Rationally designed febuxostat-based hydroxamic acid and its pH-Responsive nanoformulation elicits anti-tumor activity

Eur J Med Chem. 2024 Dec 5:279:116866. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116866. Epub 2024 Sep 10.

Abstract

Attempts to furnish antitumor structural templates that can prevent the occurrence of drug-induced hyperuricemia spurred us to generate xanthine oxidase inhibitor-based hydroxamic acids and anilides. Specifically, the design strategy involved the insertion of febuxostat (xanthine oxidase inhibitor) as a surface recognition part of the HDAC inhibitor pharmacophore model. Investigation outcomes revealed that hydroxamic acid 4 elicited remarkable antileukemic effects mediated via HDAC isoform inhibition. Delightfully, the adduct retained xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity, though xanthine oxidase inhibition was not the underlying mechanism of its cell growth inhibitory effects. Also, compound 4 demonstrated significant in-vivo anti-hyperuricemic (PO-induced hyperuricemia model) and antitumor activity in an HL-60 xenograft mice model. Compound 4 was conjugated with poly (ethylene glycol) poly(aspartic acid) block copolymer to furnish pH-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) in pursuit of circumventing its cytotoxicity towards the normal cell lines. SEM analysis revealed that NPs had uniform size distributions, while TEM analysis ascertained the spherical shape of NPs, indicating their ability to undergo self-assembly. HDAC inhibitor 4 was liberated from the matrix due to the polymeric nanoformulation's pH-responsiveness, and the NPs demonstrated selective cancer cell targeting ability.

Keywords: Anilides; Febuxostat; HDAC inhibitor; Hematological malignancies; Hydroxamic acid; Tumor; Xanthine oxidase.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents* / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents* / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents* / pharmacology
  • Cell Proliferation* / drug effects
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor*
  • Febuxostat* / chemistry
  • Febuxostat* / pharmacology
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Hydroxamic Acids* / chemistry
  • Hydroxamic Acids* / pharmacology
  • Hyperuricemia / chemically induced
  • Hyperuricemia / drug therapy
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nanoparticles* / chemistry
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Xanthine Oxidase / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Xanthine Oxidase / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Febuxostat
  • Hydroxamic Acids
  • Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
  • Xanthine Oxidase