Microwave-assisted synthesis, characterization and cytotoxic studies of novel estrogen receptor α ligands towards human breast cancer cells

A new, simple, and microwave-assisted, solution-phase T3P®-DMSO mediated method for the preparation of a novel class of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) ligands based on the 2-phenylquinoline scaffold was developed. Furthermore, the novel ERα ligands were tested for their bioactivity against ERα-positive and ERα-negative cell lines. The ligand (entry 4), with amine and nitro group substitution at C4 position, displayed significant cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and HepG2 cells with an IC50 value of 6 and 11 μM, respectively. On the other hand, ERα-negative cells displayed resistance to quinolines induced cytotoxicity with an IC50 value >100 Mm and they does not induce cytotoxicity in normal breast epithelial cells. Molecular docking analyses suggest a consistent binding mode for these ERα ligands in the ligand binding domain of the human ERα and predict the ligands to occupy the hydrophobic cavity in a similar fashion as estradiol or GW2368.

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