Panagiotis Marakos

Synthesis and antiviral activity evaluation of some new 6-substituted 3-(1-adamantyl)-1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazoles

A number of novel 3,6-disubstituted 1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole derivatives, containing the adamantyl moiety, were synthesized and examined in various viral test systems. No antiviral effects were noted with any of the compounds at subtoxic concentrations in cell culture.

Synthesis antimicrobial and antifungal activity of some new 3 substituted derivatives of 4-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-adamantyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole.

The synthesis of a series of substituted hydrazones and thiazolidinones is described, starting from N-[4-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-adamantyl-1H-1,2,4-triazol-3-ylmercaptoacetyl]hydrazine. The new compounds were tested for antimicrobial and antifungal activity and some of them exhibited moderate activity against Candida albicans.

Fused xanthone derivatives as antiproliferative agents.

Xanthones have been isolated from several natural sources, mainly belonging in Guttiferae and Gentianaceae families as secondary plant metabolites and many of them are endowed with diverse pharmacological properties. We have focused in the study of cytotoxic fused xanthone derivatives, having in mind that some furano- and pyranoxanthone natural products are particularly interesting, in terms of cytotoxic potency and novelty in their mechanism of action and could serve as lead compounds for the development of clinically effective anticancer agents. In this review, a general classification has been attempted based on the type of ring fusion, in such a way that natural compounds as well as synthetic derivatives are discussed. The furanoxanthone psorospermin is a highly promising isolated xanthone derivative exhibiting significant cytotoxicity through a novel mechanism of action, being an irreversible topoisomerase II poison and it was selected for further development as an antineoplastic agent. An important number of pyranoxanthones have been synthesized using as lead compound the acridone alkaloid acronycine. Adducts on the double bond of these compounds provided cytotoxic derivatives possessing cell-cycle selectivity. The synthesis of pyranoxanthones bearing aminosubstituted side-chains resulted in compounds that exhibit markedly improved cytotoxicity towards leukemic and solid tumor cell lines. Azabioisosters of the aminoderivatives exhibit solid tumor selectivity whereas additional pyrazole or/and benzene ring fusion has been incorporated into the xanthone skeleton and resulted in compounds with promising activity, which retain full antiproliferative activity against P-glycoprotein-overexpressing cells. Gambogic acid, a highly effective anticancer drug candidate with low toxicity to normal tissue, together with structurally related representative analogues are also mentioned.

Robust, universal biomarker assay to detect senescent cells in biological specimens

Cellular senescence contributes to organismal development, aging, and diverse pathologies, yet available assays to detect senescent cells remain unsatisfactory. Here, we designed and synthesized a lipophilic, biotin‐linked Sudan Black B (SBB) analogue suitable for sensitive and specific, antibody‐enhanced detection of lipofuscin‐containing senescent cells in any biological material. This new hybrid histo‐/immunochemical method is easy to perform, reliable, and universally applicable to assess senescence in biomedicine, from cancer research to gerontology.

Synthesis and free radical scavenging activity of some new spiropyranocoumarins

A series of novel spiro-substituted 4-hydroxypyranocoumarins and their corresponding dihydropyrano cis-diols has been synthesized. Among them the spiroadamantylpyranocoumarin and the diols can interact with the stable free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and scavenge superoxide anions generated in the xanthine-xanthine oxidase system.

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of some new azapyranoxanthenone aminoderivatives.

A series of novel azapyranoxanthenones, bearing structural similarity to the acridone alkaloid acronycine have been designed and synthesized. Their in vitro cytotoxicities against the murine L1210 leukemia and the human solid tumor HT-29 cell lines have been investigated. The new derivatives exhibited interesting cytotoxic activity and were more potent than the parent compound.

Synthesis of 7-aminopyrazolo[3,4-c]pyridine as A probe for the preparation of compounds of pharmacological interest

A synthetic route towards the preparation of 7-aminopyrazolo[3,4-c]pyridine is developed, starting from the readily accessible 2-amino-4-methyl-3-nitropyridine. The unexpected formation of 7-methylimidazolo[4,5-b]pyridin-2-one during the reaction sequence is also described.

Design and synthesis of some new pyranoxanthenone aminoderivatives with cytotoxic activity

The synthesis, DNA binding and in vitro cytotoxicity of a series of novel pyranoxanthones, analogues of the acridone alcaloid acronycine, are described. The new compounds proved to bind weakly to DNA. On the contrary, they exhibited interesting cytotoxic activity against murine leukemia L1210 cell line, as well as against some human solid tumor cell lines.

Synthesis, cytotoxic activity, NMR study and stereochemical effects of some new pyrano[3,2-b]thioxanthen-6-ones and pyrano[2,3-c]thioxanthen-7-ones

Some new substituted pyrano[3,2-b]thioxanthen-6-ones and pyrano[2,3-c]thioxanthen-7-ones were prepared and their cytotoxic activity was evaluated using acronycine as the reference compound. The conformation of the molecules was also investigated in an effort to correlate this parameter with the biological activity.

Synthesis and cytotoxic activity of 2-dialkylaminoethylamino substituted xanthenone and thioxanthenone derivatives

The synthesis and biological evaluation of some new pyranoxanthenones and pyranothioxanthenones, substituted with flexible amino side-chains, and their evaluation as potential antitumor agents is described. The cytotoxic activity of the compounds and their eventual selective effect on a phase of the cell cycle were evaluated in vitro, using the murine lymphocytic L1210 leukemia cell line. The new aminoderivatives exhibited highly potent cytotoxicity against the leukemia L1210 cell line when compared to acronycine. All the compounds induced a partial accumulation of cells in the G2 + M phase of the cell cycle.