Identifying a novel anticancer agent with microtubule-stabilizing effects through computational cell-based bioactivity prediction models and bioassays

Org Biomol Chem. 2019 Feb 6;17(6):1519-1530. doi: 10.1039/c8ob02193g.

Abstract

We report the identification of 14 novel anticancer agents through established computational anticancer cell-based models. Among these novel hits, the compound G03 exhibits stronger inhibitory effects on the proliferation of MCF-7, HepG2, MDA-MB-231, HCTT116, and HeLa as compared with the FDA-approved sorafenib, with IC50 values of 4.61, 3.20, 2.82, 2.98, and 2.90 μM, respectively. The tubulin protein was validated to be a target of G03 using SPR, tubulin polymerization, immunofluorescence, and western blot assays. G03 is a novel structurally simple anticancer agent with unusual microtubule-stabilizing effects. Our study demonstrated the identification of bioactive small molecules by computational phenotypic modeling, which represents a feasible route toward innovative leads for chemical biology and medicinal chemistry.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / metabolism
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Biological Assay*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Humans
  • Microtubules / drug effects*
  • Microtubules / metabolism*
  • Molecular Docking Simulation*
  • Protein Conformation
  • Tubulin / chemistry
  • Tubulin / metabolism
  • User-Computer Interface

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Tubulin