Potent Anticancer Drug (potent + anticancer_drug)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Identification of stemonamide synthetic intermediates as a novel potent anticancer drug with an apoptosis-inducing ability

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 2 2010
Ying-Yi Li
Abstract We previously demonstrated that Pim-3, a protooncogene with serine/threonine kinase activity, was aberrantly expressed in malignant lesions but not in normal tissues of endoderm-derived organs, including pancreas, liver, colon and stomach. Moreover, aberrantly expressed Pim-3 can prevent tumor cell apoptosis by inactivating a proapoptotic molecule, Bad, and enhancing the expression of an antiapoptotic molecule, Bcl-XL. These observations prompted us to speculate that a chemical targeting Pim-3 kinase may be a good candidate for a novel type of anticancer drug. Hence, we screened various low-molecule compounds by examining their capacity to inhibit Pim-3 kinase activity in vitro. We observed that some synthetic intermediates of stemonamide can inhibit in vitro activities of Pim-3 kinase and its related kinases, such as Pim-1 and Pim-2. Moreover, these compounds inhibit in vitro cell proliferation of various human pancreatic, hepatocellular and colon cancer cell lines. Furthermore, the compounds can induce apoptosis of human pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro by reducing the amount of phospho-Ser112 -Bad, but not total amounts of Bad and Pim-3. Finally, when the compound was administered to nude mice injected with a human pancreatic cancer cell line, it retarded tumor growth by increasing apoptotic cell numbers and decreasing proliferating cell numbers without causing serious adverse effects on blood counts. These observations indicate that the chemicals and its related compounds may be effective for the treatment of tumors of endoderm-derived organs, particularly the pancreas. [source]


Copper-Catalyzed Stereoselective Hydroarylation of 3-Aryl-2- propynenitriles with Arylboronic Acids

ADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 9 2009
Yoshihiko Yamamoto
Abstract The selective synthesis of 3,3-diarylacrylonitriles has been achieved by copper-catalyzed hydroarylation of 3-aryl-2-propynenitriles with arylboronic acids. The starting cyanoalkynes were efficiently prepared from the appropriate aromatic aldehydes and diethyl cyanomethylphosphonate in two steps. The hydroarylation of the obtained cyanoalkyne substrates proceeded in methanol at ambient temperature to produce 3,3-diarylacrylonitriles in good to high yields with excellent syn selectivity. The present method was successfully applied to the regiospecific synthesis of both stereoisomers of CC-5079, which was recently reported as a potent anticancer drug. [source]


Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Cycloadditions for the Synthesis of Eight-Membered Carbocycles

CHEMISTRY - AN ASIAN JOURNAL, Issue 5 2010
Zhi-Xiang Yu Prof.
Abstract Eight-membered carbocycles are found in a wide variety of natural products that exhibit a broad range of biological and medicinal activities (cf. the most potent anticancer drug, taxol). However, the synthesis of eight-membered carbocycles is quite challenging as traditional approaches are met with entropic and enthalpic penalties in the ring-forming transition states. These negative effects can be totally or partially avoided with the implementation of transition-metal-catalyzed/mediated cycloadditions. In this Focus Review, examples of elegant and efficient metal-catalyzed and some metal-mediated cycloadditions (including Ni- catalyzed [4+4] and Rh-catalyzed [4+2+2] and [5+2+1] reactions) are presented to illustrate this. Application of these cycloaddition reactions in total synthesis is also presented to show the significance of these reactions in addressing challenges in natural product synthesis. [source]


Recent cancer drug development with xanthone structures

JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 6 2009
Younghwa Na
Abstract Objectives Xanthones are simple three-membered ring compounds that are mainly found as secondary metabolites in higher plants and microorganisms. Xanthones have very diverse biological profiles, including antihypertensive, antioxidative, antithrombotic and anticancer activity, depending on their diverse structures, which are modified by substituents on the ring system. Although several reviews have already been published on xanthone compounds, few of them have focused on the anticancer activity of xanthone derivatives. In this review we briefly summarize natural and synthetic xanthone compounds which have potential as anticancer drugs. Key findings The interesting structural scaffold and pharmacological importance of xanthone derivatives have led many scientists to isolate or synthesize these compounds as novel drug candidates. In the past, extensive research has been conducted to obtain xanthone derivatives from natural resources as well as through synthetic chemistry. Xanthones interact with various pharmacological targets based on the different substituents on the core ring. The anticancer activities of xanthones are also dramatically altered by the ring substituents and their positions. Summary The biological activities of synthetic xanthone derivatives depend on the various substituents and their position. Study of the biological mechanism of action of xanthone analogues, however, has not been conducted extensively compared to the diversity of xanthone compounds. Elucidation of the exact biological target of xanthone compounds will provide better opportunities for these compounds to be developed as potent anticancer drugs. At the same time, modification of natural xanthone derivatives aimed at specific targets is capable of expanding the biological spectrum of xanthone compounds. [source]