Microtubule-targeted drugs are essential chemotherapeutic agents for various types of cancer. A series of 3-vinyl-β-lactams (2-azetidinones) were designed, synthesized and evaluated as potential tubulin polymerization inhibitors, and for their antiproliferative effects in breast cancer cells. These compounds showed potent activity in MCF-7 breast cancer cells with an IC50 value of 8 nM for compound 7s 4-[3-Hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl]-1-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-3-vinylazetidin-2-one) which was comparable to the activity of Combretastatin A-4. Compound 7s had minimal cytotoxicity against both non-tumorigenic HEK-293T cells and murine mammary epithelial cells. The compounds inhibited the polymerisation of tubulin in vitro with an 8.7-fold reduction in tubulin polymerization at 10 M for compound 7s and were shown to interact at the colchicine-binding site on tubulin, resulting in significant G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. Immunofluorescence staining of MCF-7 cells confirmed that β-lactam 7s is targeting tubulin and resulted in mitotic catastrophe. A docking simulation indicated potential binding conformations for the 3-vinyl-β-lactam 7s in the colchicine domain of tubulin. These compounds are promising candidates for development as antiproiferative microtubule-disrupting agents.
微管靶向药物是各种癌症的重要化疗药物。一系列3-乙烯基-β-内酰胺(2-氮杂环丙酮)被设计、合成并评估为潜在的微管聚合抑制剂,以及它们在乳腺癌细胞中的抗增殖效应。这些化合物在MCF-7乳腺癌细胞中表现出强大的活性,其中化合物7s(4-[3-羟基-4-甲氧基苯基]-1-(3,4,5-三甲氧基苯基)-3-乙烯基氮杂环丙酮)的IC50值为8 nM,与康布雷他定A-4的活性相当。化合物7s对非肿瘤性HEK-293T细胞和小鼠乳腺上皮细胞均具有最小的细胞毒性。这些化合物在体外抑制了微管的聚合,在10 μM的浓度下,化合物7s使微管聚合减少了8.7倍,并且显示出它们与微管上的秋水仙碱结合位点相互作用,导致显著的G2/M期细胞周期阻滞。MCF-7细胞的免疫荧光染色证实了β-内酰胺7s靶向微管,并导致有丝分裂灾难。对于3-乙烯基-β-内酰胺7s在微管秋水仙碱结合区域的潜在结合构象进行的对接模拟表明了潜在的结合构象。这些化合物是作为抗增殖微管破坏剂的发展有前途的候选药物。