Novel 3,6-Disubstituted Pyridazine Derivatives Targeting JNK1 Pathway: Scaffold Hopping and Hybridization-Based Design, Synthesis, Molecular Modeling, and and Anticancer Evaluation.

A series of novel 3,6-disubstituted pyridazine derivatives were designed, synthesized, and biologically evaluated as preclinical anticancer candidates. Compound exhibited the highest growth inhibition against most of the NCI-60 cancer cell lines. The anticancer activity of was subsequently investigated at two dose levels using the Ehrlich ascites carcinoma solid tumor animal model, where a reduction in the mean tumor volume allied with necrosis induction was reported without any signs of toxicity in the treated groups. Interestingly, compound was capable of downregulating c-jun N-terminal kinase-1 (JNK1) gene expression and curbing the protein levels of its phosphorylated form, in parallel with a reduction in its downstream targets, namely, c-Jun and c-Fos in tumors, along with restoring p53 activity. Furthermore, molecular docking and dynamics simulations were carried out to predict the binding mode of and prove its stability in the JNK1 binding pocket.