title: 2-Arylbenzimidazoles as antiviral and antiproliferative agents. Part 1.
abstract: Being involved in an anti-Flaviviridae Project, and because of the role played by benzimidazole derivatives as promising inhibitors of the HCV helicase and RNA polymerase, as well as of the Zn finger transcription factor, we synthesized a new series of 2-arylbenzimidazoles and evaluated them for antiviral activity, as well as for antiproliferative activity. Compounds were tested in cell-based assays against viruses representative of: i) two of the three genera of the Flaviviridae family, i.e. Flaviviruses and Pestiviruses; ii) other RNA virus families, such as Retroviridae, Picornaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae and Reoviridae; iii) two DNA virus families (Herpesviridae and Poxviridae). Compounds 15, 28 and 29 resulted moderately active only against Yellow Fever Virus (a Flavivirus) (range 6-27 microM), whereas none of the title benzimidazoles showed any antiviral activity at concentrations not cytotoxic for the resting cell monolayers. Compounds were also tested for antiproliferative activity against a panel of exponentially growing cell lines derived from human haematological and solid tumors. Several new benzimidazoles turned out active. Among them, compound 27 was the most potent against human haematologic and solid tumor cells and turned out to be as potent as Etoposide and more potent than 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), used as reference antitumor agents.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Farmaco Chimico Tossicologico, Università di Sassari, via Muroni 23/a, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Loriga
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paglietti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: La Colla
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Busonera
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Collu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Loddo
mesh_terms: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000187:drug effects; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001562:Benzimidazoles; D007202:Indicators and Reagents