1
|
Stocchero M, Corallo D, Bresolin S, Pantile M, Pirillo P, Bortolozzi R, Menegazzo S, Boso D, Viola G, Baraldi E, Biffi A, Giordano G, Aveic S. A Multi-Omics Approach Reveals Enrichment in Metabolites Involved in the Regulation of the Glutathione Pathway in LIN28B-Dependent Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1602. [PMID: 38338881 PMCID: PMC10855783 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031602] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The RNA-binding protein LIN28B, identified as an independent risk factor in high-risk neuroblastoma patients, is implicated in adverse treatment outcomes linked to metastasis and chemoresistance. Despite its clinical significance, the impact of LIN28B on neuroblastoma cell metabolism remains unexplored. This study employs a multi-omics approach, integrating transcriptome and metabolome data, to elucidate the global metabolic program associated with varying LIN28B expression levels over time. Our findings reveal that escalating LIN28B expression induces a significant metabolic rewiring in neuroblastoma cells. Specifically, LIN28B prompts a time-dependent increase in the release rate of metabolites related to the glutathione and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthetic pathways, concomitant with a reduction in glucose uptake. These results underscore the pivotal role of LIN28B in governing neuroblastoma cell metabolism and suggest a potential disruption in the redox balance of LIN28B-bearing cells. This study offers valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying LIN28B-associated adverse outcomes in neuroblastoma, paving the way for targeted therapeutic interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Stocchero
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (P.P.); (R.B.); (S.M.); (G.V.); (A.B.); (G.G.)
- Laboratory Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Fondazione Città della Speranza, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Diana Corallo
- Laboratory of Target Discovery and Biology of Neuroblastoma, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Fondazione Città della Speranza, 35127 Padova, Italy; (M.P.); (D.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Silvia Bresolin
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (P.P.); (R.B.); (S.M.); (G.V.); (A.B.); (G.G.)
| | - Marcella Pantile
- Laboratory of Target Discovery and Biology of Neuroblastoma, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Fondazione Città della Speranza, 35127 Padova, Italy; (M.P.); (D.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Paola Pirillo
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (P.P.); (R.B.); (S.M.); (G.V.); (A.B.); (G.G.)
- Laboratory Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Fondazione Città della Speranza, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (P.P.); (R.B.); (S.M.); (G.V.); (A.B.); (G.G.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Sara Menegazzo
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (P.P.); (R.B.); (S.M.); (G.V.); (A.B.); (G.G.)
- Laboratory of Target Discovery and Biology of Neuroblastoma, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Fondazione Città della Speranza, 35127 Padova, Italy; (M.P.); (D.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Daniele Boso
- Laboratory of Target Discovery and Biology of Neuroblastoma, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Fondazione Città della Speranza, 35127 Padova, Italy; (M.P.); (D.B.); (S.A.)
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (P.P.); (R.B.); (S.M.); (G.V.); (A.B.); (G.G.)
| | - Eugenio Baraldi
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (P.P.); (R.B.); (S.M.); (G.V.); (A.B.); (G.G.)
- Laboratory Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Fondazione Città della Speranza, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Alessandra Biffi
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (P.P.); (R.B.); (S.M.); (G.V.); (A.B.); (G.G.)
| | - Giuseppe Giordano
- Department of Women and Children’s Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy; (S.B.); (P.P.); (R.B.); (S.M.); (G.V.); (A.B.); (G.G.)
- Laboratory Mass Spectrometry and Metabolomics, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Fondazione Città della Speranza, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Sanja Aveic
- Laboratory of Target Discovery and Biology of Neuroblastoma, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Fondazione Città della Speranza, 35127 Padova, Italy; (M.P.); (D.B.); (S.A.)
- Department of Dental Materials and Biomaterials Research, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Romagnoli R, De Ventura T, Manfredini S, Baldini E, Supuran CT, Nocentini A, Brancale A, Bortolozzi R, Manfreda L, Viola G. Design, synthesis, and biological investigation of selective human carbonic anhydrase II, IX, and XII inhibitors using 7-aryl/heteroaryl triazolopyrimidines bearing a sulfanilamide scaffold. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2023; 38:2270180. [PMID: 37850364 PMCID: PMC10586084 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2023.2270180] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel library of human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) inhibitors based on the 2-sulfanilamido[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine skeleton modified at its 7-position was prepared by an efficient convergent procedure. These derivatives were evaluated in vitro for their inhibition properties against a representative panel of hCA isoforms (hCA I, II, IV, IX, and XII). The target tumour-associated isoforms hCA IX and XII were potently inhibited with KIs in the low nanomolar range of 5-96 nM and 4-72 nM, respectively. Compounds 1d, 1j, 1v, and 1x were the most potent hCA IX inhibitors with KIs of 5.1, 8.6, 4.7, and 5.1 nM, respectively. Along with derivatives 1d and 1j, compounds 1r and 1ab potently inhibited hCA XII isoform with KIs in a single-digit nanomolar range of 8.8, 5.4, 4.3, and 9.0 nM, respectively. Compounds 1e, 1m, and 1p exhibited the best selectivity against hCA IX and hCA XII isoforms over off-target hCA II, with selectivity indexes ranging from 5 to 14.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Tiziano De Ventura
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Stefano Manfredini
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Erika Baldini
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Claudiu T. Supuran
- Department of NEUROFARBA, Section of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Alessio Nocentini
- Department of NEUROFARBA, Section of Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Andrea Brancale
- Vysoká Škola Chemicko-Technologická v Praze, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, Hemato-Oncology Lab, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Laboratory of Experimental Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Padova, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manfreda
- Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, Hemato-Oncology Lab, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Laboratory of Experimental Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Woman’s and Child’s Health, Hemato-Oncology Lab, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Laboratory of Experimental Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mariotto E, Rampazzo E, Bortolozzi R, Rruga F, Zeni I, Manfreda L, Marchioro C, Canton M, Cani A, Magni R, Luchini A, Bresolin S, Viola G, Persano L. Molecular and functional profiling of chemotolerant cells unveils nucleoside metabolism-dependent vulnerabilities in medulloblastoma. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:183. [PMID: 37978570 PMCID: PMC10655385 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01679-7] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy resistance is considered one of the main causes of tumor relapse, still challenging researchers for the identification of the molecular mechanisms sustaining its emergence. Here, we setup and characterized chemotherapy-resistant models of Medulloblastoma (MB), one of the most lethal pediatric brain tumors, to uncover targetable vulnerabilities associated to their resistant phenotype. Integration of proteomic, transcriptomic and kinomic data revealed a significant deregulation of several pathways in resistant MB cells, converging to cell metabolism, RNA/protein homeostasis, and immune response, eventually impacting on patient outcome. Moreover, resistant MB cell response to a large library of compounds through a high-throughput screening (HTS), highlighted nucleoside metabolism as a relevant vulnerability of chemotolerant cells, with peculiar antimetabolites demonstrating increased efficacy against them and even synergism with conventional chemotherapeutics. Our results suggest that drug-resistant cells significantly rewire multiple cellular processes, allowing their adaptation to a chemotoxic environment, nevertheless exposing alternative actionable susceptibilities for their specific targeting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Mariotto
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
- Unit of Biostatistics, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, Via Loredan 18, 35131, Padua, Italy
| | - Elena Rampazzo
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy.
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy.
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy.
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy.
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Largo Meneghetti 2, 35131, Padua, Italy.
| | - Fatlum Rruga
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Ilaria Zeni
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manfreda
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Chiara Marchioro
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Martina Canton
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Alice Cani
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Ruben Magni
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, 10920 George Mason Circle, MSN 1A9, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA
| | - Alessandra Luchini
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, 10920 George Mason Circle, MSN 1A9, Manassas, VA, 20110, USA
| | - Silvia Bresolin
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| | - Luca Persano
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
- Pediatric Research Institute, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padua, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Manfreda L, Rampazzo E, Persano L, Viola G, Bortolozzi R. Surviving the hunger games: Metabolic reprogramming in medulloblastoma. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 215:115697. [PMID: 37481140 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115697] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma is a highly malignant pediatric brain tumor characterized by its aggressive nature and limited treatment options. Metabolic changes have recently emerged as key factors in the development, progression, and response to therapy in various types of cancer. Cancer cells exhibit remarkable adaptability by modulating glucose, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotide metabolism to survive in nutrient- and oxygen-deprived environments. Although medulloblastoma has been extensively studied from a genomic perspective, leading to the identification of four subgroups and their respective subcategories, the investigation of its metabolic phenotype has remained relatively understudied. This review focus on the available literature, aiming to summarize the current knowledge about the main metabolic pathways that are deregulated in medulloblastoma tumors, while emphasizing the controversial aspects and the progress that is yet to be made. Furthermore, we underscored the insights gained so far regarding the impact of metabolism on the development of drug resistance in medulloblastoma and the therapeutic strategies employed to target specific metabolic pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Manfreda
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Rampazzo
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Persano
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy; Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Barreca M, Spanò V, Rocca R, Bivacqua R, Gualtieri G, Raimondi MV, Gaudio E, Bortolozzi R, Manfreda L, Bai R, Montalbano A, Alcaro S, Hamel E, Bertoni F, Viola G, Barraja P. Identification of pyrrolo[3',4':3,4]cyclohepta[1,2-d][1,2]oxazoles as promising new candidates for the treatment of lymphomas. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 254:115372. [PMID: 37068384 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Unsatisfactory outcomes for relapsed/refractory lymphoma patients prompt continuing efforts to develop new therapeutic strategies. Our previous studies on pyrrole-based anti-lymphoma agents led us to synthesize a new series of twenty-six pyrrolo[3',4':3,4]cyclohepta[1,2-d] [1,2]oxazole derivatives and study their antiproliferative effects against a panel of four non-Hodgkin lymphoma cell lines. Several candidates showed significant anti-proliferative effects, with IC50's reaching the sub-micromolar range in at least one cell line, with compound 3z demonstrating sub-micromolar growth inhibitory effects towards the entire panel. The VL51 cell line was the most sensitive, with an IC50 value of 0.10 μM for 3z. Our earlier studies had shown that tubulin was a prominent target of many of our oxazole derivatives. We therefore examined their effects on tubulin assembly and colchicine binding. While 3u and 3z did not appear to target tubulin, good activity was observed with 3d and 3p. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations allowed us to rationalize the binding mode of the synthesized compounds toward tubulin. All ligands exhibited a better affinity for the colchicine site, confirming their specificity for this binding pocket. In particular, a better affinity and free energy of binding was observed for 3d and 3p. This result was confirmed by experimental data, indicating that, although both 3d and 3p significantly affected tubulin assembly, only 3d showed activity comparable to that of combretastatin A-4, while 3p was about 4-fold less active. Cell cycle analysis showed that compounds 3u and especially 3z induced a block in G2/M, a strong decrease in S phase even at low compound concentrations and apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Thus, the mechanism of action of 3u and 3z remains to be elucidated. Very high selectivity toward cancer cells and low toxicity in human peripheral blood lymphocytes were observed, highlighting the good potential of these agents in cancer therapy and encouraging further exploration of this compound class to obtain new small molecules as effective lymphoma treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marilia Barreca
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Virginia Spanò
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberta Rocca
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università; Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy; Net4Science srl, Academic Spinoff, Università; Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Roberta Bivacqua
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Gualtieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università; Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Maria Valeria Raimondi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Via Francesco Chiesa 5, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35127, Padova, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manfreda
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35127, Padova, Italy
| | - Ruoli Bai
- Molecular Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Alessandra Montalbano
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Net4Science srl, Academic Spinoff, Università; Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università; Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Molecular Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, USI, Via Francesco Chiesa 5, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland; Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6500, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35127, Padova, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy
| | - Paola Barraja
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Porcù E, Maule F, Manfreda L, Mariotto E, Bresolin S, Cani A, Bortolozzi R, Della Puppa A, Corallo D, Viola G, Rampazzo E, Persano L. Identification of Homoharringtonine as a potent inhibitor of glioblastoma cell proliferation and migration. Transl Res 2023; 251:41-53. [PMID: 35788055 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
We previously demonstrated that Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is a pivotal mediator of the pro-oncogenic features displayed by glioblastoma (GBM) tumors, the deadliest adult brain malignancies, being involved in cell stemness, proliferation and invasion, thus negatively impacting patient prognosis. Based on these results, we hypothesized that compounds able to revert ANXA2-dependent transcriptional features could be exploited as reliable treatments to inhibit GBM cell aggressiveness by hampering their proliferative and migratory potential. Transcriptional signatures obtained by the modulation of ANXA2 activity/levels were functionally mapped through the QUADrATiC bioinformatic tool for compound identification. Selected compounds were screened by cell proliferation and migration assays in primary GBM cells, and we identified Homoharringtonine (HHT) as a potent inhibitor of GBM cell motility and proliferation, without affecting their viability. A further molecular characterization of the effects displayed by HHT, confirmed its ability to inhibit a transcriptional program involved in cell migration and invasion. Moreover, we demonstrated that the multiple antitumoral effects displayed by HHT are correlated to the inhibition of a platelet derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα)-dependent intracellular signaling through the impairment of Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and Ras homolog family member A (RhoA) axes. Our results demonstrate that HHT may act as a potent inhibitor of cancer cell proliferation and invasion in GBM, by hampering multiple PDGFRα-dependent oncogenic signals transduced through the STAT3 and RhoA intracellular components, finally suggesting its potential transferability for achieving an effective impairment of peculiar GBM hallmarks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Porcù
- Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Maule
- Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manfreda
- Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Bresolin
- Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Alice Cani
- Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | | | | | - Diana Corallo
- Laboratory of Target Discovery and Biology of Neuroblastoma, Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Rampazzo
- Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy.
| | - Luca Persano
- Department of Women and Children's Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Pediatric Research Institute, Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Mariotto E, Rampazzo E, Bortolozzi R, Rruga F, Manfreda L, Marchioro C, Bresolin S, Viola G, Persano L. MODL-21. Multi-omics investigation of medulloblastoma resistant models reveals functional association between intracellular regulatory networks and drug susceptibility. Neuro Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac079.644] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood. Despite high-dose radio/chemotherapy treatment, 15-30% of patients still display a high risk of tumor recurrence. In this context, the characterization of innovative cellular models resembling therapy-induced drug resistance represents an unprecedented opportunity for selecting relevant therapies for chemotherapy-refractory patients. In order to unveil the molecular mechanisms sustaining chemotherapy resistance in MB, we setup in vitro models of MB drug resistance by exposing Patient-Derived MB (PD-MB) cells to a combination of the commonly used chemotherapeutics for pediatric MB treatment. Integration of multi-omics data, including transcriptional, proteomic and kinase activation profiling, disclosed that drug resistant PD-MB cells are characterized by a significant deregulation of several cancer-related pathways converging to metabolism of xenobiotics, adaptation of the biochemical processes sustaining energetic metabolic demand, cell proliferation and survival, protein homeostasis, RNA processing and modification, and immune response. Moreover, this intriguing regulatory network was functionally associated to the response of drug-resistant MB cells to a large library of compounds through a semi-automated High-Throughput drug Screening (HTS) workflow, suggesting the antimetabolite class of drugs as relevant therapeutics displaying high selectivity and efficacy against resistant MB models, together with a significant synergistic action when combined with standard chemotherapeutic agents. Collectively, our results suggest that drug-resistant MB cells are subjected to a peculiar adaptation of multiple intracellular processes during adaptation to chemotherapy, which protects them from the toxic environment but, at the same time, provides targetable vulnerabilities for therapeutic purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Mariotto
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Elena Rampazzo
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Fatlum Rruga
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manfreda
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Chiara Marchioro
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Silvia Bresolin
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Luca Persano
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Bortolozzi R, Mariotto E, Rampazzo E, Manfreda L, Marchioro C, Rruga F, Persano L, Viola G. MODL-20. Metabolic rewiring support the onset of chemotherapy resistance in medulloblastoma. Neuro Oncol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noac079.643] [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: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the deadliest brain tumor of childhood, intrinsically characterized by fast growth, high invasiveness, and resistance to treatments. With the aim to deepen the molecular basis of MB aggressiveness and recurrence, we established an in vitro model of MB resistance to chemotherapy, in which, a weekly exposure to a cocktail of chemotherapeutics commonly used in MB treatment (Vincristine, Etoposide, Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide – VECC) induces the selection of cells that progressively acquire resistance to subsequent VECC treatments. Preliminary data on our model of MB resistance show that resistant cells induce the activation of the two main regulator of pentose phosphate pathway TKT and G6PD via the activation of Nrf2 transcriptional activity. Moreover, resistant cells show an increase in hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) together with an augmented expression of glycolytic enzymes HK1, PFKB-3, PDK1 and LDHA and increased glycolytic capacity. Interestingly, enrichment analysis on label free mass spectrometry data reveal that the most significant terms deriving from the upregulated proteins, that characterized resistant cells, were related to metabolic processes such as “carbon metabolism”, “fatty acid beta oxidation”, “tricarboxylic acid cycle” and “carboxylic acid catabolic processes”.Consistently with recent studies that highlight the relevance of metabolic plasticity of cancer cells in chemotherapy adaptation, our data suggest a metabolic uncoupling in which MB resistant cells, through the alteration of peculiar metabolic processes, may satisfy their altered energetic demands through alternative metabolic pathways. In this way, the generation of a new balance of intracellular metabolites finally provide increased resistance to external insults (i.e., chemotherapeutics) and a greater ability of detoxifying the intracellular compartments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Bortolozzi
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Elena Rampazzo
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Lorenzo Manfreda
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Chiara Marchioro
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Fatlum Rruga
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Luca Persano
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , Padova , Italy
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica , Padova , Italy
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Cilibrasi V, Spanò V, Bortolozzi R, Barreca M, Raimondi MV, Rocca R, Maruca A, Montalbano A, Alcaro S, Ronca R, Viola G, Barraja P. Synthesis of 2H-Imidazo[2',1':2,3] [1,3]thiazolo[4,5-e]isoindol-8-yl-phenylureas with promising therapeutic features for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with FLT3/ITD mutations. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 235:114292. [PMID: 35339838 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Despite progressive advances in understanding the molecular biology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the conventional therapeutic approach has not changed substantially, and the outcome for most patients is poor. Thus, continuous efforts on the discovery of new compounds with improved features are required. Following a multistep sequence, we have identified a new tetracyclic ring system with strong antiproliferative activity towards several haematological cell lines. The new compounds possess structural properties typical of inactive-state-binding kinase inhibitors and are structurally related to quizartinib which is known as type-II tyrosine kinase inhibitor. In particular, the high activity found in two cell lines MOLM-13 and MV4-11, expressing the constitutively activated mutant FLT3/ITD, indicates inhibition of FLT3 kinase and on the basis of structure-activity relationship (SAR) the presence of an ureido moiety demonstrates to play a key role in driving the antiproliferative activity towards these cell lines. Molecular modelling studies supported the mechanism of recognition of the most active compounds within the FLT3 pocket where quizartinib binds. Moreover, Molecular Dynamics simulation (MDs) revealed the formation of a recurrent H-bond with Asp829, which more stabilizes the complex of 9c and the FLT3 inactive state. In MV4-11 cell line compound 9c reduces the phosphorylation of FLT3 (Y591) and some of its downstream targets leading to cell cycle arrest at G1 phase and induction of apoptosis. In an MV4-11 xenograft mouse model, 9c significantly reduces the tumor growth at the dose of 1-3 mg/kg without apparent toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Cilibrasi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Virginia Spanò
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy
| | - Marilia Barreca
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Valeria Raimondi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberta Rocca
- Net4Science srl, Academic Spinoff, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy; Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Annalisa Maruca
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy; Net4Science srl, Academic Spinoff, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Alessandra Montalbano
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Net4Science srl, Academic Spinoff, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Roberto Ronca
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale Unità di Oncologia Sperimentale ed Immunologia, Università di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy; Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia Università di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35131, Padova, Italy.
| | - Paola Barraja
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Romagnoli R, Preti D, Hamel E, Bortolozzi R, Viola G, Brancale A, Ferla S, Morciano G, Pinton P. Concise synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-Aryl-3-Anilinobenzo[b]thiophene derivatives as potent apoptosis-inducing agents. Bioorg Chem 2021; 112:104919. [PMID: 33957538 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.104919] [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] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Many clinically used agents active in cancer chemotherapy exert their activity through the induction of cell death (apoptosis) by targeting microtubules, altering protein function or inhibiting DNA synthesis. The benzo[b]thiophene scaffold holds a pivotal place as a pharmacophore for the development of anticancer agents, and, in addition, this scaffold has many pharmacological activities. We have developed a flexible method for the construction of a new series of 2-aryl-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyanilino)-6-methoxybenzo[b]thiophenes as potent antiproliferative agents, giving access to a wide range of substitution patterns at the 2-position of the 6-methoxybenzo[b]thiophene common intermediate. In the present study, all the synthesized compounds retained the 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyanilino)-6-methoxybenzo[b]thiophene moiety, and the structure-activity relationship was examined by modification of the aryl group at its 2-position with electron-withdrawing (F) or electron-releasing (alkyl and alkoxy) groups. We found that small substituents, such as fluorine or methyl, could be placed in the para-position of the 2-phenyl ring, and these modifications only slightly reduced antiproliferative activity relative to the unsubstituted 2-phenyl analogue. Compounds 3a and 3b, bearing the phenyl and para-fluorophenyl at the 2-position of the 6-methoxybenzo[b]thiophene nucleus, respectively, exhibited the greatest antiproliferative activity among the tested compounds. The treatment of both Caco2 (not metastatic) and HCT-116 (metastatic) colon carcinoma cells with 3a or 3b triggered a significant induction of apoptosis as demonstrated by the increased expression of cleaved-poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), receptor-interacting protein (RIP) and caspase-3 proteins. The same effect was not observed with non-transformed colon 841 CoN cells. A potential additional effect during mitosis for 3a in metastatic cells and for 3b in non-metastatic cells was also observed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche ed Agrarie, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Delia Preti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche ed Agrarie, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Università degli Studi di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Molecular Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Salvatore Ferla
- Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Giampaolo Morciano
- Department of Medical Sciences, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paolo Pinton
- Department of Medical Sciences, Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Grieco I, Bissaro M, Tiz DB, Perez DI, Perez C, Martinez A, Redenti S, Mariotto E, Bortolozzi R, Viola G, Cozza G, Spalluto G, Moro S, Federico S. Developing novel classes of protein kinase CK1δ inhibitors by fusing [1,2,4]triazole with different bicyclic heteroaromatic systems. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 216:113331. [PMID: 33721670 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Protein kinase CK1δ expression and activity is involved in different pathological situations that include neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. For this reason, protein kinase CK1δ has become a possible therapeutic target for these conditions. 5,6-fused bicyclic heteroaromatic systems that resemble adenine of ATP represent optimal scaffolds for the development of a new class of ATP competitive CK1δ inhibitors. In particular, a new series of [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines and [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazines was developed. Some crucial interactors have been identified, such as the presence of a free amino group able to interact with the residues of the hinge region at the 5- and 7- positions of the [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine and [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazine scaffolds, respectively; or the presence of a 3-hydroxyphenyl or 3,5-dihydroxyphenyl moiety at the 2- position of both nuclei. Molecular modeling studies identified the key interactions involved in the inhibitor-protein recognition process that appropriately fit with the outlined structure-activity relationship. Considering the fact that the CK1 protein kinase is involved in various pathologies in particular of the central nervous system, the interest in the development of new inhibitors permeable to the blood-brain barrier represents today an important goal in the pharmaceutical field. The best potent compound of the series is the 5-(7-amino-5-(benzylamino)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazin-2-yl)benzen-1,3-diol (compound 51, IC50 = 0.18 μM) that was predicted to have an intermediate ability to cross the membrane in our in vitro assay and represents an optimal starting point to both studies the therapeutic value of protein kinase CK1δ inhibition and to develop new more potent derivatives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilenia Grieco
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Maicol Bissaro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Benedetto Tiz
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Daniel I Perez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas, CSIC, Ramiro de Maetzu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Conception Perez
- Instituto de Quimica Medica, CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Martinez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas, CSIC, Ramiro de Maetzu 9, 28040, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto Carlos III, 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Redenti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Giorgio Cozza
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampiero Spalluto
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefano Moro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università degli Studi di Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Stephanie Federico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Romagnoli R, Oliva P, Salvador MK, Manfredini S, Padroni C, Brancale A, Ferla S, Hamel E, Ronca R, Maccarinelli F, Rruga F, Mariotto E, Viola G, Bortolozzi R. A facile synthesis of diaryl pyrroles led to the discovery of potent colchicine site antimitotic agents. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 214:113229. [PMID: 33550186 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Three different series of cis-restricted analogues of combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), corresponding to thirty-nine molecules that contained a pyrrole nucleus interposed between the two aryl rings, were prepared by a palladium-mediated coupling approach and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against six human cancer cell lines. In the two series of 1,2-diaryl pyrrole derivatives, results suggested that the presence of the 3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl moiety at the N-1 position of the pyrrole ring was more favorable for antiproliferative activity. In the series of 3,4-diarylpyrrole analogues, three compounds (11i-k) exhibited maximal antiproliferative activity, showing excellent antiproliferative activity against the CA-4 resistant HT-29 cells. Inhibition of tubulin polymerization of selected 1,2 pyrrole derivatives (9a, 9c, 9o and 10a) was similar to that observed with CA-4, while the isomeric 3,4-pyrrole analogues 11i-k were generally from 1.5- to 2-fold more active than CA-4. Compounds 11j and 11k were the only compounds that showed activity as inhibitors of colchicine binding comparable to that CA-4. Compound 11j had biological properties consistent with its intracellular target being tubulin. This compound was able to block the cell cycle in metaphase and to induce significant apoptosis at a concentration of 25 nM, following the mitochondrial pathway, with low toxicity for normal cells. More importantly, compound 11j exerted activity in vivo superior to that of CA-4P, being able to significantly reduce tumor growth in a syngeneic murine tumor model even at the lower dose tested (5.0 mg/kg).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche e Agrarie, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Università Degli Studi di Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Paola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche e Agrarie, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Università Degli Studi di Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Maria Kimatrai Salvador
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche e Agrarie, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Università Degli Studi di Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Stefano Manfredini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita e Biotecnologie, Università Degli Studi di Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Chiara Padroni
- Medicinal Chemistry Department, Integrated Drug Discovery, Aptuit, An Evotec Company, Via A. Fleming 4, 37135, Verona, Italy
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | | | - Ernest Hamel
- Molecular Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Roberto Ronca
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale Unità di Oncologia Sperimentale Ed Immunologia, Università di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Federica Maccarinelli
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale Unità di Oncologia Sperimentale Ed Immunologia, Università di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Fatlum Rruga
- Dipartimento di Salute Della Donna e Del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Dipartimento di Salute Della Donna e Del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute Della Donna e Del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35128, Padova, Italy.
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35128, Padova, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Bortolozzi R, Ihmels H, Schulte R, Stremmel C, Viola G. Synthesis, DNA-binding and antiproliferative properties of diarylquinolizinium derivatives. Org Biomol Chem 2021; 19:878-890. [PMID: 33410854 DOI: 10.1039/d0ob02298e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
A series of ten 2,7- and 2,8-diarylquinolizinium derivatives was synthesized and their DNA-binding and cytotoxic properties were investigated. Except for one nitro-substituted derivative all tested diarylquinolizinium ions bind to DNA with sufficient affinity (2 × 104 M-1-2 × 105 M-1). It was shown with photometric, fluorimetric and polarimetric titrations as well as with flow-LD analysis that the ligands bind mainly by intercalation to duplex DNA, however, depending on the ligand-DNA ratio, groove binding and backbone association were also observed with some derivatives. The biological activity was further investigated with tests of cytotoxicity and antiproliferative properties towards non-tumor cells and selected cancer cells, along with cell cycle analysis and an annexin-V assay. Notably, substrates that carry donor-functionalities in the 4-position of the phenyl substituents revealed a strong, and in some cases selective, antiproliferative activity as quantified by the growth inhibition, GI50, at very low micromolar and even submicromolar level both in leukemia and solid tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Women's and Child's health, Oncohematology laboratory, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, I-35128 Padova, Italy. giampietro,
| | - Heiko Ihmels
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, 57068 Siegen, Germany.
| | - Robin Schulte
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, 57068 Siegen, Germany.
| | - Christopher Stremmel
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2, 57068 Siegen, Germany.
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women's and Child's health, Oncohematology laboratory, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, I-35128 Padova, Italy. giampietro,
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Spanò V, Barreca M, Rocca R, Bortolozzi R, Bai R, Carbone A, Raimondi MV, Piccionello AP, Montalbano A, Alcaro S, Hamel E, Viola G, Barraja P. Insight on [1,3]thiazolo[4,5-e]isoindoles as tubulin polymerization inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 212:113122. [PMID: 33401199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
A series of [1,3]thiazolo[4,5-e]isoindoles has been synthesized through a versatile and high yielding multistep sequence. Evaluation of the antiproliferative activity of the new compounds on the full NCI human tumor cell line panel highlighted several compounds that are able to inhibit tumor cell proliferation at micromolar-submicromolar concentrations. The most active derivative 11g was found to cause cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and induce apoptosis in HeLa cells, following the mitochondrial pathway, making it a lead compound for the discovery of new antimitotic drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Spanò
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marilia Barreca
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberta Rocca
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy; Net4Science srl, Academic Spinoff, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy
| | - Ruoli Bai
- Molecular Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Anna Carbone
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Valeria Raimondi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Antonio Palumbo Piccionello
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Montalbano
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy.
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Net4Science srl, Academic Spinoff, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Molecular Pharmacology Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, United States
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127, Padova, Italy; Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, via Giustiniani 2, 35131, Padova, Italy.
| | - Paola Barraja
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biologiche Chimiche e Farmaceutiche (STEBICEF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123, Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Spanò V, Rocca R, Barreca M, Giallombardo D, Montalbano A, Carbone A, Raimondi MV, Gaudio E, Bortolozzi R, Bai R, Tassone P, Alcaro S, Hamel E, Viola G, Bertoni F, Barraja P. Pyrrolo[2',3':3,4]cyclohepta[1,2- d][1,2]oxazoles, a New Class of Antimitotic Agents Active against Multiple Malignant Cell Types. J Med Chem 2020; 63:12023-12042. [PMID: 32986419 PMCID: PMC7901646 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
![]()
A new class of
pyrrolo[2′,3′:3,4]cyclohepta[1,2-d][1,2]oxazoles was
synthesized for the treatment of hyperproliferative pathologies, including neoplasms.
The new compounds were screened in the 60 human cancer cell lines of the NCI drug screen
and showed potent activity with GI50 values reaching the nanomolar level,
with mean graph midpoints of 0.08–0.41 μM. All compounds were further
tested on six lymphoma cell lines, and eight showed potent growth inhibitory effects
with IC50 values lower than 500 nM. Mechanism of action studies showed the
ability of the new [1,2]oxazoles to arrest cells in the G2/M phase in a concentration
dependent manner and to induce apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. The most
active compounds inhibited tubulin polymerization, with IC50 values of
1.9–8.2 μM, and appeared to bind to the colchicine site. The G2/M arrest
was accompanied by apoptosis, mitochondrial depolarization, generation of reactive
oxygen species, and PARP cleavage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Spanò
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Roberta Rocca
- Net4Science srl, Academic Spinoff, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Marilia Barreca
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy.,Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Vincenzo Vela 6, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Daniele Giallombardo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandra Montalbano
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Anna Carbone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Valeria Raimondi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Vincenzo Vela 6, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy
| | - Ruoli Bai
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Pierfrancesco Tassone
- Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy.,Net4Science srl, Academic Spinoff, Università Magna Græcia di Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padova, Italy.,Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- Institute of Oncology Research, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Vincenzo Vela 6, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Via Ospedale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Paola Barraja
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 32, 90123 Palermo, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Bortolozzi R, Luraghi A, Mattiuzzo E, Sacchetti A, Silvani A, Viola G. Ecdysteroid Derivatives that Reverse P-Glycoprotein-Mediated Drug Resistance. J Nat Prod 2020; 83:2434-2446. [PMID: 32790992 PMCID: PMC8009596 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.0c00334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The expression of multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein (P-gp) by cancer cells represents one of the major drawbacks to successful cancer therapy. Accordingly, the development of drugs that inhibit the activity of this transporter remains a major challenge in cancer drug discovery. In this context, several new ecdysteroid derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated as P-gp inhibitors. Two of them (compounds 9 and 14) were able to resensitize CEMVbl100 and LoVoDoxo resistant cell lines to vinblastine and doxorubicin, respectively. Indeed, both compounds 9 and 14 increased the cellular accumulation of rhodamine 123 in cells expressing P-gp and stimulated basal P-glycoprotein-ATPase activity at a 1 μM concentration, demonstrating their interference with the transport of other substrates in a competitive mode. Moreover, in a medulloblastoma cell line (DAOY), compounds 9 and 14 reduced the side population representing cancer stem cells, which are characterized by a high expression of ABC drug transporters. Further, in DAOY cells, the same two compounds synergized with cisplatin and vincristine, two drugs used commonly in the therapy of medulloblastoma. Molecular docking studies on the homology-modeled structure of the human P-glycoprotein provided a rationale for the biological results, validating the binding mode within the receptor site, in accordance with lipophilicity data and observed structure-activity relationship information. Altogether, the present results endorse these derivatives as promising P-gp inhibitors, and they may serve as candidates to reverse drug resistance in cancer cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento
di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, Padova, 35128, Italy
- Istituto
di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP) Corso Stati Uniti 4, Padova, 35129, Italy
| | - Andrea Luraghi
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università di Milano Via Golgi 19, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Elena Mattiuzzo
- Dipartimento
di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, Padova, 35128, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sacchetti
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Materiali ed Ingegneria Chimica “Giulio Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Alessandra Silvani
- Dipartimento
di Chimica, Università di Milano Via Golgi 19, Milano, 20133, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento
di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, Padova, 35128, Italy
- Istituto
di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP) Corso Stati Uniti 4, Padova, 35129, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Romagnoli R, Prencipe F, Oliva P, Kimatrai Salvador M, Brancale A, Ferla S, Hamel E, Viola G, Bortolozzi R, Persoons L, Balzarini J, Liekens S, Schols D. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-alkoxycarbonyl-3-anilinoindoles as a new class of potent inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. Bioorg Chem 2020; 97:103665. [PMID: 32086053 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [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: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A new class of inhibitors of tubulin polymerization based on the 2-alkoxycarbonyl-3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyanilino)indole molecular skeleton was synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activity, inhibition of tubulin polymerization and cell cycle effects. The results presented show that the methoxy substitution and location on the indole nucleus plays an important role in inhibition of cell growth, and the most favorable position for the substituent was at C-6. In addition, a small-size ester function (methoxy/ethoxycarbonyl) at the 2-position of the indole core was desirable. Also, analogues that were alkylated with methyl, ethyl or n-propyl groups or had a benzyl moiety on the N-1 indolic nitrogen retained activity equivalent to those observed in the parent N-1H analogues. The most promising compounds of the series were 2-methoxycarbonyl-3-(3',4'.5'-trimethoxyanilino)-5-methoxyindole 3f and 1-methyl-2-methoxycarbonyl-3-(3',4'.5'-trimethoxyanilino)-6-methoxy-indole 3w, both of which target tubulin at the colchicine site with antitubulin activities comparable to that of the reference compound combretastatin A-4.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Filippo Prencipe
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Maria Kimatrai Salvador
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Salvatore Ferla
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Leentje Persoons
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Balzarini
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sandra Liekens
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dominique Schols
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Spanò V, Giallombardo D, Montalbano A, Carbone A, Gaudio E, Bortolozzi R, Bai R, Viola G, Hamel E, Bertoni F, Barraja P. Abstract C097: Pyrrolo[2′,3′:3,4]cyclohepta[1,2- d][1,2]oxazoles: A new class of antimitotic agents. Mol Cancer Ther 2019. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-19-c097] [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
Tubulin-binding molecules constitute an important class of antineoplastic agents, with broad activity in both solid and hematologic malignancies. Oxazoles represent the core structure of many drug candidates with multiple targets, providing an attractive scaffold in medicinal chemistry. Diaryl[1,2]oxazoles have emerged as potent analogues of the antitubulin compound combretastatin A-4 (CA-4). Naphtylcombretastin and its derivatives incorporating the isoxazole moiety displayed potent cytotoxic effects and inhibition of tubulin polymerization. In particular, 5-(naphthalen-2-yl)-4-(TMP)-1,2-oxazole and 4-(naphthalen-2-yl)-5-(TMP)-1,2-oxazole showed the same inhibitory potency as naphtylcombretastatin and in the same order of magnitude as CA-4. We already reported the synthesis and biological evaluation of the [1,2]oxazolo[5,4-e]isoindole system (Spanò et al, E J Med Chem 2016), with in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity in diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma as a consequence of inhibition of tubulin polymerization. On the basis of these results, we modified the original structure and synthetized 25 compounds belonging to a novel class of pyrrolo[2′,3′:3,4]cyclohepta[1,2-d][1,2]oxazoles. The new compounds were screened in a panel of 60 human cancer cell lines in the NCI drug screen showing potent activity with GI50values reaching the nanomolar level, with mean graph mid-points of 0.08–0.41 µM, and activity especially against models derived from prostate cancer (GI50 as low as 46 nM in the DU-145 cells), melanoma (GI50 as low as 19 nM in the MDA-MB-435 cells), and kidney cancer (as low as 20 nM in the A498 cells). All compounds were further tested on four cell lines derived from distinct lymphoma histotypes, plus two cell lines with secondary resistance to idelalisib and ibrutinib (Arribas at el, AACR 2018). Five of the 25 compounds showed potent growth inhibitory effects on some or all of the lymphoma cell lines, with IC50values lower than 500 nM. Investigation on the mechanism of action showed the ability of the new [1,2]oxazoles to impair cell cycle progression and induce apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. The most active compounds were able to arrest HeLa cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle in a concentration dependent manner. This effect was accompanied by apoptosis, mitochondrial depolarization, generation of reactive oxygen species and activation of PARP cleavage. These results indicate that the cellular actions of these agents involve mitotic arrest, due to interference with the functions of the mitotic spindle, and an apoptotic cell death. Finally, the effect of compounds on tubulin polymerization in vitro were evaluated, with IC50values of 1.9–8.2 µM. Inhibition of colchicine binding to tubulin was also demonstrated. In conclusion, pyrrolo[2′,3′:3,4]cyclohepta[1,2-d][1,2]oxazoles are a novel class of anti-mitotic compounds with anti-tumor activity in multiple cancer cell lines.
Citation Format: Virginia Spanò, Daniele Giallombardo, Alessandra Montalbano, Anna Carbone, Eugenio Gaudio, Roberta Bortolozzi, Ruoli Bai, Giampietro Viola, Ernest Hamel, Francesco Bertoni, Paola Barraja. Pyrrolo[2′,3′:3,4]cyclohepta[1,2-d][1,2]oxazoles: A new class of antimitotic agents [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C097. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-C097
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Spanò
- 1Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo
| | - Daniele Giallombardo
- 1Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo
| | - Alessandra Montalbano
- 1Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo
| | - Anna Carbone
- 1Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- 2IOR Institute of Oncology Research, USI Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- 3Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Oncohematology laboratory Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, University of Padua, Padua
| | - Ruoli Bai
- 4Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD
| | - Giampietro Viola
- 3Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Oncohematology laboratory Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica IRP, Fondazione Città della Speranza, University of Padua, Padua
| | - Ernest Hamel
- 4Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD
| | - Francesco Bertoni
- 2IOR Institute of Oncology Research, USI Università della Svizzera italiana, Bellinzona
| | - Paola Barraja
- 1Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Palermo
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Rruga F, Mariotto E, Persano L, Rampazzo E, Luchini A, Liotta LA, Viola G, Bortolozzi R. Abstract A066: Role of the NRF2 signaling pathway in sustaining chemoresistance in medulloblastoma. Mol Cancer Ther 2019. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-19-a066] [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
Nrf2, a key orchestrator of cell defense mechanisms against oxidative stress and xenobiotic insults, has been linked to chemotherapy resistance and recurrence in many human cancers. Through the establishment of an in vitro model of chemoresistance, we investigated the role of Nrf2 in sustaining resistance to chemotherapy in medulloblastoma (MB), a highly aggressive pediatric brain tumor intrinsically characterized by fast growth, high invasiveness and resistance to treatments. MB DAOY cells were weekly exposed to a cocktail of drugs commonly used in MB treatment, vincristine, etoposide, cisplatin and cyclophosphamide (VECC) inducing the emergence of a resistant phenotype. After 5 cycles of VECC treatment we obtained a culture of cells resistant to subsequent chemotherapy treatments. We observed increased Nrf2 levels and activity in therapy-exposed cells already from the first received dose of VECC. Nrf2 levels remained high throughout all the rest of chemotherapy cycles and interestingly, its transcriptional activity spiked up when resistance to chemotherapy emerged, as demonstrated by the increase of antioxidant response element (ARE)-driven luciferase activity and the expression of target genes. The knock down of Nrf2 in resistant cells, by the use of specific siRNA, was able to restore chemosensitivity, suggesting a role of Nrf2 signaling pathway in the onset of chemotherapy resistance in MB cells. Resistant cells showed a higher ROS (reactive oxygen species) scavenging capacity after stimulation with hydrogen peroxide. Nrf2 silencing partially reverts the ability of resistant cells to manage oxidative stress, supporting the hypothesis of Nrf2 involvement in the ROS scavenging potential of VECC resistant MB cells. In addition to directly regulate ROS-scavenging enzymes, Nrf2 has been described to control cell metabolism that maintain redox homeostasis in cancer stem cells. Among the Nrf2 target genes upregulated in DAOY resistant cells we found the upregulation of PFKFB-3, G6PD and TKT. The increased expression of this enzymes suggests a metabolic reprogramming in resistant cells. Our data support the involvement of Nrf2 pathway in MB response to VECC treatment and show that the upregulation of this detoxifying system sustains MB resistance to chemotherapy.
Citation Format: Fatlum Rruga, Elena Mariotto, Luca Persano, Elena Rampazzo, Alessandra Luchini, Lance A Liotta, Giampietro Viola, Roberta Bortolozzi. Role of the NRF2 signaling pathway in sustaining chemoresistance in medulloblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2019 Oct 26-30; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2019;18(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A066. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.TARG-19-A066
Collapse
|
20
|
Romagnoli R, Oliva P, Salvador MK, Camacho ME, Padroni C, Brancale A, Ferla S, Hamel E, Ronca R, Grillo E, Bortolozzi R, Rruga F, Mariotto E, Viola G. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel vicinal diaryl-substituted 1H-Pyrazole analogues of combretastatin A-4 as highly potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 181:111577. [PMID: 31400707 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A series of 3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl)-4-substituted 1H-pyrazole and their related 3-aryl-4-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl)-1-H-pyrazole regioisomeric derivatives, prepared as cis-rigidified combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) analogues, were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative against six different cancer cell lines and, for selected highly active compounds, inhibitory effects on tubulin polymerization, cell cycle effects and in vivo potency. We retained the 3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl moiety as ring A throughout the present investigation, and a structure-activity relationship (SAR) information was obtained by adding electron-withdrawing (OCF3, CF3) or electron-releasing (alkyl and alkoxy) groups on the second aryl ring, corresponding to the B-ring of CA-4, either at the 3- or 4-position of the pyrazole nucleus. In addition, the B-ring was replaced with a benzo[b]thien-2-yl moiety. For many of the compounds, their activity was greater than, or comparable with, that of CA-4. Maximal activity was observed with the two regioisomeric derivatives characterized by the presence of a 4-ethoxyphenyl and a 3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl group at the C-3 and C-4 positions, and vice versa, of the 1H-pyrazole ring. The data showed that the 3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl moiety can be moved from the 3- to the 4-position of the 1H-pyrazole ring without significantly affecting antiproliferative activity. The most active derivatives bound to the colchicine site of tubulin and inhibited tubulin polymerization at submicromolar concentrations. In vivo experiments, on an orthotopic murine mammary tumor, revealed that 4c inhibited tumor growth even at low concentrations (5 mg/kg) compared to CA-4P (30 mg/kg).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Università di Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Paola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Via Luigi Borsari 46, Università di Ferrara, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Maria Kimatrai Salvador
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Maria Encarnacion Camacho
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Chiara Padroni
- Aptuit, an Evotec Company, Via A. Fleming 4, 37135, Verona, Italy
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Salvatore Ferla
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Roberto Ronca
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale Unità di Oncologia Sperimentale ed Immunologia, Università di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Grillo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale Unità di Oncologia Sperimentale ed Immunologia, Università di Brescia, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Fatlum Rruga
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy; Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP), Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35128, Padova, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Cosimelli B, Greco G, Laneri S, Novellino E, Sacchi A, Amendola G, Cosconati S, Bortolozzi R, Viola G. Identification of novel indole derivatives acting as inhibitors of the Keap1-Nrf2 interaction. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2019; 34:1152-1157. [PMID: 31179771 PMCID: PMC6567006 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2019.1623209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Nine indole derivatives (9a-i) were tested as potential inhibitors of the Keap1–Nrf2 interaction. This class of compounds increases the intracellular levels of the transcription factor Nrf2 and the consequent expression of enzymes encoded by genes containing the antioxidant response element (ARE). In the ARE-luciferase reporter assay only 9e-g revealed to be remarkably more active than t-butylhydroxyquinone (t-BHQ), with 9g standing out as the best performing compound. While 9e and 9f are weak acids, 9g is an ampholyte prevailing as a zwitterion in neutral aqueous solutions. The ability of 9e-g to significantly increase levels of Nrf2, NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase 1, and transketolase (TKT) gave further support to the hypothesis that these compounds act as inhibitors of the Keap1–Nrf2 interaction. Docking simulations allowed us to elucidate the nature of the putative interactions between 9g and Keap1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Cosimelli
- a Dipartimento di Farmacia , Università di Napoli "Federico II" , Naples , Italy
| | - Giovanni Greco
- a Dipartimento di Farmacia , Università di Napoli "Federico II" , Naples , Italy
| | - Sonia Laneri
- a Dipartimento di Farmacia , Università di Napoli "Federico II" , Naples , Italy
| | - Ettore Novellino
- a Dipartimento di Farmacia , Università di Napoli "Federico II" , Naples , Italy
| | - Antonia Sacchi
- a Dipartimento di Farmacia , Università di Napoli "Federico II" , Naples , Italy
| | - Giorgio Amendola
- b Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali Biologiche e Farmaceutiche , Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" , Caserta , Italy
| | - Sandro Cosconati
- b Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali Biologiche e Farmaceutiche , Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" , Caserta , Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- c Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino , Università di Padova , Padua , Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- c Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino , Università di Padova , Padua , Italy
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Bortolozzi R, Carta D, Prà MD, Antoniazzi G, Mattiuzzo E, Sturlese M, Di Paolo V, Calderan L, Moro S, Hamel E, Quintieri L, Ronca R, Viola G, Ferlin MG. Evaluating the effects of fluorine on biological properties and metabolic stability of some antitubulin 3-substituted 7-phenyl-pyrroloquinolinones. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 178:297-314. [PMID: 31195171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.05.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [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: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A small number of fluorinated 7-phenyl-pyrroloquinolinone (7-PPyQ) derivatives was synthesized in an attempt to improve the metabolic stability of 3N-ethyl-7-PPyQ and 3N-benzoyl-7-PPyQ. The possible impacts of the fluorine-hydrogen isosterism on both biological activity and metabolic stability were evaluated. Introduction of a fluorine atom in the 2 or 3 position of the 7-phenyl ring yielded the 7-PPyQ derivatives 12, 13 and 15, which showed potent cytotoxicity (low micromolar and sub-nanomolar GI50s) both in human leukemic and solid tumor cell lines. None of them induced significant cell death in quiescent and proliferating human lymphocytes. Moreover, 12, 13 and 15 exhibited remarkable cytotoxic activity in the multidrug-resistant cell line CEMVbl100, suggesting that they are not substrates for P-glycoprotein. All compounds inhibited tubulin assembly and the binding of [3H]colchicine to tubulin, with the best activity occurring with compound 15. Mechanistic studies carried out on compound 12 indicated that it caused (a) a strong G2/M arrest; (b) apoptosis in a time- and concentration-dependent manner; (c) a significant production of ROS (in good agreement with the observed mitochondrial depolarization); (d) caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase activation; and (e) a decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins. In vivo experiments in a murine syngeneic tumor model demonstrated that compounds 12 and 15 significantly reduced tumor mass at doses four times lower than that required for the reference compound combretastatin A-4 phosphate. Neither monofluorination of the 7-phenyl ring of 3N-ethyl-7-PPyQ nor replacement of the benzoyl function of 3N-benzoyl-7-PPyQ with a 2-fluorobenzoyl moiety led to any improvement in the metabolic stability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padova, Laboratory of Oncohematology, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Carta
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Matteo Dal Prà
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Antoniazzi
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Mattiuzzo
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padova, Laboratory of Oncohematology, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Mattia Sturlese
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Veronica Di Paolo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Calderan
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Moro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Luigi Quintieri
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Roberto Ronca
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Oncology and Immunology Section, University of Brescia, 29881, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padova, Laboratory of Oncohematology, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Ferlin
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Romagnoli R, Prencipe F, Oliva P, Baraldi S, Baraldi PG, Schiaffino Ortega S, Chayah M, Kimatrai Salvador M, Lopez-Cara LC, Brancale A, Ferla S, Hamel E, Ronca R, Bortolozzi R, Mariotto E, Mattiuzzo E, Viola G. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of 6-Substituted Thieno[3,2- d]pyrimidine Analogues as Dual Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Kinase and Microtubule Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2019; 62:1274-1290. [PMID: 30633509 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The clinical evidence for the success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in combination with microtubule-targeting agents prompted us to design and develop single agents that possess both epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase and tubulin polymerization inhibitory properties. A series of 6-aryl/heteroaryl-4-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyanilino)thieno[3,2- d]pyrimidine derivatives were discovered as novel dual tubulin polymerization and EGFR kinase inhibitors. The 4-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyanilino)-6-( p-tolyl)thieno[3,2- d]pyrimidine derivative 6g was the most potent compound of the series as an antiproliferative agent, with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values in the single- or double-digit nanomolar range. Compound 6g bound to tubulin in the colchicine site and inhibited tubulin assembly with an IC50 value of 0.71 μM, and 6g inhibited EGFR activity with an IC50 value of 30 nM. Our data suggested that the excellent in vitro and in vivo profile of 6g may be derived from its dual inhibition of tubulin polymerization and EGFR kinase.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche , Università degli Studi di Ferrara , Via Luigi Borsari 46 , 44121 Ferrara , Italy
| | - Filippo Prencipe
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche , Università degli Studi di Ferrara , Via Luigi Borsari 46 , 44121 Ferrara , Italy
| | - Paola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche , Università degli Studi di Ferrara , Via Luigi Borsari 46 , 44121 Ferrara , Italy
| | - Stefania Baraldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche , Università degli Studi di Ferrara , Via Luigi Borsari 46 , 44121 Ferrara , Italy
| | - Pier Giovanni Baraldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche , Università degli Studi di Ferrara , Via Luigi Borsari 46 , 44121 Ferrara , Italy
| | - Santiago Schiaffino Ortega
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica , Facultad de Farmacia , Campus de Cartuja s/n , 18071 Granada , Spain
| | - Mariem Chayah
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica , Facultad de Farmacia , Campus de Cartuja s/n , 18071 Granada , Spain
| | - Maria Kimatrai Salvador
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica , Facultad de Farmacia , Campus de Cartuja s/n , 18071 Granada , Spain
| | - Luisa Carlota Lopez-Cara
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica , Facultad de Farmacia , Campus de Cartuja s/n , 18071 Granada , Spain
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Cardiff University , King Edward VII Avenue , Cardiff CF10 3NB , U.K
| | - Salvatore Ferla
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Cardiff University , King Edward VII Avenue , Cardiff CF10 3NB , U.K
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research , National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Frederick , Maryland 21702 , United States
| | - Roberto Ronca
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale Unità di Oncologia Sperimentale ed Immunologia , Università di Brescia , 25123 Brescia , Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia , Università di Padova , 35131 Padova , Italy
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia , Università di Padova , 35131 Padova , Italy
| | - Elena Mattiuzzo
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia , Università di Padova , 35131 Padova , Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia , Università di Padova , 35131 Padova , Italy.,Istituto di Ricerca Pediatrica (IRP) , Corso Stati Uniti 4 , 35128 Padova , Italy
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Lesma G, Luraghi A, Bavaro T, Bortolozzi R, Rainoldi G, Roda G, Viola G, Ubiali D, Silvani A. Phytosterol and γ-Oryzanol Conjugates: Synthesis and Evaluation of their Antioxidant, Antiproliferative, and Anticholesterol Activities. J Nat Prod 2018; 81:2212-2221. [PMID: 30360625 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.8b00465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Fifteen new multifunctional conjugates were designed and synthesized by chemically linking the steroidal framework of natural occurring γ-oryzanol and γ-oryzanol-derived phytosterols to a wide range of bioactive natural compounds (fatty acids, phenolic acids, amino acids, lipoic acid, retinoic acid, curcumin, and resveratrol). Starting from γ-oryzanol, which is the main component of rice bran oil, this study was aimed at assessing if the conjugation strategy might enhance some γ-oryzanol bioactivities. The antioxidant activity was evaluated through three different mechanisms, namely, DPPH-scavenging activity, metal-chelating activity, and β-carotene-bleaching inhibition. Measurement of the in vitro cell growth inhibitory effects on three different human cancer cellular lines was also carried out, and the potential hypocholesterolemic effect was studied. Compounds 10 and 15 displayed an improved antioxidant activity, with respect to that of γ-oryzanol. Compounds 2, 6, and 12 exerted an antiproliferative activity in the low micromolar range against HeLa and DAOY cells (GI50 < 10 μM). As for the claimed hypocholesterolemic effect of γ-oryzanol, none of the synthesized compounds inhibited the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, a key enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giordano Lesma
- Dipartimento di Chimica , Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Golgi 19 , 20133 , Milano , Italy
| | - Andrea Luraghi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Bioscienze , Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca , Piazza della Scienza 2 , 20126 , Milano , Italy
| | - Teodora Bavaro
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco , Università degli Studi di Pavia , Viale Taramelli 12 , 27100 , Pavia , Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino , Università degli Studi di Padova , Via Giustiniani 2 , 35128 , Padova , Italy
| | - Giulia Rainoldi
- Dipartimento di Chimica , Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Golgi 19 , 20133 , Milano , Italy
| | - Gabriella Roda
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche , Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Mangiagalli 25 , 20133 , Milano , Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino , Università degli Studi di Padova , Via Giustiniani 2 , 35128 , Padova , Italy
| | - Daniela Ubiali
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco , Università degli Studi di Pavia , Viale Taramelli 12 , 27100 , Pavia , Italy
- ISTM-CNR , Via Golgi 19 , 20133 , Milano , Italy
| | - Alessandra Silvani
- Dipartimento di Chimica , Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Golgi 19 , 20133 , Milano , Italy
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Romagnoli R, Prencipe F, Oliva P, Baraldi S, Baraldi PG, Brancale A, Ferla S, Hamel E, Bortolozzi R, Viola G. 3-Aryl/Heteroaryl-5-amino-1-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzoyl)-1,2,4-triazoles as antimicrotubule agents. Design, synthesis, antiproliferative activity and inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Bioorg Chem 2018; 80:361-374. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2018.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
|
26
|
Mariotto E, Bortolozzi R, Volpin I, Carta D, Serafin V, Accordi B, Basso G, Navarro PL, López-Cara LC, Viola G. EB-3D a novel choline kinase inhibitor induces deregulation of the AMPK-mTOR pathway and apoptosis in leukemia T-cells. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 155:213-223. [PMID: 30006194 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [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: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Choline kinase alpha 1 (ChoKα1) has recently become an interesting therapeutic target since its overexpression has been associated to tumorigenesis in many cancers. Nevertheless, little is known regarding hematological malignancies. In this manuscript, we investigated the effect of a novel and selective ChoKα inhibitor EB-3D in T acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The effect of EB-3D was evaluated in a panel of T-leukemia cell lines and ex-vivo primary cultures derived from pediatric T-ALL patients. We also evaluated in detail, using Reverse Phase Protein Array (RPPA), protein phosphorylation level changes in T-ALL cells upon treatment. The drug exhibits a potent antiproliferative activity in a panel of T-leukemia cell lines and primary cultures of pediatric patients. Moreover, the drug strongly induces apoptosis and more importantly it enhanced T-leukemia cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents, such as dexamethasone and l-asparaginase. In addition, the compound induces an early activation of AMPK, the main regulator of cellular energy homeostasis, by its phosphorylation at residue T712 of catalytic subunit α, and thus repressing mTORC1 pathway, as shown by mTOR S2448 dephosphorylation. The inhibition of mTOR in turn affects the activity of several known downstream targets, such as 4E-BP1, p70S6K, S6 Ribosomal Protein and GSK3 that ultimately may lead to a reduction of protein synthesis and cell death. Taken together, our findings suggest that targeting ChoKα may be an interesting option for treating T-ALL and that EB-3D could represent a valuable therapeutic tool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Mariotto
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Oncohematology Laboratory, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy.
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Oncohematology Laboratory, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Ilaria Volpin
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Oncohematology Laboratory, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Carta
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Serafin
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Oncohematology Laboratory, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Benedetta Accordi
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Oncohematology Laboratory, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Basso
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Oncohematology Laboratory, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Pilar Luque Navarro
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Campus de Cartuja, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Luisa Carlota López-Cara
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Campus de Cartuja, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, Oncohematology Laboratory, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Mattiuzzo E, Bortolozzi R, Accordi B, Trentin L, Basso G, Viola G. Abstract 46: CDK4/CDK6 inhibition in childhood B-ALL: A new strategy to mediate glucocorticoid sensitivity. Clin Cancer Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1158/1557-3265.hemmal17-46] [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
Dysregulation of the cyclin D1-CDK4/CDK6 complex is frequently observed in almost all human cancer and contributes to aberrant cell proliferation and consequent tumorigenesis. Among the CDKs that control cell cycle progression, cyclin D-dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6 are considered important oncogenic drivers in many cancers. CDK6 is a direct target of MLL rearranged B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and this prompted us to investigate if pharmacologic inhibition of CDK4/CDK6 could increase the efficiency of chemotherapy and overcome drug resistance. Although many reports described CDK4/CDK6 inhibitors against a broad range of carcinomas, few studies have been performed on leukemia.
Deletion and methylation of CDK4/CDK6 inhibitor CDKN2a are frequently observed in B-ALL and gene expression analysis performed in a cohort of childhood patients showed that cyclin D1, CDK4 and CDK6 are highly expressed. Moreover, Reverse Phase Protein Array (RPPA) analysis showed that cyclin D1 expression is higher in high risk-MRD patients. These results suggest specific inhibition of cyclin D/CDK4/CDK6 axis as an attractive strategy to improve the effect of common chemotherapy on B-ALL patients.
Standard treatment for newly diagnosed childhood B-ALL patients include chemotherapy treatment, and although glucocorticoids (GC) are the most important drugs used in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the molecular basis of GC sensitivity and resistance remains largely unknown; understanding the molecular mechanisms related to GC cytotoxicity is crucial for modulating GC resistance.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dual inhibition of CDK4/CDK6 in B-ALL and if this inhibition could enhance cytotoxic killing of leukemia cells after combination treatment with dexamethasone. We treated two B-ALL dexamethasone-resistant cell lines, SEM and RCH-ACV, and two B-ALL dexamethasone-sensitive cell lines, RS4;11 and NALM6, with ribociclib, a highly specific CDK4/6 dual inhibitor.
As expected, treatment with ribociclib induced a strong cell cycle arrest in G1 phase in a time-dose dependent manner along with a dose-dependent decrease in phosphorylated retinoblastoma (Rb); we investigated whether treatment with ribociclib could induce growth inhibition of B-ALL cell lines. We observed, in SEM and RCH-ACV, a strong growth inhibition at all drug concentration after continuous treatment. Washout of the inhibitor from the medium after 48 hours of treatment showed that both cell lines did not restore cell growth. These results show that ribociclib could have an irreversible activity. Moreover, a strong dose-dependent reduction of clonogenic potential was observed in SEM cell line, by CFU assay.
Ribociclib exposure strongly synergizes (CI<1) with dexamethasone in SEM and RCH-ACV resistant cell lines with a strong decrease of proliferation and a significant increase of apoptotic cell death. Immunoblot analysis showed a decrease in phosphorylated Rb and Cyclin D1 starting from 48 hours of cotreatment and an increase in p27. Preliminary experiments showed a modest increase in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) after ribociclib and combination treatment in SEM and RCH-ACV cells. To further confirm the synergistic effect we evaluated mRNA level of GR targets, and we found that GR, BTG1, and GILZ are overexpressed in combination treatment in SEM and RCH-ACV.
The synergistic effect of ribociclib-dexamethasone combination was also confirmed on primary cultures derived from pediatric patients affected by B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Our findings support the concept that pharmacologic inhibition of CDK4/CDK6 may represent a useful therapeutic strategy to control cell proliferation in B-ALL and provide new insight in understanding potential mechanism of glucocorticoid resistance.
Citation Format: Elena Mattiuzzo, Roberta Bortolozzi, Benedetta Accordi, Luca Trentin, Giuseppe Basso, Giampietro Viola. CDK4/CDK6 inhibition in childhood B-ALL: A new strategy to mediate glucocorticoid sensitivity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second AACR Conference on Hematologic Malignancies: Translating Discoveries to Novel Therapies; May 6-9, 2017; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2017;23(24_Suppl):Abstract nr 46.
Collapse
|
28
|
Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Prencipe F, Oliva P, Baraldi S, Salvador MK, Lopez-Cara LC, Brancale A, Ferla S, Hamel E, Ronca R, Bortolozzi R, Mariotto E, Porcù E, Basso G, Viola G. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 2-Methyl-4,5-Disubstituted Oxazoles as a Novel Class of Highly Potent Antitubulin Agents. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46356. [PMID: 28406191 PMCID: PMC5390315 DOI: 10.1038/srep46356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimitotic agents that interfere with microtubule formation are one of the major classes of cytotoxic drugs for cancer treatment. Multiple 2-methyl-4-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl)-5-substituted oxazoles and their related 4-substituted-5-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl) regioisomeric derivatives designed as cis-constrained combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) analogues were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity in vitro against a panel of cancer cell lines and, for selected highly active compounds, interaction with tubulin, cell cycle effects and in vivo potency. Both these series of compounds were characterized by the presence of a common 3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyphenyl ring at either the C-4 or C-5 position of the 2-methyloxazole ring. Compounds 4g and 4i, bearing a m-fluoro-p-methoxyphenyl or p-ethoxyphenyl moiety at the 5-position of 2-methyloxazole nucleus, respectively, exhibited the greatest antiproliferative activity, with IC50 values of 0.35-4.6 nM (4g) and 0.5–20.2 nM (4i), which are similar to those obtained with CA-4. These compounds bound to the colchicine site of tubulin and inhibited tubulin polymerization at submicromolar concentrations. Furthermore, 4i strongly induced apoptosis that follows the mitochondrial pathway. In vivo, 4i in a mouse syngeneic model demonstrated high antitumor activity which significantly reduced the tumor mass at doses ten times lower than that required for CA-4P, suggesting that 4i warrants further evaluation as a potential anticancer drug.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Pier Giovanni Baraldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Filippo Prencipe
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Stefania Baraldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Maria Kimatrai Salvador
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Luisa Carlota Lopez-Cara
- Departamento de Química Farmacéutica y Orgánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Salvatore Ferla
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA
| | - Roberto Ronca
- Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale Unità di Oncologia Sperimentale ed Immunologia, Università di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Mariotto
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Porcù
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Basso
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Carta D, Bortolozzi R, Sturlese M, Salmaso V, Hamel E, Basso G, Calderan L, Quintieri L, Moro S, Viola G, Ferlin MG. Synthesis, structure-activity relationships and biological evaluation of 7-phenyl-pyrroloquinolinone 3-amide derivatives as potent antimitotic agents. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 127:643-660. [PMID: 27823884 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
A small library of 7-pyrrolo[3,2-f]quinolinones was obtained by introducing benzoyl, sulfonyl and carbamoyl side chains at the 3-N position, and their cytotoxicity against a panel of leukemic and solid tumor cell lines was evaluated. Most of them showed high antiproliferative activity with GI50s ranging from micro-to sub-nanomolar values, and these values correlated well with the inhibitory activities of the compounds against tubulin polymerization. Based on a recently proposed colchicine bind site inhibitors (CBSIs) pharmacophore, the interactions of the novel 7-PPyQs at the colchicine domain were rationalized. The most active compounds (4a and 4b) did not induce significant cell death in normal human lymphocytes, suggesting that the compounds may be selective against cancer cells. In particular, 4a was a potent inducer of apoptosis in both the HeLa and Jurkat cell lines. On the other hand, the sulfonyl derivative 4b exhibited a lower potency in comparison with 4a. With both compounds, induction of apoptosis was associated with dissipation of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential and production of reactive oxygen species, suggesting that cells treated with the compounds followed the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Carta
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padova, Laboratory of Oncohematology, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Mattia Sturlese
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Veronica Salmaso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Giuseppe Basso
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padova, Laboratory of Oncohematology, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Laura Calderan
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Luigi Quintieri
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Moro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Woman's and Child's Health, University of Padova, Laboratory of Oncohematology, 35128, Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Ferlin
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131, Padova, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Porcù E, Salvador A, Primac I, Mitola S, Ronca R, Ravelli C, Bortolozzi R, Vedaldi D, Romagnoli R, Basso G, Viola G. Vascular disrupting activity of combretastatin analogues. Vascul Pharmacol 2016; 83:78-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2016.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
|
31
|
Bortolozzi R, Mattiuzzo E, Mariotto E, Accordi B, Trentin L, Basso G, Viola G. Abstract 1297: CDK4/CDK6 inhibition in childhood B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a new strategy to mediate glucocorticoid sensitivity. Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2016-1297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Unrestrained cell proliferation and cell cycle deregulation are common features in almost all human cancers. Among the CDKs that tightly control cell cycle progression, cyclin D-dependent kinases, CDK4 and CDK6 are considered important oncogenic drivers in many cancers. Although many reports successfully described CDK4/CDK6 inhibitors against a broad range of carcinomas, few studies have been performed on leukemia.
Deletion and methylation of CDK4/CDK6 inhibitor CDKN2A, are frequently observed in B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and gene expression analysis performed in a cohort of childhood patients showed that cyclin D1, CDK4 and CDK6 are highly expressed. Moreover, Reverse Phase Protein Arrays (RPPA) analysis showed that cyclin D1 expression is higher in High Risk-MRD patients. These results suggest specific inhibition of cyclin D/CDK4/CDK6 axis as an attractive strategy to improve the effects of standard chemotherapy on B-ALL patients.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dual inhibition of CDK4/CDK6 in B-ALL. To this purpose we treated two B-ALL dexamethasone resistant cell lines, SEM and RCH-ACV, and two B-ALL dexamethasone sensitive cell lines, RS4;11 and NALM6, with ribociclib, a highly specific CDK4/6 inhibitor.
As expected, treatment with ribociclib induced a strong cell cycle arrest in G1 phase in a time-dose dependent manner along with a dose-dependent decrease in phosphorylated Rb and increase of the expression of cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p27. Moreover, a strong dose-dependent reduction of clonogenic potential was observed in SEM cell line, by CFU assay. No significant reduction in cell viability was observed.
However, ribociclib exposure strongly synergized (CI<1) with dexamethasone in SEM and RCH-ACV resistant cell lines with a strong decrease of proliferation and a significant increase of apoptotic cell death. Immunoblot analysis showed a decrease in phosphorylated Rb, the activation of caspase-9 and the cleavage of the effector caspase-3 starting from 48 h of co-treatment, in agreement with the appearance of annexin-V positive cells.
The synergistic effect of ribociclib-dexamethasone combination was confirmed on primary cultures derived from pediatric patients affected by B-ALL.
We are actually investigating on the mechanism of this synergistic activity, and the effect of CDK4, CDK6 and cyclin D1 silencing will be presented. Preliminary experiments show a modest increase in glucocorticoid receptor expression after ribociclib treatment or CDK6 silencing in RCH-ACV cells.
Our findings support the concept that pharmacologic inhibition of CDK4/CDK6 may represent a useful therapeutic strategy to control cell proliferation in B-ALL and provide new insight in understanding potential mechanisms of glucocorticoid resistance.
Citation Format: Roberta Bortolozzi, Elena Mattiuzzo, Elena Mariotto, Benedetta Accordi, Luca Trentin, Giuseppe Basso, Giampietro Viola. CDK4/CDK6 inhibition in childhood B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a new strategy to mediate glucocorticoid sensitivity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 1297.
Collapse
|
32
|
Silvani A, Lesma G, Luraghi A, Rainoldi G, Mattiuzzo E, Bortolozzi R, Viola G. Multicomponent Approach to Bioactive Peptide–Ecdysteroid Conjugates: Creating Diversity at C6 by Means of the Ugi Reaction. SYNTHESIS-STUTTGART 2016. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1562497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Elena Mattiuzzo
- Dipartimento di salute della Donna e del Bambino, Università di Padova
| | | | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di salute della Donna e del Bambino, Università di Padova
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Porcù E, Persano L, Ronca R, Mitola S, Bortolozzi R, Romagnoli R, Oliva P, Basso G, Viola G. The Novel Antitubulin Agent TR-764 Strongly Reduces Tumor Vasculature and Inhibits HIF-1α Activation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27886. [PMID: 27292568 PMCID: PMC4904223 DOI: 10.1038/srep27886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Tubulin binding agents (TBAs) are commonly used in cancer therapy as antimitotics. It has been described that TBAs, like combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), present also antivascular activity and among its derivatives we identified TR-764 as a new inhibitor of tubulin polymerization, based on the 2-(alkoxycarbonyl)-3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyanilino)benzo[b]thiophene molecular skeleton. The antiangiogenic activity of TR-764 (1-10 nM) was tested in vitro on human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs), and in vivo, on the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) and two murine tumor models. TR-764 binding to tubulin triggers cytoskeleton rearrangement without affecting cell cycle and viability. It leads to capillary tube disruption, increased cell permeability, and cell motility reduction. Moreover it disrupts adherens junctions and focal adhesions, through mechanisms involving VE-cadherin/β-catenin and FAK/Src. Importantly, TR-764 is active in hypoxic conditions significantly reducing HIF-1α. In vivo TR-764 (1-100 pmol/egg) remarkably blocks the bFGF proangiogenic activity on CAM and shows a stronger reduction of tumor mass and microvascular density both in murine syngeneic and xenograft tumor models, compared to the lead compound CA-4P. Altogether, our results indicate that TR-764 is a novel TBA with strong potential as both antivascular and antitumor molecule that could improve the common anticancer therapies, by overcoming hypoxia-induced resistance mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Porcù
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia pediatrica, Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Persano
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia pediatrica, Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Roberto Ronca
- Dipartimento di Medicina molecolare e traslazionale Unità di oncologia sperimentale ed immunologia. Università di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefania Mitola
- Dipartimento di Medicina molecolare e traslazionale Unità di oncologia sperimentale ed immunologia. Università di Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia pediatrica, Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Paola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Basso
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia pediatrica, Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia pediatrica, Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Lesma G, Bassanini I, Bortolozzi R, Colletto C, Bai R, Hamel E, Meneghetti F, Rainoldi G, Stucchi M, Sacchetti A, Silvani A, Viola G. Complementary isonitrile-based multicomponent reactions for the synthesis of diversified cytotoxic hemiasterlin analogues. Org Biomol Chem 2015; 13:11633-44. [PMID: 26467486 DOI: 10.1039/c5ob01882j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
A small family of structural analogues of the antimitotic tripeptides, hemiasterlins, have been designed and synthesized as potential inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. The effectiveness of a multicomponent approach was fully demonstrated by applying complementary versions of the isocyanide-based Ugi reaction. Compounds strictly related to the lead natural products, as well as more extensively modified analogues, have been synthesized in a concise and convergent manner. In some cases, biological evaluation provided evidence for strong cytotoxic activity (six human tumor cell lines) and for potent inhibition of tubulin polymerization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giordano Lesma
- Università di Milano, Dipartimento di Chimica, via Golgi 19, Milano, 20133, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Carta D, Bortolozzi R, Hamel E, Basso G, Moro S, Viola G, Ferlin MG. Novel 3-Substituted 7-Phenylpyrrolo[3,2-f]quinolin-9(6H)-ones as Single Entities with Multitarget Antiproliferative Activity. J Med Chem 2015; 58:7991-8010. [PMID: 26418966 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
A series of chemically modified 7-phenylpyrrolo[3,2-f]quinolinones was synthesized and evaluated as anticancer agents. Among them, the most cytotoxic (subnanomolar GI50 values) amidic derivative 5f was shown to act as an inhibitor of tubulin polymerization (IC50, 0.99 μM) by binding to the colchicine site with high affinity. Moreover, 5f induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle in a concentration dependent manner, followed by caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death. Compound 5f also showed lower toxicity in nontumoral cells, suggesting selectivity toward cancer cells. Additional experiments revealed that 5f inhibited the enzymatic activity of multiple kinases, including AURKA, FLT3, GSK3A, MAP3K, MEK, RSK2, RSK4, PLK4, ULK1, and JAK1. Computational studies showed that 5f can be properly accommodated in the colchicine binding site of tubulin as well as in the ATP binding clefts of all examined kinases. Our data indicate that the excellent antiproliferative profile of 5f may be derived from its interactions with multiple cellular targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Carta
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova , Via Marzolo, 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health , Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | - Giuseppe Basso
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Stefano Moro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova , Via Marzolo, 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Laboratory of Oncohematology, Department of Women's and Children's Health, University of Padova , 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Ferlin
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova , Via Marzolo, 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Consolaro F, Ghaem-Maghami S, Bortolozzi R, Zona S, Khongkow M, Basso G, Viola G, Lam EWF. FOXO3a and Posttranslational Modifications Mediate Glucocorticoid Sensitivity in B-ALL. Mol Cancer Res 2015; 13:1578-90. [PMID: 26376801 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-15-0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Glucocorticoids are widely used to treat B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL); however, the molecular mechanism underlying glucocorticoid response and resistance is unclear. In this study, the role and regulation of FOXO3a in mediating the dexamethasone response in B-ALL were investigated. The results show that FOXO3a mediates the cytotoxic function of dexamethasone. In response to dexamethasone, it was found that FOXO3a translocates into the nucleus, where it induces the expression of downstream targets, including p27Kip1 and Bim, important for proliferative arrest and cell death in the sensitive RS4;11 and SUP-B15 B-ALL cells. FOXO3a activation by dexamethasone is mediated partially through the suppression of the PI3K/Akt signaling cascade. Furthermore, two posttranslational modifications were uncovered, phosphorylation on Ser-7 and acetylation on Lys-242/5, that associated with FOXO3a activation by dexamethasone. Immunoblot analysis showed that the phosphorylation on Ser-7 of FOXO3a is associated with p38/JNK activation, whereas the acetylation on Lys-242/5 is correlated with the downregulation of SIRT1/2/6 and the induction of the acetyltransferase CBP/p300. Collectively, these results indicate that FOXO3a is essential for dexamethasone response in B-ALL cells, and its nuclear translocation and activation is associated with its phosphorylation on Ser-7 and acetylation on Lys-242/245. These posttranslational events can be exploited as biomarkers for B-ALL diagnosis and as drug targets for B-ALL treatment, particularly for overcoming the glucocorticoid resistance. IMPLICATIONS FOXO3a and its posttranslational regulation are essential for dexamethasone response, and targeting FOXO3a and sirtuins may enhance the dexamethasone-induced cytotoxicity in B-ALL cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Consolaro
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine (ICTEM), London, United Kingdom. Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Sadaf Ghaem-Maghami
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine (ICTEM), London, United Kingdom
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Stefania Zona
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine (ICTEM), London, United Kingdom
| | - Mattaka Khongkow
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine (ICTEM), London, United Kingdom
| | - Giuseppe Basso
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Eric W-F Lam
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Imperial Centre for Translational and Experimental Medicine (ICTEM), London, United Kingdom.
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Salvador MK, Prencipe F, Lopez-Cara C, Schiaffino Ortega S, Brancale A, Hamel E, Castagliuolo I, Mitola S, Ronca R, Bortolozzi R, Porcù E, Basso G, Viola G. Design, synthesis, in vitro, and in vivo anticancer and antiangiogenic activity of novel 3-arylaminobenzofuran derivatives targeting the colchicine site on tubulin. J Med Chem 2015; 58:3209-22. [PMID: 25785605 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b00155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A new series of compounds characterized by the presence of a 2-methoxy/ethoxycarbonyl group, combined with either no substituent or a methoxy group at each of the four possible positions of the benzene portion of the 3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyanilino)benzo[b]furan skeleton, were evaluated for antiproliferative activity against cancer cells in culture and, for selected, highly active compounds, inhibition of tubulin polymerization, cell cycle effects, and in vivo potency. The greatest antiproliferative activity occurred with a methoxy group introduced at the C-6 position, the least with this substituent at C-4. Thus far, the most promising compound in this series was 2-methoxycarbonyl-3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyanilino)-6-methoxybenzo[b]furan (3g), which inhibited cancer cell growth at nanomolar concentrations (IC50 values of 0.3-27 nM), bound to the colchicine site of tubulin, induced apoptosis, and showed, both in vitro and in vivo, potent vascular disrupting properties derived from the effect of this compound on vascular endothelial cells. Compound 3g had in vivo antitumor activity in a murine model comparable to the activity obtained with combretastatin A-4 phosphate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- †Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | | | | | - Filippo Prencipe
- †Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Carlota Lopez-Cara
- ‡Departamento de Quimica Organica y Farmaceutica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Santiago Schiaffino Ortega
- ‡Departamento de Quimica Organica y Farmaceutica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - Andrea Brancale
- §School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, U.K
| | - Ernest Hamel
- ∥Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, Maryland 21702, United States
| | | | - Stefania Mitola
- ⊥Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale, Unità di Oncologia Sperimentale ed Immunologia, Università di Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberto Ronca
- ⊥Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Traslazionale, Unità di Oncologia Sperimentale ed Immunologia, Università di Brescia, 25121 Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- ∞Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Elena Porcù
- ∞Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Basso
- ∞Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- ∞Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Dall'Acqua S, Linardi MA, Bortolozzi R, Clauser M, Marzocchini S, Maggi F, Nicoletti M, Innocenti G, Basso G, Viola G. Natural daucane esters induces apoptosis in leukaemic cells through ROS production. Phytochemistry 2014; 108:147-156. [PMID: 25294094 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2014.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2014] [Revised: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Continuing our research on antiproliferative agents from plants, we extended our interest on further compounds isolated from Ferula communis and Ferulago campestris. One new daucane (DE-20) and one new phenol derivative (PH-3) were isolated and characterized in addition to six daucane, three coumarins and four simple phenolics. The cytotoxic activity was evaluated against a panel of six human tumor cell lines. The derivative DE-17 that resulted moderately active on all the studied cell lines was studied to evaluate its possible mechanism of action. DE-17 was able to induce apoptosis in a time and concentration-dependent manner in SEM and Jurkat cell lines. We observed that DE-17 just after 1h of treatment increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and that the co-incubation of DE-17 with ROS scavengers significantly increased cell viability suggesting that ROS-mediated downstream signaling is essential for the antiproliferative effects of DE-17. At later times of incubation DE-17 induced mitochondrial depolarization, as well as caspase-3 and -9 activation suggesting that apoptosis follow the mitochondrial pathway. Concomitantly to ROS induction, a remarkable decrease of mRNA expression of several antioxidant enzymes and intracellular GSH content was detected in treated cells compared to controls further indicative of oxidative stress. Taken together our results showed for the first time that daucane esters induces apoptotic cell death through a ROS-mediated mechanism in human leukemia cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Dall'Acqua
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Maria Antonella Linardi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino - SDB, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino - SDB, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Clauser
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Sara Marzocchini
- Dipartimento di Scienze del Farmaco, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Filippo Maggi
- Scuola di Scienze del Farmaco e dei Prodotti della Salute, Università di Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - Marcello Nicoletti
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università "La Sapienza" Roma, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Basso
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino - SDB, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino - SDB, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Lopez-Cara C, Salvador MK, Preti D, Tabrizi MA, Balzarini J, Nussbaumer P, Bassetto M, Brancale A, Fu XH, Yang-Gao, Li J, Zhang SZ, Hamel E, Bortolozzi R, Basso G, Viola G. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 3,5-disubstituted 2-amino thiophene derivatives as a novel class of antitumor agents. Bioorg Med Chem 2014; 22:5097-109. [PMID: 24398384 PMCID: PMC4170804 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2013.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2013] [Revised: 12/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In search of new compounds with strong antiproliferative activity and simple molecular structure, we designed a novel series of agents based on the 2-amino-3-alkoxycarbonyl/cyano-5-arylethylthiophene scaffold. The presence of the ethyl spacer between the 2',5'-dimethoxyphenyl and the 5-position of the thiophene ring, as well as the number and location of methoxy substitutents on the phenyl ring, played a profound role in affecting the antiproliferative activity. Among the synthesized compounds, we identified the 2-amino-3-cyano-[2-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)ethyl] thiophene 2c as the most promising derivative against a wide panel of cancer cell lines (IC50=17-130 nM). The antiproliferative activity of this compound appears to correlate well with its ability to inhibit tubulin assembly and the binding of colchicine to tubulin. Moreover 2c, as determined by flow cytometry, strongly induced arrest in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle, and annexin-V and propidium iodide staining indicate that cell death proceeds through an apoptotic mechanism that follows the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17-19, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Pier Giovanni Baraldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17-19, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Carlota Lopez-Cara
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17-19, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Maria Kimatrai Salvador
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17-19, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Delia Preti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17-19, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mojgan Aghazadeh Tabrizi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17-19, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Jan Balzarini
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Minderbroedersstraat 10, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Marcella Bassetto
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Xian-Hua Fu
- Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang-Gao
- Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Li
- Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Su-Zhan Zhang
- Cancer Institute, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Basso
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Baytas SN, Inceler N, Yilmaz A, Olgac A, Menevse S, Banoglu E, Hamel E, Bortolozzi R, Viola G. Synthesis, biological evaluation and molecular docking studies of trans-indole-3-acrylamide derivatives, a new class of tubulin polymerization inhibitors. Bioorg Med Chem 2014; 22:3096-104. [PMID: 24816066 PMCID: PMC4091680 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2014] [Revised: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we synthesized a series of trans-indole-3-acrylamide derivatives (3a-k) and investigated their activity for inhibition of cell proliferation against five human cancer cell lines (HeLa, MCF7, MDA-MB-231, Raji and HL-60) by MTT assay. Compound 3e showed significant antiproliferative activity against both the Raji and HL-60 cell lines with IC50 values of 9.5 and 5.1 μM, respectively. Compound 3e also exhibited moderate inhibitory activity on tubulin polymerization (IC50=17 μM). Flow cytometric analysis of cultured cells treated with 3e also demonstrated that the compound caused cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in HL-60 and HeLa cells. Moreover, 3e, the most active compound, caused an apoptotic cell death through the activation of caspase-3. Docking simulations suggested that 3e binds to the colchicine site of tubulin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sultan Nacak Baytas
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Etiler, Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Nazan Inceler
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Etiler, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Akin Yilmaz
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, 06500 Besevler, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Abdurrahman Olgac
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Etiler, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Sevda Menevse
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, 06500 Besevler, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Erden Banoglu
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Gazi University, 06330 Etiler, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ernest Hamel
- Screening Technologies Branch, Developmental Therapeutics Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, United States
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Laboratory of Oncohematology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Laboratory of Oncohematology, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Lesma G, Sacchetti A, Bai R, Basso G, Bortolozzi R, Hamel E, Silvani A, Vaiana N, Viola G. Hemiasterlin analogues incorporating an aromatic, and heterocyclic type C-terminus: design, synthesis and biological evaluation. Mol Divers 2014; 18:357-73. [PMID: 24500310 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-014-9507-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A representative series of structural analogs of the antimitotic tripeptides hemiasterlins have been designed and synthesized, as potential inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. Relying also on a computational approach, we aimed to explore unknown extensive changes at the C-fragment, by incorporating the conformationally required double bond into five- and six-membered rings. Key steps of the synthetic strategy are a dynamic resolution affording the A-fragment in 97 % ee and the preparation of six new cyclic C fragments, all potentially able to interact with tubulin by means of H bonds. Unexpectedly, biological evaluation of these analogs did not provide evidences neither for cytotoxic effect nor for inhibition of tubulin polymerization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giordano Lesma
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Milano, via Golgi 19, Milan, 20133, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Bortolozzi R, Gradowski SV, Ihmels H, Schäfer K, Viola G. Selective ratiometric detection of H2O2 in water and in living cells with boronobenzo[b]quinolizinium derivatives. Chem Commun (Camb) 2014; 50:8242-5. [DOI: 10.1039/c4cc02283a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Fluorimetric detection of H2O2 is accomplished in water and in living cells by quantitative reaction of boronobenzo[b]quinolizinium derivatives with the analyte.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino
- Laboratorio di Oncoematologia
- University of Padova
- I-35128 Padova, Italy
| | | | - Heiko Ihmels
- Department Chemie - Biologie
- Universität Siegen
- 57068 Siegen, Germany
| | - Katy Schäfer
- Department Chemie - Biologie
- Universität Siegen
- 57068 Siegen, Germany
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino
- Laboratorio di Oncoematologia
- University of Padova
- I-35128 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Lopez-Cara C, Preti D, Aghazadeh Tabrizi M, Balzarini J, Bassetto M, Brancale A, Fu XH, Gao Y, Li J, Zhang SZ, Hamel E, Bortolozzi R, Basso G, Viola G. Concise synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-Aroyl-5-amino benzo[b]thiophene derivatives as a novel class of potent antimitotic agents. J Med Chem 2013; 56:9296-309. [PMID: 24164557 DOI: 10.1021/jm4013938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The biological importance of microtubules make them an interesting target for the synthesis of antitumor agents. The 2-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)-5-aminobenzo[b]thiophene moiety was identified as a novel scaffold for the preparation of potent inhibitors of microtubule polymerization acting through the colchicine site of tubulin. The position of the methoxy group on the benzo[b]thiophene was important for maximal antiproliferative activity. Structure-activity relationship analysis established that the best activities were obtained with amino and methoxy groups placed at the C-5 and C-7 positions, respectively. Compounds 3c-e showed more potent inhibition of tubulin polymerization than combretastatin A-4 and strong binding to the colchicine site. These compounds also demonstrated substantial antiproliferative activity, with IC50 values ranging from 2.6 to 18 nM in a variety of cancer cell lines. Importantly, compound 3c (50 mg/kg), significantly inhibited the growth of the human osteosarcoma MNNG/HOS xenograft in nude mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara , 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Porcù E, Viola G, Romagnoli R, Bortolozzi R, Ronca R, Mitola S, Presta M, Basso G. Abstract C4: TR-764 is a novel tubulin binding agent with strong antiangiogenic activity. Mol Cancer Ther 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-13-c4] [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
Tubulin binding agents (TBAs) are drugs which are commonly used in cancer therapy as antimitotic. TR-764 is a new inhibitor of tubulin polymerization, based on the 2-(alkoxycarbonyl)-3-(3′,4′,5′-trimethoxyanilino)benzo[b]thiophene molecular skeleton, with high antiproliferative activity in vitro and inhibiting in vivo the growth of a syngenic hepatocellular carcinoma in Balb/c mice. Recently it has been reported that antimitotics, like combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), present also antivascular activity. Targeting both the tumor mass and its blood vessels is a new strategy to improve the traditional chemotherapy, and to set the conditions for a more efficient anticancer therapy. To evaluate the antivascular and antiangiogenic activity, we tested TR-764 effects on human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC). Cell morphology was observed by optical microscopy and immunofluorescence analysis were helpful to visualize both the actin and the tubulin cytoskeleton. Cell migration was followed out at different time points by the wound assay, and cell permeability was evaluated measuring the ability of dextran-FITC to filter a HUVEC monolayer. Antiproliferative analysis were performed by MTT assay and cell cycle was analyzed by PI staining and flow cytometry. Antivascular activity was investigated plating HUVEC cells on a Matrigel matrix, which recreate capillary-like structures in vitro. TR-764 was tested on the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane, a highly vascularised membrane normally used as an in vivo angiogenic model, and on BL16 mice allogenic tumors by administrating or a single dose (30 mg/kg) or repeated doses for 18 days of the compound. TR-764 shows high affinity to colchicines-binding site of tubulin, and it inhibits tubulin cytoskeleton polymerization. It affects HUVEC extended shape leading to a more rounded morphology, and it increases cell adhesion. In contrast, TR-764 treatment significantly impairs VEGF-stimulated cells adhesion and increases the permeability of a cell monolayer. Cell-to-cell contacts are reduced by the treatment, as demonstrated also by a downregulation of VE-cadherin phosphorylation (Tyr658). This new compound strongly reduces endothelial migration and disrupts tubule-like capillaries in vitro at non-toxic and nanomolar concentrations (1-10nM) without affecting endothelial proliferation and cell cycle regulation. These results support the hypothesis that TR-764 may act as an antivascular agent, and it is confirmed by in vivo analysis on chick chorioallantoic membrane. TR-764 (3-300nmol/egg) remarkably blocks the bFGF proangiogenic activity by significantly decreasing the number of vessels. Moreover preliminary experiments on a murine allogenic tumor model demonstrate a strong reduction of tumor mass. TR-764 is a novel antimitotic molecule with a strong potencial as antivascular disrupting agent that could improve the common anticancer therapies.
Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):C4.
Citation Format: Elena Porcù, Giampietro Viola, Romeo Romagnoli, Roberta Bortolozzi, Roberto Ronca, Stefania Mitola, Marco Presta, Giuseppe Basso. TR-764 is a novel tubulin binding agent with strong antiangiogenic activity. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C4.
Collapse
|
45
|
Bortolozzi R, Viola G, Paganin M, Bresolin S, Disarò S, Porcù E, Conter V, Locatelli F, Buldini B, Basso G. Abstract B62: Cell cycle alterations in paired diagnosis-relapse childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Mol Cancer Ther 2013. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.targ-13-b62] [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
Approximately 25% of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) relapse. After relapse, the overall cure rate remains low, despite intensified chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. The Laboratory of Pediatric Hemato-Oncology of the University of Padua is the AIEOP (Italian Association for Pediatric Hemato-Oncology) referring laboratory and up to 5,000 pediatric leukemia samples are processed every year. For all the ALL diagnosis and relapse samples DNA index is analysed for the risk-treatment stratification of the patients. The analysis evaluates both DNA ploidy and the proliferative state through the determination of the cell population in the S-phase of the cell cycle. Cell cycle analysis of childhood ALL, performed in our laboratory, reveal that S-phase is significant increased in bone marrow from relapsed patients compared to bone marrow of the same patients at the diagnosis. The study of the molecular mechanisms involved in S-phase increase at relapse will help us to improve our knowledge about relapse mechanism and to design new therapeutic strategy exploiting these changes in cell cycle control. We studied 180 patients affected by B-ALL enrolled in AIEOP protocols with more that 60% of blast cells in the bone marrow, both at diagnosis and relapse; extramedullary relapses were excluded. Cell cycles were analysed by flow citometry. To evaluate changes in cell cycle distribution at relapse in respect to diagnosis, for each patients we calculate ΔS as the difference between S-phase fraction at relapse and S-phase fraction at diagnosis. Gene expression profiling were performed using Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 array (Affymetrix platform). Gene expression analysis, real time PCR and western blot were carry out to compare higher and lower ΔS patients. Preliminary gene expression analysis, on higher ΔS vs lower ΔS samples of relapsed patients, identified 58 differentially expressed probe sets corresponding to genes involved in proliferation, DNA damage and cell migration (LFDR<0.05). Among these genes, we found some E2F1 targets such as MAD2L1, CIP2a and RFC3. Western blot and real time PCR revealed increased cyclinA2 expression, another E2F1 target, in samples from relapsed patients with higher ΔS. We observed that higher [[Unable to Display Character: ∆]]S correlate to very early time to relapse (within 18 month from diagnosis) and these patients are classified as high risk patients that barely respond to treatments after relapse. Very early relapse more frequently happens during maintenance therapy based on methotrexate and 6-mercaptopurine, and methotrexate resistance could be mediated by increased levels of E2F1 transcriptional activity. At the present stage we identified S-phase increase as a molecular determinant of high risk in B-ALL relapse. Further studies of these alterations of cell cycle control and of E2F1 activation may help the development of more specific and less toxic therapies that overcome resistance to currently used chemotherapeutics.
Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B62.
Citation Format: Roberta Bortolozzi, Giampietro Viola, Maddalena Paganin, Silvia Bresolin, Silvia Disarò, Elena Porcù, Valentino Conter, Franco Locatelli, Barbara Buldini, Giuseppe Basso. Cell cycle alterations in paired diagnosis-relapse childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B62.
Collapse
|
46
|
Ferlin MG, Carta D, Bortolozzi R, Ghodsi R, Chimento A, Pezzi V, Moro S, Hanke N, Hartmann RW, Basso G, Viola G. Design, Synthesis, and Structure–Activity Relationships of Azolylmethylpyrroloquinolines as Nonsteroidal Aromatase Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2013; 56:7536-51. [DOI: 10.1021/jm400377z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grazia Ferlin
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Davide Carta
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Roberta Bortolozzi
- Laboratory
of Oncohematology, Department of Women’s and Children’s
Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Razieh Ghodsi
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 91735, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Adele Chimento
- Department
of Pharmaco-Biology, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Calabria, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Pezzi
- Department
of Pharmaco-Biology, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036, Calabria, Italy
| | - Stefano Moro
- Department
of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Nina Hanke
- Pharmaceutical
and Medicinal Chemistry, Saarland University, Campus C 2.3, D-66123 Saarbruecken, Germany
| | - Rolf W. Hartmann
- Pharmaceutical
and Medicinal Chemistry, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Campus C 2.3 P.O., D-66123 Saarbruecken, Germany
| | - Giuseppe Basso
- Laboratory
of Oncohematology, Department of Women’s and Children’s
Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Giampietro Viola
- Laboratory
of Oncohematology, Department of Women’s and Children’s
Health, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Bortolozzi R, Ihmels H, Thomas L, Tian M, Viola G. 9-(4-Dimethylaminophenyl)benzo[b]quinolizinium: a near-infrared fluorophore for the multicolor analysis of proteins and nucleic acids in living cells. Chemistry 2013; 19:8736-41. [PMID: 23703698 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201301164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Bortolozzi
- Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, University of Padova, via Giustiniani 3, I-35128 Padova, Italy
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Kimatrai Salvador M, Preti D, Aghazadeh Tabrizi M, Bassetto M, Brancale A, Hamel E, Castagliuolo I, Bortolozzi R, Basso G, Viola G. Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-(alkoxycarbonyl)-3-anilinobenzo[b]thiophenes and thieno[2,3-b]pyridines as new potent anticancer agents. J Med Chem 2013; 56:2606-18. [PMID: 23445496 DOI: 10.1021/jm400043d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Two new series of inhibitors of tubulin polymerization based on the 2-(alkoxycarbonyl)-3-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyanilino)benzo[b]thiophene and thieno[2,3-b]pyridine molecular skeletons were synthesized and evaluated for antiproliferative activity on a panel of cancer cell lines, inhibition of tubulin polymerization, cell cycle effects, and in vivo potency. Antiproliferative activity was strongly dependent on the position of the methyl group on the benzene portion of the benzo[b]thiophene nucleus, with the greatest activity observed when the methyl was located at the C-6 position. Also, in the smaller thieno[2,3-b]pyridine series, the introduction of the methyl group at the C-6 position resulted in improvement of antiproliferative activity to the nanomolar level. The most active compounds (4i and 4n) did not induce cell death in normal human lymphocytes, suggesting that the compounds may be selective against cancer cells. Compound 4i significantly inhibited in vivo the growth of a syngeneic hepatocellular carcinoma in Balb/c mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
Porcù E, Viola G, Bortolozzi R, Persano L, Mitola S, Ronca R, Presta M, Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Basso G. TR-644 a novel potent tubulin binding agent induces impairment of endothelial cells function and inhibits angiogenesis. Angiogenesis 2013; 16:647-62. [PMID: 23456551 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-013-9343-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2012] [Accepted: 02/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
TR-644 is a novel combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) analogue endowed with potent microtubule depolymerizing activity superior to that of the lead compound and it also has high affinity to colchicines binding site of tubulin. We tested TR-644 anti-angiogenic effects in human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVEC). It showed no significant effects on the growth of HUVEC cells at concentrations below 1,000 nM, but at much lower concentrations (10-100 nM) it induced inhibition of capillary tube formation, inhibition of endothelial cell migration and affected endothelial cell morphology as demonstrated by the disruption of the microtubule network. TR-644 also increased permeability of HUVEC cells in a time dependent manner. The molecular mechanism for the anti-vascular activity of TR-644 was investigated in detail. TR-644 caused G2/M arrest in endothelial cells and this effect correlated with downregulation of the expression of Cdc25C and Cdc2(Tyr15). Moreover TR-644 inhibited VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VE-cadherin but did not prevent the VEGF-induced phosphorylation of FAK. In chick chorioallantoic membrane in vivo assay, TR-644 (0.1-1.0 pmol/egg) efficiently counteracted the strong angiogenic response induced by FGF. Also CA-4, used as reference compound, caused an antagonistic effect, but in contrast, it induced per se, a remarkable angiogenic response probably due to an inflammatory reaction in the site of treatment. In a mice allogenic tumor model, immunohistochemical staining of tumors with anti-CD31 antibody showed that TR-644 significantly reduced the number of vessel, after 24 h from the administration of a single dose (30 mg/Kg).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Porcù
- Laboratorio di Oncoematologia, Dipartimento di Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Università di Padova, Via Giustiniani 3, 35128 Padua, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
50
|
Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Salvador MK, Camacho ME, Preti D, Tabrizi MA, Bassetto M, Brancale A, Hamel E, Bortolozzi R, Basso G, Viola G. Synthesis and biological evaluation of 2-substituted-4-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl)-5-aryl thiazoles as anticancer agents. Bioorg Med Chem 2012; 20:7083-94. [PMID: 23117171 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2012.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2012] [Revised: 09/28/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Antitumor agents that bind to tubulin and disrupt microtubule dynamics have attracted considerable attention in the last few years. To extend our knowledge of the thiazole ring as a suitable mimic for the cis-olefin present in combretastatin A-4, we fixed the 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl at the C4-position of the thiazole core. We found that the substituents at the C2- and C5-positions had a profound effect on antiproliferative activity. Comparing compounds with the same substituents at the C5-position of the thiazole ring, the moiety at the C2-position influenced antiproliferative activities, with the order of potency being NHCH(3) > Me >> N(CH(3))(2). The N-methylamino substituent significantly improved antiproliferative activity on MCF-7 cells with respect to C2-amino counterparts. Increasing steric bulk at the C2-position from N-methylamino to N,N-dimethylamino caused a 1-2 log decrease in activity. The 2-N-methylamino thiazole derivatives 3b, 3d and 3e were the most active compounds as antiproliferative agents, with IC(50) values from low micromolar to single digit nanomolar, and, in addition, they are also active on multidrug-resistant cell lines over-expressing P-glycoprotein. Antiproliferative activity was probably caused by the compounds binding to the colchicines site of tubulin polymerization and disrupting microtubule dynamics. Moreover, the most active compound 3e induced apoptosis through the activation of caspase-2, -3 and -8, but 3e did not cause mitochondrial depolarization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17-19, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|