Home › Research › Disease mechanisms
Benzoxazole Derivatives as Dual p38α Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation for Alzheimer's Disease and Cancer Therapy
Bayan Zoatier, Gizem Yildiztekin, Mehmet Abdullah Alagöz, Ceylan Hepokur, Esra Dilek, Öztekin Algül. ChemMedChem, 2025-10-05
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia, leads to progressive cognitive decline due to pathological hallmarks including amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, synaptic loss, neuroinflammation, and neuronal cell death, highlighting the urgent need for multitarget therapeutic strategies. The p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38α MAPK) pathway is a key regulator of neuroinflammation and has been implicated in AD pathogenesis. Additionally, dysregulation of p38α MAPK is associated with tumorigenesis, making it a promising target for both neurodegenerative and proliferative diseases. In this article, a series of benzoxazole derivatives is designed and synthesized to evaluate their dual inhibitory potential against p38α MAPK and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), aiming for a multifaceted therapeutic approach to AD. A total of 31 compounds are synthesized and assessed for their antiproliferative activity, p38α MAPK inhibition, and AChE inhibitory effects. In vitro assays demonstrate that several compounds exhibit potent dual inhibition of p38α MAPK and AChE, while molecular docking studies provide insights into their binding interactions within the active sites. These findings suggest that benzoxazole-based scaffolds offer a promising framework for the development of dual-acting inhibitors targeting both neuroinflammation and tumorigenesis. Further in vivo and mechanistic studies are warranted to explore their therapeutic potential.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Zoatier, B., Yildiztekin, G., Alagöz, M. A., Hepokur, C., Dilek, E., & Algül, Ö. (2025). Benzoxazole Derivatives as Dual p38α Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation for Alzheimer's Disease and Cancer Therapy. ChemMedChem. https://doi.org/10.1002/cmdc.202500669
Vancouver
Zoatier B, Yildiztekin G, Alagöz MA, Hepokur C, Dilek E, Algül Ö. Benzoxazole Derivatives as Dual p38α Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation for Alzheimer's Disease and Cancer Therapy. ChemMedChem. 2025. doi:10.1002/cmdc.202500669. PMID: 41047159.
BibTeX
@article{zoatier2025-41047159,
author = {Zoatier, Bayan and Yildiztekin, Gizem and Alagöz, Mehmet Abdullah and Hepokur, Ceylan and Dilek, Esra and Algül, Öztekin},
title = {{Benzoxazole Derivatives as Dual p38α Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation for Alzheimer's Disease and Cancer Therapy}},
journal = {ChemMedChem},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1002/cmdc.202500669},
pmid = {41047159},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/cmdc.202500669}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Additionally, dysregulation of p38α MAPK is associated with tumorigenesis, making it a promising target for both neurodegenerative and proliferative diseases.
- These findings suggest that benzoxazole-based scaffolds offer a promising framework for the development of dual-acting inhibitors targeting both neuroinflammation and tumorigenesis.
Why it matters
Several synthesized benzoxazole compounds showed dual inhibition of p38α MAPK and acetylcholinesterase in laboratory assays, with molecular docking describing their binding. These are in vitro findings, and the authors state that further in vivo testing is needed.
Study details
- Participants31
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (ChemMedChem) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | ChemMedChem: journal h-index 123 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 31 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 8 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Öztekin Algül: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Inonu University: institution h-index 196 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 41047159) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Disease mechanisms
Also tagged “placebo-controlled”
783 studies in the library carry the topic tag “placebo-controlled”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 783 tagged studies.