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Fang F, Dai Y, Wang H, Ji Y, Liang X, Peng X, Li J, Zhao Y, Li C, Wang D, Li Y, Zhang D, Zhang D, Geng M, Liu H, Ai J, Zhou Y. Structure-based drug discovery of novel fused-pyrazolone carboxamide derivatives as potent and selective AXL inhibitors. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:4918-4933. [PMID: 38045061 PMCID: PMC10692477 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As a novel and promising antitumor target, AXL plays an important role in tumor growth, metastasis, immunosuppression and drug resistance of various malignancies, which has attracted extensive research interest in recent years. In this study, by employing the structure-based drug design and bioisosterism strategies, we designed and synthesized in total 54 novel AXL inhibitors featuring a fused-pyrazolone carboxamide scaffold, of which up to 20 compounds exhibited excellent AXL kinase and BaF3/TEL-AXL cell viability inhibitions. Notably, compound 59 showed a desirable AXL kinase inhibitory activity (IC50: 3.5 nmol/L) as well as good kinase selectivity, and it effectively blocked the cellular AXL signaling. In turn, compound 59 could potently inhibit BaF3/TEL-AXL cell viability (IC50: 1.5 nmol/L) and significantly suppress GAS6/AXL-mediated cancer cell invasion, migration and wound healing at the nanomolar level. More importantly, compound 59 oral administration showed good pharmacokinetic profile and in vivo antitumor efficiency, in which we observed significant AXL phosphorylation suppression, and its antitumor efficacy at 20 mg/kg (qd) was comparable to that of BGB324 at 50 mg/kg (bid), the most advanced AXL inhibitor. Taken together, this work provided a valuable lead compound as a potential AXL inhibitor for the further antitumor drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yang Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Drug Discovery & Development Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yinchun Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Xuewu Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xia Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jiyuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yangrong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Chunpu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Danyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yazhou Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Dong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Meiyu Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai 264117, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Jing Ai
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
| | - Yu Zhou
- Drug Discovery & Development Center, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou 310024, China
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Wang B, Liu Y, Zhang L, Wang Y, Li Z, Chen X. Design, Synthesis, and Antiproliferative Activity of Selective Histone Deacetylases 6 Inhibitors Containing a Tetrahydropyridopyrimidine Scaffold. Molecules 2023; 28:7323. [PMID: 37959743 PMCID: PMC10648541 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28217323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of selective histone deacetylase 6 inhibitors (sHDAC6is) is being recognized as a therapeutic approach for cancers. In this paper, we designed a series of novel tetrahydropyridopyrimidine derivatives as sHDAC6 inhibitors. The most potent compound, 8-(2, 4-bis(3-methoxyphenyl)-5, 8-dihydropyrido [3, 4-d]pyrimidin-7(6H)-yl)-N-hydroxy-8-oxooctanamide (8f), inhibited HDAC6 with IC50 of 6.4 nM, and showed > 48-fold selectivity over other subtypes. In Western blot assay, 8f elevated the levels of acetylated α-tubulin in a dose-dependent manner. In vitro, 8f inhibited RPMI-8226, HL60, and HCT116 tumor cells with IC50 of 2.8, 3.20, and 3.25 μM, respectively. Moreover, 8f showed good antiproliferative activity against a panel of tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (B.W.); (L.Z.); (Y.W.)
| | - Youcai Liu
- Experimental Teaching Center of Biology & Basic Medicine, Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China;
| | - Lejing Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (B.W.); (L.Z.); (Y.W.)
| | - Yajuan Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (B.W.); (L.Z.); (Y.W.)
| | - Zhaoxi Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China; (B.W.); (L.Z.); (Y.W.)
| | - Xin Chen
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Natural Products & Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry & Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
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3
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He R, Song Z, Bai Y, He S, Huang J, Wang Y, Zhou F, Huang W, Guo J, Wang Z, Tu ZC, Ren X, Zhang Z, Xu J, Ding K. Discovery of AXL Degraders with Improved Potencies in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Cells. J Med Chem 2023; 66:1873-1891. [PMID: 36695404 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
AXL kinase is heavily involved in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance of many cancers, and several AXL inhibitors are in clinical investigations. Recent studies demonstrated that the N-terminal distal region of AXL plays more important roles in cell invasiveness than its C-terminal kinase domain. Therefore, degradation of AXL may present a novel superior therapeutic approach than the kinase inhibitor therapy. Herein, we report the discovery of a series of new AXL PROTAC degraders. One representative compound 6n potently depletes AXL with a DC50 value of 5 nM in MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. It also demonstrates significantly improved potencies against the AXL signaling activation, cell proliferation, migration and invasion of TNBC cells comparing with the corresponding kinase inhibitor. Moreover, the compound exhibits promising therapeutic potential both in patient-derived organoids and a xenograft mouse model of MDA-MB-231 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui He
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhiqiang Song
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yu Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Sheng He
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jing Huang
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yongxing Wang
- Livzon Research Institute, Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc., 38 Chuangye North Road, Jinwan District, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Fengtao Zhou
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Weixue Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jing Guo
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zheng-Chao Tu
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xiaomei Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zhang Zhang
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jian Xu
- Livzon Research Institute, Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc., 38 Chuangye North Road, Jinwan District, Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Ke Ding
- International Cooperative Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Modernization and Innovative Drug Discovery of Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE), Guangzhou City Key Laboratory of Precision Chemical Drug Development, School of Pharmacy, Jinan University, 855 Xingye Avenue, Panyu District, Guangzhou 510632, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioorganic & Natural Products Chemistry, Center for Excellence in Molecular Synthesis, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai 200032, China.,The First Affiliated Hospital (Huaqiao Hospital), Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou 510632, China
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Tsukamoto S, Sugi NH, Nishibata K, Nakazawa Y, Ito D, Fukushima S, Nakagawa T, Ichikawa K, Kato Y, Kakiuchi D, Goto A, Itoh-Yagi M, Aota T, Inoue S, Yamane Y, Murai N, Azuma H, Nagao S, Sasai K, Akagi T, Imai T, Matsui J, Matsushima T. ER-851, a Novel Selective Inhibitor of AXL, Overcomes Resistance to Antimitotic Drugs. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:12-24. [PMID: 36279567 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Innate and adaptive resistance to cancer therapies, such as chemotherapies, molecularly targeted therapies, and immune-modulating therapies, is a major issue in clinical practice. Subpopulations of tumor cells expressing the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL become enriched after treatment with antimitotic drugs, causing tumor relapse. Elevated AXL expression is closely associated with drug resistance in clinical samples, suggesting that AXL plays a pivotal role in drug resistance. Although several molecules with AXL inhibitory activity have been developed, none have sufficient activity and selectivity to be clinically effective when administered in combination with a cancer therapy. Here, we report a novel small molecule, ER-851, which is a potent and highly selective AXL inhibitor. To investigate resistance mechanisms and identify driving molecules, we conducted a comprehensive gene expression analysis of chemoresistant tumor cells in mouse xenograft models of genetically engineered human lung cancer and human triple-negative breast cancer. Consistent with the effect of AXL knockdown, cotreatment of ER-851 and antimitotic drugs produced an antitumor effect and prolonged relapse-free survival in the mouse xenograft model of human triple-negative breast cancer. Importantly, when orally administered to BALB/c mice, this compound did not induce retinal toxicity, a known side effect of chronic MER inhibition. Together, these data strongly suggest that AXL is a therapeutic target for overcoming drug resistance and that ER-851 is a promising candidate therapeutic agent for use against AXL-expressing antimitotic-resistant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuntaro Tsukamoto
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Naoko Hata Sugi
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kyoko Nishibata
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Youya Nakazawa
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Daisuke Ito
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Sayo Fukushima
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Takayuki Nakagawa
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Kenji Ichikawa
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yu Kato
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Dai Kakiuchi
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Aya Goto
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | - Tomoki Aota
- hhc Data Creation Center, Eisai Co., Ltd., Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Inoue
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Yamane
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Norio Murai
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Azuma
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nagao
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Ken Sasai
- KAN Research Institute, Inc., Kobe-shi, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Akagi
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan.,KAN Research Institute, Inc., Kobe-shi, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Toshio Imai
- KAN Research Institute, Inc., Kobe-shi, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Junji Matsui
- Tsukuba Research Laboratories, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
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Malvankar C, Kumar D. AXL kinase inhibitors- A prospective model for medicinal chemistry strategies in anticancer drug discovery. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2022; 1877:188786. [PMID: 36058379 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Deviant expressions of the tyrosine kinase AXL receptor are strongly correlated with a plethora of malignancies. Henceforth, the topic of targeting AXL is beginning to gain prominence due to mounting evidence of the protein's substantial connection to poor prognosis and treatment resistance. This year marked a milestone in clinical testing for AXL as an anti-carcinogenic target, with the start of the first AXL-branded inhibitor study. It is critical to emphasize that AXL is a primary and secondary target in various kinase inhibitors that have been approved or are on the verge of being approved while interpreting the present benefits and future potential effects of AXL suppression in the clinical setting. Several research arenas across the globe resolutely affirm the crucial significance of AXL receptors in the case study of several pathophysiologies including AML, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. This review endeavors to delve deeply into the biological, chemical, and structural features of AXL kinase; primary AXL inhibitors that target the enzyme (either purposefully or unintentionally); and the prospects and barriers for turning AXL inhibitors into a feasible treatment alternative. Furthermore, we analyse the co-crystal structure of AXL, which remains extensively unexplored, as well as the mutations of AXL that may be valuable in the development of novel inhibitors in the upcoming future and take a comprehensive look at the medicinal chemistry of AXL inhibitors of recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinmay Malvankar
- Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be) University, Pune, Maharashtra 411038, India
| | - Dileep Kumar
- Poona College of Pharmacy, Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be) University, Pune, Maharashtra 411038, India; Department of Entomology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA; UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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