In Vitro and In Silico Evaluation of Antiproliferative Activity of New Isoxazolidine Derivatives Targeting EGFR: Design, Synthesis, Cell Cycle Analysis, and Apoptotic Inducers

• Main Authors: Fahad Alminderej (Author), Siwar Ghannay (Author), Mohamed O. Elsamani (Author), Fahad Alhawday (Author), Abuzar E. A. E. Albadri (Author), Serag Eldin I. Elbehairi (Author), Mohammad Y. Alfaifi (Author), Adel Kadri (Author), Kaïss Aouadi (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2023-07-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/ph16071025; 1424-8247
• Keywords: molecular dynamics; molecular docking simulation; isoxazolidine; anticancer; EGFR; apoptosis; Medicine; R; Pharmacy and materia medica; RS1-441
• Source: Pharmaceuticals, Vol 16, Iss 7, p 1025 (2023)

A series of novel enantiopure isoxazolidine derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activities against three human cancer cell lines such as human breast carcinoma (MCF-7), human lung adenocarcinoma (A-549), and human ovarian carcinoma (SKOV3) by employing MTT assay. The synthesized compounds were characterized by NMR and elemental analysis. Results revealed that all the synthesized compounds displayed significant inhibition towards the tested cell lines. Among them, <b>2g</b> and <b>2f</b>, which differ only by the presence of an ester group at the C-3 position and small EDG (methyl) at the C-5 position of the phenyl ring (<b>2g</b>), were the most active derivatives in attenuating the growth of the three cells in a dose-dependent manner. The IC₅₀ for <b>2g</b> were 17.7 ± 1 µM (MCF-7), 12.1 ± 1.1 µM (A-549), and 13.9 ± 0.7 µM (SKOV3), and for <b>2f</b> were 9.7 ± 1.3µM (MCF-7), 9.7 ± 0.7µM (A-549), and 6.5 ± 0.9µM (SKOV3), respectively, which were comparable to the standard drug, doxorubicin. The enzymatic inhibition of <b>2f</b> and <b>2g</b> against EGFR afforded good inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ of 0.298 ± 0.007 μM and 0.484 ± 0.01 µM, respectively, close to the positive control, Afatinib. Compound <b>2f</b> arrested the cell cycle in the S phase in MCF-7 and SKOV3 cells, and in the G2/M phase in the A549 cell; however, <b>2g</b> induced G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest, and inhibited the progression of the three cancer cells, together with significant apoptotic effects. The docking study of compounds <b>2f</b> and <b>2g</b> into EGFR ATP-active site revealed that it fits nicely with good binding affinity. The pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness scores revealed notable lead-like properties. At 100 ns, the dynamic simulation investigation revealed high conformational stability in the EGFR binding cavity.