Highly selective anthraquinone-chalcone hybrids as potential antileukemia agents

[Display omitted] •Twenty-three anthraquinone-chalcone hybrids were synthesized and characterized.•The compounds exerted strong cytotoxicity against three human leukemia cell lines.•Four tested compounds decreased expression levels of MMP2, MMP9 and VEGFA.•MiR-155 expression strongly depends on the nature and position of substituents.•The 3-D QSAR models for 6f and 6e confirm pro-apoptotic activity against caspase-3. A series of 23 novel anthraquinone-chalcone hybrids containing amide function was synthesized and structurally characterized. Sixteen compounds exerted strong cytotoxic activities against K562, Jurkat and HL-60 leukemia cell lines and significantly lower cytotoxic effects against normal MRC-5 cells, indicating very high selectivity in their anticancer action. The compounds 6g, 6u and 6v activate apoptosis in K562 cells through the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathway. The compound 6e triggered apoptosis in K562 cells only through the extrinsic apoptotic pathway. Treatment of K562 cells with each of these four compounds caused decrease in the expression levels of MMP2, MMP9, and VEGF, suggesting their anti-invasive, antimetastatic and antiangiogenic properties. The compounds 6g and 6v downregulated expression levels of miR-155 in K562 cells, while compounds 6e and 6u upregulated miR-155 levels in treated cells, in comparison with control cells. The structure-based 3-D QSAR models for 6f, 6e, 6i and 6l describe pro-apoptotic activity against caspase-3.