1,3,4-Oxadiazole and 1,3,4-Thiadiazole Nortopsentin Derivatives against Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Synthesis, Cytotoxic Activity, and Inhibition of CDK1

Daniela Carbone, Camilla Pecoraro, Giovanna Panzeca, Geng Xu, Margot S. F. Roeten, Stella Cascioferro, Elisa Giovannetti, Patrizia Diana, Barbara Parrino

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7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

A new series of nortopsentin analogs, in which the central imidazole ring of the natural lead was replaced by a 1,3,4-oxadiazole or 1,3,4-thiadiazole moiety, was efficiently synthesized. The antiproliferative activity of all synthesized derivatives was evaluated against five pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines, a primary culture and a gemcitabine-resistant variant. The five more potent compounds elicited EC50 values in the submicromolar–micromolar range, associated with a significant reduction in cell migration. Moreover, flow cytometric analysis after propidium iodide staining revealed an increase in the G2-M and a decrease in G1-phase, indicating cell cycle arrest, while a specific ELISA demonstrated the inhibition of CDK1 activity, a crucial regulator of cell cycle progression and cancer cell proliferation.
Original languageEnglish
Article number412
JournalMarine Drugs
Volume21
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2023

Keywords

  • 1,3,4-oxadiazole
  • 1,3,4-thiadiazole
  • PDAC antiproliferative activity
  • inhibition of CDK1 expression
  • inhibition of migration
  • nortopsentin analogs

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