Antonio Sánchez-Ruiz

Tunicamycins are potent inhibitors of dolichyl-phosphate N-acetylglucosamine phosphotransferase (DPAGT1) but are unsuitable for therapeutic development due to non-selective cytotoxicity, acid-labile glycosidic linkages, and poor physicochemical properties. Although prior structural modifications reduced the promiscuous toxicity of tunicamycins, the intrinsic 11′-β-1″-α trehalose-type glycosidic linkage remains chemically unstable, limiting biological durability. Here, we report a rationally engineered scaffold-stabilization strategy in which the acid-labile linkage is replaced with a chemically robust cyclitol framework, enabling the concise synthesis of chemically stable and water-soluble tunicamycin analogues in only 12 synthetic steps. From this platform, TM-Cy-TBPA (4) was identified as a lead DPAGT1 inhibitor that potently suppresses the proliferation of breast cancer cells by inducing G2-phase arrest followed by apoptosis, while exhibiting minimal cytotoxicity toward nontransformed cells. The compound shows improved solubility, and favorable pharmacokinetic exposure. These results establish tunicamycin cyclitol analogues as a structurally distinct class of selective DPAGT1-targeted anticancer agents and demonstrate that stabilization of the glycosidic linkage is an effective strategy for enhancing pharmacological selectivity, improving in vivo performance, and simplifying the synthetic route.

Phytocannabinoids, particularly cannabidiol (CBD), are important targets in pharmaceutical and industrial development due to their promising biological properties. However, access to CBD and related cannabinoids remains limited by their low abundance and variable composition in plant sources, whereas chemical synthesis of CBD is often hampered by the poor regioselectivity and modest yields associated with conventional Friedel–Crafts approaches. We recently disclosed an FeCl3·6H2O-catalyzed reaction that enables diastereoselective and highly regioselective preparation of (−)-CBD under mild and scalable conditions. Here, we report experimental and computational mechanistic studies that provide insight into the origin of this regioselectivity and support the involvement of a catalytically relevant iron(III)-olivetol complex, which reacts regioselectively with the carbocation generated from the terpenic unit. We also define the scope and limitations of the method and demonstrate its synthetic utility through the efficient formal synthesis of bioactive cannabinoid derivatives, including HU-210 and ajulemic acid.

A novel class of chiral sulfonium salts, derived from L- and D-methionine, was designed and successfully employed for the diastereoselective synthesis of epoxy amides. This new methodology of asymmetric epoxidation was exploited for the stereoselective construction of fused polycyclic ethers, which are structural motifs present in a great variety of natural products of marine origin. This methodology proved to be useful for the synthesis of the tricyclic A–C system contained in yessotoxin and adriatoxin, and also in many other related natural products of marine origin belonging to the fused polycyclic ether toxins.

The exploration of the photophysical properties of push–pull molecules incorporating pyrimidine rings as electron-attracting moieties in their structure continues to be a fascinating area of investigation. A thorough examination of these properties not only contributes to fundamental knowledge but also provides crucial insights for the rational design of emissive materials in prospective applications. In this context, this work conducts an in-depth analysis of four families of 4,6-bis(arylvinyl)pyrimidines, evaluating the influence of substituents on both the aryl groups and position 2 of the pyrimidine ring. While previous research has primarily focused on solution studies, this work emphasizes the importance of examining solid-state photophysics. Through a multidisciplinary approach encompassing optical techniques, x-ray diffraction, and quantum chemical calculations, a comprehensive understanding of the structure-property relationships is achieved. This study underscores the intricate interplay between molecular structure, aggregation, and fluorescence behavior in pyrimidines, offering valuable insights with broader implications beyond academic realms.

A short total synthesis of tunicamycin V (1), a non‐selective phosphotransferase inhibitor, is achieved via a Büchner–Curtius–Schlotterbeck type reaction. Tunicamycin V can be synthesized in 15 chemical steps from D‐galactal with 21 % overall yield. The established synthetic scheme is operationally very simple and flexible to introduce building blocks of interest. The inhibitory activity of one of the designed analogues 28 against human dolichyl‐phosphate N‐acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase 1 (DPAGT1) is 12.5 times greater than 1. While tunicamycins are cytotoxic molecules with a low selectivity, the novel analogue 28 displays selective cytostatic activity against breast cancer cell lines including a triple‐negative breast cancer.

A short total synthesis of tunicamycin V (1), a non‐selective phosphotransferase inhibitor, is achieved via a Büchner–Curtius–Schlotterbeck type reaction. Tunicamycin V can be synthesized in 15 chemical steps from D‐galactal with 21 % overall yield. The established synthetic scheme is operationally very simple and flexible to introduce building blocks of interest. The inhibitory activity of one of the designed analogues 28 against human dolichyl‐phosphate N‐acetylglucosaminephosphotransferase 1 (DPAGT1) is 12.5 times greater than 1. While tunicamycins are cytotoxic molecules with a low selectivity, the novel analogue 28 displays selective cytostatic activity against breast cancer cell lines including a triple‐negative breast cancer.

The bengamides comprise an interesting family of natural products isolated from sponges belonging to the prolific Jaspidae family. Their outstanding antitumor properties, coupled with their unique mechanism of action and unprecedented molecular structures, have prompted an intense research activity directed towards their total syntheses, analogue design, and biological evaluations for their development as new anticancer agents. Together with these biological studies in cancer research, in recent years, the bengamides have been identified as potential antibiotics by their impressive biological activities against various drug-resistant bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus. This review reports on the new advances in the chemistry and biology of the bengamides during the last years, paying special attention to their development as promising new antibiotics. Thus, the evolution of the bengamides from their initial exploration as antitumor agents up to their current status as antibiotics is described in detail, highlighting the manifold value of these marine natural products as valid hits in medicinal chemistry.

Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) in organic molecules has recently attracted the attention of the scientific community because of their potential applications in different fields. Compared to small molecules, little attention has been paid to polymers and oligomers that exhibit AIE, despite having excellent properties such as high emission efficiency in aggregate and solid states, signal amplification effect, good processability and the availability of multiple functionalization sites. In addition to these features, if the molecular structure is fully conjugated, intramolecular electronic interactions between the composing chromophores may appear, thus giving rise to a wealth of new photophysical properties. In this review, we focus on selected fully conjugated oligomers, dendrimers and polymers, and briefly summarize their synthetic routes, fluorescence properties and potential applications. An exhaustive comparison between spectroscopic results in solution and aggregates or in solid state has been collected in almost all examples, and an opinion on the future direction of the field is briefly stated.