2. Academic Validation
  3. Discovery and optimization of 2,3-diaryl-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one-based derivatives as potent and selective cytotoxic agents with anti-inflammatory activity

Discovery and optimization of 2,3-diaryl-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one-based derivatives as potent and selective cytotoxic agents with anti-inflammatory activity

  • Eur J Med Chem. 2023 Nov 5;259:115712. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115712.
Ahmed M Shawky 1,  Faisal A Almalki 2,  Ashraf N Abdalla 3,  Bahaa G M Youssif 4,  Maha M Abdel-Fattah 5,  Fatima Hersi 6,  Hany A M El-Sherief 7,  Nashwa A Ibrahim 8,  Ahmed M Gouda 9
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Science and Technology Unit (STU), Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.
  • 2 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia.
  • 3 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 21955, Saudi Arabia; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research Institute, National Center for Research, Khartoum, 2404, Sudan.
  • 4 Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Assiut University, Assiut, 71526, Egypt.
  • 5 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, Egypt.
  • 6 Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, 27272, United Arab Emirates.
  • 7 Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Deraya University, Minia, Egypt.
  • 8 Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, Egypt.
  • 9 Medicinal Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62514, Egypt. Electronic address: ahmed.gouda@pharm.bsu.edu.eg.
PMID: 37567059 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115712
Abstract

Several studies have indicated the potential therapeutic outcomes of combining selective COX-2 inhibitors with tubulin-targeting Anticancer agents. In the current study, a novel series of thiazolidin-4-one-based derivatives (7a-q) was designed by merging the pharmacophoric features of some COXs inhibitors and tubulin polymerization inhibitors. Compounds 7a-q were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against MCF7, HT29, and A2780 Cancer cell lines (IC50 = 0.02-17.02 μM). The cytotoxicity of 7a-q was also assessed against normal MRC5 cells (IC50 = 0.47-13.46 μM). Compounds 7c, 7i, and 7j, the most active in the MTT assay, significantly reduced the number of HT29 colonies compared to the control. Compounds 7c, 7i, and 7j also induced significant decreases in the tumor volumes and masses in Ehrlich solid carcinoma-bearing mice compared to the control. The three compounds also exhibited significant anti-HT29 migration activity in the wound-healing assay. They have also induced cell cycle arrest in HT29 cells at the S and G2/M phases. In addition, they induced significant increases in both early and late apoptotic events in HT29 cells compared to the control, where 7j showed the highest effect. On the other hand, compound 7j (1 μM) displayed weak inhibitory activity against tubulin polymerization compared to colchicine (3 μM). On the other hand, compounds 7a-q inhibited the activity of COX-2 (IC50 = 0.42-29.11 μM) compared to celecoxib (IC50 = 0.86 μM). In addition, 7c, 7i, and 7j showed moderate inhibition of inflammation in rats compared to indomethacin, with better GIT safety profiles. Molecular docking analysis revealed that 7c, 7i, and 7j have higher binding free energies towards COX-2 than COX-1. These above results suggested that 7j could serve as a potential Anticancer drug candidate.

Keywords

4-Thiazolidinone; Anti-inflammatory; COX activity; Cell cycle and apoptosis; Clonogenicity and cell migration; Cytotoxicity; Docking; Tubulin polymerization.

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