Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry最新文献

Background: Previous studies have reported that the cGMP-specific PDE5 isozyme is overexpressed in colon adenomas and adenocarcinomas and essential for colon cancer cell proliferation, while PDE5 selective inhibitors (e.g., sildenafil) have been reported to have cancer chemopreventive activity.

Aim: This study aimed to determine the anticancer activity of a novel PDE5 inhibitor, RF26, using colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and the role of PDE5 in CRC tumor growth in vivo.

Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize the anticancer activity of a novel celecoxib derivative, RF26, in CRC cells previously reported to lack COX-2 inhibition but have potent PDE5 inhibitory activity.

Methods: Anticancer activity of RF26 was studied using human CRC cell lines. Effects on cell growth, cGMPdependent protein kinase (PKG) activity, β-catenin levels, TCF/LEF transcriptional activity, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis were measured. CRISPR/cas9 PDE5 knockout techniques were used to determine if PDE5 mediates the anticancer activity of RF26 and validate PDE5 as a cancer target.

Results: RF26 was appreciably more potent than celecoxib and sildenafil to suppress CRC cell growth and was effective at concentrations that activated PKG signaling. RF26 suppressed β-catenin levels and TCF/LEF transcriptional activity and induced G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis within the same concentration range. CRISPR/cas9 PDE5 knockout CRC cells displayed reduced sensitivity to RF26, proliferated slower than parental cells, and failed to establish tumors in mice.

Conclusion: Further evaluation of RF26 for the prevention or treatment of cancer and studying the role of PDE5 in tumorigenesis are warranted.

Objective: Crocin (CRO), the primary antioxidant in saffron, is known for its anticancer properties. However, its effectiveness in topical therapy is limited due to low bioavailability, poor absorption, and low physicochemical stability. This study aimed to prepare crocin nanoparticles (CRO-NPs) to enhance their pharmaceutical efficacy and evaluate the synergistic effects of Cro-NPs with doxorubicin (DOX) chemotherapy on two cell lines: human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) and non-cancerous cells (WI38).

Methods: CRO-NPs were prepared using the emulsion diffusion technique and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Zeta potential, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Cell proliferation inhibition was assessed using the MTT assay for DOX, CRO, CRO-NPs, and DOX+CRO-NPs. Apoptosis and cell cycle were evaluated by flow cytometry, and changes in the expression of apoptotic gene (P53) and autophagic genes (ATG5 & LC3) were analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results: TEM and SEM revealed that CRO-NPs exhibited a relatively spherical shape with an average size of 9.3 nm, and zeta potential analysis indicated better stability of CRO-NPs compared to native CRO. Significantly higher antitumor effects of CRO-NPs were observed against HepG2 cells (IC₅₀ = 1.1 mg/ml and 0.57 mg/ml) compared to native CRO (IC₅₀ = 6.1 mg/ml and 3.2 mg/ml) after 24 and 48 hours, respectively. Annexin-V assay on HepG2 cells indicated increased apoptotic rates across all treatments, with the highest percentage observed in CRO-NPs, accompanied by cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. Furthermore, gene expression analysis showed upregulation of P53, ATG5, and LC3 genes in DOX/CRO-NPs co-treatment compared to individual treatments. In contrast, WI38 cells exhibited greater sensitivity to DOX toxicity but showed no adverse response to CRONPs.

Conclusion: Although more in vivo studies in animal models are required to corroborate these results, our findings suggest that CRO-NPs can be a potential new anticancer agent for hepatocellular carcinoma. Moreover, they have a synergistic effect with DOX against HepG2 cells and mitigate the toxicity of DOX on normal WI38 cells.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA distinguished by a length exceeding 200 nucleotides. Recent studies indicated that lncRNAs participate in various biological processes, such as chromatin remodeling, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, and the modulation of cell proliferation, death, and differentiation, hence influencing gene expression and cellular function. ADAMTS9-AS1, an antisense long non-coding RNA situated on human chromosome 3p14.1, has garnered significant interest due to its pivotal involvement in the advancement and spread of diverse malignant tumors. ADAMTS9-AS1 functions as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that interacts with multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) and plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression and cellular functions by modulating essential signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT/mTOR, Wnt/β-catenin, and Ras/MAPK pathways. Dysregulation of this factor has been linked to tumor development, migration, invasion, and resistance to apoptotic mechanisms, including as iron-induced apoptosis, underscoring its intricate function in cancer pathology. While current research has clarified certain pathways involved in cancer formation, additional clinical and in vivo investigations are necessary to enhance comprehension of its specific involvement across various cancer types. This review encapsulates the recent discoveries on the correlation of ADAMTS9-AS1 with numerous malignancies, clarifying its molecular mechanisms and its prospective role as a therapeutic target in oncology. Furthermore, it identifies ADAMTS9-AS1 as a potential early diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target, offering novel opportunities for targeted intervention in oncology.

Gastric cancer in advanced stages lacked effective treatment options. claudin18.2 (CLDN18.2) is a membrane protein that is crucial for close junctions in the differentiated epithelial cells of the gastric mucosa, playing a vital role in barrier function, and can be hardly recognized by immune cells due to its polarity pattern. As the polarity of gastric tumor cells changes, claudin18.2 is exposed on the cell surface, resulting in immune system recognition, and making it an ideal target. In this review, we summarized the expression regulation mechanism of claudin18.2 both in normal cells and malignant tumor cells. Besides, we analyzed the available clinical results and potential areas for future research on claudin18.2-positive gastric cancer and claudin18.2-targeting therapy. In conclusion, claudin18.2 is an ideal target for gastric cancer treatment, and the claudin18.2-targeting therapy has changed the treatment pattern of gastric cancer.

Background: Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is overexpressed in tumor cells, which promotes tumor cell survival and cell proliferation and causes tumor cells to escape T-cell killing. Schisanhenol, a biphenyl cyclooctene lignin-like compound, was extracted and isolated from the plant named Schisandra rubriflora (Franch.).

Purpose: In this work, we studied the anticancer potential of schisanhenol and explored whether schisanhenol mediated its effect by inhibiting the expression of PD-L1 in vitro and in vivo.

Materials and methods: In vitro, we performed western blot, immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, and colony formation assays to study the proteins, genes, and pathways related to the anti-tumour activity of schisanhenol. In vivo, we explored the antitumor activity of schisanhenol through orthotopic liver transplantation and subcutaneous transplantation tumor models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.

Results: We found that schisanhenol decreased the viability of HCC cells. It inhibited the expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), which plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis. Subsequently, schisanhenol suppressed the expression of PD-L1 by decreasing the activation of STAT3. Furthermore, we found that schisanhenol inhibited the activation of STAT3 via JAK/STAT3 (T705), Src/STAT3 (T705), and PI3K/AKT/mTOR/STAT3 (S727) pathways. Colony formation tests showed that schisanhenol suppressed cell proliferation by inhibiting PD-L1. Schisanhenol also enhanced cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) activity and regained their ability to kill tumour cells in co-culture. Finally, in vivo observation confirmed the antitumor activity of schisanhenol.

Conclusion: Schisanhenol inhibits the proliferation of HCC cells by targeting PD-L1 via the STAT3 pathways. These findings prove that schisanhenol is a valuable candidate for HCC therapeutics and reveal previously unknown characteristics of schisanhenol.

In women globally, breast cancer ranks as the second most frequent cause of cancer-related deaths, making up about 25% of female cancer cases, which is pretty standard in affluent countries. Breast cancer is divided into subtypes based on aggressive, genetic and stage. The precise cause of the problem is still unknown. However, the following significant risk factors have been found: sex, age, heredity, not having children, breastfeeding, elevated hormone levels, and personal lifestyle. The presence or lack of three nuclear receptors ER, PR, and HER2/ERBB2 (triple negative) and the amplification of the HER2/ErbB2 gene are the clinical criteria used to classify breast cancer. Chemotherapy is still the cornerstone of treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), even. If, for the first two groups of patients,receptor-specific therapy is used. The most often prescribed chemotherapy agents for the treatment of breast cancer include doxorubicin (DOX), curcumin paclitaxel (PTX), docetaxel (DCX), thioridazine (THZ), disulfiram (DSF), and camptothecin (CPT). Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were used in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to bind tumor-associated target antigens selectively and deliver very effective cytotoxic agents. According to recent research, synthetic derivatives effectively combat both MCF- 7 and breast cancer cell lines that are resistant to many drugs. This review provides a wealth of information on the mechanism of action of synthetic derivatives on multidrug-resistant cell lines. This review includes information about how synthetic derivatives affect cancer cells that have developed multidrug resistance during chemotherapy. These mechanisms have been linked to factors such as increased drug efflux, genetic factors, growth factors, increased DNA repair capacity, and elevated xenobiotic metabolism. Because of this, more research is necessary to learn more about the effectiveness of synthetic derivatives against breast cancer and cell lines that are resistant to several drugs. This review aims to find recent prospects of various types of cellular signaling pathways (JAK/STAT, Akt, MAPK, etc.) involved in the progression of breast cancer disorder, and we also study different synthetic and natural drugs that are applied for treating breast cancer.

Background: The prevalent disease known as breast cancer has a significant impact on both men's and women's health and quality of life.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the potential roles of Lecaniodiscus cupanioides (planch.) extract and triterpenoid- derived gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in cancer therapy, specifically targeting MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines.

Methods: Gold nanoparticles were synthesized utilizing triterpenoid (ZJ-AuNPs) and leaf extract from Lecaniodiscus cupanioides (LC-AuNPs). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and UV-vis spectroscopy were employed to characterize the nanoparticles. Additionally, the MTT assay was used to assess the impact of AuNPs on cancer cell viability using MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines.

Results: Analysis of ZJ-AuNPs and LC-AuNPs revealed DLS zeta potentials of -31.8 and -35.8 mV, respectively, and a corresponding UV-vis absorption maxima at 540 and 550 nm. Also, the ZJ-AuNPs and LC-AuNPs had respective zeta-sizes that ranged from 25.84 to 35.98 nm and polydispersive index values between 0.2360 and 0.773. Furthermore, the presence of the chemical groups -OH and -NH was shown to be necessary for the green method of capping and reducing the gold nanoparticles. Nevertheless, a significant decrease in cell viability percentages was noted in the MTT experiment, accompanied by an increase in the quantity or concentration of the nanoparticles for both ZJ-AuNPs and LC-AuNPs.

Conclusion: Given the data obtained in this study, the biosynthesized ZJ-AuNPs and LC-AuNPs were shown to possess potent cytotoxic effects on breast cancer cells. Hence, they may be valuable tools in the development of new cancer chemotherapy drugs.

Background: Despite ongoing advances and introducing innovative therapeutic approaches for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), relapses are common, with low overall survival rates. G protein-coupled receptor, class C, group 5, and member D (GPRC5D) has been expressed in several myeloma cell lines and has demonstrated encouraging outcomes results in in-vitro studies as a potential target for immunotherapies.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of GPRC5D-targeted CAR T cell therapies in MM patients.

Methods: On August 24, 2023, the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched for pertinent studies. After completing a two-step title/abstract and full-text screening process, the eligible studies were included.

Results: Following the screening of 107 articles, four studies of 130 multiple myeloma patients treated with GPRC5D-targeted CAR T-cell therapy were included. The meta-analyses showed an ORR of 87% (95% CI [81- 93%]), with 74% (95% CI [65-73%]) for those with prior BCMA-targeted therapy and 88% (95% CI [78-99%]) for those without. PR was 25%, VGPR 33%, and CR/sCR 48%, with 65% achieving MRD-negativity. In terms of safety, hematologic AEs were common, with anemia reported in 86% of patients. Non-hematologic common AEs included CRS (83%, 5% grade ≥3) and hypocalcemia (63%, 10% grade ≥3). No significant publication bias was detected.

Conclusion: GPRC5D is an active and safe target that shows promising results in the treatment of relapsed and/or refractory (R/R) MM and heavily pretreated patients.

With the development of herbal medicine, more and more chemical extracts isolated from natural herbs are being used to treat cancer, and herbal monomers play an important role in treating tumors. There is no doubt that these substances have a powerful ability to address the growing incidence of cancer. Among them, Trigonelline, due to its anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and aphrodisiac properties, has been comprehensively studied for its therapeutic potential. However, there is a lack of a complete and specific review of Trigonelline research. Regarding the information mentioned before, this paper summarizes and describes the literature related to the response mechanisms and therapeutic potential of Trigonelline. This review describes the effects of Trigonelline in inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis, reducing the toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents, decreasing oxidative stress, increasing the sensitivity type of chemotherapeutic agents, and reversing drug resistance. On account of the merits of low cost, safety and efficacy, and few toxic side effects, Trigonelline has the potential to become a new and valuable drug. Furthermore, the in-depth study of this natural substance is yet to be further developed. In addition, by exploiting it more extensively, it is expected to be an effective addition to cancer treatment. We can expect that in the future more and more herbal extracts can be used in clinical practice to prolong the survival and improve the quality of life of patients.

Nitrogen-based organic heterocyclic compounds are an important source of therapeutic agents. About 75% of drugs approved by the FDA and currently available in the market are N-heterocyclic organic compounds. The N-heterocyclic organic compounds like pyridine, indole, triazoles, triazine, imidazoles, benzimidazoles, quinazolines, pyrazoles, quinolines, pyrimidines, porphyrin, etc. have demonstrated significant biological activities. These heterocyclic organic compounds also coordinate with various metal ions and form coordination compounds. Most of them have shown improved biological activities. The research on the metal complexes of these compounds reported their significant biological activities. N-heterocyclic-based metal complexes showed outstanding anticancer activities against different cancer cell lines, including VEGFR-2, HT-29, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 K562, A549, HepG2, HL60, A2780, WI-38, Colo-205, PC-3, and other cancer cell lines. Some of these compounds showed better anticancer activity than cisplatin. In this review, we summarized the anticancer properties of N-heterocyclic-based gold (Au), silver (Ag), and copper (Cu) complexes and explored the mechanisms of action and potential structure-activity relationships (SAR) of these complexes. Our goal is to assist researchers in designing highly potent N-heterocyclic-based Au, Ag, and Cu complexes for the potential treatment of various cancers.