Folate-dependent one-carbon (C1) metabolism is compartmentalized into the mitochondria and cytosol and supports cell growth through nucleotide and amino acid biosynthesis. Mitochondrial C1 metabolism, including serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) 2, provides glycine, NAD(P)H, ATP, and C1 units for cytosolic biosynthetic reactions, and is implicated in the oncogenic phenotype across a wide range of cancers. Whereas multitargeted inhibitors of cytosolic C1 metabolism, such as pemetrexed, are used clinically, there are currently no anticancer drugs that specifically target mitochondrial C1 metabolism. We used molecular modeling to design novel small-molecule pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidine inhibitors targeting mitochondrial C1 metabolism at SHMT2. In vitro antitumor efficacy was established with the lead compounds (AGF291, AGF320, AGF347) toward lung, colon, and pancreatic cancer cells.Intracellular targets were identified by metabolic rescue with glycine and nucleosides, and by targeted metabolomics using a stable isotope tracer, with confirmation by in vitro assays with purified enzymes. In addition to targeting SHMT2, inhibition of the cytosolic purine biosynthetic enzymes, b-glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase and/or 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase, and SHMT1 was also established. AGF347 generated significant in vivo antitumor efficacy with potential for complete responses against both early-stage and upstage MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic tumor xenografts, providing compelling proof-of-concept for therapeutic targeting of SHMT2 and cytosolic C1 enzymes by this series. Our results establish structure-activity relationships and identify exciting new drug prototypes for further development as multitargeted antitumor agents.

Isonitriles are delicately poised chemical entities capable of being coaxed to react as nucleophiles or electrophiles. Directing this tunable reactivity with metal and non-metal catalysts provides rapid access to a large array of complex nitrogenous structures ideally functionalized for medicinal applications. Isonitrile insertion into transition metal complexes has featured in numerous synthetic and mechanistic studies, leading to rapid deployment of isonitriles in numerous catalytic processes, including multicomponent reactions (MCR). Covering the literature from 1990–2014, the present review collates reaction types to highlight reactivity trends and allow catalyst comparison.

Cancer cells have a unique metabolic profile and mitochondria have been shown to play an important role in chemoresistance, tumor progression and metastases. This unique profile can be exploited by mitochondrial-targeted anticancer therapies. A small anticancer molecule, AG311, was previously shown to possess anticancer and antimetastatic activity in two cancer mouse models and to induce mitochondrial depolarization. This study defines the molecular effects of AG311 on the mitochondria to elucidate its observed efficacy. AG311 was found to competitively inhibit complex I activity at the ubiquinone-binding site. Complex I as a target for AG311 was further established by measuring oxygen consumption rate in tumor tissue isolated from AG311-treated mice. Cotreatment of cells and animals with AG311 and dichloroacetate, a pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase inhibitor that increases oxidative metabolism, resulted in synergistic cell kill and reduced tumor growth. The inhibition of mitochondrial oxygen consumption by AG311 was found to reduce HIF-1α stabilization by increasing oxygen tension in hypoxic conditions. Taken together, these results suggest that AG311 at least partially mediates its antitumor effect through inhibition of complex I, which could be exploited in its use as an anticancer agent.

Pemetrexed and methotrexate are antifolates used for cancer chemotherapy and inflammatory diseases. These agents have toxic side effects resulting, in part, from nonspecific cellular transport by the reduced folate carrier (RFC), a ubiquitously expressed facilitative transporter. We previously described 2-amino-4-oxo-6-substituted pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine antifolates with modifications of the side chain linker and aromatic ring that are poor substrates for RFC but are efficiently transported via folate receptors (FRs) and the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT). These targeted antifolates are cytotoxic in vitro toward FR- and PCFT-expressing tumor cells and in vivo with human tumor xenografts in immune-compromised mice, reflecting selective cellular uptake. Antitumor efficacy is due to inhibition of glycinamide ribonucleotide (GAR) formyltransferase (GARFTase) activity in de novo synthesis of purine nucleotides. This study used purified human GARFTase (formyltransferase domain) to assess in vitro inhibition by eight novel thieno- and pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine antifolates. Seven analogues (AGF23, AGF71, AGF94, AGF117, AGF118, AGF145, and AGF147) inhibited GARFTase with Ki values in the low- to mid-nanomolar concentration range, whereas AGF50 inhibited GARFTase with micromolar potency similar to that of PMX. On the basis of crystal structures of ternary complexes with GARFTase, β-GAR, and the monoglutamyl antifolates, differences in inhibitory potencies correlated well with antifolate binding and the positions of the terminal carboxylates. Our data provide a mechanistic basis for differences in inhibitory potencies between these novel antifolates and a framework for future structure-based drug design. These analogues could be more efficacious than clinically used antifolates, reflecting their selective cellular uptake by FRs and PCFT and potent GARFTase inhibition.

Children in Mumbai show early sensitization to HDM. D. pteronyssinus is the commonest offending allergen in the index study.

A series of eleven 4-substituted 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobenzo[4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines were designed and synthesized and their biological activities were evaluated. Synthesis involved the Gewald reaction to synthesize ethyl 2-amino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxylate ring, and SNAr reactions. Compound 4 was 1.6- and ~7-fold more potent than the lead compound 1 in cell proliferation and microtubule depolymerization assays, respectively. Compounds 4, 5 and 7 showed the most potent antiproliferative effects (IC50 values < 40 nM), while compounds 6, 8, 10, 12 and 13 had lower antiproliferative potencies (IC50 values of 53–125 nM). Additionally, compounds 4–8, 10 and 12–13 circumvented Pgp and βIII-tubulin mediated drug resistance, mechanisms that diminish the clinical efficacy of paclitaxel (PTX). In the NCI-60 cell line panel, compound 4 exhibited an average GI50 of ~10 nM in the 40 most sensitive cell lines. Compound 4 demonstrated statistically significant antitumor effects in a murine MDA-MB-435 xenograft model.

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