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Chen X, Huang Y, Chen B, Liu H, Cai Y, Yang Y. Insight into the design of FGFR4 selective inhibitors in cancer therapy: Prospects and challenges. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 263:115947. [PMID: 37976704 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115947] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Recently, FGFR4 has become a hot target for the treatment of cancer owing to its important role in cellular physiological processes. FGFR4 has been validated to be closely related to the occurrence of cancers, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Hence, the development of FGFR4 small-molecule inhibitors is essential to further understanding the functions of FGFR4 in cancer and the treatment of FGFR4-dependent diseases. Given the particular structures of FGFR1-4, the development of FGFR4 selective inhibitors presents significant challenges. The non-conserved Cys552 in the hinge region of the FGFR4 complex becomes the key to the selectivity of FGFR4 and FGFR1/2/3 inhibitors. In this review, we systematically introduce the close relationship between FGFR4 and cancer, and conduct an in-depth analysis of the developing methodology, binding mechanism, kinase selectivity, pharmacokinetic characteristics of FGFR4 selectivity inhibitors, and their application in clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, 434020, China
| | - Yajiao Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, 434020, China
| | - Ban Chen
- School of Biological Engineering and Food, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China
| | - Huihui Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, 434020, China
| | - Yuepiao Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China.
| | - Yuanrong Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Jingzhou, Hubei, 434020, China.
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Hu S, Liu Y, Ma J, Ding W, Chen H, Jiang H, Chen H, Wei S, Liu Y, Jin Q, Yuan H, Yan L. Discovery and Structural Optimization of Novel Quinolone Derivatives as Potent Irreversible Pan-Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors for Treating Solid Tumors. J Med Chem 2023. [PMID: 37335602 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant activation of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) has been identified as an oncogenic driver force for multiple cancer types, making FGFRs a compelling target for anticancer therapy. Because of the renewed interest in irreversible inhibitors, considerable efforts have been made to find irreversible FGFR inhibitors. Herein, we discovered a series of novel quinolone-based covalent pan-FGFR inhibitors by further optimizing the lead compound (lenvatinib) under the guidance of molecular docking. The representative pan-FGFR inhibitor I-5 exhibited significant inhibitory potency against FGFR1-4 with nanomolar activity and effectively suppressed the proliferation of Huh-7 and Hep3B HCC cells. I-5 displayed high selectivity against a panel of 369 kinases at 1 μM. The irreversible binding to target proteins was characterized by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Moreover, I-5 exhibited favorable PK properties in vivo and induced significant TGI in the Huh-7 and NCI-H1581 xenograft mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihe Hu
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
| | - Yu Liu
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
| | - Jiye Ma
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
| | - Weijie Ding
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
| | - Hua Chen
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
| | - Haifang Jiang
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
| | - Hongxing Chen
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
| | - Song Wei
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
| | - Yonggao Liu
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
| | - Qiaomei Jin
- Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, Jiangsu, P. R. China
- Laboratories of Translational Medicine, Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210028, Jiangsu, P. R. China
| | - Haoliang Yuan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, P. R. China
| | - Libo Yan
- SkyRun Pharma Co., Ltd., No. 9 Weidi Road, Nanjing 210046, P. R. China
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Zhong Z, Shi L, Fu T, Huang J, Pan Z. Discovery of Novel 7-Azaindole Derivatives as Selective Covalent Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 4 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Med Chem 2022; 65:7278-7295. [PMID: 35549181 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) has been identified as a potential target for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with aberrant FGFR4 signaling because of its important role in HCC progression and development. Several FGFR4 inhibitors are under clinical development. Using a 7-azaindole scaffold, we discovered a series of novel selective and covalent FGFR4 inhibitors by performing a structure-based design approach. Representative compounds 24 and 30 exhibited potent FGFR4 inhibition and high selectivity among kinases. Western blot analysis showed that compounds 24 and 30 significantly inhibited the FGF19/FGFR4 signaling pathway in HuH-7 cells and effectively suppressed the proliferation of HuH-7 HCC cells and MDA-MB-453 breast cancer cells. Moreover, compound 30 exhibited significant in vivo antitumor activity in a mouse HuH-7 xenograft model. Thus, compound 30 and the 7-azaindole scaffold can be applied to develop anticancer agents for the treatment of cancers characterized by aberrant FGFR4 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenpeng Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Liyang Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Tiancheng Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jiajun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhengying Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Wang K, Chen Q, Liu N, Zhang J, Pan X. Recent advances in, and challenges of, anti-angiogenesis agents for tumor chemotherapy based on vascular normalization. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:2743-2753. [PMID: 34332098 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A major problem associated with cancer treatment is resistance-prone chemotherapeutic drugs. An increasing number of studies have documented that the occurrence of resistance tends to be associated with abnormal blood vessels. In 2001, Jain proposed the vascular normalization theory, which was recently applied to the drug-resistant treatment of tumors in the clinic. Through the intervention of angiogenesis inhibitors, remodeling the structure and function of abnormal vessels can maximize the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs. In this review, we systematically describe the occurrence and progress of tumor angiogenesis, as well as the pathological characteristics of tumor blood vessels. Moreover, druggable targets for vascular normalization and the development of related inhibitors are also outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Qinhua Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Baoan Authentic TCM Therapy Hospital, Shenzhen 518101, China
| | - Nanxin Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Xiaoyan Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
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Su X, Liu Z, Yue L, Wu X, Wei W, Que H, Ye T, Luo Y, Zhang Y. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 1 H-pyrrolo[2,3- b]pyridine derivatives as potent fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitors. RSC Adv 2021; 11:20651-20661. [PMID: 35479379 PMCID: PMC9033946 DOI: 10.1039/d1ra02660g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal activation of FGFR signaling pathway plays an essential role in various types of tumors. Therefore, targeting FGFRs represents an attractive strategy for cancer therapy. Herein, we report a series of 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives with potent activities against FGFR1, 2, and 3. Among them, compound 4h exhibited potent FGFR inhibitory activity (FGFR1–4 IC50 values of 7, 9, 25 and 712 nM, respectively). In vitro, 4h inhibited breast cancer 4T1 cell proliferation and induced its apoptosis. In addition, 4h also significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of 4T1 cells. Furthermore, 4h with low molecular weight would be an appealing lead compound which was beneficial to the subsequent optimization. In general, this research has been developing a class of 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives targeting FGFR with development prospects. Discovery of a new class of 1H- pyrrorole [2,3-b]pyridine FGFR inhibitors with high ligand efficiency.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingping Su
- Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University Chengdu Sichuan 610041 China
| | - Zhihao Liu
- Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University Chengdu Sichuan 610041 China
| | - Lin Yue
- Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University Chengdu Sichuan 610041 China
| | - Xiuli Wu
- Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University Chengdu Sichuan 610041 China
| | - Wei Wei
- Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University Chengdu Sichuan 610041 China
| | - Hanyun Que
- Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University Chengdu Sichuan 610041 China
| | - Tinghong Ye
- Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University Chengdu Sichuan 610041 China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Orthopedics, West China Hospital of Sichuan University Wai Nan Guo Xue Xiang 37# 610041 Chengdu Sichuan China
| | - Yiwen Zhang
- Sichuan University-University of Oxford Huaxi Joint Centre for Gastrointestinal Cancer, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University Chengdu Sichuan 610041 China
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