{"title":"Target-Based Antitubercular Drug Discovery: Scaffold Diversity and SAR Trends of Small Molecules Against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis","authors":"Rakesh Chandra Kalita, Kaustubh Ajit Kolekar, Sachin Kumar Singh, Deepshikha Patle","doi":"10.1002/ardp.70347","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ardp.70347","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Tuberculosis remains a major infectious disease, and the increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> continues to limit current treatment options. This review summarizes recent medicinal chemistry efforts directed toward six important <i>M. tuberculosis</i> targets: InhA, DprE1, MmpL3, QcrB, DNA gyrase, and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). Emphasis is placed on the structural diversity and biological activity of potent molecules. SAR analysis relates changes in scaffold, substituent pattern, linker geometry, lipophilicity, and polarity to antimycobacterial potency and activity against resistant strains. Selected synthetic routes and clinically relevant antitubercular compounds are also discussed. Selected docking studies provide supportive structural information for representative potent inhibitors, while comparative SAR analysis provides an overview of the major structural features associated with activity across the target classes. Overall, the review summarizes recent medicinal chemistry advances in targeted antitubercular drug discovery and provides SAR considerations for further lead optimization.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":128,"journal":{"name":"Archiv der Pharmazie","volume":"359 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149072926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ying Zheng, Guowen He, Wei Xia, Jiuhong Kang, Xiang Ji, Ruokun Wu, Hao Qu, Mingxia Song, Xianqing Deng
{"title":"Design, Synthesis, and Pharmacological Evaluation of Sulfur-Containing Pitolisant Analogs as Potent H3R Antagonists for Epilepsy Therapy","authors":"Ying Zheng, Guowen He, Wei Xia, Jiuhong Kang, Xiang Ji, Ruokun Wu, Hao Qu, Mingxia Song, Xianqing Deng","doi":"10.1002/ardp.70327","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ardp.70327","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Although multiple antiseizure drugs (ASDs) are clinically accessible, epilepsy remains a debilitating neurological disorder with a high unmet need for more effective and better-tolerated therapies. Antagonism of the histamine H<sub>3</sub> receptor (H<sub>3</sub>R) represents a promising alternative strategy, exemplified by the clinically approved inverse agonist/antagonist pitolisant (PIT) for narcolepsy. Herein, we designed a novel series of non-imidazole H<sub>3</sub>R antagonists by introducing a sulfur atom into the PIT scaffold to modulate lipophilicity, flexibility, and target binding. The synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of 12 target compounds (<b>3a–3h</b>, <b>5a–5d</b>) are reported. Compounds <b>3e</b> and <b>3f</b> showed potent H<sub>3</sub>R antagonism with IC<sub>50</sub> values of 0.18 µM and 0.036 µM, respectively, with the latter more active than PIT (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.1 µM). In the maximal electroshock (MES) model, <b>3f</b> exhibited superior antiseizure activity (ED<sub>50</sub> = 14.0 mg/kg) compared to PIT (ED<sub>50</sub> = 16.3 mg/kg). What's more, compounds <b>3e</b> and <b>3f</b> showed significant seizure protection in a zebrafish pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) model, and favorable cytotoxicity and neurotoxicity profiles in cell and animal experiments. Compound <b>3f</b> exhibits low hERG toxicity risk with an IC<sub>50</sub> of 1.83 µM compared to PIT (IC<sub>50</sub> = 1.51 µM), and excellent blood-brain barrier penetration with a brain-to-plasma ratio of 4.56. Molecular docking studies revealed stable interactions with key H<sub>3</sub>R residues, including ASP114, VAL95, and PHE189. Collectively, these results indicate that <b>3f</b> shows considerable promise as a lead candidate in the search for new antiepileptic drugs.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":128,"journal":{"name":"Archiv der Pharmazie","volume":"359 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149072871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spirooxindole 5-(Trifluoromethyl)benzothiazole Hybrids: Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Antioxidant Activity","authors":"Nida Karabag, Asu Busra Temizer-Keser, Murat Pekmez, Elif Mertoğlu-Kamalı, Filiz Betül Kaynak, Nurten Özsoy, Nazlı Arda, Nilgün Karalı","doi":"10.1002/ardp.70343","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ardp.70343","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Antioxidants neutralize free radicals to reduce oxidative stress and cellular damage, preventing various chronic diseases. In this study, the antioxidant activities of novel 5-(trifluoromethyl)-3<i>H</i>-spiro[1,3-benzothiazole-2,3′-indol]-2′(1′<i>H</i>)-ones (<b>4a–h</b>), along with the spirocyclic 2-indolinones (<b>4i–m</b> and <b>5a–n</b>) previously synthesized by our group, were investigated for the first time, to find a multi-modal antioxidant and to understand the impact of the trifluoromethyl group located at the 5-position of the benzothiazole on antioxidant activity. For this purpose, the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) free radical scavenging, superoxide anion scavenging, ABTS<sup>•+</sup> radical cation scavenging, trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, ferric ion reduction antioxidant potential (FRAP), and lipid peroxidation (TBARs) assays were carried out. The cytotoxic effects of compounds (<b>4g</b>, <b>4h</b>, <b>4i</b>, <b>4j</b>, <b>4l</b>, <b>5a</b>, <b>5b</b>, and <b>5h)</b>, which showed promising in vitro antioxidant activity in at least two in vitro tests, were investigated in healthy human fibroblast (HFF-1) cells. The effects of non-toxic doses of these compounds on intracellular reactive oxygen species were also evaluated. As a result, it was determined that compound <b>4l</b> (R<sub>1</sub> = 5-F and R<sub>2</sub> = H) exhibited greater radical scavenging activity than the other compounds tested. The IC<sub>50</sub> of compound <b>4l</b> was 74.13 µM while compound <b>4g</b> (R<sub>1</sub> = 5-Cl-7-CH<sub>3</sub> and R<sub>2</sub> = H) was non-toxic (IC<sub>50</sub> > 200 μM). Compounds <b>4e</b> (R<sub>1</sub> = 5-Cl and R<sub>2</sub> = H) and <b>4f</b> (R<sub>1</sub> = 7-Br and R<sub>2</sub> = H), exhibited higher lipid peroxidation inhibitory activity than α-tocopherol in vitro; however, the difference was not statistically significant.</p>","PeriodicalId":128,"journal":{"name":"Archiv der Pharmazie","volume":"359 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13617587/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149068906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Steric Control of Competitive Versus Noncompetitive Lactoperoxidase Inhibition by Amide-Linked Iridium(III) Complexes","authors":"Kevser Kübra Kırboğa, Fatma Sağır, Zeynep Köksal, Çiğdem Şahin","doi":"10.1002/ardp.70346","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ardp.70346","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Lactoperoxidase (LPO, EC 1.11.1.7), a heme metalloenzyme central to innate antimicrobial defence and implicated in mammary carcinogenesis, remains an underexplored target for metal-based inhibitors. We evaluated six cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes bearing 2,2′-bipyridine-4,4′-dicarboxamide ancillary ligands with varied N-substituents as LPO inhibitors. Kinetic analysis using LPO purified from bovine milk revealed nanomolar inhibition (IC<sub>50</sub> = 0.64–3.12 nM; <i>Kᵢ </i>= 0.05 ± 0.01–5.36 ± 1.88 nM), representing an approximately 10<sup>7</sup>-fold potency advantage over the benchmark sulfonamide acetazolamide. Lineweaver–Burk analysis showed substituent-dependent inhibition: complexes 1, 2, and 4 were competitive, whereas 3, 5, and 6 were non-competitive, indicating that peripheral steric features influence the inhibition mechanism. Density functional theory calculations showed smaller HOMO–LUMO gaps and higher electrophilicity indices than acetazolamide, although no single descriptor predicted activity within the series. Molecular docking supported binding within the distal heme cavity, with representative interactions including π–π stacking and hydrogen bonding involving Gln-105 and His-109. All complexes reduced MDA-MB-231 cell viability; among those with reliably determined IC<sub>50</sub> values, complex 4 showed the greatest cytotoxicity (IC<sub>50</sub> = 18.28 µM). These findings identify amide-linked Ir(III) complexes as highly potent LPO inhibitors with substituent-dependent inhibition modes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":128,"journal":{"name":"Archiv der Pharmazie","volume":"359 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149035695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Structural Modification of Alepterolic Acid to Discover New Anti-Inflammatory Agents","authors":"Yating Jia, Yanchun Sun, Xiaoran Min, Peixin Wang, Nigora Rustamova, Chaoyuan Liu, Yaru Cheng, Jianguo Cao, Jingzhe Pu, Guozheng Huang","doi":"10.1002/ardp.70338","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ardp.70338","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Alepterolic acid is a natural compound occurring in <i>Aleuritopteris argentea</i> (Gmél.) Fée. In this study, 12 derivatives of alepterolic acid were obtained by chemical modification and evaluated regarding their effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Notably, compound <b>13</b> exhibited low toxicity while significantly inhibiting LPS-induced NO production. To elucidate its immunomodulatory mechanism, we quantified transcription levels of key cellular inflammatory factors (TNF-α and IL-6) using RT-qPCR and measured protein levels of key cellular inflammatory factor (iNOS) by Western blotting. Additionally, mitochondrial membrane potential and concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in RAW264.7 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the phosphorylation status of key proteins in the MAPK inflammatory pathway was assessed by Western blotting. The results demonstrate that compound <b>13</b> exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting MAPK pathway phosphorylation, downregulating LPS-induced transcription of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-<i>α</i>, IL-6), reducing ROS generation, and delaying the decline of mitochondrial membrane potential. This study provides a basis for the application of alepterolic derivatives in inflammatory diseases.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":128,"journal":{"name":"Archiv der Pharmazie","volume":"359 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149014985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Parisa Nikfar, Mina Hosseini, Nima Rezaei, Mina Saeedi
{"title":"Triazole- and Imidazole-Containing Compounds: Versatile VEGFR-2 Inhibitors for Cancer Therapy","authors":"Parisa Nikfar, Mina Hosseini, Nima Rezaei, Mina Saeedi","doi":"10.1002/ardp.70330","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ardp.70330","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) is a major mediator of pathological angiogenesis, which is critical to tumor progression and metastasis; therefore, inhibition of VEGFR-2 remains a key therapeutic strategy for cancer. Despite the established clinical efficacy of several approved VEGFR-2-targeted agents, many first-generation inhibitors are limited by dose-limiting toxicities and the emergence of resistance, highlighting an ongoing need for next-generation compounds with improved selectivity and more favorable safety profiles. Among nitrogen-containing heterocyclic frameworks, triazoles and imidazoles are widely employed in medicinal chemistry owing to their favorable structural features, including appropriate stability, synthetic accessibility, and the ability to engage in key molecular interactions. This review summarizes recent advances in the design of triazole- and imidazole-based VEGFR-2 inhibitors, containing Schiff bases, bicyclic, tricyclic, and glycoside derivatives. We comparatively describe their VEGFR-2 inhibitory activities and anticancer cytotoxicity data, and discuss key structure-activity relationships and mechanistic insights, with particular emphasis on molecular features that appear to favor potent and selective VEGFR-2 inhibition. This review compiles in vitro, in vivo, and in silico data on triazole- and imidazole-based VEGFR-2 inhibitors, providing a basis for understanding trends relevant to the design and development of optimized anti-angiogenic agents.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":128,"journal":{"name":"Archiv der Pharmazie","volume":"359 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149023349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Photoaffinity Probe for S‑Guanylation Posttranslational Modification to Identify Its Interacting Proteins","authors":"Han Wei, Jinyan Han, Guanghe Zhu, Xinyu Lu","doi":"10.1002/ardp.70345","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ardp.70345","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>S-guanylation is an endogenous posttranslational modification that has been implicated as a specific autophagic signal, yet its interacting proteins and underlying molecular mechanism remain largely unknown. Here, we developed the first diazirine-based S-guanylation photoaffinity probe (SGPP) to capture and identify its interacting proteins in living cells. The SGPP efficiently labeled target proteins in a time-, concentration-, and UV-crosslinking-dependent manner, as demonstrated by in-gel fluorescence scanning. Using a chemoproteomic workflow combining SGPP-mediated photocrosslinking, affinity enrichment, and mass spectrometry, we identified nine candidate binding proteins in HeLa cells, including ACAP2, APOD, DLGAP5, FAM83A, GNB4, LCN1, LSM4, OR5AC2, and RNASEH2A. Orthogonal anti‑GFP pull‑down validation confirmed GNB4 as a bona fide binding partner. Notably, the association of several candidates with guanine nucleotide binding activity validates the reliability of our chemoproteomic identification. To validate the degradation activity of the S-guanylation warhead and to establish a functionally relevant orthogonal model for validating candidate binding proteins, we established a tetracycline (TetON) inducible expression system, which overcame the limitations of strong constitutive promoters and demonstrated efficient S-guanylation-induced degradation of the target protein. Collectively, this study provides the first chemical tool for studying S-guanylation and identifies GNB4 as a validated binding partner, establishing a foundation for future screening of small molecule drugs that target selective autophagy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":128,"journal":{"name":"Archiv der Pharmazie","volume":"359 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149014911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nikolett Péczka, Aaron Keeley, Péter Ábrányi-Balogh, Zoltán Orgován, László Petri, Emma K. Grant, Chad Quinn, Soma Csanády, Ivan Randelovic, József Tóvári, Jacob Bush, György M. Keserű
{"title":"Fragment-Based Screening of Heterocyclic Electrophiles Identified Acrylamide Bioisoteres for Covalent KRasG12C Inhibitors","authors":"Nikolett Péczka, Aaron Keeley, Péter Ábrányi-Balogh, Zoltán Orgován, László Petri, Emma K. Grant, Chad Quinn, Soma Csanády, Ivan Randelovic, József Tóvári, Jacob Bush, György M. Keserű","doi":"10.1002/ardp.70342","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ardp.70342","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Covalent fragment approaches gained increasing attention in medicinal chemistry. Our covalent heterocyclic fragment library (Covalent MiniFrags) consisting of five and six membered heterocycles was screened against the oncogenic target KRas<sup>G12C</sup>. First, we detected the labeling of cysteine residues by Ellman's free thiol assay. Primary hits were characterized in a GSH reactivity assay and next we confirmed covalent labeling by RapidFire MS. Fragment hits with the best potential and selectivity were combined in silico with the quinazoline core of ARS-1620, and the best candidate was chosen for synthesis. Binding of the heterocyclic ARS derivative was confirmed via intact MS and HSQC NMR measurements. Its functional activity was characterized by nucleotide exchange assay and cell viability assay on cell lines expressing KRas<sup>G12C</sup>. Our results support that screening of the heterocyclic electrophilic fragment library could provide viable chemical starting points for the development of targeted covalent inhibitors.</p>","PeriodicalId":128,"journal":{"name":"Archiv der Pharmazie","volume":"359 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13594984/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149014889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessment of the Targeted Therapeutic Potential of Naringenin-Benzyl Piperazine Derivatives on Hypoxia-Induced JAK/STAT Pathway in Breast and Ovarian Cancers","authors":"Hafize Özcan, Oğuzhan Doğanlar, Zeynep Banu Doğanlar, Ayşen Şuekinci Yılmaz, Ömer Zaim","doi":"10.1002/ardp.70339","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ardp.70339","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Naringenin, a prominent member of the flavanone family of polyphenols, is widely distributed in cherries, tomatoes, and citrus fruits, such as grapefruits, as well as in medicinal plants. In vitro and in vivo investigations have shown that naringenin, naringenin-loaded nanoparticles, and its derivatives, whether administered singularly or in conjunction with other anticancer agents, can effectively counteract carcinogenic agents and inhibit the advancement of various malignancies, including colon cancer, lung neoplasms, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. In this study, the effects of naringenin-benzylpiperazines (<b>3b</b>, <b>3f</b>, and <b>3g</b>) were investigated on breast ductal carcinoma MCF7 (ER-α+), human breast adenocarcinoma SK-Br, human triple-negative breast metastatic adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231, ovarian cancer NIH-OVCAR-3, and human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells. The IC<sub>50</sub> values of <b>3b</b>, <b>3f</b>, and <b>3g</b> were found to be between 31.39 and 73.60 µM, 29.11 and 86.91 µM, and 23.53 and 88.63 µM, respectively. The data obtained indicate that compound <b>3f</b> may be a molecule with the potential to trigger mitochondrial apoptosis in cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner by modulating hypoxia, angiogenesis, and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. In addition, the potential therapeutic value of the compound and its interaction mechanisms with molecular targets have been investigated through theoretical (in silico) calculations.</p>","PeriodicalId":128,"journal":{"name":"Archiv der Pharmazie","volume":"359 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13594987/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149014914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}