DYRK1A kinase inhibitors with emphasis on cancer.

Various types of cancers (including gliomas, melanomas, and esophageal, pancreas and non-small-cell lung cancers) display intrinsic resistance to pro-apoptotic stimuli, such as conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and/or the activation of a multidrug resistance phenotype, which are major barriers to effective treatment and lead to poor patient prognosis. The DYRK1A kinase is directly implicated in the resistance of cancer cells to pro-apoptotic stimuli and drives several pathways that enhance proliferation, migration, and the reduction of cell death, leading to very aggressive biological behavior in cancer cell populations. The DYRK1A kinase is also implicated in neurological diseases and in neoangiogenic processes. Thus, the DYRK1A kinase is of great interest for both cancer and neuroscience research. During the last decade, numerous compounds that inhibit DYRK1A have been synthesized. The present review discusses the available molecules known to interfere with DYRK1A activity and the implications of DYRK1A in cancer and other diseases and serves as a rational analysis for researchers who aim to improve the anti-DYRK1A activity of currently available compounds.

Structure-activity relationship analyses of glycyrrhetinic acid derivatives as anticancer agents.

Cancer cell resistance to kinase inhibitors and targeted agents, acquisition of a multidrug-resistant (MDR) phenotype and/or intrinsic resistance to apoptosis prevent effective treatment in about 50% of solid cancers in adults, and the percentage is even higher in children. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) and some of its derivatives may offer hope in combating cancer types associated with poor prognoses. Some GA derivatives are indeed able to target both the proteasome and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), two proteins that play major roles in cancer cell biology but are not related to MDR and/or apoptosis-related resistance phenotypes.

The reactions of oxicam and sulfoanilide non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with hypochlorous acid: determination of the rate constants with an assay based on the competition with para-aminobenzoic acid chlorination and identification of some oxidation products.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is an oxygen-derived species involved in physiological processes related to the defence of the organism that may cause adverse effects when its production is insufficiently controlled. In order to examine its reactivity with potential scavenging molecules from the non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) family, a competition assay based on para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) chlorination was developed. The original optimised in vitro fluorimetric procedure offered the possibility to determine rate constants (ks) for the reaction with HOCl in physiologically relevant conditions. The specificity of the system was improved by a liquid chromatography (LC) which allows the separation of the drugs and their oxidation products. After determination of the rate constant for PABA chlorination by HOCl (mean +/- SD in M(-1) s(-1): 4.3 +/- 0.3 x 10(3)), the applied mathematical model for a chemical competition permits to obtain linear curves from competition studies between several NSAIDs and PABA. Their slopes provided the following rate constants for the different studied drugs: tenoxicam: 4.0 +/- 0.7 x 10(3), piroxicam: 3.6 +/- 0.7 x 10(3), lornoxicam: 4.3 +/- 0.7 x 10(3), meloxicam: 1.7 +/- 0.3 x 10(4), nimesulide: 2.3 +/- 0.6 x 10(2). Meloxicam therefore reacted significantly faster than the other oxicams and nimesulide, which is the weakest scavenger of the studied series. The identification of some of the oxidation products by NMR or MS permitted to explore the reaction mechanism and to examine some aspects of the structure/activity relationships for the molecules of the same chemical family.

A new series of M3 muscarinic antagonists based on the 4-amino-piperidine scaffold.

A series of 4-amino-piperidine containing molecules have been synthesized and structure-affinity relationship toward the M3-muscarinic receptor has been investigated. Chemical modulations provided molecules with K(i) for the human M3-R up to 1 nM with variable selectivity (3- to 40-fold) over the human M2-R. Compounds 2 (pA(2)=8.3, 8.6) demonstrates in vitro on guinea pig bladder and ileal strips potent anticholinergic properties and tissue selectivity.

Synthesis and cytotoxicity studies of new analogues of polyamines.

In order to regulate simultaneously the biosynthesis and the transport of natural polyamines, the synthesis of a series of N-methylated analogues of N,N1-Bis(benzyl)-alkanediamines (propanediamine and butanediamine) was achieved and the cytotoxicity of these compounds on the P388D1 cell line was determined. Experiments were conducted in a growth culture medium 20 microM of 2-mercaptoethanol or 0.1 mM of aminoguanidine. Their cytotoxic effects were compared to those obtained under the same conditions with natural polyamines known as toxic compounds at high concentrations. The IC50 of each compound was found very similar for all experimental conditions (IC50 approximately 150 microM) at the opposite of spermidine and spermine which were less toxic (IC50 > 500 microM) when cells were grown in the presence of aminoguanidine (a specific inhibitor of fetal calf serum's PAO). The DL-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) and MDL 72527DA, two well known inhibitors of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and Polyamine Oxidase (PAO) respectively, had no toxicity on the P388D1 cells compared to our compounds. Our most toxic compound was N1,N4-Bis(benzyl)-N1,N4-bis(methyl)-1,4-butanediamine (6) with an IC50 of 127 +/- 3 microM (in culture medium alone). The synthesis of the beta-aminothioether derivative of N-benzylputrescine (11) and the beta-aminothiol derivative of N-benzylspermidine (13) were also related. The Compound 11 was tested against the P388D1 cells, and did not show any cytotoxic effect. The N-methyl derivatives should give the advantage to be used at low concentrations than those used to test the DFMO.

Effects of 3,N,N'-trimethyl-2-phenyl-1,4-piperazine diastereomers on monoamine uptake and monoamine oxidase in rat brain.

The diastereomers of 3,N,N'-trimethyl-2-phenyl-1,4-piperazine dihydrochloride (TPP) were tested for their effects on NA, DA and 5-HT uptake in synaptosomes prepared from hypothalamus, corpus striatum, and frontal cortex, respectively. The diastereomers differed with respect to their inhibitory properties. (2 R, 3 R)-TPP was more potent than the other diastereomers on NA and DA uptake, whereas (2 S, 3 S)-TPP was least potent. In contrast, the (2 S, 3 S)- and (2 S, 3 R)-diastereomers of TPP were more potent than (2 R, 3 R)- and (2 R, 3 S)-TPP as inhibitors of 5-HT uptake. None of the diastereomers affected monoamine oxidase activity. The findings show that the diastereomers of TPP interact stereoselectively with neuronal mechanisms for monoamine uptake, and that the (S)-configuration at the 2 carbon is important for inhibitory actions of TPP on 5-HT uptake.

Convenient synthesis of 1-phenyl-1,2-propanediamines. Preliminary pharmacological results.

A novel synthesis of (1R,2S)- and (1S,2S)-1-phenyl-1,2-propanediamines by highly regioselective and stereo-specific opening of chiral aziridines is reported. This method permits the synthesis of optically pure diastereomers. A hypothermic effect is observed after intracerebroventricular injection in rats.

Homologous and hybrid calcium complexes of A23187 and hypoglycemic sulfonylureas: nuclear magnetic resonance and conformational analysis.

Hypoglycemic sulfonylureas (e.g., gliclazide) are able to transport calcium across hydrophobic domains. Gliclazide and the ionophore A23187 act synergistically upon calcium transport. One calcium atom is complexed by either two molecules of sulfonylureas (or A23187) or one molecule each of sulfonylurea and A23187; the existence of such hybrid complexes has been documented by nuclear magnetic resonance. Conformation analysis of the calcium-gliclazide complex suggests close apposition of the toluyl groups in the gliclazide molecules.