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Discovery and Design for Novel Anti-cancer Products
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Discovery and Design for Novel Anti-cancer Products

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 16361

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Wen Tan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, 199 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730020, China
Interests: cancer metabolic reprogramming; AMPK-mediated metabolic targets and the related metabolic modifiers; immunometabolism in cancer; cancer drug resistance; anti-cancer agents from natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Zhangfeng Zhong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Macau Center for Research and Development of Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China
Interests: drug screening and discovery; drug application of natural compounds; hepatocellular carcinoma; immunotherapy from natural compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleages,

The research and development of anticancer products has always been a research hotspot. From natural origins to chemical synthesis and structure modification, from traditional formulations to novel drug delivery systems, from computer-aided drug design to virtual screening, the discovery and design of novel anticancer products is a never-ending topic.

This Special Issue will focus on the  huge number of anticancer products already in use or currently undergoing investigations. The discovery and design of anticancer products are not limited to the methods mentioned above. Indeed, cutting-edge research, including high-throughput screening, single-cell transcriptomics, genomics, nanoparticle platform, non-coding RNA, precision oncology, etc. in the fields of technological innovation and establishment of new theories, even the development of the pharmaceutical industry as well, is also within our scope. Review and original papers, regardless of whether theoretical or experimental in nature, are welcome. 

Dr. Wen Tan
Dr. Zhangfeng Zhong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anticancer products
  • drug discovery
  • drug design
  • natural products in cancer research
  • efficacy evaluation and mechanism study
  • pharmaceutical analysis
  • drug delivery system
  • drug registration and marketing

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 12974 KiB  
Article
β-Carboline-α-aminophosphonate Derivative: A Promising Antitumor Agent for Breast Cancer Treatment
by Caroline Pinto Zani, Aline Pinto Zani, Cristiane Melissa Thomazini, Karina Miyuki Retamiro, Aline Rufino de Oliveira, Débora Laís Gonçalves, Maria Helena Sarragiotto, Francielle Pelegrin Garcia, Sueli de Oliveira Silva, Celso Vataru Nakamura and Tania Ueda-Nakamura
Molecules 2023, 28(9), 3949; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28093949 - 8 May 2023
Viewed by 1809
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women worldwide. Considering the limitations of the current treatments available, we analyzed the in vitro cytotoxic potential of ((4-Fluoro-phenyl)-{2-[(1-phenyl-9H-β-carboline-3-carbonyl)-amino]-ethylamino}-methyl)-phosphonic acid dibutyl ester (BCP-1) in [...] Read more.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer mortality among women worldwide. Considering the limitations of the current treatments available, we analyzed the in vitro cytotoxic potential of ((4-Fluoro-phenyl)-{2-[(1-phenyl-9H-β-carboline-3-carbonyl)-amino]-ethylamino}-methyl)-phosphonic acid dibutyl ester (BCP-1) in breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and in a non-tumor breast cell line (MCF-10A). BCP-1 has an α-aminophosphonate unit linked to the β-carboline nucleus, and the literature indicates that compounds of these classes have high biological potential. In the present study, the mechanism of action of BCP-1 was investigated through methods of spectrofluorimetry, flow cytometry, and protein expression analysis. It was found that BCP-1 inhibited the proliferation of both cancer cell lines. Furthermore, it induced oxidative stress and cell cycle arrest in G2/M. Upregulation of apoptosis-related proteins such as Bax, cytochrome C, and caspases, as well as a decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, indicated potential induction of apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 cells. While in MCF-7 cells, BCP-1 activated the autophagic death pathway, which was demonstrated by an increase in autophagic vacuoles and acidic organelles, in addition to increased expression of LC3I/LC3II and reduced SQSTM1/p62 expression. Further, BCP-1 demonstrated antimetastatic potential by reducing MMP-9 expression and cell migration in both breast cancer cell lines. In conclusion, BCP-1 is a promising candidate for breast cancer chemotherapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery and Design for Novel Anti-cancer Products)
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Review

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32 pages, 2678 KiB  
Review
Novel Anti-Cancer Products Targeting AMPK: Natural Herbal Medicine against Breast Cancer
by Bo Peng, Si-Yuan Zhang, Ka Iong Chan, Zhang-Feng Zhong and Yi-Tao Wang
Molecules 2023, 28(2), 740; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28020740 - 11 Jan 2023
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3976
Abstract
Breast cancer is a common cancer in women worldwide. The existing clinical treatment strategies have been able to limit the progression of breast cancer and cancer metastasis, but abnormal metabolism, immunosuppression, and multidrug resistance involving multiple regulators remain the major challenges for the [...] Read more.
Breast cancer is a common cancer in women worldwide. The existing clinical treatment strategies have been able to limit the progression of breast cancer and cancer metastasis, but abnormal metabolism, immunosuppression, and multidrug resistance involving multiple regulators remain the major challenges for the treatment of breast cancer. Adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP)-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) can regulate metabolic reprogramming and reverse the “Warburg effect” via multiple metabolic signaling pathways in breast cancer. Previous studies suggest that the activation of AMPK suppresses the growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells, as well as stimulating the responses of immune cells. However, some other reports claim that the development and poor prognosis of breast cancer are related to the overexpression and aberrant activation of AMPK. Thus, the role of AMPK in the progression of breast cancer is still controversial. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of AMPK, particularly the comprehensive bidirectional functions of AMPK in cancer progression; discuss the pharmacological activators of AMPK and some specific molecules, including the natural products (including berberine, curcumin, (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, ginsenosides, and paclitaxel) that influence the efficacy of these activators in cancer therapy; and elaborate the role of AMPK as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of breast cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery and Design for Novel Anti-cancer Products)
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74 pages, 56753 KiB  
Review
Recent Advancement in Drug Design and Discovery of Pyrazole Biomolecules as Cancer and Inflammation Therapeutics
by Md. Jahangir Alam, Ozair Alam, Mohd. Javed Naim, Farah Nawaz, Ajay Manaithiya, Mohd Imran, Hamdy Khamees Thabet, Sultan Alshehri, Mohammed M. Ghoneim, Prawez Alam and Faiyaz Shakeel
Molecules 2022, 27(24), 8708; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27248708 - 8 Dec 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 3138
Abstract
Pyrazole, an important pharmacophore and a privileged scaffold of immense significance, is a five-membered heterocyclic moiety with an extensive therapeutic profile, viz., anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-anxiety, anticancer, analgesic, antipyretic, etc. Due to the expansion of pyrazolecent red pharmacological molecules at a quicker pace, there [...] Read more.
Pyrazole, an important pharmacophore and a privileged scaffold of immense significance, is a five-membered heterocyclic moiety with an extensive therapeutic profile, viz., anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-anxiety, anticancer, analgesic, antipyretic, etc. Due to the expansion of pyrazolecent red pharmacological molecules at a quicker pace, there is an urgent need to put emphasis on recent literature with hitherto available information to recognize the status of this scaffold for pharmaceutical research. The reported potential pyrazole-containing compounds are highlighted in the manuscript for the treatment of cancer and inflammation, and the results are mentioned in % inhibition of inflammation, % growth inhibition, IC50, etc. Pyrazole is an important heterocyclic moiety with a strong pharmacological profile, which may act as an important pharmacophore for the drug discovery process. In the struggle to cultivate suitable anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents, chemists have now focused on pyrazole biomolecules. This review conceals the recent expansion of pyrazole biomolecules as anti-inflammatory and anticancer agents with an aim to provide better correlation among different research going around the world. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery and Design for Novel Anti-cancer Products)
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14 pages, 2405 KiB  
Review
The Role of FOXP3 on Tumor Metastasis and Its Interaction with Traditional Chinese Medicine
by Benxu Ma, Wenjun Miao, Jieqiong Xiao, Xinyi Chen, Jing Xu and Yinan Li
Molecules 2022, 27(19), 6706; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27196706 - 8 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2368
Abstract
Forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) is an important transcription factor for regulatory T cells (Tregs) and plays an important role in their immunosuppressive function. In recent years, studies have found that FOXP3 is expressed in many kinds of tumors and plays different roles [...] Read more.
Forkhead box protein 3 (FOXP3) is an important transcription factor for regulatory T cells (Tregs) and plays an important role in their immunosuppressive function. In recent years, studies have found that FOXP3 is expressed in many kinds of tumors and plays different roles in tumors’ biological behaviors, including tumor proliferation, metastasis, drug resistance, and prognosis. However, the effects of FOXP3 on tumor metastasis and its interaction with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) remain unclear. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the effects of FOXP3 on tumor metastasis and its relationship with TCM, which can provide evidence for further research and therapy in clinical settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery and Design for Novel Anti-cancer Products)
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38 pages, 2857 KiB  
Review
Neuroendocrine–Immune Regulatory Network of Eucommia ulmoides Oliver
by Yi Zhao, De-Chao Tan, Bo Peng, Lin Yang, Si-Yuan Zhang, Rui-Peng Shi, Cheong-Meng Chong, Zhang-Feng Zhong, Sheng-Peng Wang, Qiong-Lin Liang and Yi-Tao Wang
Molecules 2022, 27(12), 3697; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27123697 - 8 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4041
Abstract
Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (E. ulmoides) is a popular medicinal herb and health supplement in China, Japan, and Korea, and has a variety of pharmaceutical properties. The neuroendocrine–immune (NEI) network is crucial in maintaining homeostasis and physical or psychological functions at a [...] Read more.
Eucommia ulmoides Oliver (E. ulmoides) is a popular medicinal herb and health supplement in China, Japan, and Korea, and has a variety of pharmaceutical properties. The neuroendocrine–immune (NEI) network is crucial in maintaining homeostasis and physical or psychological functions at a holistic level, consistent with the regulatory theory of natural medicine. This review aims to systematically summarize the chemical compositions, biological roles, and pharmacological properties of E. ulmoides to build a bridge between it and NEI-associated diseases and to provide a perspective for the development of its new clinical applications. After a review of the literature, we found that E. ulmoides has effects on NEI-related diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative disease, hyperlipidemia, osteoporosis, insomnia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. However, clinical studies on E. ulmoides were scarce. In addition, E. ulmoides derivatives are diverse in China, and they are mainly used to enhance immunity, improve hepatic damage, strengthen bones, and lower blood pressure. Through network pharmacological analysis, we uncovered the possibility that E. ulmoides is involved in functional interactions with cancer development, insulin resistance, NAFLD, and various inflammatory pathways associated with NEI diseases. Overall, this review suggests that E. ulmoides has a wide range of applications for NEI-related diseases and provides a direction for its future research and development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Discovery and Design for Novel Anti-cancer Products)
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