Imidazopyridine hydrazone derivatives exert antiproliferative effect on lung and pancreatic cancer cells and potentially inhibit receptor tyrosine kinases including c-Met

Sci Rep. 2021 Feb 11;11(1):3644. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-83069-4.

Abstract

Aberrant activation of c-Met signalling plays a prominent role in cancer development and progression. A series of 12 imidazo [1,2-α] pyridine derivatives bearing 1,2,3-triazole moiety were designed, synthesized and evaluated for c-Met inhibitory potential and anticancer effect. The inhibitory activity of all synthesized compounds against c-Met kinase was evaluated by a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay at the concentration range of 5-25 µM. Derivatives 6d, 6e and 6f bearing methyl, tertiary butyl and dichloro-phenyl moieties on the triazole ring, respectively, were the compounds with the highest potential. They significantly inhibited c-Met by 55.3, 53.0 and 51.3%, respectively, at the concentration of 25 µM. Synthetic compounds showed antiproliferative effects against lung (EBC-1) and pancreatic cancer cells (AsPc-1, Suit-2 and Mia-PaCa-2) expressing different levels of c-Met, with IC50 values as low as 3.0 µM measured by sulforhodamine B assay. Active derivatives significantly blocked c-Met phosphorylation, inhibited cell growth in three-dimensional spheroid cultures and also induced apoptosis as revealed by Annexin V/propidium iodide flow cytometric assay in AsPc-1 cells. They also inhibited PDGFRA and FLT3 at 25 µM among a panel of 16 kinases. Molecular docking and dynamics simulation studies corroborated the experimental findings and revealed possible binding modes of the select derivatives with target receptor tyrosine kinases. The results of this study show that some imidazopyridine derivatives bearing 1,2,3-triazole moiety could be promising molecularly targeted anticancer agents against lung and pancreatic cancers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Hydrazones / chemical synthesis
  • Hydrazones / pharmacology
  • Imidazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Imidazoles / pharmacology*
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Pancreatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / genetics
  • Pyridines / chemical synthesis
  • Pyridines / pharmacology*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / genetics
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 / genetics

Substances

  • Hydrazones
  • Imidazoles
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • Pyridines
  • imidazopyridine
  • FLT3 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha
  • fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3