Expedient synthesis and anticancer evaluation of dual-action 9-anilinoacridine methyl triazene chimeras

Dipak Walunj, Katarina Egarmina, Helena Tuchinsky, Ofer Shpilberg, Oshrat Hershkovitz-Rokah, Flavio Grynszpan, Gary Gellerman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

The efficient synthesis of molecular hybrids including a DNA-intercalating 9-anilinoacridine (9-AnA) core and a methyl triazene DNA-methylating moiety is described. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) and electrophilic aromatic substitution (EAS) reactions using readily accessible starting materials provide a quick entry to novel bifunctional anticancer molecules. The chimeras were evaluated for their anticancer activity. Chimera 7b presented the highest antitumor activity at low micromolar IC50 values in antiproliferative assays performed with various cancer cell lines. In comparison, compound 7b outperformed DNA-intercalating drugs like amsacrine and AHMA. Mechanistic studies of chimera 7b suggest a dual mechanism of action: methylation of the DNA-repairing protein MGMT associated with the triazene structural portion and Topo II inhibition by intercalation of the acridine core.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)237-252
Number of pages16
JournalChemical Biology and Drug Design
Volume97
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Funding

The authors thank Mrs. Cherna Moskowitz for generous stipend to D.W. The authors also thank the Authority for Research & Development of the Ariel University for financial support. F.G. is incumbent of the Cosman endowment for organic chemistry research.

FundersFunder number
Authority for Research & Development of the Ariel University

    Keywords

    • Anilinoacridine
    • Anticancer
    • EAS
    • Molecular chimera
    • SAr
    • Triazene

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