2,4-Diarylamino-pyrimidines as kinase inhibitors co-targeting IGF1R and EGFRL858R/T790M

Acid-controlled multicomponent selective synthesis of 2,4,6-triaryl pyridines and pyrimidines by using hexamethyldisilazane as a nitrogen source under microwave irradiation

An efficient and general protocol for the synthesis of functionalized 2,4,6-triaryl pyridines and pyrimidines was developed from commercially available aromatic ketones, aldehydes and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) as a nitrogen source under microwave irradiation. In this multicomponent synthetic route, Lewis acids play an important role in selectively synthesizing six-membered heterocycles, including pyridines (1N) and pyrimidines (2N), by involving [2 + 1 + 2 + 1] or [2 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1] annulated processes.

Pyrimidine derivatives as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in NSCLC: - A comprehensive review

EGFR positive NSCLC due to primary mutation (EGFR DEL19 & L858R) has been recognized as a crucial mediator of tumor progression. This led to the development and approval of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors which addresses EGFR mediated NSCLC but fail to show potency after initial months of therapy due to acquired resistance (EGFR T790M, EGFR C797S). Extensive research allowed identification of drugs for EGFR positive NSCLC, wherein the majority of compounds have a pyrimidine substructure offering marked therapeutic benefits compared to chemotherapy. This current review outlines the diverse pyrimidine derivatives with amino-linked and fused pyrimidine scaffolds such as furo-pyrimidine, pyrimido-pyrimidine, thieno-pyrimidine, highlighting pyrimidine EGFR TK inhibitors reported in research emphasizing structural aspects, design approaches, inhibition potential. selectivity profile towards mutant EGFR conveyed through biological evaluation studies. Furthermore, mentioning the in-silico interaction profile of synthesized compounds for evaluating the binding affinity with key amino acids. The epilogue of review focuses on the recent research that drives forward to aid in the discovery and development of substituted amino and fused scaffolds of pyrimidine that can counteract the mutations and effectively manage EGFR positive NSCLC.

MicroRNAs as the critical regulators of tyrosine kinase inhibitors resistance in lung tumor cells

Lung cancer is the second most common and the leading cause of cancer related deaths globally. Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) are among the common therapeutic strategies in lung cancer patients, however the treatment process fails in a wide range of patients due to TKIs resistance. Given that the use of anti-cancer drugs can always have side effects on normal tissues, predicting the TKI responses can provide an efficient therapeutic strategy. Therefore, it is required to clarify the molecular mechanisms of TKIs resistance in lung cancer patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in regulation of various pathophysiological cellular processes. In the present review, we discussed the miRNAs that have been associated with TKIs responses in lung cancer. MiRNAs mainly exert their role on TKIs response through regulation of Tyrosine Kinase Receptors (TKRs) and down-stream signaling pathways. This review paves the way for introducing a panel of miRNAs for the prediction of TKIs responses in lung cancer patients.

Computational identification of 2,4-disubstituted amino-pyrimidines as L858R/T790M-EGFR double mutant inhibitors using pharmacophore mapping, molecular docking, binding free energy calculation, DFT study and molecular dynamic simulation

Pharmacophore modelling studies have been performed for a series of 2,4-disubstituted-pyrimidines derivatives as EGFR L858R/T790M tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The high scoring AARR.15 hypothesis was selected as the best pharmacophore model with the highest survival score of 3.436 having two hydrogen bond acceptors and two aromatic ring features. Pharmacophore-based virtual screening followed by structure-based yielded the six molecules (ZINC17013227, ZINC17013215, ZINC9573324, ZINC9573445, ZINC24023331 and ZINC17013503) from the ZINC database with significant in silico predicted activity and strong binding affinity towords the EGFR L858R/T790M tyrosine kinase. In silico toxicity and cytochrome profiling indicates that all the 06 virtually screened compounds were substrate/inhibitors of the CYP-3A4 metabolizing enzyme and were non-carcinogenic and devoid of Ames mutagenesis. Density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation further validated the obtained hits.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-021-00113-x.

Pyrimidine-based EGFR TK inhibitors in targeted cancer therapy

Despite significant improvements of new treatment options, cancer continues to represent as one of the most common and fatal disease. The EGFR signaling pathway is considered as a significant approach in targeted therapy of cancers. Blocking the EGFR-driven pathway by inhibiting the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain of EGFR have shown considerable improvement in cancer therapy. In an effort to identify EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), several small molecules especially pyrimidine containing derivatives have been designed by applying molecular simulation and evaluated the emergence of epigenetic mutation and resistance problems restricted the long-term effectiveness of such medication and explained the need for further investigations in this field. In recent years, the studies have been focused on genetic alterations on EGFR tyrosine kinase domain, which led to the design and synthesis of more selective and effective inhibitors. Herein, we give an overview of the importance and status of EGFR inhibitors in cancer therapy. In addition, we provide an update of the recent advances in design, discovery and development of novel pyrimidine containing compounds as promising selective EGFR TK inhibitors.

Biomass-involved synthesis of N-substituted benzofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidine-4-amines and biological evaluation as novel EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors

Shikimic acid (1) is a renewable biomass which could be obtained sustainably through natural product isolation or metabolic engineering. Owing to its great potential in chemical conversion, the value-added utilization of this non-grain biomass has received much attention in recent years. Based on the established transformation route from shikimic acid (1) to methyl 3-dehydroshikimate (3-MDHS, 2) and to the multi-functionalized methyl 2-amino-3-cyanobenzofuran-5-carboxylate (3), we disclose a facile and transition metal-free method to access a series of N-substituted benzofuro[2,3-d]pyrimidine-4-amines in 63%-90% yields. The identification of these compounds as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors has also been described. Among them, compound 5h exhibited the most potent inhibitory effect against EGFR tyrosine kinase with an IC₅₀ of 1.7 nM and excellent antiproliferative activity against A431 and A549 cell lines with a GI₅₀ of 5.1 and 12.3 μM, respectively.

Cu-Catalyzed intermolecular [3 + 3] annulation involving oxidative activation of an unreactive C(sp3)–H bond: access to pyrimidine derivatives from amidines and ketones

An efficient approach to pyrimidines through a copper-catalyzed oxidative unreactive C(sp³)–H bond and intermolecular [3 + 3] annulation of amidines and ketones is described.

MiR-30a-5p Overexpression May Overcome EGFR-Inhibitor Resistance through Regulating PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Lung cancer is one of the most common deadly diseases worldwide, most of which is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant NSCLCs frequently respond to the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) treatment, such as Gefitinib and Erlotinib, but the development of acquired resistance limits the utility. Multiple resistance mechanisms have been explored, e.g., the activation of alternative tyrosine kinase receptors (TKRs) sharing similar downstream pathways to EGFR. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, endogenous and non-coding RNA molecules, regulating the target gene expression. In this study, we explored the potential of miR-30a-5p in targeting the EGFR and insulin-like growth factor receptor-1 (IGF-1R) signaling pathways to overcome the drug resistance. IGF-1R is one of the tyrosine kinase receptors that share the same EGFR downstream molecules, including phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (AKT). In this work, an in vitro study was designed using EGFR inhibitor (Gefitinib), IGF-1R inhibitor (NVP-AEW541), and miRNA mimics in two Gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cell lines, H460 and H1975. We found that the combination of EGFR and IGF-1R inhibitors significantly decreased the phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) expression levels compared to the control group in these two cell lines. Knockdown of phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 2 (PIK3R2) had the same effect with the dual inhibition of EGFR and IGF-1R to reduce the expression of p-AKT in the signaling pathway. Overexpression of miR-30a-5p significantly reduced the expression of the PI3K regulatory subunit (PIK3R2) to further induce cell apoptosis, and inhibit cell invasion and migration properties. Hence, miR-30a-5p may play vital roles in overcoming the acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs, and provide useful information for establishing novel cancer treatment.

Development of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors against EGFR T790M. Mutation in non small-cell lung carcinoma

Individualized therapies targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations show promises for the treatment of non small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). However, disease progression almost invariably occurs 1 year after tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. The most prominent mechanism of acquired resistance involves the secondary EGFR mutation, namely EGFR T790M, which accounts for 50%-60% of resistant tumors. A large amount of studies have focused on the development of effective strategies to treat TKI-resistant EGFR T790M mutation in lung tumors. Novel generations of EGFR inhibitors are producing encouraging results in patients with acquired resistance against EGFR T790M mutation. This review will summarize the novel inhibitors, which might overcome resistance against EGFR T790M mutation.