Sarah Zingales

Core-Scaffold-Inspired Asymmetric Synthesis of Polysubstituted Chiral Hexahydropyridazines that Potently Inhibit Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation by Inducing Apoptosis

The highly enantioselective preparation of pharmacologically interesting hexahydropyridazine derivatives based on a multicomponent cascade reaction is described. This one-pot approach utilizes an organocatalytic Michael reaction followed by intermolecular α-amination and intramolecular hemiaminalization to yield a chiral pyridazine backbone with contiguous stereogenic centers and multiple functional groups in good yield and with high stereoselectivity. Compounds synthesized by this method potently inhibited proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Mechanistic studies suggest that compound 5 c exerts these anticancer effects by inducing apoptosis through extracellular signal related kinase (ERK)- and poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase (PARP)-regulated pathways, as well as mitochondrial pathways.

Design and synthesis of benzopyran-based inhibitors of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1 pathway with improved water solubility

Abstract While progress has been made in treating cancer, cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents are still the most widely used drugs and are associated with severe side-effects. Drugs that target unique molecular signalling pathways are needed for treating cancer with low or no intrinsic toxicity to normal cells. Our goal is to target hypoxic tumours and specifically the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) pathway for the development of new cancer therapies. To this end, we have previously developed benzopyran-based HIF-1 inhibitors such as arylsulfonamide KCN1. However, KCN1 and its earlier analogs have poor water solubility, which hamper their applications. Herein, we describe a series of KCN1 analogs that incorporate a morpholine moiety at various positions. We found that replacing the benzopyran group of KCN1 with a phenyl group with a morpholinomethyl moiety at the para positions had minimal effect on potency and improved the water solubility of two new compounds by more than 10-fold compared to KCN1, the lead compound.

Visualization of mercury(II) accumulation in vivo using bioluminescence imaging with a highly selective probe

Mercury is a highly toxic environmental pollutant that negatively affects human health. Thus, an in vivo method for noninvasive imaging of mercury(ii) and visualization of its accumulation within living systems would be advantageous. Herein, we describe a reaction-based bioluminescent probe for detection of mercury(ii) in vitro and accumulation in vivo. The application of this probe would help to shed light on the intricate contributions of mercury(ii) to various physiological and pathological processes.

Examining the structure-activity relationship of benzopyran-based inhibitors of the hypoxia inducible factor-1 pathway

Many forms of solid tumor have a characteristic feature known as hypoxia, which describes a low or non-existent presence of oxygen in the cellular microenvironment. This decrease in oxygen causes activation of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) pathway, which activates the transcription of many genes that cause cell proliferation, metastasis, increased glycolysis and angiogenesis. Increased HIF expression has been linked with poor patient prognosis, increased malignancy, and therapeutic resistance. Previous work in our lab has identified 1 and 2 as inhibitors of the HIF pathway, specifically as disrupters of the p300-HIF-1α complex formation. A library of sulfonamide analogs has been designed and synthesized with the intent of examining the SAR of this series of compounds and improving potency and physicochemical properties as compared with lead compounds 1 and 2. At the end, we have achieved a thorough understanding of the structural features critical for future optimization work.

Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of 4-substituted furano[3,2-c] tetrahydroquinolines as potential anti-cancer agents

Abstract A convenient and mild method for the synthesis of substituted furano [3,2-c]tetrahydroquinoline derivatives was developed, using the multi-component Povarov reaction. Of the synthesized tetrahydroquinoline derivatives, compound 10a displayed the greatest cellular proliferation inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 2.5–16.7 μmol/l. In addition, 10a induced murine C6 glioma cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner by up-regulating the expression of Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9, and by down-regulating Bcl-2. Our findings suggest that these novel compounds have potential as therapeutic agents via inducing mitochondrial apoptosis.

Crystal structure of (E)-1-(3-chloro­phen­yl)-3-(furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one

The title compound, C13H9ClO2, exhibits a non-planar geometry; the furan ring being inclined to the benzene ring by 50.52 (16)°. In the crystal, molecules stack along the a axis; however, there are no significant intermolecular interactions present.

Crystal structure of (E)-2-[(2-bromopyridin-3-yl)methyl­idene]-6-meth­oxy-3,4-di­hydro­naphthalen-1(2H)-one and 3-[(E)-(6-meth­oxy-1-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetra­hydro­naphthalen-2-ylidene)meth­yl]pyridin-2(1H)-one

The title compounds C17H14BrNO2 (I), and C17H15NO3 (II), were obtained from the reaction of 6-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-naphthalen-1-one and 2-bromonicotinaldehyde in ethanol. Compound (I) was the expected product and compound (II) was the oxidation product from air exposure.