2. Academic Validation
  3. Discovery of a novel piperlongumine analogue as a microtubule polymerization inhibitor with potent anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic efficacy

Discovery of a novel piperlongumine analogue as a microtubule polymerization inhibitor with potent anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic efficacy

  • Eur J Med Chem. 2022 Dec 5:243:114738. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114738.
Jinling Qin 1,  Hongliang Li 1,  Xuan Wang 1,  Yixin Zhang 1,  Yongtao Duan 2,  Yongfang Yao 3,  Hua Yang 4,  Moran Sun 5
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, And Institute of Drug Discovery & Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, China; Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
  • 2 Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450018, China.
  • 3 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, And Institute of Drug Discovery & Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, China; Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 4 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, And Institute of Drug Discovery & Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, China; Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
  • 5 School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, And Institute of Drug Discovery & Development, Zhengzhou University, 100 Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, China; Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Preparation Technologies, Ministry of Education, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 36162214 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114738
Abstract

In an effort to discover Anticancer agents with simultaneous effects on tubulin and angiogenesis, we designed and synthesized two series of piperlongumie (PL) derivatives by replacing of phenyl group with a variety of benzoheterocycle (series II) or cyclizing the C7-C8 olefin into an aromatic heterocycle (series I). Most of the new compounds showed better antiproliferative activities against six Cancer cell lines than the parent drug PL. Compound II-14b had the best cytotoxic profile of these two series in Cancer cells, whilst being relatively low cytotoxicity against normal human cells and high potency against drug-resistant cells. It disrupted cellular microtubule networks and inhibited tubulin assembly with an IC50 value of 5.8 μM. Further studies elucidated that II-14b showed antitumor activities through multiple mechanisms, including the pruduction of abundant ROS, the dissipation of mitochondrial membrane potential, the accumulation of DNA double-strand breaks, and the induction of cell cycle in G2/M phase. More importantly, we have observed that it possesses potential anti-angiogenesis capabilities, including suppression of HUVECs cell migration, invasion, and endothelial tube formation in vitro and in vivo. In vivo assessment indicated that II-14b inhibits the growth and metastasis of MGC-803 xenograft tumour in zebrafish. These findings show that II-14b is a high-efficacy and non-toxic antitumor agent.

Keywords

Angiogenesis; Metastasis; Microtubules; Piperlongumine; Zebrafish.

Figures