An approach to pharmacological targets of pyrrole family from a medicinal chemistry viewpoint

5-methyl-2-carboxamidepyrrole-based novel dual mPGES-1/sEH inhibitors as promising anticancer candidates

Inhibiting microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1), an inducible enzyme involved in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) biosynthesis and tumor microenvironment (TME) homeostasis, is a valuable strategy for treating inflammation and cancer. In this work, 5-methylcarboxamidepyrrole-based molecules were designed and synthesized as new compounds targeting mPGES-1. Remarkably, compounds 1f, 2b, 2c, and 2d were able to significantly reduce the activity of the isolated enzyme, showing IC50 values in the low micromolar range. With the aim of further profiling the synthesized molecules, their ability to interfere with the activity of soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), whose inhibition blocks the loss of the anti-inflammatory mediators epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs or epoxyicosatrienoic acids), was investigated in silico and by employing specific biological assays. Among the set of tested compounds, 1f, 2b, 2c, and 2d emerged as mPGES-1/sEH dual inhibitors. Moreover, given that overexpression of mPGES-1 has been observed in many human tumors, we finally explored the biological effect of our compounds in an in vitro model of human colorectal cancer (CRC). The obtained outcomes pave the way for future investigation to optimize and further characterize anticancer pharmacological profile of the carboxamidepyrrole-based molecules.

Stereoselective Asymmetric Syntheses of Molecules with a 4,5-Dihydro-1H-[1,2,4]-Triazoline Core Possessing an Acetylated Carbohydrate Appendage: Crystal Structure, Spectroscopy, and Pharmacology

A new series of chiral 4,5-dihydro-1H-[1,2,4]-triazoline molecules, featuring a β-ᴅ-glucopyranoside appendage, were synthesized via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction between various hydrazonyl chlorides and carbohydrate Schiff bases. The isolated enantiopure triazolines (8a-j) were identified through high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) and vibrational spectroscopy. Subsequently, their solution structures were elucidated through NMR spectroscopic techniques. Single-crystal X-ray analysis of derivative 8b provided definitive evidence for the 3-D structure of this compound and revealed important intermolecular forces in the crystal lattice. Moreover, it confirmed the (S)-configuration at the newly generated stereo-center. Selected target compounds were investigated for anti-tumor activity in 60 cancer cell lines, with derivative 8c showing the highest potency, particularly against leukemia. Additionally, substituent-dependent anti-fungal and anti-bacterial behavior was observed.

Functionalized 2,3'-Bipyrroles and Pyrrolo[1,2-c]imidazoles from Acylethynylpyrroles and Tosylmethylisocyanide

An efficient method for the synthesis of pharmaceutically prospective but still rare functionalized 2,3'-bipyrroles (in up to 80% yield) by the cycloaddition of easily available acylethynylpyrroles with tosylmethylisocyanide (TosMIC) has been developed. The reaction proceeds under reflux (1 h) in the KOH/THF system. In the t-BuONa/THF system, TosMIC acts in two directions: along with 2,3'-bipyrroles, the unexpected formation of pyrrolo[1,2-c]imidazoles is also observed (products ratio~1:1).