3-(6-Phenylimidazo [2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazol-2-yl)-1H-Indole Derivatives as New Anticancer Agents in the Treatment of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Abstract

A new series of imidazo[2,1-<i>b</i>][1,3,4]thiadiazole derivatives was efficiently synthesized and screened for their <i>in vitro</i> antiproliferative activity on a panel of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells, including SUIT-2, Capan-1 and Panc-1. Compounds <b>9c</b> and <b>9l</b>, showed relevant <i>in vitro</i> antiproliferative activity on all three pre-clinical models with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) ranging from 5.11 to 10.8 µM, while the compounds <b>9e</b> and <b>9n</b> were active in at least one cell line. In addition, compound <b>9c</b> significantly inhibited the migration rate of SUIT-2 and Capan-1 cells in the scratch wound-healing assay. In conclusion, our results will support further studies to increase the library of imidazo [2,1-<i>b</i>][1,3,4] thiadiazole derivatives for deeper understanding of the relationship between biological activity of the compounds and their structures in the development of new antitumor compounds against pancreatic diseases.