ChemMedChemPub Date : 2025-07-28DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202500320
Burak Kuzu, Mustafa Cakir, Eda Acikgoz, Mehmet Abdullah Alagoz
{"title":"Unveiling Benzoxazole-Substituted Thiazolyl-Pyrazole Derivatives Inducing Apoptosis by Targeting β-Tubulin and Caspase-3","authors":"Burak Kuzu, Mustafa Cakir, Eda Acikgoz, Mehmet Abdullah Alagoz","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202500320","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202500320","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the present study, the biological activities of novel compounds (BP-1 to BP-6), designed as antitubulin agents, were systematically evaluated, with a particular focus on their effects on the triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and non-cancerous cell line MCF-10A. BP-2 and BP-6 demonstrated micromolar-range antiproliferative activity against MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, with IC<sub>5</sub><sub>0</sub> values of 8 and 4 µM, respectively, comparable to nocodazole (3 µM), and showed selective cytotoxicity over normal MCF-10A cells, with selectivity indices of approximately 3.3 and 8. In vitro analyses revealed that BP-2 and more notably BP-6 significantly inhibited cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner, disrupted microtubule organization through the downregulation of <i>β</i>-tubulin expression, and induced apoptosis, as evidenced by increased levels of Cleaved Caspase-3 and distinct apoptotic morphological changes. Among the tested compounds, BP-6 exhibited the most potent antiproliferative and proapoptotic activity, with an IC<sub>5</sub><sub>0</sub> value close to that of NOC. Molecular docking supported these findings by showing strong binding affinities of BP-6 to both <i>β</i>-tubulin and Caspase-3, indicating a dual-targeted mechanism. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stable binding and dynamic integrity of BP-6 within both <i>β</i>-Tubulin and Caspase-3 targets, underscoring its potential as a robust candidate for anticancer drug development.</p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":"20 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cmdc.202500320","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144726225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemMedChemPub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202500340
Xuanming Teng, Jingyi Yang, Zhiyi Ren, Sha Yan, Jiaxin Zhai, Xinyuan Hu, Shule Hou, Yangyang Yang
{"title":"Programmed Targeted Protein Degradation Via DNA Modularized Ligand","authors":"Xuanming Teng, Jingyi Yang, Zhiyi Ren, Sha Yan, Jiaxin Zhai, Xinyuan Hu, Shule Hou, Yangyang Yang","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202500340","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202500340","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology holds great promise as a protein degradation modality in therapeutic development. However, there remain challenges, including complex chemical synthesis and linker screening. To address this, a proof-of-concept of a new modularized method by constructing DNA-PROTAC is presented by identifying the valid BRD4 and Sirt2 DNA-PROTACs. These findings may provide new approaches for linker design and ligand screening for PROTACs. Herein, a ligand modularization strategy is proposed that leverages the programmability of DNA to modulate the design and construction of PROTAC molecules to facilitate the programmatic discovery of new PROTAC molecules. The bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) is selected as a target for degradation to verify the effectiveness of DNA-PROTACs. The kinetics of BRD4 degradation were assessed by performing time-course experiments in HeLa cells. In addition, to evaluate the feasibility of the DNA-PROTAC strategy for degradation of other proteins, the silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog−2 (Sirt2) is selected as the degradation target. The design and synthesis procedures of BRD4 and Sirt2 DNA-PROTACs and their mechanisms of action, are systematically introduced, and the results may provide a new method for linker design and ligand screening of PROTACs.</p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":"20 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144697208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemMedChemPub Date : 2025-07-19DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202581401
{"title":"Front Cover: (ChemMedChem 14/2025)","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202581401","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202581401","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bringing chemistry, biology, and drug discovery together fosters innovation, increases collaboration, and accelerates science. <i>ChemMedChem</i> publishes high-impact articles showcasing the breadth of international research in medicinal chemistry, from small pharmacologically active molecules to new modalities including nanomedicine and biologics. Cover image provided courtesy of Ivan Sanchis and Dr. Álvaro Siano.\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":"20 14","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cmdc.202581401","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144663798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemMedChemPub Date : 2025-07-19DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202500459
Carla Pou Miralbell, Sandrine Desrayaud, Berndt Oberhauser, John Reilly, Yves P. Auberson
{"title":"Estimation of In Vivo Half-Life From In Vitro Metabolic Clearance, Protein, and Cell Membrane Affinity Assays","authors":"Carla Pou Miralbell, Sandrine Desrayaud, Berndt Oberhauser, John Reilly, Yves P. Auberson","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202500459","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202500459","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A reliable prediction of the in vivo plasma half-life of drug candidates, from easily accessible in vitro assays, is not yet possible. It is surmised that the existing models, which consider protein binding and metabolic clearance, will be improved if they also include the propensity of molecules to bind to cell membranes. To test this hypothesis, a proportionality equation taking these three parameters into account is developed. This article discusses that when this equation can be applied and how reliable its predictions are. It also shows that under controlled conditions, this equation can be used in early medicinal chemistry programs to predict the half-life of novel compounds in rats from in vitro assays.</p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":"20 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144666655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Identification of a New Interesting BAG3 Modulator Able to Disrupt Cancer-Related Pathways.","authors":"Dafne Ruggiero, Eleonora Boccia, Emis Ingenito, Vincenzo Vestuto, Gilda D'Urso, Alessandra Capuano, Agostino Casapullo, Stefania Terracciano, Giuseppe Bifulco, Gianluigi Lauro, Ines Bruno","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202500310","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202500310","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Continuing the research aimed at discovering new BAG3 modulators as attractive anticancer drug candidates, a screening campaign on an in-house library is performed, including compounds featuring a large variety of scaffolds. The obtained results prompted a focus on the triazole moiety and, following a stepwise structural refinement of this scaffold guided by biophysical assays and computational studies, a very attractive compound (2) is identified showing a tight interaction with BAG3 and displaying a significant cytotoxic activity. The discovery of compound 2, whose effects on apoptosis and proteostasis confirm the disruption of BAG3-related pathways, is particularly relevant given the limited number of BAG3 modulators reported so far. Moreover, the computational data highlight the potential to further explore the triazole scaffold for the development of more potent anticancer agents.</p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500310"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144598986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemMedChemPub Date : 2025-07-08DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202500305
Janhabee Shrestha, Jason Blanchard, Solomon Tadesse
{"title":"Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 11: Cellular Functions and Potential Therapeutic Applications.","authors":"Janhabee Shrestha, Jason Blanchard, Solomon Tadesse","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202500305","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202500305","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cyclin-dependent kinase 11 (CDK11) is a multifunctional serine/threonine protein kinase that plays a pivotal role in transcription and pre-mRNA splicing. It phosphorylates serine 2 of RNA polymerase II C-terminal domain, thereby promoting transcriptional elongation and 3'-end processing of replication-dependent histone genes. CDK11 also contributes to proper chromosome segregation during mitosis. As a key regulator of global pre-mRNA splicing, CDK11 activates the spliceosome, by phosphorylating Splicing Factor 3B Subunit 1, a core component of the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein complex. Given the tight coupling between splicing, transcription, and cell proliferation, inhibition of CDK11 is hypothesized to impair both general transcription and cell cycle progression. CDK11 drives cancer cell proliferation, promotes HIV-1 mRNA 3'-end processing to enhance viral replication, and contributes to tau phosphorylation in Alzheimer's disease. Owing to itscentral role in key cellular processes and its dysregulation in various diseases, CDK11 has emerged as a compelling therapeutic target. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of CDK11, discusses its role in cancer, viral, and neurodegenerative diseases, and highlights advances in the discovery and development of CDK11 inhibitors, including OTS964, which has expanded our understanding of the biological functions of CDK11 and its prospects as a cancer-specific vulnerability.</p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500305"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144582730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemMedChemPub Date : 2025-07-08DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202500337
Kate Byrne, Natalia Bednarz, Ciara McEvoy, John C Stephens, James F Curtin, Gemma K Kinsella
{"title":"Development of Novel Anticancer Pyrazolopyrimidinones Targeting Glioblastoma.","authors":"Kate Byrne, Natalia Bednarz, Ciara McEvoy, John C Stephens, James F Curtin, Gemma K Kinsella","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202500337","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202500337","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive malignant grade IV brain tumor and is one of the most difficult types of brain cancer to treat with a high incidence of resistance to traditionally used chemotherapeutics. Pyrazolopyrimidinones are fused nitrogen-containing heterocyclic systems which are a scaffold in several bioactive drugs and drug candidates. Here, a structure-activity relationship (SAR) study was performed where 23 substituted pyrazolo[1,5-α]pyrimidinones were screened for cytotoxicity against the GBM U-251 MG cell line and the noncancerous embryonic kidney HEK293 cell line to assess their potential as antiGBM agents capable of selectivity for cancer cells. Through analog synthesis of preliminary HIT compounds with varied structural substituents, a lead compound, 22, has been identified, which proved capable of inducing significant GBM cell death while having a marginal cytotoxicity against the noncancerous cells. The mode of cell death studies suggested that the structurally varied HIT compounds induced cell death through differential mechanisms including cell membrane permeabilization and mitochondria membrane depolarization-dependent mechanisms such as necrosis or apoptosis. The results highlight the potential of pyrazolo[1,5-α]pyrimidinones derivatives as a novel anti-GBM therapy, capable of selectively killing cancer cells. Furthermore, pyrazolo[1,5-α]pyrimidinones provide a scaffold for further development of selective GBM therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500337"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144582731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Adamantane-Appended 1,2,3-Triazole Hybrids: Synthesis and α-Glucosidase Inhibition Studies through Experimental and In Silico Approach.","authors":"Aman Ragshaniya, Subhadip Maity, Lokesh Kumar, Vivek Asati, Poojita, Avijit Kumar Paul, Jayant Sindhu, Kashmiri Lal","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202500263","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202500263","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In search of potent inhibitors of α-glucosidase, adamantane-appended 1,2,3-triazoles (4a-4f, 6a-6f, and 8a-8f) are synthesized using Click reaction. After establishing their structure using spectral studies, all the molecular hybrids are assayed for α-glucosidase inhibition. Compounds 6c (IC<sub>50</sub> = 8.30 ± 0.33 μM) and 6b (IC<sub>50</sub> = 14.0 ± 0.16 μM) exhibit promising inhibition of α-glucosidase in comparison to reference used (Acarbose, IC<sub>50</sub> = 13.50 ± 0.32 μM). Five hybrids show better activity than precursor alkyne (IC<sub>50</sub> = 19.57 ± 0.013 μM). The role of various covalent linkers between triazole and phenyl ring has been established using structure-activity relationship. The most probable mode of inhibition is studied by docking the most active compound 6c and Acarbose within the protein target (PDB ID: 3L4U). Compounds 2, 6c, and Acarbose show a docking score of -5.048, -6.14, and -12.118, respectively. Further, molecular dynamics simulations for 100 ns are performed to gain a detailed understanding of the complex stability. Binding energy for both the simulated complexes is calculated using MMGBSA and MMPBSA analysis, where, compound 6c exhibits a ΔG<sub>bind</sub> of -15.74 kcal mol<sup>-1</sup>. All the compounds follow Lipinski rules of five. This study paves the way for developing small-molecule-based α-glucosidase inhibitors as potential lead molecules using these hybrid frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":" ","pages":"e202500263"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144582729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemMedChemPub Date : 2025-07-03DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202500452
Michal Kráľ, Tomáš Kotačka, Róbert Reiberger, Gabriela Panýrková, Kateřina Radilová, Zuzana Osifová, Miroslav Flieger, Jan Konvalinka, Pavel Majer, Milan Kožíšek, Aleš Machara
{"title":"3′-Dehydroxypurpurogallin-4-Carboxamides as Influenza A Endonuclease Inhibitors: Synthesis, Structure–Activity Relationship Analysis, and Structural Characterization of Protein Complex","authors":"Michal Kráľ, Tomáš Kotačka, Róbert Reiberger, Gabriela Panýrková, Kateřina Radilová, Zuzana Osifová, Miroslav Flieger, Jan Konvalinka, Pavel Majer, Milan Kožíšek, Aleš Machara","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202500452","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202500452","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Due to an error during production, the R′ group structures in <b>Table</b> 1 were placed incorrectly. The correct version of Table 1 is below. The production team apologizes for this error.</p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":"20 16","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cmdc.202500452","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144558619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ChemMedChemPub Date : 2025-07-02DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202581301
{"title":"Front Cover: (ChemMedChem 13/2025)","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/cmdc.202581301","DOIUrl":"10.1002/cmdc.202581301","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bringing chemistry, biology, and drug discovery together fosters innovation, increases collaboration, and accelerates science. <i>ChemMedChem</i> publishes high-impact articles showcasing the breadth of international research in medicinal chemistry, from small pharmacologically active molecules to new modalities including nanomedicine and biologics. Cover image provided courtesy of Ivan Sanchis and Dr. Álvaro Siano.\u0000 <figure>\u0000 <div><picture>\u0000 <source></source></picture><p></p>\u0000 </div>\u0000 </figure></p>","PeriodicalId":147,"journal":{"name":"ChemMedChem","volume":"20 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/cmdc.202581301","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144536798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}