(((4-nitrophenyl)amino)(2-2-4-4-tetramethyl-thiochroman-6-yl)amino)-methane-1-thione and Ovarian-Neoplasms

SHetA2 (NSC 721689), our lead Flex-Het anti-cancer agent, consists of a thiochroman (Ring A) and a 4-nitrophenyl (Ring B) linked by a thiourea bridge. In this work, several series of new analogs having a tetrahydroquinoline (THQ, Ring A) unit connected by a urea or thiourea linker to a 4-substituted phenyl (Ring B) have been prepared and evaluated relative to SHetA2 in terms of binding affinity with mortalin and inhibition of A2780 ovarian cancer cells. Six of the derivatives equaled or exceeded the efficacy shown by SHetA2. Compounds 1a-d (series 1), lacking a methyl on the Ring A nitrogen and the gem-dimethyls on the adjacent carbon, showed only weak activity. Salt 2, the quaternized N,N-dimethyl iodide salt analog of 1a, also possessed very modest growth inhibition in the cell line studied. Series 3 compounds, which had a C3 ketone and an N-methyl replacing the sulfur in Ring A, were most successful. Compound 3a [Ring A = 1,2,2,4,4-pentamethyl-3-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-6-yl; urea linker; Ring B = 4-nitrophenyl] had slightly lower potency (IC

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Binding Sites; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Chromans; Female; Humans; Molecular Docking Simulation; Ovarian Neoplasms; Quinolines; Structure-Activity Relationship; Thiones; Urea

A series of Flexible Heteroarotinoid (Flex-Het) analogs was synthesized and their biological activities were evaluated against the A2780 ovarian cancer cell line. The objective of this study was to establish structure-activity relationships (SARs) for new Flex-Het derivatives, which were previously inaccessible due to the limited availability of aryl isothiocyanate precursors. The current work developed a synthesis of isothiocyanate 13 and used it to prepare 14 diverse thiourea analogs of the lead compound SHetA2 (1, NSC-721689) from a range of commercial amines. Additionally, five new ureas were prepared along with nine N-benzylthioureas, five derivatives incorporating hydrazine or hydrazide linkers and four desmethyl compounds. Potencies and efficacies were determined for each derivative. Some of the new Flex-Hets displayed high activity with IC

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Chromans; Female; Humans; Ovarian Neoplasms; Structure-Activity Relationship; Thiones; Thiourea

Five series of chromans with urea and thiourea linkers connecting a chroman unit (ring A) and a 4-substituted benzene unit (ring B) have been prepared and evaluated relative to SHetA2 (NSC 721689) for activity against the human A2780 ovarian cancer cell line. The lead compound SHetA2 had a sulfur in place of the oxygen in ring A and a thiourea linker to ring B. The 2-Me-4-Me series (two sets of geminal dimethyl groups at C2 and at C4 on the ring A unit) permitted direct comparison with SHetA2. Ring B in this series was evaluated with specific functional groups at C4 on the ring, including NO

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Chromans; Female; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; Humans; Molecular Docking Simulation; Ovarian Neoplasms; Oxygen; Sulfur; Thiones; Thiourea; Urea

Flexible Heteroarotinoids (Flex-Hets) are a class of substituted di-aryl compounds that exhibit potent anti-cancer activity without toxicity. They were derived from the more conformationally restricted, 2-atom linker Hets by substitution of the 2-atom linker with a 3-atom urea or thiourea linker, which conferred more potent inhibitory activity against cancer cell lines. The objectives of this structure activity relationship (SAR) study were to determine if a 4-atom acrylamide linker and various substitutions on the terminal aryl ring altered the anti-cancer activity of these second generation Flex-Het compounds compared to the parent Flex-Het compound, SHetA2, which has a thiourea linker and a nitro substituent. Biological activity was measured using a cytotoxicity assay of the human A2780 ovarian cancer cell line treated with a range of compound concentrations. Nitrogen-based substitutions on the terminal aryl group caused similar, but slightly reduced efficacies and potencies. Exceptions were systems that had a nitro group at the para position, the potencies of which were better than that of SHetA2 with efficacies that were only slightly reduced compared to SHetA2. Similarly, the potency of the system with a para dimethylamino group was greater than that of SHetA2. However, a 30% reduction in efficacy compared to SHetA2 was noted. While specific members with the 4-atom acrylamide linker did exhibit excellent potency, the efficacy was slightly below that of SHetA2. Thus, a gradient of activities was observed as the substituent on the aryl ring was altered.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Chromans; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Female; Humans; Molecular Structure; Ovarian Neoplasms; Structure-Activity Relationship; Thiones

Regulation of growth, differentiation, and apoptosis by synthetic retinoids can occur through mechanisms that are dependent and independent of their ability to bind and activate nuclear retinoic acid receptors. The objective of this study was to determine if increasing flexibility of the heteroarotinoid structure would affect the specificity of the synthetic retinoids for the receptors and for their regulation of cancerous and nonmalignant cells. Methods were developed to produce the first examples of heteroarotinoids 15a-15h, which contain urea and/or thiourea linking groups between two aryl rings. Substituents at the para position of the single phenyl ring were either an ester, a nitro group, or a sulfonamide group. Ovarian cancer cell lines Caov-3, OVCAR-3, SK-OV-3, UCI-101, and 222 were utilized, and the inhibitory prowess of the heteroarotinoids was referenced to that of 4-HPR (25). Similar to 4-HPR (25), the heteroarotinoids inhibited growth of all cell lines at micromolar concentrations. Although the heteroarotinoids did not activate retinoic acid receptors, the agents induced potent growth inhibition against the cancer cells with weak activity against normal and benign cells. The growth inhibition was associated with cell loss and induction of reactive oxygen species.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Cell Division; Cell Line, Tumor; Computer Simulation; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; Female; Humans; Ovarian Neoplasms; Reactive Oxygen Species; Receptors, Retinoic Acid; Retinoids; Structure-Activity Relationship; Thiourea; Urea