Structural modification of an EGFR inhibitor that showed weak off-target activity against RET leading to the discovery of a potent RET inhibitor

Pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives as inhibitors of RET: Design, synthesis and biological evaluation

Gene fusions and point mutations of RET kinase are crucial for driving thoracic cancers, including thyroid cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. Various scaffolds based on different heterocycles have been synthesized and evaluated as RET inhibitors. In this work, we investigate pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives for inhibition of RET-wt, drug resistant mutant RET V804M and RET gene fusion driven cell lines. Several compounds were synthesized and the structure activity relationship was extensively studied to optimize the scaffold. Thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine, a bioisostere of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine, was also explored for the effect on RET inhibition. We identified a lead compound, 59, which shows low nanomolar potency against RET-wt and RET V804M. Further 59 shows growth inhibition of LC-2/ad cells which RET-CCDC6 driven. We also determined that 59 is a type 2 inhibitor of RET and demonstrated its ability to inhibit migration of tumor cells. Based on computational studies, we proposed a binding pose of 59 in RET pocket and have quantified the contributions of individual residues for its binding. Together, 59 is an important lead compound which needs further evaluation in biological studies.

Substituted pteridinones as p90 ribosomal S6 protein kinase (RSK) inhibitors: A structure-activity study

The activity of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (RSK2) has emerged as an attractive target for cancer therapy due to its role in the regulation of diverse cellular processes, such as cell transformation and proliferation. Several pan-RSK inhibitors have been identified with BI-D1870 and the pseudo-analogs LJH685 and LJI308 being the most selective, potent, and frequently used small molecule inhibitors. We designed and synthesized a series of pteridinones and pyrimidines to evaluate the structural features of BI-D1870 that are required for RSK2 inhibition. We have identified inhibitors of RSK2 activity, evaluated their target engagement in cells, and measured their effect on cell viability and cytotoxicity in the MOLM-13 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line. The results of our studies support that RSK2 inhibition can be achieved in MOLM-13 cells without potent cytotoxicity. The structure-activity data from this study will be used as a platform to develop novel RSK2 inhibitors.

The molecular basis for RET tyrosine-kinase inhibitors in thyroid cancer

RET receptor tyrosine kinase acts as a mutated oncogenic driver in several human malignancies and it is over-expressed in other cancers. Small molecule compounds with RET tyrosine kinase inhibitory activity are being investigated for the targeted treatment of these malignancies. Multi-targeted compounds with RET inhibitory concentration in the nanomolar range have entered clinical practice. This review summarizes mechanisms of RET oncogenic activity and properties of new compounds that, at the preclinical stage, have demonstrated promising anti-RET activity.

Regioselective Control of the SNAr Amination of 5-Substituted-2,4-Dichloropyrimidines Using Tertiary Amine Nucleophiles

The SNAr reaction of 2,4-dichloropyrimidines, further substituted with an electron-withdrawing substituent at C-5, has selectivity for substitution at C-4. Here we report that tertiary amine nucleophiles show excellent C-2 selectivity. In situ N-dealkylation of an intermediate gives the product that formally corresponds to the reaction of a secondary amine nucleophile at C-2. This reaction is practical (fast under simple reaction conditions, with good generality for tertiary amine structure and moderate to excellent yields) and significantly expands access to pyrimidine structures.