Potential Anti-breast Cancer Research Articles

Synthesis and Evaluation of 3,5-Disubstituted-1,2,4-Oxadiazolyl Benzamides as Potential Anti-Breast Cancer Agents: In Vitro and In Silico Studies.

Herein, the synthesis, anti-cancer evaluation, and in silico studies of a series of 1,2,4-oxadiazole compounds (8-15) are disclosed. The synthesized molecules were tested in vitro for anti-cancer activity against MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HeLa, Ishikawa cell lines and human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cell lines. Among the synthesized compounds, 9 and 15 exhibited significant cytotoxicity, with IC50 values of 7.82 μM and 6.02 μM, respectively, against MCF-7 cell line, better than that of anti-breast cancer drug, tamoxifen (IC50 = 11.92 μM), used as control. Significantly, both 9 and 15 exhibited very low toxicity (IC50 > 20 µM) against normal HEK-293 cells. This suggests them as potentially effective anti-cancer lead molecules. The in vitro anti-cancer data was supported by in silico studies which also identified compounds 9 and 15 as potent inhibitors of the 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase1 (17β-HSD1) proteins, demonstrating strong interactions and stability The atom-based QSAR model exhibited high accuracy, significant regression, and predictive reliability, aiding in understanding and optimizing biological activity. The drug-likeness study of compounds 9 and 15 indicated favorable pharmacokinetics, with in silico toxicity predictions showing compound 15 to be non-toxic. These findings suggest compounds 9 and 15 as potential lead molecules against breast cancer.

Novel 5-Fluorouracil analogues versus perfluorophenyl ureas as potent anti-breast cancer agents: Design, robust synthesis, in vitro, molecular docking, pharmacokinetics ADMET analysis and dynamic simulations

Novel 5-Fluorouracil analogues versus perfluorophenyl ureas as potent anti-breast cancer agents: Design, robust synthesis, in vitro, molecular docking, pharmacokinetics ADMET analysis and dynamic simulations

Comprehensive Review of the Potential Anti-Breast Cancer Properties of Various Medicinal Plants

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women throughout the globe, and its management can be difficult due to its complex etiology. Treatment with chemotherapy, surgical procedures, radiation treatment, and hormone therapy are among the most frequently utilized treatments. However, complications and resistance to multiple drugs can cause challenges. This overview addresses how organic medicinal products obtained from edibles and plants can assist with treatment of Breast cancer. The article scrutinizes the ways by which natural substances may exert beneficial impact in the prevention and management of breast carcinoma as well as offers knowledge regarding the therapeutic plant, including its family, part used, kind of extraction, and molecular mechanisms in breast carcinoma. Following an exhaustive analysis of the various plants, we discovered that Peganum normata, Ammi visnaga, Camellia sinensis, Curcuma longa, and Allium sativam L. had potential anti-breast cancer activities. These data were gathered from PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar.

Synthesis, and In-silico Studies of Indole-chalcone Derivatives Targeting Estrogen Receptor Alpha (ER-α) for Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is the prominent reason of death in women worldwide, and the cases are increasing day by day. There are many FDA-approved drugs for treating breast cancer. Due to drug resistance, and problems in selectivity, there is a need to develop more effective agents with few side effects. Indole derivatives have demonstrated significant pharmacological potential as anti-breast cancer agents. Further, chalcone derivatives incorporating heterocyclic scaffolds play a significant role in medicine. Indole-chalcone-based compounds offer the potential for improved biological activity and enhanced drug-like properties. It prompted us to explore the synthesis of Indole-Chalcone derivatives targeting estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) to discover potent anti-breast cancer agents. To synthesize indole-chalcone derivatives and study their binding interactions for ER-α protein by molecular docking for breast cancer treatment. In this study, indole-chalcone derivatives have been synthesized using conventional heating. With the help of Schrodinger software, molecular interaction as well as ADME (Adsorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion) studies of the compounds were conducted. Among all the synthesized compounds, four compounds (1, 2, 3, and 4) showed better docking scores (-10.24 kcal/mol, -10.15 kcal/mol, -9.40 kcal/mol, -9.29 kcal/mol, respectively) than the standard tamoxifen (-8.43 kcal/mol). From In-silico studies, we can conclude that four compounds from the synthesized series fit into the active site of ER-α. ADME properties of synthesized derivatives were found in the acceptable range. In the future, these compounds can be further explored for biological activity.

Indole analogs as potential anti-breast cancer agents: Design, synthesis, in-vitro bioevaluation with DFT, molecular docking and ADMET studies

Being a belligerent malignancy, triple-negative breast cancer poses unmet clinical challenges due to lack of targeted therapy, rapid growth rate and metastasis, high heterogeneity, and increased risk of recurrence. Diverse 1-(1H-indol-1-yl)-2-((5-aryl-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)thio))ethanones have been synthesized in substantial yield (81-87 %) by clubbing 1-(chloroacetyl)indoles with substituted triazoles under refluxing conditions of 4-5 h. The indole integrates demonstrated substantial antitumor efficacy in the MTT assay against the MDA-MB-231 cell line and substituting indole moiety with a halogen (bromo) significantly improves the anti-breast cancer action of the synthesized hybrids compared to the unsubstituted ring. Compound 4i featuring halogen substituent on both the indole and phenyl moieties displayed the highest anticancer action with an IC50 value of 2.121 μM The synthetic variants exhibited a notable binding propensity against the EGFR-TK receptor (PDB ID:1M17). Through in-silico ADMET screening, the pharmacological proclivity of the title compounds has been convicted. The notable bioactivity of the indole hybrids projects them as a potential lead in developing anti-breast cancer medications, especially against TNBC.

Synthesis of new Michael acceptors with cinnamamide scaffold as potential anti-breast cancer agents: cytotoxicity and ADME in silico studies

Synthesis of new Michael acceptors with cinnamamide scaffold as potential anti-breast cancer agents: cytotoxicity and ADME in silico studies

Development of New N- and S-substituted-imidazolidin-4-one Analogues with Potent Anti-breast Cancer Activity: In vitro Molecular Docking Assessment

: 2-Thioxoimidazolidin-4-one derivatives 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 have been synthesized from 3- (benzylideneamino)-2-thioxoimidazolidin-4-one (2) as a starting material. Compounds 3, 4, 7, 8, and 9 were obtained via the reaction of compound (2) with ethyl chloroacetate, methyl acrylate, and chlorophenacyl bromide, respectively. Elemental analysis and several spectroscopy techniques were used to confirm the synthesized compounds. The synthesized compounds, particularly compounds 7 and 8, exhibited significant cytotoxic influences on MCF-7 cells, surpassing staurosporine. Compounds 7 and 8 can induce apoptosis in those treated MCF-7 cells. Studying molecular docking approved that compounds 7 and 8 bind in two and three dimensions to the aromatase binding pockets. Molecular modeling indicates compounds 7 and 8 have a strong affinity for human topoisomerase II beta, establishing its promise as a multifaceted antitumor agent for breast cancer.

New 1H-1,2,3-triazole analogues of boswellic acid are potential anti-breast cancer agents

In this work, we describe the synthesis of 12 new pentacyclic triterpene amides (3a-3l) and 11 new 1H-1,2,3-triazole analogues (5a-5k) of 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid (β-AKBA) and evaluated them for their human breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) growth inhibitory activities. The resulting compounds were characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HR-ESI-MS spectroscopy. X-ray crystallography unambiguously confirmed the exact structure of compound 3a. The cytotoxic potential of the synthesized compounds was scrutinized against triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and normal (MCF-10A) cell lines. Furthermore, all the synthesized derivatives exhibited significant anti-proliferative activities with IC50 values ranging from 8.1 ± 0.2 to 18.5 ± 0.4 μM. Among them, compounds 5a and 5i exhibited noteworthy activities and were several times more potent than the parent compound β-AKBA. Furthermore, molecular docking analysis predicted that these molecules exhibit their anti-proliferative effects by binding to the folate receptor alpha (FRα). Overall, this new study may pave the way to medicinal analogues of β-AKBA as anti-breast cancer agents.

TBTH (Bu3SnH) catalyzed C-H and C-Cl functionalization: Radical cascade cyclization for the construction of tetracyclic benzimidazole derivatives

A radical cascade cyclization of cyanamides, catalyzed by Tributyltin hydride (Bu3SnH), has been successfully devised. Herein, we present a pioneering and uncomplicated methodology for the fabrication of tetracyclic 11H-benzo [4,5] imidazo[2,1-a] isoindole derivatives. This synthesis entails a sequence of inert Csp2-X/Csp2-H functionalization processes applied to N-cyano groups, followed by the radical cyclization of iminyl motifs. This study represents a significant advancement in the intramolecular radical cascade cyclization reaction of cyanamides, enabling the efficient synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazole molecules, specifically the 11H-benzo [4,5] imidazo[2,1-a] isoindol and its analogues, achieved with yields ranging from 42% to 86%. Notably, this approach has been instrumental in the synthesis of a diverse array of compounds, establishing their efficacy as potent antibreast cancer agents. Furthermore, the proposed mechanism has been meticulously elucidated through a series of control experiments.

Evaluating a series of new curcumin derivatives as potential anti-breast cancer agents: A collective analysis of in-vitro and in-silico characterization

In this work, a series of curcumin derivatives have been synthesized using Claisen Schmidt condensation reaction & Schotten-Baumann reaction, and they were screened through in-silico and in-vitro analysis to determine their capacity as a potential agent against breast cancer. Molecular docking reveals that the compounds are in good fit in the active site region of the target protein. Anti-cancer activity reveals that compounds are highly active against the MCF-7 cell lines, even at low concentration. Among the synthesized compounds, a set of five (Group B) exhibits a nontoxic effect against normal cell lines even at high concentration, whereas the other set of six compounds (Group A) display a toxic effect. The drug likeliness and pharmacokinetic properties reveal that the compounds can be lead drug materials against breast cancer.

Discovery of Alkyl Triphenylphosphonium Pinostrobin Derivatives as Potent Anti-Breast Cancer Agents.

Pinostrobin demonstrated anticancer properties, but its hydrophobic feature led to a reduction in bioavailability. The mitochondria-targeted approach successfully synthesized eight new alkyl triphenylphosphonium pinostrobin derivatives (1-8) with good yield in this study. Seven compounds (1-3, 5-8) showed greater cytotoxic potency against the human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line than pinostrobin. Molecular docking studies were performed with two important targets in hormone-dependent anticancer strategies, estrogen receptor α (ERα) ligand binding domains, 3ERT (antagonist recognition and antiproliferative function), and 1GWR (agonist recognition and pro-proliferative function). In addition, the MD simulation study of the two most potent compounds (2 and 3) complexed with both ERα forms suggested that compounds 2 and 3 could serve as favourable antagonists. Furthermore, the in silico ADMET prediction indicated that compounds 2 and 3 could be potential drug candidates.

Investigating the potent TOPO IIα inhibitors in breast cancer through the study of computational drug discovery research approaches.

Breast cancer (BC) is the second-leading cause of cancer after lung cancer. The disease has affected millions of people and resulted in many deaths. In the metastasis of breast cancer cells, Topoisomerase IIα plays a vital role. Therefore, this investigation aims to identify potential flavonoid compounds against BC by inhibiting this enzyme at an early stage. Based on previous studies, we selected and screened several plant-derived flavonoid compounds with potential anti-breast cancer activity using PyRx 0.8 and Schrodinger applications for preliminary molecular docking: the highest docking scores of Myricetin (-11.6kcal/mol) and Quercetin (-10.0kcal/mol). Next, we evaluated the top four compounds on the Way2Drug server to complete the cytotoxicity evaluation, which demonstrated anti-cancer and anti-breast cancer activity in various cell lines. According to pharmacokinetics studies, four compounds exhibited outstanding values and functioned similar to drug-like molecules. Moreover, Myricetin, Quercetin, and Morin displayed the highest number of hydrogen bonds, with the corresponding receptor forming residues asn120, thr147, and lys168. The protein-ligand complexes were validated using the Desmond simulator, and their data were compared to the anti-breast cancer drug Doxorubicin. In the simulation analysis, various parameters were evaluated, including RMSD, RMSF, Rg, SASA, MolSA, PSA, and hydrogen bond interaction. Finally, validated our dynamic simulation result with MM-GBSA operation, and Myricetin and Quercetin had the greatest score of -72.74344651, -66.66771823kcal/mol, which is outstanding than the control drug. Hence, the computational research approach determined that Myricetin, Quercetin, and Morin could be industrially developed for the alternative treatment of breast cancer following additional confirmation from animal and cell line studies.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of anti-breast cancer activity of colchicine - combretastatin A-4 analogues containing quinoline as microtubule-targeting agents

Research on compounds derived from, or inspired by, natural compounds as novel anticancer agents has been a significantly focus in recent years. In this study, we reported the design, synthesis, in vitro, and in silico evaluation of novel colchicine - combretastatin A-4 analogues fused with the quinoline moiety for their potential anti-breast cancer activities. A series of 21 desired analogues (2a-4g) was synthesized from quinoline-3-carbaldehydes (2–4) and anilines (a-g) via reductive amination. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluations of these analogues on breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells revealed significant cell growth inhibition in 13 out of 21 compounds. Among them, compounds 2b (IC50 30.40 µM), 2e (IC50 18.98 µM), 4b (IC50 34.97 µM), and 4e (IC50 14.54 µM) demonstrated remarkable anti-breast cancer activities compared to colchicine (IC50 9.08 µM). Furthermore, these potential analogues were further characterized via several ligand-based computational models including SwissADME, ADMETlab2.0, and SEA Search Server, thereby suggesting their favorable physicochemical and pharmacokinetic-toxicological properties, as well as their abilities to target the β-tubulin chain. A structure-based computational approach such as molecular docking was also applied to investigate their binding characteristics with the colchicine-binding site inside α,β-tubulin, indicating that these compounds could exhibit a binding mode similar to that of colchicine or combretastatin A-4. These findings suggested the potential of these analogues as anti-breast cancer agents that could inhibit microtubule assembly. In conclusion, our study has provided a comprehensive understanding of the anticancer activities of the desired analogues, serving as the basis for future research on novel anti-breast cancer agents that target microtubules.

Shikonin in breast cancer treatment: a comprehensive review of molecular pathways and innovative strategies.

Breast cancer is a prevalent disease that has a substantial impact on women's mortality rates. Shikonin, a naphthoquinone derived from Lithospermum erythrorhizon, has demonstrated substantial anticancer effects. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive review of the latest research findings regarding the therapeutic efficacy of shikonin in the context of breast cancer treatment, with a specific emphasis on elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on shikonin and breast cancer by searching PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Shikonin significantly reduces tumor cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis in both in vivo and in vitro across all breast cancer subtypes. Additionally, when combined with other pharmaceutical agents, it exhibits synergistic effects. Shikonin stimulates immunogenic cell death, resulting in apoptosis and necroptosis. The induction of immunogenic cell death by shikonin enhances the immunogenicity of breast cancer cells, leading to its involvement in the development of dendritic cell-based tumor vaccines against breast cancer. Shikonin exhibits potent anti-breast cancer properties and shows significant potential for the advancement of immunotherapeutic approaches against breast cancer, as well as enhancing the efficacy of conventional treatment strategies.

Network pharmacology and experimental insights into STAT3 inhibition by novel isoxazole derivatives of piperic acid in triple negative breast cancer

STAT3 is a crucial member within a family of seven essential transcription factors. Elevated STAT3 levels have been identified in various cancer types, notably in breast cancer (BC). Consequently, inhibiting STAT3 is recognized as a promising and effective strategy for therapeutic intervention against breast cancer. We herein synthesize a library of isoxazole (PAIs) from piperic acid [2E, 4E)-5-(2H-1,3-Benzodioxol-5-yl) penta-2,4-dienoic acid] on treatment with propargyl bromide followed by oxime under prescribed reaction conditions. Piperic acid was obtained by hydrolysis of piperine extracted from Piper nigrum. First, we checked the binding potential of isoxazole derivatives with breast cancer target proteins by network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamic (MD) simulation and cytotoxicity analysis as potential anti-breast cancer (BC) agents. The multi-source databases were used to identify possible targets for isoxazole derivatives. A network of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) was generated by obtaining 877 target genes that overlapped gene symbols associated with isoxazole derivatives and BC. Molecular docking and MD modelling demonstrated a strong affinity between isoxazole derivatives and essential target genes. Further, the cell viability studies of isoxazole derivatives on the human breast carcinoma cell lines showed toxicity in all breast cancer cell lines. In summary, our study indicated that the isoxazole derivative showed the significant anticancer activity. The results highlight the prospective utility of isoxazole derivatives as new drug candidates for anticancer chemotherapy, suggesting route for the continued exploration and development of drugs suitable for clinical applications.

In-silico design of novel potential HDAC inhibitors from indazole derivatives targeting breast cancer through QSAR, molecular docking and pharmacokinetics studies

Latest studies confirmed that abnormal function of histone deacetylase (HDAC) plays a pivotal role in formation of tumors and is a potential therapeutic target for treating breast cancer. In this research, in-silico drug discovery approaches via quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) and molecular docking simulations were adapted to 43 compounds of indazole derivatives with HDAC inhibition for anticancer activity against breast cancer. The QSAR models were built from multiple linear regression (MLR), and models predictability was cross-validated by leave-one-out (LOO) method. Based on these results, compounds C32, C26 and C31 from model 3 showed superior inhibitory activity with pIC50 of 9.30103, 9.1549 and 9.1549. We designed 10 novel compounds with molecular docking scores ranging from −7.9 to −9.3 kcal/mol. The molecular docking simulation results reveal that amino acid residues ILE1122 and PRO1123 play a significant role in bonding with 6CE6 protein. Furthermore, newly designed compounds P5, P2 and P7 with high docking scores of −9.3 kcal/mol, −8.9 kcal/mol and −8.8 kcal/mol than FDA-approved drug Raloxifene (-8.5 kcal/mol) and aid in establishment of potential drug candidate for HDAC inhibitors. The in-silico ADME functionality is used in the final phase to evaluate newly designed inhibitors as potential drug candidates. The results suggest that newly designed compounds P5, P2 and P7 can be used as a potential anti-breast cancer drug candidate.

Microfluidic nanoprecipitation of PEGylated PLGA nanoparticles with rapamycin and performance evaluation

Rapamycin (RAP) is currently being developed as potential antibreast cancer drug. However, its poor solubility completely limits its use. The aim of this study was to develop polyethylene glycol-poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PEG-PLGA)-based nanoparticles (NPs) to load RAP via microfluidics with an appropriate polyethylene glycol (PEG) content to enhance the bioavailability of RAP. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips with a Y-shaped channel were designed to obtain RAP-loaded PEG-PLGA NPs (RAP-PEG-PLGA). The entrapment efficiency (EE) and drug loading (DL) as well as release profile of RAP-PEG-PLGA were evaluated, and their resistance to plasma albumin adsorption of NPs with different PEG contents was evaluated and compared. RAW264.7 and 4T1 cells were used to assess the antiphagocytic and anticancer cells effect of NPs, respectively. RAP-PEG-PLGA of around 124 nm in size were successfully prepared with the EE of 82.0% and DL of 12.3%, and sustained release for around 40 d. A PEG relative content of 10% within the PEG-PLGA molecule was shown superior in resisting protein adsorption. RAP-PEG-PLGA inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells when the concentration was over 10 μg/mL, and the inhibition efficiency was significantly higher than free RAP. Hence, the current RAP-PEG-PLGA could be a potential therapeutic system for breast cancer treatment.

Mitigating phospholipid peroxidation of macrophages in stress-induced tumor microenvironment by natural ALOX15/PEBP1 complex inhibitors

BackgroundThe intricate interactions between chronic psychological stress and susceptibility to breast cancer have been recognized, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder (DZXY), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has found clinical utility in the treatment of breast cancer. Macrophages, as the predominant immune cell population within the tumor microenvironment (TME), play a pivotal role in orchestrating tumor immunosurveillance. Emerging evidence suggests that lipid oxidation accumulation in TME macrophages, plays a critical role in breast cancer development and progression. However, a comprehensive understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms and active components of DZXY related to its clinical application in the treatment of stress-aggravated breast cancer remains elusive. PurposeThis study sought to explore the plausible regulatory mechanisms and identify the key active components of DZXY contributing to its therapeutic efficacy in the context of breast cancer. MethodsInitially, we conducted an investigation into the relationship between the phagocytic capacity of macrophages damaged by psychological stress and phospholipid peroxidation using flow cytometry and LC–MS/MS-based phospholipomics. Subsequently, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of DZXY based on the results of the tumor size, tumor weight, the phospholipid peroxidation pathway and phagocytosis of macrophage. Additionally, the target-mediated characterization strategy based on binding of arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15) to phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein-1 (PEBP1), including molecular docking analysis, microscale thermophoresis (MST) assay, co-immunoprecipitation analysis and activity verification, has been further implemented to reveal the key bio-active components in DZXY. Finally, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of isochlorogenic acid C (ICAC) based on the results of tumor size, tumor weight, the phospholipid peroxidation pathway, and macrophage phagocytosis in vivo. ResultsThe present study demonstrated that phospholipid peroxides, as determined by LC–MS/MS-based phospholipidomics, triggered in macrophages, which in turn compromised their capacity to eliminate tumor cells through phagocytosis. Furthermore, we elucidate the mechanism behind stress-induced PEBP1 to form a complex with ALOX15, thereby mediating membrane phospholipid peroxidation in macrophages. DZXY, demonstrates potent anti-breast cancer therapeutic effects by disrupting the ALOX15/PEBP1 interaction and inhibiting phospholipid peroxidation, ultimately enhancing macrophages' phagocytic capability towards tumor cells. Notably, ICAC emerged as a promising active component in DZXY, which can inhibit the ALOX15/PEBP1 interaction, thereby mitigating phospholipid peroxidation in macrophages. ConclusionCollectively, our findings elucidate stress increases the susceptibility of breast cancer by driving lipid peroxidation of macrophages and suggest the ALOX15/PEBP1 complex as a promising intervention target for DZXY.

Cytotoxicity of bismuth(III) dithiocarbamate derivatives by promoting a mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway and suppressing MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cell invasion.

We previously reported that the bismuth(III) dithiocarbamate derivative, bismuth diethyldithiocarbamate (1) exhibited greater cytotoxicity while inducing apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway in MCF-7 cells. We further evaluated the other bismuth(III) dithiocarbamate derivatives, Bi[S2CNR]3, with R = (CH2CH2OH)(iPr), (CH2)4, and (CH2CH2OH)(CH3), denoted as 2, 3, and 4, respectively, in the same MCF-7 cell line. 2-4 were found to exhibit IC50 values of 10.33 ± 0.06µM, 1.07 ± 0.01µM and 25.37 ± 0.12µM, respectively, compared to that of cisplatin at 30.53 ± 0.23µM. Apoptotic promotion via the mitochondrial-dependent pathway was due to the elevation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), promotion of caspases, release of cytochrome c, fragmentation of DNA, and results of staining assay observed in all compound-treated cells. 2-4 are also capable of suppressing MCF-7 cell invasion and modulate Lys-48 also Lys-63 linked polyubiquitination, leading to proteasomal degradation. Analysis of gene expression via qRT-PCR revealed their modulation, which supported all activities conducted upon treatment with 2-4. Altogether, bismuth dithiocarbamate derivatives, with bismuth(III) as the metal center bound to ligands, isopropyl ethanol, pyrrolidine, and methyl ethanol dithiocarbamate, are potential anti-breast cancer agents that induce apoptosis and suppress metastasis. Further studies using other breast cancer cell lines and in vivo studies are recommended to clarify the anticancer effects of these compounds.

Design, synthesis, molecular docking, and in vitro studies of 2-mercaptoquinazolin-4(3H)-ones as potential anti-breast cancer agents

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) comprises 10 % to 20 % of breast cancer, however, it is more dangerous than other types of breast cancer, because it lacks druggable targets, such as the estrogen receptors (ER) and the progesterone receptor (PR), and has under expressed receptor tyrosine kinase, ErbB2. Present targeted therapies are not very effective and other choices include invasive procedures like surgery or less invasive ones like radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This study investigated the potential anticancer activity of some novel quinazolinone derivatives that were designed on the structural framework of two approved anticancer drugs, Ispinesib (KSP inhibitor) and Idelalisib (PI3Kδ inhibitor), to find out solutions for TNBC. All the designed derivatives (3a-l) were subjected to extra precision molecular docking and were synthesized and spectrally characterized. In vitro enzyme inhibition assay of compounds (3a, 3b, 3e, 3 g and 3 h) revealed their nanomolar inhibitory potential against the anticancer targets, KSP and PI3Kδ. Using MTT assay, the cytotoxic potential of compounds 3a, 3b and 3e were found highest against MDA-MB-231 cells with an IC50 of 14.51 µM, 16.27 µM, and 9.97 µM, respectively. Remarkably, these compounds were recorded safe against the oral epithelial normal cells with an IC50 values of 293.60 µM, 261.43 µM, and 222 µM, respectively. The anticancer potential of these compounds against MDA-MB-231 cells was revealed to be associated with their apoptotic activity. This was established by examination with the inverted microscope that revealed the appearance of various apoptotic features like cell shrinkage, apoptotic bodies, and membrane blebbing. Using flow cytometry, the Annexin V/PI-stained cancer cells showed an increase in early and late apoptotic cells. In addition, DNA fragmentation was revealed to occur after treatment with the tested compounds by gel electrophoresis. The relative gene expression of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes revealed an overexpression of the P53 and BAX genes and a downregulation of the BCL-2 gene by real-time PCR. So, this work proved that compounds 3a, 3b, and 3e could be developed as anticancer candidates, via their P53-dependent apoptotic activity.