Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity of Novel Imipridone-Ferrocene Hybrids with Triazole and Alkyne Linkers

• Main Authors: Tamás Czuczi (Author), József Murányi (Author), Péter Bárány (Author), István Móra (Author), Adina Borbély (Author), Miklós Csala (Author), Antal Csámpai (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2022-04-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Imipridones, including ONC201, ONC206 and ONC212 (which are emblematic members of this class of compounds developed by Oncoceutics) constitute a novel class of anticancer agents, with promising results in clinical trials. With the aim of increasing the ROS (reactive oxygen species) responsivity of the synthesized molecules, a set of novel ferrocene-imipridone hybrids were designed and synthesized. Our strategy was motivated by the documented interplay between the imipridone-triggered activation of TRAIL (the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) and mitochondrial ClpP (Caseinolytic protease P) and the ROS-mediated effect of ferrocene-containing compounds. In order to obtain novel hybrids with multitarget characters, the ferrocene moiety was tethered to the imipridone scaffold through ethynylene and 1,2,3-triazolyl linkers by using Sonogashira coupling of Cu(I)- and Ru(II)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloadditions. The biological activities of the new hybrids were examined by using in vitro cell viability assays on four malignant cell lines (PANC-1, A2058, EBC-1 and Fadu), along with colony formation assays on the most resistant PANC-1 cell line. Several hybrids caused a significantly greater drop in the cell viability compared to ONC201, and two of them completely overcame the resistance, with IC₅₀ values comparable to those produced by ONC201. The two most potent hybrids, but not ONC201, induced apoptosis/necrosis in PANC-1 and A2058 cells after 24 h of treatment.

Item Description

10.3390/ph15040468
1424-8247