@article{
author = "Fuentes-Aguilar, Alma and González-Bakker, Aday and Jovanović, Mirna and Jovanović Stojanov, Sofija and Puerta, Adrián and Gargano, Adriana and Dinić, Jelena and Vega-Báez, José L. and Merino-Montiel, Penélope and Montiel-Smith, Sara and Alcaro, Stefano and Nocentini, Alessio and Pešić, Milica and Supuran, Claudiu T. and Padrón, José M. and Fernández-Bolaños, José G. and López, Óscar",
year = "2024",
abstract = "Being aware of the need to develop more efficient therapies against cancer, herein we disclose an innovative
approach for the design of selective antiproliferative agents. We have accomplished the conjugation of a
coumarin fragment with lipophilic cations (triphenylphosphonium salts, guanidinium) for providing mitochondriotropic
agents that simultaneously target also carbonic anhydrases IX and XII, involved in the development
and progression of cancer. The new compounds prepared herein turned out to be strong inhibitors of
carbonic anhydrases IX and XII of human origin (low-to-mid nM range), also endowed with high selectivity,
exhibiting negligible activity towards cytosolic CA isoforms. Key interactions with the enzyme were analysed
using docking and molecular dynamics simulations.
Regarding their in vitro antiproliferative activities, an increase of the tether length connecting both pharmacophores
led to a clear improvement in potency, reaching the submicromolar range for the lead compounds, and
an outstanding selectivity towards tumour cell lines (S.I. up to >357). Cytotoxic effects were also analysed on
MDR cell lines under hypoxic and normoxic conditions. Chemoresistance exhibited by phosphonium salts, and
not by guanidines, against MDR cells was based on the fact that the former were found to be substrates of Pglycoprotein
(P-gp), the pump responsible for extruding foreign chemicals; this situation was reversed by
administrating tariquidar, a third generation P-gp inhibitor. Moreover, phosphonium salts provoked a profound
depolarization of mitochondria membranes from tumour cells, thus probably compromising their oxidative
metabolism.
To gain insight into the mode of action of title compounds, continuous live cell microscopy was employed;
interestingly, this technique revealed two different antiproliferative mechanisms for both families of mitocans.
Whereas phosphonium salts had a cytostatic effect, blocking cell division, guanidines led to cell death via
apoptosis.",
publisher = "Elsevier Inc.",
journal = "Bioorganic Chemistry",
title = "Coumarins-lipophilic cations conjugates: Efficient mitocans targeting carbonic anhydrases",
volume = "145",
doi = "10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107168",
pages = "107168"
}
