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Design, mechanism, delivery and therapeutics of canonical and Dicer-substrate siRNA

Raja MAG, Katas H, Amjad MW

Asian J Pharm Sci, 2019 Sep;14(5):497-510.
PMID: 32104477 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajps.2018.12.005

Upon the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), canonical small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been recognized to trigger sequence-specific gene silencing. Despite the benefits of siRNAs as potential new drugs, there are obstacles still to be overcome, including off-target effects and immune stimulation. More recently, Dicer substrate siRNA (DsiRNA) has been introduced as an alternative to siRNA. Similarly, it also is proving to be potent and target-specific, while rendering less immune stimulation. DsiRNA is 25-30 nucleotides in length, and is further cleaved and processed by the Dicer enzyme. As with siRNA, it is crucial to design and develop a stable, safe, and efficient system for the delivery of DsiRNA into the cytoplasm of targeted cells. Several polymeric nanoparticle systems have been well established to load DsiRNA for in vitro and in vivo delivery, thereby overcoming a major hurdle in the therapeutic uses of DsiRNA. The present review focuses on a comparison of siRNA and DsiRNA on the basis of their design, mechanism, in vitro and in vivo delivery, and therapeutics.
Pharmacological evaluation and docking studies of α,β-unsaturated carbonyl based synthetic compounds as inhibitors of secretory phospholipase A₂, cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenase and proinflammatory cytokines

Bukhari SN, Lauro G, Jantan I, Bifulco G, Amjad MW

Bioorg Med Chem, 2014 Aug 1;22(15):4151-61.
PMID: 24938495 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.05.052

Arachidonic acid and its metabolites have generated high level of interest among researchers due to their vital role in inflammation. The inhibition of enzymes involved in arachidonic acid metabolism has been considered as synergistic anti-inflammatory effect. A series of novel α,β-unsaturated carbonyl based compounds were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory activity on secretory phospholipase A₂ (sPLA₂), cyclooxygenases (COX), soybean lipoxygenase (LOX) in addition to proinflammatory cytokines comprising IL-6 and TNF-α. Six α,β-unsaturated carbonyl based compounds (2, 3, 4, 12, 13 and 14) exhibited strong inhibition of sPLA₂ activity, with IC₅₀ values in the range of 2.19-8.76 μM. Nine compounds 1-4 and 10-14 displayed inhibition of COX-1 with IC₅₀ values ranging from 0.37 to 1.77 μM (lower than that of reference compound), whereas compounds 2, 10, 13 and 14 strongly inhibited the COX-2. The compounds 10-14 exhibited strong inhibitory activity against LOX enzyme. All compounds were evaluated for the inhibitory activities against LPS-induced TNF-α and IL-6 release in the macrophages. On the basis of screening results, five active compounds 3, 4, 12, 13 and 14 were found strong inhibitors of TNF-α and IL-6 release in a dose-dependent manner. Molecular docking experiments were performed to clarify the molecular aspects of the observed COX and LOX inhibitory activities of the investigated compounds. Present findings increases the possibility that these α,β-unsaturated carbonyl based compounds might serve as beneficial starting point for the design and development of improved anti-inflammatory agents.
Fulltext Doxorubicin-loaded cholic acid-polyethyleneimine micelles for targeted delivery of antitumor drugs: synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of their in vitro cytotoxicity

Amjad MW, Amin MC, Katas H, Butt AM

Nanoscale Res Lett, 2012;7(1):687.
PMID: 23270381 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276X-7-687

Doxorubicin-loaded micelles were prepared from a copolymer comprising cholic acid (CA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) for the delivery of antitumor drugs. The CA-PEI copolymer was synthesized via pairing mediated by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide using dichloromethane as a solvent. Fourier transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses were performed to verify the formation of an amide linkage between CA and PEI and doxorubicin localization into the copolymer. Dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that the copolymer could self-assemble into micelles with a spherical morphology and an average diameter of <200 nm. The CA-PEI copolymer was also characterized by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. Doxorubicin-loaded micelles were prepared by dialysis method. A drug release study showed reduced drug release with escalating drug content. In a cytotoxicity assay using human colorectal adenocarcinoma (DLD-1) cells, the doxorubicin-loaded CA-PEI micelles exhibited better antitumor activity than that shown by doxorubicin. This is the first study on CA-PEI micelles as doxorubicin carriers, and this study demonstrated that they are promising candidates as carriers for sustained targeted antitumor drug delivery system.
Synthesis, Molecular Modeling, and Biological Evaluation of Novel 1, 3-Diphenyl-2-propen-1-one Based Pyrazolines as Anti-inflammatory Agents

Bukhari SN, Zhang X, Jantan I, Zhu HL, Amjad MW, Masand VH

Chem Biol Drug Des, 2015 Jun;85(6):729-42.
PMID: 25328063 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12457

A novel series of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-one (chalcone) derivatives was synthesized by a simple, eco-friendly, and efficient Claisen-Schmidt condensation reaction and used as precursors for the synthesis of new pyrazoline derivatives. All the synthesized compounds were screened for anti-inflammatory related activities such as inhibition of phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)), cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and COX-2), IL-6, and TNF-α. The results of the above studies show that the compounds synthesized are effective inhibitors of above pro-inflammatory enzymes and cytokines. Overall, the results of the studies reveal that the pyrazolines with chlorophenyl substitution (1b-6b) seem to be important for inhibition of enzymes and cytokines. Molecular docking experiments were performed to clarify the molecular aspects of the observed COX-inhibitory activities of the investigated compounds.
Synthesis of α, β-unsaturated carbonyl based compounds as acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors: characterization, molecular modeling, QSAR studies and effect against amyloid β-induced cytotoxicity

Bukhari SN, Jantan I, Masand VH, Mahajan DT, Sher M, Naeem-ul-Hassan M, et al.

Eur J Med Chem, 2014 Aug 18;83:355-65.
PMID: 24980117 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.06.034

A series of novel carbonyl compounds was synthesized by a simple, eco-friendly and efficient method. These compounds were screened for anti-oxidant activity, in vitro cytotoxicity and for inhibitory activity for acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. The effect of these compounds against amyloid β-induced cytotoxicity was also investigated. Among them, compound 14 exhibited strong free radical scavenging activity (18.39 μM) while six compounds (1, 3, 4, 13, 14, and 19) were found to be the most protective against Aβ-induced neuronal cell death in PC12 cells. Compounds 4 and 14, containing N-methyl-4-piperidone linker, showed high acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity as compared to reference drug donepezil. Molecular docking and QSAR (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship) studies were also carried out to determine the structural features that are responsible for the acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitory activity.
In Vivo Antitumor Activity of Folate-Conjugated Cholic Acid-Polyethylenimine Micelles for the Codelivery of Doxorubicin and siRNA to Colorectal Adenocarcinomas

Amjad MW, Amin MC, Katas H, Butt AM, Kesharwani P, Iyer AK

Mol Pharm, 2015 Dec 7;12(12):4247-58.
PMID: 26567518 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5b00827

Multidrug resistance poses a great challenge to cancer treatment. In order to improve the targeting and codelivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) and doxorubicin, and to overcome multidrug resistance, we conjugated a cholic acid-polyethylenimine polymer with folic acid, forming CA-PEI-FA micelles. CA-PEI-FA exhibited a low critical micelle concentration (80 μM), small average particle size (150 nm), and positive zeta potential (+ 12 mV). They showed high entrapment efficiency for doxorubicin (61.2 ± 1.7%, w/w), forming D-CA-PEI-FA, and for siRNA, forming D-CA-PEI-FA-S. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis revealed the presence of external FA on D-CA-PEI-FA micelles. About 25% doxorubicin was released within 24 h at pH 7.4, while more than 30% release was observed at pH 5. The presence of FA enhanced micelle antitumor activity. The D-CA-PEI-FA and D-CA-PEI-FA-S micelles inhibited tumor growth in vivo. No significant differences between their in vitro cytotoxic activities or their in vivo antitumor effects were observed, indicating that the siRNA coloading did not significantly increase the antitumor activity. Histological analysis revealed that tumor tissues from mice treated with D-CA-PEI-FA or D-CA-PEI-FA-S showed the lowest cancer cell density and the highest levels of apoptosis and necrosis. Similarly, the livers of these mice exhibited the lowest level of dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase among all treated groups. The lowest serum vascular endothelial growth factor level (VEGF) (24.4 pg/mL) was observed in mice treated with D-CA-PEI-FA-S micelles using siRNA targeting VEGF. These findings indicated that the developed CA-PEI-FA nanoconjugate has the potential to achieve targeted codelivery of drugs and siRNA.
Exploring recent developments to improve antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial efficacy of curcumin: A review of new trends and future perspectives

Hussain Z, Thu HE, Amjad MW, Hussain F, Ahmed TA, Khan S

Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl, 2017 Aug 01;77:1316-1326.
PMID: 28532009 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2017.03.226

Curcumin derivatives have been well-documented due to their natural antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. Curcuminoids have also gained widespread recognition due to their wide range of other activities which include anti-infective, anti-mutagenic, anticancer, anti-coagulant, antiarthrititc, and wound healing potential. Despite of having a wide range of activities, the inherent physicochemical characteristics (poor water solubility, low bioavailability, chemical instability, photodegradation, rapid metabolism and short half-life) of curcumin derivatives limit their pharmaceutical significance. Aiming to overcome these pharmaceutical issues and improving therapeutic efficacy of curcuminoids, newer strategies have been attempted in recent years. These advanced techniques include polymeric nanoparticles, nanocomposite hydrogels, nanovesicles, nanofibers, nanohybrid scaffolds, nanoconjugates, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), nanoemulsion, polymeric micelles and polymeric blend films. Incorporation of curcumin in these delivery systems has shown improved solubility, transmembrane permeability, long-term stability, improved bioavailability, longer plasma half-life, target-specific delivery, and upgraded therapeutic efficacy. In this review, a range of in vitro and in vivo studies have been critically discussed to explore the pharmaceutical significance and therapeutic viability of the advanced delivery systems to improve antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial efficacies of curcumin and its derivatives.
Synthesis and evaluation of chalcone analogues based pyrimidines as angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors

Bukhari SN, Butt AM, Amjad MW, Ahmad W, Shah VH, Trivedi AR

Pak J Biol Sci, 2013 Nov 01;16(21):1368-72.
PMID: 24511749

Hypertension is a widespread and frequently progressive ailment that imparts a foremost threat for cardiovascular and renal disorders. Mammoth efforts are needed for the synthesis of innovative antihypertensive agents to combat this lethal disease. Chalcones have shown antihypertensive activity through inhibition of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE). Hence, a series of chalcone analogues is synthesized and used as precursor for the synthesis of novel series of pyrimidines. Precursor chalcones were prepared by reacting aldehydes and ketones in presence of sodium hydroxide followed by synthesis of corresponding pyrimidines by reaction with urea in presence of potassium hydroxide. Both groups were then evaluated for their effects on ACE. The results depicted that pyrimidines were more active than chalcones with methoxy (C5 and P5) substitution showing best results to inhibit ACE. Given that chalcone analogues and pyrimidines show a potential as the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.
Development, optimization and characterization of cisplatin loaded cubosomes for human lung carcinoma

Umar H, Wahab HA, Ahmed N, Fujimura NA, Amjad MW, Bukhari SNA, et al.

Drug Dev Ind Pharm, 2024 Mar 20.
PMID: 38451066 DOI: 10.1080/03639045.2024.2326043

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop, optimize and evaluate glyceryl monooleate (GMO) based cubosomes as a drug delivery system containing cisplatin for treatment of human lung carcinoma.
SIGNIFICANCE: The significance of this research was to successfully incorporate slightly water soluble and potent anticancer drug (cisplatin) into cubosomes, which provide slow and sustained release of drug for longer period of time.
METHODS: The delivery system was developed through top-down approach by melting GMO and poloxamer 407 (P407) at 70 °C and then drop-wise addition of warm deionized water (70 °C) containing cisplatin. The formulation then exposed to probe sonicator for about 2 min. A randomized regular two level full factorial design with help of Design Expert was used for optimization of blank cubosomal formulations. Cisplatin loaded cubosomes were then subjected to physico-chemical characterization.
RESULTS: The characterization of the formulation revealed that it had a sufficient surface charge of -9.56 ± 1.33 mV, 168.25 ± 5.73 nm particle size, and 60.64 ± 0.11% encapsulation efficiency. The in vitro release of cisplatin from the cubosomes at pH 7.4 was observed to be sustained, with 94.5% of the drug being released in 30 h. In contrast, 99% of cisplatin was released from the drug solution in just 1.5 h. In vitro cytotoxicity assay was conducted on the human lung carcinoma NCI-H226 cell line, the cytotoxicity of cisplatin-loaded cubosomes was relative to that of pure cisplatin solution, while blank (without cisplatin) cubosomes were nontoxic.
CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results demonstrated the successful development of cubosomes for sustained delivery of cisplatin.
Platinum-based targeted chemotherapies and reversal of cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Umar H, Wahab HA, Attiq A, Amjad MW, Bukhari SNA, Ahmad W

Mutat Res, 2024 Mar 19;828:111856.
PMID: 38520879 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2024.111856

Lung cancer is the one of the most prevalent cancer in the world. It kills more people from cancer than any other cause and is especially common in underdeveloped nations. With 1.2 million instances, it is also the most prevalent cancer in men worldwide, making about 16.7% of the total cancer burden. Surgery is the main form of curative treatment for early-stage lung cancer. However, the majority of patients had incurable advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) recurrence after curative purpose surgery, which is indicative of the aggressiveness of the illness and the dismal outlook. The gold standard of treatment for NSCLC patients includes drug targeting of specific mutated genes drive in development of lung cancer. Furthermore, patients with advanced NSCLC and those with early-stage illness needing adjuvant therapy should use cisplatin as it is the more active platinum drug. So, this review encompasses the non-small cell lung cancer microenvironment, treatment approaches, and use of cisplatin as a first-line regimen for NSCLC, its mechanism of action, cisplatin resistance in NSCLC and also the prevention strategies to revert the drug resistance.
Fulltext Nanoscale Diblock copolymer micelles: characterizations and estimation of the effective diffusion coefficients of biomolecules release through cylindrical diffusion model

Amjad MW, Mohd Amin MC, Mahali SM, Katas H, Ismail I, Hassan MN, et al.

PLoS One, 2014;9(8):e105234.
PMID: 25133390 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105234

Biomolecules have been widely investigated as potential therapeutics for various diseases. However their use is limited due to rapid degradation and poor cellular uptake in vitro and in vivo. To address this issue, we synthesized a new nano-carrier system comprising of cholic acid-polyethylenimine (CA-PEI) copolymer micelles, via carbodiimide-mediated coupling for the efficient delivery of small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) as model protein. The mean particle size of siRNA- or BSA-loaded CA-PEI micelles ranged from 100-150 nm, with zeta potentials of +3-+11 mV, respectively. Atomic force, transmission electron and field emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the micelles exhibited excellent spherical morphology. No significant morphology or size changes were observed in the CA-PEI micelles after siRNA and BSA loading. CA-PEI micelles exhibited sustained release profile, the effective diffusion coefficients were successfully estimated using a mathematically-derived cylindrical diffusion model and the release data of siRNA and BSA closely fitted into this model. High siRNA and BSA binding and loading efficiencies (95% and 70%, respectively) were observed for CA-PEI micelles. Stability studies demonstrated that siRNA and BSA integrity was maintained after loading and release. The CA-PEI micelles were non cytotoxic to V79 and DLD-1 cells, as shown by alamarBlue and LIVE/DEAD cell viability assays. RT-PCR study revealed that siRNA-loaded CA-PEI micelles suppressed the mRNA for ABCB1 gene. These results revealed the promising potential of CA-PEI micelles as a stable, safe, and versatile nano-carrier for siRNA and the model protein delivery.
Synthesis of α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyl-Based Compounds, Oxime and Oxime Ether Analogs as Potential Anticancer Agents for Overcoming Cancer Multidrug Resistance by Modulation of Efflux Pumps in Tumor Cells

Qin HL, Leng J, Zhang CP, Jantan I, Amjad MW, Sher M, et al.

J Med Chem, 2016 Apr 14;59(7):3549-61.
PMID: 27010345 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00276

Sixty-nine novel α,β-unsaturated carbonyl based compounds, including cyclohexanone, tetralone, oxime, and oxime ether analogs, were synthesized. The antiproliferative activity determined by using seven different human cancer cell lines provided a structure-activity relationship. Compound 8ag exhibited high antiproliferative activity against Panc-1, PaCa-2, A-549, and PC-3 cell lines, with IC50 value of 0.02 μM, comparable to the positive control Erlotinib. The ten most active antiproliferative compounds were assessed for mechanistic effects on BRAF(V600E), EGFR TK kinases, and tubulin polymerization, and were investigated in vitro to reverse efflux-mediated resistance developed by cancer cells. Compound 8af exhibited the most potent BRAF(V600E) inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 0.9 μM. Oxime analog 7o displayed the most potent EGFR TK inhibitory activity with an IC50 of 0.07 μM, which was analogous to the positive control. Some analogs including 7f, 8af, and 8ag showed a dual role as anticancer and MDR reversal agents.
Biological evaluation of synthetic α,β-unsaturated carbonyl based cyclohexanone derivatives as neuroprotective novel inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and amyloid-β aggregation

Zha GF, Zhang CP, Qin HL, Jantan I, Sher M, Amjad MW, et al.

Bioorg Med Chem, 2016 05 15;24(10):2352-9.
PMID: 27083471 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.04.015

A series of new α,β-unsaturated carbonyl-based cyclohexanone derivatives was synthesized by simple condensation method and all compounds were characterized by using various spectroscopic techniques. New compounds were evaluated for their effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). These compounds were also screened for in vitro cytotoxicity and for inhibitory activity for self-induced Aβ1-42 aggregation. The effect of these compounds against amyloid β-induced cytotoxicity was also investigated. The findings of in vitro experiment revealed that most of these compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity against AChE and self-induced Aβ1-42 aggregation. The compound 3o exhibited best AChE (IC50=0.037μM) inhibitory potential. Furthermore, compound 3o disassembled the Aβ fibrils produced by self-induced Aβ aggregation by 76.6%. Compounds containing N-methyl-4-piperidone linker, showed high acetylcholinesterase and self-induced Aβ aggregation inhibitory activities as compared to reference drug donepezil. The pre-treatment of cells with synthetic compounds protected them against Aβ-induced cell death by up to 92%. Collectively, these findings suggest that some compounds from this series have potential to be promising multifunctional agents for AD treatment and our study suggest the cyclohexanone derivatives as promising new inhibitors for AChE and BuChE, potentially useful to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
An insight into the role of Artificial Intelligence in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Verma RK, Pandey M, Chawla P, Choudhury H, Mayuren J, Bhattamisra SK, et al.

CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets, 2021 May 11.
PMID: 33982657 DOI: 10.2174/1871527320666210512014505

BACKGROUND: The complication of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has made the development of its therapeutic a challenging task. Even after decades of research, we have achieved no more than a few years of symptomatic relief. The inability to diagnose the disease early is the foremost hurdle behind its treatment. Several studies have aimed to identify potential biomarkers that can be detected in body fluids (CSF, blood, urine, etc) or assessed by neuroimaging (i.e., PET and MRI). However, the clinical implementation of these biomarkers is incomplete as they cannot be validated.
METHOD: To overcome the limitation, the use of artificial intelligence along with technical tools has been extensively investigated for AD diagnosis. For developing a promising artificial intelligence strategy that can diagnose AD early, it is critical to supervise neuropsychological outcomes and imaging-based readouts with a proper clinical review.
CONCLUSION: Profound knowledge, a large data pool, and detailed investigations are required for the successful implementation of this tool. This review will enlighten various aspects of early diagnosis of AD using artificial intelligence.
Anti-inflammatory trends of new benzimidazole derivatives

Bukhari SN, Lauro G, Jantan I, Fei Chee C, Amjad MW, Bifulco G, et al.

Future Med Chem, 2016 Oct;8(16):1953-1967.
PMID: 27654499

In present study, the anti-inflammatory activities of a new series of benzimidazole derivatives were studied, investigating their inhibition of secretory phospholipase A2, lipoxygenase, COXs and lipopolysaccharide-induced secretion of TNF-α and IL-6 in mouse RAW264.7 macrophages.
Synthesis and mechanistic studies of curcumin analog-based oximes as potential anticancer agents

Qin HL, Leng J, Youssif BG, Amjad MW, Raja MA, Hussain MA, et al.

Chem Biol Drug Des, 2017 Feb 10.
PMID: 28186369 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12964

The incidence of cancer can be decreased by chemoprevention using either natural or synthetic agents. Apart from synthetic compounds, numerous natural products have exhibited promising potential to inhibit carcinogenesis in vivo. In this study, α, β-unsaturated carbonyl-based anticancer compounds were used as starting materials to synthesize new oxime analogs. The findings from the antiproliferative assay using seven different human cancer cell lines provided a clear picture of structure-activity relationship. The oxime analogs namely 7a and 8a showed strong antiproliferative activity against the cell lines. The mechanistic effects of compounds on EGFR-TK kinases and tubulin polymerization and BRAF(V)(600E) were investigated. In addition, the efficacy of compounds in reversing the efflux-mediated resistance developed by cancer cells was also studied. The compounds 5a and 6a displayed potent activity on various targets such as BRAF(V)(600E) and EGFR-TK kinases and also exhibited strong antiproliferative activity against different cell lines hence showing potential of multifunctional anticancer agents.
Nanoparticles Based Intranasal Delivery of Drug to Treat Alzheimer's Disease: A Recent Update

Pandey M, Choudhury H, Verma RK, Chawla V, Bhattamisra SK, Gorain B, et al.

CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets, 2020;19(9):648-662.
PMID: 32819251 DOI: 10.2174/1871527319999200819095620

Alzheimer Association Report (2019) stated that the 6th primary cause of death in the USA is Alzheimer's Disease (AD), which leads to behaviour and cognitive impairment. Nearly 5.8 million peoples of all ages in the USA have suffered from this disease, including 5.6 million elderly populations. The statistics of the progression of this disease is similar to the global scenario. Still, the treatment of AD is limited to a few conventional oral drugs, which often fail to deliver an adequate amount of the drug in the brain. The reduction in the therapeutic efficacy of an anti-AD drug is due to poor solubility, existence to the blood-brain barrier and low permeability. In this context, nasal drug delivery emerges as a promising route for the delivery of large and small molecular drugs for the treatment of AD. This promising pathway delivers the drug directly into the brain via an olfactory route, which leads to the low systemic side effect, enhanced bioavailability, and higher therapeutic efficacy. However, few setbacks, such as mucociliary clearance and poor drug mucosal permeation, limit its translation from the laboratory to the clinic. The above stated limitation could be overcome by the adaption of nanoparticle as a drug delivery carrier, which may lead to prolong delivery of drugs with better permeability and high efficacy. This review highlights the latest work on the development of promising Nanoparticles (NPs) via the intranasal route for the treatment of AD. Additionally, the current update in this article will draw the attention of the researcher working on these fields and facing challenges in practical applicability.
Evaluation of ligustrazine based synthetic compounds for mechanism based antiproliferative effects

Bukhari SNA, Alotaibi NH, Ahmad W, Alharbi KS, Abdelgawad MA, Al-Sanea MM, et al.

Med Chem, 2020 Sep 05.
PMID: 32888274 DOI: 10.2174/1573406416666200905125038

BACKGROUND: Ligustrazine and chalcones have been reported previously for various biological activities including anticancer effects.
OBJECTIVES: Based on the multitargeted biological activities approach of ligustrazine based chalcones, in current study 18 synthetic ligustrazine-containing α, β-unsaturated carbonyl-based 1, 3-Diphenyl-2-propen-1-one derivatives were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on growth of five different types of cancer cells.
METHODS: All compounds were evaluated for anticancer effects on various cancer cell lines by propidium iodide fluorescence assay and various other assays were performed for mechanistic studies.
RESULTS: Majority of compounds exhibited strong inhibition of cancer cells especially synthetic compounds 4a and 4b bearing 1-Pyridin-3-yl-ethanone as a ketone moiety in main structural backbone were found most powerful inhibitors of cancer cell growth. Most active 9 compounds among whole series were selected for further studies related to different cancer targets including EGFR TK kinases, tubulin polymerization, KAF and BRAFV600E.
CONCLUSION: Synthetic derivatives including 4a-b and 5a-b showed multitarget approach and showed strong inhibitory effects on EGFR, FAK and BRAF while three compounds including 3e bearing methoxy substitution, 4a and 4b with 1- pyridin-3-yl-ethanone moiety showed the inhibition of tubulin polymerization.
Evaluation of multifunctional synthetic tetralone derivatives for treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Leng J, Qin HL, Zhu K, Jantan I, Hussain MA, Sher M, et al.

Chem Biol Drug Des, 2016 Jul 19.
PMID: 27434226 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12822

Neurodegeneration, a complex disease state, comprises several pathways that contribute to cell death. Conventional approach of targeting only one of these pathways has not been proven to be entirely successful and has demanded a hypothetical change as to how researchers design and develop new drugs. In this study, effects of a series of α, β-unsaturated carbonyl-based tetralone derivatives against Alzheimer's disease (AD) were investigated. Moreover, their activity toward amyloid β-induced cytotoxicity was also studied. Six compounds including 3f, 3o, 3u, 3ae, 3af, and 3ag were discovered to be most protective against Aβ-induced neuronal cell death in PC12 cells. The findings of in vitro experiment revealed that most of these compounds exhibited potent inhibitory activity against MAO-B, AChE, and self-induced Aβ1-42 aggregation. The compound 3f exhibited best AChE (IC50 = 0.045 ± 0.02 μm) inhibitory potential in addition to potent inhibition of MAO-B (IC50 = 0.88 ± 0.12 μm). Furthermore, compound 3f disassembled the Aβ fibrils produced by self-induced Aβ aggregation by 78.2 ± 4.8%. Collectively, these findings suggest that some compounds from this series have potential to be promising multifunctional agents for AD treatment.

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