Synthesis, anti-proliferative evaluation, and molecular docking studies of 3-(alkylthio)-5,6-diaryl-1,2,4-triazines as tubulin polymerization inhibitors

Background: The role of microtubules in cell division and signaling, intercellular transport, and mitosis has been well known. Hence, they have been targeted for several anti-cancer drugs. Methods: A series of 3-(alkylthio)-5,6-diphenyl-1,2,4-triazines were prepared and evaluated for their cytotoxic activities in vitro against three human cancer cell lines; human colon carcinoma cells HT-29, human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7, human Caucasian gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS as well as fibroblast cell line NIH-3T3 by MTT assay. Docking simulation was performed to insert these compounds into the crystal structure of tubulin at the colchicine binding site to determine a probable binding model. Compound 5d as the most active compound was selected for studying of microtubule disruption. Results: Compound 5d showed potent cytotoxic activity against all cell lines. The molecular modeling study revealed that some derivatives of triazine strongly bind to colchicine binding site. The tubulin polymerization assay kit showed that the cytotoxic activity of 5d may be related to inhibition of tubulin polymerization. Conclusion: The cytotoxicity and molecular modeling study of the synthesized compounds with their inhibition activity in tubulin polymerization demonstrate the potential of triazine derivatives for development of new anti-cancer agents.