title: Computer assisted design of second-generation colchicine derivatives.
abstract: Cytoskeletal proteins, such as tubulin, are a primary target for many successful anti-cancer drugs. The expression of several beta-tubulin isotypes in normal and cancerous cells provides a platform upon which to construct chemotherapeutic agents capable of differentiating between them. To test this hypothesis, we have previously designed several colchicine derivatives and computationally probed them for affinity to the beta-tubulin isotypes. Subsequent synthesis and cytotoxicity assays produced a small set of promising compounds exhibiting IC(50) values approximately 30 fold lower than values previously reported for colchicine. Here we describe the creation and testing of these first-generation colchicine derivatives and discuss the subsequent design and preliminary computational screening of a novel set of second-generation derivatives using the most promising first-generation derivatives as scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: J Torin
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Huzil
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mane
authors.forename: Jack A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tuszynski
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001665:Binding Sites; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003078:Colchicine / Q000737:chemistry*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D008956:Models, Chemical; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D012984:Software; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry; D050257:Tubulin Modulators / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014404:Tubulin; D050257:Tubulin Modulators; D003078:Colchicine