Cellular fingerprints: a novel approach using large-scale cancer cell line data for the identification of potential anticancer agents

Chem Biol Drug Des. 2009 Nov;74(5):439-48. doi: 10.1111/j.1747-0285.2009.00883.x. Epub 2009 Oct 2.

Abstract

The cellular fingerprint, a novel in silico screening approach, was developed to identify new biologically active compounds in combination with structural fingerprints. To this end, high-throughput screening (HTS) data from the National Cancer Institute have been used. To validate this method, we have selected the proapoptotic, natural compound betulinic acid (BA). Because of its antiproliferative effect on a variety of cancer cell lines, the identification of novel BA analogs is of great interest. Novel analogs have been identified and validated in different apoptosis assays. In addition, the novel approach exhibited a strong correlation between structural similarity and biological activity, so that it offers enormous potential for the identification of novel biologically active compounds.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Apoptosis / drug effects*
  • Betulinic Acid
  • Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques / methods*
  • DNA Fragmentation / drug effects
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor / methods*
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Humans
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Molecular Structure
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Triterpenes / chemistry
  • Triterpenes / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Pentacyclic Triterpenes
  • Triterpenes
  • Betulinic Acid