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  • Antiproliferative Propertie...
    Lauria, Antonino; La Monica, Gabriele; Terenzi, Alessio; Mannino, Giuseppe; Bonsignore, Riccardo; Bono, Alessia; Almerico, Anna Maria; Barone, Giampaolo; Gentile, Carla; Martorana, Annamaria

    Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 07/2021, Letnik: 26, Številka: 14
    Journal Article

    Background: G-quadruplex (G4) forming sequences are recurrent in telomeres and promoter regions of several protooncogenes. In normal cells, the transient arrangements of DNA in G-tetrads may regulate replication, transcription, and translation processes. Tumors are characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and tissue invasiveness and some of them are possibly mediated by gene expression involving G-quadruplexes. The stabilization of G-quadruplex sequences with small molecules is considered a promising strategy in anticancer targeted therapy. Methods: Molecular virtual screening allowed us identifying novel symmetric bifunctionalized naphtho1,2-b:8,7-b’dithiophene ligands as interesting candidates targeting h-Telo and c-MYC G-quadruplexes. A set of unexplored naphtho-dithiophene derivatives has been synthesized and biologically tested through in vitro antiproliferative assays and spectroscopic experiments in solution. Results: The analysis of biological and spectroscopic data highlighted noteworthy cytotoxic effects on HeLa cancer cell line (GI50 in the low μM range), but weak interactions with G-quadruplex c-MYC promoter. Conclusions: The new series of naphtho1,2-b:8,7-b’dithiophene derivatives, bearing the pharmacophoric assumptions necessary to stabilize G-quadruplexes, have been designed and successfully synthesized. The interesting antiproliferative results supported by computer aided rational approaches suggest that these studies are a significant starting point for a lead optimization process and the isolation of a more efficacious set of G-quadruplexes stabilizers.