Tanshinone IIA shows the most promising anti-SARS-CoV-2 biological activity: molecular docking, molecular dynamics, in vitro, and SAR studies.

Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) with small inhibitor molecules has been validated as a potential therapeutic strategy in cancer therapy. Pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine is a versatile scaffold that has been exploited for developing potential anticancer agents. On the basis of fragment‐based drug discovery, considering the essential pharmacophoric features of potent EGFR tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitors, herein, we report the design and synthesis of new hybrid molecules of the pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine scaffold linked with diverse pharmacophoric fragments with reported anticancer potential. These fragments include hydrazone, indoline‐2‐one, phthalimide, thiourea, oxadiazole, pyrazole, and dihydropyrazole. The synthesized molecules were evaluated for their anticancer activity against the human breast cancer cell line, MCF‐7. The obtained results revealed comparable antitumor activity with that of the reference drugs doxorubicin and toceranib. Docking studies were performed along with EGFR‐TK and ADMET profiling studies. The results of the docking studies showed the ability of the designed compounds to interact with key residues of the EGFR‐TK through a number of covalent and noncovalent interactions. The obtained activity of compound 25 (IC50 = 2.89 µM) suggested that it may serve as a lead for further optimization and drug development.

Research on the use of biodegradable polymers for drug delivery has been ongoing since they were first used as bioresorbable surgical devices in the 1980s. For tissue engineering and drug delivery, biodegradable polymer poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) has shown enormous promise among all biomaterials. PLGA are a family of FDA-approved biodegradable polymers that are physically strong and highly biocompatible and have been extensively studied as delivery vehicles of drugs, proteins, and macromolecules such as DNA and RNA. PLGA has a wide range of erosion times and mechanical properties that can be modified. Many innovative platforms have been widely studied and created for the development of methods for the controlled delivery of PLGA. In this paper, the various manufacturing processes and characteristics that impact their breakdown and drug release are explored in depth. Besides different PLGA-based nanoparticles, preclinical and clinical applications for different diseases and the PLGA platform types and their scale-up issues will be discussed.

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Herein, a series of N' -benzylidene-3,4-dimethoxybenzohydrazide derivatives were designed and synthesised to target the multidrug efflux pump (MATE). The antibacterial activities were screened against S. aureus , Acinetobacter , S. typhi , E. coli , and P. aeruginosa , whereas their antifungal activities were screened against C. albicans . Compounds 4a , 4h , and 4i showed the most promising antibacterial and antifungal activities. Moreover, compounds 4h and 4i being the broader and superior members regarding their antimicrobial effects were selected to be further evaluated via in vivo testing using biochemical analysis and liver/kidney histological examination. Additionally, molecular docking was carried out to attain further deep insights into the synthesised compounds' binding modes. Also, ADMET studies were performed to investigate the physicochemical/pharmacokinetics features and toxicity parameters of the synthesised derivatives. Finally, a structure-antimicrobial activity relationship study was established to facilitate further structural modifications in the future. Highlights A series of new N' -benzylidene-3,4-dimethoxybenzohydrazide derivatives were designed and synthesised targeting the multidrug efflux pump (MATE) guided by the pharmacophoric features of the co-crystallized native inhibitor of the target protein. The newly synthesised compounds were assessed through in vitro , in vivo , and in silico approaches. Using the agar well diffusion assay, the antibacterial activities of the synthesised compounds were screened against S. aureus , Acinetobacter , S. typhi , E. coli , and P. aeruginosa , whereas, their antifungal activities were screened against C. albicans . The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the synthesised compounds were investigated on variable microbial species. Compounds ( 4h and 4i ) -as the broader and superior members regarding their antimicrobial effects- were further evaluated via in vivo testing using bio-chemical analysis and liver/kidney histological examination. A molecular docking study and ADMET in silico ...