Novel Triazoloquinoxaline-Based Tubulin Polymerization Inhibitor Induces Necroptosis and Significantly Inhibits Metastatic Melanoma Tumor Growth
- 11 March 2026
- journal article
- Published by American Chemical Society (ACS) in Journal of Medicinal Chemistry
- Vol. 69 (6) , 6461-6489
Abstract
Metastatic melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, being responsible for 80% of skin cancer deaths. Small molecule colchicine-binding site inhibitors have previously demonstrated preclinical therapeutic efficacy in treating metastatic and paclitaxel-resistant melanoma. We report here on the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of thirty-five novel triazoloquinoxaline-based compounds with promising therapeutic potential. The most potent analog, 9d, showed strong antiproliferative activity against a panel of melanoma cell lines (GI50 = 15.4 nM against A375) and binds to the colchicine site. Treatment with 9d in vitro arrests the cell cycle in the G2/M phase and induces apoptosis. In vivo, compound 9d (10 mg/kg) demonstrated a good safety profile, significantly inhibited tumor growth and proliferation, and induced leukocyte infiltration along with apoptosis and necroptosis in an immunocompetent B16-F10 syngeneic mouse model. Further evaluation of 9d has characterized its unique mechanism of inducing both apoptosis and necroptosis in treated melanoma cells.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Cancer Institute (R01CA148706)
- NIH Office of the Director (S10OD010678-01)
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R16GM154786)
- Middle Tennessee State University
This publication has 65 references indexed in Scilit:
- Biological activity of a stable 6-aryl-2-benzoyl-pyridine colchicine-binding site inhibitor, 60c, in metastatic, triple-negative breast cancerCancer Letters, 2024
- Co-delivery of Plinabulin and Tirapazamine boosts anti-tumor efficacy by simultaneously destroying tumor blood vessels and killing tumor cellsBiomaterials, 2024
- SB226, an inhibitor of tubulin polymerization, inhibits paclitaxel-resistant melanoma growth and spontaneous metastasisCancer Letters, 2022
- A self-activating nanoized vascular disrupting agent for selective anti-tumor therapyBiomaterials, 2022
- Molecular mechanism of crolibulin in complex with tubulin provides a rationale for drug designBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2019
- Many ways to resistance: How melanoma cells evade targeted therapiesBiochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Reviews on Cancer, 2019
- Current advances of tubulin inhibitors as dual acting small molecules for cancer therapyMedicinal Research Reviews, 2019
- A phase 2 trial of verubulin for recurrent glioblastoma: a prospective study by the brain tumor investigational consortium (BTIC)Journal of Neuro-Oncology, 2014
- Quick and Simple Detection Technique to Assess the Binding of Antimicrotubule Agents to the Colchicine-Binding SiteBiological Procedures Online, 2010
- IV. Neurotoxicity of colchicine and other tubulin-binding agents: A selective vulnerability of certain neurons to the disruption of microtubulesLife Sciences, 1984