1
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Jin X, Ding N, Guo HY, Hu Q. Macrocyclic-based strategy in drug design: From lab to the clinic. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 277:116733. [PMID: 39098132 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Macrocyclic compounds have emerged as potent tools in the field of drug design, offering unique advantages for enhancing molecular recognition, improving pharmacokinetic properties, and expanding the chemical space accessible to medicinal chemists. This review delves into the evolutionary trajectory of macrocyclic-based strategies, tracing their journey from laboratory innovations to clinical applications. Beginning with an exploration of the defining structural features of macrocycles and their impact on drug-like characteristics, this discussion progresses to highlight key design principles that have facilitated the development of diverse macrocyclic drug candidates. Through a series of illustrative representative case studies from approved macrocyclic drugs and candidates spanning various therapeutic areas, particular emphasis is placed on their efficacy in targeting challenging protein-protein interactions, enzymes, and receptors. Additionally, this review thoroughly examines how macrocycles effectively address critical issues such as metabolic stability, oral bioavailability and selectivity. Valuable insights into optimization strategies employed during both approved and clinical phases underscore successful translation of promising leads into efficacious therapies while providing valuable perspectives on harnessing the full potential of macrocycles in drug discovery and development endeavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Jin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Ning Ding
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hong-Yu Guo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Qing Hu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
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2
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Deng H, Zhang J, Liu L, Zhang H, Han Y, Wu L, Jing Y, Huang M, Zhao L. Discovery of Novel Mcl-1 Inhibitors with a 3-Substituted-1 H-indole-1-yl Moiety Binding to the P1-P3 Pockets to Induce Apoptosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells. J Med Chem 2024; 67:13925-13958. [PMID: 39121336 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2024]
Abstract
Mcl-1 is a main antiapoptotic protein in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is used as a target to develop inhibitors. Currently, potent Mcl-1 inhibitors primarily interact with the P2-P4 pockets of Mcl-1, but pharmacological modulation by targeting the P1 pocket is less explored. We designed a series of 1H-indole-2-carboxylic acid compounds as novel Mcl-1 inhibitors occupying the P1-P3 pockets and evaluated their Mcl-1 inhibition and apoptosis induction in AML cells. Two-dimensional 15N-HSQC spectroscopy indicated that 47 (Ki = 24 nM) bound to the BH3 binding groove, occupied the P1 pocket in Mcl-1, and formed interactions with Lys234 and Val249. 47 exhibited good microsomal stability and pharmacokinetic profiles, with low potential risk of cardiotoxicity. 47 inhibited tumor growth in HL-60 and THP-1 xenograft models with growth inhibition rate of 63.7% and 57.4%, respectively. Collectively, 47 represents a novel Mcl-1 inhibitor targeting the P1-P3 pockets with excellent antileukemia effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yu Han
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linlin Wu
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yongkui Jing
- Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
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3
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Gong Q, Li C, Wang H, Cao J, Li Z, Zhou M, Li Y, Chu Y, Liu H, Wang R. Discovery of Phenylpyrazole Derivatives as a New Class of Selective Inhibitors of MCL-1 with Antitumor Activity. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:27369-27396. [PMID: 38947842 PMCID: PMC11209699 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c02021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
MCL-1, an antiapoptotic member of the BCL-2 family, is dysregulated and overexpressed in various tumors. In tumors with MCL-1 overexpression, selective inhibitors of MCL-1 are expected to overcome the drug resistance caused by BCL-2 inhibitors currently used in clinical treatment. Here, we employed docking-based virtual screening to identify an active hit, LC126, with binding affinity around 10 μM for MCL-1 and BCL-2. Under the guidance of structure-based design, we obtained a few selective inhibitors of MCL-1 after three rounds of structural optimization. The representative compound GQN-B37-E exhibited binding affinity for MCL-1 at the submicromolar range (K i = 0.6 μM) without apparent binding to BCL-2 or BCL-XL. 15N-heteronuclear single-quantum coherence NMR spectra suggested that this compound binds to the BH3-domain-binding pocket in the MCL-1 surface. Cellular assays revealed that GQN-B37-Me, the precursor of GQN-B37-E, is effective particularly on leukemia cells (such as H929 and MV-4-11) to induce caspase-dependent apoptosis. Its interaction with MCL-1 in cells was confirmed by coimmunoprecipitation. Administration of GQN-B37-Me to MV-4-11 xenograft mice at 50 mg/kg every 2 days for 20 days led to 43% tumor growth inhibition. GQN-B37-Me also exhibited reasonable in vitro stability in GSH and liver microsomes from several species. This new class of MCL-1 inhibitor may have potential to be further developed into a preclinical candidate for treating leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qineng Gong
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Chunpu Li
- State
Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haojie Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Jinrui Cao
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Zuo Li
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Yan Li
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Yong Chu
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
| | - Hong Liu
- State
Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- Department
of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People’s Republic
of China
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4
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Alhammadi SHA, Baby B, Antony P, Jobe A, Humaid RSM, Alhammadi FJA, Vijayan R. Modeling the Binding of Anticancer Peptides and Mcl-1. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6529. [PMID: 38928234 PMCID: PMC11203456 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Mcl-1 (myeloid cell leukemia 1), a member of the Bcl-2 family, is upregulated in various types of cancer. Peptides representing the BH3 (Bcl-2 homology 3) region of pro-apoptotic proteins have been demonstrated to bind the hydrophobic groove of anti-apoptotic Mcl-1, and this interaction is responsible for regulating apoptosis. Structural studies have shown that, while there is high overall structural conservation among the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2) proteins, differences in the surface groove of these proteins facilitates binding specificity. This binding specificity is crucial for the mechanism of action of the Bcl-2 family in regulating apoptosis. Bim-based peptides bind specifically to the hydrophobic groove of Mcl-1, emphasizing the importance of these interactions in the regulation of cell death. Molecular docking was performed with BH3-like peptides derived from Bim to identify high affinity peptides that bind to Mcl-1 and to understand the molecular mechanism of their interactions. The interactions of three identified peptides, E2gY, E2gI, and XXA1_F3dI, were further evaluated using 250 ns molecular dynamics simulations. Conserved hydrophobic residues of the peptides play an important role in their binding and the structural stability of the complexes. Understanding the molecular basis of interaction of these peptides will assist in the development of more effective Mcl-1 specific inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamsa Husain Ahmed Alhammadi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bincy Baby
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Priya Antony
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Amie Jobe
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Raghad Salman Mohammed Humaid
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fatema Jumaa Ahmed Alhammadi
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ranjit Vijayan
- Department of Biology, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- The Big Data Analytics Center, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
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5
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Alboreggia G, Udompholkul P, Baggio C, Muzzarelli K, Assar Z, Pellecchia M. Histidine-Covalent Stapled Alpha-Helical Peptides Targeting hMcl-1. J Med Chem 2024; 67:8172-8185. [PMID: 38695666 PMCID: PMC11129181 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Several novel and effective cysteine targeting (Cys) covalent drugs are in clinical use. However, the target area containing a druggable Cys residue is limited. Therefore, methods for creating covalent drugs that target different residues are being looked for; examples of such ligands include those that target the residues lysine (Lys) and tyrosine (Tyr). Though the histidine (His) side chain is more frequently found in protein binding locations and has higher desirable nucleophilicity, surprisingly limited research has been done to specifically target this residue, and there are not many examples of His-targeting ligands that have been rationally designed. In the current work, we created novel stapled peptides that are intended to target hMcl-1 His 252 covalently. We describe the in vitro (biochemical, NMR, and X-ray) and cellular design and characterization of such agents. Our findings further suggest that the use of electrophiles to specifically target His residues is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Alboreggia
- Division
of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Parima Udompholkul
- Division
of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Carlo Baggio
- Division
of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Kendall Muzzarelli
- Cayman
Chemical Co., 1180 E. Ellsworth road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108, United States
| | - Zahra Assar
- Cayman
Chemical Co., 1180 E. Ellsworth road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108, United States
| | - Maurizio Pellecchia
- Division
of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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6
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Deng H, Han Y, Liu L, Zhang H, Liu D, Wen J, Huang M, Zhao L. Targeting Myeloid Leukemia-1 in Cancer Therapy: Advances and Directions. J Med Chem 2024; 67:5963-5998. [PMID: 38597264 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
As a tripartite cell death switch, B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2) family members precisely regulate the endogenous apoptosis pathway in response to various cell signal stresses through protein-protein interactions. Myeloid leukemia-1 (Mcl-1), a key anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member, is positioned downstream in the endogenous apoptotic pathway and plays a central role in regulating mitochondrial function. Mcl-1 is highly expressed in a variety of hematological malignancies and solid tumors, contributing to tumorigenesis, poor prognosis, and chemoresistance, making it an attractive target for cancer treatment. This Perspective aims to discuss the mechanism by which Mcl-1 regulates apoptosis and non-apoptotic functions in cancer cells and to outline the discovery and optimization process of potent Mcl-1 modulators. In addition, we summarize the structural characteristics of potent inhibitors that bind to Mcl-1 through multiple co-crystal structures and analyze the cardiotoxicity caused by current Mcl-1 inhibitors, providing prospects for rational targeting of Mcl-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yu Han
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jiachen Wen
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
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7
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Ramírez-Santos J, Calzada F, Ordoñez-Razo RM, Mendieta-Wejebe JE, Velázquez-Domínguez JA, Argüello-García R, Velázquez C, Barbosa E. In Vivo, In Vitro and In Silico Anticancer Activity of Ilama Leaves: An Edible and Medicinal Plant in Mexico. Molecules 2024; 29:1956. [PMID: 38731446 PMCID: PMC11085222 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29091956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Ilama leaves are an important source of secondary metabolites with promising anticancer properties. Cancer is a disease that affects a great number of people worldwide. This work aimed to investigate the in vivo, in vitro and in silico anticancer properties of three acyclic terpenoids (geranylgeraniol, phytol and farnesyl acetate) isolated from petroleum ether extract of ilama leaves. Their cytotoxic activity against U-937 cells was assessed using flow cytometry to determine the type of cell death and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Also, a morphological analysis of the lymph nodes and a molecular docking study using three proteins related with cancer as targets, namely, Bcl-2, Mcl-1 and VEGFR-2, were performed. The flow cytometry and histomorphological analysis revealed that geranylgeraniol, phytol and farnesyl acetate induced the death of U-937 cells by late apoptosis and necrosis. Geranylgeraniol and phytol induced a significant increase in ROS production. The molecular docking studies showed that geranylgeraniol had more affinity for Bcl-2 and VEGFR-2. In the case of farnesyl acetate, it showed the best affinity for Mcl-1. This study provides information that supports the anticancer potential of geranylgeraniol, phytol and farnesyl acetate as compounds for the treatment of cancer, particularly with the potential to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesica Ramírez-Santos
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Plan de San Luis y Salvador Díaz Mirón S/N, Col. Casco de Santo Tomás, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; (J.R.-S.); (J.E.M.-W.); (E.B.)
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Farmacología, UMAE Hospital de Especialidades 2° Piso CORSE Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av. Cuauhtémoc 330, Col. Doctores, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Fernando Calzada
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Farmacología, UMAE Hospital de Especialidades 2° Piso CORSE Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av. Cuauhtémoc 330, Col. Doctores, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Rosa María Ordoñez-Razo
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Genética Humana, UMAE Hospital Pediatría, 2° Piso, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av. Cuauhtémoc 330, Col. Doctores, Mexico City 06725, Mexico;
| | - Jessica Elena Mendieta-Wejebe
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Plan de San Luis y Salvador Díaz Mirón S/N, Col. Casco de Santo Tomás, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; (J.R.-S.); (J.E.M.-W.); (E.B.)
| | - José Antonio Velázquez-Domínguez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía, Av. Guillermo Massieu Helguera 239, La Purísima Ticoman, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07320, Mexico;
| | - Raúl Argüello-García
- Departamento de Genética y Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 2508, San Pedro Zacatenco, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City 07360, Mexico;
| | - Claudia Velázquez
- Área Académica de Farmacia, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Km 4.5, Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo, Unidad Universitaria, Pachuca 42076, Mexico;
| | - Elizabeth Barbosa
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Plan de San Luis y Salvador Díaz Mirón S/N, Col. Casco de Santo Tomás, Mexico City 11340, Mexico; (J.R.-S.); (J.E.M.-W.); (E.B.)
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8
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Gong Q, Wang H, Zhou M, Zhou L, Wang R, Li Y. B-cell lymphoma-2 family proteins in the crosshairs: Small molecule inhibitors and activators for cancer therapy. Med Res Rev 2024; 44:707-737. [PMID: 37983840 DOI: 10.1002/med.21999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
The B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family of proteins plays a crucial role in the regulation of apoptosis, offering a dual mechanism for its control. Numerous studies have established a strong association between gene disorders of these proteins and the proliferation of diverse cancer cell types. Consequently, the identification and development of drugs targeting BCL-2 family proteins have emerged as a prominent area in antitumor therapy. Over the last two decades, several small-molecules have been designed to modulate the protein-protein interactions between anti- and proapoptotic BCL-2 proteins, effectively suppressing tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. The primary focus of research has been on developing BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) mimetics to target antiapoptotic BCL-2 proteins, thereby competitively releasing proapoptotic BCL-2 proteins and restoring the blocked intrinsic apoptotic program. Additionally, for proapoptotic BCL-2 proteins, exogenous small molecules have been explored to activate cell apoptosis by directly interacting with executioner proteins such as BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX) or BCL-2 homologous antagonist/killer protein (BAK). In this comprehensive review, we summarize the inhibitors and activators (sensitizers) of BCL-2 family proteins developed over the past decades, highlighting their discovery, optimization, preclinical and clinical status, and providing an overall landscape of drug development targeting these proteins for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qineng Gong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Haojie Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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9
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Xie X, Yu T, Li X, Zhang N, Foster LJ, Peng C, Huang W, He G. Recent advances in targeting the "undruggable" proteins: from drug discovery to clinical trials. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:335. [PMID: 37669923 PMCID: PMC10480221 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01589-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Undruggable proteins are a class of proteins that are often characterized by large, complex structures or functions that are difficult to interfere with using conventional drug design strategies. Targeting such undruggable targets has been considered also a great opportunity for treatment of human diseases and has attracted substantial efforts in the field of medicine. Therefore, in this review, we focus on the recent development of drug discovery targeting "undruggable" proteins and their application in clinic. To make this review well organized, we discuss the design strategies targeting the undruggable proteins, including covalent regulation, allosteric inhibition, protein-protein/DNA interaction inhibition, targeted proteins regulation, nucleic acid-based approach, immunotherapy and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Tingting Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China
- Department of Dermatology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China
| | - Leonard J Foster
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China.
| | - Wei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, College of Medical Technology and School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China.
| | - Gu He
- Department of Dermatology and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China.
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10
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Demin S, Peschiulli A, Velter AI, Vos A, De Boeck B, Miller B, Rombouts FJR, Reuillon T, Lento W, Blanco MD, Jouffroy M, Steyvers H, Bekkers M, Altrocchi C, Pietrak B, Koo SJ, Szewczuk L, Attar R, Philippar U. Macrocyclic Carbon-Linked Pyrazoles As Novel Inhibitors of MCL-1. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:955-961. [PMID: 37465311 PMCID: PMC10351060 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (MCL-1) is a member of the antiapoptotic BCL-2 proteins family and a key regulator of mitochondrial homeostasis. Overexpression of MCL-1 is found in many cancer cells and contributes to tumor progression, which makes it an attractive therapeutic target. Pursuing our previous study of macrocyclic indoles for the inhibition of MCL-1, we report herein the impact of both pyrazole and indole isomerism on the potency and overall properties of this family of compounds. We demonstrated that the incorporation of a fluorine atom on the naphthalene moiety was a necessary step to improve cellular potency and that, combined with the introduction of various side chains on the pyrazole, it enhanced solubility significantly. This exploration culminated in the discovery of compounds (Ra)-10 and (Ra)-15, possessing remarkable cellular potency and properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuël Demin
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Aldo Peschiulli
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Adriana I. Velter
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Ann Vos
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Benoît De Boeck
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Bradley Miller
- Janssen
Research & Development LLC, 1400 McKean Road (Welsh Road), Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Frederik J. R. Rombouts
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Tristan Reuillon
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - William Lento
- Janssen
Research & Development LLC, 1400 McKean Road (Welsh Road), Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Maria Dominguez Blanco
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Matthieu Jouffroy
- Chemical
Process R&D, Discovery Process Research, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Helena Steyvers
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Mariette Bekkers
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Cristina Altrocchi
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Beth Pietrak
- Janssen
Research & Development LLC, 1400 McKean Road (Welsh Road), Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Seong Joo Koo
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
| | - Lawrence Szewczuk
- Janssen
Research & Development LLC, 1400 McKean Road (Welsh Road), Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Ricardo Attar
- Janssen
Research & Development LLC, 1400 McKean Road (Welsh Road), Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Ulrike Philippar
- Janssen
Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica
N.V., Turnhoutseweg 30, Beerse B-2340, Belgium
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11
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Chen L, Chauhan J, Yap JL, Goodis CC, Wilder PT, Fletcher S. Discovery of N-sulfonylated aminosalicylic acids as dual MCL-1/BCL-xL inhibitors. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:103-112. [PMID: 36760746 PMCID: PMC9890589 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00277a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The anti-apoptotic protein MCL-1, which is overexpressed in multiple cancers, is presently a focus for the development of targeted drugs in oncology. We previously discovered inhibitors of MCL-1 based on 1-sulfonylated 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline-6-carboxylic acids ("1,6-THQs"). However, with the nitrogen atom constrained in the bicyclic ring, we were unable to modify the alkyl portion of the tertiary sulfonamide functionality. Moreover, the introduction of additional functional groups onto the benzene ring portion of the THQ bicycle would not be trivial. Therefore, we elected to deconstruct the piperidine-type ring of the 6-carboxy-THQ lead to create a new 4-aminobenzoic acid scaffold. Given its simplicity, this permitted us to introduce diversity at the sulfonamide nitrogen, as well as vary the positions and substituents of the benzene ring. One of our most potent MCL-1 inhibitors, 6e-OH, exhibited a K i of 0.778 μM. Heteronuclear single quantum coherence experiments suggested 6e-OH bound in the canonical BH3-binding groove, with significant perturbations of R263, which forms a salt bridge with MCL-1's pro-apoptotic binding partners, as well as residues in the p2 pocket. Selectivity studies indicated that our compounds are dual inhibitors of MCL-1 and BCL-xL, with 17cd the most potent dual inhibitor: K i = 0.629 μM (MCL-1), 1.67 μM (BCL-xL). Whilst selective inhibitors may be more desirable in certain instances, polypharmacological agents whose additional target(s) address other pathways associated with the disease state, or serve to counter resistance mechanisms to the primary target, may prove particularly effective therapeutics. Since selective MCL-1 inhibition may be thwarted by overexpression of sister anti-apoptotic proteins, including BCL-xL and BCL-2, we believe our work lays a solid foundation towards the development of multi-targeting anti-cancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijia Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy 20 N. Pine St. Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Jay Chauhan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy 20 N. Pine St. Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Jeremy L Yap
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy 20 N. Pine St. Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Christopher C Goodis
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy 20 N. Pine St. Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Paul T Wilder
- University of Maryland School of Medicine 20 S. Greene St. Baltimore MD 21201 USA
- University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center 20 S. Greene St. Baltimore MD 21201 USA
| | - Steven Fletcher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy 20 N. Pine St. Baltimore MD 21201 USA
- University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center 20 S. Greene St. Baltimore MD 21201 USA
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12
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Pal P, Zhang P, Poddar SK, Zheng G. Patent landscape of inhibitors and PROTACs of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2022; 32:1003-1026. [PMID: 35993382 PMCID: PMC9942934 DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2022.2116311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins, such as BCL-2, BCL-XL, and MCL-1, are excellent cancer therapeutic targets. The FDA approval of BCL-2 selective inhibitor venetoclax in 2016 validated the strategy of targeting these proteins with BH3 mimetic small molecule inhibitors. AREAS COVERED This review provides an overview of the patent literature between 2016 and 2021 covering inhibitors and PROTACs of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins. EXPERT OPINION Since the FDA approval of venetoclax, tremendous efforts have been made to develop its analogues with improved drug properties. These activities will likely result in new drugs in coming years. Significant progress on MCL-1 inhibitors has also been made, with multiple compounds entering clinical trials. However, MCL-1 inhibition could cause on-target toxicity to normal tissues especially the heart. Similar issue exists with BCL-XL inhibitors, which cause on-target platelet toxicity. To overcome this issue, several strategies have been applied, including prodrug, dendrimer-based drug delivery, antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), and proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC); and amazingly, each of these approaches has resulted in a drug candidate entering clinical trials. We envision technologies like ADC and PROTAC could also be utilized to increase the therapeutic index of MCL-1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratik Pal
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Peiyi Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Saikat K Poddar
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Guangrong Zheng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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13
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Deng H, Huang M, Liu H, Zhang H, Liu L, Gao B, Li X, Li J, Niu Q, Zhang Z, Luan S, Zhang J, Jing Y, Liu D, Zhao L. Development of a series of novel Mcl-1 inhibitors bearing an indole carboxylic acid moiety. Bioorg Chem 2022; 127:106018. [PMID: 35901526 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.106018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The B cell lymphoma protein 2 (Bcl-2) family proteins regulate cell apoptosis by participating in the endogenous apoptosis pathway. As an important anti-apoptotic protein, Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) is overexpressed in a variety of tumor cells, and targeting this protein has been a promising strategy for cancer therapy. Herein, based on the 1H-indole-5-carboxylic acid structure previously discovered, we have developed a series of novel compounds with increased affinities and selectivity toward Mcl-1 through structure-based drug design. Among those compounds, 26 exerted relatively better affinity and selectivity for Mcl-1 with moderate inhibition in HL-60 cells. Mechanism studies showed that compound 26 could induce cancer cells apoptosis in an Mcl-1-dependent manner. It also exhibited good microsomal and plasma stability with acceptable pharmacokinetics profiles. Furthermore, treatment with target compound in a 4T1 xenograft mouse model significantly suppressed the tumor growth. Overall, the small molecule described herein represents a promising Mcl-1 inhibitor for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Bensheng Gao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xianlu Li
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jinbo Li
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Qun Niu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Zhenwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Shenglin Luan
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jingyi Zhang
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yongkui Jing
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; Liaoning Key Laboratory of Targeting Drugs for Hematological Malignancies, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
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14
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Xi J, Yao L, Zhang R, Chen K, Li M, Zhang D, Cui M, Nie H, Wang P, Li X, Jiang R. 2-oxy-3-phenylacrylic acid derivatives as potent Mcl-1 inhibitors for treatment of cancer. RESULTS IN CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rechem.2022.100308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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15
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Diepstraten ST, Anderson MA, Czabotar PE, Lessene G, Strasser A, Kelly GL. The manipulation of apoptosis for cancer therapy using BH3-mimetic drugs. Nat Rev Cancer 2022; 22:45-64. [PMID: 34663943 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00407-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 76.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death that is regulated by the balance between prosurvival and proapoptotic BCL-2 protein family members. Evasion of apoptosis is a hallmark of cancer that arises when this balance is tipped in favour of survival. One form of anticancer therapeutic, termed 'BH3-mimetic drugs', has been developed to directly activate the apoptosis machinery in malignant cells. These drugs bind to and inhibit specific prosurvival BCL-2 family proteins, thereby mimicking their interaction with the BH3 domains of proapoptotic BCL-2 family proteins. The BCL-2-specific inhibitor venetoclax is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and many regulatory authorities worldwide for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and acute myeloid leukaemia. BH3-mimetic drugs targeting other BCL-2 prosurvival proteins have been tested in preclinical models of cancer, and drugs targeting MCL-1 or BCL-XL have advanced into phase I clinical trials for certain cancers. As with all therapeutics, efficacy and tolerability need to be carefully balanced to achieve a therapeutic window whereby there is significant anticancer activity with an acceptable safety profile. In this Review, we outline the current state of BH3-mimetic drugs targeting various prosurvival BCL-2 family proteins and discuss emerging data regarding primary and acquired resistance to these agents and approaches that may overcome this. We highlight issues that need to be addressed to further advance the clinical application of BH3-mimetic drugs, both alone and in combination with additional anticancer agents (for example, standard chemotherapeutic drugs or inhibitors of oncogenic kinases), for improved responses in patients with cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah T Diepstraten
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Mary Ann Anderson
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Clinical Haematology, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter E Czabotar
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Guillaume Lessene
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andreas Strasser
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Gemma L Kelly
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
- Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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16
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Fu D, Pfannenstiel L, Demelash A, Phoon YP, Mayell C, Cabrera C, Liu C, Zhao J, Dermawan J, Patil D, DeVecchio J, Kalady M, Souers AJ, Phillips DC, Li X, Gastman B. MCL1 nuclear translocation induces chemoresistance in colorectal carcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:63. [PMID: 35042842 PMCID: PMC8766550 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-021-04334-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
AbstractColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and deadliest forms of cancer. Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 (MCL1), a pro-survival member of the Bcl-2 protein family is associated with chemo-resistance in CRC. The ability of MCL1 to inhibit apoptosis by binding to the BH3 domains of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members is a well-studied means by which this protein confers resistance to multiple anti-cancer therapies. We found that specific DNA damaging chemotherapies promote nuclear MCL1 translocation in CRC models. In p53null CRC, this process is associated with resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, the mechanism of which is distinct from the classical mitochondrial protection. We previously reported that MCL1 has a noncanonical chemoresistance capability, which requires a novel loop domain that is distinct from the BH3-binding domain associated with anti-apoptotic function. Herein we disclose that upon treatment with specific DNA-damaging chemotherapy, this loop domain binds directly to alpha-enolase which in turn binds to calmodulin; we further show these protein−protein interactions are critical in MCL1’s nuclear import and chemoresistance. We additionally observed that in chemotherapy-treated p53−/− CRC models, MCL1 nuclear translocation confers sensitivity to Bcl-xL inhibitors, which has significant translational relevance given the co-expression of these proteins in CRC patient samples. Together these findings indicate that chemotherapy-induced MCL1 translocation represents a novel resistance mechanism in CRC, while also exposing an inherent and targetable Bcl-xL co-dependency in these cancers. The combination of chemotherapy and Bcl-xL inhibitors may thus represent a rational means of treating p53−/− CRC via exploitation of this unique MCL1-based chemoresistance mechanism.
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17
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Sulfonamide derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents and their SARs elucidation. Eur J Med Chem 2021; 226:113837. [PMID: 34530384 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Currently, the arise of drug resistance and undesirable off-target effects of anti-cancer agents are major challenges for cancer treatment, which energizes medicinal chemists to develop more anti-cancer agents with high efficiency and low toxicity continuously. Sulfonamide derivatives are a class of promising compounds with diverse biological activities including anti-cancer, and parts of them have been marketed for cancer therapy, such as Belinostat, ABT-199 and Amsacrine. In this review, we summed up the recent advances of sulfonamide derivatives as potential anti-cancer agents based on the anti-cancer targets, such as aromatase, carbonic anhydrase (CA), anti-apoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) proteins, topoisomerase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and elucidated the corresponding structure-activity relationships (SARs) of most sulfonamide derivatives. We hope this review could provide a clear insight for medicinal chemists in the rational design of more potent and bio-target specific anti-cancer agents.
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18
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Townsend PA, Kozhevnikova MV, Cexus ONF, Zamyatnin AA, Soond SM. BH3-mimetics: recent developments in cancer therapy. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:355. [PMID: 34753495 PMCID: PMC8576916 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02157-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The hopeful outcomes from 30 years of research in BH3-mimetics have indeed served a number of solid paradigms for targeting intermediates from the apoptosis pathway in a variety of diseased states. Not only have such rational approaches in drug design yielded several key therapeutics, such outputs have also offered insights into the integrated mechanistic aspects of basic and clinical research at the genetics level for the future. In no other area of medical research have the effects of such work been felt, than in cancer research, through targeting the BAX-Bcl-2 protein-protein interactions. With these promising outputs in mind, several mimetics, and their potential therapeutic applications, have also been developed for several other pathological conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and tissue fibrosis, thus highlighting the universal importance of the intrinsic arm of the apoptosis pathway and its input to general tissue homeostasis. Considering such recent developments, and in a field that has generated so much scientific interest, we take stock of how the broadening area of BH3-mimetics has developed and diversified, with a focus on their uses in single and combined cancer treatment regimens and recently explored therapeutic delivery methods that may aid the development of future therapeutics of this nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Townsend
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
- University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
| | - Maria V Kozhevnikova
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | | | - Andrey A Zamyatnin
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russian Federation
| | - Surinder M Soond
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation.
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19
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Lee EF, Fairlie WD. Discovery, development and application of drugs targeting BCL-2 pro-survival proteins in cancer. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2381-2395. [PMID: 34515749 PMCID: PMC8589430 DOI: 10.1042/bst20210749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of a new class of small molecule compounds that target the BCL-2 family of anti-apoptotic proteins is one of the great success stories of basic science leading to translational outcomes in the last 30 years. The eponymous BCL-2 protein was identified over 30 years ago due to its association with cancer. However, it was the unveiling of the biochemistry and structural biology behind it and its close relatives' mechanism(s)-of-action that provided the inspiration for what are now known as 'BH3-mimetics', the first clinically approved drugs designed to specifically inhibit protein-protein interactions. Herein, we chart the history of how these drugs were discovered, their evolution and application in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erinna F. Lee
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
- Cell Death and Survival Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
| | - W. Douglas Fairlie
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria 3086, Australia
- Cell Death and Survival Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia
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20
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Lamie PF, Philoppes JN. Design, synthesis, stereochemical determination, molecular docking study, in silico pre-ADMET prediction and anti-proliferative activities of indole-pyrimidine derivatives as Mcl-1 inhibitors. Bioorg Chem 2021; 116:105335. [PMID: 34509795 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In this study, fourteen novel indole-pyrimidine hybrids were designed and synthesized. Their chemical structures were confirmed using different spectroscopic techniques (1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and mass). Their (E) stereochemical configuration was determined theoretically (MM2 property) and experimentally using 2D NMR technique (NOESY experiment). The prepared compounds were subjected to preliminary biological studies as Mcl-1 inhibitors. Most of the compounds exhibited good abilities for targeting Mcl-1 protein, especially, 7d, 7e, 7i and 7k (Ki = 11.19-15.21 nM). These derivatives were further evaluated against Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 proteins. Some compounds were found to have dual Mcl-1/Bcl-XL such as 7i, or Bcl-XL/Bcl-2 inhibitory activity as 7d. The most potent derivatives as Mcl-1 inhibitors were chosen as representative examples for determination of in-vitro anti-proliferative activity against PC-3, K-562 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. They possessed excellent to good anti-proliferative activities. All of the synthesized compounds were docked into Mcl-1 active site. Drug-likeness properties and in silico pre-ADMET characters were also predicted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phoebe F Lamie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62514, Egypt.
| | - John N Philoppes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62514, Egypt
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21
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Sipos S, Bálint B, Szabó ZB, Ondi L, Csékei M, Szlávik Z, Proszenyák Á, Murray JB, Davidson J, Chen I, Dokurno P, Surgenor AE, Pedder C, Hubbard RE, Maragno AL, Chanrion M, Colland F, Geneste O, Kotschy A. The Effect of Core Replacement on S64315, a Selective MCL-1 Inhibitor, and Its Analogues. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:22073-22102. [PMID: 34497901 PMCID: PMC8412899 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c02595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Following the identification of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-based selective and potent inhibitors of MCL-1, we explored the effect of core swapping at different levels of advancement. During hit-to-lead optimization, X-ray-guided S-N replacement in the core provided a new vector, whose exploration led to the opening of the so-called deep-S2 pocket of MCL-1. Unfortunately, the occupation of this region led to a plateau in affinity and had to be abandoned. As the project approached selection of a clinical candidate, a series of core swap analogues were also prepared. The affinity and cellular activity of these compounds showed a significant dependence on the core structure. In certain cases, we also observed an increased and accelerated epimerization of the atropoisomers. The most potent core replacement analogues showed considerable in vivo PD response. One compound was progressed into efficacy studies and inhibited tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabolcs Sipos
- Servier
Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7., H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Bálint
- Servier
Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7., H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán B. Szabó
- Servier
Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7., H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Levente Ondi
- Servier
Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7., H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márton Csékei
- Servier
Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7., H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Szlávik
- Servier
Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7., H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Proszenyák
- Servier
Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7., H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - James Davidson
- Vernalis
(R&D) Ltd., Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, UK
| | - Ijen Chen
- Vernalis
(R&D) Ltd., Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, UK
| | - Pawel Dokurno
- Vernalis
(R&D) Ltd., Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, UK
| | | | | | | | - Ana-Leticia Maragno
- Institut
de Recherches Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Maia Chanrion
- Institut
de Recherches Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Frederic Colland
- Institut
de Recherches Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Olivier Geneste
- Institut
de Recherches Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - András Kotschy
- Servier
Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7., H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
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22
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Zhu PJ, Yu ZZ, Lv YF, Zhao JL, Tong YY, You QD, Jiang ZY. Discovery of 3,5-Dimethyl-4-Sulfonyl-1 H-Pyrrole-Based Myeloid Cell Leukemia 1 Inhibitors with High Affinity, Selectivity, and Oral Bioavailability. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11330-11353. [PMID: 34342996 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) protein is a key negative regulator of apoptosis, and developing Mcl-1 inhibitors has been an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. Herein, we describe the rational design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship study of 3,5-dimethyl-4-sulfonyl-1H-pyrrole-based compounds as Mcl-1 inhibitors. Stepwise optimizations of hit compound 11 with primary Mcl-1 inhibition (52%@30 μM) led to the discovery of the most potent compound 40 with high affinity (Kd = 0.23 nM) and superior selectivity over other Bcl-2 family proteins (>40,000 folds). Mechanistic studies revealed that 40 could activate the apoptosis signal pathway in an Mcl-1-dependent manner. 40 exhibited favorable physicochemical properties and pharmacokinetic profiles (F% = 41.3%). Furthermore, oral administration of 40 was well tolerated to effectively inhibit tumor growth (T/C = 37.3%) in MV4-11 xenograft models. Collectively, these findings implicate that compound 40 is a promising antitumor agent that deserves further preclinical evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Ju Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ze-Zhou Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yi-Fei Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Jing-Long Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qi-Dong You
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zheng-Yu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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23
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Li Y, Fan W, Gong Q, Tian J, Zhou M, Li Q, Uwituze LB, Zhang Z, Hong R, Wang R. Structure-Based Optimization of 3-Phenyl- N-(2-(3-phenylureido)ethyl)thiophene-2-sulfonamide Derivatives as Selective Mcl-1 Inhibitors. J Med Chem 2021; 64:10260-10285. [PMID: 34228434 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Selective Mcl-1 inhibitors may overcome the drug resistance caused by current anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein inhibitors in tumors with Mcl-1 overexpression. Based on previously discovered compounds with a 3-phenylthiophene-2-sulfonamide core moiety, in this work, we have obtained new compounds with improved binding affinity and/or selectivity under the guidance of structure-based design. The most potent compounds achieved sub-micromolar binding affinities to Mcl-1 (Ki ∼ 0.4 μM) and good cytotoxicity (IC50 < 10 μM) on several tumor cells. 15N-heteronuclear single-quantum coherence NMR spectra suggested that these compounds bound to the BH3-binding groove on Mcl-1. Several cellular assays revealed that FWJ-D4 as well as its precursor FWJ-D5 effectively induced caspase-dependent apoptosis, and their target engagement at Mcl-1 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Treatment with FWJ-D5 at 50 mg/kg every 2 days on an RS4;11 xenograft mouse model for 22 days led to 75% reduction in tumor volume without body weight loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjie Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Qineng Gong
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Mi Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People's Republic of China
| | - Qing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Laura B Uwituze
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Zhang Dayu School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhichao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Zhang Dayu School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, People's Republic of China
| | - Ran Hong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry of Natural Substances, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China
| | - Renxiao Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, 826 Zhangheng Road, Shanghai 201203, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, People's Republic of China.,Shanxi Key Laboratory of Innovative Drugs for the Treatment of Serious Diseases Basing on Chronic Inflammation, College of Traditional Chinese Medicines, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030619, People's Republic of China
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24
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Niu Q, Deng H, Zhang Z, Xu Q, Luan S, Huang M, Liu D, Zhao L. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of dual Bcl-2/Mcl-1 inhibitors bearing 2-(1H-indol-4-yl)benzoic acid scaffold. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 47:128215. [PMID: 34153472 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2021.128215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The anti-apoptotic protein inhibitors of the B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family have been developed as new anticancer therapies. Numerous studies illustrated the great potential in the development of dual Bcl-2/myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) inhibitors. Herein, we reported a series of Bcl-2/Mcl-1 inhibitors that optimized from a hit compound 1 via structure-based rational design. The biological evaluation suggested that most compounds exhibited potent binding affinities at submicromolar to both Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 without any Bcl-xL binding affinities, especially compound 9o, with a Ki value of 0.07 μM to Mcl-1 and 0.66 μM to Bcl-2, that has great potential for developing dual inhibitors targeting Bcl-2 and Mcl-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Niu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hongguang Deng
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Zhenwei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Qinhao Xu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | | | - Min Huang
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Linxiang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Structure-Based Drugs Design & Discovery of Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
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25
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Dou Z, Zhao D, Chen X, Xu C, Jin X, Zhang X, Wang Y, Xie X, Li Q, Di C, Zhang H. Aberrant Bcl-x splicing in cancer: from molecular mechanism to therapeutic modulation. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2021; 40:194. [PMID: 34118966 PMCID: PMC8196531 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-02001-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bcl-x pre-mRNA splicing serves as a typical example to study the impact of alternative splicing in the modulation of cell death. Dysregulation of Bcl-x apoptotic isoforms caused by precarious equilibrium splicing is implicated in genesis and development of multiple human diseases, especially cancers. Exploring the mechanism of Bcl-x splicing and regulation has provided insight into the development of drugs that could contribute to sensitivity of cancer cells to death. On this basis, we review the multiple splicing patterns and structural characteristics of Bcl-x. Additionally, we outline the cis-regulatory elements, trans-acting factors as well as epigenetic modifications involved in the splicing regulation of Bcl-x. Furthermore, this review highlights aberrant splicing of Bcl-x involved in apoptosis evade, autophagy, metastasis, and therapy resistance of various cancer cells. Last, emphasis is given to the clinical role of targeting Bcl-x splicing correction in human cancer based on the splice-switching oligonucleotides, small molecular modulators and BH3 mimetics. Thus, it is highlighting significance of aberrant splicing isoforms of Bcl-x as targets for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Dou
- Department of Heavy Ion Radiation Medicine, Bio-Medical Research Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Dapeng Zhao
- Department of Heavy Ion Radiation Medicine, Bio-Medical Research Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Xiaohua Chen
- Department of Heavy Ion Radiation Medicine, Bio-Medical Research Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Caipeng Xu
- Department of Heavy Ion Radiation Medicine, Bio-Medical Research Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Xiaodong Jin
- Department of Heavy Ion Radiation Medicine, Bio-Medical Research Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xuetian Zhang
- Department of Heavy Ion Radiation Medicine, Bio-Medical Research Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
| | - Yupei Wang
- Medical Genetics Center of Gansu Maternal and Child Health Care Center, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Xiaodong Xie
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Heavy Ion Radiation Medicine, Bio-Medical Research Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China
- Advanced Energy Science and Technology Guangdong Laboratory, Huizhou, 516029, China
| | - Cuixia Di
- Department of Heavy Ion Radiation Medicine, Bio-Medical Research Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- Advanced Energy Science and Technology Guangdong Laboratory, Huizhou, 516029, China.
| | - Hong Zhang
- Department of Heavy Ion Radiation Medicine, Bio-Medical Research Center, Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- Key Laboratory of Heavy Ion Radiation Biology and Medicine of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China.
- Advanced Energy Science and Technology Guangdong Laboratory, Huizhou, 516029, China.
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26
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Nguyen W, Lee EF, Evangelista M, Lee M, Harris TJ, Colman PM, Smith NA, Williams LB, Jarman KE, Lowes KN, Haeberli C, Keiser J, Smith BJ, Fairlie WD, Sleebs BE. Optimization of Benzothiazole and Thiazole Hydrazones as Inhibitors of Schistosome BCL-2. ACS Infect Dis 2021; 7:1143-1163. [PMID: 33523649 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.0c00700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Limited therapeutic options are available for the treatment of human schistosomiasis caused by the parasitic Schistosoma flatworm. The B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2)-regulated apoptotic cell death pathway in schistosomes was recently characterized and shown to share similarities with the intrinsic apoptosis pathway in humans. Here, we exploit structural differences in the human and schistosome BCL-2 (sBCL-2) pro-survival proteins toward a novel treatment strategy for schistosomiasis. The benzothiazole hydrazone scaffold previously employed to target human BCL-XL was repurposed as a starting point to target sBCL-2. We utilized X-ray structural data to inform optimization and then applied a scaffold-hop strategy to identify the 5-carboxamide thiazole hydrazone scaffold (43) with potent sBCL-2 activity (IC50 30 nM). Human BCL-XL potency (IC50 13 nM) was inadvertently preserved during the optimization process. The lead analogues from this study exhibit on-target activity in model fibroblast cell lines dependent on either sBCL-2 or human BCL-XL for survival. Further optimization of the thiazole hydrazone class is required to exhibit activity in schistosomes and enhance the potential of this strategy for treating schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Nguyen
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Erinna F. Lee
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg 3084, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
| | - Marco Evangelista
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg 3084, Australia
| | - Mihwa Lee
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
| | - Tiffany J. Harris
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg 3084, Australia
| | - Peter M. Colman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Nicholas A. Smith
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
| | - Luke B. Williams
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, Australia
| | - Kate E. Jarman
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Kym N. Lowes
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
| | - Cécile Haeberli
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel 4002, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel 4001, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel 4002, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel 4001, Switzerland
| | - Brian J. Smith
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
| | - W. Douglas Fairlie
- La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
- Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg 3084, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Melbourne 3086, Australia
| | - Brad E. Sleebs
- The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville 3052, Australia
- Department of Medical Biology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia
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27
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Wang H, Guo M, Wei H, Chen Y. Targeting MCL-1 in cancer: current status and perspectives. J Hematol Oncol 2021; 14:67. [PMID: 33883020 PMCID: PMC8061042 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-021-01079-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Myeloid leukemia 1 (MCL-1) is an antiapoptotic protein of the BCL-2 family that prevents apoptosis by binding to the pro-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins. Overexpression of MCL-1 is frequently observed in many tumor types and is closely associated with tumorigenesis, poor prognosis and drug resistance. The central role of MCL-1 in regulating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway makes it an attractive target for cancer therapy. Significant progress has been made with regard to MCL-1 inhibitors, some of which have entered clinical trials. Here, we discuss the mechanism by which MCL-1 regulates cancer cell apoptosis and review the progress related to MCL-1 small molecule inhibitors and their role in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haolan Wang
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Hudie Wei
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
| | - Yongheng Chen
- Department of Oncology, NHC Key Laboratory of Cancer Proteomics, Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China.
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28
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Gambini L, Udompholkul P, Baggio C, Muralidharan A, Kenjić N, Assar Z, Perry JJP, Pellecchia M. Design, Synthesis, and Structural Characterization of Lysine Covalent BH3 Peptides Targeting Mcl-1. J Med Chem 2021; 64:4903-4912. [PMID: 33797903 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Modulating disease-relevant protein-protein interactions (PPIs) using pharmacological tools is a critical step toward the design of novel therapeutic strategies. Over the years, however, targeting PPIs has proven a very challenging task owing to the large interfacial areas. Our recent efforts identified possible novel routes for the design of potent and selective inhibitors of PPIs using a structure-based design of covalent inhibitors targeting Lys residues. In this present study, we report on the design, synthesis, and characterizations of the first Lys-covalent BH3 peptide that has a remarkable affinity and selectivity for hMcl-1 over the closely related hBfl-1 protein. Our structural studies, aided by X-ray crystallography, provide atomic-level details of the inhibitor interactions that can be used to further translate these discoveries into novel generation, Lys-covalent pro-apoptotic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Gambini
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Parima Udompholkul
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Carlo Baggio
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Aruljothi Muralidharan
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Nikola Kenjić
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Zahra Assar
- Cayman Chemical, 1180 East Ellsworth Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108, United States
| | - J Jefferson P Perry
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| | - Maurizio Pellecchia
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, California 92521, United States
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29
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Interdiction at a protein-protein interface: MCL-1 inhibitors for oncology. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021; 32:127717. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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30
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Fan Y, Hou X, Fang H. Recent Advances in the Development of Selective Mcl-1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Cancer (2017-Present). Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2020; 15:306-320. [DOI: 10.2174/1574892815666200916124641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) protein, as a critical pro-survival member
of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) protein family, plays an important role in apoptosis, carcinogenesis
and resistance to chemotherapies. Hence, potently and selectively inhibiting Mcl-1 to induce
apoptosis has become a widely accepted anticancer strategy.
Objective:
This review intends to provide a comprehensive overview of patents and primary literature,
published from 2017 to present, on small molecule Mcl-1 inhibitors with various scaffolds.
By analyzing the modes of compound-protein interactions, the similarities and differences of those
structures are discussed, which could provide guidance for future drug design.
Methods:
The primary accesses for patent searching are SciFinder and Espacenet®. Besides the data
disclosed in patents, some results published in the follow-up research papers will be included in
this review.
Results:
The review covers dozens of patents on Mcl-1 inhibitors in the past three years, and the
scaffolds of compounds are mainly divided into indole scaffolds and non-indole scaffolds. The
compounds described here are compared with the relevant inhibitors disclosed in previous patents,
and representative compounds, especially those launched in clinical trials, are emphasized in this review.
Conclusion:
For most of the compounds in these patents, analyses of the binding affinity to Mcl-1
and studies in multiple cell lines were conducted, wherein some compounds were tested in preclinical
cancer models or were included in other biological studies. Some compounds showed promising
results and potential for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Fan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xuben Hou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Hao Fang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, China
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31
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Negi A, Murphy PV. Development of Mcl-1 inhibitors for cancer therapy. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 210:113038. [PMID: 33333396 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein (Mcl-1) is an anti-apoptotic protein of the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family, which regulates cellular apoptosis. Mcl-1 expression plays a key role in survival of cancer cells and therefore serves as a promising target in cancer therapy. Besides, its importance as a cancer target, various peptides and small-molecule inhibitors have been successfully designed and synthesized, yet no Mcl-1 inhibitor is approved for clinical use. However, recent development on the understanding of Mcl-1's role in key cellular processes in cancer and an upsurge of reports highlighting its association in various anticancer drug resistance supports the view that Mcl-1 is a key target in various cancers, especially hematological cancers. This review compiles structures of a variety of inhibitors of Mcl-1 reported to date. These include inhibitors based on a diverse range of heterocycles (e.g. indole, imidazole, thiophene, nicotinic acid, piperazine, triazine, thiazole, isoindoline), oligomers (terphenyl, quaterpyridine), polyphenol, phenalene, anthranilic acid, anthraquinone, macrocycles, natural products, and metal-based complexes. In addition, an effort has been made to summarize the structure activity relationships, based on a variety of assays, of some important classes of Mcl-1 inhibitors, giving affinities and selectivities for Mcl-1 compared to other Bcl-2 family members. A focus has been placed on categorizing the inhibitors based on their core frameworks (scaffolds) to appeal to the chemical biologist or medicinal chemist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arvind Negi
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland
| | - Paul V Murphy
- School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, H91 TK33, Ireland.
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Szlavik Z, Csekei M, Paczal A, Szabo ZB, Sipos S, Radics G, Proszenyak A, Balint B, Murray J, Davidson J, Chen I, Dokurno P, Surgenor AE, Daniels ZM, Hubbard RE, Le Toumelin-Braizat G, Claperon A, Lysiak-Auvity G, Girard AM, Bruno A, Chanrion M, Colland F, Maragno AL, Demarles D, Geneste O, Kotschy A. Discovery of S64315, a Potent and Selective Mcl-1 Inhibitor. J Med Chem 2020; 63:13762-13795. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zoltan Szlavik
- Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marton Csekei
- Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Paczal
- Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltan B. Szabo
- Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Szabolcs Sipos
- Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gabor Radics
- Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Agnes Proszenyak
- Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balazs Balint
- Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
| | - James Murray
- Vernalis (R&D) Ltd., Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, U.K
| | - James Davidson
- Vernalis (R&D) Ltd., Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, U.K
| | - Ijen Chen
- Vernalis (R&D) Ltd., Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, U.K
| | - Pawel Dokurno
- Vernalis (R&D) Ltd., Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GB, U.K
| | | | | | | | | | - Audrey Claperon
- Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Gaëlle Lysiak-Auvity
- Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Anne-Marie Girard
- Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Alain Bruno
- Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Maia Chanrion
- Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Frédéric Colland
- Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Ana-Leticia Maragno
- Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Didier Demarles
- Technologie Servier, 27 Rue Eugène Vignat, 45000 Orleans, France
| | - Olivier Geneste
- Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, France
| | - Andras Kotschy
- Servier Research Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Záhony u. 7, H-1031 Budapest, Hungary
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Targeting BCL-2 in B-cell malignancies and overcoming therapeutic resistance. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:941. [PMID: 33139702 PMCID: PMC7608616 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03144-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Defects in apoptosis can promote tumorigenesis and impair responses of malignant B cells to chemotherapeutics. Members of the B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family of proteins are key regulators of the intrinsic, mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Overexpression of antiapoptotic BCL-2 family proteins is associated with treatment resistance and poor prognosis. Thus, inhibition of BCL-2 family proteins is a rational therapeutic option for malignancies that are dependent on antiapoptotic BCL-2 family proteins. Venetoclax (ABT-199, GDC-0199) is a highly selective BCL-2 inhibitor that represents the first approved agent of this class and is currently widely used in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) as well as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Despite impressive clinical activity, venetoclax monotherapy for a prolonged duration can lead to drug resistance or loss of dependence on the targeted protein. In this review, we provide an overview of the mechanism of action of BCL-2 inhibition and the role of this approach in the current treatment paradigm of B-cell malignancies. We summarize the drivers of de novo and acquired resistance to venetoclax that are closely associated with complex clonal shifts, interplay of expression and interactions of BCL-2 family members, transcriptional regulators, and metabolic modulators. We also examine how tumors initially resistant to venetoclax become responsive to it following prior therapies. Here, we summarize preclinical data providing a rationale for efficacious combination strategies of venetoclax to overcome therapeutic resistance by a targeted approach directed against alternative antiapoptotic BCL-2 family proteins (MCL-1, BCL-xL), compensatory prosurvival pathways, epigenetic modifiers, and dysregulated cellular metabolism/energetics for durable clinical remissions.
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Wei AH, Roberts AW, Spencer A, Rosenberg AS, Siegel D, Walter RB, Caenepeel S, Hughes P, McIver Z, Mezzi K, Morrow PK, Stein A. Targeting MCL-1 in hematologic malignancies: Rationale and progress. Blood Rev 2020; 44:100672. [PMID: 32204955 PMCID: PMC7442684 DOI: 10.1016/j.blre.2020.100672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia sequence 1 (MCL-1) is an antiapoptotic protein that plays a key role in promoting cell survival in multiple myeloma (MM), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Overexpression of MCL-1 is associated with treatment resistance and poor prognosis; thus, MCL-1 inhibitors are rational therapeutic options for malignancies depending on MCL-1. Several MCL-1 inhibitors have entered clinical trials, including AZD5991, S64315, AMG 176, and AMG 397. A key area of investigation is whether MCL-1 inhibitors will complement the activity of BCL-2 inhibitors, such as venetoclax, and synergistically enhance anti-tumor efficacy when given in combination with other anti-cancer drugs. Another important question is whether a safe therapeutic window can be found for this new class of inhibitors. In summary, inhibition of MCL-1 shows potential as a treatment for hematologic malignancies and clinical evaluation of MCL-1 inhibitors is currently underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Wei
- Alfred Hospital and Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
| | - Andrew W Roberts
- University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew Spencer
- Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - David Siegel
- John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ, USA
| | - Roland B Walter
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Anthony Stein
- Gehr Family Center for Leukemia, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
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Lu X, Liu YC, Orvig C, Liang H, Chen ZF. Discovery of a Copper-Based Mcl-1 Inhibitor as an Effective Antitumor Agent. J Med Chem 2020; 63:9154-9167. [PMID: 32794745 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b02047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1), which belongs to the Bcl-2 family of prosurvival proteins, is a key regulator of cancer cell survival. To date, few drug-like Mcl-1 inhibitors have been reported. Herein, we report the preparation of 10 copper complexes with 9-substituted β-carboline ligands that act as metal-based Mcl-1 inhibitors. Complex 14 was identified as a potent and selective Mcl-1 inhibitor with strong in vitro antitumor activity. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that complex 14 disrupted Mcl-1-Bax/Bak heterodimerization and induced Bax/Bak-dependent apoptosis. In addition, complex 14 significantly (P < 0.001) inhibited tumor growth in vivo, induced tumor necrosis, and extended survival time in an NCI-H460 xenograft model. Furthermore, complex 14 showed no apparent toxicity in mice. Together, these findings indicate that complex 14 is a copper-based Mcl-1 inhibitor with high efficacy and low toxicity that could be developed for the treatment of Mcl-1-related cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Yan-Cheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Chris Orvig
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T1Z1, Canada
| | - Hong Liang
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
| | - Zhen-Feng Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources, School of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin 541004, P. R. China
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The BCL-2 selective inhibitor ABT-199 sensitizes soft tissue sarcomas to proteasome inhibition by a concerted mechanism requiring BAX and NOXA. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:701. [PMID: 32839432 PMCID: PMC7445285 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-02910-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogeneous group of malignancies predominantly affecting children and young adults. Despite improvements in multimodal therapies, 5-year survival rates are only 50% and new treatment options in STS are urgently needed. To develop a rational combination therapy for the treatment of STS we focused on ABT-199 (Venetoclax), a BCL-2 specific BH3-mimetic, in combination with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (BZB). Simultaneous inhibition of BCL-2 and the proteasome resulted in strongly synergistic apoptosis induction. Mechanistically, ABT-199 mainly affected the multidomain effector BAX by liberating it from BCL-2 inhibition. The combination with BZB additionally resulted in the accumulation of BOK, a BAX/BAK homologue, and of the BH3-only protein NOXA, which inhibits the anti-apoptotic protein MCL-1. Thus, the combination of ABT-199 and BZB sensitizes STS cells to apoptosis by simultaneously releasing several defined apoptotic restraints. This synergistic mechanism of action was verified by CRISPR/Cas9 knock-out, showing that both BAX and NOXA are crucial for ABT-199/BZB-induced apoptosis. Noteworthy, efficient induction of apoptosis by ABT-199/BZB was not affected by the p53 status and invariably detected in cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells of several sarcoma types, including rhabdomyo-, leiomyo-, lipo-, chondro-, osteo-, or synovial sarcomas. Hence, we propose the combination of ABT-199 and BZB as a promising strategy for the treatment of STS, which should warrant further clinical investigation.
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Zhu PJ, Yu ZZ, You QD, Jiang ZY. Myeloid cell leukemin-1 inhibitors: a growing arsenal for cancer therapy. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:1873-1882. [PMID: 32771436 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family proteins, comprising proapoptotic proteins (Bax and Bak), antiapoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bcl-w, Mcl-1, and A1) and BCL-2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only proteins (Bid, Noxa, and Puma), have long been identified as pivotal apoptosis regulators. As an antiapoptotic member, myeloid cell leukemin-1 (Mcl-1) can bind with proapoptotic proteins and inhibit apoptosis. Mcl-1 is frequently overexpressed and closely associated with oncogenesis and poor prognosis in several cancers, posing a tremendous obstacle for cancer therapy. Recently, an increasing number of Mcl-1-selective small-molecule inhibitors have entered preclinical studies and advanced into clinical trials. In this review, we briefly introduce the role of Mcl-1 in apoptosis and highlight the recent development of Mcl-1 small-molecule inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Ju Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ze-Zhou Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Qi-Dong You
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Zheng-Yu Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiang Su Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Zhao X, Bodo J, Chen R, Durkin L, Souers AJ, Phillips DC, Hsi ED. Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 synergistically enhances venetoclax activity in mantle cell lymphoma. EJHAEM 2020; 1:161-169. [PMID: 35847704 PMCID: PMC9176003 DOI: 10.1002/jha2.48] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is an aggressive and largely incurable subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Venetoclax has demonstrated efficacy in MCL patients with relapsed or refractory disease, however response is variable and less durable than CLL. This may be the result of co-expression of other anti-apoptotic proteins such as MCL-1, which is associated with both intrinsic and acquired resistance to venetoclax in B-cell malignancies. One strategy for neutralizing MCL-1 and other short-lived survival factors is to inhibit CDK9, which plays a key role in transcription. Here, we report the response of MCL cell lines and primary patient samples to the combination of venetoclax and novel CDK9 inhibitors. Primary samples represented de novo patients and relapsed disease, including relapse after ibrutinib failure. Despite the diverse responses to each single agent, possibly due to variable expression of the BCL-2 family members, venetoclax plus CDK9 inhibitors synergistically induced apoptosis in MCL cells. The synergistic effect was also confirmed via venetoclax plus a direct MCL-1 inhibitor. Murine xenograft studies demonstrated potent in vivo efficacy of venetoclax plus CDK9 inhibitor that was superior to each agent alone. Together, this study supports clinical investigation of this combination in MCL, including in patients who have progressed on ibrutinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxian Zhao
- Department of Laboratory MedicineRobert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhioUSA
| | - Juraj Bodo
- Department of Laboratory MedicineRobert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhioUSA
| | - Ruoying Chen
- Department of Laboratory MedicineRobert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhioUSA
| | - Lisa Durkin
- Department of Laboratory MedicineRobert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhioUSA
| | | | | | - Eric D. Hsi
- Department of Laboratory MedicineRobert J. Tomsich Pathology and Laboratory Medicine InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhioUSA
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Structure-based virtual screening, biological evaluation and biophysical study of novel Mcl-1 inhibitors. Future Med Chem 2020; 12:1293-1304. [PMID: 32397829 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: Targeting the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) associated with Mcl-1 has become a promising therapeutic approach for cancer. Herein, we reported the discovery of novel Mcl-1 inhibitors using an integrated computational approach. Results: Among 30 virtual screening hits, five compounds show inhibitory activities against Mcl-1. The most potent inhibitors M02 (K i = 5.4 μM) and M08 (Ki = 0.53 μM) exhibit good selectivity against Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Compound M08 exhibits anti-proliferation activity and induces caspase-3 activation in Jurkat cancer cells. Moreover, 1H⁄15N HSQC NMR experiments suggested that compound M08 likely binds in the P2 pocket of Mcl-1 and engages R263 in a salt bridge. Conclusion: Our study provides a good starting point for future discovery of more potent Mcl-1 selective inhibitors.
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Abstract
Proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) is a new technology to selectively degrade target proteins via ubiquitin-proteasome system. PROTAC molecules (PROTACs) are a class of heterobifunctional molecules, which contain a ligand targeting the protein of interest, a ligand recruiting an E3 ligase and a linker connecting these two ligands. They provide several advantages over traditional inhibitors in potency, selectivity and drug resistance. Thus, many promising PROTACs have been developed in the recent two decades, especially small-molecule PROTACs. In this review, we briefly introduce the mechanism of PROTACs and focus on the progress of small-molecule PROTACs based on different E3 ligases. In addition, we also introduce the opportunities and challenges of small-molecule PROTACs for cancer therapy.
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41
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Kump KJ, Miao L, Mady ASA, Ansari NH, Shrestha UK, Yang Y, Pal M, Liao C, Perdih A, Abulwerdi FA, Chinnaswamy K, Meagher JL, Carlson JM, Khanna M, Stuckey JA, Nikolovska-Coleska Z. Discovery and Characterization of 2,5-Substituted Benzoic Acid Dual Inhibitors of the Anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 and Bfl-1 Proteins. J Med Chem 2020; 63:2489-2510. [PMID: 31971799 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b01442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins are overexpressed in a wide spectrum of cancers and have become well validated therapeutic targets. Cancer cells display survival dependence on individual or subsets of anti-apoptotic proteins that could be effectively targeted by multimodal inhibitors. We designed a 2,5-substituted benzoic acid scaffold that displayed equipotent binding to Mcl-1 and Bfl-1. Structure-based design was guided by several solved cocrystal structures with Mcl-1, leading to the development of compound 24, which binds both Mcl-1 and Bfl-1 with Ki values of 100 nM and shows appreciable selectivity over Bcl-2/Bcl-xL. The selective binding profile of 24 was translated to on-target cellular activity in model lymphoma cell lines. These studies lay a foundation for developing more advanced dual Mcl-1/Bfl-1 inhibitors that have potential to provide greater single agent efficacy and broader coverage to combat resistance in several types of cancer than selective Mcl-1 inhibitors alone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrej Perdih
- National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia
| | | | | | | | - Jacob M Carlson
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, United States.,Center for Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
| | - May Khanna
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, United States.,Center for Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States
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42
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Amin SA, Ghosh K, Mondal D, Jha T, Gayen S. Exploring indole derivatives as myeloid cell leukaemia-1 (Mcl-1) inhibitors with multi-QSAR approach: a novel hope in anti-cancer drug discovery. NEW J CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1039/d0nj03863f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
In humans, the over-expression of Mcl-1 protein causes different cancers and it is also responsible for cancer resistance to different cytotoxic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sk. Abdul Amin
- Natural Science Laboratory
- Division of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology
- Jadavpur University
- Kolkata
| | - Kalyan Ghosh
- Laboratory of Drug Design and Discovery
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Dr Harisingh Gour University
- Sagar
- India
| | - Dipayan Mondal
- Laboratory of Drug Design and Discovery
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Dr Harisingh Gour University
- Sagar
- India
| | - Tarun Jha
- Natural Science Laboratory
- Division of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology
- Jadavpur University
- Kolkata
| | - Shovanlal Gayen
- Laboratory of Drug Design and Discovery
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Dr Harisingh Gour University
- Sagar
- India
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43
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Indole: A privileged scaffold for the design of anti-cancer agents. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 183:111691. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Chen LS, Keating MJ, Wierda WG, Gandhi V. Induction of apoptosis by MCL-1 inhibitors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells. Leuk Lymphoma 2019; 60:3063-3066. [PMID: 31161836 DOI: 10.1080/10428194.2019.1622098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
MESH Headings
- Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology
- Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use
- Apoptosis/drug effects
- Biomarkers
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Humans
- Indoles/pharmacology
- Indoles/therapeutic use
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/metabolism
- Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/pathology
- Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/antagonists & inhibitors
- Sulfonamides/pharmacology
- Sulfonamides/therapeutic use
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa S Chen
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Michael J Keating
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - William G Wierda
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Varsha Gandhi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Lu X, Liu YC, Orvig C, Liang H, Chen ZF. Discovery of β-carboline copper(II) complexes as Mcl-1 inhibitor and in vitro and in vivo activity in cancer models. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 181:111567. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Luptak J, Bista M, Fisher D, Flavell L, Gao N, Wickson K, Kazmirski SL, Howard T, Rawlins PB, Hargreaves D. Antibody fragments structurally enable a drug-discovery campaign on the cancer target Mcl-1. Acta Crystallogr D Struct Biol 2019; 75:1003-1014. [PMID: 31692474 PMCID: PMC6834078 DOI: 10.1107/s2059798319014116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis is a crucial process by which multicellular organisms control tissue growth, removal and inflammation. Disruption of the normal apoptotic function is often observed in cancer, where cell death is avoided by the overexpression of anti-apoptotic proteins of the Bcl-2 (B-cell lymphoma 2) family, including Mcl-1 (myeloid cell leukaemia 1). This makes Mcl-1 a potential target for drug therapy, through which normal apoptosis may be restored by inhibiting the protective function of Mcl-1. Here, the discovery and biophysical properties of an anti-Mcl-1 antibody fragment are described and the utility of both the scFv and Fab are demonstrated in generating an Mcl-1 crystal system amenable to iterative structure-guided drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Luptak
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, England
| | - Michal Bista
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, England
| | - David Fisher
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, England
| | - Liz Flavell
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, England
| | - Ning Gao
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Kate Wickson
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, England
| | - Steven L. Kazmirski
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Tina Howard
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, England
| | - Philip B. Rawlins
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, England
| | - David Hargreaves
- Discovery Sciences, R&D Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Cambridge CB4 0WG, England
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Bourafai-Aziez A, Sebban M, Benabderrahmane M, Marekha B, Denis C, Paysant H, Weiswald LB, Carlier L, Bureau R, Coadou G, Ravault D, Voisin-Chiret AS, Sopková-de Oliveira Santos J, Oulyadi H. Binding mode of Pyridoclax to myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) revealed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, docking and molecular dynamics approaches. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2019; 38:4162-4178. [PMID: 31612791 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2019.1680434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Myeloid cell leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) is an anti-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family proteins. Its amplification is one of the most frequent genetic aberrations found in human cancers. Pyridoclax, a promising BH3 mimetic inhibitor, interacts directly with Mcl-1 and induces massive apoptosis at a concentration of 15 µM in combination with anti-Bcl-xL strategies in chemo-resistant ovarian cancer cell lines. In this study, a combined experimental and theoretical approach was used to investigate the binding mode of Pyridoclax to Mcl-1. The representative poses generated from dynamics simulations compared with NMR data revealed: (i) Pyridoclax bound to P1 and P2 pockets of Mcl-1 BH3 binding groove through its styryl and methyl groups establishing mainly hydrophobic contacts, (ii) one of the ending pyridines interacts through electrostatic interaction with K234 side chain, a negatively charged residue present only in this position in Mcl-1. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bourafai-Aziez
- CNRS Laboratoire COBRA (UMR 6014 & FR 3038), Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA de Rouen, Rouen, France.,Normandie Université, UniCaen, CERMN, F-14000 Caen, France
| | - M Sebban
- CNRS Laboratoire COBRA (UMR 6014 & FR 3038), Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA de Rouen, Rouen, France
| | | | - B Marekha
- Normandie Université, UniCaen, CERMN, F-14000 Caen, France
| | - C Denis
- Normandie Université, UniCaen, CERMN, F-14000 Caen, France
| | - H Paysant
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Inserm U1086 ANTICIPE « Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Cancer Prevention and Treatment », Biologie et Thérapies Innovantes des Cancers de l'ovaire (BioTICLA), Caen, France.,Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer F. Baclesse, Unicancer, Caen, France
| | - L B Weiswald
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, Inserm U1086 ANTICIPE « Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Cancer Prevention and Treatment », Biologie et Thérapies Innovantes des Cancers de l'ovaire (BioTICLA), Caen, France.,Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer F. Baclesse, Unicancer, Caen, France
| | - L Carlier
- Laboratoire Des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - R Bureau
- Normandie Université, UniCaen, CERMN, F-14000 Caen, France
| | - G Coadou
- CNRS Laboratoire COBRA (UMR 6014 & FR 3038), Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA de Rouen, Rouen, France
| | - D Ravault
- Laboratoire Des Biomolécules, LBM, Sorbonne Université, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | | | - H Oulyadi
- CNRS Laboratoire COBRA (UMR 6014 & FR 3038), Normandie Université, UNIROUEN, INSA de Rouen, Rouen, France
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Fletcher
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Denis C, Sopková-de Oliveira Santos J, Bureau R, Voisin-Chiret AS. Hot-Spots of Mcl-1 Protein. J Med Chem 2019; 63:928-943. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Camille Denis
- Normandie Univiversité, UNICAEN, CERMN, 14000 Caen, France
| | | | - Ronan Bureau
- Normandie Univiversité, UNICAEN, CERMN, 14000 Caen, France
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Targeting cancer's Achilles’ heel: role of BCL-2 inhibitors in cellular senescence and apoptosis. Future Med Chem 2019; 11:2287-2312. [DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2018-0366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the antiapoptotic BCL-2 proteins are involved in tumor growth, progression and survival, and are also responsible for chemoresistance to conventional anticancer agents. Early efforts to target these proteins yielded some active compounds; however, newer methodologies involving structure-based drug design, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-based screening and fragment-based screening yielded more potent compounds. Discovery of specific as well as nonspecific inhibitors of this class of proteins has resulted in great advances in targeted chemotherapy and decrease in chemoresistance. Here, we review the history and current progress in direct as well as selective targeting of the BCL-2 proteins for anticancer therapy.
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