Novel pyridine-containing histone deacetylase inhibitors strongly arrest proliferation, induce apoptosis and modulate miRNAs in cancer cells

After over 30 years of research, the development of HDAC inhibitors led to five FDA/Chinese FDA-approved drugs and many others under clinical or preclinical investigation to treat cancer and non-cancer diseases. Herein, based on our recent development of pyridine-based isomers as HDAC inhibitors, we report a series of novel 5-acylamino-2-pyridylacrylic- and -picolinic hydroxamates and 2′-aminoanilides 5–8 as anticancer agents. The hydroxamate 5d proved to be quite HDAC3/6-selective exhibiting IC50 values of 80 and 11 nM, respectively, whereas the congener 5e behaved as inhibitor of HDAC1-3, −6, −8, and −10 (class I/IIb-selective inhibitor) at nanomolar level. Compound 5e provided a huge antiproliferative activity (nanomolar IC50 values) against both haematological and solid cancer cell lines. In leukaemia U937 cells, the hydroxamate 5d and the 2′-aminoanilide 8f induced remarkable cell death after 48 h, with 76% and 100% pre-G1 phase arrest, respectively, showing a stronger effect with respect to SAHA and MS-275 used as reference compounds. In U937 cells, the highest dose- and time-dependent cytodifferentiation was obtained by the 2′-aminoanilide 8d (up to 35% of CD11c positive/propidium iodide negative cells at 5 μM for 48 h). The same 8d and the hydroxamates 5d and 5e were the most effective in inducing p21 protein expression in the same cell line. Mechanistically, 5d, 5e, 8d and 8f increased mRNA expression of p21, BAX and BAK, downregulated cyclin D1 and BCL-2 and modulated pro- and anti-apoptotic microRNAs towards apoptosis induction. Finally, 5e strongly arrested proliferation in nine different haematological cancer cell lines, with dual-digit nanomolar potency towards MV4-11, Kasumi-1, and NB4, being more potent than mocetinostat, used as reference drug.