Dual inhibition of CYP17A1 and HDAC6 by abiraterone-installed hydroxamic acid overcomes temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma through inducing DNA damage and oxidative stress.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive and treatment-resistant brain tumor, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we present a mechanistic breakthrough by designing and evaluating a series of abiraterone-installed hydroxamic acids as potential dual inhibitors of CYP17A1 and HDAC6 for GBM treatment. We established the correlation of CYP17A1/HDAC6 overexpression with tumor recurrence and temozolomide resistance in GBM patients. Compound 12, a dual inhibitor, demonstrated significant anti-GBM activity in vitro, particularly against TMZ-resistant cell lines. Mechanistically, compound 12 induced apoptosis, suppressed recurrence-associated genes, induced oxidative stress and initiated DNA damage response. Furthermore, molecular modeling studies confirmed its potent inhibitory activity against CYP17A1 and HDAC6. In vivo studies revealed that compound 12 effectively suppressed tumor growth in xenograft and orthotopic mouse models without inducing significant adverse effects. These findings highlight the potential of dual CYP17A1 and HDAC6 inhibition as a promising strategy for overcoming treatment resistance in GBM and offer new hope for improved therapeutic outcomes.

First-in-Class Dual EZH2-HSP90 Inhibitor Eliciting Striking Antiglioblastoma Activity In Vitro and In Vivo.

Structural analysis of tazemetostat, an FDA-approved EZH2 inhibitor, led us to pinpoint a suitable site for appendage with a pharmacophoric fragment of second-generation HSP90 inhibitors. Resultantly, a magnificent dual EZH2/HSP90 inhibitor was pinpointed that exerted striking cell growth inhibitory efficacy against TMZ-resistant Glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines. Exhaustive explorations of chemical probe 7 led to several revelations such as (i) compound 7 increased apoptosis/necrosis-related gene expression, whereas decreased M phase/kinetochore/spindle-related gene expression as well as CENPs protein expression in Pt3R cells; (ii) dual inhibitor 7 induced cell cycle arrest at the M phase; (iii) compound 7 suppressed reactive oxygen species (ROS) catabolism pathway, causing the death of TMZ-resistant GBM cells; and (iv) compound 7 elicited substantial in vivo anti-GBM efficacy in experimental mice xenografted with TMZ-resistant Pt3R cells. Collectively, the study results confirm the potential of dual EZH2-HSP90 inhibitor 7 as a tractable anti-GBM agent.

Anticancer Study of a Novel Pan-HDAC Inhibitor MPT0G236 in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignancies and a leading cause of cancer worldwide. Histone deacetylases (HDACs), which regulate cell proliferation and survival, are associated with the development and progression of cancer. Moreover, HDAC inhibitors are promising therapeutic targets, with five HDAC inhibitors approved for cancer treatment to date. However, their safety profile necessitates the exploration of well-tolerated HDAC inhibitors that can be used in cancer therapeutic strategies. In this study, the pan-HDAC inhibitor MPT0G236 reduced the viability and inhibited the proliferation of human colorectal cancer cells, and normal human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) showed reduced sensitivity. These findings indicated that MPT0G236 specifically targeted malignant tumor cells. Notably, MPT0G236 significantly inhibited the activities of HDAC1, HDAC2, and HDAC3, Class I HDACs, as well as HDAC6, a Class IIb HDAC, at low nanomolar concentrations. Additionally, it promoted the accumulation of acetyl-α-tubulin and acetyl-histone H3 in HCT-116 and HT-29 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, MPT0G236 treatment induced G2/M cell cycle arrest in CRC cells by initially regulating the levels of cell-cycle-related proteins, such as p-MPM2; specifically reducing p-cdc2 (Y15), cyclin B1, and cdc25C levels; and subsequently inducing apoptosis through the caspase-dependent pathways and PARP activation. Our findings demonstrate that MPT0G236 exhibits significant anticancer activity in human colorectal cancer cells.

6-Regioisomeric 5,8-quinolinediones as potent CDC25 inhibitors against colorectal cancers.

Precise and accurate control of cell cycle progression is required to maintain cell identity and proliferation. Failing to keep it will lead to genome instability and tumorigenesis. Cell Division Cycle 25 (CDC25) phosphatases are the key to regulating the activity of the master cell cycle controller, cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). Dysregulation of CDC25 has been shown to associate with several human malignancies. Here, we reported a series of derivatives of the CDC25 inhibitor, NSC663284, bearing quinones as core scaffolds and morpholin alkylamino side chains. Among these derivatives, the cytotoxic activity of the 6-isomer of 5,8-quinolinedione derivatives (6b, 16b, 17b, and 18b) displayed higher potency against colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Compound 6b possessed the most antiproliferative activity, with IC50 values of 0.59 µM (DLD1) and 0.44 µM (HCT116). The treatment of compound 6b resulted in a remarkable effect on cell cycle progression, blocking S-phase progression in DLD1 cells straight away while slowing S-phase progression and accumulated cells in the G2/M phase in HCT116 cells. Furthermore, we showed that compound 6b inhibited CDK1 dephosphorylation and H4K20 methylation in cells. The treatment with compound 6b induced DNA damage and triggered apoptosis. Our study identifies compound 6b as a potent CDC25 inhibitor that induces genome instability and kills cancer cells through an apoptotic pathway, deserving further investigation to fulfill its candidacy as an anti-CRC agent.

Design, synthesis, and biological activity of dual monoamine oxidase A and heat shock protein 90 inhibitors, N-Methylpropargylamine-conjugated 4-isopropylresorcinol for glioblastoma.

Monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitors have been shown to decrease the progression of glioblastoma (GBM) and other cancers. In this study, a series of MAO A/HSP90 dual inhibitors were designed and synthesized in the hope to develop more effective treatment of GBM. Compounds 4-b and 4-c are conjugates of isopropylresorcinol (pharmacophore of HSP90 inhibitor) with the phenyl group of clorgyline (MAO A inhibitor) by a tertiary amide bond substituted with methyl (4-b) or ethyl (4-c) group, respectively. They inhibited MAO A activity, HSP90 binding, and the growth of both TMZ-sensitive and -resistant GBM cells. Western blots showed that they increased HSP70 expression indicating reduced function of HSP90, reduced HER2 and phospho-Akt expression similar to MAO A or HSP90 inhibitor itself. Both compounds decreased IFN-γ induced PD-L1 expression in GL26 cells, suggesting they can act as immune checkpoint inhibitor. Further, they reduced tumor growth in GL26 mouse model. NCI-60 analysis showed they also inhibited the growth of colon cancer, leukemia, non-small cell lung and other cancers. Taken together, this study demonstrates MAO A/HSP90 dual inhibitors 4-b and 4-c reduced the growth of GBM and other cancers, and they have potential to inhibit tumor immune escape.

Rationally designed donepezil-based hydroxamates modulate Sig-1R and HDAC isoforms to exert anti-glioblastoma effects.

The pursuit of activating the HDAC inhibitory template towards additional mechanisms spurred us to design dual modulators (Sig-1R agonist - HDAC inhibitor) via utilization of the core structural unit of donepezil (an FDA-approved anti-Alzheimer's agent) as a surface recognition part. Literature precedents coupled with our experience rendered us with several insights that led to the inclusion of chemically diverse linkers and hydroxamic acid (zinc-binding motif) as the other components of HDAC inhibitory pharmacophore. With this envisionment and clarity, donepezil-based HDAC inhibitory adducts were furnished and exhaustively explored for their anti-GBM efficacy. Resultantly, a magnificently potent HDAC inhibitor 10 [IC50 (HDAC6) = 2.7 nM, IC50 (HDAC2) = 0.71 µM] was pinpointed that was endowed with the ability to: i) exert cell growth inhibitory effects against Human U87MG GBM cells ii) cause death in TMZ-resistant GBM cells iii) induce subG1 arrest in GBM cells iv) prolong the survival of TMZ-resistant U87MG inoculated orthotopic mice (in-vivo studies) v) induce GBM cell apoptosis via binding to Sig-1R. Collectively, the results led to the identification of compound 10 as a tractable anti-GBM agent that deserves detailed investigation for the accomplishment of its candidature as a GBM therapeutic.

The HDAC/HSP90 Inhibitor G570 Attenuated Blue Light-Induced Cell Migration in RPE Cells and Neovascularization in Mice through Decreased VEGF Production.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) occurs due to an abnormality of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells that leads to gradual degeneration of the macula. Currently, AMD drug pipelines are endowed with limited options, and anti-VEGF agents stand as the dominantly employed therapy. Despite the proven efficacy of such agents, the evidenced side effects associated with their use underscore the need to elucidate other mechanisms involved and identify additional molecular targets for the sake of therapy improvement. The previous literature provided us with a solid rationale to preliminarily explore the potential of selective HDAC6 and HSP90 inhibitors to treat wet AMD. Rather than furnishing single-target agents (either HDAC6 or HSP90 inhibitor), this study recruited scaffolds endowed with the ability to concomitantly modulate both targets (HDAC6 and HSP90) for exploration. This plan was anticipated to accomplish the important goal of extracting amplified benefits via dual inhibition (HDAC6/HSP90) in wet AMD. As a result, G570 (indoline-based hydroxamate), a dual selective HDAC6-HSP90 inhibitor exerting its effects at micromolar concentrations, was pinpointed in the present endeavor to attenuate blue light-induced cell migration and retinal neovascularization by inhibiting VEGF production. In addition to the identification of a potential chemical tool (G570), the outcome of this study validates the candidate HDAC6-HSP90 as a compelling target for the development of futuristic therapeutics for wet AMD.

Ring-opening of five-membered heterocycles conjugated 4-isopropylresorcinol scaffold-based benzamides as HSP90 inhibitors suppressing tumor growth in vitro and in vivo.

A series of ring-opened dihydroxybenzamides have been designed and synthesized as heat shock protein 90 inhibitors. One of derivatives, compound 6b ((N-ethyl-2,4-dihydroxy-5-isopropyl-N-(pyridin-3-yl)benzamide)) demonstrated remarkable antiproliferative activity against in human KRAS mutant A549 and EGFR T790 M mutant H1975 lung cancer cell lines with GI50 values of 0.07 and 0.05 µM, respectively. It is also active against in other cancer cell lines, such as colorectal HCT116 (GI50 = 0.09 µM), liver Hep3B (GI50 = 0.20 µM) and breast MDA-MB-231 (GI50 = 0.09 µM), and shows no evidence of toxicity in normal cell line. Compound 6b has an IC50 of 110.18 nM in HSP90α inhibitory activity, slightly better than reference compound 1 (17-AAG, IC50 = 141.62 nM) and achieves the degradation of multiple HSP90 client proteins in a dose- and time-dependent manner and downstream signaling of Akt in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in the human A549 lung cancer cell line. In the Boyden chamber assay, compound 6b can efficiently inhibit the migration of A549 cells when compared to the reference compound 1. It also induce significant activity through the apoptotic pathway. Treatment with 6b showed no vision toxicity (IC50 > 10 µM) on 661w photoreceptor cells as compared to AUY922 (3a) with a 0.04 µM values of IC50 and has no effect in hERG test. In a bidirectional Caco-2 permeability assay, compound 6b was classified as a highly permeable compound which is not a substrate of efflux transporters. In a pharmacokinetic study in rats, 6b showed an F = 17.8% of oral bioavailability. The effect of metabolic stability of compound 6b in human hepatocytes showed a T1/2 of 67.59 min. Compound 6b (50 mg/kg, po, daily) exhibits antitumor activity with a 72% TGD (tumor growth delay) in human A549 lung xenograft. The combination of 6b and afatinib, orally administered, showed tumor growth suppression with 67.5% of TGI in lung H1975 xenograft model. Thus compound 6b is a lead compound for further development of potential agents to treat lung cancer.

Pragmatic recruitment of memantine as the capping group for the design of HDAC inhibitors: A preliminary attempt to unravel the enigma of glioblastoma.

Hurdled and marred by the notorious nature of glioblastomas (GBM) in terms of resistance to therapy and limited drug delivery into the brain, the anti-GBM drug pipeline is required to be loaded with mechanistically diverse agents. The consideration of HDAC inhibition as a prudent approach to circumvent the resistance issue in GBM spurred us to pragmatically design and synthesizes hydroxamic acids endowed with CNS penetrating ability. By virtue of the blood brain barrier permeability (BBB), memantine was envisioned as an appropriate CAP component for the construction of the HDAC inhibitors. Diverse linkers were stapled for the tetheration of the zinc binding motif with the CAP group to pinpoint an appropriate combination (CAP and linker) that could confer inhibitory preference to HDAC6 isoform (overexpressed in GBM). Resultantly, hydroxamic acid 16 was identified as a promising compound that elicited striking antiproliferative effects against Human U87MG GBM cells as well as TMZ-resistant GBM cells and P1S cells, a concurrent chemo radiotherapy (CCRT)-resistant/patient-derived glioma cell line mediated through preferential HDAC6 inhibition (IC50 = 5.42 nM). Furthermore, 16 exerted cell cycle arrest at G2 phase, induced apoptosis in GBM cells at high concentration and exhibited high BBB permeability. To add on, in-vivo study revealed that the administration of compound 16 prolonged the survival of TMZ-resistant U87MG inoculated orthotopic mice. Overall, the cumulative results indicate that 16 is a tractable CNS penetrant preferential HDAC6 inhibitor that might emerge as a potent weapon against GBM.

CAP rigidification of MS-275 and chidamide leads to enhanced antiproliferative effects mediated through HDAC1, 2 and tubulin polymerization inhibition.

The study focuses on the prudent design and synthesis of anilide type class I HDAC inhibitors employing a functionalized pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine skeleton as the surface recognition part. Utilization of the bicyclic aromatic ring to fabricate the target compounds was envisioned to confer rigidity to the chemical architecture of MS-275 and chidamide. In-vitro enzymatic and cellular assays led to the identification of compound 7 as a potent inhibitor of HDAC1 and 2 isoform that exerted substantial cell growth inhibitory effects against human breast MDA-MB-231, cervical HeLa, breast MDA-MB-468, colorectal DLD1, and colorectal HCT116 cell lines with an IC50 values of 0.05-0.47 µM, better than MS-275 and chidamide. In addition, the anilide 7 was also endowed with a superior antiproliferative profile than MS275 and chidamide towards the human cutaneous T cell lymphoma (HH and HuT78), leukemia (HL60 and KG-1), and HDACi sensitive/resistant gastric cell lines (YCC11 and YCC3/7). Exhaustive exploration of the construct 7 confirmed it to be a microtubule-targeting agent that could trigger the cell-cycle arrest in mitosis. In pursuit of extracting the benefits of evidenced microtubule-destabilizing activity of the anilide 7, it was further evaluated against non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines as well as the multiple-drug resistant uterine cancer cell line (MES-SA/Dx5) and overwhelmingly positive results in context of inhibitory effects were attained. Furthermore, molecular modelling studies were performed and some key interactions of the anilide 7 with the amino acid residues of the active site of HDAC1 isoform and tubulin were figured out.

Effect of 3-subsitution of quinolinehydroxamic acids on selectivity of histone deacetylase isoforms.

A series of 3-subsituted quinolinehydroxamic acids has been synthesised and evaluated for their effect on human lung cancer cell line (A549), human colorectal cancer cell line (HCT116) and HDAC isoforms 1, 2, 6, and 8. The results indicated that substitution at C3 of quinoline is favoured for HDAC6 selectivity. Two compounds (25 and 26) were also found to be potent anti-proliferative compounds with IC50 values ranging from 1.29 to 2.13 µM against A549 and HCT116 cells. These compounds displayed remarkable selectivity for HDAC6 over other HDAC isoforms with nanomolar IC50 values. Western blot analysis revealed that compounds of this series activate apoptotic caspase pathway as indicated by cleavage of caspase 3, 8, and 9 and also increase phosphorylated H2AX thus inducing DNA double strand fragmentation in a concentration dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis also displayed a dose dependent increase of cell population in sub G1 phase.

Fluoropyrimidin-2,4-dihydroxy-5-isopropylbenzamides as antitumor agents against CRC and NSCLC cancer cells.

A major cause of failure of therapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is development of acquired drug resistance leading to tumor recurrence and disease progression. In addition to the development of new generations of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), different molecular targets may provide opportunities to improve the therapeutic outcomes. In this study, we utilized the core structure 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or tegafur, a 5-FU prodrug combined through different linkers with resorcinol to generate a series of fluoropyrimidin-2,4-dihydroxy-5-isopropylbenzamides which inhibit potent Heat Shock Protein 90 (HSP90). These compounds were found to show significant antiproliferative activity in colorectal cancer (CRC) HCT116 and NSCLC A549, H460, and H1975 (EGFR L858R/T790 M double mutation) cells. Compound 12c, developed by molecular docking analysis and enzymatic assays exhibits promising inhibitory activity of HSP90. This compound, 12c shows the most potent HSP90 inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 27.8 ± 4.4 nM, superior to that of reference compounds AUY-922 (Luminespib) and BIIB021 whose IC50 values are 43.0 ± 0.9 nM and 56.8 ± 4.0 nM respectively. This strong HSP90 inhibitory activity of 12c leads to rapid degradation of client proteins EGFR and Akt in NSCLC cells. In addition, 12c induces significant accumulation of a sub-G1 phase population in parallel with apoptosis by showing activated caspase-3, -8 and -9 and PARP induction. These results provide a new strategy for development of novel HSP90 inhibitors for cancer treatment.

HDAC inhibitor protects chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and oxygen-glucose deprivation injuries via H3K14 and H4K5 acetylation-mediated BDNF expression.

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second most common cause of dementia, but the treatment is still lacking. Although many studies have reported that histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) confer protective effects against ischemic and hypoxic injuries, their role in VaD is still uncertain. Previous studies shown, one HDACi protected against cognitive decline in animals with chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH). However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we tested several 10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[b,f]azepine hydroxamates, which act as HDACis in the CCH model (in vivo), and SH-SY5Y (neuroblastoma cells) with oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD, in vitro). We identified a compound 13, which exhibited the best cell viability under OGD. The compound 13 could increase, in part, the protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). It increased acetylation status on lysine 14 residue of histone 3 (H3K14) and lysine 5 of histone 4 (H4K5). We further clarified which promoters (I, II, III, IV or IX) could be affected by histone acetylation altered by compound 13. The results of chromatin immunoprecipitation and Q-PCR analysis indicate that an increase in H3K14 acetylation leads to an increase in the expression of BDNF promoter II, while an increase in H4K5 acetylation results in an increase in the activity of BDNF promoter II and III. Afterwards, these cause an increase in the expression of BDNF exon II, III and coding exon IX. In summary, the HDACi compound 13 may increase BDNF specific isoforms expression to rescue the ischemic and hypoxic injuries through changes of acetylation on histones.

Purine/purine isoster based scaffolds as new derivatives of benzamide class of HDAC inhibitors.

This study reports the design, synthesis and evaluation of a series of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors containing purine/purine isoster as a capping group and an N-(2-aminophenyl)-benzamide unit. In vitro cytotoxicity studies reveal that benzamide 14 suppressed the growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 (IC50 = 1.48 µM), MDA-MB-468 (IC50 = 0.65 µM), and liver cancer cells HepG2 (IC50 = 2.44 µM), better than MS-275 (5) and Chidamide (6). Compared to the well-known HDAC inhibitor SAHA, 14 showed a higher toxicity (IC50 = 0.33 µM) in three leukemic cell lines, K-562, KG-1 and THP-1. Moreover, 14 was found to be equally virulent in the HDAC-sensitive and -resistant gastric cell lines, YCC11 and YCC3/7, respectively, indicating the potential of 14 to overcome HDACi resistance. Furthermore, substantial inhibitory effects more pronounced than MS-275 (5) and Chidamide (6) were displayed by 14 towards HDAC1, 2 and 3 isoforms with IC50 values of 0.108, 0.585 and 0.563 µM respectively. Compound 14 also exhibited a potent antitumor efficacy in human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenograft mouse model, providing a potential lead for the development of anticancer agents.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of N-phenyl-4-(2-phenylsulfonamido)-benzamides as microtubule-targeting agents in drug-resistant cancer cells, displaying HDAC inhibitory response.

Microtubule-targeting agents (MTA) have enjoyed significant clinical success for decades. However, several mechanisms may cause inactivation of such drugs, leading to acquired resistance in patients treated with them. Therefore, drugs containing a stilbene-like skeleton and possessing dual inhibitory activity may provide a new and differentiated treatment for patients to overcome challenging acquired resistance. A new compound (16c) displays promising anticancer activity with GI50 of 22 ± 2 and 12 ± 0.1 nM in vincristine-resistant nasopharyngeal (KB-Vin) cancer cells and etoposide-resistant nasopharyngeal (KB-7D) cancer cells and is better than vincristine, etoposide, ABT-751, and MS-275. A mechanistic study revealed that 16c interferes with the cell cycle distribution and induces cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and severe mitotic spindle defects followed by apoptosis. In addition, it produces much more significant cytotoxicity than vincristine and etoposide in the corresponding resistant cells, indicating that it may be a promising candidate to overcome drug resistance in cancer cells. Compound 16c also displays inhibitory activity against HDAC 1 and HDAC 2 with IC50 values of 1.07 µM, and 1.47 µM, respectively. These findings may lead to a new type of structural motif for future development of drugs that could overcome acquired resistance to MTAs.

Isoindoline scaffold-based dual inhibitors of HDAC6 and HSP90 suppressing the growth of lung cancer in vitro and in vivo.

This study reports the synthesis of a series of 2-aroylisoindoline hydroxamic acids employing N-benzyl, long alkyl chain and acrylamide units as diverse linkers. In-vitro studies led to the identification of N-benzyl linker-bearing compound (10) and long chain linker-containing compound (17) as dual selective HDAC6/HSP90 inhibitors. Compound 17 displays potent inhibition of HDAC6 isoform (IC50 = 4.3 nM) and HSP90a inhibition (IC50 = 46.8 nM) along with substantial cell growth inhibitory effects with GI50 = 0.76 µM (lung A549) and GI50 = 0.52 µM (lung EGFR resistant H1975). Compound 10 displays potent antiproliferative activity against lung A549 (GI50 = 0.37 µM) and lung H1975 cell lines (GI50 = 0.13 µM) mediated through selective HDAC6 inhibition (IC50 = 33.3 nM) and HSP90 inhibition (IC50 = 66 nM). In addition, compound 17 also modulated the expression of signatory biomarkers associated with HDAC6 and HSP90 inhibition. In the in vivo efficacy evaluation in human H1975 xenografts, 17 induced slightly remarkable suppression of tumor growth both in monotherapy as well as the combination therapy with afatinib (20 mg/kg). Moreover, compound 17 could effectively reduce programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in IFN-γ treated lung H1975 cells in a dose dependent manner suggesting that dual inhibition of HDAC6 and HSP90 can modulate immunosuppressive ability of tumor area.