines with IC50 values ranging from 8.27 to 25.20 µM comparable to that of thalidomide (IC50 values ranging from 32.12 to 76.91 µM). The most active compounds were further evaluated for their in vitro immunomodulatory activities via estimation of human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), human caspase-8 (CASP8), human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nuclear factor kappa-B P65 (NF-κB P65) in HCT-116 cells. Thalidomide was used as a positive control. Compounds 11g, 21a and 21b showed remarkable significant reduction in TNF-α. Furthermore, compounds 11g, 21a and 21b showed significant elevation in CASP8 levels. Compounds 11g and 21a significantly inhibited VEGF. In addition, derivatives 11d, 11g and 21a showed significant decrease in level of NF-κB p65. Moreover, our derivatives exhibited good in silico docking and ADMET profile.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

A New Anticancer Semisynthetic Theobromine Derivative Targeting EGFR Protein: CADDD Study

A new lead compound has been designed as an antiangiogenic EGFR inhibitor that has the pharmacophoric characteristics to bind with the catalytic pocket of EGFR protein. The designed lead compound is a (para-chloro)acetamide derivative of the alkaloid, theobromine, (T-1-PCPA). At first, we started with deep density functional theory (DFT) calculations for T-1-PCPA to confirm and optimize its 3D structure. Additionally, the DFT studies identified the electrostatic potential, global reactive indices and total density of states expecting a high level of reactivity for T-1-PCPA. Secondly, the affinity of T-1-PCPA to bind and inhibit the EGFR protein was studied and confirmed through detailed structure-based computational studies including the molecular docking against EGFR^WT and EGFR^T790M, Molecular dynamics (MD) over 100 ns, MM-GPSA and PLIP experiments. Before the preparation, the computational ADME and toxicity profiles of T-1-PCPA have been investigated and its safety and the general drug-likeness predicted. Accordingly, T-1-PCPA was semi-synthesized to scrutinize the proposed design and the obtained in silico results. Interestingly, T-1-PCPA inhibited in vitro EGFR^WT with an IC₅₀ value of 25.35 nM, comparing that of erlotinib (5.90 nM). Additionally, T-1-PCPA inhibited the growth of A549 and HCT-116 malignant cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 31.74 and 20.40 µM, respectively, comparing erlotinib that expressed IC₅₀ values of 6.73 and 16.35 µM, respectively.

Discovery of new quinoline and isatine derivatives as potential VEGFR-2 inhibitors: design, synthesis, antiproliferative, docking and MD simulation studies

A new set of quinoline and isatine derivatives were synthesized as antiangiogenic VEGFR-2 inhibitors. On a biological level, the in vitro ability of the obtained candidates to inhibit VEGFR-2 was found to be strong with IC50 values in the range of 76.64-175.50 nM. To investigate the cytotoxicity and safety, all compounds were tested against a panel of four cancer cell lines (A549, Caco2, HepG2 and MDA) as well as two normal cell lines (Vero and WI-38). Interestingly, compound 12 exhibited noticeable cytotoxicity against A549, Caco2 and MDA with IC50 values of 5.40, 0.58 and 0.94 µM, respectively. These results were better and comparable to that of doxorubicin (0.70, 0.82 and 0.90 µM, respectively) with more than three folds higher selectivity index against the Caco2 cell lines. Compound 9 prevented the healing of the cancer cells at a low concentration. Also, the compound's potential to induce programmed cell death in Caco-2 was proved through the significant down regulating of the expression of Bcl2, Bcl-xl and Survivin in addition to the slight upregulation of the TGF-β gene. The cell cycle analysis indicated that compound 9 arrested the Caco-2 cells in the G2/M phase. Interestingly, the molecular docking studies against VEGFR-2 revealed the correct binding of the targeted compounds similar to sorafenib. Furthermore, MD experiments validated the binding of compound 12 with VEGFR-2 over 100 ns, as well as MM-PBSA analysis that confirmed the precise binding with optimum energy. Finally, ADMET analysis showed the general drug-likeness and confirmed the safety of the tested compounds.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Anticancer derivative of the natural alkaloid, theobromine, inhibiting EGFR protein: Computer-aided drug discovery approach

A new semisynthetic derivative of the natural alkaloid, theobromine, has been designed as a lead antiangiogenic compound targeting the EGFR protein. The designed compound is an (m-tolyl)acetamide theobromine derivative, (T-1-MTA). Molecular Docking studies have shown a great potential for T-1-MTA to bind to EGFR. MD studies (100 ns) verified the proposed binding. By MM-GBSA analysis, the exact binding with optimal energy of T-1-MTA was also identified. Then, DFT calculations were performed to identify the stability, reactivity, electrostatic potential, and total electron density of T-1-MTA. Furthermore, ADMET analysis indicated the T-1-MTA's general likeness and safety. Accordingly, T-1-MTA has been synthesized to be examined in vitro. Intriguingly, T-1-MTA inhibited the EGFR protein with an IC50 value of 22.89 nM and demonstrated cytotoxic activities against the two cancer cell lines, A549, and HCT-116, with IC50 values of 22.49, and 24.97 μM, respectively. Interestingly, T-1-MTA's IC50 against the normal cell lines, WI-38, was very high (55.14 μM) indicating high selectivity degrees of 2.4 and 2.2, respectively. Furthermore, the flow cytometry analysis of A549 treated with T-1-MTA showed significantly increased ratios of early apoptosis (from 0.07% to 21.24%) as well as late apoptosis (from 0.73% to 37.97%).

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel bioactive thalidomide analogs as anticancer immunomodulatory agents

Cancer is still a dangerous disease with a high mortality rate all over the world. In our attempt to develop potential anticancer candidates, new quinazoline and phthalazine based compounds were designed and synthesized. The new derivatives were built in line with the pharmacophoric features of thalidomide. The new derivatives as well as thalidomide were examined against three cancer cell lines, namely: hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2), breast cancer (MCF-7) and prostate cancer (PC3). Then the effects on the expression levels of caspase-8, VEGF, NF-κB P65, and TNF-α in HepG-2 cells were evaluated. The biological data revealed the high importance of phthalazine based compounds (24a-c), which were far better than thalidomide with regard to the antiproliferative activity. 24b showed IC₅₀ of 2.51, 5.80 and 4.11 μg mL^-1 compared to 11.26, 14.58, and 16.87 μg mL^-1 for thalidomide against the three cell lines respectively. 24b raised caspase-8 level by about 7 folds, compared to 8 folds reported for thalidomide. Also, VEGF level in HepG-2 cells treated with 24b was 185.3 pg mL^-1, compared to 432.5 pg mL^-1 in control cells. Furthermore, the immunomodulatory properties were proven to 24b, which reduced TNF-α level by approximately half. At the same time, NF-κB P65 level in HepG-2 cells treated with 24b was 76.5 pg mL^-1 compared to 278.1 and 110.5 pg mL^-1 measured for control cells and thalidomide treated HepG-2 cells respectively. Moreover, an in vitro viability study against Vero non-cancerous cell line was investigated and the results reflected a high safety profile of all tested compounds. This work suggests 24b as a promising lead compound for development of new immunomodulatory anticancer agents.

New Anticancer Theobromine Derivative Targeting EGFRWT and EGFRT790M: Design, Semi-Synthesis, In Silico, and In Vitro Anticancer Studies

Based on the pharmacophoric features of EGFR inhibitors, a new semisynthetic theobromine-derived compound was designed to interact with the catalytic pocket of EGFR. Molecular docking against wild (EGFR^WT; PDB: 4HJO) and mutant (EGFR^T790M; PDB: 3W2O) types of EGFR-TK indicated that the designed theobromine derivative had the potential to bind to that pocket as an antiangiogenic inhibitor. The MD and MM-GBSA experiments identified the exact binding with optimum energy and dynamics. Additionally, the DFT calculations studied electrostatic potential, stability, and total electron density of the designed theobromine derivative. Both in silico ADMET and toxicity analyses demonstrated its general likeness and safety. We synthesized the designed theobromine derivative (compound XI) which showed an IC₅₀ value of 17.23 nM for EGFR inhibition besides IC₅₀ values of 21.99 and 22.02 µM for its cytotoxicity against A549 and HCT-116 cell lines, respectively. Interestingly, compound XI expressed a weak cytotoxic potential against the healthy W138 cell line (IC₅₀ = 49.44 µM, 1.6 times safer than erlotinib), exhibiting the high selectivity index of 2.2. Compound XI arrested the growth of A549 at the G2/M stage and increased the incidence of apoptosis.

Modified Benzoxazole-Based VEGFR-2 Inhibitors and Apoptosis Inducers: Design, Synthesis, and Anti-Proliferative Evaluation

This work is one of our efforts to discover potent anticancer agents. We modified the most promising derivative of our previous work concerned with the development of VEGFR-2 inhibitor candidates. Thirteen new compounds based on benzoxazole moiety were synthesized and evaluated against three human cancer cell lines, namely, breast cancer (MCF-7), colorectal carcinoma (HCT116), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2). The synthesized compounds were also evaluated against VEGFR-2 kinase activity. The biological testing fallouts showed that compound 8d was more potent than standard sorafenib. Such compound showed IC50 values of 3.43, 2.79, and 2.43 µM against the aforementioned cancer cell lines, respectively, compared to IC50 values of 4.21, 5.30, and 3.40 µM reported for sorafenib. Compound 8d also was found to exert exceptional VEGFR-2 inhibition activity with an IC50 value of 0.0554 μM compared to sorafenib (0.0782 μM). In addition, compound 8h revealed excellent cytotoxic effects with IC50 values of 3.53, 2.94, and 2.76 µM against experienced cell lines, respectively. Furthermore, compounds 8a and 8e were found to inhibit VEGFR-2 kinase activity with IC50 values of 0.0579 and 0.0741 μM, exceeding that of sorafenib. Compound 8d showed a significant apoptotic effect and arrested the HepG2 cells at the pre-G1 phase. In addition, it exerted a significant inhibition for TNF-α (90.54%) and of IL-6 (92.19%) compared to dexamethasone (93.15%). The molecular docking studies showed that the binding pattern of the new compounds to VEGFR-2 kinase was similar to that of sorafenib.