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Histone deacetylases (HDACs) represent a particularly intriguing focus in the discovery and advancement of anticancer drugs. In this study, we detail the design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel hydroxamic acids featuring a 1H-benzo[d]imidazole component as potent inhibitors of HDACs and potential anticancer agents. A total of 54 novel compounds were designed and synthesized. Biological assessment revealed that compounds 29c, 31c, and 33c were the most effective inhibitors of HDACs and demonstrated significant potential as anti-cancer agents. Furthermore, compound 31c exhibited a 3-fold higher inhibitory activity against the mixture of HDAC isoforms in HeLa cell nuclear extract compared to the reference compound SAHA. Finally, docking studies on HDAC2 and HDAC6 revealed hydrogen bonds and pi-stacking interactions between hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues on the binding pocket surface, particularly with benzimidazole rings and anilide substituents, which enhance the inhibitory potency of the studied compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Drug-related problems (DRPs) are common in clinical practice and occur at all stages of the medication process. The major factor contributing to DRPs is prescription, although patients' poor adherence to treatment is also a significant factor. This study evaluated type 2 diabetes outpatients in a hospital in Vietnam for drug-related problems (DRPs) and related variables. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 495 outpatients who met the criteria and 157 people agreed to participate in the interview. Medication order review and medication adherence review were used to identify DRPs. The types of DRP were based on the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) categories version 9.0. The identification and assessment DRPs were carried out by clinical pharmacists and get agreed upon by physicians who had not directly prescribed patients who participated in the study. Results: A total of 762 DRPs were identified via prescribing review process, the average number of DRP on each prescription was 1.54±1.07, while 412 DRPs were determined through patient interviewing. The most frequent DRPs were "ADR (Adverse Drug Reaction) occurring" (68.8%). The main causes were "patient is unable to understand instructions properly" or "patient is not properly instructed", "patient stores insulin inappropriately", "patient decides to use unnecessary drugs" and "patient intentionally uses/takes less drug than prescribed or does not take the drug at all for whatever reason" which accounted for 65.0%, 41.4%, 38.2%, and 28.7%, respectively. From the prescribing review, the most observed DRPs were "Inappropriate drug according to guidelines/formulary" and "No or incomplete drug treatment in spite of existing indication", accounting for 45.0% and 42.9%, respectively. There was a significant association between age (OR 3.38, 95% CI: 1.01–11.30), duration of diabetes (OR 3.61, 95%CI: 1.11–11.74), presence of comorbidity (OR 5.31, 95%CI: 1.97–14.30), polypharmacy (OR: 2.95, 95%CI: 1.01–8.72) and DRPs. In patients, poor knowledge of antidiabetic agents was the main reason to lack adherence and occurring ADR (OR 2.73, 95%CI: 1.32–5.66, p = 0.007 and OR 2.49, 95%CI: 1.54–4.03, p = 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: DRPs occurred in the prescribing stage and relating to patient's behavior of drug administration was high. Clear identification of DRPs and the associated factors are essential for building the intervention process to improve effectiveness and safety in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone deacetylases are one of the most interesting targets for anticancer drug discovery and developments. Herein, we report the design, synthesis and evaluation of novel N-hydroxypropenamides bearing indazole moieties as potent HDAC inhibitors and anticancer agents. As a result, 18 new compounds were designed and synthesized. The biological evaluation revealed that compounds 5a–f and 7a–f (IC50 values ranging from 0.126 to 3.750 μM) showed comparable activity to the reference compound SAHA (IC50 values ranging from 0.128 to 0.716 μM) in terms of cytotoxicity, as well as HDAC inhibition. In addition, the synthesized compounds showed 2- to 30-fold more potent inhibitory activity against HDAC6 in comparison to that of a mixture of HDAC isoforms in the HeLa cell nuclear extract. Docking studies were conducted to decipher the structure–activity relationships. The results were useful for class IIb isoform-selective inhibitor optimization. Finally, physicochemical and ADMET predictions for 5b and 7e were they have high absorption ability, low metabolic activity and low toxicity, making them promising candidates for further drug discovery analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a library of novel hybrid 6-(4-substituted-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-2-mercaptobenzothiazoles was designed using a "left-hand strategy" and synthesized using microwave-assisted synthesis. The synthesized compounds were screened against quorum sensing activities and biofilm formation of Gram-negative bacteria. Biological results reveal that eleven compounds strongly inhibited the quorum sensing activities of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa lasB-gfp reporter strain. Compounds 4g (IC50 of 9.84 ± 1.10 μM), 4h (IC50 of 6.09 ± 0.98 μM), and 4m (IC50 of 12.20 ± 0.25 μM) are 2–5 times stronger than the reference compound 4NPO (IC50 of 32 ± 0.88 μM) in QSI screening. Compounds 4g and 4h inhibited up to 90% of the biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In terms of anti-virulence effects, compounds 4g and 4h strongly inhibited the production of violacein by Chromobacterium violaceum and protease by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In continuity of our search for novel anticancer agents acting as procaspase activators, we have designed and synthesised two series of (E)-N′-benzylidene-carbohydrazides (4a–m) and (Z)-N'-(2-oxoindolin-3-ylidene)carbohydrazides (5a–g) incorporating 1-(4-chlorobenzyl)-1H-indole core. Bioevaluation showed that the compounds, especially compounds in series 4a–m, exhibited potent cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines (SW620, colon cancer; PC-3, prostate cancer; NCI-H23, lung cancer). Within series 4a–m, compounds with 2-OH substituent (4g–i) exhibited very strong cytotoxicity in three human cancer cell lines assayed with IC50 values in the range of 0.56–0.83 µM. In particular, two compounds 4d and 4f bearing 4-Cl and 4-NO2 substituents, respectively, were the most potent in term of cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 0.011–0.001 µM. In caspase activation assay, compounds 4b and 4f were found to activate caspase activity by 314.3 and 270.7% relative to PAC-1. This investigation has demonstrated the potential of these simple acetohydrazides, especially compounds 4b, 4d, and 4f, as anticancer agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, efficient, and metal-free methodology for the preparation of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and derivatives in excellent yields via microwave-assisted pathway is reported. Our condition provides a convenient protocol for the synthesis of a diverse collection of 2-mercaptobenzothiazoles and 6-(4-substituted-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-2-mercaptobenzothiazoles with a very simple purification process. This report provides an alternative protocol for fast access to the wide range of compounds for sequence synthesis and biological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction for 'Novel (E)-3-(1-substituted-1H-indazol-5-yl)-N-hydroxypropenamides as histone deacetylase inhibitors: design, synthesis and structure–activity relationships' by Minh Sang Doan et al., New J. Chem., 2023, 47, 4478–4490, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2NJ04894A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A technically simple procedure for direct C−H difluoromethylation of heteroaromatic compounds using off-the-shelf difluoroacetic acid as the difluoromethylating reagent has been developed. Mono-difluoromethylation versus bis-difluoromethylation is controlled as the result of the reaction temperature. The reactions described here enable access to the late-stage C−H mono- and bis-difluoromethylation for preparation of tool compounds for chemical biology and provide access to this hitherto untapped substituent for drug discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P-type ATPases catalyze the active transport of cations and phospholipids across biological membranes. Members of this large family are involved in a range of fundamental cellular processes. To date, a substantial number of P-type ATPase inhibitors have been characterized, some of which are used as drugs. In this work a library of natural compounds was screened and we first identified curcuminoids as plasma membrane H+-ATPases inhibitors in plant and fungal cells. We also found that some of the commercial curcumins contain several curcuminoids. Three of these were purified and, among the curcuminoids, demethoxycurcumin was the most potent inhibitor of all tested P-type ATPases from fungal (Pma1p; H+-ATPase), plant (AHA2; H+-ATPase) and animal (SERCA; Ca2+-ATPase) cells. All three curcuminoids acted as non-competitive antagonist to ATP and hence may bind to a highly conserved allosteric site of these pumps. Future research on biological effects of commercial preparations of curcumin should consider the heterogeneity of the material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new diversity-oriented synthesis pathway for the fabrication of a pyrimidine-embedded polyheterocycles library was developed for potential interactions with diverse biopolymers. Five different pyrimidine-embedded core skeletons were synthesized from ortho-alkynylpyrimidine carbaldehydes by a silver- or iodine-mediated tandem cyclization strategy. The resulting polyheterocycles possess diverse fused ring sizes and positions with potential functionalities for further modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new diversity-oriented synthesis pathway for the fabrication of a pyrimidine-embedded polyheterocycles library is developed for potential interactions with diverse biopolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threats of drug resistance and new emerging pathogens have led to an urgent need to develop alternative treatment therapies. Recently, considerable research efforts have focused on membrane-active peptides (MAPs), a category of peptides in drug discovery with antimicrobial, anticancer, and cell penetration activities that have demonstrated their potential to be multifunctional agents. Nonetheless, natural MAPs have encountered various disadvantages, which mainly include poor bioavailability, the lack of a secondary structure in short peptides, and high production costs for long peptide sequences. Hence, an "all-hydrocarbon stapling system" has been applied to these peptides and proven to effectively stabilize the helical conformations, improving proteolytic resistance and increasing both the potency and the cell permeability. In this review, we summarized and categorized the advances made using this powerful technique in the development of stapled MAPs. Furthermore, outstanding issues and suggestions for future design within each subcategory were thoroughly discussed.

In the last century, conventional antibiotics have played a significant role in global healthcare. Antibiotics support the body in controlling bacterial infection and simultaneously increase the tendency of drug resistance. Consequently, there is a severe concern regarding the regression of the antibiotic era. Despite the use of antibiotics, host defence systems are vital in fighting infectious diseases. In fact, the expression of ribosomal antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has been crucial in the evolution of innate host defences and has been irreplaceable to date. Therefore, this valuable source is considered to have great potential in tackling the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis. Furthermore, the possibility of bacterial resistance to AMPs has been intensively investigated. Here, we summarize all aspects related to the multiple applications of ribosomal AMPs and their derivatives in combating AMR., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Background: Herein, we have designed and synthesized a series of the novel (E)-N'-((1-(4-chlorobenzyl)- 1H-indol-3-yl)methylene)-2-(4-oxoquinazolin-3(4H)-yl)acetohydrazides (5) as potent small molecules activating procaspase- 3. The compounds were designed by the amalgamation of structural features of PAC-1 (the first procaspase-3 activator) and oncrasin-1, one potential anticancer agent., Methods: The target acetohydrazides (5a-m) were prepared via the Niementowski condensation of anthranilic acid (1a) or 5-substituted-2-aminobenzoic acid (1b-m) and formamide. The compound libraries were evaluated for their cytotoxicity, caspase-3 activation, cell cycle analysis, and apoptosis. In addition, computational chemistry is also performed., Results: A biological evaluation revealed that all thirteen compounds designed and synthesized showed strong cytotoxicity against three human cancer cell lines (SW620, colon cancer; PC-3, prostate cancer; NCI-H23, lung cancer) with eight compounds (5a, 5c-i, 5k), which were clearly more potent than both PAC-1 and oncrasin-1. In this series, four compounds, including 5c, 5e, 5f, and 5h, were the most potent members with approximately 4- to 5-fold stronger than the reference compounds PAC-1 and oncrasin-1 in terms of IC50. In comparison to 5-FU, these compounds were even 18- to 29-fold more potent in terms of cytotoxicity in three human cell lines tested. In the caspase activation assay, the caspase activity was activated to 285% by compound 5e compared to PAC-1, the first procaspase activating compound, which was used as a control. Our docking simulation revealed that compound 5e was a potent allosteric inhibitor of procaspase-3 through chelation of inhibitory zinc ion. Physicochemical and ADMET calculations for 5e provided useful information of its suitable absorption profile and some toxicological effects that need further optimization to be developed as a promising anticancer agent., Conclusion: Compound 5e has emerged as a potential hit for further design and development of caspases activators and anticancer agents., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Herein, we demonstrate that 2-difluoromethylpyridine is a bioisosteric replacement of pyridine- N -oxide. Using the quorum sensing inhibitor 4NPO as a model compound, a library of 2-difluoromethylpyridine derivatives was designed, synthesized, and evaluated toward quorum sensing activity, biofilm formation, anti-violacein activity, and protease activity. As a result, compounds 1 (IC 50 of 35 ± 1.12 μM), 5 (IC 50 of 19 ± 1.01 μM), and 6 (IC 50 of 27 ± 0.67 μM) showed a similar or better activity in comparison to 4NPO (IC 50 of 33 ± 1.12 μM) in a quorum sensing system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa . In addition, compounds 1, 5, 6, and 4NPO showed good antibiofilm biomass of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and reduced violacein production in Chromobacterium violaceum . In terms of protease activity, compounds 1, 5, and 6 showed significant activity compared to 4NPO . Overall, the replacement of pyridine- N -oxide by 2-difluoromethylpyridine enhances the activity of the model compound, which could open a new path for bioisosteric replacement in drug discovery and development., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is an important indicator of renal function. Many methods have been developed to determine GFR in clinical examinations. This study aims to correlate between radionuclide plasma sampling methods (single and double blood samples, in vitro methods) and in vivo Gate's method using 99m Tc-diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid ( 99m Tc-DTPA) renography., Materials and Methods: 43 patients underwent this study, including 31 renal donors (Group 1) and 12 patients with obstructive uropathy (Group 2). All patients were administered with a range of 5-7 mCi of 99m Tc-DTPA. Then, renography performed simultaneously after injection and GFR calculation followed by Gate's method. Blood samples were collected at 60- and 120-min postinjection, samples were counted by a thyroid uptake system, and GFR was calculated using a single plasma sample method (SPSM) and a double plasma sample method (DPSM)., Results: The mean GFRs calculated by Gate's method in Groups 1 and 2 were 85.8 ± 18.2 ml/min and 118.4 ± 13.9 ml/min, respectively. Meanwhile, using the in vitro blood sampling methods (DPSM and SPSM), the mean GFRs in Group 1 were 73.8 ± 15.4 ml/min and 56.4 ± 20.9 ml/min, respectively, and in Group 2 were 116.8 ± 12.9 ml/min and 106.3 ± 18.5 ml/min, respectively. There is a high correlation between Gate's method and DPSM in two groups ( r = 0.86 and 0.72, respectively), and a moderate correlation was found between Gate's method and SPSM in both groups ( r = 0.49 and r = 0.37, respectively). The two in vitro methods (DPSM and SPSM) revealed that moderate correlation in both groups ( r = 0.74 and r = 0.67, respectively) was observed., Conclusion: Renography is a simple method but considered inaccurate for GFR determination. However, in vitro plasma sampling is rarely used in Vietnam. In this study, Gate's method correlated well with DPSM and tended to overestimate GFR. Further, the in vitro methods can be applied to correct the in vivo method as a confirmatory test in some cases., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Indian Journal of Nuclear Medicine.)

The fungal plasma membrane H + -ATPase (Pma1p) is a potential target for the discovery of new antifungal agents. Surprisingly, no structure-activity relationship studies for small molecules targeting Pma1p have been reported. Herein, we disclose a LEGO-inspired fragment assembly strategy for the design, synthesis, and discovery of benzo[d]thiazoles containing a 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl moiety as potential Pma1p inhibitors. A series of 2-(benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylthio)-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanones was found to inhibit Pma1p, with the most potent IC 50 value of 8 μm in an in vitro plasma membrane H + -ATPase assay. These compounds were also found to strongly inhibit the action of proton pumping when Pma1p was reconstituted into liposomes. 1-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-2-((6-(trifluoromethyl)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)thio)ethan-1-one (compound 38) showed inhibitory activities on the growth of Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which could be correlated and substantiated with the ability to inhibit Pma1p in vitro., (© 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A phytochemical investigation of Seidlitzia rosmarinus collected along the shoreline of the Gulf of Aqaba in the remote southern desert region of the Sinai peninsula has revealed the presence of the registered drug metformin (4). However, analysis of the 14 C content revealed the drug to be an anthropogenic contaminant. Consequently, natural product researchers should be aware that compounds isolated from plants might originate from environmental contamination rather than biosynthesis. The new natural product N-(4-hydroxyphenylethyl)-α-chloroferuloylamide was isolated as a mixture of the E and Z isomers along with a number of other well-established secondary metabolites.

Results from clinical studies have demonstrated that inhibitors of histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes possess promise for the treatment of several types of cancer. Zolinza(®) (widely known as SAHA) has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of T-cell lymphoma. As a continuity of our ongoing research to find novel small molecules to target these important enzymes, we synthesized a series of benzothiazole-containing analogues of SAHA and found several compounds with very potent anticancer cytotoxicity. In this study, three more compounds of this type, including N(1)-(6-chlorobenzo[d]thiazol-2-yl)-N(8)-hydroxyoctanediamide (3a), N(1)-[6-(trifluoromethyl)benzo[d]thiazol-2-yl]-N(8)-hydroxyoctanediamide (3b) and N(1)-(thiazol-2-yl)-N(8)-hydroxyoctanediamide (6) were synthesized and evaluated for HDAC inhibition and cytotoxic activities. All three compounds showed very potent HDAC inhibitory effects. Docking revealed that both two compounds 3a, 3b showed higher affinities towards HDAC(8) compared to SAHA. In vitro, compound 3a exhibited cytotoxicity equipotent to SAHA against five human cancer cell lines. In term of in vivo activity, compound 3a demonstrated equivalent efficacy to SAHA in mouse xenograft model.