Despite the role of the stringent response in antibiotic survival and recurrent infections, it has been a challenging target for antibacterial therapies because it is so ubiquitous. This is an especially relevant consideration for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), as exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics that harm commensal microbes is a major risk factor for CDI.

Background/Aims: Targeting survivin, an anti-apoptotic protein and mitotic regulator, is considered as an effective therapeutic option for pancreatic cancer (PaCa). Tolfenamic acid (TA) showed anti-cancer activity in pre-clinical studies. A recent discovery demonstrated a copper(II) complex of TA (Cu-TA) can result in higher activity. In this study, the ability of Cu-TA to inhibit survivin and its transcription factors, Specificity protein (Sp) 1 and 3 in PaCa cell lines and tumor growth in mouse xenograft model were evaluated. Methods: Cell growth inhibition was measured in MIA PaCa-2 and Panc1 cells for 2 days using CellTiter-Glo kit. Sp1, Sp3 and survivin expression (by Western blot and qPCR), apoptotic cells and cell cycle phase distribution (by flow cytometry) were evaluated. A pilot study was performed using athymic nude mice [treated with vehicle/Cu-TA (25 or 50 mg/kg) 3 times/week for 4 weeks. Results: The IC₅₀ value for Cu-TA was about half than TA.Both agents repressed the protein expression of Sp1/Sp3/survivin, Cu-TA was more effective than TA. Especially effect on survivin inhibition was 5.2 (MIA PaCa-2) or 6.4 (Panc1) fold higher and mRNA expression of only survivin was decreased. Apoptotic cells increased with Cu-TA treatment in both cell lines, while Panc1 showed both effect on apoptosis and cell cycle (G₂/M) arrest. Cu-TA decreased the tumor growth in mouse xenografts (25 mg/kg: 48%; 50 mg/kg: 68%). Additionally, there was no change observed in mice body weights, indicating no overt toxicity was occurring. Conclusion: These results show that Cu-TA can serve as an effective survivin inhibitor for inhibiting PaCa cell growth.

The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Tolfenamic acid (TA) acts as an anti-cancer agent in several adult and pediatric cancer models. Copper (Cu) is an important element with multiple biological functions and has gained interest in medical applications. Recently, [Cu(TA)(bpy)] (Cu-TA) has been synthesized in order to enhance therapeutic activity. In this study, we synthesized Cu-TA using an established method, characterized it by UV visible spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and tested its anti-cancer activity using twelve cell lines representing various cancers, such as Ewing sarcoma, glioblastoma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastoma, pancreatic and prostate. The anti-proliferative activity of Cu-TA was determined at 48 h post-treatment and compared with the parental compound, TA. The IC values were calculated using GraphPad Prism software. The biological stability of Cu-TA was evaluated using twelve-month-old powder and six-month-old stock solution. Cardiomyocytes (H9C2) were used to test the cytotoxicity in non-malignant cells. Cu-TA showed higher anti-proliferative activity, and the IC values were 30 to 80% lower when compared with TA. H9C2 cells were non-responsive to Cu-TA, suggesting that it is selective towards malignant cells. Comparison of the twelve-month-old powder and six-month-old stock solution using the Panc1 cell line showed similar IC values (<5% variation), confirming the stability of Cu-TA either in powder or solution form. These findings demonstrate the potential of Cu-TA as an effective anti-cancer agent. Further studies to delineate the detailed mechanism of action of Cu-TA for specific cancer model are underway.

× 10 5 and 1.6 × 10 4 M −1 , respectively). Topoisomerase inhibition assays and cleavage studies proved that complex 4 was an efficient catalytic inhibitor of human topoisomerases I and IIα. Based upon the results obtained from the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay on 4T1-luc metastatic mammary breast cancer cells (IC 50 = 34.4 ± 5.2 μM when compared to IC 50 = 13.75 ± 1.08 μM for the control, cisplatin), further investigations into the molecular events initiated by exposure to complex 4 were investigated. Studies have shown that complex 4 activated both the apoptotic and autophagic signaling pathways in addition to causing dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ m). Furthermore, activation of cysteine-aspartic proteases3 (caspase 3) in a time-and concentration-dependent manner coupled with the ΔΨ m , studies implicated the intrinsic apoptotic pathway as the major regulator of cell death mechanism.

A highly enantioselective synthesis of chiral heterobicyclic spiroketals is reported via a “one-pot” cyclopropanation–rearrangement (CP-RA) cascade reaction that is sequentially catalyzed by a chiral Rh­(II) catalyst and tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF). Exocyclic vinyl substrates form spirocyclopropanes with tert-butyldimethylsilyl-protected enoldiazoacetates in excellent yields and with excellent enantioselectivities when catalyzed by chiral dirhodium­(II) carboxylates, and following desilylation with simultaneous rearrangement in the presence of TBAF, they give (S)-spiroketals in high yields with excellent chirality retention (>95% ee).

The synthesis, X-ray crystallographic, electrochemical, and spectroscopic studies of bis-(1,10-phenanthroline)(2,2 0 -bipyridine)cobalt(III) hexafluorophosphate with acetone solvent of crystallization ([Co(phen) 2 (bpy)](PF 6 ) 3 Á1.6(CH 3 ) 2 CO) is reported. The compound crystallized in a monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with a = 13.215 (3) The cobalt(III) metal center has a slightly distorted octahedral geometry. 1,10-Phenanthroline and 2,2 0 -bipyridine ligands were generally planar, and did not exhibit p-p overlap. The packing of the cations was stabilized by hydrogen bonding with hexafluorophosphate anions. The electrochemical studies revealed the Co III/II , Co II/I and Co I/0 redox couples at E 1/2 = ?0.32, -0.91 and -1.61 V (vs AgCl/Ag) respectively in acetonitrile. 59 Co NMR spectroscopic studies revealed that the [Co(phen) 2 (bpy)](PF 6 ) 3 Á0.5 (C 2 H 5 ) 2 O species has a chemical shift of 6900 ppm in DMSO-d 6 . GraphicalAbstract The mononuclear complex, [Co(phen) 2 (bpy)](PF 6 ) 3 Á1.6(CH 3 ) 2 CO) was synthesized and characterized, but more revealing 59 Co NMR spectroscopic studies on the complex revealed interesting species in DMSO-d 6 .

A highly enantioselective synthesis of chiral dihydro-3H-carbazole-2-carboxylate derivatives is reported via a “one-pot” cyclopentannulation-rearrangement cascade reaction that is sequentially catalyzed by nickel(II) perchlorate hexahydrate and scandium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate with 3-methylindole and non-racemic donor–acceptor cyclopropanes in high yields and enantioretention under mild reaction conditions. Highly diastereoselective [3+2]-cycloaddition is dependent on 3-methylindole substituents. In addition, a further transformation of these dihydro-3H-carbazole-2-carboxylates via hydrolysis and decarboxylation under unexpectedly mild reaction conditions provides straightforward access to the decarboxylated compounds in moderate yields with high retention of enantiomeric purity.

Anti-cancer activity of tolfenamic acid (TA) in preclinical models for pancreatic cancer (PaCa) is well established. Since the dosage for anti-cancer actions of TA is rather high, we recently demonstrated that IC 50 values of Copper-TA are 30-80% less than TA in 12 cancer cell lines. This study elucidates the underlying mechanisms of Copper-TA in PaCa cells. Control and Copper-TA (IC 50 ) treated PaCa cells were processed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) to determine differentially expressed genes using HTG EdgeSeq Oncology Biomarker panel. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA®) was used to identify functional significance of altered genes. The conformational studies for assessing the expression of key regulators and genes were conducted by Western blot and qPCR. IPA® identified several networks, regulators, as well as molecular and cellular functions associated with cancer. The top 5 molecular and cellular functions affected by Cu-TA treatment were cell death and survival, cellular development, cell growth and proliferation, cell cycle and cellular movement. The expression of top upstream regulators was confirmed by Western blot analysis while qPCR results of selected genes demonstrated that Copper-TA is *