A NMR study of binding the metabolite of SN38 derivatives to a model nicked DNA decamer mimicking target of Topo I inhibitors.

In this account we present NMR based results of the interaction of 7-ethyl-9-hydroxymethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (1), a derivative of SN38, with a model nicked DNA decamer mimicking the wild type DNA target of Topoisomerase I inhibitors from the camptothecin family. The title compound 1 can be considered a main metabolite of phase I in the metabolic pathway of camptothecin derivatives bearing the alkylamino substituent. Therefore, its pharmacodynamic properties are of interest. It was established by DOSY (Diffusion Ordered Spectroscopy) that compound 1 forms a fairly stable molecular complex with a model nicked DNA decamer with affinity constant Ka 3.02 mM-1. The analysis of NOESY experiments revealed intermolecular cross peaks and mutual induced shifts on both interacting components allowing the conclusion that guest molecule 1 is stacking the nitrogen bases inside the nick. MD (Molecular Dynamics) analysis of four possible inclusions of 1 inside the nick allows establishing the detailed geometry of a complex. Two conformations are suggested as the ones best representing the results of molecular modeling reconciled with experimental NOESY results. The aromatic core of both structures is stacking the nitrogen bases in a nick facing the unbroken strand with ring A. The protons in ring E interact with ribose protons of edge bases of a nick. In conclusion, it can be asserted that SN38 derivative 1 can effectively bind the molecular target of Topo I enzyme and play a role as a Topo I inhibitor.

S-seco-porphyrazine as a new member of the seco-porphyrazine family - Synthesis, characterization and photocytotoxicity against cancer cells.

An important subgroup within the porphyrazine (Pz) family constitutes seco-porphyrazines, in the chemical structure of which one pyrrole unit is opened in the oxidative process. So far, there are only limited data on N-seco- and C-seco-Pzs. Here, the synthesis of a novel member of the Pzs seco-family, represented by an S-seco-tribenzoporphyrazine analogue, 22,23-bis(4-(3,5-dibutoxycarbonylphenoxy)butylsulfanyl)tribenzo[b,g,l]-22,23-dioxo-22,23-seco-porphyrazinato magnesium(II), is reported, with moderate 34% yield. The new derivative was characterized using NMR spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. In the photochemical study performed following the indirect chemical method with 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran, S-seco-Pz revealed a high singlet oxygen quantum yield of 0.27 in DMF. Potential photocytotoxicity of S-seco-Pz was assessed in vitro on three cancer cell lines - two oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines derived from the tongue (CAL 27, HSC-3) and human cervical epithelial adenocarcinoma cells (HeLa). In the biological study, the macrocycle was tested in its free form and after loading into liposomes. It is worth noting that S-seco-Pz was found to be non-toxic in the dark, with cell viability levels over 80%. The photocytotoxic IC50 values for free S-seco-Pz were 0.61, 0.18, and 4.1 µM for CAL 27, HSC-3 and HeLa cells, respectively. Four different liposomal compositions were analyzed, and the cationic liposomes revealed the highest photokilling efficacy, with the IC50 values for CAL 27, HSC-3, and HeLa cells at 0.24, 0.25, and 0.31 µM, respectively. The results of the photocytotoxicity study indicate that the new S-seco-tribenzoporphyrazine can be considered as a potential photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy of cancer, along with the developed cationic liposomal nanocarrier.

Peptide dendrimers as antifungal agents and carriers for potential antifungal agent-N3 -(4-methoxyfumaroyl)-(S)-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid-synthesis and antimicrobial activity.

A series of peptide dendrimers and their conjugates with antimicrobial agent FMDP (N3 -(4-methoxyfumaroyl)-(S)-2,3-diamino-propanoic acid) were synthesized. The obtained compounds were tested for the antibacterial and antifungal activity. All novel dendrimers displayed much better activity against the tested strains than FMDP itself. Moreover, their conjugates with FMDP also exhibited antimicrobial activity. The most promising molecules were tested against a broad selection of fungal strains. The analysis of their antifungal properties indicates that the examined molecules are efficient growth inhibitors of fluconazole-resistant hospital-acquired strains. Moreover, an application of amphiphilic branched peptides such as FMDP carriers suggests that transport mechanism involves more likely the cell membrane perturbation than the mediation of the specific transport proteins. The activity of obtained compounds strongly depends on the specific structure of the molecule.

Dendrimeric Sulfanyl Porphyrazines: Synthesis, Physico-Chemical Characterization, and Biological Activity for Potential Applications in Photodynamic Therapy.

Sulfanyl porphyrazines substituted at their periphery with different dendrimeric moieties up to their first generation were synthesized and characterized by photochemical and biological methods. The presence of a dendrimeric periphery enhanced the spectral properties of the porphyrazines studied. The singlet-oxygen-generation quantum yield of the obtained macrocycles ranged from 0.02 to 0.20 and was strongly dependent on the symmetry of the compounds and the terminal groups of the dendritic outer shell. The in vitro biological effects of three most promising tribenzoporphyrazines were examined; the results indicated their potential as photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT) against two oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines derived from the tongue. The highest photocytotoxicity was found for sulfanyl tribenzoporphyrazine that possessed 4-[3,5-di(hydroxymethyl)phenoxy]butyl substituents with nanomolar IC50 values at 10 and 42 nm against CAL 27 and HSC-3 cell lines, respectively.

The role of the microenvironment in tumor growth and invasion.

Mathematical modeling and computational analysis are essential for understanding the dynamics of the complex gene networks that control normal development and homeostasis, and can help to understand how circumvention of that control leads to abnormal outcomes such as cancer. Our objectives here are to discuss the different mechanisms by which the local biochemical and mechanical microenvironment, which is comprised of various signaling molecules, cell types and the extracellular matrix (ECM), affects the progression of potentially-cancerous cells, and to present new results on two aspects of these effects. We first deal with the major processes involved in the progression from a normal cell to a cancerous cell at a level accessible to a general scientific readership, and we then outline a number of mathematical and computational issues that arise in cancer modeling. In Section 2 we present results from a model that deals with the effects of the mechanical properties of the environment on tumor growth, and in Section 3 we report results from a model of the signaling pathways and the tumor microenvironment (TME), and how their interactions affect the development of breast cancer. The results emphasize anew the complexities of the interactions within the TME and their effect on tumor growth, and show that tumor progression is not solely determined by the presence of a clone of mutated immortal cells, but rather that it can be 'community-controlled'.

Multi-scale models of cell and tissue dynamics.

Cell and tissue movement are essential processes at various stages in the life cycle of most organisms. The early development of multi-cellular organisms involves individual and collective cell movement; leukocytes must migrate towards sites of infection as part of the immune response; and in cancer, directed movement is involved in invasion and metastasis. The forces needed to drive movement arise from actin polymerization, molecular motors and other processes, but understanding the cell- or tissue-level organization of these processes that is needed to produce the forces necessary for directed movement at the appropriate point in the cell or tissue is a major challenge. In this paper, we present three models that deal with the mechanics of cells and tissues: a model of an arbitrarily deformable single cell, a discrete model of the onset of tumour growth in which each cell is treated individually, and a hybrid continuum-discrete model of the later stages of tumour growth. While the models are different in scope, their underlying mechanical and mathematical principles are similar and can be applied to a variety of biological systems.