RESUMO
Beta-1,3-glucuronosyltransferase (B3GAT3), overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and negatively correlated to prognosis, is a promising target for cancer therapy. Currently, no studies have reported small molecule inhibitors of B3GAT3. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of small-molecule inhibitors of B3GAT3 through virtual screening and structure optimization. The lead compound TMLB-C16 exhibited potent B3GAT3 inhibitory activity (KD = 3.962 µM) by effectively suppressing proliferation and migration, and inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MHCC-97H (IC50= 6.53 ± 0.18 µM) and HCCLM3 (IC50= 6.22 ± 0.23 µM) cells. Furthermore, compound TMLB-C16 demonstrated favorable pharmacokinetic properties with a relatively high bioavailability of 68.37%. It significantly inhibited tumor growth in both MHCC-97H and HCCLM3 xenograft tumor models without causing obvious toxicity. These results indicate that compound TMLB-C16 is an effective small molecule inhibitor of B3GAT3, providing a basis for the future development of B3GAT3-targeted drugs.
Assuntos
Acetamidas , Antineoplásicos , Carcinoma Hepatocelular , Proliferação de Células , Neoplasias Hepáticas , Humanos , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/tratamento farmacológico , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patologia , Animais , Antineoplásicos/farmacologia , Antineoplásicos/química , Antineoplásicos/uso terapêutico , Antineoplásicos/síntese química , Proliferação de Células/efeitos dos fármacos , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Acetamidas/química , Acetamidas/farmacologia , Acetamidas/síntese química , Acetamidas/uso terapêutico , Camundongos , Relação Estrutura-Atividade , Apoptose/efeitos dos fármacos , Camundongos Nus , Descoberta de Drogas , Camundongos Endogâmicos BALB C , Ensaios Antitumorais Modelo de Xenoenxerto , Simulação de Acoplamento Molecular , Masculino , Movimento Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Inibidores Enzimáticos/farmacologia , Inibidores Enzimáticos/química , Inibidores Enzimáticos/uso terapêutico , Inibidores Enzimáticos/síntese químicaRESUMO
Targeting tumor stemness is an innovative approach to cancer treatment. Zinc Finger Protein 207 (ZNF207) is a promising target for weakening the stemness of glioma cells. Here, a series of novel N-(anthracen-9-ylmethyl) benzamide derivatives against ZNF207 were rationally designed and synthesized. The inhibitory activity was evaluated, and their structure-activity relationships were summarized. Among them, C16 exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity, as evidenced by its IC50 values ranging from 0.5-2.5 µM for inhibiting sphere formation and 0.5-15 µM for cytotoxicity. Furthermore, we found that C16 could hinder tumorigenesis and migration and promote apoptosis in vitro. These effects were attributed to the downregulation of stem-related genes. The in vivo evaluation demonstrated that C16 exhibited efficient permeability across the blood-brain barrier and potent efficacy in both subcutaneous and orthotopic glioma tumor models. Hence, C16 may serve as a potential lead compound targeting ZNF207 and has promising therapeutic potential for glioma.