4,5,7-Trisubstituted indeno[1,2-b]indole inhibits CK2 activity in tumor cells equivalent to CX-4945 and shows strong anti-migratory effects.

Highly pleiotropic and constitutively active protein kinase CK2 is a key target in cancer therapy, but only one small-molecule inhibitor has reached clinical trials-CX-4945. In this study, we present the indeno[1,2-b]indole derivative 5-isopropyl-4-methoxy-7-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroindeno[1,2-b]indole-9,10-dione (5a-2) that decreased the intracellular CK2 activity in A431, A549, and LNCaP tumor cell lines analogous to CX-4945 (> 75% inhibition at 20 µm) and similarly blocked CK2-specific Akt phosphorylation in LNCaP cells. Cellular uptake analysis demonstrated higher intracellular concentrations of 5a-2 (408.3 nm) compared with CX-4945 (119.3 nm). This finding clarifies the comparable effects of both compounds on the intracellular CK2 activity despite their different inhibitory potency in vitro [IC50 = 25 nm (5a-2) and 3.7 nm (CX-4945)]. Examination of the effects of both CK2 inhibitors on cancer cells using live-cell imaging revealed notable differences. Whereas CX-4945 showed a stronger pro-apoptotic effect on tumor cells, 5a-2 was more effective in inhibiting tumor cell migration. Our results showed that 49% of intracellular CX-4945 was localized in the nuclear fraction, whereas 71% of 5a-2 was detectable in the cytoplasm. The different subcellular distribution, and thus the site of CK2 inhibition, provides a possible explanation for the different cellular effects. Our study indicates that investigating CK2 inhibition-mediated cellular effects in relation to the subcellular sites of CK2 inhibition may help to improve our understanding of the preferential roles of CK2 within different cancer cell compartments.

Iodinated polymer nanoparticles as contrast agent for spectral photon counting computed tomography.

Suspensions of iodinated polymer nanoparticles are evaluated as contrast agent for Computed Tomography (CT) and Spectral Photon Counting Computed Tomography (SPCCT). Iodine containing moieties are grafted to poly(vinyl alcohol) by means of a covalent ester bond up to high degree of substitution of 0.77 providing high iodine content of 71 wt%. Polymer nanoparticles of 150 nm diameter stabilized by the block copolymer poly(caprolactone)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) are highly stable in water and human serum. High coverage of nanoparticles by PEG chains in a dense brush conformation (0.30 molecules·nm-2) provides resistance against fast elimination by mononuclear phagocytes system. Iodine concentration is increased up to 100 mg(i)·mL-1 by a centrifugation/redispersion step, which sets radiopacity of the contrast agent in the right range for imaging cardiovascular system and biodistribution. SPCCT 'Material Decomposition' and 'K-edge reconstruction' methods allow accurate quantification of iodine, as well as specific discrimination of iodine and gadolinium in mixed phantom samples. Intravenous injection of iodinated polymer nanoparticles to rats provides a clear visualization of the cardiovascular system over several hours followed by progressive accumulation in liver and spleen. This material is a 'blood pool' contrast agent with very long residence time in the blood stream.

Behaviour of Tetrabenazine in Acid Medium: Reassessment and Impact on Formulation.

Thorough studies of previous analytical stress data of tetrabenazine, a dopamine depleting agent, showed a potential susceptibility to acidic conditions. Hence, the behavior of tetrabenazine acidic solutions was studied by LC-MS and NMR spectroscopy. Reverse-phase LC-MS analysis of tetrabenazine acidic aqueous solutions consistently showed a main lipophilic impurity in a proportion of 15 to 20%. NMR spectroscopy studies did not allow to completely ascertain its structure. However, we hypothesize an interconversion of trans-tetrabenazine with its unstable cis isomer via an open isoquinolinium intermediate. Evaluation of tetrabenazine integrity in orodispersible films was reassessed in light of these observations after formulation and during stability study. Even if interconversion of trans-tetrabenazine with its cis isomer was observed in orodispersible films containing tetrabenazine, this phenomenon seems not to have any consequences for the overall tetrabenazine bioavailability.

QSAR Model of Indeno[1,2-b]indole Derivatives and Identification of N-isopentyl-2-methyl-4,9-dioxo-4,9-Dihydronaphtho[2,3-b]furan-3-carboxamide as a Potent CK2 Inhibitor.

Casein kinase II (CK2) is an intensively studied enzyme, involved in different diseases, cancer in particular. Different scaffolds were used to develop inhibitors of this enzyme. Here, we report on the synthesis and biological evaluation of twenty phenolic, ketonic, and para-quinonic indeno[1,2-b]indole derivatives as CK2 inhibitors. The most active compounds were 5-isopropyl-1-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroindeno[1,2-b]indole-9,10-dione 4h and 1,3-dibromo-5-isopropyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroindeno[1,2-b]indole-9,10-dione 4w with identical IC50 values of 0.11 µM. Furthermore, the development of a QSAR model based on the structure of indeno[1,2-b]indoles was performed. This model was used to predict the activity of 25 compounds with naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione derivatives, which were previously predicted as CK2 inhibitors via a molecular modeling approach. The activities of four naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-dione derivatives were determined in vitro and one of them (N-isopentyl-2-methyl-4,9-dioxo-4,9-dihydronaphtho[2,3-b]furan-3-carboxamide) turned out to inhibit CK2 with an IC50 value of 2.33 µM. All four candidates were able to reduce the cell viability by more than 60% after 24 h of incubation using 10 µM.

Structure-based design and profiling of novel 17ß-HSD14 inhibitors.

The human enzyme 17ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 14 (17ß-HSD14) oxidizes the hydroxyl group at position 17 of estradiol and 5-androstenediol using NAD+ as cofactor. However, the physiological role of the enzyme remains unclear. We recently described the first class of nonsteroidal inhibitors for this enzyme with compound 1 showing a high 17ß-HSD14 inhibitory activity. Its crystal structure was used as starting point for a structure-based optimization in this study. The goal was to develop a promising chemical probe to further investigate the enzyme. The newly designed compounds revealed mostly very high inhibition of the enzyme and for seven of them the crystal structures of the corresponding inhibitor-enzyme complexes were resolved. The crystal structures disclosed that a small change in the substitution pattern of the compounds resulted in an alternative binding mode for one inhibitor. The profiling of a set of the most potent inhibitors identified 13 (Ki = 9 nM) with a good selectivity profile toward three 17ß-HSDs and the estrogen receptor alpha. This inhibitor displayed no cytotoxicity, good solubility, and auspicious predicted bioavailability. Overall, 13 is a highly interesting 17ß-HSD14 inhibitor, which might be used as chemical probe for further investigation of the target enzyme.

Screening of indeno[1,2-b]indoloquinones by MALDI-MS: a new set of potential CDC25 phosphatase inhibitors brought to light.

Quinones and quinones-like compounds are potential candidates for the inhibition of CDC25 phosphatases. The combination of MALDI-MS analyses and biological studies was used to develop a rapid screening of a targeted library of indeno[1,2-b]indoloquinone derivatives. The screening protocol using MALDI-TOFMS and MALDI-FTICRMS highlighted four new promising candidates. Biological investigations showed that only compounds 5c-f inhibited CDC25A and -C phosphatases, with IC50 values around the micromolar range. The direct use of a screening method based on MALDI-MS technology allowed achieving fast scaffold identification of a new class of potent inhibitors of CDC25 phosphatases. These four molecules appeared as novel molecules of a new class of CDC25 inhibitors. Assessment of 5c-e in an MRC5 proliferation assay provided an early indicator of toxicity to mammalian cells. Compound 5d seems the most promising hit for developing new CDC25 inhibitors.

Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Modeling of Substituted Indeno[1,2-b]indoles as Inhibitors of Human Protein Kinase CK2.

Due to their system of annulated 6-5-5-6-membered rings, indenoindoles have sparked great interest for the design of ATP-competitive inhibitors of human CK2. In the present study, we prepared twenty-one indeno[1,2-b]indole derivatives, all of which were tested in vitro on human CK2. The indenoindolones 5a and 5b inhibited human CK2 with an IC50 of 0.17 and 0.61 µM, respectively. The indeno[1,2-b]indoloquinone 7a also showed inhibitory activity on CK2 at a submicromolar range (IC50 = 0.43 µM). Additionally, a large number of indenoindole derivatives was evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against the cell lines 3T3, WI-38, HEK293T and MEF.

Structural elucidation of two photolytic degradation products of tetrabenazine.

During solution formulation study of tetrabenazine (TBZ), a dopamine depleting agent, used in chorea associated with Huntington's disease and symptomatic treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorder it was observed a strong discoloration upon storage. We investigated this physico-chemical behavior by implementing forced degradation studies. It was observed yellowing only under Suntest(®) light exposure of TBZ solution. LC-MS (liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometer detection) analysis of light exposed TBZ samples allowed us to propose 1,11b-dedihydrotetrabenazine (DTBZ) and 1,3,4,11b-detetrahydrotetrabenazine (TTBZ) as the main TBZ impurities. Synthesis and complete structural determination of DTBZ and TTBZ·HCl by NMR and X-ray crystallography were carried out. They were identical in LC-MS with polar impurities found in light exposed TBZ samples. However, even if these TBZ degradation products are correlated with discoloration of TBZ solution there is no evidence they are directly responsible of it.

1H and 13C NMR assignments of bioactive indeno[1,2-b]indole-10-one derivatives.

The complete (1)H and (13)C assignments of eight bioactive indeno[1,2-b]indole-10-one derivatives were accomplished by the combined use of one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR experiments.

Potent and fully noncompetitive peptidomimetic inhibitor of multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein.

N(α)-Boc-l-Asp(OBn)-l-Lys(Z)-OtBu (reversin 121, 1), an inhibitor of the P-gp ABC transporter, was used to conceive compounds inhibiting the drug efflux occurring through the Hoechst 33342 and daunorubicin transport sites of P-gp, respectively H and R sites. Replacement of the aspartyl residue by trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline (4(R)Hyp) gave compounds 11 and 15 characterized by half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)) of 0.6 and 0.2 µM, which are 2- and 7-fold lower than that of the parent molecule. The difference in IC(50) between 11 and 15 rests on the carbonyl group of the peptidyl bond, reduced in 15. Those compounds are rather specific of P-gp, having no or limited activity on MRP1 and BCRP. 15 displayed no marked cytotoxicity up to 10-fold its IC(50). Importantly, 15 equally inhibited the Hoechst 33342 and daunorubicin effluxes through a typical noncompetitive inhibition mechanism, suggesting its binding to a site different from the H and R drug-transport sites.

Inhibition of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug efflux by aminomethylene and ketomethylene analogs of reversins.

Several aminomethylene analogs and a ketomethylene analog of reversins were synthesized in order to evaluate their ability to inhibit P-glycoprotein-mediated drug efflux in K562/R7 human leukemic cells overexpressing P-glycoprotein. These analogs retained good activity compared to cyclosporin A and the original reversins.