Triazole-Schiff Base Hybrids as Potential Dual Inhibitors of Bcl-2 and EGFR: Synthesis, Characterization, and...

Cancer remains a major global health challenge, requiring the development of novel therapeutic agents with high efficacy and minimal side effects. In this study, we designed and synthesised a series of hybrid molecules incorporating triazoles, Schiff bases and substituted aromatic motifs, targeting the key oncogenic proteins Bcl-2 and EGFR. The compounds were characterised using spectroscopic techniques and their physicochemical and computational insights were assessed using in silico tools. ADMET showed poor toxicity, Molecular docking studies revealed high binding affinities for both Bcl-2 (docking energies: -6.9 to -7.1 kcal/mol) and EGFR (-9.6 to -10.0 kcal/mol), with compound 5d showing the highest affinity. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of the protein-ligand complexes over 200 ns, with RMSD, RMSF, Rg and SASA analyses confirming favourable binding interactions. The compounds showed excellent similarity to drugs, high gastrointestinal absorption and low risk of toxicity. These results suggest that the synthesised hybrids hold great promise as as potential dual-targeted anti-cancer agents warranting further experimental investigation.