Structure–Activity Study on Substituted, Core-Extended, and Dyad Naphthalene Diimide G‑Quadruplex Ligands Leading to Potent Antitrypanosomal Agents
Several G-quadruplex nucleic acid (G4s) ligands have been developed seeking target selectivity in the past decade. Naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based compounds are particularly promising due to their biological activity and red-fluorescence emission. Previously, we demonstrated the existence of G4s in...
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Published in | Journal of medicinal chemistry Vol. 67; no. 13; pp. 10643 - 10654 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
American Chemical Society
11.07.2024
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Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Several G-quadruplex nucleic acid (G4s) ligands have been developed seeking target selectivity in the past decade. Naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based compounds are particularly promising due to their biological activity and red-fluorescence emission. Previously, we demonstrated the existence of G4s in the promoter region of parasite genomes, assessing the effectiveness of NDI-derivatives against them. Here, we explored the biological activity of a small library of G4-DNA ligands, exploiting the NDI pharmacophore, against both Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major parasites. Biophysical and biological assays were conducted. Among the various families analyzed, core-extended NDIs exhibited the most promising results concerning the selectivity and antiparasitic effects. NDI 16 emerged as the most potent, with an IC50 of 0.011 nM against T. brucei and remarkable selectivity vs MRC-5 cells (3454-fold). Fascinating, 16 is 480-fold more potent than the standard drug pentamidine (IC50 = 5.3 nM). Cellular uptake and parasite localization were verified by exploiting core-extended NDI red-fluorescent emission. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 0022-2623 1520-4804 1520-4804 |
DOI: | 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00135 |