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Bento C, Katz M, Santos MMM, Afonso CAM. Striving for Uniformity: A Review on Advances and Challenges To Achieve Uniform Polyethylene Glycol. Org Process Res Dev 2024; 28:860-890. [PMID: 38660381 PMCID: PMC11036406 DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.3c00428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is the polymer of choice in drug delivery systems due to its biocompatibility and hydrophilicity. For over 20 years, this polymer has been widely used in the drug delivery of small drugs, proteins, oligonucleotides, and liposomes, improving the stability and pharmacokinetics of many drugs. However, despite the extensive clinical experience with PEG, concerns have emerged related to its use. These include hypersensitivity, purity, and nonbiodegradability. Moreover, conventional PEG is a mixture of polymers that can complicate drug synthesis and purification leading to unwanted immunogenic reactions. Studies have shown that uniform PEGylated drugs may be more effective than conventional PEGylated drugs as they can overcome issues related to molecular heterogeneity and immunogenicity. This has led to significant research efforts to develop synthetic procedures to produce uniform PEGs (monodisperse PEGs). As a result, iterative step-by-step controlled synthesis methods have been created over time and have shown promising results. Nonetheless, these procedures have presented numerous challenges due to their iterative nature and the requirement for multiple purification steps, resulting in increased costs and time consumption. Despite these challenges, the synthetic procedures went through several improvements. This review summarizes and discusses recent advances in the synthesis of uniform PEGs and its derivatives with a focus on overall yields, scalability, and purity of the polymers. Additionally, the available characterization methods for assessing polymer monodispersity are discussed as well as uniform PEG applications, side effects, and possible alternative polymers that can overcome the drawbacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Bento
- Hovione
Farmaciência S.A., Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, Campus do Lumiar, Edifício
R, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal
- Research
Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marianna Katz
- Hovione
Farmaciência S.A., Estrada do Paço do Lumiar, Campus do Lumiar, Edifício
R, 1649-038 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria M. M. Santos
- Research
Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos A. M. Afonso
- Research
Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Professor Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
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Girst G, Lopes EA, Gonçalves LM, Espadinha M, Kúsz N, Wang HC, Santos MMM, Hunyadi A. Hybrid molecules of protoflavones and spirooxindole derivatives with selective cytotoxicity against triple-negative breast cancer cells. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:1778-1786. [PMID: 37731691 PMCID: PMC10507806 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00251a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The combination of compounds with complementary bioactivities into hybrid molecules is an emerging concept in drug discovery. In this study, we aimed to synthesize new hybrid compounds based on p53-MDM2/X protein-protein interaction spiropyrazoline oxindole-based inhibitors and ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related (ATR) protoflavone-based inhibitors through copper(i) catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Five new hybrids were prepared along with three representative reference fragments. The compounds were tested against human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (hormone-dependent, wild-type p53) and MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative, mutant p53). Most of the new hybrids were more cytotoxic than their reference fragments and several showed 2-4 times selective toxicity against MDA-MB-231 cells. Relevant pharmacological benefit gained from the hybrid coupling was further confirmed by virtual combination index calculations using the Chou method. Compound 13 modulated doxorubicin-induced DNA damage response through inhibiting the ATR-dependent activation of Chk-1, while increasing the activation of Chk-2. Our results suggest that the new hybrids may serve as new leads against triple negative breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Girst
- Institute of Pharmacognosy, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged Eötvös str. 6 H-6720 Szeged Hungary
| | - Elizabeth A Lopes
- Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 1649-003 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Lídia M Gonçalves
- Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 1649-003 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Margarida Espadinha
- Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 1649-003 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Norbert Kúsz
- Institute of Pharmacognosy, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged Eötvös str. 6 H-6720 Szeged Hungary
| | - Hui-Chun Wang
- Graduate Institute of Natural Products, Kaohsiung Medical University Shih-Chuan 1st Rd. 100 Kaohsiung 807 Taiwan
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 1649-003 Lisboa Portugal
| | - Attila Hunyadi
- Institute of Pharmacognosy, Interdisciplinary Excellence Centre, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged Eötvös str. 6 H-6720 Szeged Hungary
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Lopes EA, Santos MMM, Mori M. Antimalarial drugs: what's new in the patents? Expert Opin Ther Pat 2023; 33:151-168. [PMID: 37060305 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2023.2203814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The efficacy of current therapeutic warheads in preventing malaria transmission or treating the disease is often hampered by the emergence of drug-resistance. No effective vaccines are available to date, and novel drugs able to counteract drug-resistant forms of malaria and/or to target multiple stages of the parasite's lifecycle are urgently needed. AREAS COVERED This review covers patents that protect antimalarial small molecules bearing the artemisinin or other chemical scaffolds, as well as vaccines, that have been published in the period 2015-2022. Literature was searched in public databases of articles and patents. Patents protecting small molecules that prevent malaria transmission are not discussed herein. EXPERT OPINION Significant progress has been made in the design of antimalarial agents. Most of these candidates have been tested in standardized strains, with the use of Plasmodium clinical isolates for testing still underdeveloped. Several compounds have been profiled in in vivo mouse models of malaria, including humanised mice. Despite having different efficacy, these new molecules might further progress the field and hopefully will advance to clinical development soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Lopes
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
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Barcherini V, Loureiro JB, Sena A, Madeira C, Leandro P, Saraiva L, Antunes AMM, Santos MMM. Metabolism-Guided Optimization of Tryptophanol-Derived Isoindolinone p53 Activators. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:146. [PMID: 37259297 PMCID: PMC9967700 DOI: 10.3390/ph16020146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
For the first time, the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of tryptophanol-derived isoindolinones, previously reported as p53 activators, was investigated. From the metabolites' identification, performed by liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS/MS), followed by their preparation and structural elucidation, it was possible to identify that the indole C2 and C3 are the main target of the cytochrome P450 (CYP)-promoted oxidative metabolism in the tryptophanol-derived isoindolinone scaffold. Based on these findings, to search for novel p53 activators a series of 16 enantiopure tryptophanol-derived isoindolinones substituted with a bromine in indole C2 was prepared, in yields of 62-89%, and their antiproliferative activity evaluated in human colon adenocarcinoma HCT116 cell lines with and without p53. Structural optimization led to the identification of two (S)-tryptophanol-derived isoindolinones 3.9-fold and 1.9-fold more active than hit SLMP53-1, respectively. Compounds' metabolic stability evaluation revealed that this substitution led to a metabolic switch, with the impact of Phase I oxidative metabolism being minimized. Through differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) experiments, the most active compound of the series in cell assays led to an increase in the protein melting temperature (Tm) of 10.39 °C, suggesting an effective binding to wild-type p53 core domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Barcherini
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joana B. Loureiro
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Sena
- Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), Institute of Molecular Sciences, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Catarina Madeira
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Paula Leandro
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Lucília Saraiva
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Alexandra M. M. Antunes
- Centro de Química Estrutural (CQE), Institute of Molecular Sciences, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria M. M. Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
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Loureiro JB, Ribeiro R, Nazareth N, Ferreira T, Lopes EA, Gama A, Machuqueiro M, Alves MG, Marabini L, Oliveira PA, Santos MMM, Saraiva L. Mutant p53 reactivator SLMP53-2 hinders ultraviolet B radiation-induced skin carcinogenesis. Pharmacol Res 2022; 175:106026. [PMID: 34890775 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.106026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The growing incidence of skin cancer (SC) has prompted the search for additional preventive strategies to counteract this global health concern. Mutant p53 (mutp53), particularly with ultraviolet radiation (UVR) signature, has emerged as a promising target for SC prevention based on its key role in skin carcinogenesis. Herein, the preventive activity of our previously disclosed mutp53 reactivator SLMP53-2 against UVR-induced SC was investigated. The pre-treatment of keratinocyte HaCaT cells with SLMP53-2, before UVB exposure, depleted mutp53 protein levels with restoration of wild-type-like p53 DNA-binding ability and subsequent transcriptional activity. SLMP53-2 increased cell survival by promoting G1-phase cell cycle arrest, while reducing UVB-induced apoptosis through inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activity. SLMP53-2 also protected cells from reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage induced by UVB. Moreover, it enhanced DNA repair through upregulation of nucleotide excision repair pathway and depletion of UVB-induced DNA damage, as evidenced by a reduction of DNA in comet tails, γH2AX staining and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) levels. SLMP53-2 further suppressed UVB-induced inflammation by inhibiting the nuclear translocation and DNA-binding ability of NF-κB, and promoted the expression of key players involved in keratinocytes differentiation. Consistently, the topical application of SLMP53-2 in mice skin, prior to UVB irradiation, reduced cell death and DNA damage. It also decreased the expression of inflammatory-related proteins and promoted cell differentiation, in UVB-exposed mice skin. Notably, SLMP53-2 did not show signs of skin toxicity for cumulative topical use. Overall, these results support a promising protective activity of SLMP53-2 against UVB-induced SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana B Loureiro
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratόrio de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biolόgicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-31b Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Ribeiro
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratόrio de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biolόgicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-31b Porto, Portugal
| | - Nair Nazareth
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratόrio de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biolόgicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-31b Porto, Portugal
| | - Tiago Ferreira
- Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Elizabeth A Lopes
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Adelina Gama
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Department of Veterinary Sciences, School of Agrarian and Veterinary Sciences (ECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Miguel Machuqueiro
- BioISI - Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande, C8 bdg, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marco G Alves
- Department of Anatomy and Unit for Multidisciplinary Research in Biomedicine (UMIB), Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Laura Marabini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Paula A Oliveira
- Centre for Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Inov4Agro, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Lucília Saraiva
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratόrio de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biolόgicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, 4050-31b Porto, Portugal.
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Loureiro JB, Ribeiro R, Nazareth N, Ferreira T, Quaresma A, Barcherini V, Marabini L, Oliveira PA, Santos MMM, Saraiva L. Abstract P030: Chemoprevention by the mutant p53 reactivator SLMP53-2 on ultraviolet radiation-induced skin cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-21-p030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The growing incidence of skin cancer (SC) is a global public health concern. Preventive approaches mostly embrace the sunscreen use against ultraviolet radiation (UVR), the main SC etiologic factor. Yet, the increasing SC incident have suggested that additional preventive agents could complement the sunscreen, helping to reverse this trend. Mutant p53 (mutp53) represents a promising target in SC prevention, since its occurrence is a key early event in UVR-induced SC. Thus, the inhibition of mutp53 formation by mutp53 reactivators, which are able to restore the wild-type-like function to p53, would be a valuable strategy for SC prevention. Recently, our group identified the tryptophanol-derived oxazoloisoindolinone SLMP53-2 as a new mutp53 reactivator. Herein, we aimed to study the potential of SLMP53-2 as a chemopreventive drug against UVR-induced SC. For that, assays with normal human keratinocyte HaCaT cells were performed. Cells were pre-treated with SLMP53-2 for 24h, followed by exposure to distinct UVB doses and further analysis. For in vivo studies, FVB/N mice were topically pre-treated for 1h prior to UVB radiation (180 mJ/cm2) and the skin was collected 24h after for immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence analysis. Pre-treatment of HaCaT cells with SLMP53-2 enhanced cell survival in response to UVB with promotion of cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase, upregulation of p21 protein levels, reduction of UVB-induced apoptosis, and inhibition of JNK activity. SLMP53-2 also protected cells from UVB-induced ROS generation and from its consequent lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation. It enhanced DNA repair through upregulation of the protein and mRNA levels of XPC (xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C) and DDB-2 (DNA damaged binding protein 2) from the NER (nucleotide excision repair) pathway. In fact, SLMP53-2 depleted UVB-induced DNA damage, as evidenced by a reduction of DNA in comet tails, γH2AX staining and cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) levels. SLMP53-2 also showed promising activity in suppressing UVB-induced inflammation, decreasing COX-2, IL-6 and TNF-α protein levels and reducing NF-kB nuclear translocation and DNA binding ability. Moreover, SLMP53-2 enhanced the expression of key players in keratinocytes differentiation, namely NOTCH1 and keratin 1. Consistently, pre-treatment with SLMP53-2 reduced mutp53 protein levels by potentially restoring its wild-type p53 form, which may underlie the increased resistance of HaCaT cells to UVB harmful effects. Importantly, in vivo studies supported that SLMP53-2 pre-treatment of UVB-irradiated mice promoted the survival of epidermal cells, reducing the DNA damage by enhancement of DNA repair and downregulating mutp53 expression levels. Further, it reduced the expression of inflammatory-related proteins and promoted cell differentiation. Collectively, these results support a promising chemopreventive activity for SLMP53-2 against UVB-induced skin damage. We thank FCT/MCTES for the projects UIDB/50006/2020, UIDP/04423/2020 and fellowship SFRH/BD/128673/2017 (J.B. Loureiro).
Citation Format: Joana B. Loureiro, Rita Ribeiro, Nair Nazareth, Tiago Ferreira, Adelina Quaresma, Valentina Barcherini, Laura Marabini, Paula A. Oliveira, Maria M. M. Santos, Lucília Saraiva. Chemoprevention by the mutant p53 reactivator SLMP53-2 on ultraviolet radiation-induced skin cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC Virtual International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2021 Oct 7-10. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2021;20(12 Suppl):Abstract nr P030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana B. Loureiro
- 1LAQV/REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal,
| | - Rita Ribeiro
- 1LAQV/REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal,
| | - Nair Nazareth
- 1LAQV/REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal,
| | - Tiago Ferreira
- 2CITAB, Universidade de Trás os Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal,
| | - Adelina Quaresma
- 2CITAB, Universidade de Trás os Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal,
| | - Valentina Barcherini
- 3Research Institute for Medicine (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal,
| | | | - Paula A. Oliveira
- 2CITAB, Universidade de Trás os Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal,
| | - Maria M. M. Santos
- 3Research Institute for Medicine (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal,
| | - Lucília Saraiva
- 1LAQV/REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal,
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Espadinha M, Barcherini V, Gonçalves LM, Molins E, Antunes AMM, Santos MMM. Tryptophanol-Derived Oxazolopyrrolidone Lactams as Potential Anticancer Agents against Gastric Adenocarcinoma. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14030208. [PMID: 33801507 PMCID: PMC8001353 DOI: 10.3390/ph14030208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in modern societies, so there is a high level of interest in discovering new drugs for this malignancy. Previously, we demonstrated the ability of tryptophanol-derived polycyclic compounds to activate the tumor suppressor protein p53, a relevant therapeutic target in cancer. In this work, we developed a novel series of enantiomerically pure tryptophanol-derived small molecules to target human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells. From an initial screening of fourteen compounds in AGS cell line, a hit compound was selected for optimization, leading to two derivatives selective for AGS gastric cells over other types of cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, A-549, DU-145, and MG-63). More importantly, the compounds were non-toxic in normal cells (HEK 293T). Additionally, we show that the growth inhibition of AGS cells induced by these compounds is mediated by apoptosis. Stability studies in human plasma and human liver microsomes indicate that the compounds are stable, and that the major metabolic transformations of these molecules are mono- and di-hydroxylation of the indole ring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Espadinha
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.E.); (V.B.); (L.M.G.)
| | - Valentina Barcherini
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.E.); (V.B.); (L.M.G.)
| | - Lídia M. Gonçalves
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.E.); (V.B.); (L.M.G.)
| | - Elies Molins
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain;
| | - Alexandra M. M. Antunes
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, ULisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Maria M. M. Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; (M.E.); (V.B.); (L.M.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-21-794-6451
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Barcherini V, Almeida J, Lopes EA, Wang M, Magalhães E Silva D, Mori M, Wang S, Saraiva L, Santos MMM. Potency and Selectivity Optimization of Tryptophanol-Derived Oxazoloisoindolinones: Novel p53 Activators in Human Colorectal Cancer. ChemMedChem 2020; 16:250-258. [PMID: 32737944 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202000522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
To search for novel p53 activators, four series of novel (S)- and (R)-tryptophanol-derived oxazoloisoindolinones were synthesized in a straightforward manner and their antiproliferative activity was evaluated in the human colorectal cancer HCT116 cell line. Structural optimization of the hit compound SLMP53-1 led to the identification of a (R)-tryptophanol-derived isoindolinone that was found to be six-fold more active, with increased selectivity for HCT116 cells with p53 and with low toxicity in normal cells. Binding studies with MDM2 showed that the antiproliferative activity of tryptophanol-derived isoindolinones does not involve inhibition of the main negative regulator of the p53 protein. Molecular docking simulations showed that although these molecules establish hydrophobic interactions with MDM2, they do not possess the required features to bind MDM2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Barcherini
- Department of Therapeutic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joana Almeida
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Elizabeth A Lopes
- Department of Therapeutic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mi Wang
- Rogel Cancer Center, Medical School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Diogo Magalhães E Silva
- Department of Therapeutic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mattia Mori
- Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Shaomeng Wang
- Rogel Cancer Center, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Lucília Saraiva
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Department of Therapeutic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
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Espadinha M, Viejo L, Lopes RMRM, Herrera-Arozamena C, Molins E, Dos Santos DJVA, Gonçalves L, Rodríguez-Franco MI, Ríos CDL, Santos MMM. Identification of tetracyclic lactams as NMDA receptor antagonists with potential application in neurological disorders. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 194:112242. [PMID: 32248004 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
N-Methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are crucial for the normal function of the central nervous system (CNS), and fundamental in memory and learning-related processes. The overactivation of these receptors is associated with numerous neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, NMDAR is considered a relevant therapeutic target for many CNS disorders. Herein, we report the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of a new scaffold with antagonistic activity for NMDAR. Specifically, a chemical library of eighteen 1-aminoindan-2-ol tetracyclic lactams was synthesized and screened as NMDAR antagonists. The compounds were obtained by chiral pool synthesis using enantiomerically pure 1-aminoindan-2-ols as chiral inductors, and their stereochemistry was proven by X-ray crystallographic analysis of two target compounds. Most compounds reveal NMDAR antagonism, and eleven compounds display IC50 values in a Ca2+ entry-sensitive fluo-4 assay in the same order of magnitude of memantine, a clinically approved NMDAR antagonist. Docking studies suggest that the novel compounds can act as NMDAR channel blockers since there is a compatible conformation with MK-801 co-crystallized with NMDAR channel. In addition, we show that the tetracyclic 1-aminoindan-2-ol derivatives are brain permeable and non-toxic, and we identify promising hits for further optimization as modulators of the NMDAR function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Espadinha
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Lucía Viejo
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando and Departamento Farmacología y Terapéutica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, C/ Diego de León, 62, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricardo M R M Lopes
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Elies Molins
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193, Cerdanyola, Spain
| | - Daniel J V A Dos Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal; LAQV@REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Lídia Gonçalves
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Cristóbal de Los Ríos
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando and Departamento Farmacología y Terapéutica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, C/ Diego de León, 62, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal.
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10
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Amaral JD, Silva D, Rodrigues CMP, Solá S, Santos MMM. Corrigendum: A Novel Small Molecule p53 Stabilizer for Brain Cell Differentiation. Front Chem 2019; 7:282. [PMID: 31106196 PMCID: PMC6491937 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Joana D Amaral
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Dário Silva
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cecília M P Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susana Solá
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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11
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Amaral JD, Silva D, Rodrigues CMP, Solá S, Santos MMM. A Novel Small Molecule p53 Stabilizer for Brain Cell Differentiation. Front Chem 2019; 7:15. [PMID: 30766866 PMCID: PMC6365904 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain tumor, as any type of cancer, is assumed to be sustained by a small subpopulation of stem-like cells with distinctive properties that allow them to survive conventional therapies and drive tumor recurrence. Thus, the identification of new molecules capable of controlling stemness properties may be key in developing effective therapeutic strategies for cancer by inducing stem-like cells differentiation. Spiropyrazoline oxindoles have previously been shown to induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, as well as upregulate p53 steady-state levels, while decreasing its main inhibitor MDM2 in the HCT116 human colorectal carcinoma cell line. In this study, we made modifications in this scaffold by including combinations of different substituents in the pyrazoline ring in order to obtain novel small molecules that could modulate p53 activity and act as differentiation inducer agents. The antiproliferative activity of the synthesized compounds was assessed using the isogenic pair of HCT116 cell lines differing in the presence or absence of the p53 gene. Among the tested spirooxindoles, spiropyrazoline oxindole 1a was selective against the cancer cell line expressing wild-type p53 and presented low cytotoxicity. This small molecule induced neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation through reduced SOX2 (marker of multipotency) and increased βIII-tubulin (marker of neural differentiation) which suggests a great potential as a non-toxic inducer of cell differentiation. More importantly, in glioma cancer cells (GL-261), compound 1a reduced stemness, by decreasing SOX2 protein levels, while also promoting chemotherapy sensitization. These results highlight the potential of p53 modulators for brain cell differentiation, with spirooxindole 1a representing a promising lead molecule for the development of new brain antitumor drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana D Amaral
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Dário Silva
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cecília M P Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susana Solá
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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12
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Espadinha M, Lourenço NMT, Sobral L, Antunes R, Santos MMM. A More Sustainable Process for Preparation of the Muscarinic Acetylcholine Antagonist Umeclidinium Bromide. ChemMedChem 2018; 13:2053-2056. [PMID: 30070428 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201800387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
A more sustainable process for the synthesis of the long-acting muscarinic acetylcholine antagonist umeclidinium bromide is described. Specifically, we report the synthesis of ethyl 1-(2-chloroethyl)-4-piperidinecarboxylate, a key intermediate in the preparation of umeclidinium bromide, in good yields using triethylamine, as well as the identification and characterization of the by-product formed in this reaction. This new method of synthesis leads to an improvement in yield over that of previously reported protocols using potassium carbonate as base (65.6 % versus 38.6 %). Moreover, in the final synthetic step of the process to obtain umeclidinium bromide, we were able to replace the use of toxic solvents (acetonitrile/chloroform) with water. The use of this green solvent allowed precipitation of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) from the reaction medium with high purity and in high yield. Overall, we have developed a more efficient and environmentally friendly process for the synthesis of the umeclidinium bromide API with a higher overall yield (37.8 % versus previously reported overall yield of 9.7 %).
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Espadinha
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Luis Sobral
- Hovione Farmaciência SA, Sete Casas, 2674-506, Loures, Portugal
| | - Rafael Antunes
- Hovione Farmaciência SA, Sete Casas, 2674-506, Loures, Portugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisbon, Portugal
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13
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Raimundo L, Espadinha M, Soares J, Loureiro JB, Alves MG, Santos MMM, Saraiva L. Improving anticancer activity towards colon cancer cells with a new p53-activating agent. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 175:3947-3962. [PMID: 30076608 PMCID: PMC6151341 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Impairment of the tumour suppressor p53 pathway is a major event in human cancers, making p53 activation one of the most attractive therapeutic strategies to halt cancer. Here, we have identified a new selective p53 activator and investigated its potential as an anticancer agent. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Anti-proliferative activity of the (R)-tryptophanol-derived bicyclic lactam SYNAP was evaluated in a range of human cancer cells with different p53 status. The anticancer activity and mechanism of action of SYNAP was studied in two- and three-dimensional models of human colon adenocarcinoma HCT116 cells with wild-type p53 and corresponding p53-null isogenic derivative cells, alone and in combination with known chemotherapeutic agents. KEY RESULTS SYNAP showed anti-proliferative effect in human cancer cells dependent on p53 status. In HCT116 cells, SYNAP caused p53-dependent growth inhibition, associated with cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, anti-migratory activity and regulation of the expression of p53 transcriptional targets. Data also indicated that SYNAP targeted p53, inhibiting its interaction with its endogenous inhibitors, murine double minute (MDM)2 and MDMX. Moreover, SYNAP sensitized colon cancer cells to the cytotoxic effect of known chemotherapeutic agents. SYNAP did not induce acquired or cross-resistance and re-sensitized doxorubicin-resistant colon cancer cells to chemotherapy. Additionally, SYNAP was non-genotoxic and had low cytotoxicity against normal cells. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS SYNAP revealed encouraging anticancer activity, either alone or in combination with known chemotherapeutic agents, in colon cancer cells. Apart from its promising application in cancer therapy, SYNAP may provide a starting point for improved p53 activators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Raimundo
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de FarmáciaUniversidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Margarida Espadinha
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of PharmacyUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
| | - Joana Soares
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de FarmáciaUniversidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Joana B Loureiro
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de FarmáciaUniversidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Marco G Alves
- Department of Microscopy, Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar & UMIB, Unity for Multidisciplinary Research in BiomedicineUniversity of PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of PharmacyUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
| | - Lucília Saraiva
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de FarmáciaUniversidade do PortoPortoPortugal
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14
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Nunes RC, Ribeiro CJA, Monteiro Â, Rodrigues CMP, Amaral JD, Santos MMM. In vitro targeting of colon cancer cells using spiropyrazoline oxindoles. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 139:168-179. [PMID: 28800455 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.07.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We report on the synthesis and biological evaluation of a library of twenty-three spiropyrazoline oxindoles. The antiproliferative activity of the chemical library was evaluated in HCT-116 p53(+/+) human colon cancer cell line with eight derivatives displaying good activities (IC50<15 μM). To characterize the molecular mechanisms involved in compound antitumoral activity, two spiropyrazoline oxindoles were selected for further studies. Both compounds were able to induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and upregulated p53 steady-state levels, while decreasing its main inhibitor MDM2. Importantly, cytotoxic effects induced by spiropyrazolines oxindoles occurred in cancer cells without eliciting cell death in non-malignant CCD-18Co human colon fibroblasts. Additionally, we demonstrated that the combination of spiropyrazoline oxindole 2e with sub-toxic concentrations of the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) exerted a synergistic inhibitory effect on HCT-116 colon cancer cell proliferation. Collectively, our results show the potential of spiropyrazoline oxindoles for development of novel anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rute C Nunes
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carlos J A Ribeiro
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ângelo Monteiro
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cecília M P Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Joana D Amaral
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal. /
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15
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Soares J, Espadinha M, Raimundo L, Ramos H, Gomes AS, Gomes S, Loureiro JB, Inga A, Reis F, Gomes C, Santos MMM, Saraiva L. DIMP53-1: a novel small-molecule dual inhibitor of p53-MDM2/X interactions with multifunctional p53-dependent anticancer properties. Mol Oncol 2017; 11:612-627. [PMID: 28296148 PMCID: PMC5467495 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor p53 plays a crucial role in cancer development and dissemination, and thus, p53‐targeted therapies are among the most encouraging anticancer strategies. In human cancers with wild‐type (wt) p53, its inactivation by interaction with murine double minute (MDM)2 and MDMX is a common event. Simultaneous inhibition of the p53 interaction with both MDMs is crucial to restore the tumor suppressor activity of p53. Here, we describe the synthesis of the new tryptophanol‐derived oxazoloisoindolinone DIMP53‐1 and identify its activity as a dual inhibitor of the p53–MDM2/X interactions using a yeast‐based assay. DIMP53‐1 caused growth inhibition, mediated by p53 stabilization and upregulation of p53 transcriptional targets involved in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, in wt p53‐expressing tumor cells, including MDM2‐ or MDMX‐overexpressing cells. Importantly, DIMP53‐1 inhibits the p53–MDM2/X interactions by potentially binding to p53, in human colon adenocarcinoma HCT116 cells. DIMP53‐1 also inhibited the migration and invasion of HCT116 cells, and the migration and tube formation of HMVEC‐D endothelial cells. Notably, in human tumor xenograft mice models, DIMP53‐1 showed a p53‐dependent antitumor activity through induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation and angiogenesis. Finally, no genotoxicity or undesirable toxic effects were observed with DIMP53‐1. In conclusion, DIMP53‐1 is a novel p53 activator, which potentially binds to p53 inhibiting its interaction with MDM2 and MDMX. Although target‐directed, DIMP53‐1 has a multifunctional activity, targeting major hallmarks of cancer through its antiproliferative, proapoptotic, antiangiogenic, anti‐invasive, and antimigratory properties. DIMP53‐1 is a promising anticancer drug candidate and an encouraging starting point to develop improved derivatives for clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Soares
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Margarida Espadinha
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Liliana Raimundo
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Helena Ramos
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Sara Gomes
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara Gomes
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana B Loureiro
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Alberto Inga
- CIBIO, Centre for Integrative Biology, Laboratory of Transcriptional Networks, University of Trento, Italy
| | - Flávio Reis
- Laboratory of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal.,Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology - Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI) Research Consortium, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Célia Gomes
- Laboratory of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (IBILI), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Portugal.,Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology - Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences (CNC.IBILI) Research Consortium, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Lucília Saraiva
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
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16
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Espadinha M, Dourado J, Lajarin-Cuesta R, Herrera-Arozamena C, Gonçalves LMD, Rodríguez-Franco MI, de Los Rios C, Santos MMM. Optimization of Bicyclic Lactam Derivatives as NMDA Receptor Antagonists. ChemMedChem 2017; 12:537-545. [PMID: 28218498 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201700037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
N-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are fundamental for the normal function of the central nervous system (CNS), and play an important role in memory and learning. Over-activation of these receptors leads to neuronal loss associated with major neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and epilepsy. In this study, 22 novel enantiopure bicyclic lactams were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as NMDA receptor antagonists. Most of the new compounds displayed NMDA receptor antagonism, and the most promising compound showed an IC50 value on the same order of magnitude as that of memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist in clinical use for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Further biological evaluation indicated that this compound is brain permeable (determined by an in vitro assay) and non-hepatotoxic. All these results indicate that (3S,7aS)-7a-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(4-hydroxybenzyl)tetrahydropyrrolo[2,1-b]oxazol-5(6H)-one (compound 5 b) is a potential candidate for the treatment of pathologies associated with the over-activation of NMDA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarida Espadinha
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jorge Dourado
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rocio Lajarin-Cuesta
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, C/ Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria, Hospital, Universitario de la Princesa, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Lidia M D Gonçalves
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | | | - Cristobal de Los Rios
- Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, C/ Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria, Hospital, Universitario de la Princesa, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
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17
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Soares J, Raimundo L, Pereira NAL, Monteiro Â, Gomes S, Bessa C, Pereira C, Queiroz G, Bisio A, Fernandes J, Gomes C, Reis F, Gonçalves J, Inga A, Santos MMM, Saraiva L. Reactivation of wild-type and mutant p53 by tryptophanolderived oxazoloisoindolinone SLMP53-1, a novel anticancer small-molecule. Oncotarget 2016; 7:4326-43. [PMID: 26735173 PMCID: PMC4826208 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Restoration of the p53 pathway, namely by reactivation of mutant (mut) p53, represents a valuable anticancer strategy. Herein, we report the identification of the enantiopure tryptophanol-derived oxazoloisoindolinone SLMP53-1 as a novel reactivator of wild-type (wt) and mut p53, using a yeast-based screening strategy. SLMP53-1 has a p53-dependent anti-proliferative activity in human wt and mut p53R280K-expressing tumor cells. Additionally, SLMP53-1 enhances p53 transcriptional activity and restores wt-like DNA binding ability to mut p53R280K. In wt/mut p53-expressing tumor cells, SLMP53-1 triggers p53 transcription-dependent and mitochondrial apoptotic pathways involving BAX, and wt/mut p53 mitochondrial translocation. SLMP53-1 inhibits the migration of wt/mut p53-expressing tumor cells, and it shows promising p53-dependent synergistic effects with conventional chemotherapeutics. In xenograft mice models, SLMP53-1 inhibits the growth of wt/mut p53-expressing tumors, but not of p53-null tumors, without apparent toxicity. Collectively, besides the potential use of SLMP53-1 as anticancer drug, the tryptophanol-derived oxazoloisoindolinone scaffold represents a promissing starting point for the development of effective p53-reactivating drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Soares
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Liliana Raimundo
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno A L Pereira
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ângelo Monteiro
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sara Gomes
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Cláudia Bessa
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Pereira
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Glória Queiroz
- Laboratório de Farmacologia, Departamento de Ciências do Medicamento, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alessandra Bisio
- CIBIO, Centre for Integrative Biology, Laboratory of Transcriptional Networks, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - João Fernandes
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, IBILI, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Célia Gomes
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, IBILI, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Flávio Reis
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, IBILI, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jorge Gonçalves
- Laboratório de Farmacologia, Departamento de Ciências do Medicamento, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alberto Inga
- CIBIO, Centre for Integrative Biology, Laboratory of Transcriptional Networks, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Lucília Saraiva
- UCIBIO/REQUIMTE, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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Pereira NAL, Sureda FX, Pérez M, Amat M, Santos MMM. Enantiopure Indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidines: Synthesis and Evaluation as NMDA Receptor Antagonists. Molecules 2016; 21:molecules21081027. [PMID: 27509489 PMCID: PMC6272859 DOI: 10.3390/molecules21081027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 07/31/2016] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Enantiopure tryptophanol is easily obtained from the reduction of its parent natural amino acid trypthophan (available from the chiral pool), and can be used as chiral auxiliary/inductor to control the stereochemical course of a diastereoselective reaction. Furthermore, enantiopure tryptophanol is useful for the syntheses of natural products or biological active molecules containing the aminoalcohol functionality. In this communication, we report the development of a small library of indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidines and evaluation of their activity as N-Methyl d-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. The indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidine scaffold was obtained using the following key steps: (i) a stereoselective cyclocondensation of (S)- or (R)-tryptophanol with appropriate racemic δ-oxoesters; (ii) a stereocontrolled cyclization on the indole nucleus. The synthesized enantiopure indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidines were evaluated as NMDA receptor antagonists and one compound was identified to be 2.9-fold more potent as NMDA receptor blocker than amantadine (used in the clinic for Parkinson’s disease). This compound represents a hit compound for the development of novel NMDA receptor antagonists with potential applications in neurodegenerative disorders associated with overactivation of NMDA receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno A L Pereira
- Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Francesc X Sureda
- Pharmacology Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, C./St. Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus (Tarragona), Spain.
| | - Maria Pérez
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mercedes Amat
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Ribeiro CJA, Amaral JD, Rodrigues CMP, Moreira R, Santos MMM. Spirooxadiazoline oxindoles with promising in vitro antitumor activities. Med Chem Commun 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c5md00450k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
This paper reports the synthesis and biological evaluation of thirty one spirooxadiazoline oxindoles as potential anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos J. A. Ribeiro
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa)
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Universidade de Lisboa
- 1649-003 Lisboa
- Portugal
| | - Joana D. Amaral
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa)
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Universidade de Lisboa
- 1649-003 Lisboa
- Portugal
| | - Cecília M. P. Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa)
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Universidade de Lisboa
- 1649-003 Lisboa
- Portugal
| | - Rui Moreira
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa)
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Universidade de Lisboa
- 1649-003 Lisboa
- Portugal
| | - Maria M. M. Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa)
- Faculty of Pharmacy
- Universidade de Lisboa
- 1649-003 Lisboa
- Portugal
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20
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Pereira NAL, Monteiro Â, Machado M, Gut J, Molins E, Perry MJ, Dourado J, Moreira R, Rosenthal PJ, Prudêncio M, Santos MMM. Enantiopure Indolizinoindolones with in vitro Activity against Blood- and Liver-Stage Malaria Parasites. ChemMedChem 2015; 10:2080-9. [PMID: 26525306 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201500429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Revised: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Malaria continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality to this day, and resistance to drugs like chloroquine has led to an urgent need to discover novel chemical entities aimed at new targets. Here, we report the discovery of a novel class of potential antimalarial compounds containing an indolizinoindolone scaffold. These novel enantiopure indolizinoindolones were synthesized, in good-to-excellent yields and excellent diastereoselectivities, by cyclocondensation reaction of (S)- or (R)-tryptophanol and 2-acyl benzoic acids, followed by intramolecular α-amidoalkylation. Interestingly, we were able to synthesize for the first time 7,13b-cis indolizinoindolones in a two-step route. The novel compounds showed promising activity against erythrocytic stages of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, and liver stages of the rodent parasite Plasmodium berghei. In particular, an (S)-tryptophanol-derived isoindolinone was identified as a promising starting scaffold to search for novel antimalarials, combining excellent activity against both stages of the parasite's life cycle with low cytotoxicity and excellent metabolic and chemical stability in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno A L Pereira
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ângelo Monteiro
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Marta Machado
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jiri Gut
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Elies Molins
- Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193, Cerdanyola, Spain
| | - M Jesus Perry
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jorge Dourado
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Rui Moreira
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Philip J Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Miguel Prudêncio
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003, Lisboa, Portugal.
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21
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Soares J, Pereira NAL, Monteiro Â, Leão M, Bessa C, Dos Santos DJVA, Raimundo L, Queiroz G, Bisio A, Inga A, Pereira C, Santos MMM, Saraiva L. Oxazoloisoindolinones with in vitro antitumor activity selectively activate a p53-pathway through potential inhibition of the p53-MDM2 interaction. Eur J Pharm Sci 2014; 66:138-47. [PMID: 25312347 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2014.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Revised: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
One of the most appealing targets for anticancer treatment is the p53 tumor suppressor protein. In half of human cancers, this protein is inactivated due to endogenous negative regulators such as MDM2. Actually, restoring the p53 activity, particularly through the inhibition of its interaction with MDM2, is considered a valuable therapeutic strategy against cancers with a wild-type p53 status. In this work, we report the synthesis of nine enantiopure phenylalaninol-derived oxazolopyrrolidone lactams and the evaluation of their biological effects as p53-MDM2 interaction inhibitors. Using a yeast-based screening assay, two oxazoloisoindolinones, compounds 1b and 3a, were identified as potential p53-MDM2 interaction inhibitors. The molecular mechanism of oxazoloisoindolinone 3a was further validated in human colon adenocarcinoma HCT116 cells with wild-type p53 (HCT116 p53(+/+)) and in its isogenic derivative without p53 (HCT116 p53(-/-)). Indeed, using these cells, we demonstrated that oxazoloisoindolinone 3a exhibited a p53-dependent in vitro antitumor activity through induction of G0/G1-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The selective activation of a p53-apoptotic pathway by oxazoloisoindolinone 3a was further supported by the occurrence of PARP cleavage only in p53-expressing HCT116 cells. Moreover, oxazoloisoindolinone 3a led to p53 protein stabilization and to the up-regulation of p53 transcriptional activity with increased expression levels of several p53 target genes, as p21(WAF1/CIP1), MDM2, BAX and PUMA, in p53(+/+) but not in p53(-/-) HCT116 cells. Additionally, the ability of oxazoloisoindolinone 3a to block the p53-MDM2 interaction in HCT116 p53(+/+) cells was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. Finally, the molecular docking analysis of the interactions between the synthesized compounds and MDM2 revealed that oxazoloisoindolinone 3a binds to MDM2. Altogether, this work adds, for the first time, the oxazoloisoindolinone scaffold to the list of chemotypes activators of a wild-type p53-pathway with promising antitumor activity. Moreover, it may open the way to the development of a new class of p53-MDM2 interaction inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Soares
- REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno A L Pereira
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ângelo Monteiro
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mariana Leão
- REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Cláudia Bessa
- REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Daniel J V A Dos Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal; REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Liliana Raimundo
- REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Glória Queiroz
- REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Laboratório de Farmacologia, Departamento de Ciências do Medicamento, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Alessandra Bisio
- CIBIO, Centre for Integrative Biology, Laboratory of Transcriptional Networks, University of Trento, Via delle Regole, 101, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Alberto Inga
- CIBIO, Centre for Integrative Biology, Laboratory of Transcriptional Networks, University of Trento, Via delle Regole, 101, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Clara Pereira
- REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria M M Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Lucília Saraiva
- REQUIMTE, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Laboratório de Microbiologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira n.° 164, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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Reis M, Ferreira RJ, Santos MMM, dos Santos DJVA, Molnár J, Ferreira MJU. Enhancing Macrocyclic Diterpenes as Multidrug-Resistance Reversers: Structure–Activity Studies on Jolkinol D Derivatives. J Med Chem 2013; 56:748-60. [DOI: 10.1021/jm301441w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Reis
- Research Institute for Medicines
and Pharmaceutical Sciences (iMed.UL), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-019,
Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ricardo J. Ferreira
- Research Institute for Medicines
and Pharmaceutical Sciences (iMed.UL), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-019,
Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria M. M. Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines
and Pharmaceutical Sciences (iMed.UL), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-019,
Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Daniel J. V. A. dos Santos
- Research Institute for Medicines
and Pharmaceutical Sciences (iMed.UL), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-019,
Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joseph Molnár
- Department
of Medical Microbiology
and Immunobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Dóm tér 10, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Maria-José U. Ferreira
- Research Institute for Medicines
and Pharmaceutical Sciences (iMed.UL), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-019,
Lisboa, Portugal
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23
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Amat M, Ramos C, Pérez M, Molins E, Florindo P, Santos MMM, Bosch J. Enantioselective formal synthesis of ent-rhynchophylline and ent-isorhynchophylline. Chem Commun (Camb) 2013; 49:1954-6. [PMID: 23361134 DOI: 10.1039/c2cc38540f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Starting from (S)-tryptophanol, a formal synthesis of ent-rhynchophylline and ent-isorhynchophylline, involving stereoselective cyclocondensation, spirocyclization, and alkylation reactions, and the final adjustment of the oxidation level at the oxindole and piperidine moieties, is reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Amat
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028-Barcelona, Spain.
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Santos MMM, Riis P. OPTIMIZED McCLEARY METHOD FOR MEASUREMENT OF TOTAL β-AMYLASE IN BARLEY AND ITS APPLICABILITY. Journal of the Institute of Brewing 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/j.2050-0416.1996.tb00912.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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25
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Pereira NAL, Sureda FX, Turch M, Amat M, Bosch J, Santos MMM. Synthesis of phenylalaninol-derived oxazolopyrrolidone lactams and evaluation as NMDA receptor antagonists. Monatsh Chem 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s00706-012-0880-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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26
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Kumar SP, Glória PMC, Gonçalves LM, Gut J, Rosenthal PJ, Moreira R, Santos MMM. Squaric acid: a valuable scaffold for developing antimalarials? Med Chem Commun 2012. [DOI: 10.1039/c2md20011b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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27
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Pérez M, Arioli F, Rigacci G, Santos MMM, Gómez-Esqué A, Escolano C, Florindo P, Ramos C, Bosch J, Amat M. Stereocontrolled Generation of Benzo[a]- and Indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidines from (S)-Tryptophanol and (S)-(3,4-Dimethoxyphenyl)alaninol-Derived Lactams. European J Org Chem 2011. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.201100294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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28
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Castro RE, Santos MMM, Glória PMC, Ribeiro CJA, Ferreira DMS, Xavier JM, Moreira R, Rodrigues CMP. Cell death targets and potential modulators in Alzheimer's disease. Curr Pharm Des 2011; 16:2851-64. [PMID: 20698818 DOI: 10.2174/138161210793176563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2010] [Accepted: 07/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is now recognized as a normal feature in the development of the nervous system and may also play a role in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Cell surface receptors, caspases, mitochondrial factors or p53 participate in the modulation and execution of cell death. Therefore, the ability to understand and manipulate the cell death machinery is an obvious goal of medical research. Potential therapeutic approaches to modulate disease by regulating apoptosis are being tested, and include the traditional use of small molecules to target specific players in the apoptosis cascade. As our understanding of apoptosis increases, further opportunities will arise for more specific therapies that will result in improved efficacy. This review focuses on molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in Alzheimer's disease and highlights the potential use of small molecule modulators to treat neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui E Castro
- Research Institute for Medicines and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal.
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Santos MMM, Faria N, Iley J, Coles SJ, Hursthouse MB, Martins ML, Moreira R. Reaction of naphthoquinones with substituted nitromethanes. Facile synthesis and antifungal activity of naphtho[2,3-d]isoxazole-4,9-diones. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2009; 20:193-5. [PMID: 19926280 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.10.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2009] [Revised: 10/29/2009] [Accepted: 10/30/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We report here a simple entry into naphtho[2,3-d]isoxazole-4,9-dione system containing a EWG in position 3 using the readily available 2,3-dichloro-1,4-naphthoquinone and nitromethyl derivatives in the presence of base. Antifungal activity of synthesised naphthoquinones was evaluated against ATCC and PYCC reference strains of Candida. The results suggest that the naphtho[2,3-d]isoxazole-4,9-dione scaffold has the potential to be developed into novel and safe therapeutic antifungal agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M M Santos
- i-Med.UL, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Forças Armadas, Lisboa, Portugal.
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Amat M, Gómez-Esqué A, Escolano C, Santos MMM, Molins E, Bosch J. Enantioselective Formal Synthesis of (+)-Dihydrocorynantheine and (−)-Dihydrocorynantheol. J Org Chem 2008; 74:1205-11. [DOI: 10.1021/jo802387c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Amat
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028-Barcelona, Spain, and Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193-Cerdanyola, Spain
| | - Arantxa Gómez-Esqué
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028-Barcelona, Spain, and Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193-Cerdanyola, Spain
| | - Carmen Escolano
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028-Barcelona, Spain, and Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193-Cerdanyola, Spain
| | - Maria M. M. Santos
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028-Barcelona, Spain, and Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193-Cerdanyola, Spain
| | - Elies Molins
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028-Barcelona, Spain, and Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193-Cerdanyola, Spain
| | - Joan Bosch
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Institute of Biomedicine (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028-Barcelona, Spain, and Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (CSIC), Campus UAB, 08193-Cerdanyola, Spain
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Abstract
Cysteine proteases selectively catalyze the hydrolysis of peptide bonds. Uncontrolled, unregulated, or undesired proteolysis can lead to many disease states including emphysema, stroke, viral infections, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, inflammation, and arthritis. Cysteine proteases inhibitors thus have considerable potential utility for therapeutic intervention in a variety of disease states. This review emphasizes on the new developments from literature reports on Michael acceptors as potential cysteine protease inhibitors, namely vinyl sulfones, alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl derivatives and aza-peptides. These compounds irreversibly alkylate the active site cysteine residue via conjugate addition. Examples of Michael acceptors inhibitors that have already progressed to clinical testing are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M M Santos
- i-Med.UL, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-019 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Amat M, Santos MMM, Gómez AM, Jokic D, Molins E, Bosch J. Enantioselective Spirocyclizations from Tryptophanol-Derived Oxazolopiperidone Lactams. Org Lett 2007; 9:2907-10. [PMID: 17602493 DOI: 10.1021/ol0712327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A straightforward synthetic route to enantiopure spiro[indole-3,3'-indolizidines] is reported. The key step is a Lewis acid promoted cyclization of a Na-tosyltryptophanol-derived oxazolopiperidone lactam in the presence of Et3SiH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Amat
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, 08028-Barcelona, Spain
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Amat M, Santos MMM, Bassas O, Llor N, Escolano C, Gómez-Esqué A, Molins E, Allin SM, McKee V, Bosch J. Straightforward methodology for the enantioselective synthesis of benzo[a]- and indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidines. J Org Chem 2007; 72:5193-201. [PMID: 17547461 DOI: 10.1021/jo070539g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
An enantioselective two-step route to substituted benzo[a]- and indolo[2,3-a]quinolizidines has been developed. It consists of (i) a stereoselective cyclocondensation of a racemic or prochiral delta-oxo(di)ester with either (S)-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)alaninol or (S)-tryptophanol in a process involving a dynamic kinetic resolution and/or the differentiation of enantiotopic or diastereotopic ester groups, and (ii) a subsequent stereocontrolled cyclization on the aromatic ring taking advantage of the masked N-acyl iminium ion present in the resulting oxazolopiperidone lactams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Amat
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, 08028-Barcelona, Spain.
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Bassas O, Llor N, Santos MMM, Griera R, Molins E, Amat M, Bosch J. Biogenetically Inspired Enantioselective Approach to Indolo[2,3-a]- and Benzo[a]quinolizidine Alkaloids from a Synthetic Equivalent of Secologanin. Org Lett 2005; 7:2817-20. [PMID: 15987144 DOI: 10.1021/ol0505609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
[reaction: see text] Racemic oxodiester 1 undergoes stereoselective cyclocondensation with (S)-tryptophanol, (S)-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)alaninol, or the corresponding amino acids, in a process involving a tandem dynamic kinetic resolution/desymmetrization of diastereotopic groups, to give bicyclic lactams, which are cyclized to substituted indolo[2,3-a]- and benzo[a]quinolizidines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriol Bassas
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Spain
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