Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of Anticancer Activities of 1,2-Diborolane Derivatives for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: an in Vitro and in Silico Study

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent form of primary liver cancer and remains a major global health challenge due to limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Boron-containing compounds have garnered attention for their diverse biological activities, including pro-apoptotic effects in various types of cancer. In this study, we synthesized a panel of novel 1,2-N-substituted-1,2-diborolane derivatives and evaluated their antiproliferative, antimigratory, and apoptotic effects on hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, HepG2 and Hep3B. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed the structural integrity of the synthesized compounds, revealing characteristic 1H-, 11B-, and 13C-NMR shifts consistent with boron-oxygen and boron-nitrogen bonding patterns. The derivatives, particularly compounds 2, 3, and 6, demonstrated potent and selective cytotoxicity toward HCC cells, with compound 3 exhibiting the lowest IC50 value (6.75 mu M) in HepG2 cells. Their time-dependent anti-proliferative effects were further supported by colony formation assays demonstrating long-term growth suppression, while wound healing assays revealed marked inhibition of HepG2 cell migration, indicating the compound's anti-metastatic potential. Our results demonstrate that the compound significantly induces apoptosis, modulates the expression of key apoptotic genes (Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3). In silico molecular docking further confirmed strong binding affinity to the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein, supporting the proposed mechanism of action. These findings highlight the compound as a promising candidate for further preclinical evaluation in liver cancer therapy.