Discovery and pharmacophore studies of novel pyrazole-based anti-melanoma agents.

Due to the rising incidence and lack of effective treatments, malignant melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, so that new treatment strategies are urgently needed. Several recent developments indicate that the V600E mutant BRAF (BRAF(V600E) ) is a validated target for antimelanoma-drug development. Based on in silico screening results, a series of novel pyrazole derivatives has been designed, synthesized, and evaluated in vitro for their inhibitory activities against BRAF(V600E) melanoma cells. Compound 3d exhibited the most potent inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 0.63 μM for BRAF(V600E) and a GI50 value of 0.61 μM for mutant BRAF-dependent cells. Furthermore, the QSAR modeling and the docking simulation of inhibitor analogs provide important pharmacophore clues for further structural optimization.