Novel 4-anilinoquinazolines with C-6 carbon-linked side chains: synthesis and structure-activity relationship of a series of potent, orally active, EGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Ligand and structure based hierarchical virtual screening cascade for finding novel epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase plays an important role in tumor formation and growth by mediating cell growth and other physiological processes. Therefore, EGFR is a promising target for the treatment of cancer. In this work, we combined ligand-based and structure-based virtual screening methods to identify novel EGFR inhibitors from a library of more than 103 thousand compounds. We first obtained hundreds of compounds with similar physiochemical properties through 3D molecular shape and electrostatic similarity screening with potent inhibitors AEE788 and Afatinib as queries. Next, we identified compounds with strong binding affinities to the EGFR pocket through molecular docking, which makes good use of the structure information of the receptor. After molecular scaffold analysis, our bioassay confirmed 13 compounds with EGFR inhibitory activity and three compounds had IC50 values below 1000 nM. In addition, we collected 5371 EGFR inhibitors from online databases, and clustered them into 7 groups by K-means method using their ECFP4 fingerprints as input. Each cluster had typical molecular fragments and corresponding activity characteristics, which could guide the design of EGFR inhibitors, and we concluded that the fragments from some of the hits are indicated in the highly active scaffolds.

Development and application of high-throughput screens for the discovery of compounds that disrupt ErbB4 signaling: Candidate cancer therapeutics

Whereas recent clinical studies report metastatic melanoma survival rates high as 30-50%, many tumors remain nonresponsive or become resistant to current therapeutic strategies. Analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) data set suggests that a significant fraction of melanomas potentially harbor gain-of-function mutations in the gene that encodes for the ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase. In this work, a drug discovery strategy was developed that is based on the observation that the Q43L mutant of the naturally occurring ErbB4 agonist Neuregulin-2beta (NRG2β) functions as a partial agonist at ErbB4. NRG2β/Q43L stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation, fails to stimulate ErbB4-dependent cell proliferation, and inhibits agonist-induced ErbB4-dependent cell proliferation. Compounds that exhibit these characteristics likely function as ErbB4 partial agonists, and as such hold promise as therapies for ErbB4-dependent melanomas. Consequently, three highly sensitive and reproducible (Z' > 0.5) screening assays were developed and deployed for the identification of small-molecule ErbB4 partial agonists. Six compounds were identified that stimulate ErbB4 phosphorylation, fail to stimulate ErbB4-dependent cell proliferation, and appear to selectively inhibit ErbB4-dependent cell proliferation. Whereas further characterization is needed to evaluate the full therapeutic potential of these molecules, this drug discovery platform establishes reliable and scalable approaches for the discovery of ErbB4 inhibitors.

Drug repositioning approaches for the discovery of new therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and represents one of the highest unmet needs in medicine today. Drug development efforts for AD have been encumbered by largely unsuccessful clinical trials in the last decade. Drug repositioning, a process of discovering a new therapeutic use for existing drugs or drug candidates, is an attractive and timely drug development strategy especially for AD. Compared with traditional de novo drug development, time and cost are reduced as the safety and pharmacokinetic properties of most repositioning candidates have already been determined. A majority of drug repositioning efforts for AD have been based on positive clinical or epidemiological observations or in vivo efficacy found in mouse models of AD. More systematic, multidisciplinary approaches will further facilitate drug repositioning for AD. Some experimental approaches include unbiased phenotypic screening using the library of available drug collections in physiologically relevant model systems (e.g. stem cell-derived neurons or glial cells), computational prediction and selection approaches that leverage the accumulating data resulting from RNA expression profiles, and genome-wide association studies. This review will summarize several notable strategies and representative examples of drug repositioning for AD.

Discovery of AZD8931, an Equipotent, Reversible Inhibitor of Signaling by EGFR, HER2, and HER3 Receptors

Deregulation of HER family signaling promotes proliferation and tumor cell survival and has been described in many human cancers. Simultaneous, equipotent inhibition of EGFR-, HER2-, and HER3-mediated signaling may be of clinical utility in cancer settings where the selective EGFR or HER2 therapeutic agents are ineffective or only modestly active. We describe the discovery of AZD8931 (2), an equipotent, reversible inhibitor of EGFR-, HER2-, and HER3-mediated signaling and the structure-activity relationships within this series. Docking studies based on a model of the HER2 kinase domain helped rationalize the increased HER2 activity seen with the methyl acetamide side chain present in AZD8931. AZD8931 exhibited good pharmacokinetics in preclinical species and showed superior activity in the LoVo tumor growth efficacy model compared to close analogues. AZD8931 is currently being evaluated in human clinical trials for the treatment of cancer.

Mutations in the DDR2 kinase gene identify a novel therapeutic target in squamous cell lung cancer

While genomically targeted therapies have improved outcomes for patients with lung adenocarcinoma, little is known about the genomic alterations which drive squamous cell lung cancer. Sanger sequencing of the tyrosine kinome identified mutations in the DDR2 kinase gene in 3.8% of squamous cell lung cancers and cell lines. Squamous lung cancer cell lines harboring DDR2 mutations were selectively killed by knock-down of DDR2 by RNAi or by treatment with the multi-targeted kinase inhibitor dasatinib. Tumors established from a DDR2 mutant cell line were sensitive to dasatinib in xenograft models. Expression of mutated DDR2 led to cellular transformation which was blocked by dasatinib. A squamous cell lung cancer patient with a response to dasatinib and erlotinib treatment harbored a DDR2 kinase domain mutation. These data suggest that gain-of-function mutations in DDR2 are important oncogenic events and are amenable to therapy with dasatinib. As dasatinib is already approved for use, these findings could be rapidly translated into clinical trials.

SIGNIFICANCE

DDR2 mutations are present in 4% of lung SCCs, and DDR2 mutations are associated with sensitivity to dasatinib. These findings provide a rationale for designing clinical trials with the FDA-approved drug dasatinib in patients with lung SCCs.

Synthesis and in vitro antitumor activity of substituted quinazoline and quinoxaline derivatives: search for anticancer agent

The synthesis of some 2-furano-4(3H)-quinazolinones, diamides (open ring quinazolines), quinoxalines and their biological evaluation as antitumor agents using National Cancer Institute (NCI) disease oriented antitumor screen protocol are investigated. Among the synthesize compounds, seventeen compounds were granted NSC code and screened at National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA for anticancer activity at a single high dose (10(-5) M) in full NCI 60 cell panel. Among the selected compounds, 3-(2-chloro benzylideneamine)-2-(furan-2-yl) quinazoline-4(3h)-one 21 was found to be the most active candidate of the series at five dose level screening against Ovarian OVCAR-4 and Non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H522 with GI50 1.82 & 2.14 μM respectively. Rational approach and QSAR techniques enabled the understanding of the pharmacophoric requirement for quinazoline, diamides and quinoxaline derivatives.

Absorption of CH330331, a novel 4-anilinoquinazoline inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase: comparative studies using in vitro, in situ and in vivo models

CH330331 is a prototype of a new class of synthetic small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). In vitro Caco-2 cell monolayers, the in situ single-pass rat intestinal perfusion (SPIP) technique with mesenteric vein cannulated and an in vivo animal model were employed to investigate its permeability and transepithelial transport mechanisms. The Caco-2 model showed that the transport of CH330331 across the monolayers from the apical (AP) to basolateral (BL) side was 6- to 10-fold higher than that from the BL to AP side. The apparent permeability coefficient (P(app) ) values of CH330331 at 5-20 µg/ml from the AP to BL and from BL to AP side were 5.30-2.21 × 10(-6)  cm/s, with a decrease in P(app) values from the AP to BL side at increased CH330331 concentrations. In the perfused rat intestinal model, a concentration dependent change in permeability was detected where P(blood) at 5 µg/ml (1.66 ± 0.69 × 10(-6)  cm/s) and 10 µg/ml (1.80 ± 0.45 × 10(-6)  cm/s) was significantly different from P(blood) at 20 µg/ml (0.98 ± 0.31 × 10(-6)  cm/s, p<0.05). Some inhibitors could also change the transepithelial transport of CH330331. Moreover, the in vivo study showed that the oral bioavailability of CH330331 was 82.7% in the rat. All the results confirmed that the transepithelial transport of CH330331 was rapid and saturable, which might involve an active mechanism. The oral bioavailability of CH330331 was relatively high in vivo.

Computational studies of epidermal growth factor receptor: docking reliability, three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis, and virtual screening studies

An aberrant activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been shown to be related to many human cancers, such as breast and liver cancers, thus making EGFR an attractive target for antitumor drug discovery. In this study we evaluated the reliability of various kinds of docking software and procedures to predict the binding disposition of EGFR inhibitors. By application of the best procedure and use of more than 200 compounds, a receptor-based 3D-QSAR model for EGFR inhibition was developed. On the basis of the results obtained, the possibility of developing virtual screening studies was also evaluated. The VS procedure that proved to be the most reliable from a computational point of view was then used to filter the Maybridge database in order to identify new EGFR inhibitors. Enzymatic assays revealed that among the eight top-scoring compounds, seven proved to inhibit EGFR activity at a concentration of 100 microM, two of them exhibiting IC(50) values in the low micromolar range and one in the nanomolar range. These results demonstrate the validity of the methodologies followed. Furthermore, the two low micromolar compounds may be considered as very interesting leads for the development of new EGFR inhibitors.

Allosteric networks governing regulation and catalysis of Src-family protein tyrosine kinases: implications for disease-associated kinases

1. The Src-family protein tyrosine kinases (SFKs) are multidomain oncogenic protein tyrosine kinases. Their overactivation contributes to cancer formation and progression. Thus, synthetic inhibitors of SFKs are being developed as therapeutics for cancer treatment. Understanding the regulatory and catalytic mechanisms of SFKs is necessary for the development of therapeutic SFK inhibitors. 2. Although many upstream regulators and protein substrates of SFKs have been identified, both the mechanisms of activation and catalysis of SFKs are not fully understood. In particular, it is still unclear how the inactive SFKs undergo conformational transition during activation. The mechanism governing the binding of substrates and the release of products during catalysis is another area that requires investigation. 3. Several recent publications indicate the presence of a 'hydrophobic spine' formed by four conserved interacting hydrophobic residues in the kinase domain of SFKs. In the present review, we discuss how the assembly and disassembly of the hydrophobic spine residues may govern conformational transition of SFKs during activation. In addition to regulation of kinase activity, the hydrophobic spine is implicated to be involved in catalysis. It has been postulated recently that perturbation of the hydrophobic spine residues is a key step in catalysis. 4. Further investigations to decipher the roles of the hydrophobic spine residues in regulation and catalysis of SFKs will benefit the development of therapeutic SFK inhibitors for cancer treatment.

3D-QSAR and molecular docking studies of 4-anilinoquinazoline derivatives: a rational approach to anticancer drug design

The present article is an attempt to formulate the three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) modeling of 4-anilinoquinazoline derivatives having promising anticancer activities inhibiting epidermal growth factor (EGFR) kinase. Molecular field analysis was applied for the generation of steric and electrostatic descriptors based on aligned structures. Partial least-squares (PLS) method was applied for QSAR model development considering training and test set approaches. The PLS models showed some interesting results in terms of internal and external predictability against EGFR kinase inhibition for such type of anilinoquinazoline derivatives. Steric and electrostatic field effects are discussed in the light of contribution plot generated. Finally, molecular docking analysis was carried out to better understand of the interactions between EGFR target and inhibitors in this series. Hydrophobic and hydrogen-bond interactions lead to identification of active binding sites of EGFR protein in the docked complex.

Determination of CH330331, a novel 4-anilinoquinazoline inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase, in human Caco-2 monolayers by high performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection: Application to a trans-epithelial transport study

4-Anilinoquinazolines (e.g. Iressa and Glivec) are a class of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK) inhibitors widely used to treat non-small cell lung cancer and other tumors. However, low clinical response rate, resistance, and host toxicity of currently available EGFR-TK inhibitors prompt the development of second generation of TK inhibitors with improved efficacy, selectivity, and less resistance. CH330331 is a recently synthesized novel 4-anilinoquinazoline analog with confirmed anticancer activity in vitro and in vivo. To predict its oral pharmacokinetic behavior and transport nature in the intestine before entering clinical trials, we have developed and validated a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for the determination of CH330331 in Caco-2 (a human colon cancer cell line) monolayers. The developed HPLC method was sensitive and reliable, with acceptable accuracy (90-110% of nominal values) and precision (intra- and inter-assay R.S.D.<10%). The total running time was within 10 min, with acceptable separation of the target analytes. The lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) value for CH330331 was 200 ng/ml when an aliquot of 100 microl sample was injected onto the HPLC. The validated HPLC method was applied to characterize the epithelial transport of CH330331 in Caco-2 monolayers. The transport of CH330331 across the Caco-2 monolayers from the apical to basolateral side was 8- to 10-fold higher than that from the basolateral to apical side. Co-incubation of sodium azide or MK-571, but not verapamil, significantly inhibited the apical to basolateral transport of CH330331. These findings provide initial evidence that the intestinal absorption of CH330331 is mediated by an active mechanism. Further studies are required to explore the interaction of CH330331 with ATP-binding cassette transporters and the possible influence on its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.