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Ismail MMF, Shawer TZ, Ibrahim RS, Elnagar MR, Ammar YA. New molecular hybrids integrated with quinoxaline and pyrazole structural motifs: VGFR2 inhibitors and apoptosis inducers. Bioorg Chem 2025; 156:108182. [PMID: 39864375 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2025.108182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2024] [Revised: 01/12/2025] [Accepted: 01/16/2025] [Indexed: 01/28/2025]
Abstract
The vascular endothelial growth factor receptor is essential for the angiogenesis of cancer. Tumor propagation was effectively suppressed by inhibiting VEGFR-2 activity. As a result, the target quinoxaline-pyrazole hybrids were created in a way that closely resembled the structural characteristics of VEGFR-2 inhibitors. The synthesized compounds were assessed in vitro using the MTT assay with doxorubicin serving as a reference standard for their cytotoxic properties against the HCT-116 and MCF-7 cell lines. Additionally, when tested on human normal fibroblasts (WI38), the promising cytotoxic compounds 8, 11, 13, and 15 were shown to be selective to cancer cells. Using ELISA, they showed mechanistically inhibitory activities against VEGFR-2; compound 13 was the most effective inhibitor, with an IC50 of 0.045 ± 6.24 uM, surpassing sorafenib (IC50 of 0.049 ± 5.24 μM). Notably, it was discovered that our target compound, 13, was 1.1 times more potent than sorafenib and 3.19 times more potent than sunitinib as a VGFRA2 inhibitor. Furthermore, Western blot analysis revealed that its VEGFR2 protein levels were noticeably higher than the control. Compound 13's selectivity towards VEGFR2 was further confirmed by testing it against other kinases, such as PDGFRA (IC50 0.329 ± 0.014 μM) and EGFR (IC50 0.6 ± 0.019 μM). Furthermore, 13 demonstrated a 50 % decrease in VEGF-A secretion in comparison to the control group, demonstrating its anti-angiogenic quality. A scratch closure percentage of 57.78 %, which was much lower than the 97.04 percent of untreated control cells, showed 13's anti-migratory capability. According to the cell cycle study, compound 13 induces apoptosis at the sub-G1 phase and terminates the cell cycle at the G1 phase. Consequently,flow cytometric analysis revealed that it caused apoptosis; compound 13 increases the BAX/Bcl-2 ratio from control to 13.66, and it also activates caspase 3 to 422.48 ± 43.82 and induces p53 to 366.79 ± 40.21. Docking simulations revealed potential binding modes and crucial structural elements of active drugs, and they were almost in agreement with enzymatic examination. For every hybrid, in silico physicochemical attributes, drug likeness metrics, and ligand efficiency were plausible. It's interesting to note that 13 and 15 are plausible medication candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda M F Ismail
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11754 Egypt.
| | - Taghreed Z Shawer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11754 Egypt
| | - Rabab S Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11754 Egypt
| | - Mohamed R Elnagar
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11823 Egypt; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, The Islamic University, Najaf 54001 Iraq
| | - Yousry A Ammar
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11754 Egypt
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Corona P, Gessi S, Ibba R, Merighi S, Mirandola P, Pinna GA, Nigro M, Pozzi G, Asproni B, Travagli A, Piras S, Carta A, Caria P, Murineddu G. Novel Oxadiazole-Quinoxalines as Hybrid Scaffolds with Antitumor Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2025; 26:1439. [PMID: 40003907 PMCID: PMC11855764 DOI: 10.3390/ijms26041439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2025] [Revised: 01/31/2025] [Accepted: 02/05/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025] Open
Abstract
A small library of 25 novel 1,3,4-oxadiazole-quinoxalines was synthesized and evaluated in vitro for its cytotoxic activity at 10 μM concentration against nine NCI-different cancer cell lines. Among tested compounds, derivatives 24, 25, and 26 showed good inhibition percentages over different cell lines and, therefore, progressed to the full five-dose assay. Compound 24, possessing a 1,3,4-oxadiazole-core, bearing a 7-trifluoromethyl-quinoxaline nucleus on C-2 and a C-5 phenyl ring, had activity against leukemia, CNS, ovarian, renal, prostate, and breast cancer, with highest the values against breast MCF7 (GI50: 1.85 μM) and MDA-MB-468 (GI50: 1.95 μM) cell lines, showing the better MG_MID value (-5.02). These novel derivatives were able to delay the S phase of the cell cycle and induce apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Corona
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.I.); (G.A.P.); (B.A.); (S.P.); (A.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Stefania Gessi
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (S.G.); (S.M.); (M.N.); (A.T.)
| | - Roberta Ibba
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.I.); (G.A.P.); (B.A.); (S.P.); (A.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Stefania Merighi
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (S.G.); (S.M.); (M.N.); (A.T.)
| | - Prisco Mirandola
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy; (P.M.); (G.P.)
| | - Gérard Aimè Pinna
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.I.); (G.A.P.); (B.A.); (S.P.); (A.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Manuela Nigro
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (S.G.); (S.M.); (M.N.); (A.T.)
| | - Giulia Pozzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci 14, 43126 Parma, Italy; (P.M.); (G.P.)
| | - Battistina Asproni
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.I.); (G.A.P.); (B.A.); (S.P.); (A.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Alessia Travagli
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (S.G.); (S.M.); (M.N.); (A.T.)
| | - Sandra Piras
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.I.); (G.A.P.); (B.A.); (S.P.); (A.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Antonio Carta
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.I.); (G.A.P.); (B.A.); (S.P.); (A.C.); (G.M.)
| | - Paola Caria
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato, Italy;
| | - Gabriele Murineddu
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (R.I.); (G.A.P.); (B.A.); (S.P.); (A.C.); (G.M.)
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Feng LS. Hybrid Molecules with Potential Activity against Drug-resistant Cancer (Part II). Curr Top Med Chem 2022; 22:1392. [DOI: 10.2174/156802662217220720144604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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