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ID: ALA4190346

Journal: Eur J Med Chem

Title: Structure-based design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of withaferin A-analogues as potent apoptotic inducers.

Authors: Llanos GG, Araujo LM, Jiménez IA, Moujir LM, Rodríguez J, Jiménez C, Bazzocchi IL.

Abstract: Apoptosis inducers represent an attractive approach for the discovery and development of anticancer agents. Herein, we report on the development by molecular fine tuning of a withaferin A-based library of 63 compounds (2-64), 53 of them reported for the first time. Their antiproliferative evaluation on HeLa, A-549 and MCF-7 human tumor cell lines identified fifteen analogues displaying higher activity (IC50 values ranging 0.3-4.8 μM) than the lead (IC50 values ranging 1.3-10.1 μM) either in lag or log growth phases. SAR analysis revealed that acylation enhances cytotoxicity, suggesting the hydrophobic moiety contributes to the activity, presumably by increasing affinity and/or cell membrane permeability. Further investigation clearly indicated that compounds 3, 11, 12, and 18 induce apoptosis evidenced by chromatin condensation, phosphatidylserine externalization, and caspase-3 activation effects on HeLa cells. The potent capacity to induce apoptosis with concomitant cell loss in G2/M highlights the potential of 27-benzyl analogue (18) as an apoptotic inducer drug candidate.

CiteXplore: 28923386

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.09.004