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Prencipe F, Barzan C, Savian C, Spalluto G, Carosati E, De Amici M, Mosconi G, Gianferrara T, Federico S, Da Ros T. Gaucher Disease: A Glance from a Medicinal Chemistry Perspective. ChemMedChem 2024; 19:e202300641. [PMID: 38329692 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300641] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Rare diseases are particular pathological conditions affecting a limited number of people and few drugs are known to be effective as therapeutic treatment. Gaucher disease, caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase, belongs to this class of disorders, and it is considered the most common among the Lysosomal Storage Diseases. The two main therapeutic approaches are the Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT) and the Substrate Reduction Therapy (SRT). ERT, consisting in replacing the defective enzyme by administering a recombinant enzyme, is effective in alleviating the visceral symptoms, hallmarks of the most common subtype of the disease whereas it has no effects when symptoms involve CNS, since the recombinant protein is unable to significantly cross the Blood Brain Barrier. The SRT strategy involves inhibiting glucosylceramide synthase (GCS), the enzyme responsible for the production of the associated storage molecule. The rational design of new inhibitors of GCS has been hampered by the lack of either the crystal structure of the enzyme or an in-silico model of the active site which could provide important information regarding the interactions of potential inhibitors with the target, but, despite this, interesting results have been obtained and are herein reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Prencipe
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara Barzan
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- Molecular Genetics Institute, CNR Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Chiara Savian
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giampiero Spalluto
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Emanuele Carosati
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Marco De Amici
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Milano Via Luigi Mangiagalli 25, 20133, Milano, Italy
| | - Giorgio Mosconi
- Fidia Farmaceutici Via Ponte della Fabbrica 3/A, 35021, Abano Terme, Italy
| | - Teresa Gianferrara
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Stephanie Federico
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Tatiana Da Ros
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
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Federico S, Persico M, Trevisan L, Biasinutto C, Bolcato G, Salmaso V, Da Ros T, Gianferrara T, Prencipe F, Kachler S, Klotz KN, Pacor S, Moro S, Spalluto G. [1,2,4]Triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidines as Tools to Investigate A 3 Adenosine Receptors in Cancer Cell Lines. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300299. [PMID: 37675643 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300299] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
The A3 adenosine receptor is an interesting target whose role in cancer is controversial. In this work, a structural investigation at the 2-position of the [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine nucleus was performed, finding new potent and selective A3 adenosine receptor antagonists such as the ethyl 2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-(methylamino)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-c]pyrimidine-8-carboxylate (20, DZ123) that showed a Ki value of 0.47 nM and an exceptional selectivity profile over the other adenosine receptor subtypes. Computational studies were performed to rationalize the affinity and the selectivity profile of the tested compounds at the A3 adenosine receptor and the A1 and A2A adenosine receptors. Compound 20 was tested on both A3 adenosine receptor positive cell lines (CHO-A3 AR transfected, THP1 and HCT16) and on A3 negative cancer cell lines, showing no effect in the latter and a pro-proliferative effect at a low concentration in the former. These interesting results pave the way to further investigation on both the mechanism involved and potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Federico
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Margherita Persico
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Letizia Trevisan
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara Biasinutto
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 5, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giovanni Bolcato
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Veronica Salmaso
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Tatiana Da Ros
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Teresa Gianferrara
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Filippo Prencipe
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sonja Kachler
- Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum -, Center for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str. 2, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Karl-Norbert Klotz
- Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, University of Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 9, 97078, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Pacor
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 5, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefano Moro
- Molecular Modeling Section (MMS), Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, via Marzolo 5, 35131, Padova, Italy
| | - Giampiero Spalluto
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, 34127, Trieste, Italy
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Bernabeu de Maria M, Tesauro D, Prencipe F, Saviano M, Messori L, Enjalbal C, Lobinski R, Ronga L. Disclosing the Preferential Mercury Chelation by SeCys Containing Peptides over Their Cys Analogues. Inorg Chem 2023; 62:14980-14990. [PMID: 37651565 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c01708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury, mercury (II), and mercury (I) chlorides were found to react with vasopressin, a nonapeptide hormone cyclized by two cysteine residues, and its mono- and diselenium analogues to form several mercury-peptide adducts. The replacement of Cys by SeCys in vasopressin increased the reactivity toward methylmercury, with the predominant formation of -Se/S-Hg-Se-bridged structures and the consequent demethylation of methylmercury. In competitive experiments, CH3HgCl reacted preferentially with the diselenium analogue rather than with vasopressin. The diselenium peptide also showed the capability to displace the CH3Hg moiety bound to S in vasopressin. These results open a promising perspective for the use of selenopeptides for methylmercury chelation and detoxification strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diego Tesauro
- Department of Pharmacy and CIRPeB, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 49 80131 Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Luigi Messori
- Department of Chemistry, Università Degli Studi di Firenze, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Christine Enjalbal
- IBMM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM, UMR 5247, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Ryszard Lobinski
- Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, 64000 Pau, France
- Warsaw University of Technology, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Luisa Ronga
- Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, 64000 Pau, France
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Creazzola F, Aversano M, Prencipe F, Barelli R, Pasqualetti P, Simonelli I, Frigo MG. Effective prevention of post-dural puncture headache with insertion of an intrathecal catheter in parturients: a retrospective study and meta-analysis. J Anesth Analg Crit Care 2023; 3:22. [PMID: 37475027 DOI: 10.1186/s44158-023-00107-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accidental dural puncture is a common complication of labour analgesia. It can trigger post-dural puncture headache, with associated morbidity and increased costs. Intrathecal catheter placement is a prophylactic procedure which can reduce incidence and severity of post-dural puncture headache. METHODS We conducted a retrospective single-centred study to define incidence and risk factors of accidental dural puncture and post-dural puncture headache in an obstetric population. We also evaluated effectiveness of intrathecal catheter placement compared to epidural catheter replacement in reducing incidence of post-dural puncture headache. We then conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis which included all studies comparing intrathecal catheter placement to epidural catheter replacement in obstetric patients with accidental dural puncture assessing the outcome of reduced incidence of post-dural puncture headache as a dichotomous variable. RESULTS Accidental dural puncture had an incidence of 0.25% (60 cases). Of these, 66% developed post-dural puncture headache. A total of 77% (47/60) of patients with accidental dural puncture were treated with an intrathecal catheter placement, while 23% (13/60) had an epidural catheter replacement. Incidence of post-dural puncture headache was lower in the intrathecal catheter group (spinal 26/47, 60.5% epidural 11/13, 84.6%), although not reaching statistical significance (RR 0.71, CI 95%: 0.51-1.00; p = 0.049). The meta-analysis revealed that intrathecal catheter placement significantly reduced incidence of post-dural puncture headache compared to epidural catheter replacement (pooled RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.72-0.91, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Intrathecal catheter placement is a promising measure to prevent post-dural puncture headache, especially if followed by a pain management protocol and a continuous saline infusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Creazzola
- Obstetric Anaesthesia, San Camillo Forlanini Hospital, Circonvallazione Gianicolense 87, 00152, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - M Aversano
- Obstetric Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Departmental Unit, Fatebenefratelli Gemelli Isola - Isola Tiberina Hospital, Via Di Ponte Quattro Capi 39, Rome, RM, 00186, Italy.
| | - F Prencipe
- Obstetric Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Departmental Unit, Fatebenefratelli Gemelli Isola - Isola Tiberina Hospital, Via Di Ponte Quattro Capi 39, Rome, RM, 00186, Italy
| | - R Barelli
- Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Sant'Eugenio Hospital, Piazzale Dell'Umanesimo 10, 00144, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - P Pasqualetti
- Service of Medical Statistics and Information Technology, Fatebenefratelli Foundation for Health Research and Education, Via Di Ponte Quattro Capi 39, 00186, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - I Simonelli
- Service of Medical Statistics and Information Technology, Fatebenefratelli Foundation for Health Research and Education, Via Di Ponte Quattro Capi 39, 00186, Rome, RM, Italy
| | - M G Frigo
- Obstetric Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Departmental Unit, Fatebenefratelli Gemelli Isola - Isola Tiberina Hospital, Via Di Ponte Quattro Capi 39, Rome, RM, 00186, Italy
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Prencipe F, Alsibaee A, Khaddem Z, Norton P, Towell AM, Ali AFM, Reid G, Fleury OM, Foster TJ, Geoghegan JA, Rozas I, Brennan MP. Allantodapsone is a Pan-Inhibitor of Staphylococcus aureus Adhesion to Fibrinogen, Loricrin, and Cytokeratin 10. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0117521. [PMID: 35647689 PMCID: PMC9241669 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01175-21] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus infections have become a major challenge in health care due to increasing antibiotic resistance. We aimed to design small molecule inhibitors of S. aureus surface proteins to be developed as colonization inhibitors. We identified allantodapsone in an initial screen searching for inhibitors of clumping factors A and B (ClfA and ClfB). We used microbial adhesion assays to investigate the effect of allantodapsone on extracellular matrix protein interactions. Allantodapsone inhibited S. aureus Newman adhesion to fibrinogen with an IC50 of 21.3 μM (95% CI 4.5-102 μM), minimum adhesion inhibitory concentration (MAIC) of 100 μM (40.2 μg/mL). Additionally, allantodapsone inhibited adhesion of Lactococcus lactis strains exogenously expressing the clumping factors to fibrinogen (L. lactis ClfA, IC50 of 3.8 μM [95% CI 1.0-14.3 μM], MAIC 10 μM, 4.0 μg/mL; and L. lactis ClfB, IC50 of 11.0 μM [95% CI 0.9-13.6 μM], MAIC 33 μM, 13.3 μg/mL), indicating specific inhibition. Furthermore, the dapsone and alloxan fragments of allantodapsone did not have any inhibitory effect. Adhesion of S. aureus Newman to L2v loricrin is dependent on the expression of ClfB. Allantodapsone caused a dose dependent inhibition of S. aureus adhesion to the L2v loricrin fragment, with full inhibition at 40 μM (OD600 0.11 ± 0.01). Furthermore, recombinant ClfB protein binding to L2v loricrin was inhibited by allantodapsone (P < 0.0001). Allantodapsone also demonstrated dose dependent inhibition of S. aureus Newman adhesion to cytokeratin 10 (CK10). Allantodapsone is the first small molecule inhibitor of the S. aureus clumping factors with potential for development as a colonization inhibitor. IMPORTANCE S. aureus colonization of the nares and the skin provide a reservoir of bacteria that can be transferred to wounds that can ultimately result in systemic infections. Antibiotic resistance can make these infections difficult to treat with significant associated morbidity and mortality. We have identified and characterized a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor of the S. aureus clumping factors A and B, which has the potential to be developed further as a colonization inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Prencipe
- School of Chemistry, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aishah Alsibaee
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Zainab Khaddem
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Padraig Norton
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aisling M. Towell
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Afnan F. M. Ali
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gerard Reid
- School of Chemistry, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Orla M. Fleury
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Timothy J. Foster
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Joan A. Geoghegan
- Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel Rozas
- School of Chemistry, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marian P. Brennan
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
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Rodríguez I, Saavedra E, del Rosario H, Perdomo J, Quintana J, Prencipe F, Oliva P, Romagnoli R, Estévez F. Apoptosis Pathways Triggered by a Potent Antiproliferative Hybrid Chalcone on Human Melanoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222413462. [PMID: 34948260 PMCID: PMC8706831 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222413462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization reported that approximately 324,000 new cases of melanoma skin cancer were diagnosed worldwide in 2020. The incidence of melanoma has been increasing over the past decades. Targeting apoptotic pathways is a potential therapeutic strategy in the transition to preclinical models and clinical trials. Some naturally occurring products and synthetic derivatives are apoptosis inducers and may represent a realistic option in the fight against the disease. Thus, chalcones have received considerable attention due to their potential cytotoxicity against cancer cells. We have previously reported a chalcone containing an indole and a pyridine heterocyclic rings and an α-bromoacryloylamido radical which displays potent antiproliferative activity against several tumor cell lines. In this study, we report that this chalcone is a potent apoptotic inducer for human melanoma cell lines SK-MEL-1 and MEL-HO. Cell death was associated with mitochondrial cytochrome c release and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and was prevented by a non-specific caspase inhibitor. Using SK-MEL-1 as a model, we found that the mechanism of cell death involves (i) the generation of reactive oxygen species, (ii) activation of the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, (iii) upregulation of TRAIL, DR4 and DR5, (iv) downregulation of p21Cip1/WAF1 and, inhibition of the NF-κB pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Rodríguez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (I.R.); (E.S.); (H.d.R.); (J.P.); (J.Q.)
| | - Ester Saavedra
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (I.R.); (E.S.); (H.d.R.); (J.P.); (J.Q.)
- Instituto Canario de Investigación del Cáncer (ICIC), 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Henoc del Rosario
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (I.R.); (E.S.); (H.d.R.); (J.P.); (J.Q.)
| | - Juan Perdomo
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (I.R.); (E.S.); (H.d.R.); (J.P.); (J.Q.)
| | - José Quintana
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (I.R.); (E.S.); (H.d.R.); (J.P.); (J.Q.)
| | - Filippo Prencipe
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche ed Agrarie, Via L. Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (F.P.); (P.O.); (R.R.)
| | - Paola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche ed Agrarie, Via L. Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (F.P.); (P.O.); (R.R.)
| | - Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Farmaceutiche ed Agrarie, Via L. Borsari 46, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (F.P.); (P.O.); (R.R.)
| | - Francisco Estévez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain; (I.R.); (E.S.); (H.d.R.); (J.P.); (J.Q.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-928-451-443; Fax: +34-928-451-441
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Prencipe F, Diaferia C, Rossi F, Ronga L, Tesauro D. Forward Precision Medicine: Micelles for Active Targeting Driven by Peptides. Molecules 2021; 26:4049. [PMID: 34279392 PMCID: PMC8271712 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26134049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Precision medicine is based on innovative administration methods of active principles. Drug delivery on tissue of interest allows improving the therapeutic index and reducing the side effects. Active targeting by means of drug-encapsulated micelles decorated with targeting bioactive moieties represents a new frontier. Between the bioactive moieties, peptides, for their versatility, easy synthesis and immunogenicity, can be selected to direct a drug toward a considerable number of molecular targets overexpressed on both cancer vasculature and cancer cells. Moreover, short peptide sequences can facilitate cellular intake. This review focuses on micelles achieved by self-assembling or mixing peptide-grafted surfactants or peptide-decorated amphiphilic copolymers. Nanovectors loaded with hydrophobic or hydrophilic cytotoxic drugs or with gene silence sequences and externally functionalized with natural or synthetic peptides are described based on their formulation and in vitro and in vivo behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Prencipe
- Institute of Crystallography (IC) CNR, Via Amendola 122/o, 70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Carlo Diaferia
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Filomena Rossi
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
| | - Luisa Ronga
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie Pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, 64053 Pau, France
| | - Diego Tesauro
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples "Federico II", via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy
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Prencipe F, Zanfardino A, Di Napoli M, Rossi F, D’Errico S, Piccialli G, Mangiatordi GF, Saviano M, Ronga L, Varcamonti M, Tesauro D. Silver (I) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: A Winning and Broad Spectrum of Antimicrobial Properties. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052497. [PMID: 33801394 PMCID: PMC7958610 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution of antibacterial resistance has arisen as the main downside in fighting bacterial infections pushing researchers to develop novel, more potent and multimodal alternative drugs.Silver and its complexes have long been used as antimicrobial agents in medicine due to the lack of silver resistance and the effectiveness at low concentration as well as to their low toxicities compared to the most commonly used antibiotics. N-Heterocyclic Carbenes (NHCs) have been extensively employed to coordinate transition metals mainly for catalytic chemistry. However, more recently, NHC ligands have been applied as carrier molecules for metals in anticancer applications. In the present study we selected from literature two NHC-carbene based on acridinescaffoldand detailed nonclassicalpyrazole derived mono NHC-Ag neutral and bis NHC-Ag cationic complexes. Their inhibitor effect on bacterial strains Gram-negative and positivewas evaluated. Imidazolium NHC silver complex containing the acridine chromophore showed effectiveness at extremely low MIC values. Although pyrazole NHC silver complexes are less active than the acridine NHC-silver, they represent the first example of this class of compounds with antimicrobial properties. Moreover all complexesare not toxic and they show not significant activity againstmammalian cells (Hek lines) after 4 and 24 h. Based on our experimental evidence, we are confident that this promising class of complexes could represent a valuable starting point for developing candidates for the treatment of bacterial infections, delivering great effectiveness and avoiding the development of resistance mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Prencipe
- Institute of Crystallography (IC) CNR, Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy; (F.P.); (G.F.M.); (M.S.)
| | - Anna Zanfardino
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, via Cynthia, 80143 Naples, Italy; (A.Z.); (M.D.N.)
| | - Michela Di Napoli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, via Cynthia, 80143 Naples, Italy; (A.Z.); (M.D.N.)
| | - Filomena Rossi
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy; (F.R.); (S.D.); (G.P.)
| | - Stefano D’Errico
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy; (F.R.); (S.D.); (G.P.)
| | - Gennaro Piccialli
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy; (F.R.); (S.D.); (G.P.)
| | | | - Michele Saviano
- Institute of Crystallography (IC) CNR, Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy; (F.P.); (G.F.M.); (M.S.)
| | - Luisa Ronga
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, 64000 Pau, France;
| | - Mario Varcamonti
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, via Cynthia, 80143 Naples, Italy; (A.Z.); (M.D.N.)
- Correspondence: (M.V.); (D.T.); Tel.: +39-081-253-6643 (D.T.)
| | - Diego Tesauro
- Department of Pharmacy and Interuniversity Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides (CIRPeB), University of Naples “Federico II”, via Mezzocannone 16, 80134 Naples, Italy; (F.R.); (S.D.); (G.P.)
- Correspondence: (M.V.); (D.T.); Tel.: +39-081-253-6643 (D.T.)
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9
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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.
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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
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10
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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.
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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
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11
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Romagnoli R, Prencipe F, Lopez-Cara LC, Oliva P, Baraldi S, Baraldi PG, Estévez-Sarmiento F, Quintana J, Estévez F. Synthesis and biological evaluation of alpha-bromoacryloylamido indolyl pyridinyl propenones as potent apoptotic inducers in human leukaemia cells. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2018; 33:727-742. [PMID: 29620429 PMCID: PMC6009983 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2018.1450749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The combination of two pharmacophores into a single molecule represents one of the methods that can be adopted for the synthesis of new anticancer molecules. To investigate the influence of the position of the pyridine nitrogen on biological activity, two different series of α-bromoacryloylamido indolyl pyridinyl propenones 3a-h and 4a-d were designed and synthesized by a pharmacophore hybridization approach and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against a panel of six human cancer cell lines. These hybrid molecules were prepared to combine the α-bromoacryloyl moiety with two series of indole-inspired chalcone analogues, possessing an indole derivative and a 3- or 4-pyridine ring, respectively, linked on either side of 2-propen-1-one system. The structure-activity relationship was also investigated by the insertion of alkyl or benzyl moieties at the N-1 position of the indole nucleus. We found that most of the newly synthesized displayed high antiproliferative activity against U-937, MOLT-3, K-562, and NALM-6 leukaemia cell lines, with one-digit to double-digit nanomolar IC50 values. The antiproliferative activities of 3-pyridinyl derivatives 3f-h revealed that N-benzyl indole analogues generally exhibited lower activity compared to N-H or N-alkyl derivatives 3a-b and 3c-e, respectively. Moreover, cellular mechanism studies elucidated that compound 4a induced apoptosis along with a decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and activated caspase-3 in a concentration-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Filippo Prencipe
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Luisa Carlota Lopez-Cara
- Departamento de Química Farmaceútica y Orgánica Facultad de Farmacia, Campus de Cartuja s/n, Granada, Spain
| | - Paola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Stefania Baraldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Pier Giovanni Baraldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francisco Estévez-Sarmiento
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - José Quintana
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - Francisco Estévez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto Universitario de Investigaciones Biomédicas y Sanitarias, Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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12
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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]
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13
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Kandil S, Prencipe F, Jones S, Hiscox S, Westwell AD. The discovery of new and more potent chloropyramine (C4) analogues for the potential treatment of invasive breast cancer. Chem Biol Drug Des 2017; 91:314-321. [PMID: 28816016 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 25% of all female cancers. Although the survival rate has increased significantly in the past few decades, patients who develop secondary site metastasis as well as those diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer still represent a real unmet medical challenge. Previous studies have shown that chloropyramine (C4) inhibits FAK-VEGFR3 signalling. More recently, C4 is reported to have SASH1 inducing properties. However, C4 exerts its antitumour and antiangiogenic effects at high micromolar concentrations (>100 μm) that would not be compatible with further drug development against invasive breast cancer driven by FAK signalling. In this study, molecular modelling guided structural modifications have been introduced to the chloropyramine C4 scaffold to improve its activity in breast cancer cell lines. Seventeen compounds were designed and synthesized, and their antiproliferative activity was evaluated against three human breast cancer lines (MDA-MB-231, BT474 and T47D). Compound 5c was identified to display an average activity of IC50 = 23.5-31.3 μm, which represents a significant improvement of C4 activity in the same assay model. Molecular modelling and pharmacokinetic studies provided more promising insights into the mechanistic features of this new series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Kandil
- School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Filippo Prencipe
- School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Samuel Jones
- School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Stephen Hiscox
- School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Andrew D Westwell
- School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
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14
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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.
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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
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15
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Ziedan NI, Hamdy R, Cavaliere A, Kourti M, Prencipe F, Brancale A, Jones AT, Westwell AD. Virtual screening, SAR, and discovery of 5-(indole-3-yl)-2-[(2-nitrophenyl)amino] [1,3,4]-oxadiazole as a novel Bcl-2 inhibitor. Chem Biol Drug Des 2017; 90:147-155. [PMID: 28067996 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A new series of oxadiazoles were designed to act as inhibitors of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein. Virtual screening led to the discovery of new hits that interact with Bcl-2 at the BH3 binding pocket. Further study of the structure-activity relationship of the most active compound of the first series, compound 1, led to the discovery of a novel oxadiazole analogue, compound 16j, that was a more potent small-molecule inhibitor of Bcl-2. 16j had good in vitro inhibitory activity with submicromolar IC50 values in a metastatic human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) and a human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa). The antitumour effect of 16j is concomitant with its ability to bind to Bcl-2 protein as shown by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IC50 = 4.27 μm). Compound 16j has a great potential to develop into highly active anticancer agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noha I Ziedan
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Rania Hamdy
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | | | - Malamati Kourti
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,Cardiff China Medical Research Collaborative, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Filippo Prencipe
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Andrea Brancale
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Arwyn T Jones
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Andrew D Westwell
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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16
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Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Prencipe F, Lopez-Cara C, Rondanin R, Simoni D, Hamel E, Grimaudo S, Pipitone RM, Meli M, Tolomeo M. Novel iodoacetamido benzoheterocyclic derivatives with potent antileukemic activity are inhibitors of STAT5 phosphorylation. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 108:39-52. [PMID: 26629859 PMCID: PMC4724257 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.11.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 (STAT5) protein, a component of the STAT family of signaling proteins, is considered to be an attractive therapeutic target because of its involvement in the progression of acute myeloid leukemia. In an effort to discover potent molecules able to inhibit the phosphorylation-activation of STAT5, twenty-two compounds were synthesized and evaluated on the basis of our knowledge of the activity of 2-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)-3-iodoacetamido-6-methoxy benzo[b]furan derivative 1 as a potent STAT5 inhibitor. Most of these molecules, structurally related to compound 1, were characterized by the presence of a common 3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl moiety at the 2-position of different benzoheterocycles such as benzo[b]furan, benzo[b]thiophene, indole and N-methylindole. Effects on biological activity of the iodoacetamido group and of different moieties (methyl and methoxy) at the C-3 to C-7 positions were examined. In the series of benzo[b]furan derivatives, moving the iodoacetylamino group from the C-4 to the C-5 or C-6 positions did not significantly affect antiproliferative activity. Compounds 4, 15, 20 and 23 blocked STAT5 signals and induced apoptosis of K562 BCR-ABL positive cells. For compound 23, the trimethoxybenzoyl moiety at the 2-position of the benzo[b]furan core was not essential for potent inhibition of STAT5 activation.
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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
| | - Carlota Lopez-Cara
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Riccardo Rondanin
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Daniele Simoni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, 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
| | - Stefania Grimaudo
- Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica, Università di Palermo, 90125 Palermo, Italy
| | - Rosaria Maria Pipitone
- Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica, Università di Palermo, 90125 Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Meli
- Dipartimento di Scienze per la Promozione della Salute e Materno Infantile, Area di Farmacologia, Università di Palermo, 90125 Palermo, Italy
| | - Manlio Tolomeo
- Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca in Oncologia Clinica e Dipartimento Biomedico di Medicina Interna e Specialistica, Sezione di Malattie Infettive, Università di Palermo, 90125 Palermo, Italy
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17
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Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Prencipe F, Balzarini J, Liekens S, Estévez F. Design, synthesis and antiproliferative activity of novel heterobivalent hybrids based on imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole and imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]thiazole scaffolds. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 101:205-17. [PMID: 26141911 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.06.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [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: 04/30/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Heterobivalent ligands constituted by two different pharmacophores that bind to different molecular targets or to two distinct sites on the same molecular target could be one of the methods used for the treatment of cancer. In view of the importance of imidazo[1,2-b][1,3]thiazole and imidazo[1,2-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole as privileged structures for the preparation of novel anticancer agents, we decided to explore the synthesis and biological evaluation of molecular conjugates comprising these fused bicyclic systems tethered at their C-6 position by a meta-(α-bromoacryloylamido)phenyl moiety. We found that most of the hybrid compounds displayed high antiproliferative activity toward a wide panel of cancer cell lines, with one-digit micromolar to submicromolar 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50). We have observed that selected compounds 7d, 7e, 7n and 8c induced apoptosis, which was associated with the release of cytochrome c and cleavage of multiple caspases. Overexpression of the protective mitochondrial protein Bcl-2 did not confer protection to cell death induced by these compounds.
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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
| | - Jan Balzarini
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sandra Liekens
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Francisco Estévez
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Plaza Dr. Pasteur s/n, 35016 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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Tabrizi M, Baraldi P, Baraldi S, Prencipe F, Preti D, Saponaro G, Romagnoli R, Gessi S, Merighi S, Stefanelli A, Fazzi D, Borea P, Maia R, Romeiro N, Fraga C, Barreiro E. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Pyrazolo[3,4- b]pyridin-4-ones as a New Class of Topoisomerase II Inhibitors. Med Chem 2015; 11:342-53. [DOI: 10.2174/1573406411666141210141317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Revised: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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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.
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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
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Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Salvador MK, Prencipe F, Bertolasi V, Cancellieri M, Brancale A, Hamel E, Castagliuolo I, Consolaro F, Porcù E, Basso G, Viola G. Synthesis, antimitotic and antivascular activity of 1-(3',4',5'-trimethoxybenzoyl)-3-arylamino-5-amino-1,2,4-triazoles. J Med Chem 2014; 57:6795-808. [PMID: 25025853 DOI: 10.1021/jm5008193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [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
A new class of compounds that incorporated the structural motif of the 1-(3',4',5'-trimethoxtbenzoyl)-3-arylamino-5-amino-1,2,4-triazole molecular skeleton was synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity in vitro, interactions with tubulin, and cell cycle effects. The most active agent, 3c, was evaluated for antitumor activity in vivo. Structure-activity relationships were elucidated with various substituents on the phenyl ring of the anilino moiety at the C-3 position of the 1,2,4-triazole ring. The best results for inhibition of cancer cell growth were obtained with the p-Me, m,p-diMe, and p-Et phenyl derivatives 3c, 3e, and 3f, respectively, and overall, these compounds were more or less as active as CA-4. Their vascular disrupting activity was evaluated in HUVEC cells, with compound 3c showing activity comparable with that of CA-4. Compound 3c almost eliminated the growth of syngeneic hepatocellular carcinoma in Balb/c mice, suggesting that 3c could be a new antimitotic agent with clinical potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara , Ferrara, Italy
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Romagnoli R, Baraldi PG, Salvador MK, Chayah M, Camacho ME, Prencipe F, Hamel E, Consolaro F, Basso G, Viola G. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of arylcinnamide hybrid derivatives as novel anticancer agents. Eur J Med Chem 2014; 81:394-407. [PMID: 24858544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 02/13/2014] [Revised: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The combination of two pharmacophores into a single molecule represents one of the methods that can be adopted for the synthesis of new anticancer molecules. A series of novel antiproliferative agents designed by a pharmacophore hybridization approach, combining the arylcinnamide skeleton and an α-bromoacryloyl moiety, was synthesized and evaluated for its antiproliferative activity against a panel of seven human cancer cell lines. In addition, the new derivatives were also active on multidrug-resistant cell lines over-expressing P-glycoprotein. The biological effects of various substituents on the N-phenyl ring of the benzamide portion were also described. In order to study the possible mechanism of action, we observed that 4p slightly increased the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production in HeLa cells, but, more importantly, a remarkable decrease of intracellular reduced glutathione content was detected in treated cells compared with controls. These results were confirmed by the observation that only thiol-containing antioxidants were able to significantly protect the cells from induced cell death. Altogether our results indicate that the new derivatives are endowed with good anticancer activity in vitro, and their properties may result in the development of new cancer therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romeo Romagnoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Pier Giovanni Baraldi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Maria Kimatrai Salvador
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mariem Chayah
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - M Encarnacion Camacho
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Filippo Prencipe
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Via Fossato di Mortara 17, Università di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, 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
| | - Francesca Consolaro
- 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.
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