Development of novel pyrazole, imidazo[1,2-b]pyrazole, and pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives as a new class of COX-2 inhibitors with immunomodulatory potential.

Searching for new compounds with anti-inflammatory properties is a significant target since inflammation is a major cause of pain. A series of pyrazole, imidazopyrazolone, and pyrazolopyrimidine derivatives were designed and synthesized by reaction of 3,5-diamino-1H-pyrazole derivative with cyclic and acyclic carbonyl reagents. The structure of the newly synthesized derivatives were fully characterized using different spectroscopic data and elemental analysis, and therefore, evaluated as COX-2 inhibitors. The in vitro COX-2 activity of the tested derivatives 2-13 displayed moderate to good potency with two derivatives 8 and 13 that exhibiting high potency to COX-2 with IC50 values of 5.68 ± 0.08 and 3.37 ± 0.07 µM compared with celecoxib (IC50 = 3.60 ± 0.07 µM) and meloxicam (IC50 = 7.58 ± 0.13 µM). Furthermore, the most active pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives 8 and 13 were evaluated to measure the levels of pro-inflammatory proteins such as TNF-α and IL-6 using qRT-PCR in RAW264.7 cells, and the results showed down-regulation of two immunomodulatory proteins. Surprisingly, these derivatives 8 and 13 revealed a decrease in IL-6 level with inhibition percentages of 65.8 and 70.3%, respectively, compared with celecoxib (% = 76.8). Further, compounds 8 and 13 can regulate and suppress the TNF-α with percentage inhibition of 63.1 and 59.2% to controls, while celecoxib displayed an inhibition percentage of 72.7. The Quantum chemical calculation was conducted, and data explained the structural features crucial to the activity. The molecular docking simulation and ADMET predictions revealed that the most active derivatives have good binding affinity, possess appropriate drug-likeness properties and low toxicity profiles. Finally, compounds 8 and 13 demonstrated COX-2 inhibitors with α-TNF and IL-6 suppression capabilities as a dual-action strategy to get more effective treatment.

Discovery of novel pyrazole and pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives as cyclooxygenase inhibitors (COX-1 and COX-2) using molecular modeling simulation.

Searching for effective and selective anti-inflammatory agents, our study involved designing and synthesizing new pyrazole and pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives 4-11. The structures of the synthesized derivatives were confirmed using different spectroscopic techniques. Virtual screening was achieved for the newly designed derivatives using in silico docking simulation inside the active sites of four proteins classified as two cyclooxygenases (COX)-1 (PDB: 3KK6 and 4OIZ) and two COX-2 (PBD: 1CX2 and 3LN1). Among them, six derivatives 4c, 5b, 6a, 7a, 7b, and 10b displayed the highest binding energy. These derivatives were evaluated for their in vitro COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitory activities and their selectivity indexes were calculated. Additionally, these derivatives displayed IC50 values ranging between 4.909 ± 0.25 and 57.53 ± 2.91 µM, and 3.289 ± 0.14 and 124 ± 5.32 µM, against COX-1 and COX-2, respectively. Furthermore, the tested derivatives were found to have selective inhibitory activity on the COX-2 enzyme. Surprisingly, the two pyrazole derivatives 4c and 5b were found to be the most active, with IC50 values of 9.835 ± 0.50 and 4.909 ± 0.25 µM and 4.597 ± 0.20 and 3.289 ± 0.14 µM compared with meloxicam (1.879 ± 0.1 and 5.409 ± 0.23 µM) and celecoxib (5.439 ± 0.28 and 2.164 ± 0.09 µM) against COX-1/-2, respectively. Besides, two pyrazole derivatives, 4c and 5b, displayed a COX-1/COX-2 SI of 2.14 and 1.49. Computational techniques such as molecular docking, density function theory (DFT) calculation, and chemical absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity evaluation were applied to explain the molecules' binding mode, chemical nature, drug likeness, and toxicity prediction.

The Uses of Dimedone for the Synthesis of Thiophene, Thiazole and Annulated Derivatives with Antitumor, Pim-1 Kinase Inhibitions, PAINS Evaluations and Molecular Docking.

BACKGROUND: Dimedone is considered as one of the most important classes of compounds belonging to cyclohexan-1,3-dione. Such groups of compounds were considered as precursors for many pharmaceutically active heterocyclic compounds. OBJECTIVE: The target molecules in this work were synthesized from arylhydrazones of dimedone with different substituents enhancing the study of their structure-activity relationship. METHODS: Arylhydrazones of dimedones were subjected to a series of heterocyclization reactions affording annulated compounds. The anti-proliferative activities of the synthesized molecules were evaluated against six cancer cell lines. In addition, inhibitions toward tyrosine kinases, Pim-1 kinases and PAINS of the most active compounds were also studied. c-Met enzymatic inhibitions and molecular docking studies were carried out for three compounds. RESULTS: Anti-cancer evaluations together with tyrosine and Pim-1 kinases of most of the synthesized compounds were carried out through this work. The study revealed that changing of substituents had a strong impact on the activity of the molecule. CONCLUSION: Many of the synthesized compounds exhibited high inhibitions towards the six cancer cell lines. This will encourage further work through the synthesis of target molecules with the same ring systems. The three compounds 7b, 8c and 12b that revealed excellent inhibitions were tested against c-Met kinase and their molecular modelling was expressed.

Multi-Component Reactions of Cyclohexan-1,3-dione: Synthesis of Fused Pyran, Pyridine, Thiophene and Pyrazole Derivatives with c-Met, Anti-Proliferative Activities.

BACKGROUND: Recently, products of Multi-Component Reactions (MCR's) acquired special attention due to their wide range of pharmacological activities especially therapeutic activities. In the market it was found that many pharmacological drugs containing the pyran and pyridine nucleus that were produced through MCR's were found. OBJECTIVE: This work aims to synthesize target molecules not only possess anti-tumour activities but also c-Met and prostate cancer inhibitors. The target molecules were obtained starting from cyclohexan-1,3-dione through its multi-component reactions to produce anticancer target molecules. METHODS: Cyclohexane-1,3-dione underwent different multi-component reactions to produce fused pyran, pyridine and thiophene derivatives. The anti-proliferative activity of the newly synthesized compounds among the synthesized compounds toward the six cancer cell lines, namely A549, H460, HT-29, MKN-45, U87MG, and SMMC-7721 was studied. In addition, inhibitions toward c-Met kinase and prostate cancer cell line were studied. Antitumor evaluations toward seventeen cancer cell lines subpanel, for certain compounds, were also demonstrated according to the diseases. Pim-1 kinase inhibitions of the most active compounds were also measured. RESULTS: Anti-proliferative evaluations, c-Met and Pim-1 kinase inhibitions were performed for most of the synthesized compounds where the varieties of substituent through the aryl ring and the heterocyclic ring afforded compounds with high activities. CONCLUSION: Compounds 4b, 6b, 8b, 9a, 11b, 12b, 17b, 18b, 19, 22c, 23b, 25b and 26b were the most cytotoxic compounds toward the six cancer cell lines. Inhibitions toward c-Met kinase and prostate cancer cells showed that the presence of the electronegative Cl group within the molecule were responsible for its high activity. In addition, inhibitions toward Pim-1 kinase exhibited that most of tested compounds showed high inhibitions.

Design, Synthesis, Molecular Docking Study and Anti-Hepatocellular Carcinoma Evaluation of New Bis-Triazolothiadiazines.

OBJECTIVE: The reaction of bis(4-amino-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol) with hydrazonoyl halides and α-halo-ketones gave a new series of bis-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]thiadiazine derivatives. METHODS: The structure of the new products was established on the basis of their elemental and spectral data (mass, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and IR) and an alternate method. RESULTS: Several of the synthesized products were subjected to in vitro anticancer screening against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG-2) and the results showed that compounds 16, 14 and 12 have promising activities (IC50 value of 24.8±9.1, 28.3±0.5, and 31±2.9µM, respectively) compared with Harmine reference drug (IC50 value of 22.4±1.11 µM). CONCLUSION: Moreover, molecular docking studies were performed to analyze the binding modes of the discovered hits into the active site of DYRK1A using iGEMDOCK.