Biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid [2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-ethyl]-methylamide (CA224), a nonplanar analogue of fascaplysin, inhibits Cdk4 and tubulin polymerization: evaluation of in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity.

Biphenyl-4-carboxylic acid-[2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-ethyl]-methylamide 1 (CA224) is a nonplanar analogue of fascaplysin (2) that specifically inhibits Cdk4-cyclin D1 in vitro. Compound 1 blocks the growth of cancer cells at G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle. It also blocks the cell cycle at G2/M phase, which is explained by the fact that it inhibits tubulin polymerization.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel flavonols as potential anti-prostate cancer agents.

A library of flavonol analogues was synthesised and evaluated as potential anticancer agents against a human prostate cancer cell line, 22rν1. Compounds 3, 8 and 11 (IC(50) 2.6, 3.

Fascaplysin-inspired diindolyls as selective inhibitors of CDK4/cyclin D1.

We present the design, synthesis and biological activity of a new series of substituted 3-(2-(1H-indol-1-yl)ethyl)-1H-indoles and 1,2-di(1H-indol-1-yl)alkanes as selective inhibitors of CDK4/cyclin D1. The compounds were designed to explore the relationship between the connection mode of the indolyl moieties and their CDK inhibitory activities. We found all the above-mentioned designed compounds to be selective inhibitors of CDK4/cyclin D1 compared to the closely related CDK2/cyclin A, with IC(50) for the best compounds 10m and 13a being 39 and 37microm, respectively.

Reassessment of the reaction mechanism in the heme dioxygenases.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) are heme enzymes that catalyze the O(2)-dependent oxidation of L-tryptophan to N-formyl-kynurenine. Previous proposals for the mechanism of this reaction have suggested that deprotonation of the indole NH group, either by an active-site base or by oxygen bound to the heme iron, as the initial step. In this work, we have examined the activity of 1-Me-L-Trp with three different heme dioxygenases and their site-directed variants.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of new tryptamine and tetrahydro-beta-carboline-based selective inhibitors of CDK4.

We present the design, synthesis and biological activity of a library of substituted (biphenylcarbonyl)-tryptamine and (biphenylcarbonyl)-tetrahydro-beta-carboline compounds related to the natural product fascaplysin, as novel inhibitors of CDK4/cyclin D1. We show all these molecules, prepared using the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction, being selective inhibitors of CDK4 over CDK2. The most active compounds have a CDK4 IC(50) in the range 9-11 microM, three of them containing the para-biphenyl plus para-substituents supporting the existence of a pi-stacking pocket within the active site of CDK4.

Synthesis, crystal structure and biological activity of beta-carboline based selective CDK4-cyclin D1 inhibitors.

The design, synthesis and biological activity of a series of non-planar dihydro-beta-carboline and beta-carboline-based derivatives of the toxic anticancer agent fascaplysin is presented. We show these compounds to be selective inhibitors of CDK4 over CDK2 with an IC50 (CDK4-cyclin D1) = 11 micromol for the best compound in the series 4d. The crystallographic analysis of some of the compounds synthesised (3b/d and 4a-d) was carried out, in an effort to estimate the structural similarities between the designed inhibitors and the model compound fascaplysin.

Inhibition of cancer cell growth by cyclin dependent kinase 4 inhibitors synthesized based on the structure of fascaplysin.

Tryptamine derivatives, a new structural class of cyclin dependent kinase 4 inhibitors, have been identified during extensive biological screening of synthetic molecules. The molecules were synthesized based on the structure of fascaplysin, which is not only a specific inhibitor of the Cdk4-cyclin D1 enzyme but also a relatively toxic molecule, probably because it binds and intercalates DNA. Interestingly, the new structural analogues of fascaplysin do not interact or intercalate with double-stranded DNA, although they inhibit Cdk4-cyclin D1 specifically.

Synthesis, glycosidase activity and X-ray crystallography of 3-amino-sugars.

The cleavage of two sugar epoxides, methyl 2,3-anhydro-alpha-D-mannopyranoside and 2,3-anhydro-alpha-D-allopyranoside, with amines is presented as a method for preparing a library of 3-amino-sugars (methyl 3-amino-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranosides and methyl 3-amino-3-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosides) as potential glycosidase inhibitors. Several of the altropyranosides were micromolar inhibitors of bovine liver beta-galactosidase and almond beta-glucosidase. X-ray crystal structures were determined for one of the methyl 3-amino-3-deoxy-alpha-D-altropyranosides, 4t, and one of the methyl 3-amino-3-deoxy-alpha-D-glucopyranosides, 6d.

Diasterocontrol in the intramolecular meta-photocycloaddition of arenes and olefines.

The intramolecular arene-olefin photoannulation reaction of diastereopure substrates and gave diastereopure and whose structures were determined by spectroscopic methods and confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

Regioselective photo-oxidation of 1-benzyl-4,9-dihydro-3H-beta-carbolines.

The synthesis of a series of beta-carboline-based analogues of the natural product fascaplysin is presented; the compounds were produced using a novel photo-oxidation reaction of 1-benzyl-4,9-dihydro-3H-beta-carbolines as the key step.

CA224, a non-planar analogue of fascaplysin, inhibits Cdk4 but not Cdk2 and arrests cells at G0/G1 inhibiting pRB phosphorylation.

Tryptamine derivatives, non-planar and potentially less toxic analogues of the anti-cancer agent fascaplysin, have been synthesised. They specifically inhibit Cdk4-D1 vis a vis Cdk2-A but, unlike fascaplysin, do not bind or intercalate DNA. CA224 is the most potent compound identified (Cdk4-D1 IC(50) approximately 5.

Design, synthesis and biological activity of new CDK4-specific inhibitors, based on fascaplysin.

We present the design, synthesis, and biological activity of three classes of tryptamine derivatives, which are non-planar analogues of the toxic anti-cancer agent fascaplysin. We show these compounds to be selective inhibitors of CDK4 over CDK2, the most active compound has an IC50 for the inhibition of CDK4 of 6 microM.

New fascaplysin-based CDK4-specific inhibitors: design, synthesis and biological activity.

The first biologically active non-planar analogues of the toxic anti-cancer agent, fascaplysin, have been produced; we present the design, synthesis and biological activity of three tryptamine derivatives.

The synthesis of fused and spiro annulated carbohydrate structures using copper(I) catalysed intramolecular photoannulation of glucose derivatives.

Intramolecular [2 + 2] photoannulation catalysed by copper(i)triflate has been applied to a series of carbohydrate derivatives obtained from glucose. Dienes 1a and 1b lead to cyclobutanes 3a and 3b whereas the diastereoisomeric dienes 5a and 5b gave diastereoisomeric products 7a and 7b. These results demonstrate that the reaction is stereospecific.

The regiospecific Fischer indole reaction in choline chloride.2ZnCl2 with product isolation by direct sublimation from the ionic liquid.

The Fischer indole synthesis occurs in high yield with one equivalent of the ionic liquid choline chloride[middle dot]2ZnCl(2); exclusive formation of 2,3-disubstituted indoles is observed in the reaction of alkyl methyl ketones, and the products readily sublime directly from the ionic liquid.

Ring-Closing Metathesis in Carbohydrate Annulation.

Even eight-membered rings (such as in 2) can be formed by ring-closing metathesis of glucose derivatives such as 1. Enantiomerically pure tricyclic spiro compounds can also be prepared.