Development of resistance to currently available standard therapies in advanced prostate cancer (PCa) emphasizes the need for novel therapeutic options. Here, we report the synthesis of new hybrid molecules consisting of 2-chloroethylthio and 1,4-naphthoquinone pharmacophores and describe their activity in PCa. In screening analyses, the introduction of one 2-chloroethylthio group improved the anticancer properties of 1,4-naphthoquinones, whereas the introduction of a second 2-chloroethylthio moiety rather decreased activity. Two most promising of the synthesized compounds, 30 and 32, were highly active in different human PCa cell lines harboring varying resistance profiles at nanomolar concentrations. The generated data suggest that the compounds are capable of mitochondria targeting, cytotoxic ROS induction, and DNA damage, which resulted in apoptosis presumably executed in a caspase-dependent manner. The substances synergized with the clinically approved PARP inhibitor olaparib and resensitized AR-V7-expressing PCa cells to antiandrogen enzalutamide, as well as to a combination of enzalutamide and an AKT inhibitor. This was at least in part exerted via down-regulation of AR-V7 expression and inhibition of AR signaling. Mild antagonism was observed in combination with platinum- or taxane-based chemotherapy, which was putatively related to treatment-induced activation of p38, JNK1/2, ERK1/2, MEK1/2, and AKT, functioning as potential pro-survival factors. Thus, the synthesized (2-chloroethylthio)-1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives exhibit promising anticancer properties in vitro, suggesting their further development as potential therapeutics for the treatment of castration-resistant PCa.
目前,晚期前列腺癌(PCa)对现有标准疗法的耐药性的发展强调了新型治疗选择的必要性。在这里,我们报道了2-氯乙基硫和1,4-萘醌药效团组成的新型杂化分子的合成,并描述了它们在PCa中的活性。在筛选分析中,引入一个2-氯乙基硫基团改善了1,4-萘醌的抗癌性能,而引入第二个2-氯乙基硫基团则降低了活性。合成的两个最有前途的化合物30和32,在不同人类PCa细胞系中具有高活性,这些细胞系具有不同的耐药谱,浓度为纳摩尔级。生成的数据表明,这些化合物能够靶向线粒体,诱导细胞毒性ROS和DNA损伤,导致凋亡,可能是以caspase依赖的方式执行的。这些物质与临床批准的PARP抑制剂olaparib协同作用,并使表达AR-V7的PCa细胞重新对抗雄激素受体拮抗剂恩扎鲁胺以及恩扎鲁胺和AKT抑制剂的联合治疗产生敏感性。这至少部分是通过下调AR-V7表达和抑制AR信号传导来发挥作用的。与铂类或紫杉醇类化疗的联合治疗中观察到轻度的拮抗作用,这可能与治疗引起的p38、JNK1/2、ERK1/2、MEK1/2和AKT的潜在促生存因子的活化有关。因此,合成的(2-氯乙基硫基)-1,4-萘醌衍生物在体外展示了有前途的抗癌性能,建议将其进一步开发为治疗去势抵抗性PCa的潜在治疗药物。