Novel Benzohydroxamate-Based Potent and Selective Histone Deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) Inhibitors Bearing a Pentaheterocyclic Scaffold: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation.

Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is a peculiar HDAC isoform whose expression and functional alterations have been correlated with a variety of pathologies such as autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. It is primarily a cytoplasmic protein, and its deacetylase activity is focused mainly on nonhistone substrates such as tubulin, heat shock protein (HSP)90, Foxp3, and cortactin, to name a few. Selective inhibition of HDAC6 does not show cytotoxic effects in healthy cells, normally associated with the inhibition of Class I HDAC isoforms.

Octreotide Conjugates for Tumor Targeting and Imaging.

Tumor targeting has emerged as an advantageous approach to improving the efficacy and safety of cytotoxic agents or radiolabeled ligands that do not preferentially accumulate in the tumor tissue. The somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) belong to the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily and they are overexpressed in many neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). SSTRs can be efficiently targeted with octreotide, a cyclic octapeptide that is derived from native somatostatin.

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of RGD⁻Cryptophycin Conjugates for Targeted Drug Delivery.

Cryptophycins are potent tubulin polymerization inhibitors with picomolar antiproliferative potency in vitro and activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cells. Because of neurotoxic side effects and limited efficacy in vivo, cryptophycin-52 failed as a clinical candidate in cancer treatment. However, this class of compounds has emerged as attractive payloads for tumor-targeting applications.