Noscapinoids with anti-cancer activity against human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CEM): a three dimensional chemical space pharmacophore modeling and electronic feature analysis

We have identified a new class of microtubule-binding compounds—noscapinoids—that alter microtubule dynamics at stoichiometric concentrations without affecting tubulin polymer mass. Noscapinoids show great promise as chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of human cancers. To investigate the structural determinants of noscapinoids responsible for anti-cancer activity, we tested 36 structurally diverse noscapinoids in human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CEM). The IC₅₀ values of these noscapinoids vary from 1.2 to 56.0 μM. Pharmacophore models of anti-cancer activity were generated that identify two hydrogen bond acceptors, two aromatic rings, two hydrophobic groups, and one positively charged group as essential structural features. Additionally, an atom-based quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) model was developed that gave a statistically satisfying result (R ² = 0.912, Q ² = 0.908, Pearson R = 0.951) and effectively predicts the anti-cancer activity of training and test set compounds. The pharmacophore model presented here is well supported by electronic property analysis using density functional theory at B3LYP/3-21*G level. Molecular electrostatic potential, particularly localization of negative potential near oxygen atoms of the dimethoxy isobenzofuranone ring of active compounds, matched the hydrogen bond acceptor feature of the generated pharmacophore. Our results further reveal that all active compounds have smaller lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies concentrated over the dimethoxy isobenzofuranone ring, azido group, and nitro group, which is indicative of the electron acceptor capacity of the compounds. Results obtained from this study will be useful in the efficient design and development of more active noscapinoids.     

Role of ACE2-Ang (1–7)-Mas axis in post-COVID-19 complications and its dietary modulation

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry - Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (COVID-19) virus uses Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a gateway for their entry into the human body....     

Rational Design,Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Third Generation α-Noscapine Analogues as Potent Tubulin Binding Anti-Cancer Agents

Systematic screening based on structural similarity of drugs such as colchicine and podophyllotoxin led to identification of noscapine, a microtubule-targeted agent that attenuates the dynamic instability of microtubules without affecting the total polymer mass of microtubules. We report a new generation of noscapine derivatives as potential tubulin binding anti-cancer agents. Molecular modeling experiments of these derivatives 5a, 6a-j yielded better docking score (-7.252 to -5.402 kCal/mol) than the parent compound, noscapine (-5.505 kCal/mol) and its existing derivatives (-5.563 to -6.412 kCal/mol). Free energy (ΔG _bind) calculations based on the linear interaction energy (LIE) empirical equation utilizing Surface Generalized Born (SGB) continuum solvent model predicted the tubulin-binding affinities for the derivatives 5a, 6a-j (ranging from -4.923 to -6.189 kCal/mol). Compound 6f showed highest binding affinity to tubulin (-6.189 kCal/mol). The experimental evaluation of these compounds corroborated with theoretical studies. N-(3-brormobenzyl) noscapine (6f) binds tubulin with highest binding affinity (K_D, 38 ± 4.0 µM), which is ~ 4.0 times higher than that of the parent compound, noscapine (K_D, 144 ± 1.0 µM) and is also more potent than that of the first generation clinical candidate EM011, 9-bromonoscapine (K_D, 54 ± 9.1 µM). All these compounds exhibited substantial cytotoxicity toward cancer cells, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 6.7 µM to 72.9 µM; compound 6f showed prominent anti-cancer efficacy with IC₅₀ values ranging from 6.7 µM to 26.9 µM in cancer cells of different tissues of origin. These compounds perturbed DNA synthesis, delayed the cell cycle progression at G2/M phase, and induced apoptotic cell death in cancer cells. Collectively, the study reported here identified potent, third generation noscapinoids as new anti-cancer agents.     

Rational design of novel anti-microtubule agent (9-azido-noscapine) from quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) evaluation of noscapinoids

An anticough medicine, noscapine [(S)-3-((R)4-methoxy-6-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-[1,3]dioxolo[4,5-g]isoquinolin-5-yl)-6,7-dimethoxyiso-benzofuran-1(3H)-one], was discovered in the authors' laboratory as a novel type of tubulin-binding agent that mitigates polymerization dynamics of microtubule polymers without changing overall subunit-polymer equilibrium. To obtain systematic insight into the relationship between the structural framework of noscapine scaffold and its antitumor activity, the authors synthesized strategic derivatives (including two new ones in this article). The IC(50) values of these analogs vary from 1.2 to 56.0 μM in human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells (CEM). Geometrical optimization was performed using semiempirical quantum chemical calculations at the 3-21G* level. Structures were in agreement with nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of molecular flexibility in solution and crystal structures. A genetic function approximation algorithm of variable selection was used to generate the quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) model. The robustness of the QSAR model (R(2) = 0.942) was analyzed by values of the internal cross-validated regression coefficient (R(2) (LOO) = 0.815) for the training set and determination coefficient (R(2) (test) = 0.817) for the test set. Validation was achieved by rational design of further novel and potent antitumor noscapinoid, 9-azido-noscapine, and reduced 9-azido-noscapine. The experimentally determined value of pIC(50) for both the compounds (5.585 M) turned out to be very close to predicted pIC(50) (5.731 and 5.710 M).