Abstract

The search for new and effective chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) represents an unmet need in drug discovery. Herein, a class of novel N-trifluoromethylated noscapines has been disclosed. Among them, 9′-bromo-N-trifluoromethyl noscapine 15c displayed superior in vitro anti-GBM potency. Unexpectedly, in contrast with the general N-trifluoromethyl amines, these compounds exhibited good hydrolytic stability and further investigation of this distinct stability revealed a novel strategy for the structure modification of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids, where N-methyl could be bioisosterically replaced with trifluoromethyl. Furthermore, 15c showed excellent BBB permeability and good in vivo anti-GBM activity and could efficiently suppress the migration of GBM cells, while no apparent toxicity was observed, thus representing an attractive lead for further drug discovery. Further mechanistic studies revealed that 15c exhibited an ability to induce G2/M-phase arrest in GBM cells associated with the disruption of tubulin polymerization, which is consistent with the mechanism of action of noscapine.