Design, Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of Novel Hsp90N-terminal Inhibitors Without Induction of Heat Shock Response

Recent updates on 1,2,3-, 1,2,4-, and 1,3,5-triazine hybrids (2017-present): The anticancer activity, structure-activity relationships, and mechanisms of action

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death across the world, and the prevalence and mortality rates of cancer will continue to grow. Chemotherapeutics play a critical role in cancer therapy, but drug resistance and side effects are major hurdles to effective treatment, evoking an immediate need for the discovery of new anticancer agents. Triazines including 1,2,3-, 1,2,4-, and 1,3,5-triazine have occupied a propitious place in drug design and development due to their excellent pharmacological profiles. Mechanistically, triazine derivatives could interfere with various signaling pathways to induce cancer cell death. Hence, triazine derivatives possess potential in vitro and in vivo efficacy against diverse cancers. In particular, triazine hybrids are able to overcome drug resistance and reduce side effects. Moreover, several triazine hybrids such as brivanib (indole-containing pyrrolo[2,1-f][1,2,4]triazine), gedatolisib (1,3,5-triazine-urea hybrid), and enasidenib (1,3,5-triazine-pyridine hybrid) have already been available in the market. Accordingly, triazine hybrids are useful scaffolds for the discovery of novel anticancer chemotherapeutics. This review focuses on the anticancer activity of 1,2,3-, 1,2,4-, and 1,3,5-triazine hybrids, together with the structure-activity relationships and mechanisms of action developed from 2017 to the present. The enriched structure-activity relationships may be useful for further rational drug development of triazine hybrids as potential clinical candidates.

DCZ5248, a novel dual inhibitor of Hsp90 and autophagy, exerts antitumor activity against colon cancer

Hsp90 is a potential therapeutic target for tumor, as it maintains the stability of a variety of proteins related to tumor development and progression. Autophagy is a self-degradation process to maintain cellular homeostasis and autophagy inhibitors can suppress tumor growth. In this study, we identified DCZ5248, a triazine derivative, was a dual inhibitor of both Hsp90 and late-autophagy with potent antitumor activity against colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We showed that DCZ5248 (0.1-10 μM) induced dose-dependent degradation of Hsp90 client proteins (AKT, CDK4, CDK6 and RAF-1) in HCT 116 colon cancer cells through a proteasome-dependent pathway. Meanwhile, DCZ5248 (0.3 μM) induced cytoplasmic vacuole formation, LC3 II conversion, p62 protein upregulation, and inhibited autophagy at the late stage in the colon cancer cell lines tested. We further revealed that the inhibition of autophagy was achieved by impairing lysosomal functions through induction of lysosomal acidification and attenuation of lysosomal cathepsin activity. The modulation of autophagy by DCZ5248 was independent of Hsp90 inhibition as the autophagy inhibition was not blocked by Hsp90 knockdown. Importantly, inhibition of both Hsp90 function and autophagy by DCZ5248 induced G1-phase cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and exerted potent antitumor activity against colon cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. These findings demonstrate that DCZ5248 is a novel dual inhibitor of Hsp90 and autophagy with potential for colon cancer therapy.

Design, Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of Novel Hsp90N-terminal Inhibitors Without Induction of Heat Shock Response

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is a potential oncogenic target. However, Hsp90 inhibitors in clinical trial induce heat shock response, resulting in drug resistance and inefficiency. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of novel triazine derivatives (A1‐26, B1‐13, C1‐23) as Hsp90 inhibitors. Compound A14 directly bound to Hsp90 in a different manner from traditional Hsp90 inhibitors, and degraded client proteins, but did not induce the concomitant activation of Hsp72. Importantly, A14 exhibited the most potent anti‐proliferation ability by inducing autophagy, with the IC₅₀ values of 0.1 μM and 0.4 μM in A549 and SK‐BR‐3 cell lines, respectively. The in  vivo study demonstrated that A14 could induce autophagy and degrade Hsp90 client proteins in tumor tissues, and exhibit anti‐tumor activity in A549 lung cancer xenografts. Therefore, the compound A14 with potent antitumor activity and unique pharmacological characteristics is a novel Hsp90 inhibitor for developing anticancer agent without heat shock response.