Telomeres serve a critical function in cell replication and proliferation at every stage of the cell cycle. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein, responsible for maintaining the telomere length and chromosomal integrity of frequently dividing cells. Although it is silenced in most human somatic cells, telomere restoration occurs in cancer cells because of telomerase activation or alternative telomere lengthening. The telomerase enzyme is a universal anticancer target that is expressed in 85–95% of cancers. BIBR1532 is a selective non-nucleoside potent telomerase inhibitor that acts by direct noncompetitive inhibition. Relying on its structural features, three different series were designed, and 30 novel compounds were synthesized and biologically evaluated as telomerase inhibitors using a telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. Target compounds 29a, 36b, and 39b reported the greatest inhibitory effect on telomerase enzyme with IC₅₀ values of 1.7, 0.3, and 2.0 μM, respectively, while BIBR1532 displayed IC₅₀ = 0.2 μM. Compounds 29a, 36b, and 39b were subsequently tested using a living-cell TRAP assay and were able to penetrate the cell membrane and inhibit telomerase inside living cancer cells. Compound 36b was tested for cytotoxicity against 60 cancer cell lines using the NCI (USA) procedure, and the % growth was minimally impacted, indicating telomerase enzyme selectivity. To investigate the interaction of compound 36b with the telomerase allosteric binding site, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations were used.

1,4-Dihydropyridine (DHP) is an important class of calcium antagonist. It inhibits the influx of extracellular Ca(2+) through L-type voltage-dependent calcium channels. Two series of nifedipine analogues were synthesized and evaluated as calcium antagonists. The ortho-nitrophenyl ring of nifedipine was replaced with an ortho- or a meta-chlorophenyl substituent. The IC50 values revealed that some of the compounds are similar to or more active than nifedipine. Substitution with groups of suitable bulkiness, such as ethyl ester, at the 3- and 5-positions of the DHP ring gave 3h, which is approximately three-fold more active than nifedipine as a calcium antagonist. A docking study with the DHP receptor model was performed to interpret the differences in calcium antagonist activities. The molecular docking study demonstrated that the lipophilicity of the substituted phenyl group at the 4-position of the DHP ring is an important factor that could increase the activity of the calcium antagonist taking the steric factor into consideration. Bulky groups interfere with ring-to-ring hydrophobic interaction with Tyr(1460) and limit the efficiency of increasing the length of the hydrocarbon chain of esters at the 3- and 5-positions of the DHP ring as an approach to increase activity. The presence of a chelating substituent on the phenyl ring at the 4-position of the DHP ring may ensure strong binding to the receptor and hence stabilization of the closed-channel conformation.