Dr Jennette Sakoff

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.Abstract An efficient and divergent methodology for the synthesis of new anthracenone-pyranones and anthracenone-furans is described. Key reactions discussed in these syntheses include an aldehyde promoted annulation with a ß-keto-sulfoxide, a domino alkyne insertion/carbonylation/Nu-acylation and a DMEDA promoted Castro-Stephens reaction. We also report the in vitro growth inhibition of these compounds in a range of human cancer cells. The natural product BE-26554A displayed good cell growth activity on BE2-C neuroblastoma and SMA glioblastoma cell lines at 0.17 and 0.16 µM (GI50), respectively. Of note, were a CF3 functionalised anthracenone 4-pyranone (chromone) derivative 22, and an anthracenone-furan derivative 54 which displayed 0.20 µM and 0.38 µM growth inhibition, respectively, in the BE2-C neuroblastoma cell line.

The Knoevenagel condensation of a series of substituted phenyl acetonitriles with 1H-pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde was examined in seven 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium based ionic liquids and three protic ionic liquids. Of these [BMIM][Br] and [BMIM][OH], with catalytic piperidine, proved most efficient affording 3-substituted-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)acrylonitriles 3-17 in good to excellent yields (98%) whilst utilisation of the protic ionic liquid propyl ammonium nitrate resulted in reduced yields (0-66%). Screening of the 3-substituted-(1H-pyrrol-2-yl)acrylonitriles analogues 3-17 against a panel of 11 cancer cell lines and one normal cell line allowed the identification of a series of compounds with broad spectrum cytotoxicity, but more interestingly a significant degree of MCF-7 breast cancer cell line specificity was evident with 6 (7 to >25 fold) and 13 (5.7 to >80 fold). Other analogues show high level of efficacy against specific cell lines with 10 showing excellent activity against MCF-7 (GI50 = 1.7 µM) and A431 (GI50 = 2.8 µM) cell lines. The most promising of the compounds identified herein were the 4-CF3 substituted 10 and the 3,4-dichloro substituted 13 with excellent activities against MCF-7 and A431 cell lines. The 3,4-dichloro-13 was a 0.56 µM potent inhibitor of MCF-7 cell growth. © 2014 the Partner Organisations.

Oroidin (1), (E)-N-(3-(2-amino-1H-imidazol-4-yl)allyl)-4,5-dibromo-1H- pyrrole-2-carboxamide, is a pyrrole alkaloid isolated from the marine sponge Agelas oroides. Routine screening in a panel of twelve cancer cell lines revealed 1 to be poorly cytotoxic with the 50% growth inhibition concentration (GI) of 42 µM in MCF-7 (breast) cells and 24 µM in A2780 (ovarian) cells and >50 µM in all other cell lines tested. The development of eight focused libraries comprising thirty compounds total identified N-(biphenyl-4-ylmethyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxamide (4l), N-benzyl-4,5-dibromo-1H- pyrrole-2-carboxamide (5a) and N-(biphenyl-4-ylmethyl)-4,5-dibromo-1H-pyrrole-2- carboxamide (5l) as potent inhibitors of cell growth in our panel of cell lines. Of these compounds GI values of <5 µM were observed with 4l against HT29 (colon) and SW480 (colon); 5a against HT29; and 5l against HT29, SW480, MCF-7, A431 (skin), Du145 (prostate), BE2-C (neuroblastoma) and MIA (pancreas) cell lines. As a cancer class, colon cancer appears to be more sensitive to the oroidin series of compounds, with analogue 5l being the most active. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Serine/threonine protein phosphatases have long been ignored as potential therapeutic targets for two reasons, one the biochemical significance of these proteins has not been appreciated and two, many natural protein phosphatase inhibitors are potent toxins and are considered unsuitable for clinical use. This review outlines the biochemical role of this protein family in cancer, cystic fibrosis, immunosuppression and, cardiac and neurological disorders. Particular emphasis is also given to the synthesis of selective small molecule inhibitors and their clinical exploitation.