Synthesis and Anticancer Evaluation of Sulfur Containing 9-anilinoacridines.

BACKGROUND: DNA topoisomerases are a class of enzymes that play a critical role in fundamental biological processes of replication, transcription, recombination, repair and chromatin remodeling. Amsacrine (m-AMSA), the best-known compound of 9-anilinoacridines series, was one of the first DNA-intercalating agents to be considered a Topoisomerase II inhibitor. OBJECTIVES: A series of sulfur-containing 9-anilinoacridines related to amsacrine were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activity. METHODS: Cell viability was assessed by the MTT assay. The topoisomerase II inhibitory assay was performed using the Human topoisomerase II Assay kit, and flow cytometry was used to evaluate the effects on the cell cycle of K562 cells. Molecular docking was performed using the Schrödinger Maestro program. RESULTS: Compound 36 was found to be the most cytotoxic of the sulfide series against SW620, K562, and MCF-7. The limited SAR suggested the importance of the methansulfonamidoacetamide side chain functionality, the lipophilicity, and the relative metabolic stability of 36 in contributing to the cytotoxicity. Topoisomerase II α inhibitory activity appeared to be involved in the cytotoxicity of 36 through the inhibition of decatenation of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) in a concentration- dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis further showed Topo II inhibition through the accumulation of K562 cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. The docking of 36 into the Topo II α-DNA complex suggested that it may be an allosteric inhibitor of Topo II α. CONCLUSION: Compound 36 exhibits anticancer activity by inhibiting topoisomerase II, and it could further be evaluated in in vivo models.

Structural and biological aspects of natural bridged macrobicyclic peptides from marine resources.

Among peptide-based drugs, naturally occurring bicyclic compounds have been established as molecules with unique therapeutic potential. The diverse pharmacological activities associated with bicyclic peptides from marine tunicates, sponges, and bacteria render them suitable to be employed as effective surrogate between complex and small therapeutic moieties. Bicyclic peptides possess greater conformational rigidity and higher metabolic stability as compared with linear and monocyclic peptides. The antibody-like affinity and specificity of bicyclic peptides enable their binding to the challenging drug targets. Bridged macrobicyclic peptides from natural marine resources represent an underexplored class of molecules that provides promising platforms for drug development owing to their biocompatibility, similarity, and chemical diversity to proteins. The present review explores major marine-derived bicyclic peptides including disulfide-bridged, histidinotyrosine-bridged, or histidinoalanine-bridged macrobicyclic peptides along with their structural characteristics, synthesis, structure-activity relationship, and bioproperties.The comparison of these macrobicyclic congeners with linear/monocyclic peptides along with their therapeutic potential are also briefly discussed.

Adoption of Gla-100 in India and its Impact on Insulin Usage Patterns.

Fueled by perceptions regarding Indian dietary patterns and premixed insulin's claim to fame of providing dual fasting and post-prandial control, there was a greater inclination towards using premixed insulins in clinical practice until the last decade. However, the advent of insulin glargine 100 U/mL (Gla-100) opened up a new dimension in insulin therapy landscape in India. The data from the last 5 years reveal that Gla-100 has gained more traction among Indian clinical practitioners. Basis evidences that have emerged from various clinical studies, this present review elaborates on certain key issues which have helped Gla-100 carve its own niche and effected a progressive shift in insulin prescription pattern in India.