Structure-Based Design of Novel Anticancer Agents
Authors: Uckun F.M.; Sudbeck E.A.; Mao C.; Ghosh S.; Liu X.-P.; Vassilev A.O.; Navara C.S.; Narla R.K.
Source: Current Cancer Drug Targets, Volume 1, Number 1, May 2001 , pp. 59-71(13)
Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers
Abstract:
Recently identified agents that interact with cytoskeletal elements such as tubulin include synthetic spiroketal pyrans (SPIKET) and monotetrahydrofuran compounds (COBRA compounds). SPIKET compounds target the spongistatin binding site of b-tubulin and COBRA compounds target a unique binding cavity on a-tubulin. At nanomolar concentrations, the SPIKET compound SPIKET-P causes tubulin depolymerization and exhibits potent cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. COBRA-1 inhibits GTP-induced tubulin polymerization. Treatment of human breast cancer and brain tumor cells with COBRA-1 caused destruction of microtubule organization and apoptosis. Other studies have identified some promising protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors as anti-cancer agents. These include EGFR inhibitors such as the quinazoline derivative WHI-P97 and the leflunomide metabolite analog LFM-A12. Both LFM-A12 and WHI-P97 inhibit the in vitro invasiveness of EGFR positive human breast cancer cells at micromolar concentrations and induce apoptotic cell death. Dimethoxyquinazoline compounds WHI-P131 and WHI-P154 inhibit tyrosine kinase JAK3 in leukemia cells. Of particular interest is WHI-P131, which inhibits JAK3 but not JAK1, JAK2, SYK, BTK, LYN, or IRK at concentrations as high as 350 ?M. Studies of BTK inhibitors showed that the leflunomide metabolite analog LFM-A13 inhibited BTK in leukemia and lymphoma cells. Consistent with the anti-apoptotic function of BTK, treatment of leukemic cells with LFM-A13 enhanced their sensitivity to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis.
Keywords: Novel Anticancer Agents; cytoskeletal elements; SPIKET compound; anti-apoptotic function; pleiotropic biologic effects; dibromoquinazoline; immunosuppressive drug; lymphoblastic leukemia; X-linked agammaglobulinemia; tubulin polymerization
Language: English
Document Type: Review article
DOI: 10.2174/1568009013334287

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