Efficient Synthesis and Bioevaluation of Novel Dual Tubulin/Histone Deacetylase 3 Inhibitors as Potential Anticancer Agents

J Med Chem. 2021 Jun 24;64(12):8447-8473. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00413. Epub 2021 Jun 7.

Abstract

Novel dual HDAC3/tubulin inhibitors were designed and efficiently synthesized by combining the pharmacophores of SMART (tubulin inhibitor) and MS-275 (HDAC inhibitor), among which compound 15c was found to be the most potent and balanced HDAC3/tubulin dual inhibitor with high HDAC3 activity (IC50 = 30 nM) and selectivity (SI > 1000) as well as excellent antiproliferative potency against various cancer cell lines, including an HDAC-resistant gastric cancer cell line (YCC3/7) with IC50 values in the range of 30-144 nM. Compound 15c inhibited B16-F10 cancer cell migration and colony formation. In addition, 15c demonstrated significant in vivo antitumor efficacy in a B16-F10 melanoma tumor model with a better TGI (70.00%, 10 mg/kg) than that of the combination of MS-275 and SMART. Finally, 15c presented a safe cardiotoxicity profile and did not cause nephro-/hepatotoxicity. Collectively, this work shows that compound 15c represents a novel tubulin/HDAC3 dual-targeting agent deserving further investigation as a potential anticancer agent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / metabolism
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / drug effects
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Histone Deacetylases / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Structure
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Protein Binding
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tubulin / metabolism
  • Tubulin Modulators / chemical synthesis
  • Tubulin Modulators / metabolism
  • Tubulin Modulators / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
  • Tubulin
  • Tubulin Modulators
  • Histone Deacetylases
  • histone deacetylase 3