Search

Background: Vitamin D deficiency associates with high risk of breast cancer (BRCA) and increased cellular iron. Vitamin D exerts some of its anti-cancer effects by regulating the expression of key iron regulatory genes (IRGs). The association between vitamin D and cellular iron content in BRCA remains ambiguous. Herein, we addressed whether vitamin D signaling exerts a role in cellular iron homeostasis thereby affecting survival of breast cancer cells.Methods: Expression profile of IRGs in vitamin D-treated breast cancer cells was analyzed using publicly available transcriptomic datasets. After treatment of BRCA cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 with the active form of vitamin D, labile iron content, IRGs protein levels, oxidative stress, and cell survival were evaluated.Results: Bioinformatics analysis revealed several IRGs as well as cellular stress relates genes were differentially expressed in BRCA cells. Vitamin D treatment resulted in cellular iron depletion and differentially affected the expression of key IRGs protein levels. Vitamin D treatment exerted oxidative stress induction and alteration in the cellular redox balance by increasing the synthesis of key stress-related markers. Collectively, these effects resulted in a significant decrease in BRCA cell survival.Conclusion: These findings suggest that vitamin D disrupts cellular iron homeostasis leading to oxidative stress induction and cell death.

Evolution of the synthetic strategy that culminated in the first total syntheses of the structurally unique plectosphaeroic acids B (2) and C (3) is described. The successful enantioselective route to (+)-2 and (+)-3 proceeds in 6 and 11 steps from the known hexahydro-2H-pyrazinopyrrolo[2,3-b]indole-1,4-dione 39, which in turn is available in enantiomerically pure form by chemical synthesis. The central challenge in this synthesis endeavor was uniting the hexahydro-2H-pyrazinopyrrolo[2,3-b]indole-1,4-dione and cinnabarinic acid fragments of these marine alkaloids. Critical for achieving this successful C-N bond formation was the use of an iodocinnabarinic acid diester in which the amino group was masked with two Boc substituents, a Cu(I) carboxylate complex and the weak base KOAc. The highly congested C-N bond generated in this coupling, in conjunction with the delicate nature of the densely functionalized coupling partners, provided a striking testament to the power of modern copper-mediated amination methods. Two approaches, one stereoselective, for introducing the methylthio substituents of (+)-plectosphaeroic acid B were developed. The epitrisulfide ring of (+)-plectosphaeroic acid C was formed by ring expansion of an epidisulfide precursor.

We report a study of the influence of Lewis acids upon the regioselectivity of ring opening of quinolinic[2,3]anhydrides to provide 2-(isopropoxycarbonyl)-nicotinic acids. In the presence of stoichiometric amounts of indium trifluoromethanesulfonate or lanthanum trifluoromethanesulfonate, the desired 2-position ester was generated with greater than 95:5 regioselectivity. This methodology was also applied to 6-methyl-[2,3]-quinoline to provide similar results.

A series of C3 halobenzyl-substituted tricyclic HIV integrase inhibitors was prepared. Improvement in cell-based inhibitor potency was observed in comparison to previously disclosed tricyclic pyrroloquinolines carrying the ‘halobenzyl tail’ at the lactam nitrogen. Animal PK for several of the C3-substituted inhibitors was examined, with a dihaloaryl analog achieving good balance in protein-shifted EC50 and t1/2 in animal PK studies.

A series of C5-aza tricyclic HIV integrase inhibitors was prepared. A highly potent and orally bioavailable compound (compound 9) was identified and selected for development.

A concise second-generation total synthesis of the fungal-derived alkaloid (+)-gliocladin C (11) in 10 steps and 11% overall yield from isatin is reported. In addition, the epipolythiodioxopiperazine (ETP) natural product (+)-gliocladine C (6) has been prepared in six steps and 29% yield from the di-(tert-butoxycarbonyl) precursor of 11. The total synthesis of 6 constitutes the first total synthesis of an ETP natural product containing a hydroxyl substituent adjacent to a quaternary carbon stereocenter in the pyrrolidine ring.

SAR studies on the para-fluorobenzyl moiety of tricyclic HIV integrase inhibitors are discussed and lead compounds with potency and PK properties comparable to raltegravir were identified.

A series of novel tricyclic inhibitors of HIV-1 integrase enzyme was prepared. The effect of substitution at C-6 of the 9-hydroxy-6,7-dihydropyrrolo[3,4-g]quinolin-8-one compounds was studied in vitro. Inhibitors with small side chains at C-6 were generally well tolerated by the enzyme, and the physicochemical properties of the inhibitors were improved by substitution of a small alkyl group at this position. A second series of analogs bearing a sulfamate at the C-5 position with various C-6 substituents were prepared to explore the interplay between the two groups. The SAR of the two classes are not parallel; modification at C-5 impacts the effect of substitutions at C-6.