Design, synthesis, and anticancer assessment of structural analogues of (E)-1-((3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene)amino)-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxaline-2-carbonitrile (6b), an imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxaline-based non-covalent EGFR inhibitor.

In our quest to find improved anticancer therapeutics, we expedite the lead optimization of (E)-1-((3,4,5-trimethoxybenzylidene)amino)-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)imidazo[1,2-a]quinoxaline-2-carbonitrile (6b), an EGFR inhibitor previously discovered in our laboratory through an in-house screening program. The lead optimization was rationally initiated considering the catalytic site of EGFR. We synthesized twenty-nine new analogues of 6b and assessed their anticancer activities. SAR studies highlighted the role of important groups in controlling anticancer activities. Among all, 5a and 5l were found to exhibit improved EGFR inhibition with anticancer asset potential. In silico studies corroborated with in vitro EGFR inhibitory results. The deeper analysis of 5a and 5l revealed that these synthetics could alter the MMP (ΔΨ (m)) and significantly reduce the ROS levels in lung cancer cells. This is a vital prerequisite for better plausible EGFR inhibitors devoid of cardiotoxicity. qPCR analysis further revealed that the investigational compounds 5a and 5l were able to downregulate the expression of key oncogenes, viz., KRAS, MAP2K, and EGFR. The downregulation of these genes suggests that the investigational compounds could interact and inhibit key players in the signalling cascade along with the EGFR, which may lead to the inhibition of the growth and prognosis of cancer cells via a holistic approach.