A Cancer-Selective Zinc Ionophore Inspired by the Natural Product Naamidine A.

We present data demonstrating the natural product mimic, zinaamidole A (ZNA), is a modulator of metal ion homeostasis causing cancer-selective cell death by specifically inducing cellular Zn2+-uptake in transformed cells. ZNA's cancer selectivity was evaluated using metastatic, patient-derived breast cancer cells, established human breast cancer cell lines, and three-dimensional organoid models derived from normal and transformed mouse mammary glands. Structural analysis of ZNA demonstrated that the compound interacts with zinc through the N2-acyl-2-aminoimidazole core. Combination treatment with ZnSO4 strongly potentiated ZNA's cancer-specific cell death mechanism, an effect that was not observed with other transition metals. We show that Zn2+-dyshomeostasis induced by ZNA is unique and markedly more selective than other known Zn2+-interacting compounds such as clioquinol. The in vivo bioactivity of ZNA was also assessed and revealed that tumor-bearing mice treated with ZNA had improved survival outcomes. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the N2-acyl-2-aminoimidazole core of ZNA represents a powerful chemotype to induce cell death in cancer cells concurrently with a disruption in zinc homeostasis.

Synthesis of Naamidine A and Selective Access to N(2)-Acyl-2-aminoimidazole Analogues.

A short and scalable synthesis of naamidine A, a marine alkaloid with a selective ability to inhibit epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-dependent cellular proliferation, has been achieved. A key achievement in this synthesis was the development of a regioselective hydroamination of a monoprotected propargylguanidine to deliver N(3)-protected cyclic ene-guanidines. This permits the extension of this methodology to prepare N(2)-acyl analogues in a fashion that obviates the troublesome acylation of the free 2-aminoimidazoles, which typically yields mixtures of N(2)- and N(2),N(2)-diacylated products.

Synthesis of the reported structures for kealiinines B and C.

Syntheses of the reported structures of kealiinines B and C have been executed. An intermolecular electrophile-induced cyclization of a pendant arene on an ene-guanidine affords the tetracyclic, oxidized naphthimidazole cores.