Design,synthesis, molecular docking,and anticancer evaluations of 1-benzylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione bearing different moieties as VEGFR-2 inhibitors

A novel series of 1-benzylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione derivatives, 6a , b to 11a – e , was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activity against HepG2, HCT-116, and MCF-7 cells. Compounds 11b , 11e , and 11c were found to be the most potent derivatives of all tested compounds against the HepG2, HCT-116, and MCF-7 cancer cell lines, with GI₅₀ = 9.16 ± 0.8, 5.69 ± 0.4, 5.27 ± 0.2 µM, 9.32 ± 0.9, 6.37 ± 0.7, 5.67 ± 0.5 µM, and 9.39 ± 0.5, 6.87 ± 0.7, 5.80 ± 0.4 µM, respectively. These compounds exhibited nearly the same activity as sorafenib against HepG2 and HCT-116 cells and a higher activity against MCF-7 cells (GI₅₀ = 9.18 ± 0.6, 5.47 ± 0.3, and 7.26 ± 0.3 µM, respectively). Also, these compounds displayed a lower activity than doxorubicin against HepG2 cells and a higher activity against HCT-116 and MCF-7 cells (GI₅₀ = 7.94 ± 0.6, 8.07 ± 0.8, and 6.75 ± 0.4 µM, respectively). The most active antiproliferative derivatives, 6a , b , 8 , 9 , and 11a – e , were selected to evaluate their enzymatic inhibitory activity against VEGFR-2. Compounds 11b , 11e , and 11c potently inhibited VEGFR-2 at IC₅₀ values of 0.12 ± 0.02, 0.12 ± 0.02, and 0.13 ± 0.02 µM, respectively, which are nearly equipotent as sorafenib IC₅₀ value (0.10 ± 0.02 µM). Furthermore, molecular docking studies were performed for all synthesized compounds to assess their binding pattern and affinity toward the VEGFR-2 active site.     

Benzoxazole/benzothiazole‐derived VEGFR‐2 inhibitors: Design,synthesis, molecular docking,and anticancer evaluations

A novel series of benzoxazole/benzothiazole derivatives 4a–c – 11a–e were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for anticancer activity against HepG2, HCT‐116, and MCF‐7 cells. HCT‐116 was the most sensitive cell line to the influence of the new derivatives. In particular, compound 4c was found to be the most potent derivative against HepG2, HCT‐116, and MCF‐7 cells, with IC₅₀ values = 9.45 ± 0.8, 5.76 ± 0.4, and 7.36 ± 0.5 µM, respectively. Compounds 4b, 9f , and 9c showed the highest anticancer activities against HepG2 cells with IC₅₀ values of 9.97 ± 0.8, 9.99 ± 0.8, and 11.02 ± 1.0 µM, respectively, HCT‐116 cells with IC₅₀ values of 6.99 ± 0.5, 7.44 ± 0.4, and 8.15 ± 0.8 µM, respectively, and MCF‐7 cells with IC₅₀ values of 7.89 ± 0.7, 8.24 ± 0.7, and 9.32 ± 0.7 µM, respectively, in comparison with sorafenib as reference drug with IC₅₀ values of 9.18 ± 0.6, 5.47 ± 0.3, and 7.26 ± 0.3 µM, respectively. The most active compounds 4a–c, 9b,c,e,f,h , and 11c,e were further evaluated for their VEGFR‐2 inhibition. Compounds 4c and 4b potently inhibited VEGFR‐2 at IC₅₀ values of 0.12 ± 0.01 and 0.13 ± 0.02 µM, respectively, which are nearly equipotent to the sorafenib IC₅₀ value (0.10 ± 0.02 µM). Furthermore, molecular docking studies were performed for all synthesized compounds to assess their binding pattern and affinity toward the VEGFR‐2 active site.     

5-(4-Methoxybenzylidene)thiazolidine-2,4-dione-derived VEGFR-2 inhibitors: Design,synthesis, molecular docking,and anticancer evaluations

A novel series of 5-(4-methoxybenzylidene)thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives, 5a–g and 7a–f , was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anticancer activity against HepG2, HCT116, and MCF-7 cells. HepG2 and HCT116 were the most sensitive cell lines to the influence of the new derivatives. In particular, compounds 7f , 7e , 7d , and 7c were found to be the most potent derivatives of all the tested compounds against the HepG2, HCT116, and MCF-7 cancer cell lines. Compound 7f (IC₅₀ = 6.19 ± 0.5, 5.47 ± 0.3, and 7.26 ± 0.3 µM, respectively) exhibited a higher activity than sorafenib (IC₅₀ = 9.18 ± 0.6, 8.37 ± 0.7, and 5.10 ± 0.4 µM, respectively) against HepG2 and MCF-7, cells but a lower activity against HCT116 cancer cells, respectively. Also, this compound displayed a higher activity than doxorubicin (IC₅₀ = 7.94 ± 0.6, 8.07 ± 0.8, and 6.75 ± 0.4 µM, respectively) against HepG2 and MCF-7 cells, but nearly the same activity against HCT116 cells, respectively. All derivatives, 5a–g and 7a–f , were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Among them, compound 7f was found to be the most potent derivative that inhibited VEGFR-2 at an IC₅₀ value of 0.12 ± 0.02 µM, which is nearly the same as that of sorafenib (IC₅₀ = 0.10 ± 0.02 µM). Compounds 7e , 7d , 7c , and 7b exhibited the highest activity, with IC₅₀ values of 0.13 ± 0.02, 0.14 ± 0.02, 0.14 ± 0.02, and 0.18 ± 0.03 µM, respectively, which are more than the half of that of sorafenib. Furthermore, molecular docking was performed to investigate their binding mode and affinities toward the VEGFR-2 receptor. The data obtained from the docking studies highly correlated with those obtained from the biological screening.     

PI3K/mTOR抑制剂BEZ235抑制HepG2细胞增殖及与阿霉素的协同效应

目的探讨PI3K/Akt和mTOR双重抑制剂BEZ235对HepG2肝癌细胞增殖和凋亡的影响,并观察BEZ235与阿霉素合用的联合作用。方法采用MTT法检测HepG2细胞增殖;流式细胞术分析细胞周期变化;AnnexinⅤ-FITC试剂盒检测细胞凋亡;免疫印迹法检测蛋白表达水平。结果BEZ235 2.5μmol.L-1～7.5μmol.L-1能够抑制HepG2细胞的增殖,且抑制作用呈时间和剂量依赖性。HepG2细胞经BEZ235处理后,细胞阻滞于G1期,cyclinD1表达水平下调,而cyclinB1的表达则不受影响。BEZ235明显增强了阿霉素对HepG2细胞的抑制作用,并促进阿霉素下调β-catenin的表达。结论 BEZ235对人肝癌细胞HepG2的生长具有显著的抑制作用;联合应用BEZ235和DOX协同抑制HepG2细胞的增殖,其机制可能与共同调节β-catenin通路相关。     

Design,synthesis, molecular docking,and anticancer activity of benzoxazole derivatives as VEGFR‐2 inhibitors

Novel series of benzoxazole s 4 _a‐f ‐16 were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for anticancer activity against HepG2, HCT‐116, and MCF‐7 cells. HCT‐116 was the most sensitive cell line to the influence of the new derivatives. In particular, compound 5 _e was found to be the most potent against HepG2, HCT‐116, and MCF‐7 with IC₅₀ = 4.13 ± 0.2, 6.93 ± 0.3, and 8.67 ± 0.5 µM, respectively. Compounds 5 _c , 5 _f , 6 _b , 5 _d , and 6 _c showed the highest anticancer activities against HepG2 cells with IC₅₀ of 5.93 ± 0.2, 6.58 ± 0.4, 8.10 ± 0.7, 8.75 ± 0.7, and 9.95 ± 0.9 µM, respectively; HCT‐116 cells with IC₅₀ of 7.14 ± 0.4, 9.10 ± 0.8, 7.91 ± 0.6, 9.52 ± 0.5, and 12.48 ± 1.1 µM, respectively; and MCF‐7 cells with IC₅₀ of 8.93 ± 0.6, 10.11 ± 0.9, 12.31 ± 1.0, 9.95 ± 0.8, and 15.70 ± 1.4 µM, respectively, compared with sorafenib as a reference drug with IC₅₀ of 9.18 ± 0.6, 5.47 ± 0.3, and 7.26 ± 0.3 µM, respectively. The most active compounds 5 _c‐f and 6 _b,c were further evaluated for their vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐2 (VEGFR‐2) inhibition. Compounds 5 _e and 5 _c potently inhibited VEGFR‐2 at lower IC₅₀ values of 0.07 ± 0.01 and 0.08 ± 0.01 µM, respectively, compared with sorafenib (IC₅₀ = 0.1 ± 0.02 µM). Compound 5 _f potently inhibited VEGFR‐2 at low IC₅₀ value (0.10 ± 0.02 µM) equipotent to sorafenib. Our design was based on the essential pharmacophoric features of the VEGFR‐2 inhibitor sorafenib. Molecular docking was performed for all compounds to assess their binding pattern and affinity toward the VEGFR‐2 active site.     

Anti-tumor activity of new artemisinin-chalcone hybrids

In an attempt to develop potent and selective anti‐tumor agents, three new series of artemisinin–chalcone hybrids 10a – 10g , 11a – 11g and 12a–12h were designed, synthesized and screened for their anti‐tumor activity against five cell lines (HT‐29, A549, MDA‐MB‐231, HeLa and H460) in vitro. Among compounds 10a–g and 11a–11g , most of them displayed enhanced activity and good selectivity toward HT‐29 and HeLa cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.12 to 0.85 µM as compared with DHA (dihydroartemisinin). Compounds 10a and 11a are most active toward HeLa cells with IC₅₀ values of 0.12 and 0.19 µM. The results revealed that the presence of chalcone moiety is beneficial to their activity and selectivity. In addition, compounds 12a ‐ 12h containing a ‘reversed chalcone’ moiety showed only slight improvement in activity than those of DHA.     

PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway dual inhibitor BEZ235 suppresses the stemness of colon cancer stem cells

Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide with high mortality. A major issue in colon cancer treatment is drug‐resistance and metastasis that have been ascribed to the cancer stem cells. In this study, colon cancer stem cells were isolated through sphere culture and verified with the cancer stem cell markers CD133, CD44, and CD24. It was demonstrated that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway was highly activated in the colon cancer stem cells and that inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway by the inhibitor BEZ235 suppressed the colon cancer stem cell proliferation with reduced stemness indicated by CD133 and Lgr5 expressions. Treatment with insulin as a known activator of the PI3K/Akt pathway increased CD133 expression and decreased the effects of BEZ235 on colon cancer proliferation and survival. The data presented here collectively suggest that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway underpins the stemness of colon cancer stem cells and BEZ235 is potentially a good drug candidate for treatment of colon cancer drug resistance and metastasis.     

Synthesis and cytotoxic evaluation of some new phthalazinylpiperazine derivatives

A new series of 1,4‐disubstituted phthalazinylpiperazine derivatives 7a–f , 12a–f and 20a–f were designed and synthesized in order to develop potent and selective antitumor agents. The target compounds were screened for their cytotoxic activities against A549, HT‐29 and MDA‐MB‐231 cancer cell lines in vitro. Among them, compounds 7a–f exhibited excellent selectivity for MDA‐MB‐231 with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.013 µM to 0.079 µM. The most promising compound, 7e (IC₅₀ = 2.19 µM, 2.19 µM, 0.013 µM), was 9.3, 10, and 4.9 × 10³ times more active than vatalanib (IC₅₀ = 20.27 µM, 21.96 µM, 63.90 µM), respectively.     

Synthesis and Antitumor Activity of Novel Nitrogen Mustard‐Linked Chalcones

A series of nitrogen mustard‐linked chalcones were synthesized and evaluated for their antitumor activity in vitro against the K562 and HepG2 cell lines. The aldol condensation of [N,N‐bis(chloroethyl)‐3‐amino]‐acetophenone ( 2 ) with aromatic aldehydes afforded the nitrogen mustard‐linked chalcones. Among the analogs tested, compounds 5e and 5k exhibited significant anti‐proliferation activities against K562 cells with IC₅₀ values of 2.55 and 0.61 µM, respectively, which revealed higher cell toxicity than the standard drugs cisplatin (IC₅₀ > 200 µM) and adriamycin (IC₅₀ = 14.88 µM). The methoxyl and N,N‐dimethyl groups on the B‐ring of the chalcone frame enhanced the inhibitory activities against both the K562 and HepG2 cell lines. The structure–activity relationship study indicated that the inhibitory activities significantly varied with the position(s) and species of the substituted group(s).     

Synthesis and cytotoxicity evaluation of novel podophyllotoxin derivatives

Seven benzylamino derivatives of podophyllotoxin 8a–8g were synthesized and their chemical structures were confirmed by IR, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR and ESI‐MS spectral analyses. Their abilities to inhibit the growth of cancer cells A549, HCT‐116 and HepG2, were investigated by MTT assay. Compound 8b possessed the highest cytotoxicity on cancer cell lines with average IC₅₀ values of 3.8 µM. All we synthetic compounds were cytotoxic against three cancer cell lines at the micromolar range, indicating podophyllotoxin derivatives with structural modification of benzylamino possess potent antitumor activity.     

Novel pyridine‐2,4,6‐tricarbohydrazide thiourea compounds as small key organic molecules for the potential treatment of type‐2 diabetes mellitus: In vitro studies against yeast α‐ and β‐glucosidase and in silico molecular modeling

A range of novel pyridine‐2,4,6‐tricarbohydrazide thiourea compounds ( 4a–i ) were synthesized in good to excellent yields (63–92%). The enzyme inhibitory potentials of these compounds were investigated against α‐ and β‐glucosidases because these enzymes play a crucial role in treating type‐2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). As compared to the reference compound acarbose (IC₅₀ 38.22 ± 0.12 μM), compounds 4i (IC₅₀ 25.49 ± 0.67 μM), 4f (IC₅₀ 28.91 ± 0.43 μM), 4h (IC₅₀ 30.66 ± 0.52 μM), and 4e (IC₅₀ 35.01 ± 0.45 μM) delivered better inhibition against α‐glucosidase and were quite inactive/completely inactive against β‐glucosidase. The structure–activity relationship of these compounds was developed and elaborated with the help of molecular docking studies.     

Synthesis of New Nonclassical Acridines,Quinolines, and Quinazolines Derived from Dimedone for Biological Evaluation

New nonclassical acridines, quinolines, and quinazolines were prepared starting from cyclic β‐diketones, namely dimedone, through application of Hantzsch addition, Michael addition, and Mannich reactions, respectively. The antimicrobial activity revealed that decahydroacridin‐1,8‐dione 2e bearing a 3‐nitrophenyl group and hexahydroquinoline 4e having a 2,4‐dichlorophenyl moiety were the most active compounds against both Gram‐positive and ‐negative bacteria based upon using the disc diffusion method. Cytotoxic activity studies for decahydroacridin‐1,8‐diones 2a–e against liver carcinoma cells (HepG₂) using the MTT cell viability assay revealed that decahydroacridin‐1,8‐dione bearing a 4‐methylphenyl moiety 2d showed a higher cytotoxic activity (IC₅₀ = 4.42 µg/mL) than the other derivatives.     

Discovery and antiproliferative evaluation of new quinoxalines as potential DNA intercalators and topoisomerase II inhibitors

In continuation of our previous work on the design and synthesis of topoisomerase II (Topo II) inhibitors and DNA intercalators, a new series of quinoxaline derivatives were designed and synthesized. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against a panel of three cancer cell lines (Hep G‐2, Hep‐2, and Caco‐2). Compounds 18b, 19b, 23, 25b , and 26 showed strong potencies against all tested cell lines with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.26 ± 0.1 to 2.91 ± 0.1 µM, comparable with those of doxorubicin (IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.65 ± 0.1 to 0.81 ± 0.1 µM). The most active compounds were further evaluated for their Topo II inhibitory activities and DNA intercalating affinities. Compounds 19b and 19c exhibited high activities against Topo II (IC₅₀ = 0.97 ± 0.1 and 1.10 ± 0.1 µM, respectively) and bound the DNA at concentrations of 43.51 ± 2.0 and 49.11 ± 1.8 µM, respectively, whereas compound 28b exhibited a significant affinity to bind the DNA with an IC₅₀ value of 37.06 ± 1.8 µM. Moreover, apoptosis and cell‐cycle tests of the most promising compound 19b were carried out. It was found that 19b can significantly induce apoptosis in Hep G‐2 cells. It has revealed cell‐cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Moreover, compound 19b downregulated the Bcl‐2 levels, indicating its potential to enhance apoptosis. Furthermore, molecular docking studies were carried out against the DNA–Topo II complex to examine the binding patterns of the synthesized compounds.     

Synthesis and kinetics studies of N′‐(2‐(3,5‐disubstituted‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐4‐yl)acetyl)‐6/7/8‐substituted‐2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐carbohydrazide derivatives as potent antidiabetic agents

A novel series of N′‐(2‐(3,5‐disubstituted‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazol‐4‐yl)acetyl)‐6/7/8‐substituted‐2‐oxo‐2H‐chromen‐3‐carbohydrazides were synthesized and studied for their α‐glucosidase inhibition activity. Most of the synthesized compounds exhibited potential α‐glucosidase inhibition activity with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.96 ± 0.02 to 32.86 ± 0.73 µg/ml. Among them, compounds 3e and 4e , having a methoxy group on the coumarin ring, proved to be the most potent ones, showing an enzyme inhibition activity with IC₅₀ = 0.96 ± 0.02 and 1.44 ± 0.06 µg/ml, respectively. The kinetic study through Lineweaver–Burk plots revealed that the inhibition mechanism of the most active compounds 3d, 3e, 4d , and 4e , on the α‐glucosidase activity, was found to be in the competitive mode.     

Design and synthesis of 2-iminothiazolidin-4-one moiety-containing compounds as potent antiproliferative agents

A new series of 2,5‐diaryliminothiazolidin‐4‐ones were designed and synthesized as potent antiproliferative agents. The antiproliferative activities of the 25 target compounds were evaluated against three cancer cell lines (A549, H460 and HT29) by MTT assay. Pharmacological data indicated that most of the compounds possessed moderate activity, some showed remarkable activity against one or more cell lines. As the most promising compound, 8s (with IC₅₀ values of 1.1, 0.01 and 1.3 µM against the A549, H460 and HT29 cell lines) was 1.1‐ to 270‐fold more potent than the reference drug sorafenib. Furthermore, preliminary structure–activity relationships (SARs) were summarized to provide guidance for further design and discovery of 2‐iminothiazolidin‐4‐one‐based antiproliferative agents.     

Utility of anthranilic acid and diethylacetylenedicarboxylate for the synthesis of nitrogenous organo/organometallic compounds as urease inhibitors

Fumarate diester 3 was synthesized upon reacting anthranilic acid with diethylacetylenedicarboxylate. Compound 3 was reacted with different nucleophiles in mild reaction conditions. Selected reaction routes that afforded products 6 , 9 , 10 , 11 , and 12 were explained. The estimated mechanism for the reaction of 3 with ethylenediamine to afford 9 was proved by X‐ray single‐crystal and retro‐synthetic reaction. Acetyl anthranilic acid was utilized with zinc and copper to afford the organometallic compounds 14a and 14b , respectively. Three single crystals were afforded for 3 , 9 and the organocopper complex 14b . Target compounds were screened for their inhibitory potential against urease enzyme. Most compounds were more potent than thiourea as standard inhibitor, considering that oxopiperazine 9 exhibited double the activity: IC₅₀ = 8.16 ± 0.65 µM (thiourea IC₅₀ = 20.04 ± 0.33 µM). Docking studies were in agreement with the in vitro enzyme assay.     

Exploration of imidazole and imidazopyridine dimers as anticancer agents: Design,synthesis, and structure–activity relationship study

Dimerization of proteins/receptors plays a critical role in various cellular processes, including cell proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, targeting such dimeric proteins/receptors by dimeric small molecules could be a potential therapeutic approach to treating various diseases, including inflammation‐associated diseases like cancer. A novel series of bis‐imidazoles ( 13–18 ) and bis‐imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines ( 19–28 ) were designed and synthesized from Schiff base dimers ( 1–12 ) for their anticancer activities. All the synthesized compounds were screened for anticancer activities against three cancer cell lines, including cervical (HeLa), breast (MDA‐MB‐231), and renal cancer (ACHN). From structure–activity relationship studies, imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines ( 19–28 ) showed remarkable cytotoxic activities, with compounds 19 and 24 showing the best inhibitory activities against all three cell lines. Especially, both 19 and 24 were very effective against the breast cancer cell line ( 19 , GI₅₀ = 0.43 µM; 24 , GI₅₀ = 0.3 µM), exceeding the activity of the control adriamycin (GI₅₀ = 0.51 µM). The in vivo anticancer activity results of compounds 19 and 24 were comparable with those of the animals treated with the standard drug tamoxifen. Therefore, the dimeric imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine scaffold could serve as a potential lead for the development of novel anticancer agents.     

Design,synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel 3‐(thiophen‐2‐ylthio)pyridine derivatives as potential multitarget anticancer agents

A series of novel 3‐(thiophen‐2‐ylthio)pyridine derivatives as insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF‐1R) inhibitors was designed and synthesized. IGF‐1R kinase inhibitory activities and cytotoxicities against HepG2 and WSU‐DLCL2 cell lines were tested. For all of these compounds, potent cancer cell proliferation inhibitory activities were observed, but not through the inhibition of IGR‐1R. Selected compounds were further screened against various kinases. Typical compound 22 (50% inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀] values, HepG2: 2.98 ± 1.11 μM and WSU‐DLCL2: 4.34 ± 0.84 μM) exhibited good inhibitory activities against fibroblast growth factor receptor‐2 (FGFR2), FGFR3, epidermal growth factor receptor, Janus kinase, and RON (receptor originated from Nantes), with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2.14 to 12.20 μM. Additionally, the cell‐cycle analysis showed that compound 22 could arrest HepG2 cells in the G1/G0 phase. Taken together, all the experiments confirmed that the compounds in this series were multitarget anticancer agents worth further optimizing.     

Synthesis,cytotoxicity, and molecular docking of substituted 3-(2-methylbenzofuran-3-yl)-5-(phenoxymethyl)-1,2,4-oxadiazoles

A series of new benzofuran/oxadiazole hybrids ( 8a – n ) was synthesized from 2H-chromene-3-carbonitriles ( 3a – c ) through the multistep synthetic methodology, and these hybrids are known to exhibit anticancer activities. All the compounds were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity against the HCT116 and MIA PaCa2 cell lines. Compounds 6a (IC₅₀: 9.71 ± 1.9 μM), 6b (IC₅₀: 7.48 ± 0.6 μM), and 6c (IC₅₀: 3.27 ± 1.1 μM) displayed a significant cytotoxic activity, whereas compounds 8d and 8e exhibited good activity against both cell lines. The depletion of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) induces apoptosis through the inhibition of basal NF-κB activity in HCT116 colon cancer cells and MIA PaCa2 pancreatic cancer cells. Molecular docking of compounds 6a , 6b , 6c , 8d , and 8e with GSK3β demonstrated the best binding affinity, correlating with the biological activity assay. Furthermore, the structure–activity relationship of these novel compounds reveals promising features for their use in anticancer therapy.