Potent Biological Activity of Fluorinated Derivatives of 2-Deoxy-d-Glucose in a Glioblastoma Model.

Background: One defining feature of various aggressive cancers, including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is glycolysis upregulation, making its inhibition a promising therapeutic approach. One promising compound is 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG), a d-glucose analog with high clinical potential due to its ability to inhibit glycolysis. Upon uptake, 2-DG is phosphorylated by hexokinase to 2-DG-6-phosphate, which inhibits hexokinase and downstream glycolytic enzymes.

d-Glucose- and d-mannose-based antimetabolites. Part 4: Facile synthesis of mono- and di-acetates of 2-deoxy-d-glucose prodrugs as potentially useful antimetabolites.

2-Deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG), a compound known to interfere with d-glucose and d-mannose metabolism, has been tested as a potential anticancer and antiviral agent. Preclinical and clinical studies focused on 2-DG have highlighted several limitations related to 2-DG drug-like properties, such as poor pharmacokinetic properties. To overcome this problem, we proposed design and synthesis of novel 2-DG prodrugs that subsequently could be tested using a variety of biochemical and molecular methods.

Synergistic Anticancer Effect of Glycolysis and Histone Deacetylases Inhibitors in a Glioblastoma Model.

Over the last decade, we have seen tremendous progress in research on 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) and its analogs. Clinical trials of 2-DG have demonstrated the challenges of using 2-DG as a monotherapy, due to its poor drug-like characteristics, leading researchers to focus on improving its bioavailability to tissue and organs. Novel 2-DG analogs such as WP1122 and others have revived the old concept of glycolysis inhibition as an effective anticancer strategy.

Experimental and Computational Studies on Structure and Energetic Properties of Halogen Derivatives of 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose.

The results of structural studies on a series of halogen-substituted derivatives of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) are reported. 2-DG is an inhibitor of glycolysis, a metabolic pathway crucial for cancer cell proliferation and viral replication in host cells, and interferes with D-glucose and D-mannose metabolism. Thus, 2-DG and its derivatives are considered as potential anticancer and antiviral drugs.

IGF-1R and mTOR Blockade: Novel Resistance Mechanisms and Synergistic Drug Combinations for Ewing Sarcoma.

Background: Therapies cotargeting insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 (IGF-1R) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) have demonstrated remarkable, albeit short-lived, clinical responses in a subset of Ewing sarcoma (ES) patients. However, the mechanisms of resistance and applicable strategies for overcoming drug resistance to the IGF-1R/mTOR blockade are still undefined.

Methods: To elucidate predominant mechanism(s) of acquired drug resistance while identifying synergistic drug combinations that improve clinical efficacy, we generated more than 18 ES cell lines resistant to IGF-1R- or mTOR-targeted therapy.

D-Glucose and D-mannose-based metabolic probes. Part 3: Synthesis of specifically deuterated D-glucose, D-mannose, and 2-deoxy-D-glucose.

Altered carbohydrate metabolism in cancer cells was first noted by Otto Warburg more than 80 years ago. Upregulation of genes controlling the glycolytic pathway under normoxia, known as the Warburg effect, clearly differentiates malignant from non-malignant cells. The resurgence of interest in cancer metabolism aims at a better understanding of the metabolic differences between malignant and non-malignant cells and the creation of novel therapeutic and diagnostic agents exploiting these differences.

Novel small molecular inhibitors disrupt the JAK/STAT3 and FAK signaling pathways and exhibit a potent antitumor activity in glioma cells.

JAK (Janus kinase)/STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription) signaling is involved in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Constitutive activation of STATs, in particular STAT3, is observed in a large number of human tumors, including gliomas and may contribute to oncogenesis by stimulating cell proliferation and preventing apoptosis, thus it emerges as a promising target for anti-cancer therapy. To investigate the therapeutic potential of blocking STAT3 in glioma cells a set of small synthetic molecules - caffeic acid derivatives, structurally related to AG490 was screened for its ability to inhibit STAT3.

Drug-tolerant cancer cells show reduced tumor-initiating capacity: depletion of CD44 cells and evidence for epigenetic mechanisms.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) possess high tumor-initiating capacity and have been reported to be resistant to therapeutics. Vice versa, therapy-resistant cancer cells seem to manifest CSC phenotypes and properties. It has been generally assumed that drug-resistant cancer cells may all be CSCs although the generality of this assumption is unknown.

D-glucose- and D-mannose-based antimetabolites. Part 2. Facile synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-halo-D-glucoses and -D-mannoses.

Modified D-glucose and D-mannose analogs are potentially clinically useful metabolic inhibitors. Biological evaluation of 2-deoxy-2-halo analogs has been impaired by limited availability and lack of efficient methods for their preparation. We have developed practical synthetic approaches to 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-, 2-chloro-2-deoxy-, 2-bromo-2-deoxy-, and 2-deoxy-2-iodo derivatives of D-glucose and D-mannose that exploit electrophilic addition reactions to a commercially available 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-D-glucal.

Convenient approach to higher carbon sugars. First synthesis of the free C12-sugar: D-erythro-L-manno-D-manno-dodecose.

The model synthesis of a C12-aldose was initiated from the easily available dimethyl(benzyl 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-alpha-D-manno-heptopyranos-6-ulos-7-yl)phosphonate and 2,3:4,5-di-O-isopropylidene-D-arabinose.