Discovery of proqodine A derivatives with antitumor activity targeting NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase

NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1)is a flavin protease highly expressed in various cancer cells.NQO1 catalyzes a futile redox cycle in substrates,leading to substantial reactive oxygen species(ROS)production.This ROS generation results in extensive DNA damage and elevated poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1(PARP1)-mediated consumption of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NAD^(+)),ultimately causing cell death.Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase(NAMPT),the rate-limiting enzyme in the NAD^(+)salvage synthesis pathway,emerges as a critical target in cancer therapy.The concurrent inhibition of NQO1 and NAMPT triggers hyperactivation of PARP1 and intensive NAD+depletion.In this study,we designed,synthesized,and assessed a novel series of proqodine A derivatives targeting both NQO1 and NAMPT.Among these,compound T8 demonstrated potent antitumor properties.Specifically,T8 selectively inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and induced apoptosis through mechanisms dependent on both NQO1 and NAMPT.This discovery offers a promising new molecular entity for advancing anticancer research.