Coumarin-pyrazoline Hybrids as Selective Inhibitors of the Tumor-associated Carbonic Anhydrase IX and XII.

AIM: Human carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms IX and XII are validated antitumor/ antimetastatic drug and tumor imaging targets with sulfonamide inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies in clinical development. Coumarins act as isoform-selective inhibitors of these isoforms over the cytosolic and mitochondrial ones. METHODS: We report the synthesis and in vitro CA inhibitory evaluation of a large panel of coumarins incorporating pyrazole-1-carboxamide moieties. Compounds were fully characterized before the assessment of their inhibitory activity. A stopped-flow CO2 hydrase assay was performed for the biological test. RESULTS: These coumarins did not inhibit the widespread, off-target isoforms CA I and II (KI >50 µM), but they were sub-micromolar CA IX/XII inhibitors with an interesting selectivity index higher than the reference compound. Selectivity between α- and ß-class of CAs was also promising. CONCLUSION: These compounds may be used as leads for the rational design and development of non-sulfonamide CA IX/XII effective inhibitors.

Aryl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamide Derivatives Bearing a Sulfonamide Moiety Show Single-digit Nanomolar-to-Subnanomolar Inhibition Constants against the Tumor-associated Human Carbonic Anhydrases IX and XII.

A series of new 3-phenyl-5-aryl-N-(4-sulfamoylphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamide derivatives was designed here, synthesized, and studied for carbonic anhydrase (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibitory activity against the human (h) isozymes I, II, and VII (cytosolic, off-target isoforms), and IX and XII (anticancer drug targets). Generally, CA I was not effectively inhibited, whereas effective inhibitors were identified against both CAs II (KIs in the range of 5.2-233 nM) and VII (KIs in the range of 2.3-350 nM). Nonetheless, CAs IX and XII were the most susceptible isoforms to this class of inhibitors. In particular, compounds bearing an unsubstituted phenyl ring at the pyrazoline 3 position showed 1.3-1.5 nM KIs against CA IX. In contrast, a subset of derivatives having a 4-halo-phenyl at the same position of the aromatic scaffold even reached subnanomolar KIs against CA XII (0.62-0.99 nM). Docking studies with CA IX and XII were used to shed light on the derivative binding mode driving the preferential inhibition of the tumor-associated CAs. The identified potent and selective CA IX/XII inhibitors are of interest as leads for the development of new anticancer strategies.

Evaluation of sulphonamide derivatives acting as inhibitors of human carbonic anhydrase isoforms I, II and Mycobacterium tuberculosis ß-class enzyme Rv3273.

A series of novel sulphonamide derivatives was obtained from sulphanilamide which was N4-alkylated with ethyl bromoacetate followed by reaction with hydrazine hydrate. The hydrazide obtained was further reacted with various aromatic aldehydes. The novel sulphonamides were characterised by infrared, mass spectrometry, 1H- and 13C-NMR and purity was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Human (h) carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms hCA I and II and Mycobacterium tuberculosis ß-CA encoded by the gene Rv3273 (mtCA 3) inhibition activity was investigated with the synthesised compounds which showed promising inhibition. The KIs were in the range of 54.6 nM-1.8 µM against hCA I, in the range of 32.1 nM-5.5 µM against hCA II and of 127 nM-2.12 µM against mtCA 3.

Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase isoforms I, II, IX and XII with Schiff's bases incorporating iminoureido moieties.

A series of new Schiff's bases was obtained from the sulfanilamide semicarbazone (4-aminosulfonylphenyl semicarbazide) and aromatic/heterocyclic aldehydes. The new compounds were designed to incorporate moieties known to induce effective inhibitory activity against carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms involved in crucial physiologic or pathologic processes such as the cytosolic CA I and II or the transmembrane, tumor-associated CA IX and XII: the compounds were medium potency - weak CA I inhibitors, highly effective, low nanomolar CA II inhibitors, but few of them inhibited effectively CA IX and XII. This may probably due to the long spacer between the sulfamoylphenyl and imine fragments of the molecules, which probably induces a highly flexible conformation of the inhibitor bound to the active site of the enzyme, with destabilizing effects for the adduct. The detailed structure activity relationship for this class of inhibitors is discussed.

Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors: design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel sulfonyl semicarbazide derivatives.

A series of novel sulfonyl semicarbazides 5-13 was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) inhibition. The new sulfonyl semicarbazides were tested against a panel of hCA isoforms I, II, IX, and XII, using acetazolamide (AZA, 1) as standard. All the sulfonyl semicarbazides showed subnanomolar affinity for hCA XII (pK i range 0.59-0.79 nM) and high selectivity over hCA I (58-114-fold) and hCA IX (26-114-fold) compared to hCA II (5-20-fold except 11, 121-fold). The importance of the nature of para-substitution on the sulfonyl substituted aromatic ring for potency and selectivity against one hCA isoform versus others is discussed. Overall, the research work led to the development of highly potent and selective hCA inhibitors.