JAK-STAT inhibitor as a potential therapeutic opportunity in AML patients resistant to cytarabine and epigenetic therapy.

The prognosis of AML is generally poor, with 5-year survival rate of 25%. There has been substantial progress in identification of new therapeutic targets, along with approval of at least three targeted therapies for AML in recent years. Nevertheless, treatment has largely remained unchanged over couple of decades, with ~40% patients not achieving remission.

Harnessing structure-activity relationship to engineer a cisplatin nanoparticle for enhanced antitumor efficacy.

Cisplatin is a first line chemotherapy for most types of cancer. However, its use is dose-limited due to severe nephrotoxicity. Here we report the rational engineering of a novel nanoplatinate inspired by the mechanisms underlying cisplatin bioactivation.

Symmetrical bisbenzimidazoles with benzenediyl spacer: the role of the shape of the ligand on the stabilization and structural alterations in telomeric G-quadruplex DNA and telomerase inhibition.

The extremities of chromosomes end in a G-rich single-stranded overhang that has been implicated in the onset of the replicate senescence. The repeated sequence forming a G-overhang is able to adopt a four-stranded DNA structure called G-quadruplex, which is a poor substrate for the enzyme telomerase. Small molecule based ligands that selectively stabilize the telomeric G-quadruplex DNA, induce telomere shortening eventually leading to cell death.

Shape effect of carbon nanovectors on angiogenesis.

Physically diverse carbon nanostructures are increasingly being studied for potential applications in cancer chemotherapy. However, limited knowledge exists on the effect of their shape in tuning the biological outcomes when used as nanovectors for drug delivery. In this study, we evaluated the effect of doxorubicin-conjugated single walled carbon nanotubes (CNT-Dox) and doxorubicin-conjugated spherical polyhydroxylated fullerenes or fullerenols (Ful-Dox) on angiogenesis.

Single-walled carbon nanotube-conjugated chemotherapy exhibits increased therapeutic index in melanoma.

The incidence of malignant melanoma is increasing at an alarming rate globally. Poor prognosis and extraordinarily low survival rates of malignant melanoma necessitates the development of new chemotherapeutic strategies. An emerging approach is to harness nanotechnology to optimize the existing chemotherapies.

Targeting oncogenic signaling pathways by exploiting nanotechnology.

Two scientific areas have recently emerged that can revolutionize cancer chemotherapy. First, an understanding of the different cellular signaling pathways implicated in the development and progression of cancer resulting in poor prognosis and drug resistance, have identified potential drug targets. Inhibitors of signal transduction pathways are currently in the clinics.

Fullerenol-cytotoxic conjugates for cancer chemotherapy.

In the present study, we report the novel application of polyhydroxylated fullerenes (fullerenols) in cancer drug delivery. The facile synthetic procedure for generating multiple hydroxyl groups on the fullerene cage offers scope for high drug loading in addition to conferring hydrophilicity. Doxorubicin, a first line cancer chemotherapeutic, was conjugated to fullerenols through a carbamate linker, achieving ultrahigh loading efficiency.

Medical implications of benzimidazole derivatives as drugs designed for targeting DNA and DNA associated processes.

Properties of benzimidazole and its derivatives have been studied for over hundred years; special interest of researchers triggered by the fact that 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole is a component of naturally occurring vitamin B(12). Several antihelminthic, antacid and antibacterial drugs are known which have benzimidazole moiety as their essential constituent. Additionally, several bis- and tris-benzimidazole based systems are well-known for their interaction with DNA and interference with several DNA associated processes.

Metal-ion-mediated tuning of duplex DNA binding by bis(2-(2-pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazole).

Studies of double-stranded-DNA binding have been performed with three isomeric bis(2-(n-pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazole)s (n=2, 3, 4). Like the well-known Hoechst 33258, which is a bisbenzimidazole compound, these three isomers bind to the minor groove of duplex DNA. DNA binding by the three isomers was investigated in the presence of the divalent metal ions Mg(2+), Co(2+), Ni(2+), Cu(2+), and Zn(2+).

Synthesis, DNA binding, and Leishmania topoisomerase inhibition activities of a novel series of anthra[1,2-d]imidazole-6,11-dione derivatives.

Nine novel anthra[1,2-d]imidazole-6,11-diones, differing in their side chain, were synthesized. UV-vis spectroscopy and viscometric titrations of these molecules with duplex DNA were used to assess their binding with DNA. Five of the nine compounds showed high inhibition activity against topoisomerase I of Leishmania donovani, with the one bearing the tetrazole side chain exhibiting an IC50 approximately 1 microM.

An experimental and computational analysis on the differential role of the positional isomers of symmetric bis-2-(pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazoles as DNA binding agents.

Three symmetrical positional isomers of bis-2-(n-pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazoles (n=2, 3, 4) were synthesized and DNA binding studies were performed with these isomeric derivatives. Like bisbenzimidazole compound Hoechst 33258, these molecules also demonstrate AT-specific DNA binding. The binding affinities of 3-pyridine (m-pyben) and 4-pyridine (p-pyben) derivatized bisbenzimidazoles to double-stranded DNA were significantly higher compared to 2-pyridine derivatized benzimidazole o-pyben.