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Macropinocytosis is a cellular process that enables cells to engulf extracellular material, such as nutrients, growth factors, and even whole cells. It is involved in several physiological functions as well as pathological conditions. In cancer cells, macropinocytosis plays a crucial role in promoting tumor growth and survival under nutrient-limited conditions. In particular KRAS mutations have been identified as main drivers of macropinocytosis in pancreatic, breast, and non-small cell lung cancers. We performed a high-content screening to identify inhibitors of macropinocytosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)-derived cells, aiming to prevent nutrient scavenging of PDAC tumors. The screening campaign was conducted in a well-known pancreatic KRAS-mutated cell line (MIAPaCa-2) cultured under nutrient deprivation and using FITC-dextran to precisely quantify macropinocytosis. We assembled a collection of 3584 small molecules, including drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), drug-like molecules against molecular targets, kinase-targeted compounds, and molecules designed to hamper protein-protein interactions. We identified 28 molecules that inhibited macropinocytosis, with potency ranging from 0.4 to 29.9 μM (EC 50 ). A few of them interfered with other endocytic pathways, while 11 compounds did not and were therefore considered specific "bona fide" macropinocytosis inhibitors and further characterized. Four compounds (Ivermectin, Tyrphostin A9, LY2090314, and Pyrvinium Pamoate) selectively hampered nutrient scavenging in KRAS-mutated cancer cells. Their ability to impair albumin-dependent proliferation was replicated both in different 2D cell culture systems and 3D organotypic models. These findings provide a new set of compounds specifically targeting macropinocytosis, which could have therapeutic applications in cancer and infectious diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

After over 30 years of research, the development of HDAC inhibitors led to five FDA/Chinese FDA-approved drugs and many others under clinical or preclinical investigation to treat cancer and non-cancer diseases. Herein, based on our recent development of pyridine-based isomers as HDAC inhibitors, we report a series of novel 5-acylamino-2-pyridylacrylic- and -picolinic hydroxamates and 2'-aminoanilides 5-8 as anticancer agents. The hydroxamate 5d proved to be quite HDAC3/6-selective exhibiting IC 50 values of 80 and 11 nM, respectively, whereas the congener 5e behaved as inhibitor of HDAC1-3, -6, -8, and -10 (class I/IIb-selective inhibitor) at nanomolar level. Compound 5e provided a huge antiproliferative activity (nanomolar IC 50 values) against both haematological and solid cancer cell lines. In leukaemia U937 cells, the hydroxamate 5d and the 2'-aminoanilide 8f induced remarkable cell death after 48 h, with 76% and 100% pre-G1 phase arrest, respectively, showing a stronger effect with respect to SAHA and MS-275 used as reference compounds. In U937 cells, the highest dose- and time-dependent cytodifferentiation was obtained by the 2'-aminoanilide 8d (up to 35% of CD11c positive/propidium iodide negative cells at 5 μM for 48 h). The same 8d and the hydroxamates 5d and 5e were the most effective in inducing p21 protein expression in the same cell line. Mechanistically, 5d, 5e, 8d and 8f increased mRNA expression of p21, BAX and BAK, downregulated cyclin D1 and BCL-2 and modulated pro- and anti-apoptotic microRNAs towards apoptosis induction. Finally, 5e strongly arrested proliferation in nine different haematological cancer cell lines, with dual-digit nanomolar potency towards MV4-11, Kasumi-1, and NB4, being more potent than mocetinostat, used as reference drug., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

We designed new 3-arylthio- and 3-aroyl-1H-indole derivatives 3-22 bearing a heterocyclic ring at position 5, 6 or 7 of the indole nucleus. The 6- and 7-heterocyclyl-1H-indoles showed potent inhibition of tubulin polymerization, binding of colchicine to tubulin and growth of MCF-7 cancer cells. Compounds 13 and 19 inhibited a panel of cancer cells and the NCI/ADR-RES multidrug resistant cell line at low nanomolar concentrations. Compound 13 at 50 nM induced 77% G2/M in HeLa cells, and at 20 nM caused 50% stable arrest of mitosis. As an inhibitor of HepG2 cells (IC 50  = 20 nM), 13 was 4-fold superior to 19. Compound 13 was a potent inhibitor of the human U87MG glioblastoma cells at nanomolar concentrations, being nearly one order of magnitude superior to previously reported arylthioindoles. The present results highlight 13 as a robust scaffold for the design of new anticancer agents., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

In the last decades, inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDAC) have become an important class of anti-cancer agents. In a previous study we described the synthesis of spiro[chromane-2,4'-piperidine]hydroxamic acid derivatives able to inhibit histone deacetylase enzymes. Herein, we present our exploration for new derivatives by replacing the piperidine moiety with various cycloamines. The goal was to obtain highly potent compounds with a good in vitro ADME profile. In addition, molecular modeling studies unravelled the binding mode of these inhibitors., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

The pure enantiomers of the N-(2-, 3-, and 4-(2-aminocyclopropyl)phenyl)benzamides hydrochlorides 11a-j were prepared and tested against LSD1 and MAO enzymes. The evaluation of the regioisomers 11a-j highlighted a net increase of the anti-LSD1 potency by shifting the benzamide moiety from ortho to meta and mainly to para position of tranylcypromine phenyl ring, independently from their trans or cis stereochemistry. In particular, the para-substituted 11a,b (trans) and 11g,h (cis) compounds displayed LSD1 and MAO-A inhibition at low nanomolar levels, while were less potent against MAO-B. The meta analogs 11c,d (trans) and 11i,j (cis) were in general less potent, but more efficient against MAO-A than against LSD1. In cellular assays, all the para and meta enantiomers were able to inhibit LSD1 by inducing Gfi-1b and ITGAM gene expression, with 11b,c and 11g-i giving the highest effects. Moreover, 11b and 11g,h strongly inhibited the clonogenic potential of murine promyelocytic blasts., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Epigenetics alterations including histone methylation and acetylation, and DNA methylation, are thought to play important roles in the onset and progression of cancer in numerous tumour cell lines. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1 or KDM1A) is highly expressed in different cancer types and inhibiting KDM1A activity seems to have high therapeutic potential in cancer treatment. In the recent years, several inhibitors of KDM1A have been prepared and disclosed. The majority of these derivatives were designed based on the structure of tranylcypromine, as the cyclopropane core is responsible for the covalent interaction between the inhibitor and the catalytic domain of KDM proteins. In this study, we have further extended the SAR regarding compounds 1a-e, which were recently found to inhibit KDM1A with good activity. The decoration of the phenyl ring at the β-position of the cyclopropane ring with small functional groups, mostly halogenated, and in particular at the meta position, led to a significant improvement of the inhibitory activity against KDM1A, as exemplified by compound 44a, which has a potency in the low nanomolar range (31 nM)., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Histone demethylase KDM1A (also known as LSD1) has become an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer as well as other disorders such as viral infections. We report on the synthesis of compounds derived from the expansion of tranylcypromine as a chemical scaffold for the design of novel demethylase inhibitors. These compounds, which are substituted on the cyclopropyl core moiety, were evaluated for their ability to inhibit KDM1A in vitro as well as to function in cells by modulating the expression of Gfi-1b, a well recognized KDM1A target gene. The molecules were all found to covalently inhibit KDM1A and to become increasingly selective against human monoamine oxidases MAO A and MAO B through the introduction of bulkier substituents on the cyclopropylamine ring. Structural and biochemical analysis of selected trans isomers showed that the two stereoisomers are endowed with similar inhibitory activities against KDM1A, but form different covalent adducts with the FAD co-enzyme., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Histone Deacetylases (HDACs) have become important targets for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. In previous studies we described the development of novel spirocyclic HDAC inhibitors based on the combination of privileged structures with hydroxamic acid moieties as zinc binding group. Herein, we report further explorations, which resulted in the discovery of a new class of spiro[2H-(1,3)-benzoxazine-2,4'-piperidine] derivatives. Several compounds showed good potency of around 100 nM and less in the HDAC inhibition assays, submicromolar IC50 values when tested against tumour cell lines and a remarkable stability in human and mouse microsomes. Two representative examples exhibited a good pharmacokinetic profile with an oral bioavailability equal or higher than 35% and one of them studied in an HCT116 murine xenograft model showing a robust tumour growth inhibition. In addition, the two benzoxazines were found to have a minor affinity for the hERG potassium channel compared to their corresponding ketone analogues., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)