2. Academic Validation
  3. SAR Study and Molecular Mechanism Investigation of Novel Naphthoquinone-furan-2-cyanoacryloyl Hybrids with Antitumor Activity

SAR Study and Molecular Mechanism Investigation of Novel Naphthoquinone-furan-2-cyanoacryloyl Hybrids with Antitumor Activity

  • Pharmaceutics. 2022 Oct 1;14(10):2104. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102104.
Pingxian Liu 1 2,  Dongmei Fan 1 2,  Wenliang Qiao 3,  Xinlian He 1 2 4,  Lidan Zhang 1 2 4,  Yunhan Jiang 1 2 5,  Tao Yang 1 2 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Laboratory of Human Diseases and Immunotherapies, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
  • 2 Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-Related Molecular Network, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
  • 3 Laboratory of Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
  • 4 State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
  • 5 Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
PMID: 36297539 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102104
Abstract

A series of novel naphthoquinone-furan-2-cyanoacryloyl hybrids were designed; they were synthesized and preliminarily evaluated for their anti-proliferative activities in vitro against several Cancer cell lines and normal cells. The most potent compound, 5c, inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells (IC50 value of 3.10 ± 0.02 μM) and colony survival, and it induced Apoptosis while having relatively weaker effects on normal cells. Compound 5c also triggered ROS generation and accumulation, thus partially contributing to the observed cell Apoptosis. A Western blotting analysis demonstrated that compound 5c inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3. Furthermore, a biolayer interferometry (BLI) analysis confirmed that compound 5c had a direct effect on STAT3, with a KD value of 13.0 μM. Molecular docking showed that 5c specifically occupied the subpockets in the SH2 domain, thereby blocking the whole transmission signaling process. Overall, this study provides an important structural reference for the development of effective antitumor agents.

Keywords

Naphthoquinone-furan-2-cyanoacryloyl; antitumor agent; drug discovery; pharmacophore hybridization.

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