Antitumor Activity

Troxacitabine (Troxatyl; BCH-4556; (-)-2'-deoxy-3'-oxacytidine), a deoxycytidine analogue with an unusual dioxolane structure and nonnatural L-configuration, has potent antitumor activity in animal models and is in clinical trials against human malignancies. The current work ...

Tiazofurin (2-beta-D-ribofuranosylthiazole-4-carboxamide, TCAR, Riboxamide, NSC 286193) is a novel C-nucleoside with antitumor activity against several murine tumor models, including Lewis lung carcinoma. The mechanism whereby this compound exerts its antineoplastic effects is most likely related to a state of guanine nucleotide depletion whereby the anabolite, thiazole-4-carboxamide adenine dinucleotide, potently inhibits inosine-5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase. This Phase I study was designed to determine the maximally tolerated dose of Tiazofurin administered on a 5-day, every-28-day schedule. Tiazofurin levels were measured using a high-pressure liquid chromatography assay, and pharmacokinetic studies were performed in patients treated at each dose level. Nineteen patients received a total of 24 courses of the drug in doses ranging from 550 to 2200 mg/sq m. The dose-limiting toxicities were pleuropericarditis and a general illness best described as a "viral-like" sy...

We have investigated the activation of mouse peritoneal macrophages by injection of aclacinomycin (ACM). Macrophages from ACM-treated mice have an increased phagocytic activity as measured by Candida ingestion. The microbicidal activity indirectly evaluated by chemiluminescence and superoxide determination in response to stimulation with zymosan and 4 beta-phorbol-12-myristate-13 alpha-acetate is also greater in the cells from treated mice. Direct measurement of the cytostatic function, and of in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity shows comparable significant increases against L1210 or P815 target cells. The enhanced antitumoral activity could not be attributed to the residual presence of ACM in the peritoneal cells since no drug was detected by high-performance liquid chromatography and since their freeze-thaw lysates incubated with P815 cells did not modify the growth of tumor cells as measured by [3H]-thymidine incorporation. We also checked that the presence of ACM did not influence...

Aviscumine is an Escherichia coli-derived recombinant type II ribosome-inactivating protein with potent antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. It is the recombinant counterpart of natural mistletoe lectin-I. The current study was performed to determine the safety profile, dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of the intravenous (i.v.) administration of aviscumine in cancer patients. Translational research included the evaluation of pharmacokinetics and monitoring of plasma cytokine and anti-aviscumine antibody induction after administration of the drug. Aviscumine was given twice weekly as a 1 h central i.v. infusion in patients with advanced, refractory progressive, solid malignant tumors who had not been previously exposed to natural mistletoe preparations. They had histologically or cytologically verified disease, were > or =18 years old, had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status < or =2 and adequate bone marrow, liver and renal ...

Levoglucosenone has been used as template for the synthesis of a wide variety of compounds with an impressive structural variability. However, scarce work has been done regarding the generation of new bioactive entities. Here we report the cytotoxic effect of levoglucosenone and some related derivatives against hepatocarcinoma cell lines. Compounds were obtained in only one synthetic step and one of them showed an activity within the range of IC 50 values of cisplatin, a frequently administered chemotherapy drug.

There has been little investigation of bacteria as gene delivery vectors. Here, we demonstrate that genetically engineered Salmonella have many of the desirable properties of a delivery vector, including targeting of multiple tumors from a distant inoculation site, selective replication within tumors, tumor retardation, and the ability to express effector genes, such as the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV TK). When wild-type Salmonella were introduced into melanoma-bearing mice, the bacteria were found within the tumor at levels exceeding 10(9) per g, although as pathogens, they caused the death of the mice. However, when attenuated, hyperinvasive auxotrophic mutants were used, the tumor-targeting and amplification phenomena were retained, whereas their pathogenicity was limited. With such attenuated strains, the tumor:liver ratios ranged between 250:1 and 9000:1. When these auxotrophs were inoculated i.p. into C57B6 mice bearing B16F10 melanomas, they suppressed tumor gr...

Contradictory results exist in the literature about the antineoplastic activity of ferrocenes and their ferrocenium salts; additionally, little is known about the mechanism by which such drugs become active towards cancer cells. In the present paper we show that only ferrocenium species are able to inhibit the growth of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vivo and we propose that the cytotoxic activity of ferrocenium salts is not based on their direct linking to DNA, but on their ability to generate oxygen active species which induce oxidative DNA damage.

Flavonoids are natural products widely distributed in the vegetable kingdom and currently consumed in large amounts in the daily diet. Flavonoids are capable of modulating the activity of enzymes and affect the behaviour of many cell systems, suggesting that the compounds may possess significant antihepatotoxic, antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antiosteoporotic and even antitumor activities. This review summarizes available data on these beneficial effects of flavonoids.

Thirteen novel benzazole derivatives were synthesized as possible anticancer agents. The first intermediate 1,3-benzothiazol-2-ylacetonitrile (2) was synthesized via cyclodeamination reaction of o-aminothiophenol (1) with malononitrile. Also, the second intermediate 5,6-dimethyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-ylacetonitrile (10) was afforded via cyclocondensation reaction between 4,5-dimethyl-1,2-phenylenediamine (9) and ethylcyanoacetate. Nucleophilic reaction of benzimidazolyl NH of compound (10) with ethylcyanoacetate afforded benzimidazolyl-3-oxopropanenitrile (11). On the other hand, methylenation of CH2 function of compound (10) with dimethylformamide/dimethylacetal afforded benzimidazolylprop-2-enenitrile 12. The synthesis of benzothiazoylpyridines 5a,b and 8a,b as well as benzimidazolylpyridines, 14a,b and 17a–d was carried out through Michael addition of compounds 2 or 10 with arylidenemalononitriles 3a,b and 4a–d. The combination of pharmacophoric anticancer moieties, pyridine and benzazoles was the base on which target compounds 5a,b, 8a,b, 14a,b and 17a–d were designed. Among the synthesized compounds, four derivatives 10 and 17b–d were selected by National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA to be screened for their anticancer activity at a single high dose (10−5 M) against a panel of 60 cancer cell lines. Compound 17b 4-[p-chlorophenyl]pyridine and 17d 4-[p- methoxyphenyl] pyridine exhibited a broad and moderate antitumor activity against 41 tumor cell lines belonging to the nine subpanels employed and are selected for further evaluation at five dose level screening.This article summarizes Micheal addition of benzazolyl-2-acetonitriles 2 and 10 with some arylidenemalononitriles, dicussing the different possible products of the reaction. Benzazolylpyridines 5a,b, 8a,b, 14a,b and 17a–d are confirmed as final products with excluding the reported fused pyridobenzazoles. Also, it handles the nucleophilic attack of different functional groups of 10 with ethylcyanoacetate and DMFDMA producing compounds 11 and 12 respectively. Four compounds selected for one dose assay as anticancer agents, two of them e.g. 17b and 17d passed to five dose assay. TGI, LG50, LC50 were recorded and comparatively studied for the tested cancer cell lines. ► Benzazoles 2 or 10 reacted with arylidenemalononitriles to afford benzazolylpyridines. ► Nucleophilic reaction of 10 with ethylcyanoacetate afforded oxopropanenitrile 11. ► Methylenation of 10 with DMFDMA afforded Benzimidazolylprop-enenitrile 12. ► Compounds 17b, 17d are selected by NCI to five dose assay as anticancer agents.

Cannabinoids, the active components of Cannabis sativa L., act in the body by mimicking endogenous substances — the endocannabinoids — that activate specific cell surface receptors. Cannabinoids exert various palliative effects in cancer patients. In addition, cannabinoids inhibit the growth of different types of tumor cells, including glioma cells, in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell signaling pathways, mostly the endoplasmic reticulum stress response, thereby inducing antitumoral actions such as the apoptotic death of tumor cells and the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. Of interest, cannabinoids seem to be selective antitumoral compounds as they kill glioma cells but not their nontransformed astroglial counterparts. On the basis of these preclinical findings, a pilot clinical study of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme has been recently run. The fair safety profile of Δ9-THC, together with its possible growth-inhibiting action on tumor cells, may set the basis for future trials aimed at evaluating the potential antitumoral activity of cannabinoids.

Novel series of pyrrolizines (7, 9a–d, 10a–d, 11a, b, 14a–d, 16, 19, 20a, b, 24, 25a, b), pyrimido[5,4-a]pyrrolizines (12a, b, 13, 15a, b, 18, 21a, b, 22, 23a–d) and pyrido[3,2-a]pyrrolizines (17, 26a, b) were synthesized through different reactions. The chemical structures of all the synthesized pyrrolizine derivatives were determined by spectral and elemental analyses. Antitumor activity evaluation of all the prepared compounds was carried out using NR assay method against breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). The novel pyrrolizine scaffold 7 and all its prepared derivatives showed high antitumor activity comparable to that of doxorubicin.

The Robinia pseudoacacia (Fabaceae) is one of the medicinal plants, Native to North America, commonly distributed in various regions of Kashmir. The plant is used as an antispasmodium, febrifuge, antioxidant; diuretic, emollient, antitumor etc. The present study was carried out to screen different solvent extracts of the Robinia pseudoacacia phytochemically for the presence of active constituents like Alkaloids, Flavonoids Saponins, Tannins, and Phenols. However, the positive results for the detection of Flavonoids, Tannins and phenols were obtained. The maximum yield of ethyl acetate extract of plant leaves 38.23% was obtained.