Mitochondrion has emerged as one of the unconventional targets in next-generation cancer therapy. Hence, small molecules targeting mitochondria in cancer cells have immense potential in the next-generation anticancer therapeutics. In this report, we have synthesized a library of hydrazide–hydrazone-based small molecules and identified a novel compound that induces mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization by inhibiting antiapoptotic B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins followed by sequestration of proapoptotic cytochrome c. The new small molecule triggered programmed cell death (early and late apoptosis) through cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and caspase-9/3 cleavage in HCT-116 colon cancer cells, confirmed by an array of fluorescence confocal microscopy, cell sorting, and immunoblotting analysis. Furthermore, cell viability studies have verified that the small molecule rendered toxicity to a panel of colon cancer cells (HCT-116, DLD-1, and SW-620), keeping healthy L929 fibroblast cells unharmed. The novel small molecule has the potential to form a new understudied class of mitochondria targeting anticancer agent.

AIEgens = Aggregation-induced-emission luminogens.Supporting information and the ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this articlecan be found under: https://doi.

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The presence of the same proteins at different sub-cellular locations with completely different functions adds to the complexity of signalling pathways in cancer.

Iron-catalyzed dehydrogenative cross-coupling of carbonyl compounds with aliphatic peroxide was developed under mild conditions. A library of linear alkylated and arylated peroxides are synthesized in good to excellent yield. This method is highly selective and general for a range of biologically important derivatives of 2-oxindole, barbituric acid, and 4-hydroxy coumarin with a good functional group tolerance and without the cleavage of the peroxide bond. This peroxidation reaction is upscalable to grams and also synthesizable in continuous flow with increased safety in short duration. Mechanistic investigation reveals Fe-(II) undergoes redox type process to generate the radical intermediates, which subsequently recombine selectively to form the stable peroxides. The potential of peroxides is evaluated by cell viability assay and found to exhibit the good anticancer activity with minimum IC= 5.3 μM.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis affects nearly 0.7 to 1.3 million people annually. Treatment of this disease is difficult due to lack of appropriate medication and the growing problem of drug resistance. Natural compounds such as coumarins serve as complementary therapeutic agents in addition to the current treatment modalities. In this study, we have performed an in-silico screening of the coumarin derivatives and their anti-leishmanial properties has been explored both in-vitro and in-vivo. One of the compounds (compound 2) exhibited leishmanicidal activity and to further study its properties, nanoliposomal formulation of the compound was developed. Treatment of cutaneous lesions in BALB/c mice with compound 2 showed significantly reduced lesion size as compared to the untreated mice (p<0.05) suggesting that compound 2 may possess anti-leishmanial properties.

Mitochondrion, the powerhouse of the cells, has emerged as one of the unorthodox targets in anticancer therapy due to its involvement in several cellular functions. However, the development of small molecules for selective mitochondrial damage in cancer cells remained limited and less explored. To address this, in our work, we have synthesized a natural product inspired cyanine-based 3-methoxy pyrrole small molecule library by a concise strategy. This strategy involves Vilsmeier and Pd(0) catalyzed Suzuki cross-coupling reactions as key steps. The screening of the library members in HeLa cervical cancer cells revealed two new molecules that localized into subcellular mitochondria and damaged them. These small molecules perturbed antiapoptotic (Bcl-2/Bcl-xl) and pro-apoptotic (Bax) proteins to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). Molecular docking studies showed that both molecules bind more tightly with the BH3 domain of Bcl-2 proteins compared to obatoclax (a pan-Bcl-2 inhibitor). These novel small molecules arrested the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase, cleaved caspase-3/9, and finally prompted late apoptosis. This small molecule-mediated mitochondrial damage induced remarkably high cervical cancer cell death. These unique small molecules can be further explored as chemical biology tools and next-generation organelle-targeted anticancer therapy.

Novel versatile self-assembled nanoparticles were developed from biocompatible, biodegradable lithocholic acid derivatives. These nanoparticles can incorporate different cytotoxic drugs (paclitaxel and doxorubicin) and PI3K signalling inhibitor (PI103). Drugs were released from the nanoparticles in a slow, sustained manner at acidic pH. The drug loaded nanoparticles were internalized through lysosomal compartments and induced cell death in HeLa cervical cancer cells.