Synthesis and Anticancer Evaluation of New Indole-Based Tyrphostin Derivatives and Their (p-Cymene)dichloridoruthenium(II) Complexes.

New N-alkylindole-substituted 2-(pyrid-3-yl)-acrylonitriles with putative kinase inhibitory activity and their (p-cymene)Ru(II) piano-stool complexes were prepared and tested for their antiproliferative efficacy in various cancer models. Some of the indole-based derivatives inhibited tumor cell proliferation at (sub-)micromolar concentrations with IC50 values below those of the clinically relevant multikinase inhibitors gefitinib and sorafenib, which served as positive controls. A focus was set on the investigation of drug mechanisms in HCT-116 p53-knockout colon cancer cells in order to evaluate the dependence of the test compounds on p53. Colony formation assays as well as experiments with tumor spheroids confirmed the excellent antineoplastic efficacy of the new derivatives. Their mode of action included an induction of apoptotic caspase-3/7 activity and ROS formation, as well as anti-angiogenic properties. Docking calculations with EGFR and VEGFR-2 identified the two 3-aryl-2-(pyrid-3-yl)acrylonitrile derivatives 2a and 2b as potential kinase inhibitors with a preferential activity against the VEGFR-2 tyrosine kinase. Forthcoming studies will further unveil the underlying mode of action of the promising new derivatives as well as their suitability as an urgently needed novel approach in cancer treatment.

Development of Tyrphostin Analogues to Study Inhibition of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Pup Proteasome System*.

Tuberculosis is a global health problem caused by infection with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) bacteria. Although antibiotic treatment has dramatically reduced the impact of tuberculosis on the population, the existence and spreading of drug resistant strains urgently demands the development of new drugs that target Mtb in a different manner than currently used antibiotics. The prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup) proteasome system is an attractive target for new drug development as it is unique to Mtb and related bacterial genera. Using a Pup-based fluorogenic substrate, we screened for inhibitors of Dop, the Mtb depupylating protease, and identified I-OMe-Tyrphostin AG538 (1) and Tyrphostin AG538 (2). The hits were validated and determined to be fast-reversible, non-ATP competitive inhibitors. We synthesized >25 analogs of 1 and 2 and show that several of the synthesized compounds also inhibit the depupylation actions of Dop on native substrate, FabD-Pup. Importantly, the pupylation activity of PafA, the sole Pup ligase in Mtb, was also inhibited by some of these compounds.

Synthesis and Evaluation of the Anticancer and Trypanocidal Activities of Boronic Tyrphostins.

Molecules containing an (cyanovinyl)arene moiety are known as tyrphostins because of their ability to inhibit proteins from the tyrosine kinase family, an interesting target for the development of anticancer and trypanocidal drugs. In the present work, (E)-(cyanovinyl)benzeneboronic acids were synthesized by Knoevenagel condensations without the use of any catalysts in water through a simple protocol that completely avoided the use of organic solvents in the synthesis and workup process. The in vitro anticancer and trypanocidal activities of the synthesized boronic acids were also evaluated, and it was discovered that the introduction of the boronic acid functionality improved the activity of the boronic tyrphostins. In silico target fishing with the use of a chemogenomic approach suggested that tyrosine-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1a (DYRK1A) was a potential target for some of the designed compounds.

Quinazoline-tyrphostin as a new class of antitumor agents, molecular properties prediction, synthesis and biological testing.

A new series of substituted quinazolin-4-(3H)-one-tyrphostin derivatives was prepared and screened for their cytotoxic activity against three tumor cell lines, namely human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) and human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2) using the colorimetric MTT assay. Among the current series, 10 compounds exhibited remarkable in vitro antiproliferative activity against the three tested cell lines with the IC(50) values ranging from 0.009 to 0.015 mM. All the compounds showed suitable drug like characteristics according to Lipinski's rule.

Azido and diazarinyl analogues of bis-tyrphostin as asymmetrical inhibitors of dynamin GTPase.

Probing the dynamin binding site: Bis-tyrphostin (1, Bis-T), is a potent inhibitor of the phospholipid-stimulated GTPase activity of dynamin I. Analogues of Bis-T have significant potential as a biological probes for the dissection of endocytic pathways. Bis-T-derived compounds were synthesised and evaluated for their ability to inhibit the GTPase activity of dynamin I. Two analogues (23 and 24) represent the first asymmetrically substituted Bis-T analogues to retain dynamin inhibition.Two azidobenzyl amide (4 and 23) and one 3-trifluoromethyl-3H-diazirin-3-ylphenyl (24) analogues of bis-tyrphostin (1, Bis-T) were synthesised as potential photoaffinity labels for the elucidation of the binding site of compound 1 in dynamin I. Of the two azidobenzyl amide analogues (4 and 23), the terminally substituted 23 retained dynamin I GTPase inhibition (IC(50)=6.4+/-2.8 microM) whilst 4, which was substituted on the central carbon of the amide linker, displayed no activity. Analogue 24 also retained inhibitory activity (IC(50)=36+/-9 microM). Photoaffinity labelling experiments did not unequivocally elucidate the binding pocket of compound 1. However, compounds 23 and 24 represent the first asymmetrically substituted Bis-T analogues to retain dynamin inhibitory activity, providing a new direction for analogue synthesis.

Small molecule inhibitors of dynamin I GTPase activity: development of dimeric tyrphostins.

Dynamin I is a GTPase enzyme required for endocytosis and is an excellent target for the design of potential endocytosis inhibitors. Screening of a library of tyrphostins, in our laboratory, against the GTPase activity of dynamin I gave rise to a microM potent lead, 2-cyano-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)thioacrylamide (1, IC50 70 microM). Our initial investigations suggested that only the dimeric form of 1 displayed dynamin I GTPase inhibitory activity. Subsequent synthetic iterations were based on dimeric analogues and afforded a number of small molecules, low microM potent, inhibitors of dynamin I GTPase, in particular, symmetrical analogues with a minimum of two free phenolic -OHs: catechol-acrylamide (9) (IC50= 5.1 +/- 0.6 microM), its 3,4,5-trihydroxy congener (10) (IC50= 1.7 +/- 0.2 microM), and the corresponding 3-methyl ether (11) (IC50= 9 +/- 3 microM). Increasing the length of the central alkyl spacer from ethyl to propyl (22-24) afforded essentially identical activity with IC50's of 1.7 +/- 0.2, 1.7 +/- 0.2, and 5 +/- 1 microM, respectively. No decrease in activity was noted until the introduction of a hexyl spacer. Our studies highlight the requirement for two free amido NHs with neither the mono-N-methyl (86) nor the bis-N-methyl (87) analogues inhibiting dynamin I GTPase. A similar effect was noted for the removal of the nitrile moieties. However, modest potency was observed with the corresponding ester analogues of 9-11: ethyl ester (90), propyl ester (91), and butyl ester (92), with IC50's of 42 +/- 3, 38 +/- 2, and 61 +/- 2 microM, respectively. Our studies reveal the most potent and promising dynamin I GTPase inhibitor in this series as (22), which is also known as BisT.

Solid-phase synthesis of a tyrphostin ether library.

The solid-phase synthesis of a 4500-member (30 x 15 x 10) tyrphostin library is demonstrated utilizing the Irori-directed sorting system. Fmoc-protected PL-Rink resin was used as the solid support. After Fmoc-deprotection, aryl aldehydes were attached to the resin through reductive amination. Acylation of the resulting secondary amines with cyanoacetic acid was followed by a Knoevenagel condensation with phenolic aldehydes. Mitsunobu coupling of primary alcohols to the resin-bound phenols yielded the final library of compounds 1.

Study of the drug release mechanism from tyrphostin AG-1295-loaded nanospheres by in situ and external sink methods.

The present study focused on in vitro release of polylactide-nanoencapsulated tyrphostin AG-1295, a potential agent for local therapy of restenosis. The drug was formulated in matrix-type nanoparticles, termed nanospheres (NS) using the nanoprecipitation method. AG-1295 is a model for low-molecular weight lipophilic compounds, the release behavior of which cannot be adequately characterized by existing methods. An in vitro release technique suitable for optimizing the nanoparticulate formulation release behavior was developed through a novel external sink method and an in situ release method utilizing the environmental sensitivity of the AG-1295 fluorescence spectrum. Similar tendencies were demonstrated by both methods in drug release studied as a function of selected NS preparation variables. The release properties of the drug fractions varying in their binding mode to the carrier particles were studied by the external sink method. The NS surface-adsorbed drug exhibited a significantly higher release rate compared to the drug entrapped in the polymeric matrix. The in situ release of the encapsulated drug was analyzed using the diffusion models of release from a matrix-type sphere. The release was shown to be a composite process, with a burst phase attributed largely to the rapid dissociation of the surface-bound AG-1295. The diffusion-controlled phase exhibited an alteration in kinetic pattern obviously due to the drug distribution between polymeric matrix compartments differing in their permeability. Drug in vitro release investigation may be effectively used to characterize the drug-carrier interaction and internal carrier structure in nanoparticulate formulations, as well as optimize the release behavior in respect to their therapeutic application.

Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of unsaturated quinoline derivatives.

In our previous work Knoevenagel condensation of quinoline 2-, 3- and 4-carbaldehyde with malononitrile derivatives was used to produce a series of heteroarylidene malononitrile derivatives. Some of these heteroaromatic tyrphostins were potent inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor kinase. This work has now been extended by using 6-, 7-, and 8-quinolinecarbaldehyde to prepare 23 new quinoline-tyrphostins 1-23. Most of these compounds were moderately active against the MCF7 breast cancer cell line. The order of potency was 7- > 6 > 8-substituted quinoline, which indicates that increased activity of the 7-substituted quinolines is associated with electron deficiency at the 7-position in the quinoline ring. The most active compound, 12, formed from 7-quinolinecarbaldehyde and ethyl cyanoacetate, had an IC50 value of 2.3 microM. Compounds 1-23 showed similar IC50 values against the MCF7 and MCF7/ADR cell lines (the latter shows fourfold increased protein tyrosine kinase activity) except for the compounds 1 and 15 formed from 6-quinolinecarbaldehyde and malononitrile and 7-quinolinecarbaldehyde and cyanoacetamide, which showed a significant (11- and 42-fold, respectively) increase in potency against the MCF7/ADR cell line. Furthermore, no association was found between growth inhibition and inhibition of the EGFR protein tyrosine kinase (PTK), using a cell-free assay. In addition, new compounds were prepared from 2- and 4-quinolinecarbaldehyde with extended conjugation in the side chains (24-27) or with methoxypolyethoxyethyl esters in the side chain to increase water solubility (28 and 29). These compounds showed substantial cytotoxicity, with IC50 values in the range 1-25 microM, but similar values were observed against both cell lines. No association was found between inhibition of PTK and growth inhibition, again indicating that their mode of action may not be specific for the EGF receptor.

Inhibitors of tyrosine kinases in the treatment of psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a heterogenous skin disease, characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation, abnormal keratinization and inflammation. The heterogeneity of the disease results probably from the interaction of multiple gene abnormalities with environmental factors. The new approaches to drug design have become refocused to the emerging understanding of the role of signaling pathways in health and disease. Protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) regulate cell proliferation, differentiation and immune processes. Uncontrolled signaling from receptor and intracellular tyrosine kinases can lead to numerous proliferative diseases: cancer, leukemia, restenosis and psoriasis. Identification of PTKs that play a key role in a defined disease can lead to a selective drug. The balance of signals which regulate the homeostasis of normal epidermis is altered in psoriasis. Several lines of evidence suggest a role for the EGF receptor system in this process. Therefore, blockers of the EGFR kinase were suggested as potent antipsoriasis agents. PTK inhibitors from the tyrphostin family were found to block EGF - dependent cell proliferation. AG 1571 (SU 5271) potently inhibits ligand-induced autophosphorylation of EGF-R, downstream signal transduction events, DNA replication and cell cycle progression at micromolar concentrations, as well as proliferation of keratinocytes isolated from psoriatic lesions in excellent correlation with its EGFR kinase inhibitory activity in these cells. AG 1571 (SU 5271) has been in clinical trials by SUGEN Inc. since early 1997. Overexpression of the EGFR is the hallmark of most epithelial cancers. Therefore one can view blockers of the EGFR kinase as becoming universal inhibitors. Tyrphostins are the first signal transduction agents to be used in the clinic. This article summarizes recent progress in the development of PTK inhibitors in the treatment of psoriasis.

A combinatorial synthesis of tyrphostins via the "directed sorting" method.

Using solid-phase organic synthesis, we have prepared a 432-member (18 x 8 x 3) sample library based on the AG 490 "tyrphostin" template. By utilizing 432 reactors each equipped with a unique radiofrequency memory ID tag, the 432 products could be obtained as discrete entities (i.e., not as mixtures) via 18 + 8 + 3, or 29 reactions. Reading each ID tag after each reaction step permitted the "directed sorting" of reactors into appropriate reaction vessels containing multiple reactors. After synthesis, all products were cleaved from the solid-phase support and lyophilized to afford powders. Characterization of 5% of the library members by NMR and mass spectrometry provided verification of structure. In addition, TLC analysis of every library member provided evidence that most (or all) are composed of a single major organic compound. Some 88% of these samples were obtained in amounts of between 5 and 19 mg. Using this reaction sequence and the "directed sorting" approach, the synthesis of much larger AG 490-based libraries can be envisioned.