Synthesis and Evaluation of 4-arylmethyl Curcumin Analgues as Potent Hsp90 Inhibitors

Hsp90 is a potential target for the treatment of cancer. Curcumin is a natural product used to prevent and treat cancer. 4-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyl) curcumin (C086), a 4-arylmethyl curcumin analogue, showed lead-like properties. Western blot analyses and molecular docking study supported C086 as an Hsp90 inhibitor. Subsequently, C086 analogues were designed, synthesized and evaluated. These compounds showed increased antiproliferative activity against SKBr3 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The most promising compounds 7 and 10 (IC50=1.66μM and 0.509μM) were 5- fold and 17-fold better than C086 (IC50=8.55μM) against SkBr3 cell, respectively. Her2 degradation and Hsp70 induction were observed upon administration of selected 4-arylmethyl curcumin analgues, suggesting that these compounds exerted their activity through Hsp90 inhibition.