Discovery of 8-methoxypyrazino[1,2-a]indole as a New Potent Antiproliferative Agent Against Human Leukemia K562 Cells. A Structure-Activity Relationship Study

Title: Discovery of 8-methoxypyrazino[1,2-a]indole as a New Potent Antiproliferative Agent Against Human Leukemia K562 Cells. A Structure-Activity Relationship Study

Volume: 6 Issue: 4

Author(s): Romeo Romagnoli, Pier Giovanni Baraldi, Maria Dora Carrion, Olga Cruz-Lopez, Carlota Lopez Cara, Delia Preti, Mojgan Aghazadeh Tabrizi, Jan Balzarini, Ernest Hamel, Enrica Fabbri and Roberto Gambari

Affiliation:

Keywords: Pyrazino[1,2-a]indole, Human leukemia K562 cell line, Anticancer agents

Abstract: Identification of novel and selective anticancer agents remains an important and challenging goal in pharmacological research. The indole nucleus, frequently encountered as a molecular fragment in natural products and pharmaceutically active compounds, was employed as the initial building block for the synthesis of a series of pyrazino[1,2- a]indoles 1a-k, variably substituted at the 6, 7, 8 and 9-positions. Compound 1e, bearing the methoxy group at the 8- position of the pyrazino[1,2-a]indole nucleus was identified as a novel potent antiproliferative agent against the human chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cell line, but it was much less active against several other cancer cell lines. Comparison of positional isomers indicated that moving the methoxy group from the 8- to the 7- or 6-position, to furnish compounds 1f and 1g, respectively, yielded inactive compounds. The analysis of structure-activity relationships observed in the series of investigated compounds may represent the basis for the design of more active molecules.

Cite this article as:

Romagnoli Romeo, Baraldi Giovanni Pier, Carrion Dora Maria, Cruz-Lopez Olga, Cara Lopez Carlota, Preti Delia, Tabrizi Aghazadeh Mojgan, Balzarini Jan, Hamel Ernest, Fabbri Enrica and Gambari Roberto, Discovery of 8-methoxypyrazino[1,2-a]indole as a New Potent Antiproliferative Agent Against Human Leukemia K562 Cells. A Structure-Activity Relationship Study, Letters in Drug Design & Discovery 2009; 6 (4) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157018009788452519