Synthesis of 5H-indeno[1,2-b]pyridine derivatives: Antiproliferative and antimetastatic activities against two human prostate cancer cell lines.

This study describes the direct synthesis of 2-amino-4-(phenylsubstituted)-5H-indeno[1,2-b]pyridine-3-carbonitrile derivatives 5-21, through sequential multicomponent reaction of aromatic aldehydes, malononitrile, and 1-indanone in the presence of ammonium acetate and acetic acid (catalytic). The biological study showed that compound 10 significantly impeded proliferation of the cell lines PC-3, LNCaP, and MatLyLu. The antimetastatic effects of compound 10 could be related with inhibition of MMP9 in the PC-3 and LNCaP human cell lines. On the basis of a study of the structure-activity relationship of these compounds, we propose that the presence of two methoxy groups at positions 6 and 7 of the indeno nucleus and a 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy phenyl substitution pattern at position 4 of the pyridine ring is decisive for these types of molecules to exert very good antiproliferative and antimetastatic activities.