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Aberrant activation of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met signaling pathway caused by gene amplification or mutation plays an important role in tumorigenesis. Therefore, c-Met is considered as an attractive target for cancer therapy and c-Met inhibitors have been developed with great interests. However, cancers treated with c-Met inhibitors inevitably develop resistance commonly caused by the activation of PI3K/Akt signal transduction pathway. Therefore, the combination of c-Met and PI3Kα inhibitors showed synergistic activities, especially, in c-Met hyperactivated and PIK3CA-mutated cells. In our previous study, we rationally designed and synthesized DFX117(6-(5-(2,4-difluorophenylsulfonamido)-6-methoxypyridin-3-yl)-N-(2-morpholinoethyl) imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine-3-carboxamide) as a novel PI3Kα selective inhibitor. Herein, the antitumor activity and underlying mechanisms of DFX117 against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells were evaluated in both in vitro and in vivo animal models. Concurrent targeted c-Met and PI3Kα by DFX117 dose-dependent inhibited the cell growth of H1975 cells (PIK3CA mutation and c-Met amplification) and A549 cells (KRAS mutation). DFX117 subsequently induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. These data highlight the significant potential of DFX117 as a feasible and efficacious agent for the treatment of NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fangchinoline, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, is known to exert anti-cancer activity. A series of new fangchinoline derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activity. In cell viability assay, these fangchinoline derivatives displayed higher proliferation inhibitory activity on leukemia and breast cancer cell lines than the parental compound. Among them, 3e exhibited strongest cell growth inhibitory activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner on leukemia cell line HEL through induction of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Treatment of HEL cells with 3e also resulted in significant suppression of the MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathway as well as c-MYC downregulation, which may responsible for induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In docking analysis, high affinity interaction between 3e and Akt1 was responsible for drastic kinase inhibition by the compound. This derivative compound may be useful as a potent anti-cancer agent for treatment of leukemia. Image 1 • Twenty-five fangchinoline derivatives displayed higher anti-neoplastic activity than the parental compound on 4 cell lines. • The compound 3e induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of HEL leukemia cell line in a dose- and time-dependent manner. • Induction of apoptosis by 3e was associated with the inhibition of p-AKT, p-ERK, and activation of p-JNK, JNK. • Molecular docking study revealed high affinity interaction between 3e and Akt1, confirmed by Akt kinase inhibition assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]