Discovery of novel nucleoside derivatives as selective lysine acetyltransferase p300 inhibitors for cancer therapy.

P300 and CBP are two closely related histone acetyltransferases that are important transcriptional coactivators of many cellular processes. Inhibition of the transcriptional regulator p300/CBP is a promising therapeutic approach in oncology. However, there are no reported single selective p300 or CBP inhibitors to date.

Antitumor Activity of s-Triazine Derivatives: A Systematic Review.

1,3,5-triazine derivatives, also called s-triazines, are a series of containing-nitrogen heterocyclic compounds that play an important role in anticancer drug design and development. To date, three s-triazine derivatives, including altretamine, gedatolisib, and enasidenib, have already been approved for refractory ovarian cancer, metastatic breast cancer, and leukemia therapy, respectively, demonstrating that the s-triazine core is a useful scaffold for the discovery of novel anticancer drugs. In this review, we mainly focus on s-triazines targeting topoisomerases, tyrosine kinases, phosphoinositide 3-kinases, NADP+-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenases, and cyclin-dependent kinases in diverse signaling pathways, which have been extensively studied.

TRIP13, identified as a hub gene of tumor progression, is the target of microRNA-4693-5p and a potential therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the digestive tract malignancies whose early symptoms are not obvious. This study aimed to identify novel targets for CRC therapy, especially early-stage CRC, by reanalyzing the publicly available GEO and TCGA databases. Thyroid hormone receptor interactor 13 (TRIP13) correlated with tumor progression and prognosis of patients after several rounds of analysis, including weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA), and further chosen for experimental validation in cancer cell lines and patient samples.

Quinazoline-based hydroxamic acid derivatives as dual histone methylation and deacetylation inhibitors for potential anticancer agents.

Cancer is a common malignant disease with complex signaling networks, which means it is unmanageable to cancer therapy by using single classical targeted drug. Recently, dual- or multitarget drugs have emerged as a promising option for cancer therapies. Although many multifunctional compounds targeting HDAC have been validated, as far as we know, there is no molecule targeting GLP and HDAC synchronously.

IBSP, a potential recurrence biomarker, promotes the progression of colorectal cancer via Fyn/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a frequently occurring digestive system cancer and postoperative tumor metastasis and recurrence are the main reasons for the failure of CRC treatment. The aim of this study was to identifying and validating key genes associated with metastatic recurrence of CRC. RNA expression of three datasets (GSE17538, GSE32323, and GSE29623) was used for biomarker discovery.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel ErbB/HDAC multitargeted inhibitors with selectivity in EGFR mutant cell lines.

Acquired resistance leads to the failure of EGFR TKIs in NSCLC treatment. A novel series of hydroxamic acid-containing 4-aminoquinazoline derivatives as irreversible ErbB/HDAC multitargeted inhibitors for NSCLC therapy had been designed and synthesized, which displayed weak anti-proliferative activity in several EGFR wild-type cancer cell lines (NCI-H838, SK-BR-3, A549, A431) yet retained moderate activity to EGFR resistance mutation harboring NCI-H1975 cells. The mechanistic studies revealed that the representative compound 11e was able to inhibit the phosphorylation of EGFR, up-regulate hyperacetylation of histone H3 and even reduce the expression of EGFR and Akt in NCI-H1975 cells.

Current discovery strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma therapeutics.

: The global incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not expected to decline significantly over the next 30 years. And although the latest gene sequencing studies have established its genetic map, the potentially targetable drivers of HCC are, so far, difficult to identify. To date, only seven drugs have been approved by the FDA for unresectable HCC treatment; thus, effective therapeutic breakthroughs are still needed urgently.

Development of a versatile DNMT and HDAC inhibitor C02S modulating multiple cancer hallmarks for breast cancer therapy.

DNMT and HDAC are closely related to each other and involved in various human diseases especially cancer. These two enzymes have been widely recognized as antitumor targets for drug discovery. Besides, research has indicated that combination therapy consisting of DNMT and HDAC inhibitors exhibited therapeutic advantages.

Antiproliferative activities of the second-generation antipsychotic drug sertindole against breast cancers with a potential application for treatment of breast-to-brain metastases.

Epidemiological observations have shown that schizophrenia patients after long-term drug treatment exhibited reduced tumor incidences. The potential anticancer effects of antipsychotic drugs are subsequently demonstrated. These drugs are of great interest as agents against untreatable brain metastases because of their ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Branched rolling circle amplification method for measuring serum circulating microRNA levels for early breast cancer detection.

Serum circulating microRNAs (c-miRNAs) are serving as useful biomarkers for cancer diagnosis. Here, we describe the development of a one-step branched rolling circle amplification (BRCA) method to measure serum c-miRNAs levels for early diagnosis of breast cancer. Four c-miRNAs, c-miRNA16 (c-miR-16), c-miRNA21 (c-miR-21), c-miRNA155 (c-miR-155), and c-miRNA195 (c-miR-195) were isolated from the serum of 49 breast cancer patients and 19 healthy controls.

Association study of FGF18 with developmental dyslexia in Chinese population.

Developmental dyslexia (DD) is a neurobiological disorder featured by reading disabilities. In recent years, genome-wide approaches provided new perspectives to discover novel candidate genes of DD. In a previous study, rs9313548 located downstream of FGF18 showed borderline genome-wide significant association with DD.

Discovery of 1-(3-aryl-4-chlorophenyl)-3-(p-aryl)urea derivatives against breast cancer by inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Hedgehog signalings.

PI3K/Akt/mTOR and hedgehog (Hh) signalings are two important pathways in breast cancer, which are usually connected with the drug resistance and cancer migration. Many studies indicated that PI3K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors and Hh inhibitors displayed synergistic effects, and the combination of the two signaling drugs could delay drug resistance and inhibit cancer migration in breast cancer. Therefore, the development of molecules simultaneously inhibiting these two pathways is urgent needed.

Olaparib hydroxamic acid derivatives as dual PARP and HDAC inhibitors for cancer therapy.

Olaparib was the first PARP inhibitor approved by the FDA for patients with BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer. Recent studies have demonstrated enhanced anticancer effects of combination therapy consisting of olaparib and HDAC inhibitors. Herein, based on rational drug design strategy, hydroxamic acid derivatives of olaparib were constructed as dual PARP and HDAC inhibitors.

Design, synthesis and anticancer potential of NSC-319745 hydroxamic acid derivatives as DNMT and HDAC inhibitors.

DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) are important epigenetic targets during anticancer drug development. Recent study indicates that DNMT inhibitors and HDAC inhibitors display synergistic effects in certain cancers, therefore, development of molecules targeting both DNMT and HDAC is of therapeutic advantage against these cancers. Based on the structure of DNMT inhibitor NSC-319745 and the pharmacophore characteristics of HDAC inhibitors, a series of hydroxamic acid derivatives of NSC-319745 were designed and synthesized as DNMT and HDAC multifunctional inhibitors.

New benzimidazole acridine derivative induces human colon cancer cell apoptosis in vitro via the ROS-JNK signaling pathway.

Aim: To investigate the mechanisms underlying anticancer action of the benzimidazole acridine derivative N-{(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)methyl}-2-butylacridin-9-amine(8m) against human colon cancer cells in vitro.

Methods: Human colon cancer cell lines SW480 and HCT116 were incubated in the presence of 8m, and then the cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured. The expression of apoptotic/signaling genes and proteins was detected using RT-PCR and Western blotting.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of benzimidazole acridine derivatives as potential DNA-binding and apoptosis-inducing agents.

The discovery of new effective DNA-targeted antitumor agent is needed because of their clinical significance. As acridines can intercalate into DNA and benzimidazoles have the ability to bind in the DNA minor groove, a series of novel benzimidazole acridine derivatives were designed and synthesized to be new DNA-targeted compounds. MTT assay indicated that most of the synthesized compounds displayed good antiproliferative activity, among which compound 8l demonstrated the highest activity against both K562 and HepG-2 cells.

Molecular design, synthesis and biological research of novel pyridyl acridones as potent DNA-binding and apoptosis-inducing agents.

A series of novel pyridyl acridone derivatives comprised of a pseudo-five-cyclic system to extend the π-conjugated acridone chromophore, were designed and synthesized as potent DNA binding antitumor compounds. Most synthesized compounds displayed good activity against human leukemia K562 cells in MTT tests, with compound 6d exhibiting the highest activity with IC50 value at 0.46 μM.

Novel synthetic acridine derivatives as potent DNA-binding and apoptosis-inducing antitumor agents.

Acridine derivatives have been explored as DNA-binding anticancer agents. Some derivatives show undesired pharmacokinetic properties and new derivatives need to be explored. In this work, a series of novel acridine analogues were synthesized by modifying previously unexplored linkers between the acridine and benzene groups and their antiproliferative activity and the DNA-binding ability were evaluated.

microRNA 21-mediated suppression of Sprouty1 by Pokemon affects liver cancer cell growth and proliferation.

Transcriptional repressor Pokemon is a critical factor in embryogenesis, development, cell proliferation, differentiation, and oncogenesis, thus behaving as an oncogene. Oncomine database suggests a potential correlation between the expressions of Pokemon and Sprouty1. This study investigated the regulatory role of Pokemon in Sprouty1 expression and the effect on liver cancer cell growth and proliferation, revealing a novel miR-21-mediated regulatory circuit.

Efficient synthesis of RITA and its analogues: derivation of analogues with improved antiproliferative activity via modulation of p53/miR-34a pathway.

A novel approach to synthesize RITA by practical palladium-catalyzed C-C bond-forming Suzuki reactions at room temperature was developed, which was used for deriving a series of substituted tricyclic α-heteroaryl (furan/thiophene) analogues of RITA under mild conditions. These novel analogues showed notable antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines with wild-type p53 (i.e.

Homeostatic regulatory role of Pokemon in NF-κB signaling: stimulating both p65 and IκBα expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

NF-κB consists of p50, p65 (RelA), p52, c-Rel, and RelB, and among them p65 is a representative protein to investigate the regulation and function of this signaling. NF-κB integrates inflammation and carcinogenesis and regulates the expression of a variety of genes in response to immunity, inflammation, and apoptosis. IκBα acts as an inhibitor of NF-κB through forming an inactive NF-κB/IκBα complex.

Exploration of acridine scaffold as a potentially interesting scaffold for discovering novel multi-target VEGFR-2 and Src kinase inhibitors.

VEGFR-2 and Src kinases both play important roles in cancers. In certain cancers, Src works synergistically with VEGFR-2 to promote its activation. Development of multi-target drugs against VEGFR-2 and Src is of therapeutic advantage against these cancers.

Global mapping of ZBTB7A transcription factor binding sites in HepG2 cells.

ZBTB7A is a known proto-oncogene that is implicated in carcinogenesis and cell differentiation and development. Fully understanding the function of ZBTB7A in cellular processes could provide useful strategies for cancer treatment and development-associated disease therapy. Here, global mapping of ZBTB7A transcription factor binding sites was developed by utilizing microarray technology in HepG2 cells.

SP1 enhances Zbtb7A gene expression via direct binding to GC box in HePG2 cells.

Background: Zbtb7A is a proto-oncogenic transcriptional regulator that plays an important role in adipogenesis, osteogenesis and oncogenesis, but little is known about the regulation of Zbtb7A gene expression which is of importance in the function uncovering of this gene.

Finding: Here, a 5'-flanking region of the human Zbtb7A gene was cloned and characterized. It was found that the GC box within Zbtb7A promoter is necessary for the promoter activity.