Evaluation of Rhenium and Technetium-99m Complexes Bearing Quinazoline Derivatives as Potential EGFR Agents.

Τhe Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) 6-amino-4-[(3-bromophenyl) amino]quinazoline was derivatized with 6-bromohexanoyl-chloride and coupled with the tridentate chelating agents N-(2-pyridylmethyl) aminoethyl acetic acid (PAMA) and L(+)-cysteine bearing the donor atom set NNO and SNO, respectively. The rhenium precursors ReBr(CO)5 and fac-[NEt4]2[ReBr3(CO)3] were used for the preparation of the Re complexes fac-[Re(NNO)(CO)3] (5a) and fac-[Re(SNO)(CO)3] (7a) which were characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopies. Subsequently, the new potential EGFR inhibitors were labeled with the fac-[99mTc(CO)3]+ core in high yield and radiochemical purity (>90%) by ligand exchange reaction using the fac-[99mTc][Tc(OH2)3(CO)3]+ precursor. The radiolabeled complexes were characterized by comparative HPLC analysis with the analogous rhenium (Re) complexes as references. In vitro studies in the A431 cell lines showed that both ligands and Re complexes inhibit A431 cell growth. Complex 5a demonstrated the highest potency (IC50 = 8.85 ± 2.62 µM) and was further assessed for its capacity to inhibit EGFR autophosphorylation, presenting an IC50 value of 26.11 nM. Biodistribution studies of the 99mTc complexes in healthy mice showed high in vivo stability for both complexes and fast blood and soft tissue clearance with excretion occurring via the hepatobiliary system.

Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of rhenium and technetium-99m "4 + 1" mixed-ligand complexes bearing quinazoline derivatives as potential EGFR imaging agents.

Epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) of tyrosine kinase (TK) have shown high expression levels in most cancers and are considered a promising target for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Expanding the investigation for novel targeted radiopharmaceuticals, an EGFR inhibitor such as 4-aminoquinazoline derivatives along with a radionuclide such as technetium-99m (99mTc) could be ideal. Thus, we report herein the synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation of new "4 + 1" mixed-ligand ReIII- and 99mTcIII-complexes of the general formula [99mTc][Tc(NS3)(CN-R)] bearing tris(2-mercaptoethyl)-amine (NS3) as the tetradentate tripodal ligand and a series of isocyanide derivatives (CN-R) of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (3-bromophenyl)quinazoline-4,6-diamine as the monodentate ligand. The quinazoline isocyanide derivatives 4a-d were prepared in two steps and reacted with the [Re(NS3)PMe2Ph] precursor leading to the final complexes 5a-d in high yield. All compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, and NMR spectroscopies. In vitro studies, for their potency to inhibit the cell growth, using intact A431 cells indicate that the quinazoline derivatives 4a-d and the Re complexes 5a-d significantly inhibit the A431 cell growth. In addition, the EGFR autophosphorylation study of complex 5b shows an IC50 value in the nanomolar range. The corresponding "4 + 1" 99mTc-complexes 6a-d were prepared by employing the [99mTc]TcEDTA intermediate and the appropriate monodentate 4a-d in a two-step synthetic procedure with a radiochemical yield (RCY) from 63 to 77 % and a radiochemical purity (RCP) > 99 % after HPLC purification. Their structures have been established by HPLC comparative studies using the well-characterized Re-complexes 5a-d as reference. All 99mTc-complexes remain stable for at least 6 h, and their logD7.4 values confirmed their anticipated lipophilic character. Biodistribution studies in healthy Swiss albino mice of 99mTc-complexes showed hepatobiliary excretion and initial fast blood clearance. Complex 6b was also tested in Albino SCID mice bearing A431 tumors and showed rapid tumor uptake at 5 min (2.80 % ID/g) with a moderate tumor/muscle ratio (2.06) at 4 h p.i. The results encourage further investigation for this type of 99mTc-complexes as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) radio agents for imaging tumors overexpressing EGFR.

Synthesis and evaluation of new mixed "2 + 1" Re, 99mTc and 186Re tricarbonyl dithiocarbamate complexes with different monodentate ligands.

A series of "2 + 1" mixed ligand tricarbonyl complexes of the general formula fac-[Re/99mTc/186Re(CO)3(DDTC)(L)] containing diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) as a monoanionic bidentate ligand and a series of monodentate ligands L was synthesized, characterized and evaluated. The impact of ligand L on the radiochemical yield (RCY) and biodistribution of the final compounds was also investigated. DDTC and the appropriate L ligand [cyclohexyl isocyanide (cisc), tert-butyl isocyanide (tbi), triphenylphosphine (PPh3), methyldiphenylphosphine (PPh2Me), triphenylarsine (AsPh3), imidazole (im), and 4-aminopyridine (4AP)] readily reacted in equimolar amounts with the [Et4N]2[Re(CO)3Br3] precursor to afford fac-[Re(CO)3(DDTC)(cisc)], Re1, fac-[Re(CO)3(DDTC)(tbi)], Re2, fac-[Re(CO)3(DDTC)(PPh3)], Re3, fac-[Re(CO)3(DDTC)(PPh2Me)], Re4, fac-[Re(CO)3(DDTC)(AsPh3)], Re5, fac-[Re(CO)3(DDTC)(im)], Re6 and fac-[Re(CO)3(DDTC)(4AP)], Re7, complexes in high yields (>80%). All Re complexes were fully characterized by IR, NMR, and in addition Re4, Re5, and Re7 with X-ray crystallography. Analogous reactions as performed with Re were subsequently explored on the 99mTc and 186Re-tracer levels using the corresponding fac-[99mTc/186Re(CO)3(H2O)3]+ precursor. Complexes 99mTc1 - 99mTc5, 186Re1 and 186Re3 were obtained in high radiochemical yield (>91%), while the complexes 99mTc6, 99mTc7 and 186Re7 formed with radiochemical yields of 55%, 28%, and 75%, respectively. The 99mTc and 186Re-complexes were characterized by comparative HPLC analysis using the analogous Re complexes. During histidine and cysteine challenge experiments at 37 °C through 6 h, complexes 99mTc1 - 99mTc5 remained > 92% stable, while complexes 99mTc6 and 99mTc7 remained only 8% stable through 3 h. Similar studies for 186Re-complexes showed that 186Re1 and 186Re3 remained > 95% stable for up to 48 h, while 186Re7 had decreased to 7% after 3 h. LogD7.4 data of 99mTc1 - 99mTc5, 186Re1, and 186Re3 complexes, which ranged from 2.59 to 3.39, suggested high lipophilicity. Biodistribution studies in healthy Swiss albino mice showed hepatobiliary excretion for 99mTc1, 99mTc2, and 99mTc4, fast blood clearance for 99mTc4, while high liver uptake and retention for 99mTc3 and 99mTc5 were measured. Moreover, 99mTc2 showed high accumulation in the lungs with sustained retention (52.80% ID/g at 4 h p.i.) and significant brain uptake at 2 min p.i. (1.89% ID/g). The study showed the great influence of monodentate ligand in the synthesis and biodistribution of the mixed ligand complexes.

Comparative Study of a Series of 99mTc(CO)3 Mannosylated Dextran Derivatives for Sentinel Lymph Node Detection.

Sentinel lymph node detection (SLND) is rapidly entering common practice in the management of patients with tumors. The introduction of mannose molecules to 99mTc-labeled dextrans, so far, showed that the sentinel node could trap these agents due to their recognition by the mannose receptors of lymph node macrophages. The current study aimed to synthesize, characterize, and biologically evaluate a series of mannosylated dextran derivatives labeled with 99mTc for potential use in SLND. The compounds were designed to have a dextran with a molecular weight of 10-500 kDa as a backbone, S-derivatized cysteines, efficient SNO chelators, and mannose moieties for binding to mannose receptors. They were successfully synthesized, thoroughly characterized using NMR techniques, and labeled with the fac-[99mTc(CO)3]+ synthon. Labeling with high yields and radiochemical purities was achieved with all derivatives. In vivo biodistribution and imaging studies demonstrated high uptake in the first lymph node and low uptakes in the following node and confirmed the ability to visualize the SLN. Among the compounds studied, 99mTc-D75CM demonstrated the most attractive biological features, and in combination with the high radiochemical yield and stability of the compound, its further evaluation as a new radiopharmaceutical for sentinel lymph node detection was justified.

Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of 68Ga labelled monomeric and dimeric quinazoline derivatives of the HBED-CC chelator targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor.

Tyrosine kinase (TK) receptors including epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) are known to be overexpressed in a wide variety of solid tumors associated with poor prognosis. The HBED-CC chelator N,N'-bis[2-hydroxy-5-(carboxyethyl)benzyl]ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid 1 was coupled via one or both its propionic acid moieties with the quinazoline EGFR-TK inhibiting pharmacophore 4-amino-N-(4-((3-bromophenyl)amino)quinazolin-6-yl)butanamide 3 resulting in either a monomeric 4 or a dimeric 5 species. Ligands 4 and 5 reacted with Ga3+ generating the corresponding complexes Ga4 and Ga5. Both ligands and complexes were characterized with mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy and evaluated in vitro with MTT assays in A431 cells, where they showed IC50 values in the range 51.6 to 68.8 µM. Labeling of ligands 4 and 5 with the PET radionuclide 68Ga was quantitative and resulted in tracers [68Ga]Ga4 and [68Ga]Ga5 with radiochemical purities greater than 98%, which were also characterised by comparative RP-HPLC studies with Ga4 and Ga5 respectively. Radiotracers [68Ga]Ga4 and [68Ga]Ga5 were stable (intact tracer over 98%) in the reaction mixture (120 min) and in human serum (30 min). Both tracers were evaluated in vivo with biodistribution experiments in SCID mice bearing A431 tumors presenting tumor uptake of 1.34 for [68Ga]Ga4 and 1.01 %ID/g for [68Ga]Ga5 at 5 min, which was slightly decreased at 60 min p.i. and then remained stable until 120 min p.i. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of monomeric and dimeric quinazoline conjugates with the chelator HBED-CC, which can serve as a basis for further development of EGFR-TKI targeting tracers.

Simultaneous determination of paraquat and atrazine in water samples with a white light reflectance spectroscopy biosensor.

An optical immunosensor based on White Light Reflectance Spectroscopy for the simultaneous determination of the herbicides atrazine and paraquat in drinking water samples is demonstrated. The biosensor allows for the label-free real-time monitoring of biomolecular interactions taking place onto a SiO2/Si chip by transforming the shift in the reflected interference spectrum due to reaction to effective biomolecular layer thickness. Dual-analyte determination is accomplished by functionalizing spatially distinct areas of the chip with protein conjugates of the two herbicides and scanning the surface with an optical reflection probe. A competitive immunoassay format was adopted, followed by reaction with secondary antibodies for signal enhancement. The sensor was highly sensitive with detection limits of 40 and 50 pg/mL for paraquat and atrazine, respectively, and the assay duration was 12 min. Recovery values ranging from 90.0 to 110% were determined for the two pesticides in spiked bottled and tap water samples, demonstrating the sensor accuracy. In addition, the sensor could be regenerated and re-used at least 20 times without significant effect on the assay characteristics. Its excellent analytical performance and short analysis time combined with the small sensor size should be helpful for fast on-site determinations of these analytes.

Dicarbonyl cis-[M(CO)2(N,O)(C)(P)] (M = Re, 99mTc) Complexes with a New [2 + 1 + 1] Donor Atom Combination.

The synthesis and characterization of the dicarbonyl mixed ligand cis-[Re(CO)2(quin)(cisc)(PPh3)] complex, 4, where quin is the deprotonated quinaldic acid, cisc is cyclohexyl isocyanide, and PPh3 is triphenylphosphine, is presented. The synthesis of 4 proceeds in three steps. In the first, the intermediate fac-[Re(CO)3(quin)(H2O)] aqua complex 2 is generated from the fac-[NEt4]2[Re(CO)3Br3] precursor, together with the brominated products fac-[Re(CO)3(quinH)(Br)] 1a and fac-[NEt4][Re(CO)3(quin)(Br)] 1b, in low yield. In the following step, replacement of the aqua ligand of complex 2 by the monodentate isocyanide ligand leads to the formation of fac-[Re(CO)3(quin)(cisc)], 3. In the third step replacement of the species trans to the isocyanide carbonyl group of 3 by a phosphine generates complex 4. The Re complexes 2-4 were prepared in high yield and fully characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic methods, and X-ray crystallography. At the technetium-99m (99mTc) tracer level, the analogous complexes 3' and 4' were produced in high radiochemical purity, characterized by comparative reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography and showed high resistance to transchelation by histidine or cysteine. This new [N,O][C][P] donor atom combination with the cis-[M(CO)2]+ core (M = Re, 99mTc) is a promising scaffold for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic targeted radiopharmaceuticals.

2-(4'-Aminophenyl)benzothiazole Labeled with 99mTc-Cyclopentadienyl for Imaging ß-Amyloid Plaques.

The development of a 99mTc-radiotracer for imaging of ß-amyloid (Aß) plaques with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is strongly anticipated to provide a low cost and broadly accessible diagnostic tool for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Within this framework, 2-(4'-aminophenyl)benzothiazole, known to display affinity and specificity for Aß plaques, has been joined to the tricarbonyl fac-[M(CO)3]+ (M = Re(I), 99mTc(I)) core through the cyclopentadienyl moiety to yield stable, neutral, and lipophilic complexes (Re-1 and 99mTc-1, respectively). The Re-1 complex was completely characterized with spectroscopic methods and was shown to selectively stain Aß plaques on sections of human AD brain tissue. The 99mTc-1 complex displayed satisfactory initial brain uptake (0.53% ID/g at 2 min) and in vivo stability in healthy mice, while in transgenic 5xFAD mice, models for AD, a notable retention in the brain was noted (1.94% ID/g at 90 min). The results are encouraging and contribute to the effort of developing a SPECT amyloid imaging agent.

Rhenium(I) Tricarbonyl Complexes with (2-Hydroxyphenyl)diphenylphosphine as PO Bidentate Ligand.

In the present work, we investigated potential means to obtain neutral tricarbonyl mixed-ligand fac-[M(CO)3L1L2] complexes (M = Re, 99mTc) containing the (2-hydroxyphenyl)diphenylphosphine (POH) bidentate ligand (L1H) and a series of monodentate ligands (L2). First, fac-[Re(CO)3(PO)(H2O)], 1, was synthesized by reaction of POH and [Et4N]2[Re(CO)3Br3] in equimolar amounts in MeOH at room temperature. Interestingly, with excess of POH this reaction afforded fac-[Re(CO)3(PO)(POH)], 2, with POH operating both as a bidentate and as a monodentate ligand. Owing to the presence of the labile aqua ligand, which can be readily replaced by various monodentate ligands, 1 was further used as a precursor to generate a small library of the desired fac-[M(CO)3L1L2] complexes. Specifically, by reaction of triphenylphosphine (PPh3), imidazole (im), pyridine (py), cyclohexyl isocyanide (cisc), and tert-butyl isocyanide (tbi), the following products were readily obtained in excellent yields (92%-95%): fac-[Re(CO)3(PO)(PPh3)], 3, fac-[Re(CO)3(PO)(im)], 4, fac-[Re(CO)3(PO)(py)], 5, fac-[Re(CO)3(PO)(cisc)], 6, and fac-[Re(CO)3(PO)(tbi)], 7. All compounds were fully characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopies, and electrospray ionization(+) mass spectrometry. Their solid-state structure was elucidated by X-ray crystallography. Of considerable interest is the fact that the corresponding 2'-7' were easily accessible at the 99mTc-tracer level in quantitative yields after reaction of POH and the respective monodentate ligand L2 with fac-[99mTc(CO)3(H2O)3]+ in aqueous MeOH, as verified by comparative chromatographic methods adopting dual photo- and radiometric detection modes. The high stability displayed by all 99mTc complexes during histidine and cysteine challenge assays underscored the suitability of the fac-[M(CO)3(PO)L2] system for radiopharmaceutical development purposes.

Crystal structure of fac-tricarbon-yl(quinoline-2-carboxyl-ato-κ(2) N,O)(tri-phenyl-arsane-κAs)rhenium(I).

In the title compound, [Re(C10H6NO2)(CO)3{As(C6H5)3}], the coordination environment of Re(I) is that of a distorted octa-hedron. Three coordination sites are occupied by three carbonyl groups in a facial arrangement and the remaining three sites by tri-phenyl-arsane and deprotonated quinaldic acid in As-mono- and N,O-bidentate fashions, respectively. In the crystal, the complexes are linked through weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network. It worth noting that, as far as we know, this complex is the first Re(I) tri-phenyl-arsane tricarbonyl compound to be reported.

Crystal structure of fac-tricarbon-yl(cyclo-hexyl isocyanide-κC)(quinoline-2-carboxyl-ato-κ(2) N,O)rhenium(I).

In the title compound, [Re(C10H6NO2)(C7H11N)(CO)3], the Re(I) atom is coordinated by three carbonyl ligands in a facial arrangement and by the N, O and C atoms from a chelating quinaldate anion and a monodentate isocyanide ligand, respectively. The resultant C4NO coordination sphere is distorted octa-hedral. A lengthening of the axial Re-CO bond trans to the isocyanide ligand is indicative of the trans effect. Individual complexes are stacked into rods parallel to [001] through displaced π-π inter-actions. Weak C-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions between the rods lead to the formation of layers parallel to (010). These layers are stacked along [010] by C-H⋯H-C van der Waals contacts.

Comparison of the growth curves of cancer cells and cancer stem cells.

A fundamental problem in cancer research is identification of the cells responsible for tumor formation. The latest field of cancer research has revealed the existence and role of cancer stem cells (CSCs). These findings support the idea that malignancies originate from a small fraction of cancer cells that show self-renewal and multi- or pluripotency. Identification of this CSC population has important implications for the management of cancer patients, including diagnostic and predictive laboratory assays as well as novel therapeutic strategies that specifically target CSCs. In this study, we investigated the growth rates of CSC populations for comparison with cancer cell lines. To construct the growth curves, blood-derived CSCs were isolated from patients with breast, colon, or lung cancer and cultured in vitro. Quantitative real-time PCR was then performed to identify CSCs in the samples. We found that CSCs did not follow the common pattern of a typical growth curve of mammalian cells in contrast to the cancer cell lines. This observation of rapidly growing CSCs indicates their involvement in tumor formation.

Stereoselective facile synthesis of 2'-spiro pyrimidine pyranonucleosides via their key intermediate 2'-C-cyano analogues. Evaluation of their bioactivity.

A novel series of 2'-spiro pyrimidine pyranonucleosides has been designed and synthesized. Their precursors, 2'-C-cyano nucleosides 5a,b and 6a,b, were obtained by subjecting 1a,b to the sequence of selective protection of the primary hydroxyl group, acetalation, oxidation, and finally treatment with sodium cyanide. Deoxygenation at the 2'-position of cyanohydrins 5a,b or 6a,b led to the 2'-deoxy derivatives 9a,b. Fully deprotection of 5a,b, 6a,b, and 9a,b gave the desired 2'-C-cyano 7a,b, 8a,b, and 2'-C-cyano-2'-deoxy pyranonucleosides 10a,b, respectively. Mesylation of the corresponding cyanohydrins 5a,b and 6a,b afforded compounds 11a,b and 12a,b which after base treatment and subsequent deprotection furnished the spiro nucleosides 15a,b and 16a. The new analogues were evaluated for their potential cytostatic activities in cell culture.

Study of the interaction among Notch pathway receptors, correlation with stemness, as well as their interaction with CD44, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV, hepatocyte growth factor receptor and the SETMAR transferase, in colon cancer stem cells.

CONTEXT: The Notch signaling pathway is one of the most important pathways during normal development and implicated in self-renewal of adult stem cells and differentiation of progenitor cells. Abnormal expression of Notch receptors has been associated with many epithelial metaplastic and neoplastic lesions. OBJECTIVE-MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this particular study, it was determined the relative gene expression of Notch receptors after knockdown experiments in colon cancer stem cells (CSCs) and the gene expression changes in stemness transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, Nanog), as well in dipeptidylpeptidase-4, CD44 antigen, Met proto-oncogene and in Metnase transposase. RESULTS: In control CSCs Notch-2 had the higher expression, followed by Notch-1, Notch-3. Notch-4 demonstrated the lower gene expression among the receptors. The suppression of Notch-1 led to increased expression of Oct4 and Sox2, but in decreased gene expression of cMET, Setmar and CD44. The CD26 expression remained unchanged. The knockdown of Notch-2 led to decreased expression of all transcription factors. Notch-3 down regulation caused increased Oct4 gene expression, but decreased levels for the rest of the genes. Finally, the suppression of Notch-4 had the same effect as in receptor Notch-3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The above experimental data suggest the possible interaction between the four different receptors of Notch signaling pathway. The expression of CD26, cMET and N-methyltransferase Setmar was also changed. Finally, the stemness phenotype was changed in a different way each time, according to the receptor that was down regulated. All Notch receptors and particularly Notch-2 seem to play an important role in cancer stem cells.

Rapid microwave-enhanced synthesis of C5-alkynyl pyranonucleosides as novel cytotoxic antitumor agents.

A microwave-assisted, one-pot, coupling reaction for the synthesis of C5-alkynyl-uracil and cytosine glucopyranonucleosides has been developed. The reaction is carried out under standard Sonogashira coupling conditions from glucopyranonucleosides of 5-iodouracil or 5-iodocytosine and various terminal alkynes. All compounds were evaluated for their cytostatic and antiviral activity. The 5-phenylethynyluracil pyranonucleoside derivative 6a showed the most promising cytostatic activity (50% inhibitory concentration in the lower micromolar range). No meaningful antiviral activity was recorded.

Stereocontrolled synthesis of 4'-C-cyano and 4'-C-cyano-4'-deoxy pyrimidine pyranonucleosides as potential chemotherapeutic agents.

A new series of 4'-C-cyano and 4'-C-cyano-4'-deoxy pyrimidine pyranonucleosides has been designed and synthesized. Commercially available 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-acetyl-D-mannopyranose (1) was condensed with silylated 5-fluorouracil, uracil, and thymine, respectively to afford after deacetylation 1-(α-D-mannopyranosyl)nucleosides (2a-c). Subjecting 2a-c to the sequence of specific acetalation, selective protection of the primary hydroxyl group and oxidation, the 4'-ketonucleosides 6a-c and 7c were obtained. Reaction of compounds 6a,b, and 7c with sodium cyanide and subsequent deprotection gave the target 1-(4'-C-cyano-α-D-mannopyranosyl)nucleosides 12a-c. Deoxygenation at the 4'-position of cyanohydrins 8a,b, and 11c followed by deprotection led to the desired 1-(4'-C-cyano-4'-deoxy-α-D-talopyranosyl)nucleosides (15a-c). The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their potential antiviral and cytostatic activities in cell culture.

Stereocontrolled facile synthesis and biological evaluation of (3'S) and (3'R)-3'-amino (and Azido)-3'-deoxy pyranonucleosides.

This article describes the synthesis of (3 'S) and (3 'R)-3 '-amino-3 '-deoxy pyranonucleosides and their precursors (3 'S) and (3 'R)-3 '-azido-3 '-deoxy pyranonucleosides. Azidation of 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-3-O-toluenesulfonyl-α-D-allofuranose followed by hydrolysis and subsequent acetylation afforded 3-azido-3-deoxy-1,2,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-D-glucopyranose, which upon coupling with the proper silylated bases, deacetylation, and catalytic hydrogenation, obtained the target 3 '-amino-3 '-deoxy-ß-D-glucopyranonucleosides. The desired 1-(3 '-amino-3 '-deoxy-ß-D-allopyranosyl)5-fluorouracil was readily prepared from the suitable imidazylate sugar after azidation followed by a protection/deprotection sequence and reduction of the unprotected azido precursor. No antiviral activity was observed for the novel nucleosides. Moderate cytostatic activity was recorded for the 5-fluorouracil derivatives.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 3'-C-ethynyl and 3'-C-(1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazolo) double-headed pyranonucleosides.

A novel series of 3'-C-ethynyl and 3'-C-(1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazolo) double-headed pyranonucleosides has been designed and synthesized. Reaction of 3-keto glucoside 1 with ethynyl magnesium bromide gave the desired precursor 3-C-ethynyl-1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-D-allofuranose (2). Hydrolysis followed by acetylation led to the 1,2,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-3-C-ethynyl-ß-D-allopyranose (3). Compound 3 was condensed with silylated 5-fluorouracil, uracil, thymine, N4-benzoylcytosine and N6-benzoyladenine, respectively and deacetylated to afford the target 1-(3'-C-ethynyl-ß-D-allopyranosyl)nucleosides 5a-c,f,g. Copper-Catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction was utilized to couple the 3'-C-ethynyl pyranonucleoside derivatives with azidoethyl adenine, 5-fluorouracil and thymine, respectively to afford novel triazole double-headed nucleoside analogs 8a-h. 3'-C-Ethynyl pyranonucleosides and the new double-headed analogues were evaluated for their antiviral and cytostatic activities. Although none of the compounds showed pronounced cytostatic activity and were devoid of a significant antiviral potential, the double-headed nucleoside derivatives 8a, 8c and 8e showed a moderate cytostatic activity against human cervix carcinoma HeLa cells which may be the basis for the synthesis of analogous derivatives with improved cytostatic potential.

3'-axial CH2 OH substitution on glucopyranose does not increase glycogen phosphorylase inhibitory potency. QM/MM-PBSA calculations suggest why.

Glycogen phosphorylase is a molecular target for the design of potential hypoglycemic agents. Structure-based design pinpointed that the 3'-position of glucopyranose equipped with a suitable group has the potential to form interactions with enzyme's cofactor, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), thus enhancing the inhibitory potency. Hence, we have investigated the binding of two ligands, 1-(ß-d-glucopyranosyl)5-fluorouracil (GlcFU) and its 3'-CH(2) OH glucopyranose derivative. Both ligands were found to be low micromolar inhibitors with K(i) values of 7.9 and 27.1 µm, respectively. X-ray crystallography revealed that the 3'-CH(2) OH glucopyranose substituent is indeed involved in additional molecular interactions with the PLP γ-phosphate compared with GlcFU. However, it is 3.4 times less potent. To elucidate this discovery, docking followed by postdocking Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics - Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (QM/MM-PBSA) binding affinity calculations were performed. While the docking predictions failed to reflect the kinetic results, the QM/MM-PBSA revealed that the desolvation energy cost for binding of the 3'-CH(2) OH-substituted glucopyranose derivative out-weigh the enthalpy gains from the extra contacts formed. The benefits of performing postdocking calculations employing a more accurate solvation model and the QM/MM-PBSA methodology in lead optimization are therefore highlighted, specifically when the role of a highly polar/charged binding interface is significant.

The σ-hole phenomenon of halogen atoms forms the structural basis of the strong inhibitory potency of C5 halogen substituted glucopyranosyl nucleosides towards glycogen phosphorylase b.

C5 halogen substituted glucopyranosyl nucleosides (1-(ß-D-glucopyranosyl)-5-X-uracil; X=Cl, Br, I) have been discovered as some of the most potent active site inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase (GP), with respective K(i) values of 1.02, 3.27, and 1.94 µM. The ability of the halogen atom to form intermolecular electrostatic interactions through the σ-hole phenomenon rather than through steric effects alone forms the structural basis of their improved inhibitory potential relative to the unsubstituted 1-(ß-D-glucopyranosyl)uracil (K(i) =12.39 µM), as revealed by X-ray crystallography and modeling calculations exploiting quantum mechanics methods. Good agreement was obtained between kinetics results and relative binding affinities calculated by QM/MM-PBSA methodology for various substitutions at C5. Ex vivo experiments demonstrated that the most potent derivative (X=Cl) toward purified GP has no cytotoxicity and moderate inhibitory potency at the cellular level. In accordance, ADMET property predictions were performed, and suggest decreased polar surface areas as a potential means of improving activity in the cell.