Synthesis, in vitro anticancer evaluation and in silico studies of novel imidazo[2,1-b]thiazole derivatives bearing pyrazole moieties.

A series of imidazo[2,1-b]thiazoles bearing pyrazole moieties 4-6(a-c) was synthesized through the reaction of 6-hydrazinylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazoles 3a-c with different β-dicarbonyl compounds. Eleven compounds were screened at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA for anticancer activity at a single dose (10 μM). The in vitro anticancer evaluation revealed that compounds 2a and 4-6(a) exhibited increased potency towards CNS SNB-75 and Renal UO-31 cancer cell lines. COMPARE analyses showed strong to considerable correlations with rapamycin (mTOR inhibitor). The results of assessment of toxicities, druglikeness, and drug score profiles of compounds 2a and 4-6(a) are promising. Some of the target compounds showed good docking scores with potential anticancer targets, chosen based on pharmacophore mapping of the established derivatives.