Anti-inflammatory effect of 3-fluorophenyl pyrimidinylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazole derivatives as p38α inhibitors.

In the present work, the anti-inflammatory effect of 30 compounds containing 3-fluorophenyl pyrimidinylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazole was investigated. All final target compounds showed significant Inhibitory effect on p38α. P38α is considered one of the key kinases in the inflammatory process due to its regulatory effect on pro-inflammatory mediators. The final target compounds divided into four group based on the type of terminal moiety (amide and sulfonamide) and the linker between pyrimidine ring and terminal moiety (ethyl and propyl). Most compounds with terminal sulfonamide moiety and propyl linker between the sulfonamide and pyrimidine ring were the most potent among all synthesized final target compounds with sub-micromolar IC50s. Compound 24g (with p-Cl benzene sulfonamide and propyl linker) exhibited the highest activity over P38α with IC50 0.68 µM. All final target compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit nitric oxide release and prostaglandin E2 production. Compounds having amide terminal moiety with ethyl linker showed higher inhibitory activity for nitric oxide release and compound 21d exhibited the highest activity for nitric oxide release with IC50 1.21 µM. Compounds with terminal sulfonamide moiety and propyl linker showed the highest activity for inhibiting PGE2 production and compounds 24i and 24g had the lowest IC50s with value 0.87 and 0.89 µM, respectively. Compounds 21d, 22d and 24g were tested for their ability to inhibit over expression of iNOS, COX1, and COX2. In addition the ability of compounds 21d, 22d and 24g to inhibit inflammatory cytokines were determined. Finally molecular docking of the three compounds were performed on P38α crystal structure to expect their mode of binding.

Design and synthesis of novel rigid dibenzo[b,f]azepines through ring closure technique as promising anticancer candidates against leukaemia and acting as selective topoisomerase II inhibitors and DNA intercalators.

In this research, two novel series of dibenzo[b,f]azepines (14 candidates) were designed and synthesised based on the rigidification principle and following the reported doxorubicin's pharmacophoric features. The anti-proliferative activity was evaluated at the NCI against a panel of 60 cancer cell lines. Further, the promising candidates (5a-g) were evaluated for their ability to inhibit topoisomerase II, where 5e was noticed to be the most active congener. Moreover, its cytotoxicity was evaluated against leukaemia SR cells. Also, 5e arrested the cell cycle at the G1 phase and increased the apoptosis ratio by 37.34%. Furthermore, in vivo studies of 5e showed the inhibition of tumour proliferation and the decrease in its volume. Histopathology and liver enzymes were examined as well. Besides, molecular docking, physicochemical, and pharmacokinetic properties were carried out. Finally, a SAR study was discussed to open the gate for further optimisation of the most promising candidate (5e).HighlightsTwo novel series of dibenzo[b,f]azepines were designed and synthesised based on the rigidification principle in drug design.The anti-proliferative activity was evaluated at the NCI against a panel of 60 cancer cell lines.5e was the most active anti-topo II congener (IC50 = 6.36 ± 0.36 µM).5e was evaluated against leukaemia SR cells and its cytotoxic effect was confirmed (IC50 = 13.05 ± 0.62 µM).In vivo studies of 5e significantly inhibited tumour proliferation by 62.7% and decreased tumour volume to 30.1 mm3 compared to doxorubicin treatment.

Design and synthesis of novel quinazolinone-based fibrates as PPARα agonists with antihyperlipidemic activity.

Aiming to discover new antihyperlipidemic agents, a new set of quinazolinone-fibrate hybrids 9a-r bearing the essential features for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) agonistic activity was synthesized and the structures were confirmed by different spectral data. All the target compounds were screened for their PPARα agonistic activity. Compounds 9o and 9q exhibited potent activity, with EC50 values better than that of fenofibrate by 8.7- and 27-fold, respectively. Molecular docking investigations were performed for all the newly synthesized compounds in the active site of the PPARα receptor to study their interactions and energies in the receptor. Moreover, the antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant activities of compounds 9o and 9q were determined using Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic rats. Compound 9q exhibited effective hypolipidemic activity in a dose-dependent manner, where it significantly reduced the serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and increased the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Furthermore, it possesses a powerful antioxidant profile where it significantly elevated the levels of reduced glutathione as well as the total antioxidant capacity and significantly decreased the malondialdehyde level. The histopathological studies revealed that compound 9q improved the aortic architecture and hepatic steatosis. These findings support that compound 9q could be a promising lead compound for the development of new antihyperlipidemic agents.

Design, synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity of imidazol-5-yl pyridine derivatives as p38α/MAPK14 inhibitor.

P38α/MAPK14 is intracellular signalling regulator involved in biosynthesis of inflammatory mediator cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-1b), which induce the production of inflammatory proteins (iNOS, NF-kB, and COX-2). In this study, drug repurposing strategies were followed to repositioning of a series of B-RAF V600E imidazol-5-yl pyridine inhibitors to inhibit P38α kinase. A group 25 reported P38α kinase inhibitors were used to build a pharmacophore model for mapping the target compounds and proving their affinity for binding in P38α active site. Target compounds were evaluated for their potency against P38α kinase, compounds 11a and 11d were the most potent inhibitors (IC50 = 47 nM and 45 nM, respectively). In addition, compound 11d effectively inhibited the production of proinflammatory cytokinesTNF-α, 1L-6, and 1L-1ß in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages with IC50 values of 78.03 nM, 17.6 µM and 82.15 nM, respectively. The target compounds were tested for their anti-inflammatory activity by detecting the reduction of Nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin (PGE2) production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Compound 11d exhibited satisfied inhibitory activity of the production of PGE2 and NO with IC50 values of 0.29 µM and 0.61 µM, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulations of the most potent inhibitor 11d were carried out to illustrate its conformational stability in the binding site of P38α kinase.

Anticancer profile and anti-inflammatory effect of new N-(2-((4-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyridine sulfonamide derivatives.

A new series of N-(2-((4-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)pyridine sulfonamide derivatives 11a-o were designed and synthesized based on our previous works. The new series was tested for its anticancer and anti-inflammatory effects. The anticancer profile of final target compounds was obtained by testing them over 60 cell lines belong to nine types of cancers. Compound 11c showed the highest percent inhibition, so its potency was measured over the most sensitive cell line to determine its IC50 over each cell. In addition, compound 11c was tested over kinase panel to get its biological target(s). Compound 11c had strong activity over JNK1, JNK2, p38a and V600EBRAF. All final target compounds were tested against the four kinases to build a structure activity relationship. Compound 11c was subjected to cell cycle analysis to check at which phase is affected by 11c. The anti-inflammatory effect of final target compounds was screened by testing their ability to inhibit both nitric oxide release and prostaglandin E2 production on raw 264.7 macrophages in addition to test their cytotoxic effect on the same cells. Compound 11n showed the highest ability to inhibit prostaglandin E2 and all compound showed moderate to low activity regarding inhibition of nitric oxide release. Compound 11n was investigated for its ability to reduce Interleukin 6 and TNF-alpha. In addition, compound 11n was tested for its effect on induced Nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and COX-2 mRNA expression level and its effect on nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), COX-1 and COX-2 protein levels where it showed selectivity for COX-2 compared to COX-1 and iNOS.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel imidazole derivatives possessing terminal sulphonamides as potential BRAFV600Einhibitors.

BRAFV600E mutation has been detected in various malignant tumours. Developing of potent BRAFV600E inhibitors is considered a leading step in the way to cure different cancer types. In the current work, a series of 38 4-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)pyridin-2-amine derivatives was designed and synthesized using Dabrafenib as a lead compound for structural-guided optimization. The target compounds were evaluated as potential anticancer agents against NCI 60 human cancer cell lines. In 5-dose testing mode, two compounds 14h and 16e were tested to determine their IC50 values over each of the 60 cell lines. The selected candidates exhibited promising activity with mean IC50 values of 2.4 µM and 3.6 µM, respectively. Melanoma cancer cell lines exhibited the highest sensitivity after the treatment with the tested compounds 14h and 16e. The mean IC50 values of compounds 14h and 16e against Melanoma cancer cell lines are 1.8 µM and 1.88 µM, respectively. In addition, BRAFV600E kinase inhibitory activity was determined for each derivative. Compounds 15i, 15j, 16a, and 16d were the most potent inhibitors against BRAFV600E with IC50 76 nM, 32 nM, 35 nM, and 68 nM. The newly developed compounds represent a therapeutically promising approach for the treating various cancer types.

Design, Synthesis and Anticancer Profile of New 4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine-Linked Sulfonamide Derivatives with V600EBRAF Inhibitory Effect.

A new series of 4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine linked sulfonamide derivatives 12a-n was designed and synthesized according to the structure of well-established V600EBRAF inhibitors. The terminal sulfonamide moiety was linked to the pyrimidine ring via either ethylamine or propylamine bridge. The designed series was tested at fixed concentration (1 µM) against V600EBRAF, finding that 12e, 12i and 12l exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity among all target compounds and 12l had the lowest IC50 of 0.49 µM. They were further screened on NCI 60 cancer cell lines to reveal that 12e showed the most significant growth inhibition against multiple cancer cell lines. Therefore, cell cycle analysis of 12e was conducted to investigate the effect on cell cycle progression. Finally, virtual docking studies was performed to gain insights for the plausible binding modes of vemurafenib, 12i, 12e and 12l.

Modification of imidazothiazole derivatives gives promising activity in B-Raf kinase enzyme inhibition; synthesis, in vitro studies and molecular docking.

B-Raf mutation was identified as a key target in cancer treatment. Based on structural features of dabrafenib (potent FDA approved B-Raf inhibitor), the design of new NH2-based imidazothiazole derivatives was carried out affording new highly potent derivatives of imidazothiazole-based scaffold with amino substitution on the terminal phenyl ring as well as side chain with sulfonamide group and terminal substituted phenyl ring. In vitro enzyme assay was investigated against V600E B-Raf kinase. Compounds 10l, 10n and 10o showed higher inhibitory activities (IC50 = 1.20, 4.31 and 6.21 nM, respectively). In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation was assessed against NCI-60 cell lines. Most of tested derivatives showed cytotoxic activities against melanoma cell line. Compound 10k exhibited most potent activity (IC50 = 2.68 µM). Molecular docking study revealed that the new designed derivatives preserved the same binding mode of dabrafenib with V600E B-Raf active site. It was investigated that the new modification in the synthesized derivatives (substituted with NH2) had a significant inhibitory activity towards V600E B-Raf. This core scaffold is considered a key compound for further structural and molecular optimization.

Inhibitory effects of triarylpyrazole derivatives on LPS-induced nitric oxide and PGE2 productions in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages.

In this article, a series of 22 triarylpyrazole derivatives were evaluated for in vitro antiinflammatory activity as inhibitors of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in murine RAW 264.7 macrophages. The synthesized compounds 1a-h, 2a-f and 3a-h were first examined for their cytotoxicity for determination of the non-toxic concentration for antiinflammatory screening, so that the inhibitory effects against NO and PGE2 production were not caused by non-specific cytotoxicity. Compounds 1h and 2f were the most active PGE2 inhibitors with IC50 values of 2.94 µM and 4.21 µM, respectively. Western blotting and cell-free COX-2 screening revealed that their effects were due to inhibition of COX-2 protein expression. Moreover, compound 1h exerted strong inhibitory effect on the expression of COX-2 mRNA in LPS-induced murine RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Design and synthesis of novel pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives targeting V600EBRAF.

Several pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine-based B-RAF inhibitors are well known and some of them are currently FDA approved as anticancer agents. Based on the structure of these FDA approved V600EB-RAF inhibitors, two series of pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine scaffold were designed and synthesized in attempt to develop new potent V600EB-RAF inhibitors. The 38 synthesized compounds were biologically evaluated for their V600EB-RAF inhibitory effect at single dose (10 µM). Compounds with high percent inhibition were tested to determine their IC50 over V600EB-RAF. Compounds 34e and 35 showed the highest inhibitory effect with IC50 values of 0.085 µM and 0.080 µM, respectively. Headed for excessive biological evaluation, the synthesized derivatives were tested over sixty diverse human cancer cell lines. Only compound 35 emerged as a potent cytotoxic agent against different panel of human cancer cell lines.

Structural optimization of imidazothiazole derivatives affords a new promising series as B-Raf V600E inhibitors; synthesis, in vitro assay and in silico screening.

BRAF mutation is commonly known in a number of human cancer types. It is counted as a potential component in treating cancer. In this study, based on structural optimization of previously reported inhibitors (3-fluro substituted derivatives of imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole-based scaffold), we designed and synthesized sixteen new imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole derivatives with m-nitrophenyl group at position 6. The electron withdrawing properties was reserved while the polarity was modified compared to previously synthesized compounds (-F). Furthermore, the new substituted group (-NO2) provided an additional H-bond acceptor(s) which may bind with the target enzyme through additional interaction(s). In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation was performed against human cancer cell line (A375). In addition, in vitro enzyme assay was performed against mutated B-Raf (B-Raf V600E). Compounds 13a, 13g and 13f showed highest activity on mutated B-Raf with IC50 0.021, 0.035 and 0.020 µM. All target compounds were tested for in vitro cytotoxicity against NCI 60 cell lines. Compounds 13a and 13g were selected for 5 doses test mode. Moreover, in silico molecular simulation was explored in order to explore the possible interactions between the designed compounds and the B-Raf V600E active site.

Mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin: Recent pathological aspects and inhibitors.

The mechanistic/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), also known as the mechanistic target of rapamycin, regulates many normal cell processes such as transcription, cell growth, and autophagy. Overstimulation of mTOR by its ligands, amino acids, sugars, and/or growth factors leads to physiological disorders, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we reviewed the recent advances regarding the mechanism that involves mTOR in cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases. The chemical and biological properties of recently reported small molecules that function as mTOR kinase inhibitors, including adenosine triphosphate-competitive inhibitors and dual mTOR/PI3K inhibitors, have also been reviewed. We focused on the reports published in the literature from 2012 to 2017.

Anticancer profile of newly synthesized BRAF inhibitors possess 5-(pyrimidin-4-yl)imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole scaffold.

In this work, a new series of imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole was designed and synthesized. The new compounds are having 3-fluorophenyl at position 6 of imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole and pyrimidine ring at position 5. The pyrimidine ring containing either amide or sulphonamide moiety attached to a linker (ethyl or propyl) at position 2 of the pyrimidine ring. The final compounds were selected by NCI for in vitro cytotoxicity screening. Most derivatives showed cytotoxic activity against colon cancer and melanoma cell lines. In addition, IC50s of the target compounds were determined over A375 and SK-MEL-28 cell lines using sorafenib as positive control. Compounds12b, 12c, 12e, 12f, 15a, 15d, 15f, 14g and 15h exhibited superior activity when compared to sorafenib. The most potent compounds were tested against wild type BRAF, v600e BRAF, and CRAF. Compound 15h exhibited a potential inhibitory effect againstV600EBRAF (IC50 = 9.3 nM).

Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine as a promising scaffold in medicinal chemistry: Recent advances.

Thienopyrimidine scaffold is a fused heterocyclic ring system that structurally can be considered as adenine, the purine base that is found in both DNA and RNA-bioisosteres. Thienopyrimidines exist in three distinct isomeric forms. The current review discusses thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine as a one of the opulent heterocycles in drug discovery. Its broad range of medical applications such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and CNS protective agents has inspired us to study its structure-activity relationship (SAR), along with its relevant synthetic strategies. The present review briefly summarizes synthetic approaches for the preparation of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives. In addition, the promising biological activities of this scaffold are also illustrated with explanatory diagrams for their SAR studies.

Design, synthesis, and anticancer activity of imidazo[2,1-b]oxazole-based RAF kinase inhibitors.

In the present work, a novel series of B-RAF kinase inhibitors having imidazo[2,1-b]oxazole scaffold was designed and synthesized based on the structures of the well-known B-RAF inhibitors. The twenty two final compounds were tested over A375 and SKMEL28 cell lines to determine the primary cytotoxic activity of these compounds, and their activities were compared with that of sorafenib as a standard. Compounds 11c, 11e, 11o, 11q, 11r, and 11u exhibited higher cellular activity compared to sorafenib with IC50 values of 7.25, 8.03, 9.81, 8.47, 4.70, and 9.04 µM, respectively and 10.38 µM for sorafenib. In addition, the target compounds were screened for their anticancer activity by the NCI-60 cell line assay. Compounds 11v and 11u were the most active compounds with percent inhibition reached 95.99% for 11v and 87.03% for 11u over K562 cell line at 10 µM concentration. Compound 11v was selected for 5-dose test mode. Furthermore, the kinase inhibitory activities of 11a, 11c, 11e, 11i, 11o, 11q, 11r, 11u, and 11v were determined against wild-type B-RAF, V600E-B-RAF, and RAF1. Compound 11o was the most potent against V600E-B-RAF with IC50 34 nM followed by 11q and 11u with IC50 92 and 93 nM, respectively.

Design, synthesis, in vitro potent antiproliferative activity, and kinase inhibitory effects of new triarylpyrazole derivatives possessing different heterocycle terminal moieties.

A new series of triarylpyrazole derivatives having different heterocycle terminal groups have been designed and synthesised. Compounds 1h-j and 1l exhibited the highest mean percentage inhibition against the 58 cancer cell lines at a concentration of 10 µM, and thus were next examined in 5-dose testing mode to detect their IC50 value. The four compounds showed stronger antiproliferative activities upon comparing their results with sorafenib as a reference compound. Among them, compounds 1j and 1l possessing N-ethylpiperazinyl and N-benzylpiperazinyl terminal moiety through ethylene linker showed the greatest values of mean percentage inhibition (97.72 and 107.18%, respectively) over the 58-cell line panel at 10 µM concentration. The IC50 values of compound 1j over several cancer cell lines were in submicromolar scale (0.26 ∼ 0.38 µM). Moreover, the compounds 1j and 1l showed highly inhibitory activities (99.17 and 97.92%) against V600E-B-RAF kinase.

Design, synthesis, in vitro anticancer evaluation, kinase inhibitory effects, and pharmacokinetic profile of new 1,3,4-triarylpyrazole derivatives possessing terminal sulfonamide moiety.

The present work describes the design and synthesis of a novel series of 1,3-diaryl-4-sulfonamidoarylpyrazole derivatives 1a-q and 2a-q and their in vitro biological activities. The target compounds were evaluated for antiproliferative activity against NCI-60 cell line panel. Compounds 1c, 1g, 1k-m, 1o, 2g, 2h, 2k-m, 2o, and 2q showed the highest mean inhibition percentages at 10 µM single-dose testing and were selected to be tested at 5-dose mode. The ICs50 of the most potent compounds were determined over the 60 cell lines. Compound 2l exhibited the strongest activity against different cell lines with IC50 0.33 µM against A498 renal cancer cell line. Compound 2l was tested over a panel of 20 kinases to determine its molecular target(s), and its IC50 values over the most sensitive kinases were defined. In vitro stability and in vivo pharmacokinetic profile of compound 2l was also investigated.

Synthesis of New Triarylpyrazole Derivatives Possessing Terminal Sulfonamide Moiety and Their Inhibitory Effects on PGE2 and Nitric Oxide Productions in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced RAW 264.7 Macrophages.

This article describes the design, synthesis, and in vitro anti-inflammatory screening of new triarylpyrazole derivatives. A total of 34 new compounds were synthesized containing a terminal arylsulfonamide moiety and a different linker between the sulfonamide and pyridine ring at position 4 of the pyrazole ring. All the target compounds were tested for both cytotoxicity and nitric oxide (NO) production inhibition in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. Compounds 1b, 1d, 1g, 2a, and 2c showed the highest NO inhibition percentages and the lowest cytotoxic effect. The most potent derivatives were tested for their ability to inhibit prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages. The IC50 for nitric oxide inhibition, PGE2 inhibition, and cell viability were determined. In addition, 1b, 1d, 1g, 2a, and 2c were tested for their inhibitory effect on LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) protein expression as well as iNOS enzymatic activity.

Design, synthesis, and in vitro antiproliferative and kinase inhibitory effects of pyrimidinylpyrazole derivatives terminating with arylsulfonamido or cyclic sulfamide substituents.

A novel series of substituted pyrimidine compounds bearing N-phenylpyrazole and terminating with aryl and cyclic sulfonamido moiety were designed, synthesized, and evaluated in vitro as antiproliferative agents against a panel of 53 cell lines of different tissues at the NCI. Among them, compound 1d with p-chlorobenzenesulfonamido terminal moiety, ethylene spacer, and 4-chloro-3-methoxyphenyl ring at position 3 of the pyrazole nucleus showed the highest mean percentage inhibition value over the whole cancer cell line panel at 10 µM concentration. It showed broad-spectrum antiproliferative activity over many cell lines of different cancer types. For instance, compound 1d inhibited the growth of HL-60 (TB), SR leukemia, and T-47D and MCF-7 breast cancer cell line by 135.92%, 119.44%, 95.32%, and 82.03% at 10 µM, respectively. And it inhibited the growth of COLO 205 colon, HT29 colon, BT-549 breast, and ACHN renal cancer cell lines by more than 80% at the same test concentration. However, testing compound 1d upon determining its IC50 against the most sensitive cell lines showed to good extent selectivity against HT29 colon cancer cell line than HL-60 leukemia and MRC-5 lung fibroblasts (normal cells). Compound 1d was further tested against 12 kinases of different kinase families, and the highest inhibitory effect was exerted against RAF1, V600E-B-RAF, and V600K-B-RAF kinases.

Synthesis and broad-spectrum antiproliferative activity of diarylamides and diarylureas possessing 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives.

A series of diarylamides and diarylureas possessing 1,3,4-oxadiazole scaffold was designed and synthesized. Their in vitro antiproliferative activities were tested against a panel of 58 cell lines of nine different cancer types at the NCI, and compared with Sorafenib as a reference compound. Most of the compounds showed strong and broad-spectrum antiproliferative activities. The diarylurea compound 2g possessing 4-chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl terminal moiety showed the highest mean % inhibition value of about 100% over the 58-cell line panel at 10µM concentration. Also compounds 2h, 2l, 2m exhibited mean % inhibition over 90% at 10µM concentration. The IC50 value of compound 2b over SNB-75 CNS cancer cell line was 0.65µM. Compound 2h also exerted submicromolar IC50 values of 0.67, 0.80, and 0.87µM against PC-3 prostate cancer cell line, HCT-116 colon cancer cell line, and ACHN renal cancer cell line, respectively. Compound 2h showed comparable efficacy to Sorafenib.