Effect of regio- and stereoisomerism on antifouling 2,5-diketopiperazines.

Marine biofouling is a problem that plagues all maritime industries at vast economic and environmental cost. Previous and current methods to prevent biofouling have employed the use of heavy metals and other toxic or highly persistent chemicals, and these methods are now coming under immense regulatory pressure. Recent studies have illustrated the potential of nature-inspired tetrasubstituted 2,5-diketopiperazines (2,5-DKPs) as eco-friendly marine biocides for biofouling control.

MR1-dependence of unmetabolized folic acid side-effects.

The fortification of flour with folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects (NTD) is currently mandated in over eighty countries worldwide, hence compelling its consumption by the greater part of the world's population. Notwithstanding its beneficial impact on rates of NTD, pervasive folic acid supplementation has invariably led to additive daily intakes reaching well beyond their original target, resulting in the circulation of unmetabolized folic acid. Associated idiopathic side-effects ranging from allergies to cancer have been suggested, albeit inconclusively.

Stereochemical Effects on the Antimicrobial Properties of Tetrasubstituted 2,5-Diketopiperazines.

Antimicrobial drug resistance is a looming health crisis facing us in the modern era, and new drugs are urgently needed to combat this growing problem. Synthetic mimics of antimicrobial peptides have recently emerged as a promising class of compounds for the treatment of persistent microbial infections. In the current study, we investigate five cyclic -alkylated amphiphilic 2,5-diketopiperazines against 15 different strains of bacteria and fungi, including drug-resistant clinical isolates.

Impact of the ferrocenyl group on cytotoxicity and KSP inhibitory activity of ferrocenyl monastrol conjugates.

The incorporation of the ferrocenyl moiety into a bioactive molecule may significantly alter the activity of the resulting conjugate. By applying this strategy, we designed ferrocenyl analogs of monastrol - the first low molecular weight kinesin spindle protein (KSP) inhibitor. The obtained compounds showed low micromolar antiproliferative activity towards a panel of sensitive and ABC-overexpressing cancer cells.

Identification of novel inhibitors for the tyrosyl-DNA-phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1) mutant SCAN1 using virtual screening.

Spinocerebellar ataxia syndrome with axonal neuropathy (SCAN1) is a debilitating neurological disease that is caused by the mutation the Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) DNA repair enzyme. The crucial His493 in TDP1's binding site is replaced with an arginine amino acid residue rendering the enzyme dysfunctional. A virtual screen was performed against the homology model of SCAN1 and seventeen compounds were identified and tested in a novel SCAN1 specific biochemical assay.

Synthesis and in vitro Biological Evaluation of Ferrocenyl Side-Chain-Functionalized Paclitaxel Derivatives.

Taxanes, including paclitaxel, are widely used in cancer therapy. In an attempt to overcome some of the disadvantages entailed with taxane chemotherapy, we devised the synthesis of ferrocenyl-functionalized paclitaxel derivatives and studied their biological properties. The cytotoxic activity was measured with a panel of human cancer cell lines of various tissue origin, including multidrug-resistant lines.

New Iminodiacetate-Thiosemicarbazone Hybrids and Their Copper(II) Complexes Are Potential Ribonucleotide Reductase R2 Inhibitors with High Antiproliferative Activity.

As ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) plays a crucial role in nucleic acid metabolism, it is an important target for anticancer therapy. The thiosemicarbazone Triapine is an efficient R2 inhibitor, which has entered ∼20 clinical trials. Thiosemicarbazones are supposed to exert their biological effects through effectively binding transition-metal ions.

New inhibitors of tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase I (Tdp 1) combining 7-hydroxycoumarin and monoterpenoid moieties.

A number of derivatives of 7-hydroxycoumarins containing aromatic or monoterpene substituents at hydroxy-group were synthesized based on a hit compound from a virtual screen. The ability of these compounds to inhibit tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase I (Tdp 1), important target for anti-cancer therapy, was studied for the first time. It was found that the 7-hydroxycoumarin derivatives with monoterpene pinene moiety are effective inhibitors of Tdp 1 with the most active derivative (+)-25c with IC value of 0.

Ferrocenyl Paclitaxel and Docetaxel Derivatives: Impact of an Organometallic Moiety on the Mode of Action of Taxanes.

A series of ferrocenyl analogues and derivatives of paclitaxel and docetaxel were synthesised and assayed for their antiproliferative/cytotoxic effects, impact on the cell cycle distribution and ability to induce tubulin polymerisation. The replacement of the 3'-N-benzoyl group of paclitaxel with a ferrocenoyl moiety, in particular, led to formation of an analogue that was at least one order of magnitude more potent in terms of antiproliferative activity than the parent compound (IC50 values of 0.11 versus 1.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity of thieno[2,3-b]quinoline-2-carboxamide and cycloalkyl[b]thieno[3,2-e]pyridine-2-carboxamide derivatives.

Seventy nine derivatives of thieno[2,3-b]quinolines, tetrahydrothieno[2,3-b]quinoline, dihydrocyclopenta[b]thieno[3,2-e]pyridine, cyclohepta[b]thieno[3,2-e]pyridine and hexahydrocycloocta[b]thieno[3,2-e]pyridine were either synthesized or obtained commercially and tested for their antiproliferative activity against HCT116, MDA-MB-468 and MDA-MB-231 human cancer cell lines. The most potent eight compounds were active against all cell lines with IC50 values in the 80-250nM range. In general hexahydrocycloocta[b]thieno[3,2-e]pyridines were most active with increasing activity observed as larger cycloalkyl rings were fused to the pyridine ring.

Half-sandwich ruthenium(II) biotin conjugates as biological vectors to cancer cells.

Ruthenium(II)-arene complexes with biotin-containing ligands were prepared so that a novel drug delivery system based on tumor-specific vitamin-receptor mediated endocytosis could be developed. The complexes were characterized by spectroscopic methods and their in vitro anticancer activity in cancer cell lines with various levels of major biotin receptor (COLO205, HCT116 and SW620 cells) was tested in comparison with the ligands. In all cases, coordination of ruthenium resulted in significantly enhanced cytotoxicity.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity of thieno[2,3-b]pyridine and furo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives.

Forty seven thieno[2,3-b]pyridines-2-carboxamides, furo[2,3-b]pyridines-2-carboxamides and tetrahydrothieno[2,3-b]quinolones-2-carboxamides derivatives were synthesized and tested for their antiproliferative activity against the NCI-60 cell lines. The 5-keto-tetrahydrothieno[2,3-b]quinolones-2-carboxamides (series 17) were found to have the greatest activity, with the compound containing a 3-methoxyphenylcarboxamide (compound 17d) being the most active, with GI50 values in the low nanomolar range against a range of cell lines, in particular the melanoma cell line MDA-MD-435 (GI50 - 23 nM) and the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468 (GI50 - 46 nM). Molecular modelling of series 17 against phosphoinositide specific-phospholipase C reveals that the side chains of the amino acids His356, Glu341, Arg549 and Lys438 are involved in hydrogen bonding with the ligands as well as a lipophilic pocket is occupied by the phenyl carboxamide moiety.

Nitric oxide selectively amplifies FGF-2-induced mitogenesis in primary rat aortic smooth muscle cells.

Fibroblast growth factor is present in blood vessels and is thought to play an important role in promoting vascular cell proliferation in vivo. In the current study, we show that three agents that activate the guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) system, including the nitric oxide-generating agents S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) and 3-morpholinosydnonimine-N-ethylcarbamide (SIN-1) as well as the stable cGMP analogue 8-bromo-cGMP, increased fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2; basic fibroblast growth factor)-induced [3H]thymidine incorporation by severalfold in primary cultures of rat aortic smooth muscle cells. SNAP increased the efficacy, but not the potency, of FGF-2.