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Rocca R, Polerà N, Juli G, Grillone K, Maruca A, Di Martino MT, Artese A, Amato J, Pagano B, Randazzo A, Tagliaferri P, Tassone P, Alcaro S. Hit identification of novel small molecules interfering with MALAT1 triplex by a structure-based virtual screening. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2023; 356:e2300134. [PMID: 37309243 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300134] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, RNA is an attractive target for the design of new small molecules with different pharmacological activities. Among several RNA molecules, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are extensively reported to be involved in cancer pathogenesis. In particular, the overexpression of lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) plays an important role in the development of multiple myeloma (MM). Starting from the crystallographic structure of the triple-helical stability element at the 3'-end of MALAT1, we performed a structure-based virtual screening of a large commercial database, previously filtered according to the drug-like properties. After a thermodynamic analysis, we selected five compounds for the in vitro assays. Compound M5, characterized by a diazaindene scaffold, emerged as the most promising molecule enabling the destabilization of the MALAT1 triplex structure and antiproliferative activity on in vitro models of MM. M5 is proposed as a lead compound to be further optimized for improving its affinity toward MALAT1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Rocca
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Campus "Salvatore Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy
- Net4science srl, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Polerà
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Campus "Salvatore Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Giada Juli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Campus "Salvatore Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Katia Grillone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Campus "Salvatore Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Annalisa Maruca
- Net4science srl, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Di Martino
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Campus "Salvatore Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Anna Artese
- Net4science srl, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Campus "Salvatore Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Jussara Amato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Bruno Pagano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Randazzo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Pietrosandro Tagliaferri
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Campus "Salvatore Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Pierfrancesco Tassone
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Campus "Salvatore Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Stefano Alcaro
- Net4science srl, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi "Magna Graecia" di Catanzaro, Campus "Salvatore Venuta", Catanzaro, Italy
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