Synthesis and biological evaluation of isomeric methoxy substitutions on anti-cancer indolyl-pyridinyl-propenones: Effects on potency and mode of activity

Eur J Med Chem. 2016 Oct 21:122:79-91. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.06.016.

Christopher J Trabbic ¹, Sage M George ², Evan M Alexander ¹, Shengnan Du ², Jennifer M Offenbacher ¹, Emily J Crissman ¹, Jean H Overmeyer ², William A Maltese ³, Paul W Erhardt ⁴

Affiliations

1 Center for Drug Design and Development, Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2801 W. Bancroft Ave., Toledo, OH 4360, USA.
2 Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, 3000 Arlington Ave., Toledo, OH 43614, USA.
3 Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Biology, University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences, 3000 Arlington Ave., Toledo, OH 43614, USA. Electronic address: william.maltese@utoledo.edu.
4 Center for Drug Design and Development, Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, University of Toledo College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2801 W. Bancroft Ave., Toledo, OH 4360, USA. Electronic address: paul.erhardt@utoledo.edu.

PMID: 27343855 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.06.016

Abstract

Certain indolyl-pyridinyl-propenone analogues kill glioblastoma cells that have become resistant to conventional therapeutic drugs. Some of these analogues induce a novel form of non-apoptotic cell death called methuosis, while Others primarily cause microtubule disruption. Ready access to 5-indole substitution has allowed characterization of this position to be important for both types of mechanisms when a simple methoxy group is present. We now report the syntheses and biological effects of isomeric methoxy substitutions on the indole ring. Additionally, analogues containing a trimethoxyphenyl group in place of the pyridinyl moiety were evaluated for Anticancer activity. The results demonstrate that the location of the methoxy group can alter both the potency and the mechanism of cell death. Remarkably, changing the methoxy from the 5-position to the 6-position switched the biological activity from induction of methuosis to disruption of microtubules. The latter may represent a prototype for a new class of mitotic inhibitors with potential therapeutic utility.

Keywords

Cell death; Glioblastoma; Indolyl-pyridinyl-propenones; Methuosis; Microtubule disruption.

Name
Email *

	Sorry, but the email address you supplied was invalid.