Chalcone Derivative CX258 Suppresses Colorectal Cancer via Inhibiting the TOP2A/Wnt/ß-Catenin Signaling.

The deregulation in the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway is associated with many human cancers, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC) and, therefore, represents a promising target for drug development. We have screened over 300 semisynthetic and natural compounds using a Wnt reporter assay and identified a family of novel chalcone derivatives (CXs) that inhibited Wnt signaling and CRC cell proliferation. Among them, we selected CX258 for further in vitro and in vivo study to investigate the molecular mechanisms. We found that CX258 significantly inhibited ß-catenin expression and nuclear translocation, inducing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in CRC cells. Additionally, CX258 reduced the expression of DNA Topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) in CRC cells. Moreover, knocking down TOP2A by siRNAs inhibited the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, a finding suggesting that CX258 inhibited Wnt/ß-catenin signaling and CRC cell proliferation at least partially by modulating TOP2A. Further studies showed that CDK1 that interacts with TOP2A was significantly reduced after TOP2A knockdown. We demonstrated that CX258 significantly inhibited DLD-1 CRC cell xenografts in SCID mice. In summary, we identified CX258 as a promising candidate for colorectal cancer treatment by targeting the TOP2A/Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Discovery and Development of Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Glycogen Synthase.

The overaccumulation of glycogen appears as a hallmark in various glycogen storage diseases (GSDs), including Pompe, Cori, Andersen, and Lafora disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that suppression of glycogen accumulation represents a potential therapeutic approach for treating these GSDs. Using a fluorescence polarization assay designed to screen for inhibitors of the key glycogen synthetic enzyme, glycogen synthase (GS), we identified a substituted imidazole, (rac)-2-methoxy-4-(1-(2-(1-methylpyrrolidin-2-yl)ethyl)-4-phenyl-1H-imidazol-5-yl)phenol (H23), as a first-in-class inhibitor for yeast GS 2 (yGsy2p). Data from X-ray crystallography at 2.85 Å, as well as kinetic data, revealed that H23 bound within the uridine diphosphate glucose binding pocket of yGsy2p. The high conservation of residues between human and yeast GS in direct contact with H23 informed the development of around 500 H23 analogs. These analogs produced a structure-activity relationship profile that led to the identification of a substituted pyrazole, 4-(4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-5-yl)pyrogallol, with a 300-fold improved potency against human GS. These substituted pyrazoles possess a promising scaffold for drug development efforts targeting GS activity in GSDs associated with excess glycogen accumulation.

One-Pot Synthesis of B-Ring Ortho-Hydroxylated Sappanin-Type Homoisoflavonoids.

A reliable method for the synthesis of B-ring hydroxylated homoisoflavonoids and 3-hetarylmethyl chromones has been developed. The method involves an initial oxa-Diels-Alder reaction of ortho-quinone methides generated from aryl/hetaryl-substituted ortho-( N, N-dimethylaminomethyl)phenols with (2 E)-3-( N, N-dimethylamino)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)prop-2-en-1-ones and the subsequent cascade of reactions. This synthetic strategy avoids conventional multistep protocols and does not require the protection of hydroxyl groups, thus allowing the facile synthesis of a library of various aromatic and heterocyclic analogues of naturally occurring homoisoflavonoids.

Semisynthetic aurones inhibit tubulin polymerization at the colchicine-binding site and repress PC-3 tumor xenografts in nude mice and myc-induced T-ALL in zebrafish.

Structure-activity relationships (SAR) in the aurone pharmacophore identified heterocyclic variants of the (Z)-2-benzylidene-6-hydroxybenzofuran-3(2H)-one scaffold that possessed low nanomolar in vitro potency in cell proliferation assays using various cancer cell lines, in vivo potency in prostate cancer PC-3 xenograft and zebrafish models, selectivity for the colchicine-binding site on tubulin, and absence of appreciable toxicity. Among the leading, biologically active analogs were (Z)-2-((2-((1-ethyl-5-methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl)methylene)-3-oxo-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran-6-yl)oxy)acetonitrile (5a) and (Z)-6-((2,6-dichlorobenzyl)oxy)-2-(pyridin-4-ylmethylene)benzofuran-3(2H)-one (5b) that inhibited in vitro PC-3 prostate cancer cell proliferation with IC50 values below 100 nM. A xenograft study in nude mice using 10 mg/kg of 5a had no effect on mice weight, and aurone 5a did not inhibit, as desired, the human ether-à-go-go-related (hERG) potassium channel. Cell cycle arrest data, comparisons of the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation by aurones and known antineoplastic agents, and in vitro inhibition of tubulin polymerization indicated that aurone 5a disrupted tubulin dynamics. Based on molecular docking and confirmed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry studies, aurone 5a targets the colchicine-binding site on tubulin. In addition to solid tumors, aurones 5a and 5b strongly inhibited in vitro a panel of human leukemia cancer cell lines and the in vivo myc-induced T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) in a zebrafish model.

Efficient Synthesis of Aurone Mannich Bases and Evaluation of their Antineoplastic Activity in PC-3 Prostate Cancer Cells.

An efficient method for regioselective synthesis of C-7 Mannich bases of 6-hydroxyaurones was accomplished by the N,N-dialkylaminomethylation using aminals prepared from dimethylamine, dipropylamine, bis(2-methoxyethyl)amine, N-methylbutylamine, N-methylbenzylamine, morpholine, piperidine, and 1-methylpiperazine. Further transformation of 7-(N,N-dialkylamino)methyl group in these aurones led to formation of C-7 acetoxymethyl and methoxymethyl derivatives of 6-hydroxyaurones, some of which showed promising inhibition of PC-3 prostate cancer cell proliferation in the high nanomolar to low micromolar range that exceeded that of cisplatin.

Developing antineoplastic agents that target peroxisomal enzymes: cytisine-linked isoflavonoids as inhibitors of hydroxysteroid 17-beta-dehydrogenase-4 (HSD17B4).

Cytisine-linked isoflavonoids (CLIFs) inhibited PC-3 prostate and LS174T colon cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting a peroxisomal bifunctional enzyme. A pull-down assay using a biologically active, biotin-modified CLIF identified the target of these agents as the bifunctional peroxisomal enzyme, hydroxysteroid 17ß-dehydrogenase-4 (HSD17B4). Additional studies with truncated versions of HSD17B4 established that CLIFs specifically bind the C-terminus of HSD17B4 and selectively inhibited the enoyl CoA hydratase but not the d-3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase activity. HSD17B4 was overexpressed in prostate and colon cancer tissues, knocking down HSD17B4 inhibited cancer cell proliferation, suggesting that HSD17B4 is a potential biomarker and drug target and that CLIFs are potential probes or therapeutic agents for these cancers.

Carboxylated aurone derivatives as potent inhibitors of xanthine oxidase.

Xanthine oxidase is a potential target for treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. In this study, a number of A- and B-ring carboxylated aurone derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit xanthine oxidase in vitro. According to the results obtained, two different ranges of inhibitory activity were observed. The aurones with carboxylic acid group at the 4'-position of B-ring were found to be potent inhibitors of the enzyme with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. The effects of these compounds were about 50 fold higher than of A-ring modified aurones with carboxymethoxy group at the 6-position. The binding modes of the carboxylated aurones in the active site of xanthine oxidase were explained using molecular docking calculations.

Antineoplastic Isoflavonoids Derived from Intermediate ortho-Quinone Methides Generated from Mannich Bases.

The regioselective condensations of various 7-hydroxyisoflavonoids with bis(N,N-dimethylamino)methane in a Mannich reaction provided C-8 N,N-dimethylaminomethyl-substituted isoflavonoids in good yield. Similar condensations of 7-hydroxy-8-methylisoflavonoids led to the C-6-substituted analogs. Thermal eliminations of dimethylamine from these C-6 or C-8 N,N-dimethylaminomethyl-substituted isoflavonoids generated ortho-quinone methide intermediates within isoflavonoid frameworks for the first time. Despite other potential competing outcomes, these ortho-quinone methide intermediates trapped dienophiles including 2,3-dihydrofuran, 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran, 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)-5,5-dimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 1-morpholinocyclopentene, and 1-morpholinocyclohexene to give various inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder adducts. Several adducts derived from 8-N,N-dimethylaminomethyl-substituted isoflavonoids displayed good activity in the 1-10 µm concentration range in an in vitro proliferation assay using the PC-3 prostate cancer cell line.

Application of Mannich bases to the synthesis of hydroxymethylated isoflavonoids as potential antineoplastic agents.

The regiospecific Mannich aminomethylation of 7-hydroxyisoflavonoids using bis(N,N-dimethylamino)methane afforded C-8 substituted N,N-dimethylaminomethyl adducts, and the regioselective aminomethylation of 5-hydroxy-7-methoxyisoflavonoids afforded predominantly the C-6 substituted N,N-dimethylaminomethyl adducts. Acetylation of these C-6 or C-8 Mannich bases with potassium acetate in acetic anhydride provided access to the corresponding acetoxymethyl derivatives that were subsequently converted to hydroxymethyl- and methoxymethyl-substituted 5-hydroxy- or 7-hydroxyisoflavonoids related to naturally occurring flavonoids. The C-8 acetoxymethyl, hydroxymethyl or methoxymethyl-substituted isoflavonoids possessed promising inhibitory potency in the low micromolar range in a prostate cancer PC-3 cell proliferation assay.

Development of 6H-Chromeno[3,4-c]pyrido[3',2':4,5]thieno[2,3-e]pyridazin-6-ones as Par-4 Secretagogues.

Nitrosation and cyclization of 4-(3-aminothieno[2,3-b]pyridine-2-yl)-2H-chromen-2-ones 1 afforded substituted 6H-chromeno[3,4-c]pyrido[3',2':4,5]thieno[2,3-e]pyridazin-6-ones 2 that inhibited the intermediary filament protein, vimentin, at low micromolar concentrations. This inhibition promoted the secretion of Prostate Apoptosis Response-4 protein (Par-4), which selectively triggered apoptosis in prostate cancer cells such as CWR22Rv1, LNCaP-derivative C4-2B, PC-3 and its aggressive analog, PC-3 MM2.

Synthesis and tautomerization of hydroxylated isoflavones bearing heterocyclic hemi-aminals.

The aminomethylation of hydroxylated isoflavones with 2-aminoethanol, 3-amino-1-propanol, 4-amino-1-butanol, and 5-amino-1-pentanol in the presence of excess formaldehyde led principally to 9-(2-hydroalkyl)-9,10-dihydro-4H,8H-chromeno[8,7-e][1,3]-oxazin-4-ones 4 and/or the tautomeric 7-hydroxy-8-(1,3-oxazepan-3-ylmethyl)-4H-chromen-4-ones 5. The ratio of these tautomers was dependent on solvent polarity, electronic effects of aryl substituents in the isoflavone and the structure of the amino alcohol. NMR studies confirmed the interconversion of tautomeric forms.

Pentapeptide boronic acid inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis MycP1 protease.

Mycosin protease-1 (MycP1) cleaves ESX secretion-associated protein B (EspB) that is a virulence factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and accommodates an octapeptide, AVKAASLG, as a short peptide substrate. Because peptidoboronic acids are known inhibitors of serine proteases, the synthesis and binding of a boronic acid analog of the pentapeptide cleavage product, AVKAA, was studied using MycP1 variants from Mycobacterium thermoresistible (MycP1mth), Mycobacterium smegmatis (MycP1msm) and M. tuberculosis (MycP1mtu). We synthesized the boropentapeptide, HAlaValLysAlaAlaB(OH)2 (1) and the analogous pinanediol PD-protected HAlaValLysAlaAlaBO2(PD) (2) using an Fmoc/Boc peptide strategy. The pinanediol boropentapeptide 2 displayed IC50 values 121.6±25.3 µM for MycP1mth, 93.2±37.3 µM for MycP1msm and 37.9±5.2 µM for MycP1mtu. Such relatively strong binding creates a chance for crystalizing the complex with 2 and finding the structure of the unknown MycP1 catalytic site that would potentially facilitate the development of new anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Novel mycosin protease MycP1 inhibitors identified by virtual screening and 4D fingerprints.

The rise of drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis lends urgency to the need for new drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB). The identification of a serine protease, mycosin protease-1 (MycP1), as the crucial agent in hydrolyzing the virulence factor, ESX-secretion-associated protein B (EspB), potentially opens the door to new tuberculosis treatment options. Using the crystal structure of mycobacterial MycP1 in the apo form, we performed an iterative ligand- and structure-based virtual screening (VS) strategy to identify novel, nonpeptide, small-molecule inhibitors against MycP1 protease. Screening of ∼485,000 ligands from databases at the Genomics Research Institute (GRI) at the University of Cincinnati and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) using our VS approach, which integrated a pharmacophore model and consensus molecular shape patterns of active ligands (4D fingerprints), identified 81 putative inhibitors, and in vitro testing subsequently confirmed two of them as active inhibitors. Thereafter, the lead structures of each VS round were used to generate a new 4D fingerprint that enabled virtual rescreening of the chemical libraries. Finally, the iterative process identified a number of diverse scaffolds as lead compounds that were tested and found to have micromolar IC50 values against the MycP1 target. This study validated the efficiency of the SABRE 4D fingerprints as a means of identifying novel lead compounds in each screening round of the databases. Together, these results underscored the value of using a combination of in silico iterative ligand- and structure-based virtual screening of chemical libraries with experimental validation for the identification of promising structural scaffolds, such as the MycP1 inhibitors.