Hala Bakr

• Ph.D
• Professor (Full) at Cairo University

In this study, a new green method was developed for the synthesis of bis(indolyl)methane derivatives using electrochemical bisarylation reaction in deep eutectic solvents as a green alternative to traditional solvents and electrolytes. The effects of varying time, current, type of solvent and material of electrodes were all studied. The optimum rea...

CK2 is a vital enzyme that phosphorylates a large number of substrates and thereby controls many processes in the body. Its upregulation was reported in many cancer types. Inhibitors of CK2 might have anticancer activity, and two compounds are currently under clinical trials. However, both compounds are ATP-competitive inhibitors that may have off-...

In this work, a novel, green, and atom-efficient method for the synthesis of tetrahydro-β-carboline derivatives using electrochemistry (EC) in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) was reported. The EC reaction conditions were optimized to achieve the highest yield. The experimental design was also optimized to perform the reaction in a two-step, one-pot r...

Carboline ring is widely distributed in nature and several β‐carboline alkaloids were extracted from marine creatures, bacteria, fungi, food stuffs, plants, and mammals. Synthetic β‐carbolines derivatives were reported to exhibit various biological activities. This review highlighted the recent progress achieved in the last decade in the Pictet‐Spe...

The current study aimed to fabricate curcumin-loaded bilosomal hydrogel for topical wound healing purposes, hence alleviating the poor aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability of curcumin. Bilosomes were fabricated via the thin film hydration technique using cholesterol, Span® 60, and two different types of bile salts (sodium deoxycholate or...

The tropomyosin receptor tyrosine kinases (TRKs) control the cell proliferation mainly in the nervous system and are encoded by NTRK genes. Fusion and mutation of NTRK genes were detected in various types of cancers. Many small molecules TRK inhibitors have been discovered during the last two decades and some of them have entered clinical trials. M...

A highly efficient, fast, catalyst‐free, and atom economical method was developed for the synthesis of 5‐benzylidenebarbiturates. Thus, reacting barbituric acid and aldehydes in water as a green solvent under electrochemical conditions afforded the synthesis of the target compounds in six minutes and in highly pure forms. The effects of solvent, re...

Curcumin or turmeric is the active constituent of Curcuma longa L. It has marvelous medicinal applications in many diseases. When the skin integrity is compromised due to either acute or chronic wounds, the body initiates several steps leading to tissue healing and skin barrier function restoration. Curcumin has very strong antibacterial and antifu...

Nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs represent one of the most popularly used classes of drugs. However, their long‐term administration is associated with various side effects including gastrointestinal ulceration. One of the major reasons of NSAIDs ulcerogenicity is direct damage of the epithelial lining cells by the acidic moieties present in man...

Celecoxib is a nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) designed to be a selective cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibitor. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, celecoxib demonstrated potent antitumor and chemopreventive effec...

Series of new celecoxib analogs were synthesized to assess their anticancer activity against the MCF‐7 cell line. Four compounds, 3a, 3c, 5b, and 5c, showed 1.4–9.2‐fold more potent anticancer activity than celecoxib. The antiproliferative activity of the most potent compounds, 3c, 5b, and 5c, seems to be associated well with their ability to induc...

The current work reported the first synthesis of 4H-pyran derivatives via one pot reaction of dimedone, malononitrile and aromatic aldehydes under electrochemical (EC) synthesis conditions in deep eutectic solvents (DES). The effects of different experimental factors like; solvent, electrodes, supporting electrolytes, temperature and reaction time...

Background Breast cancer is currently the leading cause of worldwide cancer incidence exceeding lung cancer. In addition, breast cancer accounts for 1 in 4 cancer cases and 1 in 6 cancer deaths among women. Cytotoxic chemotherapy is still the main therapeutic approach for patients with metastatic breast cancer. Objective To synthesize a series of...

Curcumin (CU) is a natural polyphenolic phytoingredient. CU has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anticancer activities. The poor solubility, bioavailability, and stability of CU diminish its clinical application. Hence, structural modification of CU is highly recommended. The CU analog; 3,5-bis(4-bromobenzylidene)-1-propanoylpiperidin-4-one (PI...

Background The reported binding mode of ibuprofen in the COX-2 binding site indicated that the carboxylic group binds with Arg-120 and Tyr-355 at the entrance of the cyclooxygenase channel and does not extend into the pocket. This accounted for the non-selectivity of ibuprofen. Based on this fact, we assumed that extending the length of the carboxy...

Background The oceans cover more than 70% of the earth’s surface, which represent over 95% of the biosphere. Therefore, oceans provide a wealth of marine invertebrates, especially sponges, ascidians, bryozoans and molluscs that produce structurally unique bioactive metabolites such as alkaloids. The bioactive scaffolds of marine alkaloids exhibit c...

The present minireview summarizes the data published during the last decade (2012–2019) on the synthesis of nortopsentin analogs and the effect of the structural modifications on the biological activity of the synthesized analogs as antitumor, antifungal, and antiviral agents.

In this work, 3-amino-4-cyano-2-thiophenecarboxamides 1a-k were used as versatile synthons for the preparation of thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine-7-carbonitriles 2a-k and 4a-d as well as the unexpectedly prepared thieno[3,4-b]pyridine-7-carboxamides 5a-e. Thus, heating thiophene-2-carboxamides 1a-k in formic acid afforded thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-ones 2a-k...

An efficient and atom economic modification of a previously reported synthetic pathway to tetrasubstituted thiophenes is described. The previously published synthetic methodology involved a one pot procedure starting with ketene dithioacetal and an appropriate secondary amine, and subsequent reaction with Na2S and phenacyl bromide. However, the lib...

This review summarizes the data published on the methods of preparation of β-keto amides as a versatile synthon for many heterocyclic rings and asymmetric urea derivatives. Based on the starting materials used for the synthesis of β-keto amides, eight methods were reported including β-Keto acids and their derivatives, Meldrum’s acid and their deriv...

Background: Marine sponges and tunicates have been a wealthy source of cytotoxic compounds such as indole alkaloids. Most of the indole alkaloids show in vitro cytotoxic and antineoplastic activities against a wide range of cancer cell lines. Objective: Three series of bioisosteres of marine indole alkaloids (meridianins) were synthesized and th...

Purpose: To assess the gelation power of N-palmitoyl L-alanine derivatives in injectable oils and to use the best chosen organogel as parenteral implant of granisetron for the treatment of emesis. Methods: Twelve N-palmitoyl L-alanine derived organogels were developed and evaluated in terms of morphology, thermal properties and in vivo performan...

Three series of 2-arylpyridothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-ones 3a–j, pyridothienotriazolopyrimidines 6–8 and 4-imino-pyridothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidines 9a,b were prepared to improve the pim-1 inhibitory activity of the previously reported 2-arylpyridothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-ones. All the test compounds showed highly potent pim-1 inhibition with IC50 in the...

Four series of pyridothienopyrimidin-4-one derivatives were designed and prepared to improve the pim-1 inhibitory activity of the previously reported thieno[2,3-b]pyridines. Significant improvement in the pim-1 inhibition and cytotoxic activity was achieved using structure rigidification strategy via ring closure. Six compounds (6c, 7a, 7c, 7d, 8b...

Three series of benzothiophene derivatives were designed and synthesized as cytotoxic agents. The compounds were subjected to in vitro antitumor screening at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Bethesda, MD. The results of the single dose screening indicated that only the benzothieno[3,2-b]pyran series 3a-f exhibited potent and broad spectrum cyto...

Two series of 4-phenyl-5-cyanopyrimidin-6-one derivatives bearing various S-alkyl or S-acyl moieties at position 2 were prepared as cytotoxic agents. All compounds were tested for possible anti-cancer activity on two cell lines (MCF-7 and HCT-116). The MCF-7 cell line was found to be more sensitive than the HCT-116 cell line to the action of the co...

4-Heteroaryl or heteroalkyl-quinazoline derivatives were prepared as dual epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) inhibitors. The new compounds were tested for their dual enzyme inhibition as well as their cytotoxic activity on MCF7 cell line. The results indicated that almost all the comp...

Three series of 5-bromo-thieno[2,3-b]pyridines bearing amide or benzoyl groups at position 2 were prepared as pim-1 inhibitors. All the prepared compounds were tested for their pim-1 enzyme inhibitory activity. Two compounds (3c and 5b) showed moderate pim-1 inhibitory activity with IC50 of 35.7 and 12.71 μM, respectively. Three other compounds (3d...

Two series of new 1-(alkyl/ aryl)-3-{2-[(5-oxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)amino]phenyl}thioureas 2a-h and 5-[2-(substituted amino)-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl]-4H-pyrazol-3-ols 3a-i were designed and synthesized as anti-inflammatory agents. The COX inhibitory activity of the newly synthesized compounds was investigated. All the compounds showed non-selec...

Abstract The present study reported the synthesis of tetrahydrocarbazoles hybridized with dithioate derivatives. Three series were synthesized namely alkyl dithiocarbonates (4a-d), heterocyclic dithiocarbamates (6a-g) and dialkyl dithiocarbamate (7). The synthesized compounds were tested in vitro on human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF7) and...

The "RAS/BRAF/MEK/ERK" pathway has been associated with human cancers due to the frequent oncogenic mutations identified in its members. In particular, BRAF is mutated at high frequency in many cancers especially melanoma. This mutation leads to activation of the MAPK signaling pathway, inducing uncontrolled cell proliferation, and facilitating mal...

New series of N-substituted diarylidenepiperidin-4-ones were synthesized and screened for their possible anticancer activity at the NCI Developmental Therapeutic Program. Almost all the synthesized compounds showed more potent antiproliferative activity than curcumin. The most active compound in this study was 3,5-bis(4-bromobenzylidene)-1-propanoy...

Cancer is considered as one of the most serious health problems. Despite the presence of many effective chemotherapeutic agents, their severe side effects together with the appearance of mutant tumors limit the use of these drugs and increase the need for new anticancer agents. Eg5 represents an attractive target for medicinal chemists since Eg5 is...

A series of 5-arylidene-2-(3,5-diaryl-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-1,3-thiazol-4(5H)-ones were synthesized and screened for their in vitro antitumor activity against human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7). Five of the test compounds exhibited good antitumor activity superior to the reference drug, doxorubicin, with IC50 range 1.4–2.3 μM. Amo...

A series of new 1-aryl-4-benzylidenehydrazinyl-3-methylsulphanyl-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines 6a-p was synthesized. The cytotoxic activity of the newly synthesized compounds against human breast cancer cell line, MCF7 was investigated. Most of the test compounds showed potent antitumor activity comparable to that of doxorubicin. The 1-phenyl series (...

A series of novel 5-aryl-3-cyclopropyl-4,5-dihydropyrazole derivatives 2a-p were synthesized via cyclization of chalcones 1a-h with thiosemicarbazide or semicarbazide HCl and evaluated as anti-inflammatory/antioxidant agents. The structures were confirmed by elemental analyses and spectral data. The free radical scavenging activity toward superoxid...

A series of novel 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro[1,2,4]triazino[4,5-a]benzimidazoles carrying variety of aryl and heteroaryl groups at position 1 were synthesized. The newly synthesized compounds were tested in vitro on human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF7). Some of the test compounds showed potent antitumor activity, especially compound 3c [1-(2-chloro...

A series of novel 5-aryl-3-cyclopropyl-4,5-dihydropyrazole derivatives 2a-p were synthesized via cyclization of chalcones 1a-h with thiosemicarbazide or semicarbazide HCl and evaluated as anti-inflammatory/antioxidant agents. The structures were confirmed by elemental analy-ses and spectral data. The free radical scavenging activity toward superoxi...

A novel series of pyrazolo[1,5- a ]pyrimidine-3-carbonitriles substituted with 7-amino, 7-substituted amino and 5-substituted amino groups was synthesized. Some of the newly synthesized compounds were tested in vitro on human colon tumor cell line (HCT116). Compound 14a displayed the highest activity among the tested compounds with IC 50 that equal...

A series of new pyrido[2,3-d][1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidines with different substituents at position 3 were synthesized. The effect of the newly synthesized compounds was tested in vitro on human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF7). Some of the synthesized compounds exploited potent antitumor activity, especially the 3-amino derivative 12 whic...

A series of new 6-arylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ones and 6-alkylpyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-ones were synthesized. Some of the newly synthesized compounds were tested in vitro on human colon tumor cell line (HCT116). Most of the test compounds exploited potent antitumor activity, especially compound 10a which displayed the highest activity among th...

A number of 1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones 1a-e was reacted with semicarbazide HCl and thiosemicarbazide to afford two series of 3,5-diaryl-4,5- dihydropyrazoles 2a-c and 3a,b. Cyclization of 3a,b with 4-bromophenacyl bromide and ethyl chloroacetate afforded 4,5-dihydropyrazolylthiazoles 4a,b and 5a,b. Finally, some of the new compounds were tested for...

The synthesis of two series of 1-phenyl and 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine is described. Thus, reacting 5-amino-1-phenylpyrazole with chalcone analogues gave 4,6-diarylpyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine derivatives. While, reacting the same starting material with benzylidene derivatives of ethyl cyanoacetate and malononitrile resulted in 4-oxo and 4-aminopyrazolo...